An aliphatic-amine-bearing chromatographic support, based on commercial silica, was prepared and tested as potential matrix for affinity immobilization of a copper/topaquinone-containing amine oxidase from lentil seedlings. The support proved to be noticeably effective in immobilizing the enzyme with concomitant purification and activity retention. The immobilization yields and some properties of this preparation were also determined and compared with those of the soluble enzyme. High activity r...
Autori: Barbara Noli, Enrico Sanjust, Francesca Sollai, Giovanni Floris
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25108

AbstractA greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the phytotoxic effect of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn on the growth of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus): on the seed germination, root/shoot growth and uptake of metals in soil-vermicompost media. The selected metals were dosed at various concentrations ranging from 0, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 50 ppm separately in soil - vermicompost media (3:1) in pot experiment. The seed germination, root and shoot growth were found significantly a...
Autori: Chhotu D. Jadia, Madhusudan H. Fulekar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25306

AbstractThis study deals with the radiolytical decomposition of water molecules, in the presence of some catalysts, getting out hydrogen as unpolluting and cheaper energy vector. Instead of the spent nuclear fuel elements taken out from nuclear power plants, as irradiation source it was used the 60Co radionuclide having a specific activity of 1.1.105 Ci. It was observed that the radiolytic yield of resulted molecular hydrogen from water radiolysis in the presence of used catalysts decreased as:N...
Autori: Ada Macovei, Alexandru Cecal, Dumitru Ganju, , Oana R. Haută
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25354

Abstract The aim of this present paper is investigation of the reactions of preparation of unsymmetrical reactive carbonates from the corresponding symmetrical carbonates and different type of alcohols. The asymmetrical carbonates represent alternative reagents (mild, efficient) for alkoxycarbonylation of amines and amino-acids. The synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. A general method for preparation of asymmetrical carbonates was develop fro...
Autori: Adina-Elena Segneanu, Ionel Balcu, Marius Constantin Mirica, Mirela Ioana Iorga, Marius Milea, Zoltan Urmosi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25472

Abstract Herbs have been used as food and for medicinal purposes for centuries. In recent years, natural compounds such as phenolic acids, phenolic diterpenes and triterpenes, present in various plants, have been the subject of intense research due to their potential benefits for human health. It has been demonstrated that the antioxidant and radical scavenge activities are the main properties of these compounds. The main difficulties in using natural products as a source for pharmaceutical ...
Autori: Ruxanda Bodirlau, Iuliana Spiridon, Carmen Alice Teaca, Narcis Anghel, Maria Ichim, Svetlana Colceru , Alice Armatu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25474

Abstract Application of ozone is known to yield favorable results in purification of phosphate plant water from elemental phosphorus, in treatment of water of alkali aluminate solutions of aluminum plants, in decontamination of cyanide-containing waste water of enrichment plants, and so on. It has been proved that halogen-containing compounds, most of which have mutagenic properties, and some of which are carcinogenic to humans, are formed when water is treated with chlorine. Conclusions made...
Autori: Irina Dumitriu, ,
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25483

Abstract The idea of sustainable farming relies on raising its yield along with a safe and constant gain with minimum environmental impact and by ensuring the population’s food security. Sustainable agriculture is a large concept that encompasses the complexity of this production system, the biological stability of farming plants and varieties, the conservation and protection of natural resources, but also the implementing and generalization of high-output modern technologies. Sustainable a...
Autori: Brindusa Robu, Carmen Cătălina Ioan, Edinel Robu, Matei Macoveanu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25520

Abstract A method based on measuring substrate depletion rate was developed to evaluate the denitrifying activity of activated sludge in suspension and in biofilm form in anoxic serum flasks. The adapted activated sludge inoculum was grown as biofilm in an anoxic rotating biological contactor (RBC). Acetate was used as external carbon source to obtain a carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 2. The results showed that the specific activity of cells in biofilm form was higher than in planktonic for...
Autori: Elba Vivanco, Juan Carlos Ruiz, Paola Poirrier, Rolando Chamy, Yves Lesty
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25617

Abstract A method based on measuring substrate depletion rate was developed to evaluate the denitrifying activity of activated sludge in suspension and in biofilm form in anoxic serum flasks. The adapted activated sludge inoculum was grown as biofilm in an anoxic rotating biological contactor (RBC). Acetate was used as external carbon source to obtain a carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 2. The results showed that the specific activity of cells in biofilm form was higher than in planktonic for...
Autori: Manuel Mota, Pilar Teixeira, Rosario Oliveira, Susana Cortez
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25639

An increasing recognition of tillage erosion processes has shown that soil redistribution by tillage directly contributes to soil loss in mechanically and nonmechanically agricultural areas worldwide. Soil translocation by tillage is normally measured by means of tracers, with which a volume of soil is labeled, and therefore yielding tillage erosion rates in a field. Two tracer methods for estimating tillage erosion rates were appraised to understand the adaptability to local conditions in the h...
Autori: Jianhui Zhang, Fucheng Lihttp://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25687

Abstract:The oxidation of low grade complex concentrates (Cu, Pb and Zn) in aqueous media (weak alkaline) oxidized nonferrous metalsconcentrates is carried out at high pressure. Leaching is the subsequent processing step in metal extraction. The paper studies theinfluence of some parameters (temperature, time, L:S ratio, excess) on the leaching efficiency of nonferrous metals from oxidizedconcentrate. The optimum parameters determined are: S/L ratio of 10/1, 25% reactive excess, leaching tempera...
Autori: Cornelia Lupu, Dragoş Taloi, Liliana Gherghe, Luminita Mara, Teodor Velea, Vasile Predica
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25774

Abstract:The aim of the present study is the optimization of biosorption conditions using a metal tolerant actinomycete (strain 723) for the removal of lead ions from waste water in batch and dynamic flow mode. The optimum conditions for lead biosorption by the strain were determined as initial pH 3.0, biomass amount 2.0 g L-1, and initial metal concentration 400 mg L-1 in the batch condition. The maximum lead biosorption performance was obtained with a 19 mm diameter column, a 1 mL min-1 flow r...
Autori: Ayşe Betül Karaduman, Maria Julia Amoroso, Mustafa Yamaç, Sergio Antonio Cuozzo, Zerrin Pat
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25811

This paper presents original studies about the influence of mineral and/or organic fertilization on the minerals contents (P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb) in leguminous plants from permanent grassland situated in a hill area of Banat County. Determination of minerals in grassland is very important both for the nutritional or toxic effects of these elements and their compounds, in the plants, animals and environment. Phosphorous was analyzed colorimetric and all the others metals hav...
Autori: Alexandru Moisuc, Iosif Gergen, Monica Harmanescu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25858

