The greenhouse phytotoxicity experiment was conducted to analyse and assess the capability of Scirpus mucronatus (L.) in tolerating and removing petrol in contaminated soil. This research was conducted for 72 days by using 5, 10 and 30 g/kg petrol as soil contaminants. Results showed that the system planted with S. mucronatus (L.) had high potential to treat the 10 g/kg petrol-contaminated soil and had an average Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) removal of 82.1%. At 5 and 30 g/kg petrol, the planted system removed 74.9% and 75.8% TPH, respectively. The petrol (10 g/kg) affected the plant growth positively, which was indicated by the increase in dry and wet weights throughout the research period. The removal of the TPH in the system was performed because of the interaction of plants and rhizobacteria. SEM showed that a high concentration of petrol (30 g/kg) affected the plant tissue negatively, as indicated by the altered structures of the root and stem cells. EDX results also confirmed that petrol was absorbed by the plant, as shown by the increased carbon content in the plant's root and stem after the treatment.
Researchers are exploring the utilisation of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) as a recycled material to determine the performance of non-renewable natural aggregates and other road products such as asphalt binder, in the construction and rehabilitation stage of asphalt pavements. The addition of RAP in asphalt mixtures is a complex process and there is a need to understand the design of the asphalt mixture. Some of the problems associated with adding RAP to asphalt mixtures are moisture damage and cracking damage caused by poor adhesion between the aggregates and asphalt binder. There is a need to add rejuvenators to the recycled mixture containing RAP to enhance its performance, excepting the rutting resistance. This study sought to improve asphalt mixture performance and mechanism by adding waste frying oil (WFO) and crumb rubber (CR) to 25 and 40% of the RAP content. Moreover, the utilisation of CR and WFO improved pavement sustainability and rutting performance. In addition, this study prepared five asphalt mixture samples and compared their stiffness, moisture damage and rutting resistance with the virgin asphalt. The results showed enhanced stiffness and rutting resistance of the RAP but lower moisture resistance. The addition of WFO and CR restored the RAP properties and produced rutting resistance, moisture damage and stiffness, which were comparable to the virgin asphalt mixture. All waste and virgin materials produce homogeneous asphalt mixtures, which influence the asphalt mixture performance. The addition of a high amount of WFO and a small amount of CR enhanced pavement sustainability and rutting performance.
This study looked at the state-of-the-art present knowledge base and trends in the area of using rejuvenators in reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) by systemic analysis and visualisation using VOSviewer and Scopus analyser; a total of 1872 studies were mined from the Scopus database for the purpose of this study. This quantitative approach to the review of literature removes author bias. The study was able to identify keywords and their cluster groups making up of core research domains ((1) asphalt binder composition and properties, (2) reclaimed asphalt mixtures (recycling), (3) reclaimed asphalt performance characteristics, (4) reclaimed asphalt sustainability, (5) rejuvenating agents and their performance, and (6) area of application). The study was able to identify the top authors; their document counts and citations; the most influential journals, institutions, and countries leading the way in the research domain; and the link between these authors and keywords within the existing body of literature in the research area. This study will help policymakers in identifying the main research themes and possible area of investments for further research in RAP. This study will also be a valuable compendium to researchers who intend to broaden the scope of the research area.
The efficacy of Xterm, which contains 1% bistrifluron, in the form of cellulose bait pellets was evaluated for its efficacy in eradicating field colonies of the mound-building termite Globitermes sulphureus (Haviland) (Isoptera: Termitidae). The termite mounds were dissected at the end of the experiment to determine whether the colonies were eliminated. By approximately 2 mo postbaiting, the body of termite workers appeared marble white, and mites were present on the body. The soldier-worker ratio increased drastically in the colonies, and the wall surface of the mounds started to erode. Colony elimination required at least a 4-mo baiting period. Mound dissection revealed wet carton materials (food store) that were greatly consumed and overgrown by fast-growing fungi. Decaying cadavers were scattered all over the nests. On average, 84.1 +/- 16.4 g of bait matrix (68.9 +/- 13.4%, an equivalent of 841 +/- 164 mg of bistrifluron) was consumed in each colony. Moreover, we found that a mere 143 mg of bistrifluron was sufficient to eliminate a colony of C. sulphureus.
