Medicinal plants grown in soil amended with struvite recovered from anaerobically pretreated poultry manure wastewater

ABSTRACT 3--P = 1:1:1, pH = 9.0) was tested as a slow release fertilizer on the growth of four medicinal plants including garden rocket (Eruca sativa), dill (Anethum graveolens), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum) in a series of labscale greenhouse experiment. Pot trial tests indicated that rates of increase in fresh weights, dry weights and fresh heights of plants grown in soil fertilized with the recovered struvite were determined as 405%, 488%, and 51% for garden rocket; 154%, 191%, and 44% for dill; 152%, 379%, and 27% for fennel; 141%, 208%, and 22% for parsley, respectively, compared to the control pot. Results of a static bioassay test proved that the use of plants cultivated in MAP pots as the feeding material did not cause any acute toxicity symptoms or mortality in guppy fish (Lebistes reticulatus), and all survived and exhibited normal visual responses at the end of 170-h exposure. Findings of this study confirmed that the recovered struvite from UASB effluent provided a valuable slow release fertilizer for the agricultural use, resulting an edible multi-nutrient animal feed

Assessment of indoor air pollution exposure in urban hospital microenvironments

Hospitals are microenvironments containing populations with potentially enhanced sensitivity to air pollution. The objectives of this study were to characterize the concentration of indoor and outdoor size-fractionated particulate matter (PM) at two urban hospital sites in Kashan, Iran, and to evaluate the relationship between indoor and outdoor PM levels. PM 1.0 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 concentrations were measured over a 3-month period outside each hospital with parallel sampling at four indoor locations in patient wards. The results indicated that mean indoor concentrations at the sampling sites (PM 1.0 = 17.8 μg/m 3 , PM 2.5 = 45.5 μg/m 3 , and PM 10 = 162.7 μg/m 3 ) were found to be lower than outdoors levels (PM 1.0 = 20.6 μg/m 3 , PM 2.5 = 62.1 μg/m 3 , and PM 10 = 300.6 μg/m 3 ). Outdoor and indoor PM mass concentrations were associated with PM 1.0 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10.0 . Ambient wind speed also influenced the indoor/outdoor relationship for PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 but not for PM 10 . The average I/O ratios for PM 2.5 in the intensive care unit (ICU) and children�s ward at Shahid Beheshti Hospital were close to or above 1.00. Indoor PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 concentrations were found to be positively associated with outdoor PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 concentrations, but no relationship was observed with PM 10 . The present findings may inform policymakers in implementing evidence-based efforts for the aim of improving the indoor air quality in closed and confined spaces. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V

Preparation and optimization of macroalgae-derived solid acid catalysts

Solid acid catalysts were synthesized from macroalgae Sargassum horneri via hydrothermal carbonization followed by sulfuric acid sulfonation. A three-variable Box-Behnken design and optimization was used to maximize surface acidity. The optimal preparation conditions were found to be at the carbonization temperature of 217 °C, the carbonization time of 4.6 h and the sulfonation temperature of 108.5 °C. Under these conditions, the highest surface acidity achieved was 1.62 mmol g−1. Physical and chemical properties of prepared solid acid catalyst were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The results proved the grafting of –SO3H groups on an amorphous carbon structure. The catalyst activity was evaluated by the esterification of oleic acid with methanol. The sample prepared achieved 96.6% esterification yield, which was higher than the 86.7% yield achieved by commercial Ambersyst-15 under the same reaction conditions

Mitigation of soil loss from turfgrass cultivation by utilizing poultry abattoir sludge compost and biochar on low-organic matter soil

PMID = 3001620

Assessment of indoor air pollution exposure in urban hospital microenvironments

Hospitals are microenvironments containing populations with potentially enhanced sensitivity to air pollution. The objectives of this study were to characterize the concentration of indoor and outdoor size-fractionated particulate matter (PM) at two urban hospital sites in Kashan, Iran, and to evaluate the relationship between indoor and outdoor PM levels. PM 1.0 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 concentrations were measured over a 3-month period outside each hospital with parallel sampling at four indoor locations in patient wards. The results indicated that mean indoor concentrations at the sampling sites (PM 1.0 = 17.8 μg/m 3 , PM 2.5 = 45.5 μg/m 3 , and PM 10 = 162.7 μg/m 3 ) were found to be lower than outdoors levels (PM 1.0 = 20.6 μg/m 3 , PM 2.5 = 62.1 μg/m 3 , and PM 10 = 300.6 μg/m 3 ). Outdoor and indoor PM mass concentrations were associated with PM 1.0 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10.0 . Ambient wind speed also influenced the indoor/outdoor relationship for PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 but not for PM 10 . The average I/O ratios for PM 2.5 in the intensive care unit (ICU) and children�s ward at Shahid Beheshti Hospital were close to or above 1.00. Indoor PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 concentrations were found to be positively associated with outdoor PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 concentrations, but no relationship was observed with PM 10 . The present findings may inform policymakers in implementing evidence-based efforts for the aim of improving the indoor air quality in closed and confined spaces. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V

Study of heavy metal levels in seawater in the vicinity of Single Buoy Moorings at Mina Al Fahal, Sultanate of Oman

This study was conducted to determine the concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, and vanadium in seawater samples taken from the vicinity of Single Buoy Mooring 3 (SBM3) at Mina Al Fahal in the Sultanate of Oman. SBM3 is one of three locations at Mina Al Fahal (SBM1 and SBM2) associated with importing and exporting refined petroleum products. Using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry, concentrations of these four metals in seawater samples were measured in six samples. None of the metals was present in concentrations greater than the European Commission/United Kingdom Environmental Quality Standards, but a comparison to previous data collected at SBM2 indicates that concentrations have increased approximately 40% over the past two decades. To better identify sources of the metals, it is imperative to monitor effluents and collect more targeted samples at and/or near discharge points