Major Pollution Sources Research Articles

Nematode community structures in the presence of wastewater treatment plant discharge.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent major point sources of pollution in coastal systems, affecting benthic ecosystems. In the present study, we assessed the potential role that WWTPs have in shaping nematode communities and established baseline knowledge of free-living nematode community structures in St. Andrew Bay, Florida. Sediment samples were collected from four sites representing areas of WWTP outflow and areas with no apparent outflow, during the winter and summer. Nematode communities across sites were significantly different, and the differences were strongly associated with the distance to the nearest WWTP. While the communities were not different along transects at each site, nor across seasons, community dissimilarity across sites was high, implying strong contrasts throughout the bay system. Dominance of tolerant, opportunistic genera and Ecological Quality Status assessments suggest that the system is stressed by organic enrichment, possibly linked to the WWTPs. Our results suggest that knowledge on the life-history of dominant genera is imperative to assess the ecological quality of a benthic system, in addition to taxonomic and functional metrics. Considering the value of marine nematodes as bioindicators, more work should be done to monitor temporal variability in nematode communities in this system as future infrastructure changes alter its dynamics.

2D Resistivity Imaging for Leachate Migration in Nkwelle-Ezunaka Farm Estate, Southeastern Nigeria

Leachate effluence from wastewater Leachate migration and solid waste are major sources of soil and groundwater pollution. Assessing the impact of leachate is an active area of soil and groundwater research. This study evaluated the extent of leachate migration at Nkwele-Ezunaka Farm Estate in Anambra State of Nigeria using a 2D resistivity imaging technique. The study area lies within longitude 6° 51' 27'' − 6° 59' 37'' E and latitudes 6° 13' 18'' − 6° 20 '27" N and covers an area of about 60 km2. A total of five profile lines were carried out in a resistivity survey using a digital read-out resistivity meter (ABEM SAS 1000). The data obtained were interpreted using RES2DINV software. A contaminant leachate plume was delineated in 2D resistivity sections as low resistivity zones (less than 80.0 Ωm). The maximum depth of penetration of leachate determined was 10.6 m and hence could not penetrate the groundwater in the study area. The groundwater flow in the study area was revealed to be in the West-East direction.

Construction Projects’ Waste Prevention and Expected Minimization of Cost and Environmental Impacts through Adopting a Comprehensive System for Document Management

Waste originating from construction projects is the major source of pollution amongst all industrial sectors in the European Union (EU) as well as globally. It is estimated that more than 35% of all disposed waste in the EU has been a by-product of building activity. This significant loss of materials hinders project profitability, reduces competitiveness of companies involved in such projects and causes considerable environmental burden. An acceptable level of waste is inevitable; however, there are possibilities to minimize the waste through amendments of reducing problematic executive procedures. One of the most important reported factors that increase waste is ineffective document management that may lead to inadequate communication throughout the construction project. As such, the present paper focuses on estimating the possible environmental and economic benefits if a proper document management system is applied on construction projects. The research steps include the approximate calculation of the operational project cost, the volume of material waste related to inadequate information systems based on statistical data and the calculation of benefits from the establishment of adequate information systems using measurable indices. The findings suggest that significant waste reductions are feasible and that the volume of solid construction debris that usually ends up in landfills can be greatly reduced. The actual debris in every skip bin could be reduced to approximately two-thirds of the currently produced volume, for every 100 square meters (m2) of an industrial building floor area. Besides, the debris volume in a skip bin could be reduced to more than half of the currently produced volume for every 100 m2 of public and commercial retail building floor area.

Identification and apportionment of groundwater nitrate sources in Chakari Plain (Afghanistan).

The Chakari alluvial aquifer is the primary source of water for human, animal, and irrigation applications. In this study, the geochemistry of major ions and stable isotope ratios (δ2H-H2O, δ18O-H2O, δ15N-NO3̄, and δ18O-NO3̄) of groundwater and river water samples from the Chakari Plain were analyzed to better understand characteristics of nitrate. Herein, we employed nitrate isotopic ratios and BSIMM modeling to quantify the proportional contributions of major sources of nitrate pollution in the Chakari Plain. The cross-plot diagram of δ15N-NO3̄ against δ18O-NO3̄ suggests that manure and sewage are the main source of nitrate in the plain. Nitrification is the primary biogeochemical process, whereas denitrification did not have a significant influence on biogeochemical nitrogen dynamics in the plain. The results of this study revealed that the natural attenuation of nitrate in groundwater of Chakari aquifer is negligible. The BSIMM results indicate that nitrate originated mainly from sewage and manure (S&M, 75‰), followed by soil nitrogen (SN, 13‰), and chemical fertilizers (CF, 9.5‰). Large uncertainties were shown in the UI90 values for S&M (0.6) and SN (0.47), whereas moderate uncertainty was exhibited in the UI90 value for CF (0.29). The findings provide useful insights for decision makers to verify groundwater pollution and develop a sustainable groundwater management strategy.

