Association of microplastics with heavy metals and antibiotic resistance bacteria/genes in natural ecosystems - A perspective through science mapping approach

Micro and nano-plastics (MNPs) have been considered one of the major emerging contaminants that require immediate attention. Their potential impact on the natural ecosystems is yet to be understood, especially their associations with other contaminants like heavy metals and organisms essential for the sustenance of life, i.e., microbes. Microplastics (MPs) also act as sources and carriers of pollutants, similar to macro and mesoplastics, that leach harmful chemicals such as Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs), Endocrine Disruptive Chemicals (EDCs), etc. They also behave like super sponge materials which adsorb microbes such as antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARBs), and coronavirus, making their concentration much higher than the ambient environment. Among these microbes, heavy metal-resistance (MRGs) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) carry immense significance. The present study provides an in-depth review analysis of the works published related to the association of MPs to heavy metals and ARGs. 1526 articles were investigated after the dataset was subjected to a three-stage screening process. A scientometric analysis revealing details about the most productive and influential journals, co-authorship details, most influential publications, most cited keywords, and most active countries in the research domain was conducted. This provided significant information regarding various aspects of the published works of literature. Subsequently, a qualitative discussion was carried out wherein a detailed discussion with regard to the trends in research on sub-areas in the broad domain was conducted. This resulted in identifying the gaps in the available literature, which paved the way for providing a framework for future research. Through this study, it is expected that the readers will be exposed to a summary of the overall research that has been conducted to date, and the manuscript will act as a guide for future research.

Implications of the Improvement in Atmospheric Fine Particles: A Case Study of COVID-19 Pandemic in Northern Taiwan

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in northern Taiwan led to the implementation of Level 3 alert measures during 2021 and thereby impacted the air quality significantly, which provided an unprecedented opportunity to better understand the control strategies on air pollutants in the future. This study investigated the variations in sources, chemical characteristics and human health risks of PM2.5 comprehensively. The PM2.5 mass concentrations decreased from pre-alert to Level 3 alert by 49.4%, and the inorganic ions, i.e., NH4+, NO3- and SO42-, dropped even more by 71%, 90% and 52%, respectively. Nonetheless, organic matter (OM) and elemental carbon (EC) simply decreased by 36% and 13%, which caused the chemical composition of PM2.5 to change so that the carbonaceous matter in PM2.5 dominated instead of the inorganic ions. Correlation-based hierarchical clustering analysis further showed that PM2.5 was clustered with carbonaceous matter during the Level 3 alert, while that clustered with inorganic ions during both pre-alert and post-alert periods. Moreover, 6 sources of PM2.5 were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), in which secondary nitrate (i.e., aging traffic aerosols) exhibited the most significant decrease and yet primary traffic-related emissions, dominated by carbonaceous matter, changed insignificantly. This implied that secondary traffic-related aerosols could be easily controlled when traffic volume declined, while primary traffic source needs more efforts in the future, especially for the reduction of carbonaceous matter. Therefore, cleaner energy for vehicles is still needed. Assessments of both carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk induced by the trace elements in PM2.5 showed insignificant decrease, which can be attributed to the factories that did not shut down during Level 3 alert. This study serves as a metric to underpin the mitigation strategies of air pollution in the future and highlights the importance of carbonaceous matter for the reduction in PM2.5.

Impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns on water quality along the coast of Morocco

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the marine activities and all the anthropogenic activities along the coast have been shut off for several months. The total suspended matter (TSM) was analyzed before and during COVID-19 lockdown in the coast of Morocco. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess all the changes reflected through the coast in April of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. In the absence of the ground observations during this period, the remote sensing data was used in this study. The results showed a gradual reduction in TSM concentration, indicating a positive improvement during the lockdown period. The TSM concentrations during this period decreased by 40.59% on average compared with the pre-lock-down period. Further, the turbidity in the water has reduced at each stretch of the rivers. Remote sensing is a powerful tools for analyzing turbidity over the whole littoral areas, even in the absence of field observations. The ongoing pandemic shows that an ocean with cleaner water is possible. These findings provide a general reference on the state of the Moroccan coast that could contribute to improve policy and future monitoring program.

