Abstract Hydrogen could be considered a synthetic secondary power carrier fuel in the years to come, subsequent to the fossil fuels economy. Thus the concept 'hydrogen economy' shall be defined, and it will also have a great influence in the future years.The field of power generation (producing electric power), transports, (electric cars), chemistry (hydrogen is a major raw material) are potential users of hydrogen.The experts support, by means of a series of economical and strategic analysis ma...
Autori: Corina Rădulescu, Elisabeta Păsculete, Florentina Condrea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25111

The amperometric response in dynamic or fixed potential conditions, as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) of a copper oxide-copper electrode was studied and proposed for the fast characterization of the simulated wastewaters containing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and sulfur compounds, i.e., thioacetamide (TA) as organic pollutant models. The additivity of the individual amperometric signals in the overall response of the electrode for mixed solutions corresponded to over 95% recov...
Autori: Aniela Pop, Ciprian Radovan, Florica Manea, Georgeta Burtica, Ilie Vlaicu, Joop Schoonman, Marcel Morariu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25158

AbstractThe synthesis of some grafted polysiloxane and azo-polysiloxanes with potential applications as rheology modifiers or surfactants for waterborne paints is reported. Nowadays it became very important to design environmentally friendly systems exhibiting the best end-uses properties. Due to their complex architecture and their sensitivity to UV radiation the studied polymeric systems exhibit very interesting rheological properties. All the polymers containing the azobenzenic groups in the ...
Autori: Constanta Ibanescu, Ioana Moleavin, Iulian Nor, Nicolae Hurduc, Viorel Sandu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25252

AbstractThe paper approaches studies of projections of future climate change that use a hierarchy of coupled ocean/atmosphere/seaice/ land-surface models to provide indicators of global response as well as possible regional patterns of climate change. It is evidenced that, after the global warming, a new phenomenon that occurs in the terrestrial atmosphere has drawn the attention of the scientific community. It is called global dimming - the decrease of the solar beams capacity (infrared, visibl...
Autori: Catrinel-Raluca Giurma-Handley, Constantin-Marin Antohi, Ioan Crăciun, Ion Giurma
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25285

AbstractThe paper proposes a solution for life quality improvement by changing the individual’s mentality and creating a sustainable behavior. The solution consists of the development of a psycho-behavioral pattern starting from the Gorgon experiences. The latter are hurtful experiences in the individual’s life the effect of which is a complete or partial emotional components blockage. The hindrance of these components performance affects the individual’s behavior, placing him or her in a ...
Autori: Brindusa Robu, , Matei Macoveanu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25323

AbstractThe authors propose a calculation example of the optimal sizes regarding the protected areas, taking into account the biological, ecological and behavioral needs of the animal species which are situated in the top of the trophic pyramid. Carnivores and great herbivores are considered the best bioindicators for the Romanian ecosystems....
Autori: Corneliu Maior, Petru Aurel Darau, Viorel Soran
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25342

AbstractWind energy is being used extensively in various areas as an economically and environmentally friendly type of energy. The number of wind farms is continuously developing and it is foreseen a three time increase in contribution of wind energy to European electricity consumption for next twenty years. A complementary trend, of large potential and expectations, is the revival of the small wind turbines (SWT) (<100 kW), suitable for operating in rural areas with moderate winds. In the ca...
Autori: Irina Tiţa, Doru Calarasu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25383

Abstract The efficiency of Cd (II) removal from aqueous solutions was investigated using Sphagnum moss peat as sorbent. A 23 orthogonal central composite design was successfully employed for experimental design and analysis of results. The combined effect of the initial solution pH, peat dosage and initial Cd (II) concentration was studied and optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimum values of these variables were found to be pH = 4.72, 14.7 g peat /L and 13.64 mg Cd /L, ...
Autori: Catalin Balan, Corneliu Cojocaru, Petru Bulai, Doina Bilba, Matei Macoveanu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25399

Abstract In order to improve the photo-efficiency of the electronic process as well as the response into the visible part of the spectrum, TiO2 doping with heavy metal (cadmium, cooper and nickel) have been employed. The objectives of this work are: (a) to prepare doped Me(Cd, Cu, Ni) TiO2 by doctor blade (DB) and spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) techniques, (b) to characterize the catalysts, (c) to study and compare the activity of the Cd-TiO2, Cu-TiO2 and Ni-TiO2 catalysts on methyl orange ...
Autori: Luminita Andronic, Bianca Hristache, Alexandru Enesca, Anca Duta, Maria Visa
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25480

Abstract In order to reduce the cement content used in concrete production utilization of waste materials for substitution of a part of cement can be considered. In this study, two pozzolanic-waste materials, silica fume and fly ash, are used as a part of cement up to 12% and 40%, respectively in concrete and compressive strength as well as permeability properties were determined. The test results were evaluated by using the response surface method. By keeping the cement content in concrete c...
Autori: Dogan U. Anil, Ozkul M. Hulusi, Ekincioglu Ozgur
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25490

Abstract The practical capacity of an ion exchange or chelating resin depends on various process variables, such as initial solution pH, initial metal ion concentration, metal/resin ratio, contact time and temperature. This work presents the optimization of process variables to maximize the copper loading capacity of chelating resin Purolite S930. To study the combined effect of the initial solution pH, initial Cu (II) concentration and resin dosage were used a 23 orthogonal central composi...
Autori: Petru Bulai, Catalin Balan, Corneliu Cojocaru, Matei Macoveanu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25563

