Dissolved EPS Wastes as Wood Adhesive

Polystyrene foam, also known as Styrofoam or Expandable Polystyrene (EPS), is a derivative of polystyrene, which is a nonbiodegradable plastic. Polystyrene is commonly recognised for its uses, such as insulation packaging, food containers and building material. Disposal of Poly-Styrene Waste (PSW) can be problematic due to its bulky nature and highly mobile properties since EPS, comprises of 98% air and 2% polystyrene.

This dissolution method is one of the cheapest and most efficient processes for EPS waste management. The use of the dissolved EPS as construction material can be considered as a sustainable and environmentally friendly option since these materials do not contain any chlorofluorocarbons as suggested by Ref. and most likely will not contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Unlike natural polymers the EPS has no nutritive value therefore it will not cause any fungal or bacterial growth as well as it poses no harmful threats to plants or animals. One potential application of dissolved polystyrene waste was to use it as wood adhesive which is the main aim of this paper.

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Analysis Of Noise And Air Pollution On Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport

The objective of this study was to analyze the level of noise and air pollution in a designated ecoairport.the parameter of measured : noise level measurement using a sound level meter, carried out in the span of one hour at 5 points, namely on the apron, waiting room-2 departure gate, gate departurelounge-5, arrivals lounge area and basement area.

moreover the indicators of air pollution instrument was measuring the level of air pollution conducted in the laboratory by sulfur dioxide (so2), nitrogendioxide (no2) and carbon monoxide (co). measurements were done in a span of one hour at 7 points namely on the apron, the departure gate lounge area 2, the area of the departure lounge gate 5, the arrival of the southern area, the northern part of the arrival area, basement, ground parking lot area.

results of the analysis of the average measurements showed that the noise level was 72.53 dba, while for the analysis of air pollution level measurement parameters, i.e sulfur dioxide (so2) is 13.748 μg/ nm3, nitrogen dioxide (no2) is 18.650 μg/nm3 and carbon monoxide (co) is 25.942 μg/nm3. based on these results the sultan hasanuddin eco-airpot due to the measured values does not pass the quality standard threshold levels of noise and air pollution levels. however, little improvment in air and noise quality can make it eg-airport.

Facies Study of the Halang Formation Turbidites in Cibalung Area, Cimanggu District, Cilacap Regency, Central Java - Indonesia

Well preserved outcrops of the Late Miocene Early Pliocene turbidites Halang formation exposed around Cibalung area in Central Java. A continuous exposure of the Halang Formation found along Cimindi and Cikawung River are considered highly representative for detailed facies studies (Irawan).

However, it has not been extensively studied, until now.This study focuses on the sedimentation structure, vertical and lateral sedimentary facies association to determine the depositional environment of the Halang formation.

The study area lies on the Bogor Zone which is defined as a 30 km-long anticlinorium stretching in east-west trend. Anticlinorium stretching from West to East. Based on the works from Kastowo and Suwarna, the oldest rock formation that discovered on the western side of North Serayu Range is the Pemali formation.

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An Automatic Deconvolution Method for Modified Gaussian Model using the Exchange Monte Carlo Method: Application to Reflectance Spectra of Synthetic Clinopyroxene

Remote sensing of reflectance spectra of Earth and other planetary bodies can be useful for identifying mineral distribution on their surfaces, especially in remote regions that are exceedingly challenging to perform field-based investigation, and those planetary surfaces yet to have in situ observation, mapping, characterization, sampling, and analyses.

Many different factors, however, can influence the surface spectra, such as various alteration and weathering processes, and observational conditions. Because a reflectance spectrum is a complex non-linear mixture of the above mentioned factors.

It is highly challenging to segregate each factor and extract the true mineral spectra, based solely on remotely observed reflectance spectra, and thus confidence in the resulting signatures should be gained by comparing with the reference spectra obtained by field or laboratory measurements.