Recovery of Platinum and Palladium from Spent Automotive Catalysts: Study of a New Leaching System Using a Complete Factorial Design

The recovery of materials and energy from end-of-life products is increasingly a fundamental factor in the sustainable development of various countries. Recovering metals from different types of waste is not only a practice in support of the environment, but is also a profitable economic activity. For this reason, exhausted automotive catalysts can become renewable sources of critical raw materials such as Pt, Pd, and Rh. However, recovering Pt and Pd from spent catalysts through an efficient, economical, and green method remains a challenge. This article presents a new leaching process for the hydrometallurgical recovery of Pt and Pd from exhausted automotive catalysts. The leaching solution consists of an aqueous mixture of hydrochloric acid, two organic acids (citric acid and acetic acid) and hydrogen peroxide. A complete factorial plan on two levels (2k) was performed in order to evaluate the main effects of the analyzed factors and their interactions. The factors that were presumed to be the most influential on the leaching of Pt and Pd were the concentrations of the different reagents and the reaction time. The optimal circumstances for achieving the largest recovery (over 80% Pt and 100% Pd) were achieved using the following conditions: a concentration of HCl of 5 M, a concentration of H2O2 of 10% wt./vol., a concentration of C2H4O2 of 10%vol./vol., and a reaction time of 3 h.

Changes of atmospheric metal(loid) deposition from 2017 to 2021 at Mount Emei under China's air pollution control strategy

Acid deposition and particulate matter (PM) pollution have declined considerably in China. Although metal(loid) and acid deposition and PM have many common sources, the changes of metal(loid) deposition in China in the recent decade have not been well explored by using long-term monitoring. Therefore, we analyzed the dry and wet deposition of eleven metal(loid)s (including Al, As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb, Sr, and Zn) from 2017 to 2021 at Mount Emei, which is adjacent to the most economic-developed region in western China (Sichuan Basin (SCB)). Anthropogenic emissions contributed to over 80% of the annual wet deposition fluxes of metal(loid)s and acids (SO4 2-, NO3 -, and NH4 +) at Mount Emei, and the major source regions were the SCB, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and Gansu Province. Metal(loid) and acid deposition had similar seasonal variations with higher wet deposition fluxes in summer but higher wet deposition concentrations and dry fluxes in winter. The seasonal variations were partially associated with higher precipitation but lower pH in summer (968 mm and 5.52, respectively) than in winter (47 mm and 4.73, respectively). From 2017 to 2021, metal(loid) deposition did not decline as substantially as acid deposition (5.6%-30.4%). Both the annual total deposition fluxes and concentrations of Cr, Cu, Sr, Ba, and Pb were even higher in 2020-2021 than in 2017-2018. The inter-annual and seasonal changes implied the responses of metal(loid) deposition to anthropogenic emission changes were buffered (e.g., transformation, dilution, and degradation) by precipitation rates, acidity, natural emissions, and chemical reactions in the atmosphere, among others.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Mushroom biotechnology: Developing cultivation protocol for four different mushrooms and accessing their potential in pollution management

