Fatty acid profile variations after exposure to textile industry effluents in Indian Major Carps

Indian major carps are the widely consumed fish species of Pakistan, being a cheap source of proteins and unsaturated fatty acids, they are good for cardiovascular health. Water pollution due to discharge of untreated industrial waste water into water bodies contaminates this precious source of nutrients. The present study therefore, was aimed to assess deterioration of fatty acid profile of three Indian major carp species due to different concentrations of industrial wastes. The water samples were collected from the river Chenab at the site where it receives industrial wastewater via Chakbandi drain. After exposure to 1.5%, 3.0%, and 4.5% dilutions of collected water in different aquaria it was observed that proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in selected fish species were decreased significantly as the intensity of the dose increased (P < 0.05). Conversely the level of saturated fatty acids increased with the increasing dose of treatment (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that untreated wastewater not only deteriorate the fatty acid profile of aquatic animals but also these toxic substances can reach human body through fish meat and pose further health hazards. Therefore, it is highly recommended that industrial effluents should be treated before they are dumped into water bodies.

Effects of Waste Activated Sludge Extracellular Polymeric Substances on Biosorption

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) reportedly make up approximately half of the organic matter in activated sludge (AS), and therefore strongly influence AS properties. This study evaluated the component fractions of EPS normalized to volatile suspended solids (VSS) in waste activated sludge (WAS) from a trickling-filter-solids contact process (TF/SC) and its ability to biosorb organic matter from raw wastewater with 30 min of contact time. Biosorption is the process in which organic matter (carbohydrates, proteins, humic acids, DNA, uronic acids, and lipids) in a sorbate, such as raw wastewater, sorbs onto a sorbent such as WAS. A statistically significant correlation was found between both the total concentration of EPS and the proteins component of the EPS and the biosorption removal of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) and truly soluble COD (ffCOD). Thus, the biosorption of soluble forms of COD can accurately be predicted by quantifying just the amount of proteins in WAS-associated EPS. No significant correlations were found for the biosorption of colloidal COD (cCOD). WAS biosorbed 45–75 mg L−1 of COD in 30 min. WAS absorbed or stored the proteins fraction of the soluble microbial products (SMP) during the biosorption process. Higher concentrations of humic acids were found in the biosorption process effluent than in the untreated wastewater, which warrants further study. Longer cation exchange resin (CER) extraction times yielded more total EPS from the sludge: 90 ± 9, 158 ± 3, and 316 ± 44 mg g−1 VSS, for 45-min, 4-h, and 24-h extraction times, respectively. Thus, EPS extracted represented only 9%, 15.8%, and 31.6% of the VSS, respectively, raising questions about whether the accurate characterization of EPS can be performed using the typical extraction time of 45 min due to different extraction rates for different components. It was found that the humic acids fraction was extracted much more slowly than the other fractions.

Exploration of Hydrogeochemical Characterization and Assessment of Organic Pollution Characteristics of Shallow Groundwater near a Chemical Plant That Discharged Sewage Illegally

Groundwater plays a significant role in domestic use and agricultural irrigation in rural areas of northern China. The untreated wastewater from the chemical plant was directly discharged into a seepage well, resulting in the pollution of groundwater. Assessing characteristics of groundwater organic pollution and identifying evolutionary mechanisms of hydrogeochemistry are beneficial for groundwater protection and sustainable management. Statistical methods (correlation analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA)) combined with hydrogeochemical methods including Piper, Gibbs, Gaillardet, and ions binary diagrams and the chloride alkalinity index were employed to explore hydrogeochemical characteristics and evolutionary mechanisms. The results showed that cations were predominantly located at the Ca2+ end and anions were mostly close to the SO42− and Cl− end. The ion concentrations of groundwater were mainly affected by water–rock interactions. The weathering or dissolution of silicate (i.e., aluminosilicate minerals), evaporite (i.e., halite and gypsum), carbonate minerals (i.e., calcite and dolomite), cation exchange, and anthropogenic activities contribute to the chemical compositions of groundwater. Based on CA and PCA, the dissolution of halide minerals and the use of pesticides and fertilizers were the main factors controlling water chemistry. Additionally, the dissolution of sulfur-bearing minerals and gypsum was the key factor controlling the concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Application of mathematical statistical methods characterized that the exceedance rate of seven organic compounds with high detection rates were as follows: carbon tetrachloride (39.83%) > 1,1,2-trichloroethane (28.81%) > chloroform (10.17%) > trichloroethene (6.78%) > 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (5.93%) > perchloroethylene (5.08%) > trichlorofluoromethane (0.85%). Simultaneously, pollution under the influence of volatilization and diffusion was significantly less than that in the direction of groundwater runoff.