Abstract The paper presents a novel approach which aims to support the training of decision makers in maritime environmental pollution policies via an intelligent tutoring system that focuses on the automatic generation of self-assessment material. More specifically, the paper reports on the automatic construction of multiple-choice question tests from knowledge bases i.e. domain ontologies, instances, if-then rules, and multimedia objects. The reported work has been conducted with a prototyp...
Autori: Andreas Papasalouros, Konstantinos Kotis, Nikitas Nikitakos
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25613

Abstract Mathematical models have become a valuable tool to study the anaerobic digestion process, to guide plant design and optimize operation strategies. Models require accurate and significant parameter values for being useful. Although the identification problem is an issue of concern, often is neglected. The described method for model calibration consists on the performance of simultaneous batch experiments (SBE), which requires simple and usually available equipment, and is based on the...
Autori: Belen Fernandez, Jordi Palatsi, Josep Illa, M. Angels Colomer, Xavier Flotats
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25636

? AN ASSESSMENT OF OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS FOR THE REMOVAL OF CHLOROPHENOLS FROM WASTEWATER ? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: A PSYCHOLOGICAL-BEHAVIORAL MODEL FOR RESEARCHERS ? ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE: DYNAMICS OF THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES IN SOILS CULTIVATED WITH MAIZE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZATION ? SOLAR-ASSISTED JOULE-BRAYTON ENGINES USED TO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS ? STUDY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF HEATING SYSTEMS ? MIXED JET-VORTEX METHOD FOR ...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25662

? ADSORPTION OF DYE FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION USING SILVER WOOD SAWDUST CARBON ? TIME SERIES ANALYSIS OF THE HEAVY METALS LOADED WASTEWATERS RESULTED FROM CHROMIUM ELECTROPLATING PROCESS ? WATER QUALITY CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PRUT RIVER ? ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS - BETWEEN REALITY AND HOPE ? INTERACTIONS AMONG CLIMATE, VEGETATION AND SOILS IN RADUCANENI ? IASI AREA ? DISTRIBUTION OF MIXING INTENSITY OF OXYGEN-VECTOR DISPERSIONS IN AERATED...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25669

Abstract:The demand for new and high performance products in the automotive industry is increasing exponentially and this trend imposesinnovative concepts for cars. The future solutions for the automotive industry may find their answer in the fabricationtechnologies and also in alternative propulsion and energy production.The car design field cannot ignore the global economic crisis, imposing new approaches in terms of materials and cost effectivetechnologies and by the means of environmental pr...
Autori: Mihai Comşiţ
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25733

Abstract:A comparative analysis is drawn on the energetic responses numerically simulated for Brasov, Romania location, delivered bytwo mono-axial pseudo-equatorial STCs (solar thermal collectors): a flat plate STC and a STC with heat pipes; the two systemsare destined for future implementation on Transilvania University Campus. Accordingly, two tracking programs are consideredfor the diurnal motion: a) of 1h constant duration steps, for school courses interval (September-June) and b) 1-step pro...
Autori: Maria M. Vatasescu, Veronica E. Dombi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25740

Abstract:The present study proposes a comparative analysis on the clean electric energy response given by two types of PV (photovoltaic)tracking systems implemented on the same location: the azimuth and the pseudo-equatorial. The analysis is done based on analgorithm applied on the two-axes and one-axis systems. The tracking is done according to various laws, obtained by combiningdaily, seasonal and annual tracking programs. The algorithm and the comparative analysis are exemplified, by numerica...
Autori: Dorin Diaconescu, Maria Monica Vatasescu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25770

Abstract:In this paper, photo-catalytic process for treatment of phenolic wastewater by TiO2 nano powder immobilized on concrete surfacein a recirculation hydraulic flow was investigated. The process affected by different operational conditions that the optimum onescould be obtained from variables interchange. Taguchi method as a proper method for design of experiments and optimizationwas used to find optimum conditions. Selected five parameters at four levels were consists of initial phenol con...
Autori: Bita Ayati, Hossein Ganjidoust, Mohammad Delnavaz, Sohrab Sanjabi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25778

Abstract:The paper presents the results of a study carried out using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for prediction the coagulation/flocculation process of suspended solids in water treatment plant (WTP). In this research 5 kinds of Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) as coagulant were used to examine the impact of coagulant kinds, PAC dosage and influent turbidity for removal of suspended solids. Determination of optimal coagulant doses is vital, as insufficient dosing will result in undesirable t...
Autori: Gagik Badalians Gholikandi, Mohammad Delnavaz, Reza Riahi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25806

In this paper, Cadmium and Zinc removal from soil by phytoremediation was investigated. The experiments were carried out with two types of plants, Brassica napus and Triticales sp. Response surface modeling and optimization of Cd and Zn removal rate was performed for each type of plant under controlled conditions, i.e. as a function of Cd concentration, Zn concentration and pH. Although the maximum heavy metal uptake (i.e. 2.4 % Cd removal rate and 1.80 % Zn removal rate, respectively) was obtai...
Autori: Corneliu Pohontu, Gabriela Soreanu, Igor Creţescu, Matei Macoveanu, Paula Caraiman Cojocaru
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25881

