Concentration Of EC Research Articles

Effect of Substrates and Nutrient Solution Concentrations on Growth and Yield of Cardamom (Amomum testaceum Ridl.) in Soilless Culture

This research aimed to investigate the effects of the substrates and nutrient solutions on the growth and yield of cardamom in soilless culture. The experimental design was 2x3 Factorial in Completely Randomized Design with 5 replications. First factor consisted of coconut coir dust and coconut husk chips and the second factors were 3 nutrient solution concentrations; EC=1.00, 2.00 and 3.00 mS/cm. The experiment was carried out during July to December, 2021. The results showed that cardamom grown using coconut husk chips with nutrient solution concentration of EC= 3.00 mS/cm yielded the highest plant weight (256.00 g/plant) and the highest number of plants (21.30 plant/pot), respectively. For the analysis of interaction effect between substrates and nutrient solution concentrations, it was found that cardamom grown by using chopped coconut husks at EC 3.00 mS/cm gave the highest number of plants (23.60 plants/pot). Therefore, to produce shoots for sale, cardamom should be planted using coconut husk chips at EC 3.00 mS/cm in order to obtain the best cardamom growth and yield.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars physiological, biochemical performance and yield parameters response to acid mine water irrigation and soil physiochemical properties

This paper aimed to analyse the potato cultivar’s response to physiological, biochemical performance, yield parameters and soil physiochemical properties when subjected to quicklime (un)treated acid mine drainage (AMD) irrigation. A randomized design experiment was conducted with five water treatment levels: TW1; TW2; TW3; TW4 to TW5 replicated four times. The results showed that the quicklime treatment increased the pH of the AMD water, reduced the concentration of EC, NO3−, SO42− and ameliorated heavy metals. However, unsafe levels of heavy metals above the maximum permissible (WHO/FAO) levels were found in Pb, Mg and Mo for water (TW4 and TW5), while As, Cd and Cr for soils (ST4 and ST5) respectively. For potato tubers (TT4 and TT5) concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, and Pb were above the maximum levels. Stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content and yield parameters responded positively by increasing significantly on TW4 and TW5 treatments, but negatively (reduced) towards TW2 and TW3 treatments. A higher bioaccumulation factor was obtained for Zn ˃ Cu ˃ Mg ˃ Pb ˃ Mn, which was an indication of the contamination status of soil, with Zn being more concentrated than other metals. The findings indicate that quicklime-treated AMD is usable for potato irrigation with regular monitoring of heavy metal levels and strict observation of water reuse protocols. The use of this large source of ameliorated (AMD) water will go a long way in improving food security in South Africa and/or in countries where agriculture production is around mining areas.

Characteristics and Source Apportionment of Carbonaceous Aerosols in the Typical Urban Areas in Chongqing During Winter

To investigate the characteristics, source apportionment, and potential source areas of carbonaceous aerosols in Chongqing during winter, PM2.5 samples were collected from January 2021 to February 2021 in the urban areas of Wanzhou (WZ), Yubei (YB), and Shuangqiao (SQ). The results showed that the average mass concentrations of PM2.5, OC, and EC in SQ were (72.6 ±33.3), (18.2 ±8.2), and (4.4 ±1.7) μg·m-3, respectively, higher than those in WZ[(67.2 ±30.3), (17.2 ±7.4), and (5.1 ±2.4) μg·m-3] and YB[(63.4 ±25.7), (15.4 ±6.3), and (4.2 ±1.9) μg·m-3]. Compared with that during the clear period, the concentration and fraction of EC in total carbon increased by 103.0% and 8.1%, respectively, in WZ compared to that in other areas during pollution period, whereas the OC/EC ratio was decreased significantly (-10.5%), indicating that the primary emission of carbonaceous aerosols increased significantly during the pollution period. The average mass concentrations of secondary organic carbon (SOC) in SQ and YB were (7.7 ±4.8) μg·m-3 and (6.9 ±2.8) μg·m-3 significantly higher, respectively, than that in WZ[(4.5 ±1.9) μg·m-3] during the campaign. This indicated that the secondary transformation had a greater influence on the carbonaceous aerosols in SQ and YB than that in WZ. Furthermore, in contrast to that in WZ, the ratios of SOC/OC were increased with the increase in PM2.5 concentrations, and significant correlations between SOC concentration and aerosol water content, NO2 concentration, and the value of NOR were observed in SQ and YB (P < 0.01), indicating that the increasing of carbonaceous aerosol concentrations might be mainly driven by the SOC with -NO2 groups produced by aqueous chemical reactions during winter in SQ and YB. The positive definite matrix factor (PMF) results in these urban areas showed that the contribution of biomass/coal combustion source in WZ (47.4%) was significantly higher than that in YB (34.2%) and SQ (38.1%), whereas the gasoline motor vehicle emission and secondary transformation impacts were more significant in YB. The results of the concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) showed that the potential sources of carbonaceous aerosols were mainly the local and northeastern parts of these urban areas (such as Changshou).

