ABSTRACT
In COVID-19 pandemic in the world, alcohol (ethanol) can be listed as a sterilizing disinfectant. It absolutely played a Messianic function on the sterilization effect. And it is said that it has one more function called "salinity reduction" but that function is not widely known. The two functions (Sterilization & Salinity Reduction) mentioned above are extremely important regarding the theme of "raw seawater into beverage" in this study. It is thought that if the two functions are achieved other water quality items such as NO-2 and other items can be cleared with comparative ease. To put briefly the feature of modern waterworks in a word, it can be said that "source of water is river water and its sterilization is chlorine". In this study, we set up it with a completely new sanitization method (great reset), that is, "source of water is mixtures (seawater and rainwater) and its sterilization is ethanol". And it can be also expected that the capture and storage of ethanol as a renewable resource is basically possible by utilizing sunlight as a natural power. Therefore, we think that this resolves itself into a question of the choice (sense of value/culture) of the users. It means that how users finally balance out with three factors, i.e., cost, risk (safety) and benefit. Based on the viewpoint mentioned above, we examined the possibility of raw seawater into beverage using ethanol as a renewable resource to create humankind's wisdom to the settlement (breakthrough) of the water scarcity in the world including Asia and Africa. As a result, we have obtained the new findings that suggest the possibility of raw seawater into beverage using ethanol as a renewable resource.
ABSTRACT
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is a grain-like, genetically diverse, highly complex, nutritious, and stress-tolerant food that has been used in Andean Indigenous cultures for thousands of years. Over the past several decades, numerous nutraceutical and food companies are using quinoa because of its perceived health benefits. Seeds of quinoa have a superb balance of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, saponins, vitamins, phenolics, minerals, phytoecdysteroids, glycine betaine, and betalains. Quinoa due to its high nutritional protein contents, minerals, secondary metabolites and lack of gluten, is used as the main food source worldwide. In upcoming years, the frequency of extreme events and climatic variations is projected to increase which will have an impact on reliable and safe production of food. Quinoa due to its high nutritional quality and adaptability has been suggested as a good candidate to offer increased food security in a world with increased climatic variations. Quinoa possesses an exceptional ability to grow and adapt in varied and contrasting environments, including drought, saline soil, cold, heat UV-B radiation, and heavy metals. Adaptations in salinity and drought are the most commonly studied stresses in quinoa and their genetic diversity associated with two stresses has been extensively elucidated. Because of the traditional wide-ranging cultivation area of quinoa, different quinoa cultivars are available that are specifically adapted for specific stress and with broad genetic variability. This review will give a brief overview of the various physiological, morphological and metabolic adaptations in response to several abiotic stresses.
Subject(s)
Chenopodium quinoa , Adaptation, Psychological , Vitamins , Acclimatization , BetaineABSTRACT
The market for biostimulants is rapidly growing and many companies are expanding their portfolio with the introduction of these products, which are increasingly used to improve the management of crop systems and increase their sustainability. In fact, biostimulants, if properly used, can increase crop yields and quality, reducing fertilizer inputs and increasing plant tolerance against abiotic stresses.
ABSTRACT
While Rwanda is aiming at environmental pollution resilience and green growth, some industries are still discharging untreated effluent into the environment. This study gives a general overview of the compliance level of industrial effluent discharge in Rwanda and the linked negative environmental impacts. It comprises qualitative and quantitative analyses of data obtained from wastewater samples collected from five selected industries in Rwanda. The selected industries had previously been audited and monitored by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), due to complains from neighboring residents. The study found that the effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) for all concerned industries failed to comply with (i) oil and grease (O&G) national and international tolerable parameter limits or the (ii) fecal coliforms national standard. In addition, a compliance level of 66.7% was observed for key water quality monitoring parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and heavy metals (i.e., lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr)). Following these study findings, one industry was closed by the REMA for deliberately discharging untreated effluent into an adjacent river. This study recommends the adoption of the best available technology for effluent treatment, installation or renovation of existing WWTPs, and the relocation to industrial zones of industries adjacent to fragile environments.
