Journal of Global Ecology and Environment
Not a member yet
468 research outputs found
Sort by
BIOREMEDIATION OF ARSENIC USING CUCURBITS
No full textMetal pollution has always been a global concern. Arsenic (As) is one of highly toxic metals that threatens million lives worldwide. The present study explores the potential of two cucurbits, Luffa cylindrica M. Roem. and Coccinia indica Wight & Arn. for phytoremediation of arsenic from contaminated water. Arsenic contaminated water with 100 ppb As concentration was treated with different amount of dried fruit biomass of Luffa cylindrica and Coccinia indica. Concentration of As was decreased by 45% after treating 8 g Luffa cylindrica. The As absorption capacity of Luffa cylindrica was found to be higher than Coccinia indica. The work discusses the spontaneous As retention capacity of Luffa cylindrica, which can be good alternative for As remediation for economically underdeveloped rural areas
APPLICATION OF PLANTS IN CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS IN SRI LANKA - A MINI-REVIEW
No full textGreen technologies are extensively applied in many countries for treatment of wastewater in the world. Constructed Wetland (CW) technology is one such greener wastewater treatment technology practiced in worldwide over many decades. Though this technology seemed to be comparatively novel technology in Sri Lanka in scientific literature, there are ample of historical evidences for application of plant based comparatively similar technologies for remediation of contaminated water in ancient times. Whilst no sound written document comprising of a list of plant species applied for CWs in Sri Lanka is yet available. Therefore the primary aim of this paper was to prepare a list of plant species that have been used in Constructed Wetlands in Sri Lanka. Further, this list intends to provide researchers with an overview of potential plants at a sight when selecting plant species for future research on CW. Collected literature was subjected to critical desktop review when preparing this paper. According to this reviewed published and unpublished literature more or less fifty plant species had been used in CWs in Sri Lanka since early civilization. Moreover approximately thirty studies have been conducted on CW in Sri Lanka. However in spite the fact that the scant of research on CWs in Sri Lanka, this paper suggests that the researchers should focus more on locally available plant species with high nutrient removal efficiencies when selecting plants for their research on CW. Further local plant species should be incorporated to novel scientific concepts such as integrated floating wetlands, green roofs, urban ecosystems etc
LIANA GROWTH, MORTALITY AND RECRUITMENT IN FOUR INLAND TROPICAL DRY EVERGREEN FOREST SITES OF PENINSULAR INDIA
No full textLiana diversity re- inventoried after decade for assessing their growth, mortality and recruitment rates in four inland tropical dry evergreen forest sites, on the Coromandel Coast of south India, were investigated between 2003-2013. Four 1-ha permanent plots (100 m x 100 m) were established in four tropical dry evergreen forest sites - Araiyapatti (AP), Karisakkadu (KR), Maramadakki (MM) and Shanmuganathapuram (SP). All lianas ≥1 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were measured at 1.3 m from the ground level. The initial inventory in 2003 yielded 35 species, whereas in 2013 a total of 37 species were recorded. Among the four studied sites, liana species richness increased by 4.6% (1 species) and 11.2% (3 species) in sites MM and SP respectively, but in sites AP and KR no change in total number of species in ten-year interval. Liana density increased in all the study sites in ten-year interval by 210, 211, 164 and 162 stems in sites AP, KR, MM and SP respectively. The mean growth rate of lianas (≥ 1 cm dbh) in four tropical dry evergreen forest sites ranged from 0.37 cm yr-1 in site KR to 0.58 cm yr-1 in site SP. The mortality rate was 3.2 and 7.1% yr-1 in highly disturbed sites SP and AP respectively, while the moderately disturbed sites showed 7.5% yr-1in site KR and 1.6% yr-1 in site MM. High recruitment rate was recorded in less disturbed sites KR (36.6% yr-1) and MM (24.4% yr-1). This result revealed forest degradation, so strengthening of conservation activities with involvement of local community
EFFECT OF WAVELET-BASED DE-NOISING METHOD ON CHANGE POINT DETECTION PROCESS IN HYDROLOGICAL TIME SERIES
No full textThe amount of de-noising method effect upon change point detection process of hydrological time series was studied. Two different stations were studied; first case study was Vanyar station in Iran that the annual average of precipitation, stream flow, temperature and moisture time series of this station were used in this paper, and another case study was Tifton station in the United States of America that the annual average of precipitation, stream flow and NO3 concentration time series of it were studied. Data was considered as two types, at first the natural – noisy – form of them was there forestudied data was modified and reformed – de-noised – form of them was studied again. Wavelet-based de-noising method was used to make de-noised time-series data. Since both stations have had a known change during 30 recent years, no significant effect of this change has been identified in phenomenon time series and the differences have been cancelled out during the comparison through classic change point detection methods. The change point detection process shows a significant difference before and after of de-noising. The change point detection is strictly improved through applied wavelet-based de-noising on hydrological time series. The detected points of noisy data have variancewhile the results present that the detected points of de-noised data are more reliable. A comparison of applied methods shows that de-noising is most effective on the Wilcoxon sum rank test, Pettit test, two-phase regression test, and standard normal homogeneity test, respectively