Physicochemical and microbial alterations in crude oil-contaminated soil samples

Environmental pollution is becoming an issue of concern due to its negative impact on the living and non-living components of the environment. Crude oil and its products are the major sources of environmental pollution that renders negative impact on the soil mineral components and microorganism. This study was thus carried out to determine the effect of crude oil on soil physicochemical properties, bacterial and fungal population. The experiment lasted for 42 days and the analysis were carried out at days 0, 14, 28 and 42 using standard protocols. Results obtained show significant changes (P ≤ 0.05) in hydrocarbons and other physicochemical parameters such as pH, nitrate, electrical conductivity, sodium ion, calcium ion, phosphate and magnesium ion, when the control was compared with crude oil contaminated soil. Also, soil bacterial and fungal count decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with increasing concentrations of crude oil indicating its toxicity to soil microbial consortium. However, results also showed that hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms strived at higher concentrations but insignificantly (P ≤ 0.05) in comparison with the control. Owing to the result obtained in this study, crude oil exploration should be properly managed to prevent spillages that negatively impact on the environment.

Development of Sustainable Concrete from Hypo Sludge Combined with Basalt Fibre and Latex

Cement production is a major source of carbon dioxide pollution. An environmentally friendly concrete needs to be developed in order to overcome the adverse environmental impacts of cement production and the continuing depletion of natural resources. Paper waste (hypo sludge) from the paper industry is becoming a challenge due to its extensive area requirements for disposal and continually increasing adverse environmental effects. To reduce paper waste and pollution, it might be beneficial to use it as hypo sludge in concrete mixes. In the present investigation, hypo sludge was used as a partial replacement in varied proportions (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%) of cement in concrete of M30 grade to be assessed. Styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) latex and basalt fibre (BF) were added to hypo sludge concrete to improve its durability and post-cracking behaviour. From the test results, the optimum dosage of hypo sludge, basalt fibre, and SBR latex was found to be 15%, 0.3%, and 10%, respectively. From the mechanical properties testing compared with the control concrete, latex-added hypo sludge basalt fibre showed an increase in compressive strength by 17.08%, flexural strength by 14.55% and tensile strength by 14.29%. Microstructural results showed that SBR latex created greater consistency in the interaction of the concrete stages. Results of the tests indicate that the performance of the concrete in terms of its strength was improved by partially replacing the cement in the concrete with hypo sludge.

Atmospheric Pollution in Port Cities

Authoritative, trustworthy, continual, automatic hourly air quality monitoring is a relatively recent innovation. The task of reliably identifying long-term trends in air quality is therefore very challenging, as well as complex. Ports are major sources of atmospheric pollution, which is linked to marine traffic and increased road traffic congestion. This study investigated the long-term trends and drivers of atmospheric pollution in the port cities of Houston, London, and Southampton in 2000–2019. Authoritative air quality and meteorological data for seven sites at these three locations were meticulously selected alongside available traffic count data. Data were acquired for sites close to the port and sites that were near the city centre to determine whether the port emissions were influencing different parts of the city. Openair software was used for plots and statistical analyses. Pollutant concentrations at Houston, Southampton and Thurrock (London) slowly reduced over time and did not exceed national limits, in contrast to NO2 and PM10 concentrations at London Marylebone Road. Drivers of atmospheric pollution include meteorology, geographical and temporal variation, and traffic flow. Statistically significant relationships (p < 0.001) between atmospheric pollution concentration and meteorology across most sites were found, but this was not seen with traffic flows in London and Southampton. However, port emissions and the other drivers of atmospheric pollution act together to govern the air quality in the city.