This paper describes the scientific framework established within doctoral and postdoctoral programs designed to contribute to a thorough understanding of the specific processes involved in environmental engineering and protection, as to improve the environmental management and performance in an efficient and sustainable way. A coherent conceptual framework is developed for the analysis and management of some specific approaches in engineering and environmental protection (pollution phenomena, de...
Autori: Cristina Ghinea, Daniela Tudorache Fertu, Isabela Maria Simion, Laura Carmen Apostol, Mădălina Petraru, Maria Emiliana Fortuna, Maria Gavrilescu, Petronela Cozma, Raluca Maria Hlihor
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25891

Abstract Oil contamination has been one of the most common environmental pollution due to its threat to both human health andecosystems. It is difficult for the application of conventional chemical analysis to detect oil contamination in-situ, estimatebioavailability and rapidly assess the environmental risk. In this study, two bioreporters were employed for the rapid and directdetection of oil content and genotoxicity in a cutting oil contaminated site in China. Acinetobacter baylyi ADPWH_...
Autori: Bo Jiang, Chuan Li, Dayi Zhang, Guanghe Li, Wei E. Huang, Yizhi Song
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25944

AbstractPolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a typical refractory organic pollutant with low biodegradability and high molecular weight. Thispaper presents data on the radiolysis of PVA in aqueous solutions by using ionizing radiation. Response surface methodologywith Box-Benhken design of experiment was applied to analyze the interactions among initial concentration of PVA, absorbeddose, and initial pH of aqueous solutions on PVA removal efficiency. 9.4-89.4% PVA was removed based on differentcombination...
Autori: Jianlong Wang, Jinping Tian, Lujun Chen, Shijun He, Weihua Sun
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25967

AbstractNumerous governments have adopted innovative policy instruments to deal with important environmental policy challenges.Various forms of negotiated instruments may offer the potential to improve on environmental performance beyond whatregulation alone can accomplish. Dutch covenants, which represent negotiated agreements with sectors of industry as targets ofbehavioral change in terms of mitigation of pollution, waste minimization and sustainable products and processes, provide auseful sa...
Autori: , Kris Lulofs, Laura Franco, Theo de Bruijn, Yanyan Xue
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25972

AbstractSince contemporary economical development trends are not sustainable, and given the fact that public involvement, educationand training are key to a society that aims toward sustainability, it is obvious that the role of education is to trigger and developchanges in the individual’s values system, behavioral patterns, skills, and attitudes. Providing benchmarks in establishing ageneral framework on education for sustainable development represents a key feature, thus making it possible to...
Autori: Carmen Cătălina Ioan, Maria Ileana Carcea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25979

AbstractThere are many treatment methods used to remove color from textile wastewater, and Fenton oxidation, a well known AdvancedOxidation Process is one of the most efficient. Apart of Fe(II), other metal ions have been used as catalysts in Fenton’s Reagent,and Cu(II) proved to be a good alternative.In this study the effect of the concentration of dye, catalyst and hydrogen peroxide were studied and optimized for thediscoloration process of Reactive Black 5 using a Fenton-like process, H2O2/Cu...
Autori: Andrei-Petru Bertea, Armand-Florin Bertea, Romen Butnaru
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26042

AbstractExperiments were designed to optimize the Cr(VI) adsorption on Salvinia cucullata. The significance of different adsorptionparameters along with their combined effect on the adsorption process has been established. A regression equation wasformulated by representing percentage of Cr(VI) adsorption as a function of different independent variables such as contact time,pH, adsorbate concentration and adsorbent dose. The insignificant terms were assessed through student ‘t’ test and are remo...
Autori: Saroj Sundar Baral
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26084

Mother Earth Investments AG, is actively working onthe development 2nd generation bioenergy feedstocks.In this book, Mr. Jansen generously shares hisknowledge in the field, in particular, regarding thechallenges and opportunities in development ofbiomass-derived fuels. This essential guide toinvesting in bioenergy commodities details secondgeneration biofuels from a scientific, technical andeconomic perspective, and discusses their globalenvironmental, political and financial impact.The book is ...
Autori: Roland A. Jansen
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26100

Abstract Being involved in the synthesis of precursors for amphetamine and amphetamine-like drugs, pyridine (Py) may be also regarded as a by-product found when these drugs are obtained via the Leuckart method. Also, pyridine is well known as a biomarker of microorganisms, when those are subjected to pyrolysis before analysis by various instrumental techniques. Consequently, since Py is not commonly found in the air, its presence as a contaminant at trace levels in a room could ind...
Autori: George-Bogdan Ghira
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26109

Abstract Our researches have focused primarily on variations of different biophysical and biochemical effects on vegetal and animal material at macro, micro, and ultra-micro scale resulted from changes in environmental condition. Growth and spectral parameters of rapeseed seedlings from seeds exposed to UVA-VIS radiation with a high pressure lamp which emits incoherent continuously radiation for different time periods were examined 14 days after germination. These studied parameter...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26138

Abstract This paper develops a procedure whereby breakthrough curves obtained experimentally for ion exchange process in fixed bed ion mixed exchangers during water demineralization, can be used to characterize quantitatively and optimize the ion exchange process. In this regard, based on breakthrough curves there were developed statistical models that correlate three important factors which influence the process (superficial fluid velocity through the layer, changing layer height,...
Autori: Iuliana Rogoveanu Radosavlevici
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26147

AbstractEven though natural spaces form authentic tourism resources, scientific literature has devoted little attention to study theauthenticity of the environmental heritage. Therefore the purpose of this work is to analyze the antecedents and behavioralconsequences of the perceived authenticity of high-quality environmental destinations. Destination image and quality areproposed as the main antecedents. Global satisfaction and loyalty are displayed towards the destination as the possibleconseq...
Autori: José-Manuel Hernández-Mogollón
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26191