Plastic waste is a non-biodegradable material which is extensively used in many applications, creating a critical environmental challenge of its disposal. Therefore, its utilization in large quantities as a recycled product in road infrastructure will mitigate ill effects occurring because of its dumping. The aim of this study was to analyze the impacts of adding recycled plastic waste aggregate (RPWA) in hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixes using a wide range of variables by employing the Marshall mix design procedure in the context of Pakistan. A data-driven framework is employed with a novel multivariate performance score function. Incorporation of RPWA, sourced from LDPE polyethylene bags, at the content of 2.5% by weight (~ 6% by volume) was found to provide the best strength while fulfilling criteria of other key parameters. The mix performance degrades steeply and significantly beyond 2.5% but remains under acceptable design ranges till 10%. Based on these results, RPWA can be used to enhance pavement performance with strict quality control on batching. The findings of this study pave the way towards a sustainable pathway for high-volume disposal of low-value plastic film waste with applications in low to medium-traffic roads. Investigations with smaller increments in RPWA content, field testing, and lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) are recommended for future research directions. The findings of this study highlight the impacts of using RPWA in road infrastructure providing ways to reduce plastic pollution through optimum design of pavements. However, they are based on Marshall laboratory testing and require validation through durability, moisture, rutting, fatigue, and field studies before implementation.
Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) poses significant dangers to the environment and human health. The advancement of technology for cleaning up PAH-contaminated environments is receiving more attention. Adsorption is the preferred and most favorable approach for cleaning up sediments polluted with PAH. Due to their affordability and environmental friendliness, carbonaceous adsorbents (CAs) have been regarded as promising for adsorbing PAH. However, adsorbent qualities, environmental features, and factors may all significantly impact how well CAs remove PAH. According to growing data, CAs, most of which come from laboratory tests, may be utilized to decontaminate PAH in aquatic setups. However, their full potential has not yet been established, especially concerning field applications. This review aims to concisely summarize recent developments in CA, PAH stabilization processes, and essential field application-controlling variables. This review analysis emphasizes activated carbon, biochar, Graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon-nanomaterials composite since these CAs are most often utilized as adsorbents for PAH in aquatic systems.
This study investigates hydrocarbon pollution in the Ahoada community of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The study uses a geographic information system (GIS) for mapping oil spill hotspots in the region. The resistivity method was used to delineate the extent of hydrocarbon pollution to a depth of 19.7 m in the Ahoada area of the region. Three categories of soil samples, impacted soil (IMS), remediated soil (RS), and control soil (CS), were collected and analyzed for the presence of BTEX, PAH, TPH, TOC, and TOG. The concentrations of the samples from the IMS and RS were compared to that of the CS to determine the extent of pollution. The GIS mapping shows that the most polluted areas in the Niger Delta Region are Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states. Results of the geophysical images revealed contaminants' presence to depths beyond 20 m at some locations in the study area. The highest depth of contaminant travel was at Ukperede. Soil samples' analysis showed that the range of concentrations of TPH in IMS at Oshie was 17.27-58.36 mg/kg; RS was 11.73-50.78 mg/kg which were higher than the concentrations of 0.68 mg/kg in the CS. PAHs are more prevalent in Ukperede, ranging from 54.56 to 77.54 mg/kg. BTEX concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.38 mg/kg for IMP and 0.01-2.7 mg/kg for RS against a CS value of 0.01 mg/kg. The study revealed that there are characteristically high resistivity values in the samples which were corroborated by the findings from the resistivity survey. TOC was found to be higher in the IMS and RS than in the CS, demonstrating that a significant quantity of the hydrocarbon has undergone appreciable decomposition.