Air quality trends for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach spanning the covid19 crisis: Part 1. Oxidant pollutants

Ports are major air pollution sources impacting downwind communities with emissions from port activities, nearby energy and other heavy industries, truck, train, and vessel traffic, and commuting traffic. The Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, denoted Ports, are the western hemisphere's largest, with plans for port electrification to reduce air pollution. The covid19 shutdown impacted the Ports, providing a real-world experiment on the effects of electrification on exposure to neighboring communities.Eight in situ surveys with a mobile air quality laboratory (14 trace gases, aerosols, and meteorology) were conducted spanning the covid19 shutdown to characterize the resultant air quality changes. These data were combed with time series (2015-) from six Port area air quality stations and TROPOMI satellite nitrogen dioxide NO2 column XNO2.In situ surveys showed dramatic NO2 decreases from Jul. 2019 to May 2020 (during the shutdown), with NO2 only returning towards pre-covid levels by Jul. 2022. Lesser covid19 NO2 decreases were observed by the air quality station data and satellite XNO2 for the Los Angeles Basin; both showed NO2 decrease during the shutdown and an extended time for recovery to more normal concentration (and underlying economic activity) - until 2022 - far longer than the shutdown. Overall, ozone, O3 increased, signifying that O3, formation is volatile organic hydrocarbons, VOH, limited, with the strongest O3 source(s) arriving from offshore. This finding suggests efforts to purely address air quality by electrification without addressing area VOH emissions could potentially lessen, perhaps significantly, the expected air quality and health improvements in downwind communities. The Ports’ area industrial sites were identified as driving these VOHs, as the inverse relationship between NO2 and O3 persisted during the shutdown when non-industrial VOH sources would have decreased.

Diatoms. A viable tool for quantifying surface water pollution

The current work focused on the water quality of the Bega and Timis rivers measured by two methods. One of them is the method by which the water was analyzed from a physical-chemical point of view, and the other aimed at quantifying the degree of water pollution by biological methods. In this sense, diatoms were used. In the study, samples of water and diatoms were taken using specific techniques from the Bega and Timis rivers, starting from near the area of their formation until near the border with Serbia. Four sampling points were chosen on the Timis River plus one sampling point on the Surgani River, which is a tributary of the Timis, and six sampling points on the Bega River. The points were chosen specifically, being located downstream of the major sources of pollution. In order to locate the points, information was collected from the studies carried out as part of an extensive monitoring that spanned several years. The abundance and diversity of diatom species were used to calculate the Biological Diatom Index (BDI) and the Saprobity Index (SI). These two indices provide valuable information about organic or heavy metal pollution of water bodies.

Mechanical properties and microstructural characterization of ferrock as CO2–negative material in self-compacting concrete

The construction industry is one of the major sources of pollution and global warming, with the utilization of cement being a significant contributor. This study aimed to minimize cement usage in construction while maintaining overall strength through the development of sustainable and eco-friendly concrete. A self-compacting concrete (SCC) was created by replacing cement with eco-friendly ferrock, aggregates and superplasticizers at levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%. The optimal blend was determined based on fresh and mechanical behaviour parameters. Rheological analysis of the fresh concrete was conducted using L-box, Slump cone, V-funnel equipment and visual stability index. The SCC was then cured through water immersion, CO2 exposure and a combination of both. The performance of the ferrock SCC was evaluated under different curing conditions to determine its hardened and microstructural properties. The addition of ferrock altered the properties of the concrete, and changing the curing method also influenced the behaviour of the hardened concrete. CO2 curing achieved about 40% of the concrete strength within four hours, while combined water and CO2 curing produced higher-quality concrete, as shown by UPV, SEM, and XRD results. The incorporation of ferrock almost doubled the strength of the concrete in combined curing. At an optimum replacement level of 10%, the compressive strength values of water, CO2, and combined curing increased by 21.9%, 25.9% and 32.6%, respectively, after 28 days. The bond strength also increased by 20% at this level of ferrock addition for combined curing. Comparison with normal SCC indicated that the ferrock-based SCC was physically stronger at an optimum replacement level of 10%, with a higher degree of compaction and dense matrix. These findings suggest the superiority of ferrock SCC, which offers potential for use in future construction.

A mega study of antibiotics contamination in Eastern aquatic ecosystems of China: occurrence, interphase transfer processes, ecotoxicological risks, and source modeling