The proteinaceous food value of mushrooms is well recognized and it may offer effective and lasting solutions to the problems of child malnutrition and protein supplement in pregnant ladies. Advancements have been made toward understanding mushroom biology, cultivation aspects, using a variety of agro lingo-cellulosic waste, breeding high yielding varieties, medicinal implications and uses of these unique fruiting bodies in bioremediation and waste water management. Mushrooms contain antioxidants and anticancerous chemicals in significant quanti-ties. Use of Chaga mushroom in corona virus disease control has been suggested recently in Russia. After first cultivation of rat ear fungus (Auricularia auricula) in 600 A.D., now more than 20 species are commercially cultivated and protocols to culture about 300 mushrooms is now known. New cultivation methods are devel-oped and discussed for Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes), Lenzites sterioides, Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) and Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor). The biological efficiency was 45% for Lentinus and 56% for Reishi in experi-ments conducted at Botany Department of the M.S. University of Baroda. An increase in yield was recorded when Lentinus mycelium was exposed to blue light and 5-10 ppm Veradix (IBA). The cultivation of medicinal mushroom is profitable as well fascinating since it requires a range of specific environmental conditions such as humidity, temperature, etc. The efforts have been made to eliminate the use of polythene bags by using earthen pots in case of oyster mushroom. A range of substrates have been used to increase the yield and manage agro-waste produced in large quantity in different countries. Cellulose and hemicellulose served as better sources of mushroom production, whereas, in lignin containing substrates the growth was slower. Apart from using substrates, dilute acid soaking of the leaves produced better growth of oyster. Light and temperature levels are also critical for the temperature required was 30 °C. Exposure to light acts as a shock to switch over the mycelium from vegetative to reproductive stage. The efforts are being made to increase number of fruiting bodies by the use of Ni and Sn salts. This chapter deals with spawn production and the advances in cultivation of four medicinal mushrooms made in different parts of the world. Mushrooms breeding and strain improvement has resulted into many new and high yielding strains. Production of oyster mushroom is done in almost all parts of the country, extensive fungal surveys are needed for developing better conservation strategies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

COVID-19 Lockdown Effects on a Highly Contaminated Coastal Site: The Mar Piccolo Basin of Taranto

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic socio-economic impact on mankind;however, the COVID-19 lockdown brought a drastic reduction of anthropic impacts on the environment worldwide, including the marine–coastal system. This study is concentrated on the Mar Piccolo basin of Taranto, a complex marine ecosystem model that is important in terms of ecological, social, and economic activities. Although many numerical studies have been conducted to investigate the features of the water fluxes in the Mar Piccolo basin, this is the first study conducted in order to link meteo-oceanographic conditions, water quality, and potential reduction of anthropic inputs. In particular, we used the model results in order to study the response of the Mar Piccolo basin to a drastic reduction in the leakage of heavy metal IPAs from industrial discharges during the two months of the mandated nationwide lockdown. The results show the different behavior of the two sub-basins of Mar Piccolo, showing the different times necessary for a reduction in the concentrations of heavy metals even after a total stop in the leakage of heavy metal IPAs. The results highlight the high sensitivity of the basin to environmental problems and the different times necessary for the renewal of the water in both sub-basins. © 2023 by the authors.

Assessment of Heavy Metals Contamination and Antimicrobial Drugs Residue in Broiler Edible Tissues in Bangladesh.

There are substantial public health consequences when hazardous heavy metal contaminants and antimicrobial drug residues are present in broiler edible tissues. This study aimed to assess the concentration of antimicrobial drugs and heavy metals residues in broiler meat, bones and edible composites (combinations of liver, kidney and gizzard). Samples were collected from different types of broiler farms, broiler wet meat markets and supermarkets, covering all five divisions of Bangladesh. The antimicrobial drug and heavy metal residues were analyzed by uHPLC and ICP-MS, respectively. In addition, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among broiler meat consumers in the study areas to evaluate their attitude towards the consumption of broiler meat. The survey clearly stated that broiler meat consumers in Bangladesh have a negative attitude toward the consumption of broiler meat, although all respondents reported to eat broiler meat regularly. The antibiotic with the highest prevalence of residues in broiler edible tissues was oxytetracycline, followed by doxycycline, sulphadiazine and chloramphenicol. On the other hand, all collected broiler edible tissues contained chromium and lead, followed by arsenic. The fact of the matter is that the antimicrobial drugs and heavy metals residues were found to be below the maximum residue limit (MRL), except for the lead content. In addition, the broiler meat samples from supermarkets had lower levels of antimicrobial drugs and heavy metals residue compared to the broiler meat collected from various types of farms and broiler wet meat markets. Irrespective of the source, broiler meat was found to contain antimicrobial drugs and heavy metals residues below the MRL, except for lead, suggesting that broiler meat is safe for human consumption. Therefore, raising public awareness regarding misconceptions about broiler meat consumption among consumers would be warranted.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Constraints on the Ecobiochemical Status of Cultivated Soils along Transportation Routes.