Capacitive Spectroscopy of Deep Levels in Silicon with Samarium Impurity

The effect of thermal treatment on the behavior of samarium atoms introduced into silicon during the growth process was studied using the method of transient capacitive deep-level spectroscopy (DLTS). It has been shown that various high-temperature treatments lead to the activation of samarium atoms in the bulk of n-Si and the formation of deep levels. The energy spectrum of deep levels arising during heat treatments has been determined. The dependence of the efficiency of formation of these levels in n‑Si<Sm> on the processing temperature has been studied. It was found that the higher the content of samarium atoms in the bulk of silicon at the same high-temperature treatment temperature, the higher the concentration of the deep level EC–0.39 eV. From this, we can conclude that the EC–0.39 eV level is associated with the activation of samarium atoms in the n-Si<Sm> volume.

Factors controlling the variation in physicochemical parameters of springs in Melamchi area, Nepal

Understanding the factors controlling the spatial and seasonal variation of physicochemical parameters of groundwater are important for quick water quality assessment and for a better planning of the water quality management strategies. This study evaluated spring’s five physicochemical data (pH, EC, TDS, DO and temperature) for 75 springs in two seasons (pre and post monsoon). The aim of the research presented in this paper is to assess physicochemical parameters of spring water, understand their seasonal and spatial variation and the factors controlling the variation. Physicochemical parameters were correlated with each other to understand the processes and an attempt has been made to understand groundwater processes studying the physicochemical parameters. Groundwater is slightly acidic to slightly alkaline with pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 and is weakly to very weakly mineralized with EC range of 21.6–234.0 μS/cm in pre-monsoon and 10.5–189.8 μS/cm in post-monsoon. TDS ranged between 5.3–116.9 mg/l and 10.8–94.9 mg/l, DO between 3.1–9.4 mg/l and 2.4–7.3 mg/l and groundwater temperature between 18.4–27.9°C and 19.2–27.4°C in pre-monsoon and post monsoon season respectively. TDS and EC are noted to be higher in pre-monsoon whereas pH, DO and temperature are comparatively higher in post-monsoon. The south-east region of the study area shows minimum groundwater temperature. Minimum concentration of EC and TDS were observed in south-east and north-west part of the study area with values increasing towards the river valley. Groundwater temperature shows inverse relation with elevation, pH and DO while correlated with EC and TDS of groundwater in the region. The measured parameters were seasonally and spatially variable. The results indicate difference for measured physicochemical parameters mainly caused due to results generated by cumulative interactions of monsoonal rain, atmospheric temperature, rock-groundwater interaction, residence time of groundwater and seasonal influences. The change in parameters with respect to elevation and relation between different parameters shows shallow aquifer-related groundwater processes.

Effect of Vermicompost Production on some Soil Properties and Nutrients in Plants

The study aimed to produce vermicompost and study its effect on some soil properties and nutrients in plants. The study included a laboratory experiment and a field experiment. In the laboratory experiment, vermicompost was produced using local earthworms and imported earthworms. The concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, C/N, pH, and EC in the vermicompost produced from imported earthworms reached 2.30%, 1.50%, 1.08%, 2.00%, 0.70%, 10.95, 7.43, and 0.50 dSm-1, respectively, while these characteristics in vermicompost produced from local earthworms gave 1.94%, 1.20%, 1.23%, 1.70%, 0.50%, 11.40, 7.81 and 2.99 dSm-1, respectively. In the field experiment, vermicompost was added in interaction with mineral fertilizer to study its effect on pH, O.M, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentration in the leaves of the potato plant. The treatment of vermicompost produced from imported earthworms superior in pH, O.M, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which amounted 7.05, 1.92%, 3.09%, 3.44% and 4.08%, respectively. The interaction treatment between vermicompost produced from imported earthworms without adding mineral fertilizers gave the best pH 6.95, while the treatment of vermicompost produced from imported earthworms with 50% of the fertilizer application excelled in the rest of the studied characteristics, as the values reached 1.96%, 3.54%, 0.40% and 4.54%, respectively.