Machine Learning Approach to Predict Quality Parameters for Bacterial Consortium-Treated Hospital Wastewater and Phytotoxicity Assessment on Radish, Cauliflower, Hot Pepper, Rice and Wheat Crops

Raw hospital wastewater is a source of excessive heavy metals and pharmaceutical pollutants. In water-stressed countries such as Pakistan, the practice of unsafe reuse by local farmers for crop irrigation is of major concern. In our previous work, we developed a low-cost bacterial consortium wastewater treatment method. Here, in a two-part study, we first aimed to find what physico-chemical parameters were the most important for differentiating consortium-treated and untreated wastewater for its safe reuse. This was achieved using a Kruskal–Wallis test on a suite of physico-chemical measurements to find those parameters which were differentially abundant between consortium-treated and untreated wastewater. The differentially abundant parameters were then input to a Random Forest classifier. The classifier showed that ‘turbidity’ was the most influential parameter for predicting biotreatment. In the second part of our study, we wanted to know if the consortium-treated wastewater was safe for crop irrigation. We therefore carried out a plant growth experiment using a range of popular crop plants in Pakistan (Radish, Cauliflower, Hot pepper, Rice and Wheat), which were grown using irrigation from consortium-treated and untreated hospital wastewater at a range of dilutions (turbidity levels) and performed a phytotoxicity assessment. Our results showed an increasing trend in germination indices and a decreasing one in phytotoxicity indices in plants after irrigation with consortium-treated hospital wastewater (at each dilution/turbidity measure). The comparative study of growth between plants showed the following trend: Cauliflower > Radish > Wheat > Rice > Hot pepper. Cauliflower was the most adaptive plant (PI: −0.28, −0.13, −0.16, −0.06) for the treated hospital wastewater, while hot pepper was susceptible for reuse; hence, we conclude that bacterial consortium-treated hospital wastewater is safe for reuse for the irrigation of cauliflower, radish, wheat and rice. We further conclude that turbidity is the most influential parameter for predicting bio-treatment efficiency prior to water reuse. This method, therefore, could represent a low-cost, low-tech and safe means for farmers to grow crops in water stressed areas.

Environmental Pollution Indices and Multivariate Modeling Approaches for Assessing the Potentially Harmful Elements in Bottom Sediments of Qaroun Lake, Egypt

This research intends to offer a scientific foundation for environmental monitoring and early warning which will aid in the environmental protection management of Qaroun Lake. Qaroun Lake is increasingly influenced by untreated wastewater discharge from many anthropogenic activities, making it vulnerable to pollution. For that, six environmental pollution indices, namely contamination factor (Cf), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), degree of contamination (Dc), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (RI), were utilized to assess the bottom sediment and to determine the different geo-environmental variables affecting the lake system. Cluster analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to explore the potential pollution sources of heavy metal. Moreover, the efficiency of partial least-square regression (PLSR) and multiple linear regression (MLR) were tested to assess the Dc, PLI, and RI depending on the selected elements. The sediment samples were carefully collected from 16 locations of Qaroun Lake in two investigated years in 2018 and 2019. Total concentrations of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hf, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Zn, and Zr were quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectra (ICP-MS). According to the Cf, EF, and Igeo results, As, Cd, Ga, Hf, P, Sb, Se, and Zr demonstrated significant enrichment in sediment and were derived from anthropogenic sources. According to Dc results, all collected samples were categorized under a very high degree of contamination. Further, the results of RI showed that the lake is at very high ecological risk. Meanwhile, the PLI data indicated 59% of lake was polluted and 41% had PLI < 1. The PLSR and MLR models based on studied elements presented the highest efficiency as alternative approaches to assess the Dc, PLI, and RI of sediments. For examples, the validation (Val.) models presented the best performance of these indices, with R2val = 0.948–0.989 and with model accuracy ACCv = 0.984–0.999 for PLSR, and with R2val = 0.760–0.979 and with ACCv = 0.867–0.984 for MLR. Both models for Dc, PLI, and RI showed that there was no clear overfitting or underfitting between measuring, calibrating, and validating datasets. Finally, the combinations of Cf, EF, Igeo, PLI, Dc, RI, CA, PCA, PLSR, and MLR approaches represent valuable and applicable methods for assessing the risk of potentially harmful elemental contamination in the sediment of Qaroun Lake.

Application of Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development Framework in River Water Conservation in Southern Ecuador. Case Study—The Zamora River

Water is essential for life and human activities. In addition to the constant increase in water demand, there are problems caused by inefficient governance, such as the discharge of untreated wastewater into rivers and seas, which is aggravated by the limited participation of civil society in decision-making. To face current and future challenges, solid public policies must be implemented, focused on measurable objectives, following planned and predetermined schedules on an appropriate scale, based on a clear assignment of functions to the competent authorities, and subject to periodic monitoring and evaluation. The Institutional Analysis and Development framework proposed by Ostrom made it possible to identify gaps in the existing governance, and to establish actions that could strengthen the institutional framework with the active participation of social actors, in order to achieve an effective conservation of water resources in southern Ecuador. The present study determined that regulations are not coherent with the conflict, the design of policies, and the effects of decision-making. The formal rules for wastewater management are not applied, and there is an incipient citizen participation, as well as disarticulation in institutions responsible for wastewater management. Recommendations were made to strengthen the institutional framework and governance of wastewater.