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact on rooms pricing of environmental management practices in the hotels ofAndalusia (Southern Spain). Empirical evidence is obtained using a database that was created as part of the project Quality,Productivity and Competitiveness in the Hospitality Industry for Andalusia (PO7/SEJ-02889). From this database, we use asample statistically representative of hotels in the region and applied a hedonic pricing model. The main reason for using thi...
Autori: Alejandro García-Pozo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26192

AbstractPresent study deals with a technology that reduces the cadmium(Cd) availability to the leafy vegetable Amaranthus caudatusfrom Cd contaminated soil (6 μg Cd g-1soil), amended with farmyard manure FYM, FYM+NPK and agricultural wastes (ricehusk; RH and saw dust; SD) at different doses (0.5 %, 2 %, 5 % and 10 %). Among all the doses 5 % was found to the best foreach amendment showing maximum reduction in phytoavailability of Cd hence better vegetable yield. At this dose the reductionin...
Autori: Anita Singh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26228

AbstractBased on the measurement at a coastal site in the Yangtze Delta, the temporal variation characteristics of ozone and theinfluences of the precursors (NO, NO2, and CO) and meteorological conditions were analyzed. Also the crop yield loss by ozoneexposure at the site was estimated and discussed. The variation of daytime ozone showed a two-peak pattern during the year with one peak in spring and the other in summer, while the nighttime ozone just presented one peak in spring. The diurnal va...
Autori: Wenpo Shan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26231

AbstractIn this work, a four factor three-level Box–Behnken factorial design based on response surface methodology (RSM) wasemployed to optimize the removal of phosphate from synthetic wastewater (mineral salts medium-MSM) by the bacterialconsortium (Bacillus sp. RS-1, Pseudomonas sp. YLW-7, Enterobacter sp. KLW-2). A mathematical model was then developedto show the effect of each medium composition and their interactions on phosphate removal. The effect of the lactoseconcentration (X1), pH (X2)...
Autori: Krishnaswamy Usharani
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26235

AbstractIn this research, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to model the effect of main operational variables includinginitial pH, initial phosphate concentration, current density and reaction time on phosphate removal by electrocoagulation. It wasfound that the decrease of initial pH and initial phosphate concentration, and the increase of current density and reaction time are beneficial for improving phosphate removal efficiency. According to the ANOVA (analysis of variance) resul...
Autori: Mohsen Behbahani
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26237

AbstractFor the purpose of coping with oil spills successfully, it is important to establish effective response and preparedness plans. Inprevious study, we proposed the use of Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) technology to develop environmental emergency responseand preparedness plans. In this paper, we present how to develop a CBR-Oil Spill Response and Preparedness System (CBROSRPS). In particular, the Frame method is employed to do case representation, the modified Heterogeneous Euclidean-Overlap ...
Autori: Zhenliang Liao
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26247

AbstractOil spills inflict serious pollution on the environment. Numerous environmental rules and regulations have been made to improve oil spill response and cleanup performance. However, current oil spill control technologies have failed to ensure environmental safety and ecosystem integrity. Cleanup efforts often lead to more environmental hazards in one way or the other causing public outcry for alternate energy sources. Since hydrocarbon driven energy demand is expected to rise in the fores...
Autori: Abdul Aziz Al-Majed, Abdulrauf Rasheed Adebayo, Mohammed Enamul Hossain
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26278

AbstractThis investigation compared the performance of Fenton and photo-Fenton oxidation processes in the treatment of sulfidic spentcaustic wastewater. Response surface methodology, particularly central composite design was used to investigate the effect ofFe/H2O2 and H2O2/COD in assessing treatment process efficiency. Empirical models were developed to describe the relationshipbetween the factors and responses. The models were validated through analysis of variance and were further used in pro...
Autori: Azmi Aris, Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan, Sharifah Hanis Yasmin Sayid Abdullah, Siti Fadilah Md Noor, Zainura Zainon Noor
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26307

AbstractLead (II) can bind with papain at its active site, destroying the enzymatic activity. Papain a sulfhydryl protease has beenimmobilized in calcium alginate bead for the purpose of removal of lead (II) from industrial waste water. Effect of lead (II) onthe enzyme activity of immobilized papain, has been observed. A detailed kinetic study has been carried out and the data arefitted to different kinetic models. EDS (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry) and desorption study suggest that meta...
Autori: Aparupa Bhattacharyya, Parameswar De, Soumasree Chatterjee, Srabanti Basu, Susmita Dutta
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26338

AbstractMonitoring an unstable slope is quite important for environmental safety. Based on our previous studies, this paper presents athird-generation distributed optical fibre transducer. The operating mechanism of this novel transducer was analysed for itsresponse to a single concentrated and uniform load, and a theoretical study was conducted on the elongation of the bottomsurfacefibres of a bending resistance model at the phases of linear elasticity and total cross-section cut-off stage. A b...
Autori: Bang Liu, Dong-Yan Liu, Hu Luo, Jing-Cheng Liu, Qiao-Ying Yuan, Yun-Ju Luo, Zheng-Wei Zhu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26348

AbstractThis study was conducted to generate a hierarchical modelling based on ecological land classification in the Yukarıgokdere forestdistrict of the Mediterranean region, Turkey. Two ways indicator species analysis was applied to obtain response variables fromthe relevant vegetation matrix at each level. Response variables were modelled by using classification tree technique at eachlevel. Validation tests (i.e. multi-response permutation procedures for determination of differences of pl...
Autori: Kürşad Özkan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26352