Land application of sludge as fertilizers is a way of disposal and recycling of sludge. However, public concern has arisen due to the fact that organic contaminants in sludge may ultimately enter the food chain. Hence the need arises to analyse the organic contaminants such as PAHs and OCPs in sludge. In this study, Soxhlet was utilised as the extraction method and the extracts subjected to extensive cleanup via either silica columns or solid phase extraction cartridges prior to analysis using gas chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography. Sludge samples were collected from the drying beds of oxidation ponds in three locations in South Johore. OCPs such as heptachlor, dieldrin and pp-DDT were detected in low amounts (52-159 mg/kg) whereas PAHs such as naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene were detected in the range of 0.2-5.5 mg/kg dry mass. Subcritical water extraction (SWE) recovery studies of PAHs were also performed from spiked sludge samples. Although a recovery range of 41-68% was obtained using the SWE method, the results indicated the usefulness of the technique as an alternative to Soxhlet extraction for the analysis of PAHs in sludge samples.
A systematic process is introduced to compare (13)C NMR spectra of two (or more) candidate samples of known structure to a natural product sample of unknown structure. The process is designed for the case where the spectra involved can reasonably be expected to be very similar, perhaps even identical. It is first validated by using published (13)C NMR data sets for the natural product 4,6,8,10,16,18-hexamethyldocosane. Then the stereoselective total syntheses of two candidate isomers of the related 4,6,8,10,16-pentamethyldocosane natural product are described, and the process is applied to confidently assign the configuration of the natural product as (4S,6R,8R,10S,16S). This is accomplished even though the chemical shift differences between this isomer and its (16R)-epimer are only ±5-10 ppb (±0.005-0.01 ppm).
A new microextraction procedure termed agarose gel liquid phase microextraction (AG-LPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the determination of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water. The technique utilized an agarose gel disc impregnated with the acceptor phase (1-octanol). The extraction procedure was performed by allowing the solvent-impregnated agarose gel disc to tumble freely in the stirred sample solution. After extraction, the agarose gel disc was removed and subjected to centrifugation to disrupt its framework and to release the impregnated solvent, which was subsequently withdrawn and injected into the GC-MS for analysis. Under optimized extraction conditions, the new method offered high enrichment factors (89-177), trace level LODs (9-14ngL(-1)) and efficient extraction with good relative recoveries in the range of 93.3-108.2% for spiked drinking water samples. AG-LPME did not exhibit any problems related to solvent dissolution, and it provided high extraction efficiencies that were comparable to those of hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) and significantly higher than those of agarose film liquid phase microextraction (AF-LPME). This technique employed a microextraction format and utilized an environmentally compatible solvent holder that supported the green chemistry concept.
Due to the health and environmental risks posed by the presence of petroleum-contaminated areas around the world, remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil has drawn much attention from researchers. Combining Fenton reaction with a solvent has been proposed as a novel way to remediate contaminated soils. In this study, a green solvent, ethyl lactate (EL), has been used in conjunction with Fenton's reagents for the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil. The main aim of this research is to determine how the addition of EL affects Fenton reaction for the destruction of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) within the diesel range. Specifically, the effects of different parameters, including liquid phase volume-to-soil weight (L/S) ratio, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration and EL% on the removal efficiency, have been studied in batch experiments. The results showed that an increase in H2O2 resulted in an increase in removal efficiency of TPH from 68.41% at H2O2 = 0.1 M to 90.21% at H2O2 = 2 M. The lowest L/S, i.e. L/S = 1, had the highest TPH removal efficiency of 85.77%. An increase in EL% up to 10% increased the removal efficiency to 96.74% for TPH, and with further increase in EL%, the removal efficiency of TPH decreased to 89.6%. EL with an optimum value of 10% was found to be best for TPH removal in EL-based Fenton reaction. The power law and pseudo-first order equations fitted well to the experimental kinetic data of Fenton reactions.
