Shells of Intertidal Mudflat Snails: A Promising Biomonitoring Materials of Nickel Pollution

Monitoring the level of metal pollution in a water body, especially in polluted areas, is crucial. Gastropod shells have been used as a biomonitor for metal pollution. The goal of this study was to evaluate the utilisation of the mudflat snails, Telescopium telescopium shells, as biomonitoring materials for nickel (Ni) pollution in the intertidal area. The snails and their habitat surface sediments were sampled from 17 sites in Peninsular Malaysia. Up to 21 individuals from each site were sampled and dissected. In addition to the shells, six parts of the soft tissues (cephalic tentacle, foot, gill, muscle, mantle, and remaining soft tissues) were analysed for Ni. The snail shell was found to be a potential biomonitoring material for Ni pollution based on four positive points: (i) higher value of shell/soft tissue ratios (> 1.00); (ii) categorisation as a ‘microconcentrator’ based on bioaccumulation factor; (iii) significant correlation coefficients (at least P < 0.05) and significant influential total Ni levels in the sediments to the shell Ni; and (iv) higher precision of Ni in the shells based on the lowest value of the coefficient of variation of Ni. The described results indicated that the shell of T. telescopium would be suitable for assessing Ni pollution in the intertidal areas.

Airborne Magnetometry to Identify Metallic Debris to Support Dredging and Search Activities at the Brumadinho Disaster Site – A Case Study

This paper describes the procedures and results of an airborne magnetic survey using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) conducted to support Search and Rescue (S&R) teams after the failure of a mining tailing dam at the Corrego do Feijão Mine, in the state of Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil. The accident claimed 270 lives, practically destroying all the mine’s infrastructure. After the accident, the use of a fast, efficient, and cost-effective method to locate preferential sites for the rescue team to work was critical. Due to the difficulty of direct access to the impacted area, and since most of the affected infrastructure consisted of metallic materials, an airborne magnetometer was the logical choice. First, some performance tests were conducted in order to define the survey configurations, such as flight altitude, transect spacing and anomaly’s detectability threshold. After that, task priorities were set, and the survey area divided in small blocks according to their morphological characteristics using aerial photos of the impacted area. The results showed that the system was able to detect all relevant anomalies. The correlation of the anomalies with aerial photogrammetry helped to discard false anomalies, making the whole operation much more efficient. This increased the effectiveness of the S&R teams as well as the planning of the dredging operations by defining the preferential locations for the interventions.

The Need for a Robust Review System to Improve the Quality of Environmental Impact Statements: An Indian Case Study Analysis

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, the final output of the EIA process forms the basis for environmental impact statement (EIS) review and decision-making, implying the need for its good quality. This empirical study is based on the literature review, opinions of EIA consultants, and views of experts associated with the EIA system in India. It is inferred that the overall quality of the EIS is below par and there are several inadequacies in the EIA appraisal system. Given the strong correlation between a robust EIS review system and a good quality EIS, a two-tier structured, transparent, and criteria-based review mechanism based on good practices is suggested. Further, it is crucial to adopt a professional approach for appraisal and capacity building of the professionals engaged in conducting the EIA and reviewing the EIS.

Assessing the Applicability of Low Impact Development Techniques in Arid and Semi-arid Regions

Low impact development (LID) techniques are increasingly used as a stormwater management strategy to maintain the hydrological conditions of developed areas and mitigate the negative consequences of stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution. Although LID techniques have been commonly used in moderate to humid areas, further information is needed on their effectiveness in semi-arid and arid regions. This study aims to examine and compare the effectiveness of LID techniques in arid and semi-arid climate conditions. First, a comprehensive study was conducted to rank LID techniques based on literature reviews while also incorporating different stakeholder priorities. Then, the city of Varamin, Tehran, Iran, was chosen as a low slope arid and semi-arid study region to assess the applicability of the best three high-ranked LID techniques using the storm water management model (SWMM). The results indicated that rainwater harvesting is the most effective technique in terms of stormwater quality and quantity management. The implementation of the rainwater harvesting technique across the case study is likely to decrease the average discharge, peak discharge, total volume, total runoff, and total suspended solids (TSS) by respectively 31.2%, 12.7%, 40.71%, 40.77% and 37.91%. Besides, rainwater tanks were projected to provide the water demands of home gardens during the five dry months, in addition to other domestic needs for water conservation objectives. The application of LID techniques in such water-limited regions can be useful for both stormwater management and water conservation.

Assessment of Metal Pollution in the Sediments of Ras Al-Ardh and Yacht Club Marinas, Kuwait

This study aims to investigate the fate and behavior of five trace metals (Fe, Ni, Pb, Cu and V) in the surface sediments of two selected marinas, namely Ras Al-Ardh and Yacht Club, along the coastal area of Kuwait. Leached and total concentrations of Fe, Ni, Pb, Cu and V were measured along with the total organic carbon (TOC) and sediment grain size. The bioavailability of the trace metals was also determined using simple extraction techniques. The contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI) were used for assessing sediment quality at the marinas. The results indicated that TOC was related to the mean grain size, where higher TOC concentrations were associated with finer grain fractions. Trace metal distribution patterns were similar to the TOC in the sediments. The value of PLI showed that the Ras Al-Ardh marina had higher metal enrichment than that of the Yacht Club marina. The results of CF and EF indicated that the sediments within both marinas are "slightly polluted" to "moderately polluted". The sediments were less contaminated with Cu relative to Pb and Ni. The PLI class of metals at the Yacht Club indicated that the marina can be classified as "non-polluted" to "moderately polluted", while the Ras Al-Ardh marina can be classified as "moderately polluted" to "polluted". The study revealed that sediment grain size, TOC, and trace metal concentrations varied spatially within each marina depending on the type of development and the probable source of metals. Sediment quality has changed tremendously due to the expansion of tourism, progress in industrial activities and increase in recreational requirements near the coastal areas.

Green Filtration of Total Solids from Various Water Sources Using Coconut Coir and Loofah

In this study, environmentally benign and readily available organic waste materials (coconut coir and loofah) were used as biofilters to remove total solids (TS) in water samples from various sources in Araromi Coastal Region of Ilaje Local Government, Nigeria. The TS levels observed in the river, pond, well, borehole, and seawater samples were 4,000, 1,610, 3,980, 2,600, and 34,800 mg/L, respectively. Generally, the organic filters reduced the TS in the water samples. Also, the sorption efficiency increased with the filter mass-to-water volume ratio. The overall performance of coconut coir was better than loofah, probably because the former has a more closely packed fibrous mesh. The optimum sorption efficiency of 60 g of the coconut coir filter for river, pond, well, borehole, and sea water was 50%, 78%, 80%, 92.3%, and 48.8%, while those for loofah were 42.5%, 56.3%, 70%, 84.6%, and 40.2%, respectively. This work showed that pretreated coconut coir is an efficient green filter for TS in water sources, especially boreholes, wells, and ponds.