International Journal of Environment and Pollution (10 papers in press)

• Removal of Yellow ME 7 GL from Industrial Effluent Using Electrochemical and Adsorption Techniques
  by ALOK MITTAL, Rajeev Jain 
  Abstract: In the present paper attempts have been made to eradicate a toxic dye Yellow ME7GL using electrochemical as well as adsorption techniques. Both techniques were found useful to remove colour and other resilient compounds from wastewater. Along with successful removal of contaminants, both techniques are capable of reducing toxicity and producing clean water for reuse. Further both the techniques are cost effective for treating effluents having coloured compounds. The electrochemical removal is carried out mainly at Platinum working electrode and cyclic voltammograms of the aqueous solution of the dye have been recorded at different pH, concentrations, scan rate etc. The adsorption of the dye has been carried out over activated charcoal and activated wheat husk and process verified Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms in both the cases. Attempts have also been made to calculate various thermodynamic parameters involved during the adsorption process. The decolouration of the dye was also examined by monitoring the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the untreated and treated dye solutions.
  Keywords: azo dyes; dye removal; reactofix yellow ME7GL; electrochemical techniques; adsorption; wastewater treatment.
   
• Resource competition of Cyanobacteria, Chlorococcalesa and Diatom for ammonnium under steady and non-steady state
  by Suwen Yang, Xiangcan Jin 
  Abstract: Certain algae of Cyanobacteria, Chlorococcalesa, and diatom were investigated on their competing characteristics and successional pattern under limited ammonium in steady and non steady state conditions. As a result, Cyclotella sp.had the minimum RM* . whilst M. aeruginosa had the minimum RD* and Qmin/Qmax. S. quadricauda possessed the maximum growth rate μmax. M. aeruginosa, S. quadricauda, and N. palea coexisted at all series of ammonium concentration in steady state. But the biomass of three algae had obvious difference. In pulse supply experiments of non steady state M. aeruginosa and S. quadricauda coexisted at per day, 2 days, and 4 days supply modes. But S. quadricauda occupied advantage at per day supply, and M. aeruginosa did it at per 2 and 4 days supply. M. aeruginosa dominated at per 8 days supply in which S. quadricauda and N. palea were washed out . Monod model can predict the competing result only at quite low N concentration, while Droop model can exactly explain the results at most of N concentration in laboratory and Taihu Lake.
  Keywords: resource competition; Cyanobacteria; Chlorococcalesa; Diatom; ammonium-limited; cell quota; steady state; non-steady state; water bloom; algae succession; lakes.
   
• Optimising the Rehabilitation of polluted Mine Tailings and Water by an Organic Medium - Passive Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Treatment in South Africa
  by Olaf Pollmann, Leon van Rensburg 
  Abstract: Up to the present polluted acid mine drainage (AMD) also known as acid rock drainage (ARD) from South Africa’s gold mines was treated by the precipitation of heavy metals with lime and sulphides, followed by ion-exchange. Another method is chemical treatment with expensive caustic soda where the residues accumulate in the treated water. This water then is dispersed into wetlands for natural remediation aided by organic material and finally it migrates into the ground water. The environmental damage caused by caustic soda to soil is irreversible and can sterilise soil in a very short period while at the same time acting as a plant toxin. This study about optimising the rehabilitation of polluted mine tailings - in this case the AMD as one of the biggest environmental problem - is carried out using biochemical, organic and mechanical treatment with an organic medium, a natural, organic hydrocarbon and chemical and oil absor-bent. The organic medium used is a 50% mixture by volume of bark of the pine Eliote and leaves of the beech species Casuarina equisetifolia with additional populations of bacteria, fungi, yeast and micro organisms from the semi-decomposed leaves and bark. The result after treatment was a water quality within the limits of agricultural use by removing up to 68% of all metals and sulphates in pH of between pH 3.0 to pH 4.5
  Keywords: mine tailings; acid mine drainage; AMD;pH buffering; tannin; lignin; heavy metals; organic rehabilitation; Eliote; Casuarina; caustic soda; lime; ionic exchange; gold mines; soils.
   