There is a lack of studies on the impact of COVID-19-related population mobility and freight transport restrictions on the soil environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of automotive pollution on selected parameters describing the quality and healthiness of crop soils based on results obtained before the pandemic (2017-2019) in relation to data from the pandemic period (2020-2021). The study included soils from six cultivated fields located in eastern Poland along national roads (DK No. 74 and 82) and provincial roads (DW No. 761 and 835). Soil samples were taken from distances of 5, 20, 50, and 100 m from the edge of the roadway. The following soil characteristics were determined: pHKCl, content of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and activity of the three enzymes dehydrogenases (ADh), neutral phosphatase (APh), and urease (AU). The degree of traffic-generated soil pollution was assessed by determining the samples' total cadmium and lead levels (Cd and Pb) and total content of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Σ14PAHs). The monitoring of cultivated soils showed that the parameters of cultivated soils varied primarily according to the distance from the edge of the roadway. There was an increase in soil acidity and TOC and TN content and a decrease in Cd, Pb, and Σ14PAHs as one moved away from the edge of the roadway. The highest ADh and APh values were found in soils located 100 m from the edge of the road. AU at 5 m and 20 m from the edge of the pavement was significantly higher than at 100 m away. The reduction in vehicular traffic associated with the pandemic did not affect the changes in the reaction of the studied soils and their TOC, TN, and Pb contents. The lowest content of Σ14PAHs was found in 2020. In the case of the amount of Cd in soils, a downward effect was also observed in 2020. However, no significant differences were noted, except for the soils in Skorzeszyce and Luszczów Kolonia. The reduced influx of xenobiotics into the soil environment stimulated ADh and APh. In the following year (2021), the amounts of tested xenobiotics and enzyme activities in the soils were at a similar level to those in 2019. The results indicate a positive but short-term effect of the pandemic on reducing the contamination of soils located along transportation routes.

Assessment of house dust trace elements and human exposure in Ankara, Turkey.

One of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is leading people remain at homes longer than ever. Considering the elongation of the time people spend indoors, the potential health risks caused by contaminants including heavy metals in indoor environments have become even more critical. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels and sources of heavy metals in indoor dust, to assess the exposure to heavy metals via indoor dust, and to estimate the associated health risk. The highest median value was measured for Zn (263 µg g-1), while the lowest median concentration value was observed for Cd (0.348 µg g-1). The levels of elements measured in the current study were found to be within the ranges reported in the other parts of the world, mostly close to the lower end of the range. House characteristics such as proximity to the main street, presence of pets, number of occupants, and age of the building were the house characteristics influencing the observed higher concentrations of certain heavy metals in houses. Enrichment factor values range between 1.79 (Cr) and 20.4 (Zn) with an average EF value of 8.80 ± 6.80 representing that the targeted elements are enriched (EF>2) in indoor dust in Ankara. Positive matrix factorization results showed that the heavy metals in the house dust in the study area are mainly contributed from sources namely outdoor dust, carpets/furniture, solders, wall paint/coal combustion, and cigarette smoke. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk values from heavy metals did not exceed the safe limits recommended by EPA. The highest carcinogenic risk level was caused by Cr. The risk through ingestion was higher than inhalation, and the risk levels were higher for children than for adults.

