Untreated Sewage Water Research Articles

Fungal Consortia Mediated Bio-Treatment of Organic Matter and Metals Uptake from Sewage Water: Maize Agro-Physiological Assessment

The present investigation aims to improve the efficiency of fungal mono- and mixed cultures in removing organic pollutants and metals from sewage water (SW) for further maize plant response assessments. The reduction in the organic load from the SW was harnessed using a co-culture consortium consisting of Aspergillus niger (KB5), Sordariomycetes sp. (D10), and Coniochaetaceae sp. (LB3). The testing results had evinced removal of up to 88% of the organic matter and more than 96%, 91%, 80%, and 47.6%, of removal percentages for Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd), and Lead (Pb), respectively, with the developed fungal consortium [KB5 + D10 + LB3]. After treatment and lab experiments, a reuse of treated and untreated SW for plant irrigation was evaluated towards improving maize plant growth. Irrigation was conducted in pot experiments with three types of water: clean water (Control), untreated (USW), and treated SW by fungal consortia (TSW) and by station treatment plant STP (TSWP) using the randomized complete block (RCB) experimental design. Results of the pots trial revealed that the morphological parameters of SW-irrigated plants are slightly improved compared to water-irrigated plants. Data regarding assimilating area attributes indicated that the most significant enlargement of the assimilation area was observed with TSW-D (1/4) irrigation by 1051 cm2, followed by TSWP-D (0) by 953.96 cm2, then USW-D (1/4) by 716.54 cm2, as compared to plants irrigated with clean water (506.91 cm2). On average, the assimilation areas were larger by 51.76%, 46.86%, and 29.25% in TSW, USW, and TSWP-irrigated plants, respectively. Thus, SW irrigation supports the required qualities and quantities of microelements and water for plant growth. Oxidative stress assessment showed that irrigations with treated SW caused a significant decrease in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, depicting that the treatment lowered the stress of sewage water.

Recovery and genetic characterization of clinically-relevant ST2 carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from untreated hospital sewage in Zhejiang Province, China

The global transmission of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) poses a significant and grave threat to human health. To investigate the potential relationship between hospital sewage and the transmission of CRAB within healthcare facilities, isolates of Acinetobacter spp. obtained from untreated hospital sewage samples were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests, genome sequencing, and bioinformatic and phylogenetic tree analysis, and that data were matched with those of the clinical isolates. Among the 70 Acinetobacter spp. sewage isolates tested, A. baumannii was the most prevalent and detectable in 5 hospitals, followed by A. nosocomialis and A. gerneri. Worryingly, 57.14 % (40/70) of the isolates were MDR, with 25.71 % (18/70) being resistant to carbapenem. When utilizing the Pasteur scheme, ST2 was the predominant type among these CRAB isolates, with Tn2006 (ΔISAba1-blaOXA-23-ATPase-yeeB-yeeA-ΔISAba1) and Tn2009 (ΔISAba1-blaOXA-23-ATPase-hp-parA-yeeC-hp-yeeB-ΔISAba1) being the key mobile genetic elements that encode carbapenem resistance. Seven A. gerneri isolates which harbored Tn2008 (ISAba1-blaOXA-23 -ATPase) and the blaPER-1 gene were also identified. Besides, an A. soil isolate was found to exhibit high-level of meropenem resistance (MIC ≥128 mg/L) and harbor a blaNDM-1 gene located in a core genetic structure of ISAba125-blaNDM-1-ble-trpF-dsbC-cutA. To investigate the genetic relatedness between isolates recovered from hospital sewage and those collected from ICUs, a phylogenetic tree was constructed for 242 clinical isolates and 9 sewage isolates. The results revealed the presence of two evolutionary clades, each containing isolates from both ICU and sewage water, suggesting that CRAB isolates in untreated sewage water were also the transmission clones or closely related evolutionary isolates recoverable in hospital settings. Findings in this work confirm that hospital sewage is a potential reservoir of CRAB.