AbstractBased on an analysis of the attitude formation process, a theoretical model of the realization of low-carbon (LC) consumptionwas constructed. An empirical study of China was then carried out to identify the reasons for differences between attitudes andactual behavior to investigate ways of realizing an LC economy. The results indicate that environmental cognition has a positiveinfluence on social consciousness consumption behavior and a negative influence on individual consciousness cons...
Autori: Dandan Zhu, Hong Chen, Jia Wei, Qun Fen, Wenjing Niu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26369

AbstractDuring the last decades, the biodiversity conservation became a constant concern for the specialists in environmental resourcemanagement by increasing the awareness of the complexity, fragility and inestimable value of our planet. Nowadays, this issueshould be an ethical duty for all the 7.2 billion inhabitants of the planet. The biodiversity conservation should be approached as amultidisciplinary research field, developed in response to the actual world crisis. In this multidisciplinary...
Autori: Csaba Lorinţ
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26400

AbstractThe study aimed the diversification of fodder yeast assortments with viable economic effects while reducing the environmentpollution by capitalization of wastewaters with high monosaccharides content from pulp and paper industry and residual wheyfrom milk industry. Using the Response Surface Methodology the fabrication recipe has been optimized according to anexperimental program based on a mathematical model with biomass, protein and residual sugar as response functions. Theculture medi...
Autori: Livia Manea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26429

AbstractThe aim of our investigations was to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects induced by complex chemical mixtures ofanaerobically digested sewage sludge. The sensitivity of monocotyledonae cereal (Triticum aestivum L.) test plant to varioussanitization treatments of anaerobic stabilized sewage sludge was evaluated. Several biometrical and biochemical responseindicators were selected as endpoint in this ecotoxicological tests. Thus, the ecotoxicity of sewage sludge was evaluated thr...
Autori: Dumitra Raducanu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26437

AbstractThis study, analyzes the benthic macroinvertebrates community structure and composition in order to assess the ecological statusas required by the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Macroinvertebrates are the appropriate indicators to describe habitatheterogenity and the water bodies ecological status by turning the allochtone material into biomass, which is then transferred tothe upper trophic levels. Moreover, the macroinvertebrates have the capacity to integrate in their structure the e...
Autori: Catalina Stoica
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26502

AbstractMost studies exploring the contribution of the mycorrhizal symbiosis to plant metal tolerance focus on plant-metal uptake anddisregard metal effects on the symbiotic fungi. We examined the tolerance of the model arbuscular mycorrhizal fungusRhizophagus irregularisto Al and Pb in vitro cultures with transformed carrot (Daucus carota L.) roots that exclude theinterference of other microbiota. We studied the development of roots and external mycelium of R. irregularis in monoxenic andaxenic...
Autori: Mayra E. Gavito
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26516

AbstractSocial and economic development can cause land cover changes that significantly affect ecosystem services and functions. Thisstudy investigated the temporal variation in ecosystem service values in response to land cover changes caused mainly by humanactivities in Harbin City, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in northeast China. The aim was to provide guidance forregional sustainable development. An evaluation method for ecosystem service values based on land cover change wa...
Autori: Zi Tang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26556

AbstractThe objective was to study the degradation of azo dye C.I. Acid Orange 7 (AO7) and intermediates for its synthesis sulphanilicacid (SA) and 2-naphthol (2-N) by Fenton process. Full factorial design and response surface methodology were applied to modelthe system behavior influenced by studied process parameters ([Fe2+] and [H2O2]).Optimal process conditions were determined on the basis of mineralization efficiency. The effectiveness evaluation of appliedtreatment process was conducted on...
Autori: Sanja Papić
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26569

Abstract This study evaluates the potential of Crambe abyssinica press cake, a residue from crambe oil extraction and/or biodiesel production, as an adsorbent for removal of cationic dyes from wastewaters. Batch adsorption tests were performed at 30, 40 and 50oC. Adsorption kinetics and equilibrium were satisfactorily described by the pseudo second-order and Freundlich models, respectively. Adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic. Fixed bed adsorption (breakthrough curve) was satisfactoril...
Autori: Adriana S. Franca
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26597

Abstract High resolution gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry systems are often used for the analyses of dioxins at low concentrations in environmental sample matrices such as soil, vegetation, sediment, air and food. Since the construction and operation costs of these systems are so expensive, the most of the laboratories in the developing countries haven’t the systems with high resolution mass spectrometry. Thus, cheaper systems with similar sensitivity s...
Autori: Mahmut Kemal Korucu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26601

Abstract Heavy metals, such as Cr (chromium), have received attention during recent years due to their disposal in soil and water. Brave peanut (Pterogyne nitens Tul.), a tropical tree, was cultivated in 500 mol L-1 Cr+6 to observe how this species responds to this stress, with a view to its possible application in the restoration of degraded areas. In the present study, we report the use of a new method, photoacoustic spectroscopy, to evaluate the emission of CO2 and ethylene and th...
Autori: Luisa Brito Paiva
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26602

Abstract The present study deals with the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution by polypyrrole (PPy). Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for the design and analysis of experiments in the optimization of pH, temperature, initial concentration, contact time and adsorbent dose during the removal of the Cr (VI). The optimum adsorbent dose, temperature, initial concentration of Cr (VI), pH and contact time were found to be 0.8 g, 46.5 oC, 187.5 mg/L, 5.3 and 15.4 min respectively. ...
Autori: Ehsan Hasani
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26614