Human health risk assessment of trace elements in PM10 for industrial areas in Gujarat

Introduction: The present study examines human exposure to Particulate Matter (PM10) and analyses potential health concerns in the industrial zones of Ankleshwar and Vapi in Gujarat.
 Materials and methods: For Ankleshwar and Vapi, 120 samples were collected, and characterisation was carried out to determine the concentration of NO3, SO4, NH3, K-S, Na, EC, OC, Al, Si, Fe, K, Ti, Ni, Br, Ca, Cl, Mn, Pb, Cr, Zn, S, V, and Cu in PM10 mass. The health risk from exposure to different trace elements, including both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic, is evaluated for three distinct paths of ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact.
 Results: The Excess Cancer Risk (ECR) values for Cr and Pb for the ingestion pathway and the carcinogenic risks for Cr, Ni, and Pb for the inhalation pathway are both found to be higher than the minimal permissible threshold (1×10−6) for both children and adults for Ankleshwar and Vapi. However, for Ankleshwar and Vapi, the carcinogenic risks from dermal exposure to Cr and Pb are found to be lower than the permissible limit for both adults and children. It is observed that non-carcinogenic Hazard Index (HI) values for the skin contact and ingestion routes are less than 1 for both children and adults for Ankleshwar and Vapi. While the HI value for the inhalation pathway is found to be larger than the tolerable limit of 1 for both adults and children.
 Conclusion: For the purpose of creating sustainable cities and improving the health of the urban population, this study will provide a fundamental basis and help the governing authorities design mandatory pollution prevention and control methods, restoration plans, and systematic monitoring programmes.

Assessment of Groundwater Quality using Water Quality Index, and Geo-Spatial Tools

Groundwater is considered a significant component of valuable freshwater resources for the living beings living in the arid and semi-arid regions of Pakistan, factors such as climate change, landfill deposits, application of fertilizers and pesticides on agricultural lands, leakages from septic tanks, industrial effluents, and urbanization jeopardizing the groundwater quality that makes its timely assessment necessary for human survival to protect people from water-borne diseases. This research study was carried out to analyze the 13 physicochemical parameters in the 38 groundwater samples that were taken from nearby different locations of Akram, Pinyari, and Phuleli canal within the jurisdiction of district Hyderabad. 26 samples were taken from hand pumps, electric motors and 12 samples were taken from tube wells to investigate the variability in groundwater quality. The water quality index and kelly’s ratio, magnesium hazard, residual sodium carbonate, sodium absorption ratio, soluble sodium percentage, and permeability index were used to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking, and agricultural purposes. The result of the study revealed that alkalinity, bicarbonates, carbonates, magnesium, PH, potassium, and sodium were within the permissible limit of WHO Standards in all the samples, while the concentration of calcium was crossing the permissible limit only in one sample. Moreover, the availability of Chloride (Cl) was found in 16 samples that were above the limit ranges from 274.9 to 2549, High concentration of EC was found in 14 samples than the permissible limit having values from 2212 to 8360 (P26), and Total Hardness (TH) were found only in 6 samples slightly high from the permissible limit ranges from 509 to 651, and TDS were present in excessive amounts than the allowable limit from 1100 to 4180 mg/l (P26) in 10 samples. Considering the Water Quality Index (WQI) it was observed that 8 sample falls in the good category, 2 samples in the poor category, 11 samples in the very poor category, and 17 samples in the unsuitable category of water quality.

A unified multivariate statistical approach for the assessment of deep groundwater quality of rapidly growing city of Maharashtra Province, India, with potential health risk.