Phytoremediation of Physico-chemical Parameters in Wastewater Effluents from Car Wash Bays in Yenagoa Metropolis, Nigeria

Surface water pollution through the discharge of untreated wastewater is on the increase globally. Efforts made using conventional techniques had not yielded the needed results. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of some native aquatic plants for the removal of some physico–chemical parameters from car wash wastewater effluents in Yenagoa metropolis. The plants used for this study were lemna minor, nymphaea nouchalli, pistia-stratiotes, eichhornia crassipes and ceratophyllum demersum; while the physico-chemical parameters investigated in this study include pH, DO, COD, BOD5, NO3, PO4 and turbidity. The wastewater samples collected from car wash bays were analysed to determine the level of the physico-chemical parameters concentrations using standard methods. The experiment was conducted in a green house for 42 days retention period. The results indicated that the cultured plants reduced the physico-chemical parameters to a minimum level, except DO, which increased in concentration. Therefore, they are considered good bioremediators of the parameters under review and the bioremediation potentials of the plants are in the order of P. stratiotes > L. minor > E. crassipes > N. nouchalli> C. demersum. It is therefore recommended that these plants should be used to treat wastewater effluents based on the investigated physico-chemical parameters.

Preliminary Investigation of Microbial Community in Wastewater and Surface Waters in Sri Lanka and the Philippines

In this study, the composition and richness of bacterial communities in treated and untreated wastewater from hospitals, commercial, and non-commercial fish farming sites, sewage effluents, and surface waters, which included seawater and fresh water in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, were investigated through 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analysis. Firmicutes were found predominantly in Sri Lankan hospital wastewaters, while Cyanobacteria and Acidobacteria were typically detected in fish culture sites and the waste canal in Sri Lanka, respectively. The Shannon–Weaver index (SW) and number of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were higher in the Philippines than in Sri Lanka. The bacterial richness in the university non-commercial fish pond and sewage effluent displayed greater than that in hospital wastewaters. In addition, the bacterial richness was higher in the untreated wastewater compared to that in the treated wastewater in hospitals. These results indicate the differences among water types in terms of bacterial community, especially influenced by their source.

EVALUATION OF TWO-STAGE SUBSURFACE FLOW CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS FOR ABATTOIR WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT

Abattoir wastewater is high in organic content, the waste recovery and treatment facility is expensive and this results in indiscriminate dumping into streams without adequate treatment. The effectiveness of using a two-stage subsurface flow constructed wetland to treat abattoir effluent was examined in this study. Diluted abattoir wastewater from Lafenwa Abattoir, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria was fed into a two-stage Vegetated Subsurface Bed Constructed Wetlands (VSBCW). The VSBCW consisted of 500 mm deep 10-15 mm diameter granite with 150 mm thick overlay of well graded sand planted with locally available Vetiveria nigritana. Grab samples were collected at selected points along Ogun river and measurement of physico-chemical parameters such as: Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Suspended Solid (TSS) of the influent and effluent from the VSBCW were carried out. Irrigation with water and diluted abattoir wastewater to examine the variation in plant growth rate was also investigated. The results revealed a pollution load reduction as the wastewater moves away from the discharge point but inadequate to meet the FEPA (1991) standard for wastewater discharge into rivers. The VSBCW was observed to reduce the concentration of BOD5, COD, EC, TDS and TSS in the abattoir wastewater by 88.71, 87.28, 45.72, 56.89 and 72.27 % respectively. The growth rate of the V. nigritana reduced by 1.9% when irrigated with abattoir wastewater. The study revealed that locally available V. nigritana in VSBCW is effective in abattoir wastewater treatment and could be use to curtail the pollution caused by discharge of untreated wastewater into rivers.

Ecological safety of penitentiary institutions in Russia

The work is devoted to the issues of ecological safety of production in penitentiary institutions in Russia. The production and economic activity of penitentiary institutions is analyzed from the point of view of its impact on the environment. The main sources of environmental pollution by institutions of the penitentiary system are listed and ways of their solution are proposed. The state and experience of solving problems of environmental safety in different territorial bodies are shown. The question is raised about the work of environmental structures in the activities of the penal system facilities. The authors analyze the powers of the structures under consideration and the problems arising in the implementation of their duties. The main problematic aspects of environmental safety are highlighted, including the absence in penitentiary institutions of Russia in the required means of measuring and monitoring the technical condition of environmental structures and equipment in penal institutions; ineffective operation of the existing treatment facilities due to their deterioration or congestion; presence at the enterprises of the penal system of hazardous waste, including highly toxic; insufficiently productive work on the development of environmental design documentation and obtaining permits for emissions of pollutants into the air, for discharges of untreated wastewater into water bodies, for licensing of hazardous waste management activities. As a result - a large number of sanctions for violation of environmental legislation. As measures to ensure environmental safety in the Russian penitentiary system, the authors, among other things, propose: the development and adoption of an order of the Ministry of Justice regulating environmental safety in the penal system; ensuring the attraction of investments for the timely implementation of environmental protection measures; establishment and organization of sanitary protection zones.