Understanding the occurrence, sources, transfer mechanisms, fugacity, and ecotoxicological risks of antibiotics play a pivotal role in improving the sustainability and ecological health of freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, in order to determine the levels of antibiotics, water and sediment samples were collected from multiple Eastern freshwater ecosystems (EFEs) of China, including Luoma Lake (LML), Yuqiao Reservoir (YQR), Songhua Lake (SHL), Dahuofang Reservoir (DHR), and Xiaoxingkai Lake (XKL), and were analyzed using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). EFEs regions are particularly interesting due to higher urban density, industrialization, and diverse land use in China. The findings revealed that a collective total of 15 antibiotics categorized into four families, which included sulfonamides (SAs), fluoroquinolones (FQs), tetracyclines (TCs), and macrolides (MLs), exhibited high detection frequencies, indicating widespread antibiotic contamination. The pollution levels in the water phase were in the order of LML > DHR > XKL > SHL > YQR. The sum concentration of individual antibiotics for each water body ranged from not detected (ND) to 57.48 ng/L (LML), ND to 12.25 ng/L (YQR), ND to 57.7 ng/L (SHL), ND to 40.50 ng/L (DHR), and ND to 26.30 ng/L (XKL) in the water phase. Similarly, in the sediment phase, the sum concentration of individual antibiotics ranged from ND to 15.35 ng/g, ND to 198.75 ng/g, ND to 1233.34 ng/g, ND to 388.44 ng/g, and ND to 862.19 ng/g, for LML, YQR, SHL, DHR, and XKL, respectively. Interphase fugacity (ffsw) and partition coefficient (Kd) indicated dominant resuspension of antibiotics from sediment to water, causing secondary pollution in EFEs. Two groups of antibiotics, namely MLs (erythromycin, azithromycin, and roxithromycin) and FQs (ofloxacin and enrofloxacin), showed a medium-high level of adsorption tendency on sediment. Source modeling (PMF5.0) identified wastewater treatment plants, sewage, hospitals, aquaculture, and agriculture as the major antibiotic pollution sources in EFEs, contributing between 6% and 80% to different aquatic bodies. Finally, the ecological risk posed by antibiotics ranged from medium to high in EFEs. This study offers valuable insights into the levels, transfer mechanisms, and risks associated with antibiotics in EFEs, enabling the formulation of large-scale policies for pollution control.

Spatial and temporal variation in the seasonal air quality index of Haryana, India

This paper presents the evaluation of the air quality in different districts of Haryana. Geo-spatial techniques were used to estimate the spatial and temporal variation (2019-2020) of gaseous and particulate pollutants. Data of six fixed pollutants were collected from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). In this context, data of the air pollutant (PM10, PM2.5, O3, NOx, SO2 and CO) were analyzed seasonally for 2019 and 2020. The spatio-temporal distribution of the air quality index (AQI) clearly depicted changes indifferent meteorological and crop seasons in 2019 and 2020. The result showed that the air quality was very poor in winter and the post-monsoon seasons in 2019 and slightly improved in 2020 due to COVID 19 lockdown and satisfactory air quality was observed in the monsoon and the pre-monsoon seasons for both years. It was also observed that the air quality was poor in the rabi seasons (October to March) as compared to the kharif seasons (April to September) in 2019 and 2020. The study suggested that the air quality can be improved by the best management of straw waste instead of burning, along with reducing major pollutant sources like automobiles.

The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments

Artificial turf (AT) is a surfacing material that simulates natural grass by using synthetic, mainly plastic, fibers in different shapes, sizes and properties. AT has spread beyond sports facilities and today shapes many urban landscapes, from private lawns to rooftops and public venues. Despite concerns regarding the impacts of AT, little is known about the release of AT fibers into natural environment. Here, for the first time, we specifically investigate the presence of AT fibers in river and ocean waters as major conduits and final destination of plastic debris transported by water runoff. Our sampling survey showed that, AT fibers – composed mainly of polyethylene and polypropylene – can constitute over 15% of the mesoplastics and macroplastics content, suggesting that AT fibers may contribute significantly to plastic pollution. Up to 20,000 fibers a day flowed down through the river, and up to 213,200 fibers per km2 were found floating on the sea surface of nearshore areas. AT, apart from impacting on urban biodiversity, urban runoff, heat island formation, and hazardous chemical leaching, is a major source of plastic pollution to natural aquatic environments.

Short-term effects of the chemical components of fine particulate matter on pulmonary function: A repeated panel study among adolescents