The main aim of this research is to assess the consequences of natural and anthropogenic processes on the groundwater quality of 65 deep aquifers of Nagpur city, Maharashtra Province, India, using a unified multivariate statistical approach. The dominant groundwater type recognized is Ca-HCO3 (recharge waters) in 43.1 and 38.5% of groundwater samples of pre- and post-monsoon seasons, followed by mixed water types. The seasonal distribution of physicochemical parameters shows increase in the concentration of EC, TDS, TH, Mg2+, SO42-, and NO3- signifying the high mineralization and anthropogenic loading from pre- and post-monsoon season respectively. The entropy-weight water quality index categorizes the 84.6% and 75.4% of total samples from pre- and post-monsoon seasons into moderate quality. The multiple linear regression and PCA analysis reveal the masking of rock weathering mechanism by anthropogenic activities. The % of PCA Variance varies from 79 to 83.7% from pre- to post-monsoon season. The high contributions of EC (0.76, 0.72), TDS (0.79, 0.73), TH (0.97, 0.962), Ca2+ (0.84, 0.78), Mg2+ (0.79, 0.83), Cl- (0.73, 0.75), and NO3- (0.78, 0.68) in PC1 components expose high salinity and hardness in urban groundwater that signifies the consequences of urbanization on the groundwater regime. About 55.4 and 70.8% of children population as compared to the adult female (53.8%, 69.2%) and male (32.3%, 46.1%) population in PRM and POM respectively were at high non-carcinogenic health threat of NO3--enriched groundwater. The study is beneficial for understanding the variation in groundwater composition due to unplanned urbanization and is very useful for protecting groundwater resources in urban areas.

Effect of low CeO2 nanoparticles dosage in biodiesel-blends on combustion parameters and toxic pollutants from common-rail diesel engine

The effect of toxic pollutants and combustion parameters from six-cylinder turbocharged common-rail diesel engine fueled with low CeO2 nanoparticles dosage in biodiesel blends were investigated. Experiments were examined with four different test fuels under 50% engine load at a constant speed of 1800 rpm. The results indicated that the B15C15 significantly improves the in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate compared to other test fuels. In comparison with B0, the result showed a significant reduction in CO and HC emissions for biodiesel-CeO2 blend fuels, along with a slight increase in NOx ranges between 2.78% and 19.01%. This reduction in unburned hydrocarbon inhibits the peak changes from nucleation mode to accumulation mode. In the meantime, accumulation mode particles decrease and the peak moves to the small particle size. Besides, B15C15 had a positive impact on organic compounds, which resulted in a 64.7% reduction of PAH emissions compared to B0. Whereas the emission factors of n-alkane such as dodecane, tetradecane and hexadecane, showed a negligible amount. However, the significant reduction of the respective concentration of OC and EC suggests that these compounds are either not formed as readily in combustion, or they are reduced effectively with biodiesel-CeO2 blend fuels.

Fertility Status of Some Selected Floodplain Soils and the Management Recommendations on the Maximun Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicum Esculentum) in Kebbi State, Nigeria

The study was under taken to assess the fertility status of the flood plain soils of some selected local government areas of Kebbi State and recommend management practices to be provided for the maximum yield of tomatoes in Kebbi State. Soil samples were analyzed for the various physical and chemical properties following the standard procedures. The study revealed that the soils were predominantly sandy loam in texture with the mean particles composition of 715.71 gkg-1, 87.42 kg-1 and 196.87 kg-1 for sand, silt and clay, respectively. The soils contained low organic carbon of 6.0 gkg-1 and high concentration of nitrogen (0.8 gkg-1) which might be due to frequent addition of nitrogenous fertilizers on the soil. The low available phosphorus of 0.64 mgkg-1 was observed which might be due to acidity level of the soils (pH 5.6). On the basis of exchangeable bases, the soils were discovered to be low in Ca (1.51cmolkg-1), but high in Mg content (1.78 cmolkg-1). The soils contained high Na value of 0.59cmolkg-1 an indication ofsodicity hazard. The K content of 0.64 cmolkg-1 was also high in the soils of the study area. Based on the obtained values of the above parameters, the soils could be considered as medium in fertility. Based on the concentration of EC (0.55 dsm-1) ESP (6.04%) and pH 5.6, the soils could be considered to be free from salinity and sodicity at least for now, but has

Formulation and Evaluation of Colchicine Sustained release tablet by using factorial designs