The herbicide use can be seen as an auxiliary path for new farming methods, providing more advantageous farming and land use capabilities and increasing crop yields. Some of them are quickly degraded but others persist in the environmental compartments being toxic for human health and the environment.The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of some triazine herbicides from agricultural sources on quality of well and surface water, in two regions of Romania with different agricultural act...
Autori: Andreea Dragus, Mihail Simion Beldean-Galea, Radu Mihaiescu, Tania Mihaiescu, Dumitru Ristoiu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25889

AbstractPolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a typical refractory organic pollutant with low biodegradability and high molecular weight. Thispaper presents data on the radiolysis of PVA in aqueous solutions by using ionizing radiation. Response surface methodologywith Box-Benhken design of experiment was applied to analyze the interactions among initial concentration of PVA, absorbeddose, and initial pH of aqueous solutions on PVA removal efficiency. 9.4-89.4% PVA was removed based on differentcombination...
Autori: Jianlong Wang, Jinping Tian, Lujun Chen, Shijun He, Weihua Sun
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25967

AbstractEast Calcutta Wetland ecosystem is a Ramsar Site in India covering almost 51 km2 and is one of the largest of its type. Thiswetland receives a massive load of almost untreated industrial and domestic effluents every day, throughout the year, that hasbeen effectively utilized in pisciculture for having a better yield (2.85 metric tons of fish per 0.01 km2 of water body per annum).The present investigation was carried out to study the toxicity of the untreated effluents discharged from tan...
Autori: Utpal Singha Roy
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26094

Mother Earth Investments AG, is actively working onthe development 2nd generation bioenergy feedstocks.In this book, Mr. Jansen generously shares hisknowledge in the field, in particular, regarding thechallenges and opportunities in development ofbiomass-derived fuels. This essential guide toinvesting in bioenergy commodities details secondgeneration biofuels from a scientific, technical andeconomic perspective, and discusses their globalenvironmental, political and financial impact.The book is ...
Autori: Roland A. Jansen
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26100

Abstract Recently, a new failure probability index was introduced that characterizes the operation of highly sensitive chemical reactors (i.e. when highly exothermic / hazardous reactions are conducted). Based on this, the current paper exemplifies the application of the risk analysis methodology proposed to generate the Pareto optimal operating solutions accounting for reactor productivity maximization (product yield) and probabilistic risk minimization. The multi-objective optimi...
Autori: Anca Dan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26108

Abstract The paper deals with reinforced soil structures used in critical infrastructures for ecological landfills. During the last 17 years in Romania 28 such landfills were completed. Romania is however a country where strong earthquakes often occur. About 60% of its territory feels the seismic actions which combine with the existing ones. During earthquakes in the massive structures of landfills, huge inertial forces are developing. Due to uncontrolled movements and deformations...
Autori: Cristina Feodorov
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26118

AbstractAdopting the theories and methods of emergy analysis, the annual average emergy input-output of the Lake Nansi wetlandecosystem is calculated. Further, the emergy analysis chart is drawn to evaluate the energy flow and the economic value of thelake. The structure and functions of the Lake Nansi wetland ecosystem are analyzed as a whole. The results showed that theamount of the input solar emergy (including sunlight, wind and rainfall) of the Lake Nansi is 1.11×1021 1021 solar emergyjoule...
Autori: Liang Chunling
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26183

AbstractExcess biomass produced in the degradation processes of organic pollutants is creating environmental challenges for wastewatertreatment plants. The A+OSA system, a modification of the anoxic / oxic (A/O) process via insertion of a sludge holding tankinto a sludge return line, has been demonstrated to be capable of achieving simultaneous nutrient removal and sludge reduction.Here we report the results of an investigation aimed at evaluating the impact of the sludge holding tank on the bio...
Autori: Li Jia
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26207

AbstractIn this study, as part of developing a green recycling process of spent lead-acid battery that can avoid both smelting and electrowinning, leaching agent citric acid and other additives (such as sodium citrate and hydrogen peroxide) in aqueous media were reacted with spent lead-acid battery paste. PbO, PbO2 and PbSO4, which are the three main components in a spent lead-acid battery paste, were leached to form lead citrate precursor which was crystallized and then separated from the solut...
Autori: Xinfeng Zhu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26215

AbstractPresent study deals with a technology that reduces the cadmium(Cd) availability to the leafy vegetable Amaranthus caudatusfrom Cd contaminated soil (6 μg Cd g-1soil), amended with farmyard manure FYM, FYM+NPK and agricultural wastes (ricehusk; RH and saw dust; SD) at different doses (0.5 %, 2 %, 5 % and 10 %). Among all the doses 5 % was found to the best foreach amendment showing maximum reduction in phytoavailability of Cd hence better vegetable yield. At this dose the reductionin...
Autori: Anita Singh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26228

AbstractBased on the measurement at a coastal site in the Yangtze Delta, the temporal variation characteristics of ozone and theinfluences of the precursors (NO, NO2, and CO) and meteorological conditions were analyzed. Also the crop yield loss by ozoneexposure at the site was estimated and discussed. The variation of daytime ozone showed a two-peak pattern during the year with one peak in spring and the other in summer, while the nighttime ozone just presented one peak in spring. The diurnal va...
Autori: Wenpo Shan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26231

AbstractThe abundant availability of solid agroindustrial waste, sugarcane bagasse from sugar mills and juice extraction units, can bepotentially beneficial for the production of fermentation based biochemicals, paper boards and power. However, its role incausing bagassosis, an acute respiratory disease among the personnel handling large dry deposits has also been detected. Disposal of liquid waste whey from dairy industries poses a formidable threat to the aquatic ecosystem due to high BOD and ...
Autori: Manoj K. Ghosh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26248

AbstractThis paper continues the previous investigations regarding the technology for the Aluminum (Al) recovery as Al sulfate fromblack Al slag. Leaching is the next compulsory step in the Al extraction process. The paper studies the influence of mothersolutions´ (MS) recirculation resulted from the process within the system over the quality of Al sulfate and the siliceous residue(R) and, the aluminum nitride (AlN) hydrolyses in the leaching process. The optimum parameters determined are: *the ...
Autori: Romanita Teodorescu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26250

AbstractA bench-scale anaerobic bioreactor for the anaerobic treatment of textile wastewater using anaerobic sludge was experimented.The Top and bottom of hybrid bioreactor were functioned with UAF (Up Flow Anaerobic Filter) and UASB (Up Flow AnaerobicSludge Blanket), respectively. The effect of organic loading rate (OLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on treatment oforganic matters in the textile wastewater was investigated. The maximum removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colorwas 9...
Autori: Reza Katal
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26255

AbstractIn this study, the experimental performance of a single slope solar still coupled with an evacuated tube collector was investigated. A single slope passive solar still (PSS) and single slope active solar still (ASS) integrated with an evacuated tube collector were fabricated with an area of 1 m2 and tested in the composite climate of Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India, (Latitude: 11°N; Longitude: 77°E and an altitude of 409 m above sea level). High water  temperatures in the range of 84.2...
Autori: Karuppusamy Sampathkumar, Palanisamy Senthilkumar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26286