EVALUATION OF AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WITH SARCODINA AND CILIATED PROTOZOAN COMMUNITIES IN THE YONGJIANG RIVER, CHINA
No full textIn order to prived a reference for the ecological study on medium and small size rivers of the world, this paper aimed at supplement the community structure information of aquatic protozoa and assessment on aquatic environmental health of the Yongjiang River. The structures characteristics and the seasonal changes of sarcodina and ciliated protozoan community were investigated and analyzed at 13 sampling sections. The results showed that there were 21 sarcodina species and 64 ciliate species and the different among the protozoan species at sampling sections were obvious. The maximum diversity index H\u27 of sarcodina and ciliated community were less than 2.3. The community similarity among different sections was lower. Community pollution values of protozoan community were between 2.131 to 2.238. It displayed that the Yongjiang River was polluted heavily. Rebundancy analysis showed that environmental factors could promote the abundance of sarcodina and ciliated protozoan. The water quality evaluated by protozoan biological index was in accord with the results from former studies by using other aquatic biological indicators
THE IMPACTS OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR ON THE ECONOMICS OF THE MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN LAGOS STATE: AN OVERVIEW OF ITS INCOME GENERATION POTENTIALS FOR THE VULNERABLE URBAN POOR IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
No full textThe dustbin economy is prevalent in most major cities of the developing countries especially in Lagos State Nigeria, where the urban poor partake in informal economic activities of waste materials to earn a living. This study arises out of the need to explore linkages between the informal sector activities in waste management and its economic potentials of providing avenues of income and employment opportunities for the vulnerable urban poor in the developing countries. Although the traditional function of the municipal waste management is to collect, treat and dispose of waste in an environmentally efficient manner, MSW has been rediscovered from a resource management perspective. This makes it economically imperative for the participation of the informal sector in the municipal waste management to maximize its resource potentials for economic benefits and environmental protection. This study undertakes a primary field survey of the informal sector scavenging activities at two landfill sites in Lagos State “Olushosun and solouous” and found that Scavengers are specialized in different types of waste items which they recover and recycle for sale. The result also reveals that informal sector provides opportunities of informal employment and avenues of income or supplemental income for scavengers in the dustbin economy to support and sustain their family
A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING SEA LEVEL RISE EFFECTS ON A MARINE TURTLE NESTING BEACH: A CASE STUDY AT MAYTO, JALISCO, MEXICO
No full textClimate change is a major threat to already endangered sea turtle populations. The effects that aspects of climate change, such as sea level rise and increased storm intensity and frequency, could have on currently undeveloped and not yet studied sea turtle nesting rookeries are unclear. Mayto Beach in Jalisco, Mexico is one such rookery, and this study aimed to provide data that will help beach managers understand potential climate change effects on this beach. We measured slope profiles on part of Mayto Beach at various time steps from 2014-2015 to quantify changes in beach slope. Six transects were established about 50 m apart, and slope angles were taken every 5 m, starting from permanent landmarks at the vegetation line going perpendicular to the low tide line. The study area underwent significant changes in slope over the year (t=2.72, P=.04) and lost about 21% of its area. The result was a steeper, thinner beach. Daily and weekly sampling time steps gave different results from annual readings, likely because of monthly tidal flux. Expanding the study area to include more transects along the 12 km beach and profiling slopes every three months is recommended. Construction setback regulations and community support to enforce those rules are needed. This study provides a baseline beach profile and natural erosion and accretion rates, and will help sea turtle conservationists and beach managers proactively plan to protect nesting habitat from the impacts of sea level rise before coastal development occurs. Further, the methods used here are low cost, simple, and replicable anywhere in the world
A NOVEL METHOD FOR PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF SURFACE WATER TREATMENT PLANT: MCDM APPROACH