• Using a photochemical air quality model to evaluate emissions and simulate concentrations
  by Chatchawan Vongmahadlek, Zhang Meigen, Boonsong Satayopas, Thi Bich Thao Pham 
  Abstract: In this study, the simulation of air quality modeling system was conducted to evaluate emissions inventory and simulate air concentration in Thailand. Emissions inventory was locally developed considering both anthropogenic and natural sources. The air quality modeling system coupling the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) and the models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) was applied to simulate the concentration distributions of gaseous pollutants (i.e., NOx, SO2, and CO) over the Central and Eastern regions of Thailand. CMAQ was run for a selected episode during a summer time in a sub-grid scale. The simulated air concentrations were then compared with monitoring data from the Pollution Control Department (PCD), Thailand. The evaluating results between modeling simulation and monitoring observation show a good agreement within a factor of 2.0 and relevant trend-line, representing the acceptable level of emissions and simulation of concentration. This coupling model can be applied to support emission control strategies and clean air acts.
  Keywords: CMAQ; RAMS; emissions inventory; modeling evaluation; Thailand
   
• Aluminum accumulation in Pteris cretica and trace element uptake in vegetation growing on an abandoned aluminum smelter site in Knoxville, TN USA.
  by Jason Abercrombie, Neal Stewart 
  Abstract: Smokey Mountain Smelters in Knoxville, Tennessee is an abandoned secondary aluminum smelter where smelter waste (slag) was dumped on site, potentially posing a threat to nearby human and ecosystem health. Metal concentrations in the slag (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn) were quantified by inductively-coupled plasma spectrophotometry (ICP) and characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The highest metal concentrations observed were 223,000 mg kg-1 Al, 281 mg kg-1 As, 132 mg kg-1 Se, and 2910 mg kg-1 Cu. Metal uptake was quantified in leaves from plants growing on slag, as well as Pteris cretica plants employed to extract As from slag. Our data suggests that P. cretica accumulates Al in high concentrations, but not As, when grown in slag. Metal concentrations in vegetation growing on slag were lower than controls grown in uncontaminated soil, suggesting low metal availability in slag or exclusion mechanisms in roots.
  Keywords: Phytoremediation, toxic metals, aluminum uptake, Pteris cretica, hyperaccumulator
   
• EFFECTS OF NICKEL EXPOSURE AND ACUTE PESTICIDE INTOXICATION ON ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE, CATALASE, GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE ACTIVITY AND GLUCOSE ABSORPTION IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT OF HELIX ASPERSA (PULMONATA, HELICIDAE)
  by Agnieszka Zawisza-Raszka, Bogdan Dolezych, Stanislawa Dolezych, Pawel Migula, Maciej Ligaszewski 
  Abstract: The activity of detoxifying enzymes (AChE, GST and CAT) and glucose absorption as a marker of digestive ability were measured in the digestive tract of Helix aspersa (Müller) exposed to nickel administered in food in concentrations of 300 and 900 mg kg-1 d.w. for 18 days. Nickel caused a decrease in CAT activity and - in the lower concentration - inhibition of intestinal glucose absorption reducing the detoxifying and digestive ability of the intestine. Elevated AChE activity and unchanged GST activity indicate diversity in enzymatic response to Ni. Nickel in the higher concentration, destroying the intestinal wall integrity, caused high glucose influx. Ni-pretreatment augmented the response to a single diazinon application. AChE activity was greatly reduced comparing with Ni-untreated snails. The reduction of CAT activity was similar in both groups. Glucose absorption remained unchanged. Our results demonstrate that Ni is an important factor increasing the susceptibility to pesticide.
  Keywords: acetylcholinesterase; glutathione S-transferase; catalase; glucose absorption; Helix aspersa; nickel; diazinon; pesticides; snails.
   