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Geological and Archaeological Evidence of El Niño Events along the Coast of El Oro Province Ecuador: Excavations at La Emerenciana a Late

El Niño-Southern Oscillation is a band of anomalously warm ocean water related to changes in oceanic currents and trade winds. El Niño represents a general warming of surface sea temperatures along the Eastern Pacific, and a lessening or reversal of NE trade winds, creating warm humid air and reducing upwelling of cold waters resulting in dramatic perturbations to maritime and terrestrial flora and fauna.

El Niño events are differentiated by intensity and duration, or a combination of both. Particularly extreme or intense events as in 1983/84, or 1997/98 are referred to as Mega El Niño that appear to have their origins 5800 years ago. Such climatic and oceanographic perturbations have dramatic impacts upon human adaptation and sociocultural development. These climatic and oceanographic alterations create a reduction of upwelling cold waters along the west coast of South America.

These climatic changes result in dramatic perturbations to maritime and terrestrial flora and fauna and, consequently, human adaptation. El Niño events are differentiated by their intensity and duration, or a combination of both. Particularly extreme or intense events as in 1983/84, or 1997/98 are referred to as Mega El Niño which appear to have their origins 5800 years ago.

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Leaves of Vallisneria Finds Source to Anti Dermatitis: Enriching Wetland Ecosystem

An integrative ecosystem demands biological interactions which accords for survival values amongst life. The competition between different photoautotroph for resources in water body changes the succession of species which is otherwise an outcome of interactive secondary metabolites in progressive plant populations.

Virtually, various theoretical and experimental citations have been stated decades back on the role of these metabolites not only for synthetic innovations as drug adjuvant but also on natural ecospheres including aquatic macrophyte and their indulged impact on algal bloom and phytoplankton. Field evidences and literature studies confer that all primary producing organisms (cyanobacteria, micro and macro algae as well as angiosperms) are capable of producing and releasing these active compounds.

However, utilizing there in situ exudations in outward pharmaceutical implications is a fascinating aspect and a fetch for Ayurveda sciences Some Indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) and a few chemical perceptions through experimentation lead to various knowledge outsourcing to insight into the medicinal traits of many plants.

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Optimization of pH, Retention Time, Biomass Dosage in Beads and Beads Density on Textile Dye Effluent Bioremediation using Seagrass, Cymodocea rotundata Beads

Most important pollutant in effluent from food processing, cosmetics, paper, dye manufacturing, printing and textile are colour left by dyes. In the middle of these, textile industries consume large volumes of water and chemicals for wet processing of textiles.

The waste from the dying operations in the textile industries may contain dyes of various intense colours, such as dyes having the functional groups of alkene, aromatic, C-N bond, S-O bond of red colour. Some are made by inorganic molecules such as Al-O, Si-O, K-O, N=N bond which responsible for colour development in the effluent. The conventional effluent treatment systems are unable to remove recalcitrant dyes from the effluents.

The removal of dyes from effluents by the physico -chemical means such as membrane filtration advance oxidation, photo catalysis, coagulation and adsorption are often very costly and accumulation of concentrated sludge creates a disposal problem.

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Arsenic Occurrence, Ecotoxicity and its Potential Remediation

Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that is widely distributed in water, soil, air and biota from natural and anthropogenic sources. Exposure to arsenic usually occurs via the ingestion, inhalation and skin contact. Arsenic has been found in drinking water in several countries worldwide which caused a major public health issue.

Cardiovascular, diabetes, and cancers are some of the general health effects that result from exposure to arsenic. There are three main groups of arsenic compounds inorganic, organic and arsine gas. These groups are based on its valence state  Arsenides/arsine gas with -3 oxidation state,Metalloid arsenic with 0 oxidation state, Arsenite trivalent compound with +3 oxidation state, and Arsenate pentavalent with +5 oxidation state.A better understanding of the chemistry of arsenic is needed to identify its toxic properties and its effects on humans and natural environment.