The study on the effect of polymer concentration on in vitro drug release profile revealed that there is a change in vitro drug release parameters (t50, t80, and MDT) with a change in polymer concentration. Fraction of HPMC K4M, HPMC K 100 M, and Ethyl Cellulose were required to be 15, 10, and 7 mg respectively for designing optimized batch F7. The release rate of Colchicine decreased proportionally with an increase in the concentration of ethyl Cellulose and HPMC K100 M. Also the high amount of HPMC K4M leads to the less initial release and sustain effect. A theoretical drug release profile was generated using pharmacokinetic parameters of Colchicine. The value of t50 and t80 of theoretical drug release profile was found to be 242 min and 529 min respectively. The similarity factor f2 was applied between the in vitro drug release profile of optimizing batches and theoretical profile, which indicate a decent similarity between all in vitro drug release profiles (f2 = 68.28 for F7). All the batches except F1shows the value of f2 value within a range. Batch F7 showed the highest f2 (f2 = 68.28) among all the batches and this similarity was also reflected in t50 (≈ 256 min) and t80 (≈ 554 min) values. A 23 full factorial design was applied to systemically optimize in vitro drug release profile. The HPMC K4M (X1), Concentration of HPMC K100 M (X2), and concentration of EC (X3) were selected as independent variables. The time required for 50% drug released (t50), the time required for 80% drug release (t80), similarity factor f2, and mean dissolution time (MDT) were selected as dependent variables. The results of full factorial design indicate that the HPMC K4M (X1), Concentration of HPMC K100 M (X2), and concentration of EC (X3) have a significant effect on in vitro drug release profile. To find out the release mechanism the in vitro release data were fitted in the Korsmeyer-Peppas equation. All Batches except F1 and F3 show Anomalous diffusion-controlled release (combined mechanism of diffusion and case II transport).

Water Quality Assessment of Paper Mills Effluent Discharge Areas

The study attempted to assess the water quality around paper mill effluents discharge areas. Several physicochemical parameters and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Water Quality Index (WQI) were considered to determine the pollution level of surface and groundwater in the selected paper mills areas located in Saidpur, Gobindaganj, and Dupchanchia Upazilas of Bangladesh. Physicochemical characterization of the surface water around the paper mills areas showed that the concentration of EC, TSS, BOD5, COD, phenols, NO3−-N, and K+were exceeded the surface water standard, whereas the DO level ranged from 1.63 to 3.5 were found below the Environmental Conservation Rules (ECR), 1997 standard. Besides, the BOD, COD, and Mn ion concentrations of groundwater exceeded the drinking water standard. In most sampling sites, the WQI of the surface water showed ‘marginal’ category, and the groundwater quality showed 'fair' category. The study observed that the toxic effluents discharged from the paper mills caused harm to the aquatic ecosystem.

Changes in Soil Chemical Properties of Rice Paddy, Upland Field, and Greenhouse in Incheon from 2015 to 2019

This study was performed with the monitoring data of soil chemical properties of rice paddy, upland field and greenhouse soils in Ganghwa, Incheon metropolitan city from 2015 to 2019. Soil pH values tended to increase gradually in three soils, but there was no significant change in that of greenhouse soil. The concentration of organic matter (OM) and available phosphate (Av. P2O5) have fluctuated from 2015 to 2019, showing significant differences. In 2019, the average value of OM and Av. P2O5 were distributed within the appropriate level suggested by Rural Development Administration. In rice paddy field, the available silicate (SiO2) were found to be proper within the standard concentration every year. The contents of exchangeable cations were higher than the proper standard, showing significant differences among the years, except greenhouse soil. The mean concentration of EC for five years in upland and greenhouse soils were 2.5 and 5.9 dS m-1 above the proper standard. The optimal frequencies of pH were 46.8% and 47.1% at rice paddy and upland soil, but the excessive frequency ratio of pH was 48.5% at greenhouse soil in 2019. The exchangeable cations seemed to be seriously disproportionate exceeding the optimal level by 95%. In Pearson correlation matrix, the value of exchangeable Ca had a significantly positive correlation with exchangeable Mg content at upland and greenhouse soils. By principal component analysis, the exchangeable K, Mg and OM could distinguish between greenhouse and other soils on the first principal component and the pH and Av. P2O5 could differentiate between rice paddy and upland soils on the second principal component. Scatter plot of chemical properties investigated from rice paddy (P), upland (U) field and greenhouse (F) soils from 2015 to 2019.

Assessment of seasonal groundwater quality using CHIDAM software in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu.