AbstractA pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth and metal accumulation in water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) establishedon a 30-year old active firing range soil amended with chicken manure (CM) and coconut tree sawdust (CTS) at application ratesof 0%, 1% and 3% (w/w). Both amendments increased biomass yield and reduced plant metal uptake. The bioconcentrationfactor (BCF) and transportation factor (TF) values of the metals were in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb. The ammonium acetate...
Autori: Azlan Kamari
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26499

AbstractThe objective was to study the degradation of azo dye C.I. Acid Orange 7 (AO7) and intermediates for its synthesis sulphanilicacid (SA) and 2-naphthol (2-N) by Fenton process. Full factorial design and response surface methodology were applied to modelthe system behavior influenced by studied process parameters ([Fe2+] and [H2O2]).Optimal process conditions were determined on the basis of mineralization efficiency. The effectiveness evaluation of appliedtreatment process was conducted on...
Autori: Sanja Papić
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26569

Abstract The present study was conducted to determine the heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) and essential oils content in the berries of Juniperus phoenicea L. grown in two different geographic origins; Dana conservation and Al-Hisha forest in Jordan. Atomic absorption and Hydrodistillation methods were used to determine heavy metals concentrations and oil contents in plant samples of J. phoenicea L., respectively. Results showed that, the oil yielded from J. phoenicea L. berries in ...
Autori: Mohammad Sanad Abu-darwish
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26595

Abstract Due to its very low moisture content, the solid waste from the two-phase olive oil extraction process (dry olive mill residue, DOR) can be easily stored and used as a readily available basal liquid culture medium via its reconstitution with water. Five white-rot fungi (namely Phanerochaete chrysosporium NRRL 6361, Lentinus tigrinus CBS 577.79, Pleurotus pulmonarius CBS 664.97, Phlebia radiata DABAC 9 and Botryosphaeria rhodina DABAC P82), previously selected in a screening program, ...
Autori: Alessandro D’Annibale
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26598

Abstract The caraway (Carum carvi L.) samples were collected from little meadows situated in Harghita Mountain (Mădăraş Ciuc, Harghita Băi, Jigodin, Tuşnadu Nou), where a relatively small area was covered by a group of rich populations of wild cumin. The harvested plants are dried by: a) convective laboratory dryer in thick layer, b) static outdoors in sunshine, and (c) static in a warm indoor place in darkness. The hand-picked seeds were separated from debris by sie...
Autori: Csaba Dezső András
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26646

Abstract This paper presents the results obtained using the prehydrolysis treatments of rapeseed stalks depending on regime and the catalyst. The vegetal materials were subjected under different temperature conditions and then characterized for the yield reducing substances. The differences between samples have been established by using FTIR and depend on the successive hydrolytic treatments of dynamic and static regime in the presence of various catalysts. The experimental data show that th...
Autori: Corina Măluţan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26654

Abstract Supercritical fluid and ultrasound assisted extractions were applied as a first step in a complex processing of spruce bark in order to recover polyphenols compounds. The aim of the study was to compare the efficiency of these "green" processes with a conventional extraction technique (ethanolic extraction). Supercritical fluid extraction was carried out in two steps: (i) static extraction for 15 min at 1000 psi with pure CO2 and (ii) dynamic extraction for 45 min at 35, 4...
Autori: Adina Iulia Talmaciu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26680

Abstract Response surface methodology and central composite experimental design were used to model and optimize the operational parameters of the excess sludge protein extraction yield by ultrasonic wave-assisted extraction. The three variables involved in this research were the ultrasonic extraction time, pH, and temperature. In the range studied, statistical analysis of the results showed that selected variables had a significant effect on protein extraction yield. The optimized extraction...
Autori: Yulin Xiang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26736

Abstract Optimum conditions for the reusability of red mud were explored testing both dried and HCl-activated red mud as a coagulant in the treatment of dyehouse wastewater. Treated dyehouse wastewater was further reused in five dyebaths with different mixture ratios of distilled water (D) and treated wastewater (W) for dyeing fabrics at three color strengths of three reactive dyes. Sludge obtained from the optimum dosage of HCl-activated red mud was tested for its reuse potential in the pro...
Autori: Aylin Yildiz
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26738

Abstract The present work systematically investigates the photocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ), an organic compound, known as refractory to the conventional wastewater treatment by the titanium dioxide PC 500 catalyst. The effects of some fundamental operating parameters in heterogeneous photocatalysis were investigated in this work in order to determine the main ones affecting the degradation kinetics. The obtained results clearly showed that the removal rate of the target comp...
Autori: Lidia Favier
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26754

Abstract In order to verify the possibility of agricultural drought forecasting and prediction of agricultural yields in a given region, two climatic indices were used to monitor drought: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Bhalme - Mooley Drought Index (BMDI). For the case study were taken into account conditions in Oradea, from Crişurilor Plain, which is located in the Western Romania. Evolution of dry periods determined by the two indices is similar but there are differences i...
Autori: Nicu Cornel Sabău
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26766

Abstract New and end of life tires have been pyrolyzed in an innovative pilot plant that processes whole tires, thus saving the energy costs of shredding while allowing energy and materials recovery. Furthermore, the presence of a hydraulic guard guarantees high process safety. Several tests at different temperatures have been performed and the collected solid, liquid and gaseous products have been quantified and characterized. The influence of the maximum process temperature on yields and c...
Autori: Loris Giorgini
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26783

Abstract The Bio.Lea.R project aims to demonstrate the performance of a landfill for less reactive, biologically treated waste (pretreated organic wastes) compared to a conventionally managed landfill, with regard to both environmental (biogas and leachate production) and economic aspects. The objective is to control the pretreated biodegradable waste through a liquid injection in order to achieve the same biogas quantity in a shorter time than in conventional landfill. Laboratory and full ...
Autori: Alberto Godio
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26784

Abstract The use of non-conventional water resources including treated municipal wastewater has been increasing in the Mediterranean regions over the last decades to cope with water shortages and uneven rainfalls due to climate change. The aim of this paper is to present the first results from two years of experimental field activities carried out in two different demo-places in Southern Italy: the municipal wastewater treatment plants of Noci and Castellana Grotte (Apulia region). In these ...
Autori: Antonio Lonigro
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26787

Abstract Hydrolysates of Arundo donax, a crop offering high productivity in contaminated or salinized soils with no inputs of irrigation and agrochemicals, were used in a discontinuous fermenter to grow the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkey, to obtain microbial oils potentially useful for the production of 2nd-generation biodiesel. A mixture of fermentable sugars was obtained by steam-explosion and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic materials. The concentration of Ni2+ ...
Autori: Domenico Pirozzi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26789