The effects of the chemical components of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) have been drawing attention. However, information regarding the impact of low PM2.5 concentrations is limited. Hence, we aimed to investigate the short-term effects of the chemical components of PM2.5 on pulmonary function and their seasonal differences in healthy adolescents living on an isolated island without major artificial sources of air pollution. A panel study was repeatedly conducted twice a year for one month every spring and fall from October 2014 to November 2016 on an isolated island in the Seto Inland Sea, which has no major artificial sources of air pollution. Daily measurements of peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were performed in 47 healthy college students, and the concentrations of 35 chemical components of PM2.5 were analyzed every 24 h. Using a mixed-effects model, the relationship between pulmonary function values and concentrations of PM2.5 components was analyzed. Significant associations were observed between several PM2.5 components and decreased pulmonary function. Among the ionic components, sulfate was strongly related to decreases in PEF and FEV1 (−4.20 L/min [95 % confidence interval (CI): −6.40 to −2.00] and − 0.04 L [95 % CI: −0.05 to −0.02] per interquartile range increase, respectively). Among the elemental components, potassium induced the greatest reduction in PEF and FEV1. Therefore, PEF and FEV1 were significantly reduced as the concentrations of several PM2.5 components increased during fall, with minimal changes observed during spring. Several chemical components of PM2.5 were significantly associated with decreased pulmonary function among healthy adolescents. The concentrations of PM2.5 chemical components differed by season, suggesting the occurrence of distinct effects on the respiratory system depending on the type of component.

Influence of financing water protection measures in the field of transport on water quality of water bodies

Transport is a major water consumer and source of environmental pollution, including water resources. In order to preserve and improve water quality in water bodies at industrial and transport enterprises, including railway enterprises, water protection measures entailing permanent signifi cant funding are required. The study is aimed to develop a methodology for determining dependence of water quality of the water body on the real financing of water protection measures; theoretical justifi cation of the choice of water quality of the water body from the quality of wastewater (WW) of water users, discharging them into the water body and amount of financing of water protection measures. The solution of the task of determining the best water quality in a water body under limited fi nancing of water protection measures and rational distribution of fi nancial resources between water users, including transport infrastructure objects, is proposed. Financing of water protection measures in Russia is less than abroad and has been decreasing over the last three decades. The limits for pollutant concentrations in pollutant discharges into water bodies and water disposal systems in Russia are often set very strict, sometimes more stringent than those for drinking water, which leads to unjustifi ed spending of investment costs. It is pointed out that at present in Russia market relations in the field of nature and, in particular, water use have not been formed. The basic diffi culties at realization of these relations in our country are designated. When using the proposed methodology, the rational quality of water resources of water users by limiting pollutants and the rational distribution of funds for water protection measures among water users within the limited amount of financing are determined. The extent to which water quality in a water body changes is also determined. The possibility of practical application of the proposed methodology is considered.

Investigating major sources of air pollution and improving spatiotemporal forecast accuracy using supervised machine learning and a proxy

Because weather can’t be controlled, air pollution can only be managed by planning and controlling the sources. Therefore, mathematical models that do not relate the source to the air quality do not offer guidance on how to regulate the air quality. This is often due to a lack of information about sources or a limited budget to measure emissions from sources that are expected to have a major contribution. A proxy for emission rate was used in modeling to improve the prediction of pollutant concentration and to investigate major sources. The daily average air concentration of NO2 and SO2 were predicted at five different locations using supervised machine learning methods, including random forests and support vector machines regression. Three models were constructed using different combinations of features. In model I, only features relating to the weather were used. Model II used only features of the types and quantities of fossil fuels consumed by power plants, which serve as a proxy for emission rates. In model III, all features from models I and II were used. Model III was found to be the most accurate. The average improvement in R2 for NO2 and SO2 regressions for all sites and using both methods were between 61% and 33%, respectively. This improvement in the prediction indicates that power plants are major sources and contribute significantly to the ambient level of SO2 and NO2 levels. The relative importance of all fuel consumption features was found to be comparable to the value of all weather features. The relative importance values of the fuel consumption features show an opportunity to improve air quality by burning a quantity of fuel in a power plant that has a smaller relative importance value instead. However, whether the receptors are located in rural or urban areas must be considered to maximize the net benefits.

Stability of blood lead levels in children with low-level lead absorption.

Current child blood lead (Pb) screening guidelines assume that blood lead levels (BLLs) are relatively stable over time, and that only youngest children are vulnerable to the damaging effects of lower-range BLLs. This study aimed to test the stability of lower-range (≤ 10 μg/dL) child BLLs over time, and whether lower-range BLLs diminished with age among children aged 6 months to 16 years living in a lower-income neighborhood with a density of pre-1986 housing and legacy contamination. Age, sex, family income, age of residence, and/or residence proximity to point sources of Pb, were tested as potential additional factors. Capillary blood samples from 193 children were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Multiple imputation was used to simulate missing data for 3 blood tests for each child. Integrated Growth Curve models with Test Wave as a random effect were used to test BLL variability over time. Among N = 193 children tested, at Time 1 testing, 8.7% had the BLLs ≥ 5 μg/dL (CDC "elevated" BLL reference value at the time of data collection) and 16.8% had BLLs ≥ 3.5 μg/dL (2021 CDC "elevated" BLL reference value). Modeling with time as a random effect showed that the variability of BLLs were attributable to changes within children. Moreover, time was not a significant predictor of child BLLs over 18 months. A sex by age interaction suggested that BLLs diminished with age only among males. Of the additional environmental factors tested, only proximity to a major source of industrial or vehicle exhaust pollution predicted child BLL variability, and was associated with a small, but significant BLL increase (0.22 μg/dL). These findings suggest that one or two BLL tests for only infants or toddlers are insufficient for identifying children with Pb poisoning.