Assessment of spatiotemporal variability of bacterial pollution in Darbandikhan Lake and its tributaries in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

This study was designed to assess the spatiotemporal variability of bacterial pollution in Darbandikhan Lake and its river resources in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Seasonally, 25 samples (a total of 100 samples year-round) were collected and examined for aerobic plate count (APC), total coliform (TC) and fecal coliform (FC) in all samples. Descriptive statistics for physiochemical and microbiological variables and the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and OriginPro 2022b–Correlation Plot. GraphPad Prism v9 was used to determine statistical significance (p < 0.05), one-way ANOVA was used, followed by Tukey's multiple comparison tests. Results indicated positive correlations between microbiological and Al, Cu, EC, Fe, K, Mg, Na, NO3, PO4, SO4, T.Alk, TDS, TH, Turb and Zn in most of seasons at the < 0.01 and < 0.05 significance levels. Furthermore, microbiological characteristics had a strongly positive correlation in all seasons. Water resources are heavily contaminated with coliforms, especially in wet seasons. The inhabitant’s activities, untreated sewage and waste water, disposed waste, and livestock were the main contributors to this pollution, which in turn led to waterborne diseases, particularly diarrhea. Considering the above issues, the government should treat the water resources properly and take the required actions to solve this issue.

Antibiotic resistance determinants among carbapenemase producing bacteria isolated from wastewaters of Kathmandu, Nepal

The emergence of carbapenem resistant bacteria (CRB) possesses a remarkable threat to the health of humans. CRB and carbapenem resistance genes (CRGs) have frequently been reported in clinical isolates from hospitals, however, their occurrence and distribution in wastewaters from various sources and river water have not been emphasized in Nepal. So, this study aimed to detect carbapenem resistant bacterial isolates and their resistance determinants in river water and different types of wastewaters. River water and both untreated and treated wastewater samples from hospitals, pharmaceutical industries, and municipal sewage were collected in summer and winter seasons. From 68 grab wastewater samples, CRB were detected only in 16 samples, which included eight hospital wastewater, and four each from untreated municipal sewage and river water. A total of 25 CRB isolates were detected with dominance of E. coli (44.0%) and K. pneumoniae (24.0%). The majority of the isolates harbored blaNDM-1 (76.0%), followed by blaOXA (36.0%) and blaKPC (20.0%) genes. Hospital wastewater majorly contributed to the presence of blaNDM-1, blaKPC, and blaOXA along with intI1 genes compared to river water and untreated municipal sewage, especially during the winter season. However, CRB were not detected in treated effluents of hospitals and municipal sewage, and both influents and effluents from pharmaceutical industries. The combined presence of each blaNDM-1 &blaOXA and blaKPC &blaOXA occurred in 16.0% of the bacterial isolates. The increased minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of meropenem was significantly associated with the presence of CRGs. The results of this study highlight the significance of carbapenem resistance in bacteria isolated from wastewater and river water, and underscore the necessity for efficient monitoring and control strategies to prevent the dispersion of carbapenem resistance in the environment and its potential consequences on human health.

The Effect of Untreated Sewage Water on some Soil Properties in Region of Khabat - Erbil - Iraq

The Effect of Untreated Sewage Water on some Soil Properties in Region of Khabat - Erbil - Iraq

Annual Assessment of Physico Chemical Parameters of The Untreated and Treated Sewage Water Fed Ponds of CHRIST (Deemed to Be University) Campuses, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Annual assessment and comparative investigation on six sewage water bodies, among six of the study areas, three were of untreated sewage water bodies and the rest three were of treated sewage water bodies namely MU ( Main campus Untreated sewage water), MT(main campus Treated water), BU (Bannerghatta campus untreated sewage water), BT(Bannerghatta campus Treated Sewage water), KU(Kengeri campus untreated sewage water) and KT(Kengeri campus Treated sewage water) were conducted to assess the water characteristics and the effect of water treatment process. Water characteristics were presented in terms of physico-chemical parameters.Twenty physico-chemical parameters of sewage water, were examined on a monthly basis for the time period of November 2019-November 2020. During the analysis, waters of treated sewage samples showed a larger difference and more suitable for daily usage when compared to untreated sewage water samples which were heavily loaded with pollution. As per Two Way ANOVA there was highly significant variation in physico-chemical parameters between the untreated and treated sewage water samples(P<0.01).