Hard rock aquifer is the most predominant in the southern peninsula exclusively in Tamil Nadu, India. Virudhunagar district is situated in the South west part of Tamil Nadu, mostly of hard rock topography. Groundwater plays a major role in this area contributing to domestic, irrigation and industrial practices. Running down of groundwater by extreme consumption and less recharge in the study area has reduced the level of groundwater. On the other hand, intensive domestic, agriculture and industrial practices impacts the quality of quality of groundwater as well. Hydro geochemistry plays an important role in evaluation of suitability of groundwater for its usage in several purposes. A total of 72 samples from North East Monsoon (NEM) and Post Monsoon (POM) has been analyzed hydrochemically. The irrigation quality parameters such as sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), %Na, Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC), Kelley’s index and Magnesium hazard were calculated using CHIDAM software 2020 in conjunction with USSL and Doneen diagrams. During NEM, EC and TDS ranges from 273 to 5869 mg/L and 194 to 4159 mg/L and during POM is from 235 to 6850 mg/L and 233.8 to 6916 mg/L. The hydrogeochemical facies represents that Ca-HCO3 and mixed Ca-Mg-Cl facies are predominant during NEM and Na-Cl and mixed Ca-Mg-Cl are predominant during POM. The higher concentration of TDS and EC in the samples reflects the unsuitability of groundwater in both seasons.

Fabrication of pH-responsive nanoparticles for high efficiency pyraclostrobin delivery and reducing environmental impact

In this work, a pH-responsive pesticide delivery system using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as the porous carriers and coordination complexes of Cu ions and tannic acid (TA-Cu) as the capping agent was established for controlling pyraclostrobin (PYR) release. The results showed the loading capacity of PYR@MSNs-TA-Cu nanoparticles for pyraclostrobin was 15.7 ± 0.5% and the TA-Cu complexes deposited on the MSNs surface could protect pyraclostrobin against photodegradation effectively. The nanoparticles had excellent pH responsive release performance due to the decomposition of TA-Cu complexes under the acid condition, which showed 8.53 ± 0.37%, 82.38 ± 1.67% of the encapsulated pyraclostrobin were released at pH 7.4, pH 4.5 after 7 d respectively. The contact angle and adhesion work of PYR@MSNs-TA-Cu nanoparticles on rice foliage were 86.3° ± 2.7° and 75.8 ± 3.1 mJ/m2 after 360 s respectively, indicating that TA on the surface of the nanoparticles could improve deposition efficiency and adhesion ability on crop foliage. The control effect of PYR@MSNs-TA-Cu nanoparticles against Rhizoctonia solani with 400 mg/L of pyraclostrobin was 85.82% after 7 d, while that of the same concentration of pyraclostrobin EC was 53.05%. The PYR@MSNs-TA-Cu nanoparticles did not show any phytotoxicity to the growth of rice plants. Meanwhile, the acute toxicity of PYR@MSNs-TA-Cu nanoparticles to zebrafish was decreased more than 9-fold compared with that of pyraclostrobin EC. Thus, pH-responsive PYR@MSNs-TA-Cu nanoparticles have great potential for enhancing targeting and environmental safety of the active ingredient.

Application of water quality index and chemometric methods on contamination assessment in the shallow aquifer, Ganges River basin, India.

Water quality index and chemometric methods were employed to assess the groundwater quality and contamination sources in the upper Ganges basin (UGB) and lower Ganges basin (LGB) as groundwater is a sole source for drinking, domestic and agricultural uses. Groundwater samples were collected from UGB (n = 44) and LGB (n = 26) and analysed for physicochemical parameters. Groundwater in this basin is desirable (51%) to permissible (TDS < 1000 mg/l, 96%) classes for drinking. Chemical constituents in the groundwater are lower than the maximum allowable limit recommended by the WHO for drinking except K. Drinking water quality index (DWQI) values reveal that groundwater belongs to excellent (89%) and good (10%) classes. However, the high concentrations of Fe and Mn in 61 and 77% of samples, respectively, restrict the usage for drinking according to USEPA recommendations. Both LGB and UGB groundwater in shallow wells have elevated concentration of TDS, EC and other ions (Ca2+, Cl- and SO42- in LGB; major ions, NO3-, PO43-, F-, Fe and Mn in UGB) and imply the influences of anthropogenic activities. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis reiterated that groundwater quality is affected by the anthropogenic activities as well as mineral dissolutions (carbonate and silicate minerals). This study highlighted that the infiltration of wastewater from various contamination sources likely triggered the dissolution of the minerals in the vadose zone that resulted in the accumulation of ions in the shallow aquifer. An effective management plan is essential to protect this shallow aquifer.