Abstract This study carried out for the first time a comparison among ligninolytic (white-rot) and cellulosolytic or xylanolytic (Trichoderma) pre-treated wheat straw, for biogas production, potential, without or with pig slurry in co-digestion. Methane (CH4) production from wheat straw pre-treated for 4 and 10 weeks with seven different fungal isolates was preliminarily measured. Then, the effects on biogas yield of the co-digestion with pig slurry were checked on straw pre-treated with 3 s...
Autori: Ciro Vasmara
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26796

Abstract The short-term effects of plant diversity (number of plant species and species compositions) on aboveground biomass, substrate inorganic nitrogen (N) concentrations, and substrate solution “effluent” N concentrations were studied in a subsurface verticalflow constructed wetland (CW). Results showed that (1) the number of plant species increased aboveground biomass (P< 0.05) but had no effect on the overyielding index DMax; (2) the species compositions and presence of ...
Autori: Hai Wang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26822

Abstract The recycling of plastic waste is important both in the conservation of resources and the environmental protection. A plastic waste (PE/PP/PS/PVC) was pyrolyzed over a series of post-use FCC catalysts using a fluidizing reaction system similar to the FCC process operating isothermally at ambient pressure. Experiments carried out with these catalysts gave good yields of valuable hydrocarbons with differing selectivity in the final products dependent on reaction conditions. A model ba...
Autori: Ta-Tung Wei
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26836

Abstract This study concentrates on the reactive biosorption of dyes such as Reactive Red 3:1 (RR3:1), Reactive Orange 13 (RO13), Reactive Blue 13 (RB13), Reactive Blue 72 (RB72). The modified fungal biosorbent, Paecilomyces sp., had a higher dye biosorption yield in our study. 100% of biosorption yield observed on RR3:1 and RB13 and 94.09% of color removal of RO13 with the chemically modified biosorbent were great. Also, such modified biosorbent exhibited remarkable performance in simulate...
Autori: Ahmet Çabuk
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26860

Abstract The aim of this research was to find the optimal method of extracting oil from jatropha seeds and to discovery a technically viable process in which high quality biodiesel can be produced. To begin with, the oil extraction yield obtained with solvent extraction was 34%, using n-hexane in 2 hours. Then, the properties and fatty acid composition of jatropha oil were investigated. We must emphasize that jatropha oil contains about 11% of free fatty acids (FFA), which is far beyond the ...
Autori: Carmen María Fernández
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26909

Abstract The possibility to use release controlled fertilizers in the agriculture of the tropical countries is more important than in the agriculture of the countries of the cold regions. In this context, the purpose of this work is the characterization of an encapsulated commercial Fertilizer of Controlled Release named FERLENT®, which was covered with a polymeric material, obtained in situ, under controlled conditions, which allowed to corroborate the fairly well adjustment of the synt...
Autori: Mayra González Hurtado
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26916

Abstract The present study was designed to determine the sound effects of ultrasonic treatment and the biologically mediated extraction of uranium from low grade black shale. Low grade uranium was subjected to fungal treatments assisted by sonication by conventional methods. In situ fungal leaching of black shale with different fungal strains in the presence of molasses as growth substrate resulted in highest leaching yield of uranium by Phoma tropica (57.73%) compared to Penicillium chrysog...
Autori: Fozia Anjum
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26919

Photodegradation caused by sun irradiation may be of major significance in the natural elimination process of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The fate of metronidazole (MET) in surface water under solar irradiation was investigated. Several parameters affecting the photochemical degradation rate of MET were investigated, including the initial pharmaceutical concentration, continuous input and the presence of other pharmaceuticals like tinidazole (TNZ) with similar structur...
Autori: Bo Wu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26928

High contents of colloidal and organic materials in municipal wastewater sludge cause problems in the process of dewatering. The filtering efficiency can be improved by chemical conditioning, but the effectiveness of mechanical dewatering is limited because flocculated sludge is highly compressible. Physical conditioners such as bagasse can be used to facilitate mechanical dewatering. This paper describes the use of bagasse pith (cane sugar waste fiber) to improve the dewatering process of mu...
Autori: Nematallah Jaafarzadeh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26995

Rice is one of the main staple foods in China and plays an extremely important role in ensuring the country’s food security. Therefore, the impacts of climate change on rice yields have garnered considerable attention. In this study, meteorological and rice yield records during 1951-2011 from the Reclamation area (RA) and general agricultural area (GAA) in the Heilongjiang province of Northeast China were used to assess the impacts of climate change on rice yield trends using multiple r...
Autori: Yang Zhou
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27019

Recently, environmental scientists have been focused their attention on the occurrence and the elimination of specific organic compounds in water. Among them, chlorophenols are considered to be a public health problem due to their carcinogenic properties. Thus, there is an important need to find new strategies to efficiently transform these compounds to no toxic or inactive by-products. In this work the photocatalytic removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol in water solution was investigated at laborat...
Autori: Lidia Favier
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27034

The multi-parametric quality index (ICPM) is a dimensionless number used to evaluate the overall water quality and it is a useful tool for policy makers and for the public. This study aims to introduce the ICPM algorithm. The ICPM was developed to assess the water quality of the Lower Danube River using information obtained from the analysis of 41 water quality indicators from a monitoring program during 2011-2014. ICPM used the data for the previous 28 months as reference to evaluate the lat...
Autori: Violeta-Monica Radu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27035

In this paper both kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of thermochemical transformation of waste tires are evaluated by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). For rubber thermochemical decomposition, individually and in the presence of other tires components, some kinetic and thermodynamic parameters such as energy of activation (Ea), frequency factor (A), reaction enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and free energy (ΔG) have been calculated by using the integration method. The e...
Autori: Sana Kordoghli
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27060

In order to improve the soil fertility, several eco-friendly alternatives to traditional cultivation practices have been proposed. The use of biofertilizers, such as rhizobacteria with different plant growth promoting properties is an environmentally-friendly option to achieve sustainability in agriculture. In this context, two bacterial strains (Bacillus pumilus R3 and Pseudomonas lini R7) isolated from the rhizosphere of runner bean plants were assessed for their plant growth promoting abil...
Autori: Gabriela Mihalache
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27108

Intensive agriculture has become an indispensable practice because it has to meet the needs of increasingly large yields to feed the population of the planet. In recent years, tough challenges to increase the efficiency of bioconversion were performed, since the conventional system has negative impacts on the environment, especially on health products by low intake in nutrients. In this context, the aim of this study is to show the effects of fertilization measures, which improve the quality ...
Autori: Daniela Cristina Dimitriu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27110

Acetophenone can be enzymatically produced by conversion of methylbenzylamine using transaminase. The enzymatic process is strongly affected by the product inhibition, thus requiring the acetophenone removal from the media during its synthesis. In this purpose, the individual and selective extraction of acetophenone and methylbenzylamine with the biocompatible solvent nheptane containing 1-octanol, D2EHPA or TOA has been analyzed at three values of pH (5, 7, and 9). Regardless of the solvent ...
Autori: Lenuţa Kloetzer
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27111