Oxidation states affect many properties of arsenic such as soil adsorption, soil solubility and toxicity to animals. Trivalent arsenic was dominant in the reducing conditions in flooded soils while pentavalent arsenic at oxidizing conditions in drained soils. Inorganic forms of arsenic are highly toxic compared to organic arsenic. Organic arsenic includes methylated metabolites in three forms- monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and trimethylarsine oxide. Inorganic forms of arsenic are trivalent arsenite and pentavalent arsenate.

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Comparison of the Characteristics of Low Velocity Layer (LVL) in the Mangrove Swamp and in the Upper Flood Plain Environments in the Niger Delta, using Seismic Refraction Methods

Seismic exploration involves the generation, detection, analysis and interpretation of elastic waves in the earth to study the sub-surface properties of the earth. A seismic section or profile should represent accurately the configuration of the subsurface. But due to topography and near-surface irregularities and other factors, this is not so. One of the factors is the weathered zone, otherwise called the low velocity layer (LVL) or weathered layer.

This portion of Earth affects and is impacted by various human activities such as building, excavating, tunnelling, storing or accidentally releasing hazardous materials. Moreover many of the planet’s minerals, groundwater, and cultural resources are located in the uppermost subsurface layers.This layer effectively slows down the propagation of seismic waves through the earth and hence increases their travel times.

This can lead to erroneous depth predictions of structures during final interpretation of seismic sections and reflections may appear deeper than they actually are In seismic reflection work, one very important method in eliminating this problem is the application of static corrections. But before static corrections can be determined and applied, the LVL characteristics of velocity, thickness of the LVL and its elevation must be known and thus incorporated into the processing programme of seismic reflection data.

The aims of this research are, therefore, to determine the LVL characteristics of thickness, weathering velocities and the consolidated layer velocities in the Upper Flood Plain and the Mangrove Swamp areas in the Niger Delta, and to make a comparison between these characteristics in the two zones.

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Distribution and Disease Prevalence of Coral Associated Bacteria at Some Impacted Red Sea Reefs

Globally, we are witnessing on of coral reef decline. An important factor contributing to coral decline is the widespread infectious diseases, especially coral reef of the Red Sea. Coral disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that causes organism disfunctions, associated with strange symptoms and signs ICRI / UNEPWCMC, 2010. Disease causation may be result from pathogens, environmental stressors, or a combination of biotic and abiotic factors.

Biotic diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protists and are often species-specific and infectious. While, abiotic diseases result from natural and anthropogenic stressors associated with exposure to pollutants. However, biotic diseases may be associated with environmental threats that trigger the pathogenic process, or increase the rate of disease transmission.

However, Furby et al. reported a strong correlation between the presence of lesion corals and decreased water quality. Other studies suggested a link between snail predators and disease spread such as outbreak of ‘white syndrome’ in Red Sea acroporid corals correlated with an outbreak in the coral livorous snail Drupellacornus. Exposure to Hermodice carunculata (polychaete) infected with the bleaching pathogen Vibrio shiloi has been shown to induce bleaching in the Mediterranean coral Oculina patagonicain laboratory aquaria.

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The reproductive cycle of Mytilus galloprovincialis

The aim of this paper is to contribute as part of the new national strategy “Halieutis” to better understand the mytiliculture potential by studying their reproductive system in the natural environment. We investigated the gametogenesis of a natural population of Mytilus galloprovincialis in a southern zone of Morocco (Imessouane). We found that the population is characterized by an asynchronous gametogenesis.

Mytilus species are important in marine ecology and in environmental quality assessment, yet their molecular biology is poorly understood. The mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) is one of the most important and characteristic benthic invertebrate in southern zone of Morocco. It is a major food source for fish and a potential source for human food. Mussel gonad is located in mantle tissue.

