Eco-friendly smart hydrogels for soil conditioning and sustain release fertilizer

In the agricultural industry, biomass waste generated along with the production of food, is transformed into value-added products. Also, the demand for the slow or control release fertilizer is increasing to reduce the cost of maintaining the agricultural land. These issues are tackled by converting biomass waste to a slow fertilizer release vehicle and biodegradable water retention material that could reduce the cost for fertilizer application and simultaneously preserved the soil from dryness. A series of carboxymethyl sago pulp (CMSP) hydrogels were prepared by electron beam irradiation. Slow release systems were evaluated by loading potassium nitrate (KNO₃) and ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) into the CMSP hydrogels. These CMSP hydrogels endow slow release property, biodegradability and a soil moisture preservation property that could find greener application in agricultural industries. The results indicate that CMSP hydrogels have a great potential as an agent for slow release of fertilizers.     

Missing basics: a study on sanitation and women’s health in urban slums in Lucknow,India

GeoJournal - Sanitation is a multidimensional concept alluding primarily to provision of services for safe disposal of human excreta, provision of clean potable water as well as maintenance of...     

Mesoscale surface circulation and variability of Southern Indian Ocean derived by combining satellite altimetry and drifter observations

High resoultion Eulerian mean velocity field has been derived by combining the satellite tracked surface drifter data with satellite altimetry and ocean surface winds. The drifter data used in this study includes Argos and surface drifter data from Global Drifter Program. Maps of Sea Level Anomaly(MSLA) weekly files with a resolution of(1/3)° in both Latitude and Longitude for the period 1993–2012 have been used. The Ekman current is computed using ocean surface mean wind fields from scatterometers onboard ERS 1/2,Quikscat and ASCAT. The derived mean velocity field exhibits the broad flow of Antarctic Circumpolar Current with speeds up to 0.6 m/s.Anomalous field is quite significant in the western part between 20° and 40°E and in the eastern part between 80°E and 100°E with velocity anomaly up to 0.3 m/s. The estimated mean flow pattern well agrees with the dynamic topography derived from in-situ observations. Also,the derived velocity field is consistent with the in-situ ADCP current measurements. Eddy kinetic energy illustrates an increasing trend during 1993–2008 and is in phase coherence with the Southern Annular Mode by three month lag. Periodic modulations are found in the eddy kinetic energy due the low frequency Antarctic Circumpolar Wave propagation.     

Risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the West Port semi-enclosed basin (Malaysia)

Sediment samples collected from the West Port, the west coastal waters of Malaysia, were analyzed by standard methods to determine the degree of hydrocarbon contamination and identify the sources of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Concentrations of PAHs in the port sediments ranged from 100.3 to 3,446.9 μg/kg dw. The highest concentrations were observed in stations close to the coastline, locations affected by intensive shipping activities and industrial input. These were dominated by high-molecular-weight PAHs (4–6 rings). Source identification showed that PAHs originated mostly pyrogenically, from the combustion of fossil fuels, grass, wood, and coal or from petroleum combustion. Regarding ecological risk estimation, only station 7 was moderately polluted, the rest of the stations suffered rare or slight adverse biological effects with PAH exposure in surface sediment, suggesting that PAHs are not considered as contaminants of concern in the West Port.     

Detection of chromite bearing mineralized zones in Abdasht ophiolite complex using ASTER and ETM+ remote sensing data