Marine Macro-Litter (Plastic) Pollution of German and North African Marina and City-Port Sea Floors

The macro-litter (plastic) sea-bottom pollution of 14 city harbors and marinas in North Africa and in the western Baltic Sea was investigated using a new simple mobile underwater camera system. The study was complemented by a harbor-manager survey and 3D hydrodynamic transport simulations. The average pollution in German marinas was 0.1 particles/m2 sea floor (0.04–1.75). The pollution in North African marinas on average was seven times higher (0.7 particles/m2) and exceeded 3 particles/m2 in city-center harbors. The resulting > 100,000 litter particles per harbor indicate the existence of a problem. At 73–74%, plastic particles are dominating. Existing legal and management frameworks explain the lack of plastic bottles and bags on sea floors in Germany and are one reason for the lower pollution levels. Items that indicate the role of untreated sewage water were not found. Harbor festivals seem to be quantitatively irrelevant for open sea-bottom pollution. Our method tends to underestimate the pollution level. Model simulations indicate that storms can cause litter reallocations and sediment cleanings. However, marina sea-floor monitoring is recommendable because it addresses pollution hotspots, is cost-effective and takes place close to emission sources. Further, the effectiveness of land-based pollution-reduction measures can easily be assessed.

Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Cross-Assembly Phages in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The most common DNA virus found in wastewaters globally is the cross-assembly phage (crAssphage). King Saud University wastewater treatment plant (KSU-WWTP); Manfoha wastewater treatment plant (MN-WWTP); and the Embassy wastewater treatment plant (EMB-WWTP) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were selected, and 36 untreated sewage water samples during the year 2022 were used in the current study. The meteorological impact on crAssphage prevalence was investigated. CrAssphage prevalence was recorded using PCR and Sanger sequencing. The molecular diversity of crAssphage sequences was studied for viral gene segments from the major capsid protein (MCP) and membrane protein containing the peptidoglycan-binding domain (MP-PBD). KSU-WWTP and EMB-WWTP showed a higher prevalence of crAssphage (83.3%) than MN-WWTP (75%). Phylogenetic analysis of MCP and MP-PBD segments depicted a close relationship to the Japanese isolates. The MCP gene from the current study's isolate WW/2M/SA/2022 depicted zero evolutionary divergence from 3057_98020, 2683_104905, and 4238_99953 isolates (d = 0.000) from Japan. A significant influence of temporal variations on the prevalence of crAssphage was detected in the three WWTPs. CrAssphage displayed the highest prevalence at high temperatures (33-44 °C), low relative humidity (6-14%), and moderate wind speed (16-21 Km/h). The findings provided pioneering insights into crAssphage prevalence and its genetic diversity in WWTPs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Foodborne Pathogens in Leafy Vegetables Grown and Consumed Locally in Yaounde, Cameroon: A Public Health Concern

This study sought to understand the health risks of foodborne pathogens in fresh leafy vegetables that are grown and consumed locally in Yaounde, Cameroon. Through a survey, 200 respondents were recruited to relate possible food-related illnesses to leafy vegetable consumption. Additionally, a total of 168 vegetable samples consisting of six leafy vegetables and 15 irrigated water samples from five water sources were collected from farms and local markets for microbiological analysis. Using a high-fidelity DNA polymerase, five potential bacterial pathogens, namely, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica were also examined. The mean counts of total viable count and total coliforms followed decreasing trends from vegetables obtained on the farms to the local markets, and these ranged from 4.98-8.74 log cfu/g and 1.77-7.42 log cfu/g respectively. All pathogens detected were of significant concern to public health showing high occurrence in some vegetables: STEC (20%) and Yersinia enterolitica (13%) in cabbage, Campylobacter spp. (21%) in lettuce, Listeria monocytogenes (15%) in African nightshade, and Salmonella spp. (15%) in amaranth. Importantly, 42% of respondents highlighted that they frequently got sick from eating leafy vegetables from the study area. These microbiological and qualitative results along with certain vegetable farming and vending practices (such as the use of untreated sewage water for crop irrigation, the sales of physically dirty, muddy, and unpackaged vegetables) indicated that foodborne diseases could be occurring among leafy vegetable-consuming populations in Cameroon.

The quality of surface water of river kali and its effect on groundwater in Muzaffarnagar District

: With rapidly increasing urbanization and scarcity of adequate river water, there is a constant rise in the extraction of groundwater and its use for various purposes such as drinking, bathing etc. But due to steep expansion of industrialization there is increase in amount of discharge of untreated sewage water in these water bodies which imposes a high risk of percolation to nearby groundwater sources creating an alarming situation to public health. One such case is of the River Kali in Muzaffarnagar District where untreated water from numerous industries flows in which makes its water unfit for use. The study was carried out to access the effect of river water to groundwater within 500m radius and study its impact on public health.This was an observational study conducted in Muzaffarnagar district where, river water from 4 locations and groundwater from 4 locations (near 500m radius) was taken and tests performed for pH, taste, odor, BOD, Coliform count, heavy metals, hardness, suspended solids using references from Indian standards of drinking water. : The water quality of river Kali is not fit for any purpose and also the Groundwater in its proximity is not fit for drinking.