IMPORTANCE OF COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES FOR MODERN WASTE-TO-ENERGY FACILITIES IN COMPLEX GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXTS ORIENTED TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Although circular economy (CE) principles set material circularity, resource efficiency and waste recycling as priority targets to guarantee the sustainable development of future generations, the thermochemical valorisation of municipal solid waste (MSW) still plays a fundamental role in the transition towards the final CE targets. As a matter of fact, the waste-to-energy (WtE) sector allows recovering energy from waste, reducing the pressure on MSW landfills and their related potential environmental impacts;however, recovering material for further uses is not excluded in WtE options. Significant improvements have been achieved in the air pollution control of exhaust gases from direct and indirect MSW combustion during the last decades. The efforts focussed on reducing dioxin emissions especially, and this has let other substances emerge as priority pollutants (e.g., heavy metals). In addition, the location of WtE facilities in certain geographical contexts is still potentially critical from the point of view of human exposure and the related health risk;moreover, the public acceptance of WtE plants is still limited, in spite of their recent role in fighting SARS-CoV-2 risks from waste management. The purpose of the present paper is to underline the importance of implementing correct and complete health risk assessment procedures tailored to the exposed population living in the area of influence of a WtE plant. The paper will present two case studies regarding the projects of two WtE plants in a mountainous region, highlighting the critical issues that arose during the environmental impact assessment procedures. The paper will finally suggest possible options to improve the health risk assessment procedure and alternative measures to reduce the expected impacts of the WtE sector on the environment and human exposure. © 2022 WIT Press.

Positive Matrix Factorization as Source Apportionment of Paddy Soil Heavy Metals in Black Shale Areas in Western Zhejiang Province, China

The source apportionment of pollutants is the key to preventing and controlling the pollution caused by heavy metals in soils. The aim of this study was to investigate the main sources of heavy metals in the soils of black shale areas in western Zhejiang, China. Based on geostatistical spatial analysis, this research employed positive matrix factorization (PMF) for the source apportionment of heavy metals in paddy soil. The results showed that contaminated arable soils were concentrated in the western and southern study areas. At least five major sources of heavy metals were screened in this study: natural sources (39.66%), traffic emissions (32.85%), industrial emissions (9.23%), agricultural activities (9.17%), and mining (9.10%). To be specific, Cd was mainly from mining;As originated from agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides;and Hg, as an industrial pollutant, was transported by atmospheric deposition in the study area. The accumulation of Pb, Zn, and Cu was mainly influenced by natural sources and anthropogenic sources, i.e., traffic emissions, while that of Cr and Ni was controlled by natural sources.

How environmental racism fuels pandemics

African Americans who earn US$50,000-60,000 annually - solidly middle class - are exposed to much higher levels of industrial chemicals, air pollution and poisonous heavy metals, as well as pathogens, than are profoundly poor white people with annual incomes of $10,000. The main culprits include indifference and ignorance, inadequate testing of industrial chemicals, racism, housing discrimination, corporate greed and lax legislation from, in the United States, a weakened Environmental Protection Agency. Black and minority ethnic people are also more likely to live in 'deprived' areas that are closer to sources of industrial pollution - from leadtainted water in Flint, Michigan, to nerve gas, arsenic and polychlorinated biphenyls in Anniston, Alabama.

Special issue. (Special issue.)

This special issue contains 17 papers covering a range of topics related to environmental, geological, and social issues in Bangladesh. The articles use various methodologies, including statistical analysis, satellite imaging, and case studies, to explore issues such as drought, urbanization, healthcare, greenhouse gas emissions, groundwater resources, COVID-19 stigmatization, oil rim reservoir development, coal permeability, seaweed composition, hailstorms, tropical cyclones, heavy metal contamination, flood hazard assessment, and climate change vulnerability. Overall, the articles provide valuable insights and information that can inform policy and decision-making in Bangladesh.

Comparative analysis of temporal variation of heavy metal accumulation by two sea urchin species from a harbour region, including pre and post COVID 19 lock down period.