Podiform chromite ore deposits in ultramafic parts of ophiolite rock complexes can be detected using remote sensing data. This study focuses on the discrimination of chromite bearing mineralized zones using Landsat TM and Advance Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite data in Abdasht ophiolite complex, south of Iran. Several image processing methods, including Log residual, Decorellation Stretch, Band ratio and Mixture-Tuned Matched-Filtering (MTMF) have been evaluated for lithological mapping using Landsat ETM and ASTER data. The outcome showed that TIR band ratios of ASTER can discriminate quartzite, carbonate and mafic–ultramafic rocks in the ophiolite complex. Log residual, Decorollation Stretch and MTMF methods were more capable than previous published ASTER methods specifically for lithological mapping at a regional scale. New geological map of Abdasht region was produced based on the interpretation of ASTER image processing results and field verification. Consequently, the proposed methods demonstrated the ability of ASTER and Landsat ETM data to provide information for detecting chromite host rock (serpentinized dunites) that is valuable for chromite prospecting in study area. Additionally, the techniques used in this study are subtle for exploration geologist and mine engineering to identify high-potential chromite-bearing zones in the ophiolite complex, minimizing costly and time-consuming field works.     

Gondwana-Derived Terranes Structural Mapping Using PALSAR Remote Sensing Data

Gondwana-derived terranes are now separated by major faults or suture zone, which are rarely simple and easily recognizable lineaments. Different association of ore mineral systems such as deposits of sediment-hosted/orogenic gold and granite-related minerals is discovered in collision and subduction zones of the Gondwana-derived terranes. They are associated with large-scale, terrane-bounding fault systems and broad areas of deformation. Mineralization mostly associated with structurally-controlled complex lodes, veins, sheeted veins and veinlets in diverse orientations. Recognizing the structural significance of lineaments and curvilinear is very difficult in tropical, arid and Antarctic regions due to environmental obstacles. Remote sensing data could be used to detect geological structures associated with suture zones between Gondwana-derived terranes especially for large inaccessible regions where fieldwork is limited or nonexistent. In this investigation, the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) satellite remote sensing data were used to map major geological structures in the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the major structural zones in Sundaland, Southeast Asia, which forms the boundary between the Gondwana-derived the Sibumasu terrane and Sukhothai-Indochina arc. Structural features associated with sediment-hosted/orogenic gold deposits in the Central Gold Belt and tin mineralization in S-type granites in the Main Range were investigated using PALSAR data and comprehensive fieldwork. Results indicate that main faults strike along 340° to 350° that are intersected by many shear or lateral fault zones are high potential zone for gold mineralization in the Central Gold Belt. Hydrothermally alteration mineral zones and cataclastic rocks are also the other indicators of gold mineralized veins in the gold belt. High potential zones for tin mineralization are N–S strike-slip faults, fault zones and shear zones trending E–W, NE–SW and WNW–ESE in dissected crystalline granitic rocks that are associated with hydrothermal alteration zones in the Western Tin Belt. Lineament analysis using PALSAR satellite remote sensing data is a useful tool for mapping major geological structural features and detection of the boundary between the Gondwana-derived terranes and detailed structural analysis of fault systems and deformation with high potential for a variety of mineral resources, especially in tropical, arid and Antarctic regions.     

Assessing the bioaugmentation potentials of individual isolates from landfill on metal-polluted soil

Heavy metals from leachate are persistent pollutants in soil, especially when landfills lack liners and basic structural system that prevents overflow of leachate beyond restricted areas. It is not ideal to rely only on physical and chemical options for the reclamation/restoration of such contaminated soil. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt bioremediation through the enhancement of microbial potentials. The present study investigated the use of individual isolates for the remediation of soil contaminated by leachate-metals. This is a way to understand the discrete potentials of the gram-positive bacteria species. Environmental isolates taken from contaminated soil were used to remedy soil characterized with various concentrations of metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn). Treatments A, B, and C amended with Bacillus sp., Lysinibacillus sp., and Rhodococcus sp., respectively, demonstrated better metal reduction potentials than the control experiment (Treatment D; zero microbial amendment) that depended solely on natural attenuation. With the exception of Ni, the degree of reduction of other metals was less than 50% for all treatments. This study suggests that such result reflects the potential ability of the microbes to metabolize selectively in the presence of metal pollution. However, it is difficult for the individual microbes to attain higher metal reduction efficiency (above 50%) except when blended in the appropriate formulation.