ABSTRACT
A substantial volume of primary-treated wastewater from a medical rubber glove factory caused public freshwater to become sewage. The ultrashort hydraulic retention time in constructed wetlands was urgently employed for wastewater remediation. Pilot-scale, aeration, and nonaeration horizontal surface flow constructed wetlands (HSFCWs) with emergent plants were designed, compared, and optimized. Activated carbon, coconut shells, and oyster shells were subsequently transferred into a plastic basket as a substrate layer, while Typha angustifolia L. was used as an emergent plant. The experiments were conducted at a hydraulic retention time of 2, 4, 6, and 8 hr. per effluent recirculation. Sampling data were collected for each of the four effluent recirculations. The removal efficiencies of BOD, COD, FOG, TKN, TSS, TDS, EC, and salinity in the aeration HSFCWs were high—53.25, 67.28, 97.93, 78.93, 95.87, 87.52, 86.36, and 90.38%—at the first effluent recirculation of sampling, respectively, while the removal efficiencies in the nonaeration HSFCWs were also high—55.12, 57.38, 94.62, 83.10, 95.95, 88.09, 89.54, and 93.46%, respectively. Increasing the hydraulic retention time increased removal efficiencies. The removal efficiency of BOD in aerated HSFCWs was higher than in nonaerated HSFCWs in the second effluent recirculation of sampling. This is because the oxygen supplied by aeration in the system increased the organic and inorganic pollutant removal efficiencies. Other pollutants were removed more effectively during the second effluent recirculation. Excluding BOD and COD, Duncan’s multiple test revealed that the number of effluent recirculations for removal efficiencies of FOG, TKN, TSS, TDS, EC, and salinity was nonsignificant at the p≤0.001 level. These findings led to optimization of the medical rubber glove wastewater treatment at an ultrashort hydraulic retention time of 2–4 hr. This process and the control of CWs may be the best industrial wastewater treatment practice and a long-term solution for the industrial sector.
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The aim of this research was to determine the resistance of acetylated wood against marine biodeterioration in use class 5 for use in temperate waters. The resistance of acetylated radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) on solid and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels was compared with untreated wood of European species, such as European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), European oak (Quercus robur L.), and marine plywood. As a reference control, untreated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood was used. The field tests were carried out in accordance with EN 275, and started in April 2015. The three Italian exposure sites were Marine of Scarlino private harbor, Port of Genoa, and the Venice Lagoon. Final evaluation in 2021 showed a greater resistance to marine borers of acetylated wood, radiata pine, and beech and MDF panels. However, the untreated European species showed low resistance against marine organisms, with complete decay after the first year of exposure.
ABSTRACT
The optimal utilization of renewable energies is a crucial factor toward the realization of sustainability and zero carbon in a future energy system. Tidal currents, waves, and thermal and salinity gradients in the ocean are excellent renewable energy sources. Ocean tidal, osmotic, wave, and thermal energy sources have yearly potentials that exceed the global power demand of 22,848 TWh/y. This paper extensively reviews the technologies related to energy harvesting from waves, tidal, ocean thermals, and the salinity gradient. Moreover, the socio-economic, social, and environmental aspects of the above technologies are also discussed. This paper provides a better picture of where to invest in the future energy market and highlights research gaps and recommendations for future research initiatives. It is expected that a better insight into ocean energy and a deep understanding of various potential devices can lead to a broader adoption of ocean energy. It is also clear that further research into control strategies is needed. Policy makers should provide financial support for technologies in the demonstration stage and employ road mapping to accelerate the cost and risk reductions to overcome economic hurdles. To identify traditional and online sources on the topic, the authors used electronic databases and keyword searching approaches. Among them, the International Renewable Energy Agency data were the primary database utilized to locate sources.
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Few phytoremediation studies have been conducted under semi-arid conditions where plants are subjected to drought and/or salinity stress. Although the genus Salix is frequently used in phytoremediation, information regarding its tolerance of drought and salinity is limited. In the present study, Salix acmophylla Boiss. cuttings from three sites (Adom, Darom and Mea She'arim) were tested for tolerance to salinity stress by growing them hydroponically under either control or increasing NaCl concentrations corresponding to electrical conductivities of 3 and 6 dS m-1 in a 42-day greenhouse trial. Gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence and concentration, and water-use efficiency were measured weekly and biomass was collected at the end of the trial. Root, leaf and stem productivity was significantly reduced in the Adom ecotype, suggesting that Darom and Mea She'arim are the more salt-tolerant of the three ecotypes. Net assimilation and stomatal conductance rates in salt-treated Adom were significantly reduced by the last week of the trial, coinciding with reduced intrinsic water use efficiency and chlorophyll a content and greater stomatal aperture. In contrast, early reductions in stomatal conductance and stomatal aperture in Darom and Mea She'arim stabilized, together with pigment concentrations, especially carotenoids. These results suggest that Darom and Mea She'arim are more tolerant to salt than Adom, and provide further phenotypic support to the recently published data demonstrating their genetic similarities and their usefulness in phytoremediation under saline conditions.