OPTIMIZATION OF REDUCTION OF COPPER USING Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PD2 BIOMASS AND ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK MODELING ...
Autori: Arpita Ghosh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26616

Abstract There is broad consensus that adaptation to climate change is necessary and urgent. Numerous documents and guidelines are available that provide advice on how to incorporate climate hazards and risks into spatial policies on the global, European and national scale. The experiences of less developed countries have shown that, rather than simply cascading uniform procedures, methods and techniques of adaptation down from higher to lower levels of governance, a realistic approach calls...
Autori: Nada Lazarevic Bajec
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26612

Abstract The effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition to peatland ecosystem on emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) were measured using the closed chamber method during one growing season within a peatland on the Tibetan Plateau. The highest N2O fluxes occurred during late spring (May), while fluxes of N2O were lowest during early autumn (September). No significant correlations were found between N2O emissions and soil temperature. Because of the sites stable hydrological conditions n...
Autori: Yongheng Gao
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26626

Abstract It is widely accepted that public support is vital to the success of most recycling programmes. The actions of householders are paramount to the success of any sustainable waste management policies whether local, regional or national. This paper presents a study of householders’ attitudes to recycling of solid wastes in Malaysia, which supports the idea that careful planning and design are critical for the success of a new recycling programme. A postal questionnaire survey was...
Autori: Abdelnaser Omran
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26636

Abstract The interest in waterborne paints amelioration increased lately due to the toxicological effect of certain ingredients on human health, the restrictive environmental legislation and the depletion and escalation in price of raw materials. Research efforts in formulating waterborne paints are directed to insure low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission while maintaining and even improving their properties. This paper presents a waterborne paint formulation process. The required ...
Autori: Andrei Ionut Simion
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26639

Abstract The Southeastern Black Sea coastal region in Turkey and Georgia is under threat of severe coastal erosion and shoreline recession. The main reason for this problem is the response of the coast to human activities. While water discharge rates were reduced by dams by approximately 7% only, about 98% of the suspended sediment is being captured by the dams, leading to reservoir siltation over time in the southern Black Sea Region Rivers in Turkey. About 83% of the total suspended sedime...
Autori: Mehmet Berkun
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26698

Abstract This study was carried out to investigate the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) onto pumice powder, as a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of dyes. The experiments were designed based on a central composite design (CCD) and the process was analyzed and modeled using response surface methodology (RSM). In order to study the adsorption process, three important factors viz. pumice dosage (20- 50 mg/50mL), MB concentration (20-40 mg/l) and contact times (5- 35 min) were chosen as varia...
Autori: Kiomars Sharafi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26729

Abstract Response surface methodology and central composite experimental design were used to model and optimize the operational parameters of the excess sludge protein extraction yield by ultrasonic wave-assisted extraction. The three variables involved in this research were the ultrasonic extraction time, pH, and temperature. In the range studied, statistical analysis of the results showed that selected variables had a significant effect on protein extraction yield. The optimized extraction...
Autori: Yulin Xiang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26736

Abstract Natural herbicides may be more sustainable than their chemical homologues, but they are still toxic substances that can affect humans and animals. Implementation of natural herbicides may require just as many safety precautions as the application of commercial herbicides, hence the need not to confuse the term "organic" with "non toxic". Allelopathy is accomplished through chemical inhibition of species towards each other, being an antagonistic phenomenon. Respon...
Autori: Ana Maria Vîrteiu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26752

Abstract Transparent and participatory decision making in solving complex forest management problems are fostered by numerous forest policies. Thus, all relevant stakeholders should be involved in the process of evaluating forest road options from the early stages of planning. However, participatory tools are not yet used as a matter of course in the Romanian forest sector. This study aimed to stress the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in decision making in the forest sec...
Autori: Adrian Enache
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26763

Abstract In this paper, the structure and working principles of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) are analysed, and a mathematical simulation model of MFCs is established based on the electrochemical equation, kinetic equation and material balance equation of a MFC. A simulation analysis and discussions are conducted in a MATLAB environment to investigate the effect of acetate concentration, influent flow and external resistance on the performance of a MFC system. The simulation model is demonstra...
Autori: Aimin An
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26803

Abstract Low-carbon logistics is an important part of the fight against global climate change. It is particularly important that rapidly expanding cities establish scientific and comprehensive evaluation indexes for low-carbon logistics in order to accurately and quickly determine their logistics development situation. This paper develops an evaluation index system, especially including low carbon technological progress, and applies the entropy weight method to calculate the weights of indic...
Autori: Yanchun Chen
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26804

Abstract This work presents the optimization of process variables to maximize the percent of Fe (II) removal, R (%), by chelating resin Purolite S930 from 34% CaCl2 solutions. To study the combined effect of the initial solution pH, initial Fe (II) concentration and resin dosage was used a 23 orthogonal central composite design and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for analysis of experimental data. To optimize the regression equation was used The Gradient method. The study discovered that ...
Autori: Camelia Popa
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26856

Abstract Accidental oil spills represent one of the environmental threats affecting the surface water in Romania, where their number has an increasing trend during the last decade, this type of events being registered mostly on the inner rivers, and not on the Black Sea. Because the inland rivers are used as drinking water sources for populated areas and raw water for industry, the response to accidental oil spills has to be rapid and tailored to their particular dynamic conditions. The cont...
Autori: Delia Popescu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26889