A GIS-Based Spatiotemporal Impact Assessment of Droughts in the Hyper-Saline Urmia Lake Basin on the Hydro-Geochemical Quality of Nearby Aquifers

Urmia Lake is a hyper-saline lake in northwestern Iran that has been drying up since 2005. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the water quality in aquifers that are the main source of fresh water for the eastern plains Urmia Lake, which has been drying up due to intensive land use/cover changes and climate change. We evaluated hydro-geochemical data and factors contributing to aquifer pollution and quality variation for nine aquifers in the vicinity of Urmia Lake during the dry and wet seasons from 2000–2020. Our methodology was based on the analysis of 10 years of data from 356 deep and semi-deep wells using GIS spatial analysis, multivariate statistical analysis, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering. We developed a Water Quality Index (WQI) for spatiotemporal assessment of the status of the aquifers. In doing so, we highlighted the value of combining Principal Component Analysis (PCA), WQI, and GIS to determine the hydro-geochemical attributes of the aquifers. We found that the groundwater in central parts of the study area was unsuitable for potable supplies. Anthropogenic sources of contamination, such as chemical fertilizers, industrial waste, and untreated sewage water, might be the key factors causing excessive concentrations of contaminants affecting the water quality. The PCA results showed that over 80% of the total variance could be attributed to two principal factors for most aquifers and three principal factors for two of the aquifers. We employed GIS-based spatial analysis to map groundwater quality in the study area. Based on the WQI values, approximately 48% of groundwater samples were identified as poor to unsuitable for drinking purposes. Results of this study provide a better hydro-geochemical understanding of the multiple aquifers that require preventive action against groundwater damage. We conclude that the combined approach of using a multivariate statistical technique and spatial analysis is effective for determining the factors controlling groundwater quality.

Water Quality and Water Pollution in Time of COVID-19: Positive and Negative Repercussions

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the new COVID-19 disease a pandemic. Most countries responded with a lockdown to reduce its effects, which brought beneficial consequences to the environment in many regions, but the pandemic also raised a series of challenges. This review proposes an assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic positive and negative impacts on water bodies on different continents. By applying a search protocol on the Web of Science platform, a scientific bank of 35 compatible studies was obtained out of the 62 open-access articles that were initially accessible. Regarding the positive impacts, the SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in sewage waters is a useful mechanism in the promptly exposure of community infections and, during the pandemic, many water bodies all over the world had lower pollution levels. The negative impacts are as follows: SARS-CoV-2 presence in untreated sewage water amplifies the risk to human health; there is a lack of adequate elimination processes of plastics, drugs, and biological pollution in wastewater treatment plants; the amount of municipal and medical waste that pollutes water bodies increased; and waste recycling decreased. Urgent preventive measures need to be taken to implement effective solutions for water protection.

Biomagnification of potentially toxic elements in animals consuming fodder irrigated with sewage water.

Globally, sewage water is considered a cheap and effective alternative source of irrigation and nutrient supplement. For example, in Faisalabad, Pakistan untreated sewage water loaded with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is being routinely used to grow fodder crops in the peri-urban areas, where PTEs accumulate at different trophic levels and contaminate the food chain. Trophic transfer, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of hazardous metals in food chains had toxic implications for human health. Currently, the major concern is associated with the consumption of PTEs contaminated fodder by animals and the subsequent translocation into humans via consumption of milk and meat from these animals. This study thus analyzed the concentration of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in sewage water, sewage irrigated soil, fodder is grown on such soils and the milk of cows and buffalos to calculate the transfer through water and fodder to animal milk. Overall, concentrations and bioaccumulation factors of Cd and Cu in buffalo milk were higher than the cow milk, whereas it was inverse for the concentration of Zn. Non-significant difference in the bioaccumulation factor for Pb in both buffalo and cow milk was observed. Calculation of the estimated daily intake indicated that there was no health risk associated with the consumption of tested milk samples. However, given the widespread exposure of infants to milk, continuous monitoring of milk quality is recommended to preclude a child's exposure to elevated levels of PTEs.