No full textThe twenty first century has revealed a number of the foremost important demographical and technological developments in history, presenting several distinctive challenges to policy makers. Water purification technologies have created extensive strides within the past decade because of the implementation of membrane systems and also the water distribution systems are improved to get higher levels of efficiency. Water system and its access continue to present a big challenge for civic and municipal governing entities. Though the amount of investment in analysis and implementation has accrued within the past decade, the size must be larger so as to fulfill the increase in demand. This study summarizes a number of the ways in which decision-making are often administrated by considering prices and edges of various approaches. It attempts to judge performance parameters of water treatment plant by victimization of one multi-criteria decision making method and making a system of ranking for competitive parameters. This study will be supported survey information and can ride the decision-making frameworks that have shown extensive success in a various fields. It also reviews the state of the global water challenge and highlight rooms for improvement in water distribution mechanisms
THE EFFECT OF THE HYDRAULIC RETENTION TIME AND TEMPERATURE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF UP-FLOW ANAEROBIC FILTER REACTOR TREATING LOW STRENGTH RURAL DOMESTIC SEWAGE
No full textImproper management of domestic sewage discharged by big cities and rural communities contains organic matter and nutrients substrates that may negatively interfere and affects lakes and streams by accelerating eutrophication process which in turns affect water quality of freshwater bodies. Application of up-flow anaerobic filter (UAF) reactor for the treatment of rural domestic sewage nowadays is extensively documented as efficient and cost-effective process reactor and importantly for organic matter and nutrients removal. This paper focuses on the effect of the hydraulic retention time and temperature on the performance of up-flow anaerobic filter reactor treating low strength rural domestic sewage. The influent was collected from a sewage manhole at the Taihu Lake Environmental Engineering Research Center of Southeast University, Wuxi, China. Two rounds of experimental operations were conducted in a laboratory scale. The UAF reactor systems composed of two columns made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), with a total capacity of 200 L and both of them were typically operated as an anaerobic column. The UAF reactors were connected in a series with an internal diameter of 0.2 m and a height of 2 m. The columns were filled with non-woven fabric filter material of length 2.5 m, width of 50 mm, surface area of 150 m2/m3, porosity of 97% and an effective volume of 90 L for each column. In the course of the experimental operations, the effect of hydraulic retention time (1, 2, 3 and 4 days) and temperature (31.6, 32.95, 33.7, 16.4, 14.8 and 10.2℃) on organic and nutrients removal were experimented and analyzed. The pH value was maintain between 7.2 – 7.5. Accordingly, the optimum hydraulic retention time (HRT) and temperature observed in UAF was three days and 33.7℃with the maximum average chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) removal of 91% and 65% respectively. The results of the experiments revealed high performance when the reactor’s HRT and temperature increases. The study concludes that, the UAF treatment of various biomass substrates from the low strength rural domestic sewage gives a number of advantages for management of wastewaters and prevention of water pollution
UNDERSTANDING THE PLANNING AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN SELECTED IJAW MIGRANT FISHER FOLKS CAMPS
No full textMigration is a common socio-economic activity in the lifestyle of artisanal fisher folks of the Ijaw ethnic extraction of Nigeria. The Ijaws are one of 10 prominent migrant fishing tribes in the West African sub-region and the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria. They migrate to different locations along the inshore rivers and coastline of Nigeria and republic of Cameroons. The goal of the study is to ascertain the planning and settlement patterns in migrant fisher folks base camps in select areas of Bayelsa State, Nigeria and Bakassi in the Republic of Cameroon. The objectives of the study are to: establish the reason for the setting up of fisher folk base camps in the selected locations; examine the nature and types of the existing fisher folk base camps; identify the factors that influence the migration of fisher folks; and assess the effects of the migration pattern on the fisher folk base camp growth pattern. The study employed the multi-staged sampling strategy by listing seventy-four (74) fisher folk camps along the shoreline of Bayelsa State, Nigeria and Bakassi in the Republic of Cameroon. Eight (8) fisher folks camps were purposively selected to form the sample frame. Sample size of 150 was based on stratified sampling technique to select the respondents drawn from headmen, deputy headmen and heads of households in the camps. The study found out that buying and selling of fish and proximity to kin are some of the reasons of establishing the camps. Dwellings are single and multi-home steads. Inclusive planning of these fisher folk camps, provision of social infrastructures and proper settlement planning were recommended for both Nigeria and Cameroon