Abstract In the European Union, the hazardous waste recycling has become a priority, as response at legal prohibition for landfilling of untreated WEEE. The economic and eco-efficient recycling methods acquire more and more interest from the industry. The Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) glass derived from Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) dismantle is known as hazardous waste, because of their heavy metals content, especially lead. For this type of waste, the authors have proposed in...
Autori: Antoanela Popovici
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26890

Conductive-diamond electrochemical oxidation processes are promising technologies for treating biorefractory industrial wastes with organic loads below 20000 mg L-1. In this work, electrochemical oxidation of a real industrial pharmaceutical wastewater with conductive-diamond anodes has been studied. The electrolyses were carried out in discontinuous operation mode under galvanostatic conditions, using a bench-scale plant equipped with a single compartment electrochemical flow cell. For optim...
Autori: Joaquín Ramón Domínguez
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26927

The influence of key process parameters of homogenous catalytic ozonation using ferrous or manganese catalysts on the mineralization rate of salicylic acid (SA), model pharmaceutical pollutant, in water was investigated. In order to assess the combined influence and interactions of studied process parameters as well, the empirical/statistical approach applying Box- Behnken experimental design (BBD) combined with response surface methodology (RSM) was applied. Three numerical and one categori...
Autori: Kresimir Koricic
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26939

In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) method was applied based on a five-level and four-variable central composite design. The optimization of the C.I. Direct Red 81 (DR81) removal by the combination of electrocoagulation (EC) and UV processes was also performed. The effect of initial pH, reaction time, current density and initial dye concentration on the dye removal was investigated to obtain the optimal experimental conditions. The optimal conditions with the dye removal of 95% ...
Autori: Elmira Pajootan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26942

Severe power shortages and poor performance of administrative demand response (DR) in China have motivated exploration of potentially more effective market-based approaches to promote DR deployment. We present a systems dynamics model for estimating DR-related costs and benefits to stakeholders. The model is used to study the performance of DR programs under various alternative incentive mechanisms. The systems dynamics process can quantitatively explain incentive-related obstacles in China ...
Autori: Beibei Wang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26945

Fostering energy conservation behavior is an important component of moving towards a sustainable energy future. This study aims to identify the key determinants predicting energy conservation intention in a university setting. The theory of planned behavior is adopted as the theoretical framework to investigate the underlying determinants of energy conservation intention using structural equation modeling analysis. A total of 2,000 students from the five leading public universities in Malaysi...
Autori: Low Sheau-Ting
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26946

The influence of the Black Sea on the continental climate is generally limited, comparatively with other maritime basins. Nevertheless, the influence is important for local scale environment, with several applications in the economy, i.e. building industry, agriculture, forestry. The extension of the Black Sea influence inside the Dobroudja Plateau has been tackled constantly by the Romanian climatologists, the main methodological problem being the low number of meteorological stations in Do...
Autori: Sorin Constantin
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26963

Treatment of domestic wastewater using constructed wetland system vegetated with Phragmites australis was studied at lab scale. Response surface methodology (RSM) a mathematical model was employed for analyzing the effect of independent factors (inlet flow rate, outlet flow rate, retention time) on wastewater parameters e.g. electrical conductivity, BOD5, COD, nitrates, phosphates, total solids, suspended solids, heavy metals in order to maximally treat wastewater. All independent variables w...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26999

Rice is one of the main staple foods in China and plays an extremely important role in ensuring the country’s food security. Therefore, the impacts of climate change on rice yields have garnered considerable attention. In this study, meteorological and rice yield records during 1951-2011 from the Reclamation area (RA) and general agricultural area (GAA) in the Heilongjiang province of Northeast China were used to assess the impacts of climate change on rice yield trends using multiple r...
Autori: Yang Zhou
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27019

The aim of this study was the diversification of fodder yeast assortments with viable economic effects while reducing the pollution to the environment by capitalisation of wastewaters with high monosaccharides content from pulp and paper industry. As inoculum, in the bioreactor, a mixture of two species of yeasts Candida utilis and Candida arboreea (1:1 ratio) was used at 38°C, pH 5.5 and an air flow of 0.02 L/h was insured. Wastewaters from technological process of pulping of softwood wi...
Autori: Andrei I. Simion
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27028

A quick and efficient response to an emergency incident is critical to avoiding further damage, so its evaluation is important before taking real action. In this study, a framework for response strategy evaluation is proposed based on a whole-process risk analysis of historical accidents, which provides a method to compare the efficiency of different response strategies in a hypothetical scenario. The framework is a multi-step procedure consisting of three major steps: system definition, inde...
Autori: Lei Huang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27041

The effects of reconnecting three oxbow lakes to the Słupia River (northern Poland) on the fish community were analysed on the background of environmental factors. The ecological effects of restoring the hydrological connectivity of the river-floodplain system (RFS) were analysed in an intermediate time span (from 2008 to 2012). Oxbow lakes that were cut off from their mother river were characterised by a low abundance and relatively low diversity (Shannon index, H’) but high speci...
Autori: Krystian Obolewski
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27055

Dam’s behavior monitoring is highly influenced by the existence of an appropriate instrumentation system installed in structure’s body, its foundation and in the neighboring area as well as by the periodical acquisition, collection, processing and interpretation of data. Existing monitoring systems may be enhanced with mobile labs that can perform regular or special measurements. Hybrid models appear to be an attractive option for the evaluation of the static and/or the dynamic be...
Autori: Altan Abdulamit
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27065