Assessment of the impact of treated and untreated Sewage water on growth and productivity of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

During the summer of 2018, an experiment was done at the Agronomy Field Unit, College of Agriculture, Navile, Shivamogga, and Karnataka. Okra (cv. Arka Anamika) is primarily grown for its fruits and used as a vegetable because its fruits and leaves contain calcium, iron, proteins, and vitamins, all of which are dietary supplements required for a basic diet. Vegetable demand is higher in urban areas even though they are grown in sewage water and are better for human consumption. As a result, okra was chosen as the test crop, and it was watered with Normal Water (NW), Treated Sewage Water (TSW), and Untreated Sewage Water (UTSW) separately and in conjunctive mode, resulting in nine treatments reproduced three times using the RCBD design. The treated and untreated sewage water obtained from college where it is created in huge amounts and on a continual basis. To grow the crops, the recommended package was followed. In comparison to the application of NW, TSW and UTSW irrigation changed the soil’s chemical properties. The results indicated that TSW application resulted in a larger height (168.50), number of leaves (33.00), and number of branches (4.47). However, sewageirrigated soils were much below the salinity threshold, resulting in improved crop growth components and yield. TSW application resulted in a higher fruit production of 32.35 t ha-1 compared to NW (25.20 t ha-1) and UTSW applications (21.61 t ha-1). It's also worth noting that in the conjunctive mode of application, one or two times of NW application fb TSW in cyclic mode resulted in yields of 28.12 and 29.22 t ha-1, respectively, putting them closer to those of plots getting TSW. It also opens the way to the conclusion that sewage water derived from campus has the fewest influencing factors, affecting crop growth insignificantly, and indicating its prospective usage.

SOIL-TRASMITTED PARASITES IN VEGETABLES IRRIGATED WITH WASTE-WATER IN FAYOUM GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

No doubt, irrigation with waste water became a painful reality in villages in Fayoum Governoratemostly because of water scarcity and improper sewage disposal. Ingestion of raw vegetablesparticularly when fresh imposes a great risk on population. Protozoa cysts as Entamoeba,Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora and helminthic eggs can readily be transmitted by contaminatedwater or vegetables.The study evaluated the contamination and infectivity of raw fresh vegetables in some FayoumGovernorate villages, which used waste water for irrigationThis cross-sectional study microscopically evaluated 360 fresh vegetable samples from differentareas in for parasitic infective stages and potential infectivity. Also, 400 native patients sufferedfrom gastrointestinal manifestations were examined for parasitic infection(s). Morning stoolsamples were microscopically examined for parasitosis. direct microscopy, concentration methods,staining with trichrome and modified ZN stain, Rapid immune-chromatographic assay forCryptosporidium, Giardia end Entamoeba spp. are done.The results showed that increased prevalence of parasitic contamination in villages of FayoumGovernorate, due to notorious of water shortage and use of untreated sewage water for irrigation,also there is corresponding increase in parasitic infection among population of the same locations.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in municipal sewage water joining river Ganga, at Prayagraj (India)

Microbial infections are frequently occurring worldwide due to the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes in the environment. Antibiotics are becoming ineffective in the treatment of diseases due to the resistance in bacterial pathogens against these drugs. Recently, there is an incredible challenge for researchers and medical professionals in the treatment of these infectious diseases. In this study, water samples were collected from the junction of river and untreated municipal sewage water and inoculated in an antibiotic supplemented growth medium. The four isolates have been found to be ampicillin-resistant (Klebsiella pneumoniae strain AU06, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain AU07, Aeromonas hydrophila strain AU02, and Acinetobacter baumannii strain AU01) while two isolates as erythromycin-resistant (Streptococcus pneumoniae strain AU09 and Enterococcus faecalis strain AU05). These isolates harboured beta-lactamase and ermB methylase gene conferring resistance to the bacteria. The study suggests an urgent need to stop the entry of untreated sewage water into the river to avert serious health-related issues.

Biochemical and histopathological effects in muscular tissue of carp fish (Labeo rohita, Hamilton 1822) following exposure to untreated and treated sewage water.