Waste frying oil (WFO) is a complex and heterogeneous waste collected mainly from restaurants and, to a lesser extent, from food processors and households. In the last decades, interest for this waste has deeply grown and a strong competition in grabbing this raw material has begun. About 90% of WFOs collected in Europe is recycled for biodiesel production, being the high free fatty acids (FFAs) concentration in WFOs one of the main drawback limiting the yield of the conversion process. In th...
Autori: Cinzia Pezzella
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27130

Equilibrium and kinetics of biosorption of lead(II) from aqueous solutions by local low-cost agricultural by-products – peanut hulls, soybean shells and grapefruit peels were compared to develop high-efficient and low-cost biosorbents for removal of lead(II) from wastewater. Batch kinetics showed adsorption equilibrium at about 90 min and the adsorption process for the three biosorbents was better represented by the pseudo-second-order model than the pseudo-first-order model. Batch equilib...
Autori: Rui Yu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27176

Safe utilization of fly ash (FA) and reclamation of sodic soils are important environmental problems. In this study a field experiment was carried out with Vigna radiata L. crop using fly ash (FA) and phosphogypsum (PGY) as amendments in sodic soil during 2011 at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. V. radiata L. was sown in sodic soil amended with press mud (10 t ha-1) considered as control. Besides, 10 and 20 t ha-1 doses of FA and PGY were considered as other four treatments, respectively. The grow...
Autori: Kripal Singh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27180

Hesperaloe funifera was studied as a new raw material for paper manufacturing and lignin recovery. An experimental design was carried out to improve the quality of the obtained pulp varying the process temperature (155, 170 and 185 ºC), time reaction (20, 40 and 60 minutes) and soda concentration (5, 10 and 15 %). All experiments were carried out with 1% anthraquinone. Lignin content, holocellulose content, α-cellulose, viscosity, Kappa number and drainability were determined in the d...
Autori: MŞ Ángeles de Andrés
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27185

In this study, S-TE pretreated mariculture organic waste (MOW) was used as substrate. Acid, alkaline, S-TE, sterilization and microwave pretreated waste sludge was used as inoculation respectively. The highest hydrogen yield of 22.02 ml H2/g COD (chemical oxygen demand) was obtained from MOW with sterilization pretreated inoculation at mesophilic conditions in batch reactors. The impacts of different pretreatments on the changes of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), protein, carbohydrate, pH...
Autori: Liang Guo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27193

Intensive cereal crops planted on soils from the Western part of Romania determine, annually, significant losses of essential microelements and macronutrients for plant development from the agricultural soil, which lead to the depletion of such lands. Fly ash (FA) resulted from coal combustion at the CET Timisoara power plant, can be used as supplement to an organic fertilizer, such as manure (M) to restore the balance of micro- and macronutrients, important to obtain healthy cereal crops and hi...
Autori: Smaranda Masu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27208

In this study, the oleaginous yeasts cultured in tomato waste hydrolysates (TWH) to produce microbial lipids that offer a suitable alternative to vegetable oils as feedstock for the biodiesel synthesis. The TWH were prepared by acid hydrolysis (2.5% H2SO4). To obtain higher growth rates, as well as higher lipid contents, Lipomyces starkeyi were cultured under original nitrogen content (TWHON), lower nitrogen content (TWHLN), attained by alkaline precipitation of TWHON followed by centrifugation ...
Autori: Abu Yousuf
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27226

Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered one of the most popular grain crops in China. Among various agricultural technologies, soil mulching is the one that is used more and more in recent years. Mulches influence the soil temperature, retard the loss of soil water, and limit the growth of weeds; and these are important factors in the production of maize. A two-year field experiment was carried out at Shanghai, in southeast of China, in order to evaluate the effects of water hyacinth residues as mulch...
Autori: Dayong Xu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27229

In this study, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor at the mesophilic temperature (38ºC) was successfully used for the treatment of petroleum refinery effluents. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for the design and analysis of experiments to predict the behavior of the initial COD and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the bioreactor. A statistical analysis indicated that the models adequately represented the experimental data. At the optimal conditions, the ...
Autori: Seyed Omid Rastegar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27233

Reuse of grey water is an attractive option when available water supplies are limited, and can reduce demand on water supplies and provide additional water resource. This comparative research was conducted to assess the suitability and effects of reusing grey water, treated and untreated, as irrigation water for vegetables, compared with tap water. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants were selected as examples. The collected grey water samples were treated ...
Autori: Jehad Y. Al-Zou by
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27254

According to literature, aggregate stability of soils is influenced by: particle size and soil texture, soil structure, content of Ca2+ and Mg2+, mineral clay type, soil content of organic matter, soil processing degree. This paper aims to investigate the influence of some physical, microbiological and chemical properties of saline soil concerning water-stable aggregate. The hydro system stability of the aggregates appears in the specialized studies as having a positive correlation with microorg...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27300

Climate and environmental conditions primarily affect the yield and quality of agricultural products. Turkey’s environment shows different characteristics between regions because of the position of the Turkey in the World. In the agricultural product industry, different techniques are used to measure the physical properties (diameter) of the agricultural products to determine the effect of the climatic difference between regions on the quality of goods. Many factors affect the classificati...
Autori: Metin Dağtekin
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27308

The utilization of agro-industrial waste as a potential substrate for producing enzymes may serve a dual purpose of reducing the environmental pollution along with producing a high value commercial product. Twelve different agro-industrial wastes were evaluated for extracellular BGL (β-glucosidase) production by a mutant of Bacillus subtilis on solid state fermentations (SSF). The Citrus sinensis bagasse was found to be the most suitable substrate with highest BGL titer (35 U/gds). Optimum ...
Autori: Ruchi Agrawal
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27378

This study was to optimize the fermentation process for protein enrichment of potato starch residue (PSR) by solid state fermentation with mixed strains. Three single-factor experiments were conducted to optimize the fermentation conditions, and a Plackett-Burman design followed by a central composite design of response surface methodology was investigated to optimize the medium constituents. The optimal fermentation conditions were fermentation temperature 28°C, fermentation period 72 h and...
Autori: Heng Lei
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27380

The anaerobic digestion (AD) of fat-containing waste is often prolonged in time and problematic. Differences in AD performances could rely in a different probability for microorganisms to access the substrate. The aim of this study was to study the AD of waste cooking oil (WCO) with a biophysical approach. Two laboratory experiments were carried out using model systems consisting of WCO + hydration medium (HM) in 100 mL, static, in-batch reactors. In the first experiment, we assumed the WCO to H...
Autori: Francesca Fiume
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27409

Biofuels and biochemicals are currently centre stage in the on-going scientific and political debate. The prevalent opinion is that their use can significantly reduce the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and primary energy demand along their whole value chain. This study aims at evaluating the environmental impact in terms of GHGs related to carbon dioxide (CO2) of secondgeneration sugars (2GSs) production from cardoon residual biomass. Cardoon is a favourable crop in Mediterranean areas for...
Autori: Maria Teresa Petrone
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27413