High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Profiling of Stormwater in an Australian Creek

Urban stormwater runoff is a major source of pollutants into receiving water bodies. The pollutant profile of stormwater samples collected from an Australian creek during a major storm event in 2020 was investigated using high-resolution mass spectrometry and chemometric tools. The samples were solid phase-extracted and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LC-QToF-MS/MS). The detected features were prioritized using two independent but complementary workflows to identify the highly abundant stormwater-related compounds. A total of 174 features were detected at elevated levels during the storm. Four compounds were identified to a confidence level of 1 and 11 at level 2, including nonpolymeric surfactants, plastic additives, rubber and resin-related products, and natural products. Forty two percent were characterized as oligomers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-related compounds and octylphenol ethoxylates. Due to a lack of database experimental data, many compounds remained unidentified. Compounds belonging to the same class were clustered using Global Natural Product Social (GNPS) Molecular Networking analysis, highlighting the benefit of this platform in environmental analysis. The prioritization workflow used here is characterized as an effective tool for assessing key stormwater-related compounds and identifying which should receive attention in assessing the environmental effects of stormwater-related chemicals.

Air Pollution and Human Health: Empirical Evidence from Cameroon

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of air pollution on human health in Cameroon. Specifically, the paper sought to determine the effects of air pollution on human health in Cameroon. The study also identified the major sources of air pollution in Cameroon and assesses the effectiveness of existing air pollution control policies. The study made use of secondary data from 1980 to 2021 sourced from the National Institute of Statistics and world health organization. The research design adopted was the causal research design where the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was used to analyze the data. Both pre and post-test were done to validate the results. The cumulative sum of recursive residuals (CUSUM) and the CUSUM of square (CUSUMSQ) tests to assess the parameter constancy. The long run results revealed that carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides all have a negative and significant impact on life expectancy in Cameroon. More specifically, long run results showed that, a unit increase in CO2 emission (LCO2) will reduces life expectancy by 0.127%, a unit increase in Methane emission (LMTHNE) will reduces life expectancy by 0.203% and a unit increase in Nitrous emission (LNITE) will reduces life expectancy by 0.017%. From a policy perspective, the government should encourage the planting of trees as the planting of one tree implies planting a life. Trees are important because they help to reduce the amount of carbon existing in the atmosphere.

Novel Concepts for Graphene-Based Nanomaterials Synthesis for Phenol Removal from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME).

In recent years, the global population has increased significantly, resulting in elevated levels of pollution in waterways. Organic pollutants are a major source of water pollution in various parts of the world, with phenolic compounds being the most common hazardous pollutant. These compounds are released from industrial effluents, such as palm oil milling effluent (POME), and cause several environmental issues. Adsorption is known to be an efficient method for mitigating water contaminants, with the ability to eliminate phenolic contaminants even at low concentrations. Carbon-based materials have been reported to be effective composite adsorbents for phenol removal due to their excellent surface features and impressive sorption capability. However, the development of novel sorbents with higher specific sorption capabilities and faster contaminant removal rates is necessary. Graphene possesses exceptionally attractive chemical, thermal, mechanical, and optical properties, including higher chemical stability, thermal conductivity, current density, optical transmittance, and surface area. The unique features of graphene and its derivatives have gained significant attention in the application of sorbents for water decontamination. Recently, the emergence of graphene-based adsorbents with large surface areas and active surfaces has been proposed as a potential alternative to conventional sorbents. The aim of this article is to discuss novel synthesis approaches for producing graphene-based nanomaterials for the adsorptive uptake of organic pollutants from water, with a special focus on phenols associated with POME. Furthermore, this article explores adsorptive properties, experimental parameters for nanomaterial synthesis, isotherms and kinetic models, mechanisms of nanomaterial formation, and the ability of graphene-based materials as adsorbents of specific contaminants.