Present work describes a laboratory study aiming at assessing the impact of sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents on fish health by means of biochemical and histopathological biomarkers in muscular tissue of fish. Labeo rohita (7.62 ±0.25 cm, 8.25±0.32 g) was exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of untreated (UT) and treated (T) sewage water obtained from STP, Ludhiana, India. Following the determination of the 96h lethal concentration (LC50), the fish were exposed to control (de-chlorinated tap water), treated sewage water, 1/10th of LC50 UT and 1/20th of LC50 UT sewage water. The experiment was conducted for the period of 60 days. Experimental results depicted significant reduction (p<0.05) in muscle-somatic index of 1/10th LC50 UT and 1/20th LC50 UT groups compared to control and treated groups. Fish toxicity induced by untreated sewage water was evident from the significant decrease (p<0.05) in the levels of proteins and significant increase (p<0.05) in content of total lipids in muscular tissue of exposed group fingerlings. Drastic changes in the fatty acids profile and severe histological abnormalities viz. shortening of muscle bundles, edema, hyper-vacuolization, elongation of muscle bundles, gap formation in myofibrils, degenerated myotomes, hemorrhage, inter-myofibrillar space, necrosis, were also recorded in muscular tissue of exposed fingerlings. The intensity of muscular damage in L.rohita was found to increase with increase in duration of exposure. Results demonstrated that untreated sewage water could potentially induce physiological stress and somatic cell toxicity in fish L.rohita. Genotoxicity studies on germ cells of L.rohita fingerlings are further suggested to examine the genotoxic potential of untreated sewage water at high concentrations; this is especially of interest given that many effluents are genotoxic to fish.

Effect of biochar and compost on cadmium bioavailability and its uptake by wheat–rice cropping system irrigated with untreated sewage water: a field study

The cadmium (Cd) uptake and accumulation in the cereal crops like wheat and rice are a serious concern in recent years. Application of various organic amendments in Cd-contaminated soil is an effective technique in management of crop growth and health as organic amendments not only promote plant’s growth but also check Cd translocation in plants. For this purpose, 3 organic amendments (wheat straw biochar (WSB), cotton stick biochar (CSB), and compost comp) were applied @ 0.5% (under randomized complete block design with 4 replicates) in sewage water fed Cd-contaminated soil for effective locking of Cd in soil being cultivated with wheat and rice. The experiment was completed in almost 1 year (December 2014 to November 2015). Our results revealed that all amendments can enhance plant growth and physiology and decrease soil bioavailable Cd contents, but WSB was most prominent among 3 applied. Our results conclude that WSB can enhance straw yield (29.20 and 26.78% for wheat and rice) and grain yield (22.69% and 26.70%) and boast all physiological attributes (chlorophyll contents, stomatal/substomatal conductance, photosynthetic and transpiration rate). Application of WSB decreased post-harvest bioavailable soil Cd contents after wheat and rice crops to 56.37, 48.99% and 7.63, 26.78% in 0–15-cm and 15–30-cm soil depths, respectively. The WSB also decreased Cd translocation in grain, thus helping in decreasing the health risk index (HRI) associated with Cd-contaminated grain consumptions. For economics, amendment application in wheat crops increases its cost, so the benefit–cost ratio was observed to be less than 1. But for upcoming cropping seasons, residues of amendments will still be actively influencing plant growth and yield, so we expect a net higher benefit–cost ratio proving long-lasting use of amendments (especially WSB) a net beneficial approach.

Sewage Water Treatment Analysis Using Activated Charcoal in Packed Column

The research study analyzed sewage water from Eagle Island Nkpolu-Oroworukwo community, Port Harcourt and its treatment with activated charcoal for its re-application. The water sample collected was analyzed experimentally for both untreated and treated samples to determine pH, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Total Solid, Total Hardness, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Phosphate (PO4), and Nitrate (NO3). Also, water quality index (WQI) and status of water was also investigated to know the quality of untreated and treated water sample by analyzing ten parameters based on the recommended standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) and Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) for water quality. The water quality index values for the untreated and treated samples are 108.213 and 40.024 respectively. The values of the water quality index showed that the untreated sewage water belongs to grade E, hence its unsuitability while that of the treated water sample showed a good quality water as it belongs to grade B that falls between the range of 25 – 50. Thus, water quality index is applied as a tool for comparing water quality of different sources and locations and sewage water treatment with activated charcoal in a packed column is an effective tool for sewage water treatment.

Effect of Drainage Water Mixed with Untreated Sewage Water on Susceptibility of Vicia fabato Infection by Botrytis fabae

Effect of Drainage Water Mixed with Untreated Sewage Water on Susceptibility of Vicia fabato Infection by Botrytis fabae