• A Test Reference Year (TRY) approach to gas dispersion in the atmosphere
  by Paolo Vestrucci, Claudia Mandurino 
  Abstract: For environmental analysis as the dispersion of pollutant in the atmosphere it is essential to have meteorological data that are relevant for a long period. In this paper we explore the possibility of using an environmental Test Reference Year (TRY), i.e. a set of real, contemporaneous and hourly meteorological variables, “extracted” from a hourly series of at least 10 years, for modelling pollutant dispersion in the atmosphere. The classical approach, based on a statistical data set, implies the loss of important information such as the real correlation between the different meteorological variables, and this implies crude approximation in the simulations results. We compare the simulations results with the long hourly 10 years data set (which can be considered a 'brute force' approach, since it requires a huge amount of data and time processing, but it is here considered the most severe benchmark) and with the statistical data set commonly used. It is shown that the results obtained using the TRY have a good agreement with the ones obtained with the simulation of the 10 years and they are also much better than those obtained using the statistical data set.
  Keywords: Test Reference Year (TRY) · Air Dispersion · Pollution dispersion · Environmental Analysis · Meteorological Data
   
• Nematode community structure as bioindicator of soil heavy metal pollution along an urban-rural gradient in southern Shenyang, China
  by Qi Li, Shuang Zhong, Fengping Li, Yilai Lou, Wenju Liang 
  Abstract: Effects of heavy metals caused by urbanization on soil nematode communities were investigated along an urban-suburban-rural gradient in southern Shenyang, China. The numbers of total nematodes increased significantly along the urban-rural gradient. Similar trends were observed in the values of structure index (SI), with lower values found in urban site and higher in the rural site. Acrobeloides, Aphelenchus, Helicotylenchus and Paratylenchus were dominant genera. The urban site tended to have lower abundances of carnivores and omnivores. Generic richness and SI were sensitive indicators for assessing the effect of heavy metals on soil nematode communities. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that Cu and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were most important environmental parameters which influenced nematode distribution, and explained 26% of the cumulative variance together, then were Cd, Zn and content of sand. All of the environmental parameters together explained 54% of the cumulative variance.
  Keywords: urban-rural gradient; heavy metals; soil nematodes; urbanization
   
• Environmental Monitoring of Spatial-Temporal Changes Using Remote Sensing & GIS Techniques in the Abandoned Yellow River Delta Coast, China
  by Yang Zhang 
  Abstract: Based on Remote Sensing and GIS techniques, the Landsat data obtained in 1978, 1987 and 2000 were used to coastline extraction in the Abandoned Yellow River Delta in China, with the aid of coastline indicators and appropriate bands. The coastal land lost and gained illustrations were derived from the extracted coastlines, the rates of coastal change were estimated crudely, and the coastal parts that experienced the biggest changes were identified. The study results illustrated that the erosion rates of the Abandoned Yellow River Delta coast decreased during 1978-2000 while the erosion effect remained strong. The spatial-temporal changing patterns of the northern, central and southern coastal parts in the study area were characterized by slow erosion, erosion and dynamic balance of erosion/accretion. The study results are consistent with the conclusions derived from the field observations, indicating remotely sensed data with moderate spatial resolution have the potential to assist conventional ground surveying for monitoring coastal environment over short timescales.
  Keywords: Abandoned Yellow River Delta; coastal erosion; spatial-temporal changing pattern; remote sensing
   
• A neural network-based approach for the prediction of urban SO2 concentrations in the Istanbul Metropolitan Area
  by Atilla Akkoyunlu, Kaan Yetilmezsoy, Ferruh Erturk, Ercan Oztemel 
  Abstract: A three-layer neural network model was developed to forecast air pollution levels. To validate the proposed method, all daily and hourly average values of the pollutant and meteorological parameters measured at Goztepe station, within the boundaries of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, were collected and evaluated for three subsets. The subsequent SO2 concentration being the output parameter of the present study was estimated by 7 input parameters such as preceding SO2 concentrations, average daily temperature, sea-level pressure, relative humidity, cloudiness, average daily wind speed and daily dominant wind direction. After backpropagation training combined with principal component analysis, the proposed model predicted subsequent SO2 values based on measured data, and all the predictions were proven to be satisfactory with correlation coefficients of about 0.783, 0.780 and 0.792 for the winter, summer and overall data, respectively. In the study, the Levenberg-Marquardt Algorithm was found as the best of 11 backpropagation algorithms for all three subsets.
  Keywords: artificial neural network; backpropagation algorithm; modeling; meteorological data; SO2.