Quantitative Constituents Analysis of Rice Mill Wastewater

In the present world, climate change is a mass talked issue. Because of climate change, humans and animals are under the risk of threatening. The scientist has pointed out that main reasons for climate change are waste. Waste is generated from household chores and industries, factories etc. that are affecting the balance of the environment in many ways. This waste may be of various types such as solid, liquid, gaseous etc. Therefore, the study was taken to assess the chemical components contain in wastewater in Dinajpur Sadar, Bangladesh. This study was aimed to evaluate the chemical compositions of the generated wastewater including comparison with the groundwater. The data concerning to the rice mill waste water in Dinajpur, Bangladesh was obtained from individual field visits by interviewing with owner and worker in the rice mills. The wastewater samples were collected randomly from different rice mills. A laboratory experiment was performed to determine the chemical constituents of the wastewater sample. The wastewater contained of pH(6.11-6.18), EC(181.47-185.23 µScm-1), Na(26.19-28.89 mgl-1), Ca(45.41-51.26 mgl-1), Mg(47.12-49.8 mgl-10), K(184.7-191.3 mgl-1), TDS(45.94-47.96 mgl-1), HT(306.7-332.33 mgl-1), S(11.05-13.25 mgl-1), Cl-(522.45-526.182 mgl-1), HCO3-(5.12-6.99 mgl-1), DO(0.46-0.53 mgl-1), P(17.01-21.54 mgl-1). The obtained concentration of Ca, EC, pH, Na and HCO3- were within the reported range of groundwater in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. The concentration of Cl-, K, P, Mg and hardness in the wastewater were above the concentration of reported groundwater in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. On the other hand, the concentration of TDS in the wastewater was less than the reported concentration of groundwater in Dinajpur, Bangladesh.

Pharmacokinetics of a potent soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor in three formulations

Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEHI) was shown to be potent to reduce the inflammation, lower the blood pressure in hypertension and is being developed for indication of chronic pain treatment. Guiding by in vitro potency screening, pharmacokinetics and in vivo efficacy studies, a potent sEHI (EC5026) is optimized for the followed clinical trials. Besides its own properties, formulation method is an important factor to be considered to reach ideal exposure time span and concentration in vivo, therefore for the efficacy in vivo.Here, we compared three different formulation methods: PEG mixtures, hot melt extrusion (HME), spray‐dried dispersion (SDD) for EC5026 by comparing the pharmacokinetics in Sprague Dawley rats. A sensitive UHPLC/MS/MS method was developed to measure the concentration of EC 5026 in the blood of rats after oral dosing at 3mg/Kg as a single dose. The pharmacokinetics parameters including Cmax, Tmax, AUC were calculated using non‐compartment modeling analysis. The result shows that three different formulations have similar pharmacokinetics properties with the highest Cmax in SDD (1,557 ng/mL) followed by HME (1,432 ng/mL) and PEG mixture (1,329 ng/mL). Tmax are all about the same at 2.5 and 3 hour respectively. The T1/2s are between 75–90 hours.The results above indicates all three formulations are proper for decent exposure of EC5026 with AUC from 6759–8516 ng/mL hr. The similarity among these three formulations allow the translation to the clinical trials using the new formulations (HME/SDD) from the preclinical studies with PEG mixture.Support or Funding InformationSupport or Funding InformationThis work was supported in part by NIEHS grant R35 ES030443, NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program grant P42 ES04699.

Evaluation of Point-of-Use Drinking Water Treatment Systems Efficiency in Reducing or Removing Physicochemical Parameters and Heavy Metals

Introduction: Nowadays, many people have bought and installed home water treatment devices (point-of-use drinking water treatment systems), as an essential measure, to improve their health. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the parameters of drinking water of Rafsanjan city and home water treatment device in summer 2017. Water samples at the inlet and outlet of the device with 15 day intervals for three months (approximately 48 samples, summer) were collected. Then, the concentration of heavy metals, total hardness, EC, sodium and nitrate were measured in inlet and outlet of treatment devices. All data were statistically analyzed by SPSS software version 18. Results: The results showed that in the inlet water, the EC and pH values were in the standard ranges. The concentrations ​​of arsenic was higher than the permissible limits and other parameters including total hardness, calcium, sodium, magnesium, nitrate, copper, zinc and lead were lower than the standard limits. The highest reduction efficiency was obtained for copper, zinc and arsenic respectively, and the lowest reduction efficiency was reported for nitrate and calcium. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded the devices could reduce the concentrations of the parameters under the standard limits. Due to the relationship between heart disease and light water, it is suggested that, in view of the high arsenic content in Rafsanjan water, filters at the inlet municipal water can be used to absorb heavy metals, especially arsenic.