Improving the awareness of the responsibility of our actions is the basis of achieving the ambitious aim of waste management and prevention established by the European Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/CE and the most recent Circular Economy Package. Circular Economy is connected both to improve manufacturing technologies and also educate people towards responsible consumption and waste reduction. Due to its educational and institutional role, universities provide a context to rethink not on...
Autori: Sara Rizzo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27414

Lignocellulosic residues are relatively recalcitrant to bioconversion during anaerobic digestion (AD) for biogas production. Pre-treatments with cellulolytic enzymes or diluted alkali can facilitate biomass hydrolysis and enhance the process. Both pre-treatments require low energy and chemical inputs, without accumulation of inhibitor. Milled wheat straw was pre-treated with hydrolytic enzymes or with diluted NaOH before AD. The pre-treatments were performed on sterilized, stabilized with formic...
Autori: Ciro Vasmara
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27420

The aim of present study was the effective utilization of waste apple for high yield of ethanol using immobilized cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae S-3S through fed-batch fermentation. Low cost biomaterial was also developed for immobilization. Immobilization was carried out on different inert supports (agar-agar, k-carrageenan, Ca-alginate, sugar cane bagasse and apple bagasse). The results revealed that immobilized cells of S. cerevisiae S-3S gave high yield of ethanol as compared to free c...
Autori: Arifa Tahir
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27425

In the present study, anaerobic treatment of food wastes from restaurants of a fermentation industry and methane gas production yields produced during the treatment were investigated. For this purpose, food wastes with a Total Solid Contents (TS) ratio of 5- 7-10% were digested in a 100l experimental reactor. Batch anaerobic digestion studies were conducted at mesophilic temperatures (36.5 oC) for 30 days and optimum Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) and alkalinity values for methane gas production ...
Autori: Sevgi Fersiz
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27429

The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was used to predict dye (Reactive Blue 19) removal efficiency from aqueous solution using modified pomegranate residual based on 124 experimental sets. Three-layer ANN models with different neurons numbers at a hidden layer were developed. The optimum network yielded a network error of 0.0054 and 0.9606 for mean square error and coefficient of determination, respectively. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis of the network revealed that the adsorbent do...
Autori: Elham Radaei
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27439

The present study deals with the production of biogas from post-harvest wastes of pineapple such as peels, leaves, mixture of peels and leaves with the two different types of inoculum viz., Cow Manure (CM) and Novel microbial Consortia (NC). The results between the two types of inoculum were compared to find out their efficiency. Among the different substrate-inoculum combinations, the biogas production potential was evaluated which resulted that NC was more efficient compared to CM. All assays ...
Autori: Mukesh Kumar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27496

The use of activated carbon as filter media for water has gained research attractions over the years. A comparison study of granular activated carbon (GAC) of extracted palm fruit fibres (EPF), palm kernel shell (PKS) with existing filter material (EFM) commercially produced activated carbon for water filtration has been conducted. Palm kernel shells and extracted palm fruit fibres from palm oil mill wastes were processed to form activated carbon by chemical activation process. Scanning Elect...
Autori: Jamaliah Idris
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27498

Noise is one of the most significant contemporary environmental pollutants. Sources of noise are numerous, but traffic is undoubtedly one of the most prominent. In practice, there is a growing interest in traffic noise protection, but the selection of an adequate solution represents quite a challenge. The purpose of this paper is to suggest an innovative approach to selecting the optimal road noise protection solutions. The theoretical approach for public roads noise protection has been teste...
Autori: Vladimir Lj. Obradovic
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27508

Pot experiments were performed with a barren soil amended with fly ash stabilized municipal sewage sludge to cultivate Brassica chinensis. Accumulation and transformation of heavy metals in the tested soil-plant system were investigated. The results showed that appropriate application of fly ash-sludge mixture could improve the growth of Brassica chinensis. The plants cultivated in F30 treatment, which contained 14% (volumetric) sludge and 6% (volumetric) fly ash, presented the highest yield and...
Autori: Ruilian Yu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27511

This paper describes the preparation and use of a low cost biosorbent made of castor leaves for the extraction of Cu(II) from an aqueous medium. The biosorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface area and pore diameter measurements. The results showed absorption bands of carboxylic and amide groups at 1738 and 1540 cm-1, respectively, and the measured surface area was 1.3728 ± 0.0160 m2 g-1, with predominance of microporous < 10.51 Å. ...
Autori: Milene S. Pereira
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27540

In this study major factors affecting the phenolation process of lignosulfonate (LS) waste liquor (recovered from pulp and paper industry) were optimized in order to improve LS substitution for replacing petroleum-based phenols during phenolic resin manufacturing. Four different parameters, namely phenol/lignosulfonate ratio, time, temperature and lignosulfonate waste liquor concentration, were varied in an experimental program having as response function the reaction yield. Response Surface Met...
Autori: Andrei Ionuţ Simion
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27551

Recently, the studies about vitamin B12 increased due to the high number of people who can develop vitamin B12 deficiency, namely: vegetarians, pregnant women or with vitamin B12 malabsorption. One solution to correct the low nutritional intake of vitamin B12 can be using food supplements or pharmaceuticals, based on the vitamin B12 microencapsulation. In the present research, the vitamin B12 microencapsulation and the controlled release of fresh and 4 months’ storage samples of vitamin B1...
Autori: Ioana C. Carlan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27559

The study provides information about separation and identification of natural bioactive compounds from beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) bark with potential therapeutic applications such as antibacterial activity against human pathogens. Beech is a common material used in the wood industry, but its bark is separated from the wood and is considered a by-product. In this study, natural compounds with biological activity were obtained from beech bark by hot water extraction. The high-performance liquid ch...
Autori: Corneliu Tănase
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27561

On freeways with multiple on-ramps, it is a common practice to design a ramp metering strategy so as to regulate the entering rates from ramps and minimize the disruptions on the mainline. Most of the existing studies examine the performance of ramp metering on mobility and safety, rather than their impacts on the environment. This paper focuses on the estimates of vehicle emissions along mainline freeways under various ramp metering strategies. Vehicle speed and acceleration rates were measured...
Autori: Jianbang Du
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27600

The present work aimed to optimize a new economic medium for biopolymers production by Rhizobium leguminosarum. Biopolymers were poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and exopolysaccharide (EPS and PHB). They were extensively used in various industrial sectors. Statistical experimental designs and Response Surface Methodology were employed to optimize the medium components. A central composite design was applied to increase the production yield and predict the optimal values of the selected factors. An op...
Autori: Mohamed Sellami
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27609

The study of binary biosorption of Pb(II) and Cu(II) was performed by pine nuts shell. Results were compared with the single biosorption of Pb(II) and the single biosorption of the Cu(II). Experiments were performed in batch stirred and in a continuous system. The presence of lead caused a slightly decrease of the copper biosorption yield and can be related to the copper equilibrium uptake. This antagonistic action can be related to competition phenomena between metal ions in solution for active...
Autori: Gabriel Blázquez
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27611