Sea urchins are marine invertebrates belonging to phylum Echinodermata, recognized as relevant biological tool for assessing environmental pollution. In the present study, we assessed the bioaccumulation potential of different heavy metals by two sea urchin species, Stomopneustes variolaris Lamarck, 1816 and Echinothrix diadema Linnaeus, 1758, collected from a harbour region, along the south west coast of India, during four different sampling periods for 2 years, from the same sea urchin bed. Heavy metals like Pb, Cr, As, Cd, Co, Se, Cu, Zn, Mn and Ni were analysed from water, sediment and different body parts of sea urchins, such as shell, spine, tooth, gut and gonad. The sampling periods also included the pre and post COVID 19 lockdown period during which the harbour activities were closed. The bio-water accumulation factor (BWAF), bio-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) and the metal content/test weight index (MTWI) were calculated, in order to compare the bioaccumulation of metals by both the species. The results showed that S. variolaris had higher bioaccumulation potential than E. diadema, for metals like Pb, As, Cr, Co and Cd especially in the soft body parts like gut and gonad. The hard parts of S. variolaris like shell, spine, and tooth also accumulated more Pb, Cu, Ni and Mn than E. diadema. Following the lockdown period, there was a decline in the concentration of all heavy metals in water, whereas in sediment, Pb, Cr, and Cu levels were reduced. The gut and gonad tissues of both the urchins showed a decrease in the concentration of most of the heavy metals following the lockdown phase and no significant reduction was observed in the hard parts. This study reveals the use of S. variolaris as an excellent bioindicator of heavy metal contamination in the marine environment which can be employed for coastal monitoring programs.

Ion-Imprinted Polymer Structurally Preorganized Using a Phenanthroline-Divinylbenzoate Complex with the Cu(II) Ion as Template and Some Adsorption Results.

The novel [Cuphen(VBA)2H2O] complex (phen: phenanthroline, VBA: vinylbenzoate) was prepared and used as a functional monomer to preorganize a new ion-imprinted polymer (IIP). By leaching the Cu(II) from the molecular imprinted polymer (MIP), [Cuphen(VBA)2H2O-co-EGDMA]n (EGDMA: ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), the IIP was obtained. A non-ion-imprinted polymer (NIIP) was also prepared. The crystal structure of the complex and some physicochemical, spectrophotometric techniques were also used for the MIP, IIP, and NIIP characterization. The results showed that the materials are nonsoluble in water and polar solvents, which are the main features of polymers. The surface area of the IIP is higher than the NIIP demonstrated by the blue methylene method. The SEM images show monoliths and particles smoothly packed together on spherical and prismatic-spherical surfaces in the morphology of MIP and IIP, respectively. Moreover, the MIP and IIP could be considered as mesoporous and microporous materials, shown by the size of the pores determined by the BET and BJH methods. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of the IIP was studied using copper(II) as a contaminant heavy metal. The maximum adsorption capacity of IIP was 287.45 mg/g at 1600 mg/L Cu2+ ions with 0.1 g of IIP at room temperature. The Freundlich model was found to best describe the equilibrium isotherm of the adsorption process. The competitive results indicate that the stability of the Cu-IIP complex is higher than the Ni-IIP complex with a selectivity coefficient of 1.61.

Heavy metals assessment of hospital wastewater during COVID-19 pandemic

Hospital wastewater contains heavy metals that threaten environmental and human health through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Each heavy metal contributes a different impact on human health and the environment. Monitoring the heavy metals in wastewater is essential to prevent those severe impacts. However, it is still rare for a study to assess heavy metals obtained from the discharge of hospital wastewater in Indonesia. Therefore, this study investigated 14 parameters of heavy metals in hospital wastewater. We tested wastewater quality from September 2021 to February 2022, with SNI 6989-59-2008 sampling methods with 14 parameters. Results show that over 14 parameters are still below the threshold value and other previous studies. It might be because the biological treatment used in the hospital wastewater treatment plant (HWWTP) reduces these micropollutants efficiently. The fluidized bed biofilm reactor (FBBR) system is an aerobic process with microorganisms attached to the bio-green. This technique is to form suspensions of solid particles in sparse media with gas streams for chemical or physical processes. The sewage discharge reveals the occurrence of heavy metals in hospital wastewater, even though it does not reveal a high concentration due to the effectiveness of the FBBR system in HWWTP. © 2023, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.