Sex determination is possible (but not certain) only by macroscopic observation of the gonad a white-yellowish gonad is characteristic for male, a red-yellowish gonad for female.Scientist investigated the gametogenesis of a natural population of Mytilus galloprovincialis in a southern zone of Morocco. They found that the population is characterized by an asynchronous gametogenesis.

Absolute Surface Elevations Accuracies Assessment of Different DEMs Using Ground Truth Data Over Kingdom of Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island developing country in the Arabian Gulf. It has a limited capacity to adapt to sea level rise (SLR) and climate change impact. Indeed, SLR and extreme water levels are important manifestations of climate change impacts causing major threats to human beings around the world particularly in low lying coastal zones. Obviously, if SLR accelerates considerably, coastal environments and human populations will be affected significantly.

According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, the global mean sea level has been rising during the last century an average rate of 1.7 ± 0.5 mm/year. By the end of this century, global climate models have predicted a global SLR of between 0.18 and 0.59 m. The low-lying nature of the coastal zones of Bahrain islands, coupled with significant land reclamation investments and extensive industrial, commercial, and residential activity, emphasize the country’s critical vulnerability to SLR.

The global warming, climate change and probable resulting accelerated SLR are among the hardest impacts that fall upon those coastal zones. The major impacts are increased flooding and inundation of low lying areas, shoreline retreat and loss of land. These will produce geomorphological, ecological and socio-economic sever impacts.

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Genetic Diversity And Antioxidant Potential Of Zingiber Montanum

Good quality genomic DNA was extracted from the rhizomes of ten accessions of Cassumunar ginger (Table 1) following the modified CTAB method of Ashraf et al., 2014[12] and PCR amplification reaction was performed in a total volume of 25μl containing 10X PCR buffer, 2mM MgCl2, 0.4mM dNTPs (0.025mM each dNTP), 0.2µM decamer primer (Operon), 0.08U of Taq DNA (New England Biolab) and 25 ng of genomic DNA.

The PCR cycle consisted of an initial denaturation at 94°C for 2 min followed by 45 cycles, each consisting of denaturation at 94°C for 1 min, annealing at 36°C for 1 min and extension at 72°C for 2 min. It was followed by a final extension at 72°C for 10 min. Each RAPD PCR reaction was repeated and observed three times for similar banding pattern.

The PCR products were separated alongside a molecular weight marker (100 bp ladder, Himedia) by 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis in 1X TBE buffer and gels were photographed in a Gel-documentation system (Vilber Lourmat). The amplified DNA fragments were scored as present (1) or absent (0) and used for statistical analyses. Genetic similarities were calculated by Jaccard’s Similarity Coefficient and a dendrogram was constructed by the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean) method using MEGA6.

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A New Approach to Evaluate the Ecological Status of a River by Visual Assessment

Many aquifers in nature loss or gain water through adjacent confining beds of relatively low permeability. However, such leaky aquifers are often only part of multiple-aquifer systems. When water is withdrawn or recharged in one particular aquifer the head distribution in the entire system will be influenced. In such a system several aquifers can be distinguished, each separated from the others by aquitards (semi pervious layers). These aquifers and aquitards together form a single leaky system when recharge or discharge at one place influences the head distribution in all other parts, but is not felt at its boundaries.

In practice, however, the system considered may be restricted by boundaries with a negligible influence during the period of interest. When water is withdrawn from one or more layers of a multiple-aquifer system, the induced drawdown will be dependent on the hydraulic properties of all aquifers and aquitards. Analytical solutions have recently been presented for several types of steady-state flow in systems comprising any number of layers. In an attempt to combine the advantages of an analytical approach with the capability of numerical models to include heterogeneity, Hemker developed a hybrid analytical–numerical solution for transient well flow in vertically heterogeneous aquifers.

The radial components of flow are treated analytically, while the finitedifference technique is used to compute the vertical flow components in the horizontally layered aquifer. The resulting drawdown equations in the Laplace domain also account for the effects of a finite diameter pumped well and wellbore storage. 

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