ABSTRACT
Climate change stressors like rising and warmer seas, increased storms and droughts, and acidifying oceans are rapidly threatening coastal zones, which are the world’s most densely inhabited places. This research assesses the effects of Palm Jumeirah Island (PJI) construction on its surrounding water quality and temperature, using Landsat-7 and 8 spectral and thermal bands for the years 2001, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2020. To aid in this goal, the changes in water spectral reflectance was observed and interpreted, based on previous research and measurements, to discover the correlation between water quality and its spectral reflectance. Then, the sea surface temperature (SST) was calculated for the years under review and changes in water temperature were evaluated. Finally, the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI) and the Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI) were calculated to estimate water chlorophyll levels and water turbidity, respectively, and changes were observed and interpreted for the time period under review. The present study showed that the PJI construction not only increased the water reflectance in the 0.5–0.8 µm of wavelength, which can be considered to be the increase of suspended sediments and chlorophyll but the water temperature also increased by 7.5 °C during the 19 years. In addition, a gradual increase in the values of GNDVI (by 0.097–0.129) and NDTI (by 0.118~0.172) were observed. A drop in chlorophyll and suspended sediment spectral reflectance and GNDVI and NDTI values were also observed in 2020 compared to 2019 which can be attributed to the 63 to 82% decrease in tourists in Dubai in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to draw attention to environmental issues by clarifying the effect of creating artificial islands in the sea and our analysis and results are a suitable reference for specialized hydrological and environmental studies based on spectral information and distance measurements, as presented in this paper.
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, there is a large demand for nutrient-dense fruits to promote nutritional and metabolic human health. The production of commercial fruit crops is becoming progressively input-dependent to cope with the losses caused by biotic and abiotic stresses. A wide variety of underutilized crops, which are neither commercially cultivated nor traded on a large scale, are mainly grown, commercialized and consumed locally. These underutilized fruits have many advantages in terms of ease to grow, hardiness and resilience to climate changes compared to the major commercially grown crops. In addition, they are exceptionally rich in important phytochemicals and have medicinal value. Hence, their consumption may help to meet the nutritional needs of rural populations, such as those living in fragile arid and semi-arid regions around the world. In addition, local people are well aware of the nutritional and medicinal properties of these crops. Therefore, emphasis must be given to the rigorous study of the conservation and the nutritional characterization of these crops so that the future food basket may be widened for enhancing its functional and nutritional values. In this review, we described the ethnobotany, medicinal and nutritional values, biodiversity conservation and utilization strategies of 19 climate-resilient important, underutilized fruit crops of arid and semi-arid regions (Indian jujube, Indian gooseberry, lasora, bael, kair, karonda, tamarind, wood apple, custard apple, jamun, jharber, mahua, pilu, khejri, mulberry, chironji, manila tamarind, timroo, khirni).
ABSTRACT
Effects of drought and aerosol stresses were studied in a factorial experiment based on a Randomized Complete Design with triplicates on two ornamental shrubs. Treatments consisted of four levels of water container (40%, 30%, 20%, and 10% of water volumetric content of the substrate) and, after 30 days from experiment onset, three aerosol treatments (distilled water and 50% and 100% salt sea water concentrations). The trial was contextually replicated on two species: Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels and Viburnum tinus L. ‘Lucidum’. In both species, increasing drought stress negatively affected dry biomass, leaf area, net photosynthesis, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and relative water content. The added saline aerosol stress induced a further physiological water deficit in plants of both species, with more emphasis on Callistemon. The interaction between the two stress conditions was found to be additive for almost all the physiological parameters, resulting in enhanced damage on plants under stress combination. Total biomass, for effect of combined stresses, ranged from 120.1 to 86.4 g plant−1 in Callistemon and from 122.3 to 94.6 g plant−1 in Viburnum. The net photosynthesis in Callistemon declined by the 70% after 30 days in WC 10% and by the 45% and 53% in WC 20% and WC 10% respectively after 60 days. In Viburnum plants, since the first measurement (7 days), a decrease of net photosynthesis was observed for the more stressed treatments (WC 20% and WC 10%), by 57%. The overall data suggested that Viburnum was more tolerant compared the Callistemon under the experimental conditions studied.
ABSTRACT
In the present study, a total of 48 groundwater samples (13 from shallow aquifers depth < 50 m and 35 samples from deep aquifers in the depth range 50-200 m) were collected from three industrial dominant districts (Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Moga) of Punjab after the lockdown period and before the start of southwest monsoon in the month of June, 2020 (pre-monsoon). The values for total dissolved solids (TDS) observed in Monsoon season (August, 2020) and November-December, 2019 (post-monsoon) were compared with the values taken in June, 2020 (pre-monsoon) to see the impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic on groundwater salinity. ~ 60% of samples were found to have TDS values more than acceptable limit (500 mg/l) before lockdown (post-monsoon season of 2019) period and after or during lockdown period (June, 2020) number of samples more than the acceptable limit (500 mg/l) reduced to 45%. Average TDS values reduced by 25% in shallow aquifers after lockdown and area under TDS values in acceptable limit (500 mg/l) increased by 23% of samples as compared to the TDS values found in monsoon season of year 2019. In deeper aquifers, increase of only 3% area under TDS values in acceptable limit of 500 mg/l was found. Reductions in TDS values in shallow aquifers clearly show that there is an urgent need for proper management of salinity causing elements and regulating these to check groundwater contaminations using the holistic and hydro-geoethical approach.