The present study aims to investigate the susceptibility status of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) collected from residential areas in Sabah, Malaysia towards eight WHO-recommended dosages of larvicides representing the classes of organophosphates and organochlorines. Field and reference strains of Ae. albopictus larvae were bioassayed in accordance to WHO standard methods using diagnostic dosages of bromophos, malathion, fenthion, fenitrothion, temephos, chlorpyrifos, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and dieldrin. The results revealed that Ae. albopictus was resistant (mortality < 90%) towards malathion, temephos, and DDT. In addition, most of the Ae. albopictus strains exhibited a wide range of susceptibilities against bromophos, with mortality ranged from 49.33 to 93.33%. On the contrary, only dieldrin was able to induce 100% mortality against all strains of Ae. albopictus. Tolerance to fenitrothion, fenthion, and chlorpyrifos, with mortality ranging from 81.33 to 97.33%, was also observed in this study.
Polycyclic aromatics hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous and toxic pollutants that are dangerous to humans and living organism in aquatic environment. Normally, PAHs has lower molecular weight such as phenanthrene and naphthalene that are easy and efficient to degrade, but high-molecular-weight PAHs such as chrysene and pyrene are difficult to be biodegraded by common microorganism. This study investigated the isolation and characterization of a potential halophilic bacterium capable of utilizing two high-molecular-weight PAHs. At the end of the experiment (25-30 days of incubation), bacterial counts have reached a maximum level (over 40 × 1016 CFU/mL). The highest biodegradation rate of 77% of chrysene in 20 days and 92% of pyrene in 25 days was obtained at pH 7, temperature 25 °C, agitation of 150 rpm and Tween 80 surfactant showing to be the most impressive parameters for HMWPAHs biodegradation in this research. The metabolism of initial compounds revealed that Hortaea sp. B15 utilized pyrene to form phthalic acid while chrysene was metabolized to form 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid. The result showed that Hortaea sp. B15 can be promoted for the study of in situ biodegradation of high molecular weight PAH.
This study was undertaken to analyze the efficiency of Botryococcus sp. in the phycoremediation of domestic wastewater and to determine the variety of hydrocarbons derived from microalgal oil after phycoremediation. The study showed a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of pollutant loads of up to 93.9% chemical oxygen demand, 69.1% biochemical oxygen demand, 59.9% total nitrogen, 54.5% total organic carbon, and 36.8% phosphate. The average dry weight biomass produce was 0.1 g/L of wastewater. In addition, the dry weight biomass of Botryococcus sp. was found to contain 72.5% of crude oil. The composition analysis using Gas Chromatogram - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) found that phthalic acid, 2-ethylhexyltridecyl ester (C29H48O4), contributed the highest percentage (71.6%) of the total hydrocarbon compounds to the extracted algae oil. The result of the study suggests that Botryococcus sp. can be used for effective phycoremediation, as well as to provide a sustainable hydrocarbon source as a value-added chemical for the bio-based plastic industry.
Five tropical seaweeds, Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P.C. Silva, Padina australis Hauck, Sargassum binderi Sonder ex J. Agardh (syn. S. aquifolium (Turner) C. Agardh), Sargassum siliquosum J. Agardh and Turbinaria conoides (J. Agardh) Kützing, were incubated in seawater of pH 8.0, 7.8 (ambient), 7.6, 7.4 and 7.2, to study the effects of changing seawater pH on halocarbon emissions. Eight halocarbon species known to be emitted by seaweeds were investigated: bromoform (CHBr3), dibro-momethane (CH2Br2), iodomethane (CH3I), diiodomethane (CH2I2), bromoiodomethane (CH2BrI), bromochlorometh-ane (CH2BrCl), bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl2), and dibro-mochloromethane (CHBr2Cl). These very short-lived halocarbon gases are believed to contribute to stratospheric halogen concentrations if released in the tropics. It was observed that the seaweeds emit all eight halocarbons assayed, with the exception of K. alvarezii and S. binderi for CH2I2 and CH3I respectively, which were not measurable at the achievable limit of detection. The effect of pH on halocarbon emission by the seaweeds was shown to be species-specific and compound specific. The highest percentage changes in emissions for the halocarbons of interest were observed at the lower pH levels of 7.2 and 7.4 especially in Padina australis and Sargassum spp., showing that lower seawater pH causes elevated emissions of some halocarbon compounds. In general the seaweed least affected by pH change in terms of types of halocarbon emission, was P. australis. The commercially farmed seaweed K. alvarezii was very sensitive to pH change as shown by the high increases in most of the compounds in all pH levels relative to ambient. In terms of percentage decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) prior to and after incubation, there were no significant correlations with the various pH levels tested for all seaweeds. The correlation between percentage decrease in the maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) and halocarbon emission rates, was significant only for CH2BrCl emission by P. australis (r = 0.47; p ≤ 0.04), implying that photosynthesis may not be closely linked to halocarbon emissions by the seaweeds studied. Bromine was the largest contributor to the total mass of halogen emitted for all the seaweeds at all pH. The highest total amount of bromine emitted by K. alvarezii (an average of 98% of total mass of halogens) and the increase in the total amount of chlorine with decreasing seawater pH fuels concern for the expanding seaweed farming activities in the ASEAN region.
The distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in three sediment cores from Brunei Bay was investigated in order to understand their sources and the biogeochemical processes of these hydrocarbons. The total concentrations of C15 to C37n-alkanes ranged from 0.70 to 16.5 μg g-1. Traces of hopanes with C29-C31 carbon homologs were detected in the study area. The carbon preference index (CPI15-37) ranged from 1.23 to 3.42 coupled with the natural n-alkane ratio (NAR19-32) ratios (1.52 to 5.34), and the presence of unresolved complex mixtures and hopanes, suggested slight contamination by anthropogenic hydrocarbons, presumably derived from activities along the coasts. The presence of C27 trisnorhopene and diploptene, as well as their association with long-chain and short-chain n-alkanes, revealed a depositional environment of organic matter in the sediment cores.
The stereoselective reaction of an allyl bromide with an aldehyde mediated by a low valency bismuth species was the key reaction in stereoselective syntheses of (4S,6R,8R,10S,16S)- and (4S,6R,8R,10S,16R)-4,6,8,10,16-pentamethyldocosanes. (13)C NMR data for these compounds confirmed that the cuticular hydrocarbon isolated from the cane beetle Antitrogus parvulus was the (4S,6R,8R,10S,16S)-stereoisomer.
The Changbai (also known as "Baekdu") Mountain, on the border between China and North Korea, is the highest mountain (2750 m) in northeastern China. Recently, this mountain region has experienced a dramatic increase in air pollution, not only because of increasing volumes of tourism-derived traffic but also because of the long-range transport of polluted westerly winds passing through major industrial and urban cities in the eastern region of China. To assess the relative importance of the two sources of pollution, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as model substances were determined in the mountain soil. A total of 32 soil samples were collected from different sides of the mountain at different latitudes between July and August of 2009. The ∑PAH concentrations were within the range 38.5-190.1 ng g(-1) on the northern side, 117.7-443.6 ng g(-1) on the southern side, and 75.3-437.3 ng g(-1) on the western side. A progressive increase in the level of ∑PAHs with latitude was observed on the southern and western sides that face the westerly wind with abundant precipitation. However, a similar concentration gradient was not observed on the northern side that receives less rain and is on the leeward direction of the wind. The high-molecular-weight PAH compounds were predominant in the soils on the southern and western sides, while low-molecular-weight PAHs dominated the northern side soils. These findings show that the distribution of PAHs in the mountain soil is strongly influenced by the atmospheric long-range transport and cold trapping.
An immense problem affecting environmental pollution is the increase of waste tyre vehicles. In an attempt to decrease the magnitude of this issue, crumb rubber modifier (CRM) obtained from waste tyre rubber has gained interest in asphalt reinforcement. The use of crumb rubber in the reinforcement of asphalt is considered as a smart solution for sustainable development by reusing waste materials, and it is believed that crumb rubber modifier (CRM) could be an alternative polymer material in improving hot mix asphalt performance properties. In this paper, a critical review on the use of crumb rubber in reinforcement of asphalt pavement will be presented and discussed. It will also include a review on the effects of CRM on the stiffness, rutting, and fatigue resistance of road pavement construction.