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are very hazardous compounds. This investigation is the third in a series of three experiments carried out in conventional wastewater treatment plants with regard to PAHs. The first experiment regarded the analysis of PAHs in a municipal wastewater sewage system and in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, followed by a comparison between the observed removal efficiency and FATE model (US-EPA) predictions. The second experiment was carried out in...
Autori: Vincenzo Torretta
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27629

The growth of a non-axenic Phormidium bigranulatum-dominated mat was tested under a range of chemical parameters and types of substrate. Total biomass yield (in term of mg chlorophyll a) of mats grown on muslin cloth (0.64 mg) and cotton mesh (0.62 mg) were significantly higher than those on other substrates, such as, nylon net (0.50 mg), sands of river Sone (0.43 mg) and river Ganga (0.30 mg), rice husk (0.38 mg) and saw dust (0.21 mg). The Phormidium mat would be easy to handle in bioremdation...
Autori: Dhananjay Kumar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27635

Pyrometallurgical recycling of lead from spent batteries entails secondary waste fractions generated in the blast furnace as iron stone and lead slags. For further purification of both fractions, hydrometallurgic processing is proposed. This paper focuses on purification of iron stone, in view of recovering metals (mainly lead) and of producing decontaminated iron stone fit for further recycling. The results demonstrate that iron stone is mainly composed of iron and lead; copper, zinc and antimo...
Autori: Bart Van der Bruggen
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27642

Five indigenous soil microbes were isolated from chickpea rhizosphere soils of different location of Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Azamgarh district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The microbial strains were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa BHUPSB01, Pseudomonas putida BHUPSB04, Bacillus megaterium BHUPSB14, Paenibacillus polymyxa BHUPSB16 and Mesorhizobium sp. BHURC05 by biochemical and molecular characterization. The isolated strains were tested for their plant growth promoting properties....
Autori: Jay Prakash Verma
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27654

Magnesium wastes are among the gradually ascending and therefore challenging metal wastes, which are produced by many industrial activities. The purpose of this study is the usage of magnesium waste, a raw material in magnesium borate production by hydrothermal synthesis. Boron sources (boric acid (H3BO3) and boron oxide (B2O3)) react with magnesium wastes in order to synthesize the magnesium borate mineral of admontite (MgO(B2O3)3ꞏ7(H2O)). In addition to the synthesis from waste magne...
Autori: Azmi Seyhun Kipcak
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27657

One of the main causes of global climate change is deforestation. Wood is largely used in construction, furniture, and pulp and paper industries, which consume hundred of millions of cubic meter of wood year by year. Forest surfaces decrease rapidly at global level and this reality is of crucial importance for world global ecological footprint. Shortage of pulpwood for paper industry became a great challenge and, for this reason, other raw materials must be taken into consideration. Recovered pa...
Autori: Ana Maria Cheșcă
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27703

Salt tolerance was studied in eight upland cotton cultivars (CIM-446, CIM-473, CIM-496, CIM-499, CIM-506, CIM-554, CIM-707 and SLH-284) under four NaCl salinity concentrations (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) and control. Significant (p≤0.01) variations were observed among cultivars, salinity concentrations, and cultivar by salinity interactions for various growth traits and ions (K+ and Na+) accumulation in dry shoot and root tissues. As compared to control, the growth variables were decreased by i...
Autori: Zarina Bibi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27778

Debris from deciduous trees in the form of park green waste was investigated as a potential biosorbent for the removal of chlorinated solvents from water. The sorption properties of beech leaves and cupules, oak leaves and acorns, birch leaves and lime leaves (all tree species common for a moderate climate) in a non-modified form were investigated with regard to the removal of perchloroethylene, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1,1,2-tetrachlorothane. The preliminary results showed that these biosorb...
Autori: Marek Tobiszewski
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27760

Large amounts of spent coffee grounds (SCG) are currently available all over the world due to the enormous increase in coffee consumption. This increase has in turn to be related to the even greater diffusion of coffee vending machines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomethanation potential (BMP) of SCG alone or in co-digestion with pig slurry (PS). Pig slurry was chosen because it is frequently utilized as feedstock for biogas production from agricultural waste. The raw material was...
Autori: Ciro Vasmara
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27794

Activated sludge (AS) is the mainly used biological process in water treatment; therefore, assessing the influence of various operating conditions on this process is relevant. This study aimed to evaluate at laboratory-scale the influence of the gas-to-liquid volume ratio (RG/L) and the stirring speed (SS) on the biodegradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) by activated sludge. For this purpose, a central composite design (CCD) was used in association with response surface methodology (RSM). Batch cult...
Autori: Samer Semrany
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27869

The paper reveals original findings in agrobiodiversity, as part of the global biodiversity puzzle. The Grey Steppe cattle are endangered to extinction and are part of a genetic preservation program in Romania. The research approached the productive performance, the genetic determinism of milk production traits, studied on a Grey Steppe breed population nucleus of 30 individuals, throughout 4 productive cycles. The average milk yield in all 4 consecutive lactations reached 1858 kg per capita, wh...
Autori: Vasile Maciuc
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27859

This study emphasis the hydrogen fermentation from de-oiled Jatropha waste (DJW), a secondary and promising waste from biodiesel industry via influence of various combination of heat pretreatment using sewage sludge as inoculum. Batch experiments were carried out at a DJW concentration of 50 g/L, temperature of 55oC and an initial cultivation pH of 7. The peak hydrogen production rate and hydrogen yield of 16.3 mmol H2/L-d and 1.10 mmol H2/g volatile solids (VS), respectively, were obtained ...
Autori: Gopalakrishnan Kumar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27874

Sand contamination is an important factor when assessing the health hazard potential of public beaches. The goals of this study are to assess the performance of four sand washing procedures on the removal of surface adsorbed chemical species, and to identify which chemical components are best suited for monitoring the health quality of beach sand. Four washing treatments were investigated: contact, stirring, sonication, and boiling. Sand samples were collected from three Portuguese beaches an...
Autori: Mário Dias Almeida
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27890

The intrinsic safety type of protection significantly increased in complexity during the last decades. Thus, it even provides the opportunity to use highly complex electronic circuits without involving a significant explosion risk within the oil industry or in power plants, but not limited to those two. In order to achieve this performance, the type of protection is based on three pillars: limiting of energy, heat and also fault tolerance. The potential failure of components, connections, and...
Autori: Marius Darie
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27950

This paper analyzes the fundamental principles of the substitution of strip coal pillars with coal refuse through the combination of theoretical analysis, physical simulation and numerical calculation with engineering practice. We propose to lay out roadways through strip coal pillars in a reasonable manner so as to produce a “coal-rock bearing mass” consisting of stowboards (i.e., roadways backfilled with coal refuse) and coal pillars that substitute the original strip coal pilla...
Autori: Qiang-ling Yao
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28014