Heavy metals assessment of hospital wastewater during COVID-19 pandemic

Hospital wastewater contains heavy metals that threaten environmental and human health through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Each heavy metal contributes a different impact on human health and the environment. Monitoring the heavy metals in wastewater is essential to prevent those severe impacts. However, it is still rare for a study to assess heavy metals obtained from the discharge of hospital wastewater in Indonesia. Therefore, this study investigated 14 parameters of heavy metals in hospital wastewater. We tested wastewater quality from September 2021 to February 2022, with SNI 6989-59-2008 sampling methods with 14 parameters. Results show that over 14 parameters are still below the threshold value and other previous studies. It might be because the biological treatment used in the hospital wastewater treatment plant (HWWTP) reduces these micropollutants efficiently. The fluidized bed biofilm reactor (FBBR) system is an aerobic process with microorganisms attached to the bio-green. This technique is to form suspensions of solid particles in sparse media with gas streams for chemical or physical processes. The sewage discharge reveals the occurrence of heavy metals in hospital wastewater, even though it does not reveal a high concentration due to the effectiveness of the FBBR system in HWWTP. © 2023, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal trends and impact of Covid-19 lockdown on eight sewage contaminants in Brisbane, Australia, from 2012 to 2020.

This study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal trends and impact of COVID-19 lockdowns to the profile of physiochemical parameters in the influent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) around Brisbane, Australia. One 24-hr composite influent sample was collected from 10 WWTPs and analyzed for a range of physiochemical parameters per week (i.e., chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia, volatile suspended solid (VSS)) and per month (i.e., Ni and Cr) from 2012 to 2020, including the period of COVID-19 lockdowns in the region. The catchments studied were urban, with a mix of domestic and industrial activities contributing towards the contaminant profile. Statistical analysis identified that industrial and commercial land use, as well as population size had a large impact to the parameter loads and profile. Per capita mass loads of Cr in one catchment were 100 times higher than in others from one industrial point source. TP demonstrated a potential monotonic decrease over time due to practical reduction policies that have been implemented for phosphorous content in household detergents, except for one catchment where trade waste from food manufacturing industries contributed to an overall increase of 6.9%/year TP. The COVID-19 lockdown (March-April 2020) posed different impact on different catchments, either decrease (7-61%) or increase (2-40%) of most parameter loads (e.g., COD, TOC, TN, TP, VSS, Ammonia), which was likely driven by catchment characteristics (i.e., the proportion of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses). This study enhances our understanding of spatiotemporal trend of contaminants in the catchments for further effective source control.

Investigation of Fluid Flow System Performance for Biosensor Application

Electrochemical biosensors are advantageous for in-situ sensing applications measurements because of their low detection limit, good selectivity, minimum calibration requirement, and, most importantly, inexpensive cost. Nevertheless, integrated readout circuits for biosensing applications are typically cumbersome, costly, and not maintenance-free. Numerous studies have been conducted on electrochemical biosensor systems with portable readout circuits, specifically on potentiostat for diverse in-situ sensing applications. High-quality microfluidic packaging is required to build this portable sensor device. Before samples can be measured for biosensing applications, notably loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), they must undergo further treatments and heating. Therefore, in this paper, we have developed a portable biosensor application system consisting of sensor packaging, fluid flow, and a heater that can be used in the field without requiring laboratory or specialist equipment. The sensor packaging is 3D printed, and a fluid leakage test validates its performance. Two types of heaters are utilized for the heating system and compared. This portable biosensor device can be utilized for various in-situ electrochemical biosensing applications, including Covid-19 sensing, ions detection in saltwater, and heavy metals detection in water pollution. © 2022 IEEE.