The release of metals from many industrial processes into aquatic ecosystems is currently a major environmental threat, especially in developing and emerging countries. Most traditional treatment approaches are not efficient in terms of removal yield and cost. Plants have the ability to stabilize metals in a fast and cost-efficient way. In this context, aquatic plants are successfully applied for remediation of hazardous elements from industrial wastewater. This study demonstrates the capabil...
Autori: Hosam M. Saleh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28020

Extracts of Bifurcaria bifurcata seaweed were obtained by diverse conditions. Different extraction techniques, such as hydrothermal and ultrasounds, and three different solvents (water, ethanol and water/ethanol (50:50)) depending on technique were used. Moreover, supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) with 10% of ethanol as co-solvent using different extraction times (30, 45 and 60 min) was also used as extraction technique. Extraction yield, phenolic content and antioxidant activity were measured for e...
Autori: Rubén Agregán
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28039

The article describes a pilot study on a wastewater treatment plant operating a biogas plant (2.793 MW). The authors of the experiment used organic waste material, including: chicken fat with feathers (FF), molasses (M), glycerol (GL), raw sewage sludge (SS) and digested sewage sludge as an inoculum. The parameters of raw and digested sludge were compared, e.g. changes in the concentrations of ammonium nitrogen (N-NH4+), alkalinities, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and light metal ions. Potenti...
Autori: Agnieszka A. Pilarska
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28064

Wastewater for irrigating tree crops may act both as water and mineral nutrients source, offering potential agronomical and environmental advantages. This work investigated the effect of an entire season supply of secondary treated wastewater (STW) on the nutritional and physiological responses of 3 year old apple trees. Trees (Gala /M9) were individually grown on 40-L pots filled with a sandy-loamy soil and drip irrigated with: 1)Tap water (TW) (without any mineral fertilizer inputs); 2) Tap wa...
Autori: Giulio Demetrio Perulli
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28079

Soil salinization is becoming worldwide one of the most serious land degradation issues. Seawater intrusion in upper aquifers is responsible for the largest proportion of salt-affected agricultural lands in coastal areas. In this study, the impact of different irrigation strategies on the salinity of a maize cultivated field located in the coastal plain of Ravenna, Italy, was simulated with the FAO AquaCrop model. Model calibration was supported by comparison with remote-sensed and field collect...
Autori: Marinella Masina
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28088

Aim of the study is to determine Fe, Mn and Cd adsorption in the carbonate-rich clayey soils and to assess their environmental impacts. Soil samples represented a carbonate-rich clayey soil (Isaoren), carbonate-rich soil (Maşuk) and clayey soil (Aşık) was obtained from three different villages in Sanliurfa, southeast of Turkey. Adsorption studies were carried out with batch method. The maximum Fe, Mn and Cd adsorption was found on Isaoren, Maşuk and Aşık soils with ...
Autori: Ayse Dilek Atasoy
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28116

The production of food wastes is a serious issue in developed and developing countries. The biogas production technology is one of the most sustainable methods for treating food wastes. Currently, there is a great need to implement suitable methods to enhance biodegradation and methane production. This study investigated the effect of manure addition and leachate lime-pretreatment on the biogas and methane production from spoilable municipal solid wastes using a hybrid anaerobic-aerobic bioreact...
Autori: Fatemeh Aliasgari
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28123

To produce drinking water, the water treatment plants generate huge quantities of sludge, this sludge is a waste and they are evacuated to the dump. The valuation of these sludge will be benific This study focuses on the development of composite alginates beads and sludge activated chemically by sulphuric acid and thermally for the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions. Two dyes were studied; a basic cationic dye (methylene blue) and an acidic anionic dye (Congo red) to compare the adsorption m...
Autori: Hasna Elmontassir
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28125

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Autori: Muhammad Akram
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28136

The pyrolysis of frying palm oil was studied in continuous stationary process, in a micropilot plant. The main factors affecting the products yields are temperature and residence time. For the studied parameters range (temperature: 475oC - 630oC and residence time: 120 s- 240 s), the gas yield varied between 7.9% (w/w) and 63.3% (w/w), related to feed. Unsaturated hydrocarbon yields (olefins) can reach 24-29% (w/w) related to feed, at the right processing parameters, the main products having goo...
Autori: Ana Maria Sivriu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28162

Growth rate and biomass yield in the case of Arthrospira platensis depend on nutrient availability, temperature and light, which can determine changes in the metabolism and therefore in the biomass composition. The aim of this study is to evaluate the behavior of A. platensis during the growing time in several liquid culture media and their influence on the yield of biomass production. The following culture media have been investigated in this sense: ARS, Zarrouk (Z), modified Zarrouk (MZ), eco...
Autori: Mariana Diaconu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28163

Silk sericin is a water-soluble macromolecular protein obtained from the raw cocoons of silkworm, Bombyx mori. It comprises of about 25% of the total cocoon shell weight and is categorized as a waste by-product in textile and silk industries after the extraction of silk fibers. This study emphasizes on the extraction of sericin from B. mori by a conventional salt alkaline method and characterized their physico-chemical properties, thermal stability, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities. T...
Autori: Inderchand Manjubala
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28213

Release of dyes without performing adequate treatment into the water can lead to environmental risk and serious health problems. The development of effective and economic adsorbent materials for the removal of dyes from industrial wastewaters has gained great consideration in recent years. In the present study, a novel bio-based nanocomposite has been developed for ultrasoundassisted adsorption of malachite green (MG) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized adsorbent consisting of both hydropho...
Autori: Mohsen Nekoeinia
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28232

Nutrients have been considered the main factor affecting microorganisms responsible for methane gas production during anaerobic digestion processes. In this study, the nutritional composition of some fruit wastes; mango (M), watermelon (W), pawpaw (P), their effects on methane gas production, and resulting energy values were assessed. Substrate samples for anaerobic digestion where prepared into various slurry treatments; M, W, P, WM, PW, MP, MWP and CONTROL. Proximate compositions of the subst...
Autori: Ogemdi Chinwendu Anika
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28233

Healthcare wastes are produced from all medical and therapeutic activities in hospitals and healthcare centres. Around 15-20% of these wastes are classified as infectious wastes that could be hazardous. Therefore, an effective approach is required for handling costs and environmental issues. In this paper, a bi-objective Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model is presented for logistics of infectious and non-infectious wastes. The proposed bi-objective model aims to minimize network costs ...
Autori: Mohammad Nikzamir
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28314

A significant reduction in nitrogen (N) losses from agricultural fields will make a positive impact on the environment. Managing nitrogen for the optimum application provides economic benefits as well as environmental protection. This study presents a model that was developed to determine the optimum ratio of N to yield based on N sensor indices in winter wheat. A quadratic polynomial model was used to characterize the relationship between N and yield for the optimum N rate. The N was applied t...
Autori: Uğur Yegül
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28317