The release of low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids under lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) stresses in Typha latifolia (T. Latifolia) and Vetiver zizanioides (V. zizanioides) were investigated. In addition, changes in antioxidative enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in the leaves of T. Latifolia under Pb stress were also examined. Amongst the eight types of LMW organic acids detected in the present study, oxalic acid was found to be the most dominant during Pb and Zn treatmen...
Autori: Yu Bon Man
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27092

Biological control relying on soil microorganisms may offer feasible and sustainable perspectives in many agrosystems for management of soil pests such as root-knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne spp.). The rhizosphere environment shows a complex of soil microbial communities, including beneficial organisms such as specialized bacterial pathogens and/or of rhizosphere fungi. New advanced technologies like Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) may enlarge our knowledge about the biodiversity and rol...
Autori: Aurelio Ciancio
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27109

The January 2010 earthquake in Haiti caused catastrophic damage, and the displacement of about 1.5 million people in urban and peri-urban areas of Port-au-Prince. A web-based questionnaire was developed and sent to international organizations working in Haiti through the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster in order to assess how humanitarian actors responded to the sanitation needs for Internally Displaced People (IDP). The findings showed different sanitation systems being implement...
Autori: Daniela Giardina
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27133

This study investigated the different behavioral responses of zebrafish (Danio rerio) under sudden stress from two types of chemicals (heavy metals and insecticides) and explored the correlations of behavioral responses and several well-known biomarkers. Adult zebrafish were exposed to cadmium (Cd) and deltamethrin for 5 hours. An increase in avoidance speed and turning frequency was first detected behavioral response. The duration of hyperactivity was almost 50 min in the deltamethrin expos...
Autori: Yi Huang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27149

Antibiotic pollution has become one of the most important emerging soil contamination types, and has received great attentions in recent years. Understanding the microbial functional processes of soil ecosystems under antibiotic contamination is of critical importance for ecological risk assessment and pollution control. In this study, the responses of soil microbial respiratory activity and ammonification were studied under different concentrations of tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and nor...
Autori: Liangyin Yi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27151

New processes of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to treat large rainfall influent flow of upriver combined drainage system were proposed by taking a WWTP in Tianjin as an example. InfoWorks and Biowin software were applied to simulate the upriver combined drainage system and the performance of proposed processes, respectively. After the model calibration and validation, the influence of rainfall anticipated on influent flow, water quality, and response operation of WWTP were studied. The resul...
Autori: Yin Jin
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27171

In this paper new techniques for the analysis and improvement of the transfer function of a low-pass filter made in planar electromagnetic technology are proposed. The low pass filter is a fundamental element of the filter used for conduction electromagnetic interferences suppression. For this purpose, in order to determine the filter’s transfer function, 3D electromagnetic CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) are coupled with simulation software programs which use equivalent electric circ...
Autori: Adina Racasan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27198

In this study, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to investigate both the effects of biodiesel percentage in fuel mixture and engine operating parameters (engine load and engine speed) on emission characteristics (unburned hydrocarbons (HC), CO and NOx) of a diesel engine. The optimization of biodiesel percentage in fuel mixture and engine operating parameters also was performed using the desirability approach of the response surface methodology for lower emission characteristics. Th...
Autori: Alireza Shirneshan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27217

Stillage (distillery wastewater) is a major waste by-product from process of bioethanol production. It contains large amounts of organic matter and suspended solids, so it should not be disposed in the nature before previous treatment. This work studies the application of ceramic microfiltration membrane for stillage purification. Also, the influence of operating factors on permeate flux and removal efficiency was investigated using Response Surface Methodology. The factors considered for design...
Autori: Vesna Vasić
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27218

In this research, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize five operating variables including initial pH, current, reaction time, initial hexavalent chromium concentration and dosage of polyaluminum chloride as a coagulant for the removal of hexavalent chromium and its relative operating cost by electrocoagulation process. Central Composite Design (CCD) was applied for the optimization process. The results showed that increase of polyaluminum chloride dosage was beneficial for...
Autori: Sepideh Sadeghi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27230

In this study, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor at the mesophilic temperature (38ºC) was successfully used for the treatment of petroleum refinery effluents. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for the design and analysis of experiments to predict the behavior of the initial COD and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the bioreactor. A statistical analysis indicated that the models adequately represented the experimental data. At the optimal conditions, the ...
Autori: Seyed Omid Rastegar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27233

Studies about microwave (MW) sludge conditioning method have dealt mainly with municipal secondary sludge processing. We considered necessary to examine the applicability of the microwave process for other type of sludge, such as primary sludge originating from the food industry. The aim of our work is to identify the main influential operating parameters of MW pre-treatments applied for primary meat processing wastewater sludge (MPWS) as a conditioning process, followed by their optimization fo...
Autori: Sándor Beszédes
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27236

A model for parametric atmospheric transmittance in the UV range, embedding a biological action spectrum is reported. The resulting equations may be used straightforwardly for an algebraic calculation of the effective solar irradiance under clear sky and of the biological dose. Following the procedures described in the paper, various action spectra can be encapsulated into the atmospheric transmittance, besides the generalized plant response action spectrum used as example, leading to a collecti...
Autori: Nicoleta Stefu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27243

Soil in industrial cities and their surrounding regions sustains high levels of contamination due to the intense industrialization and urbanization. Taiyuan, a city in northern China, and its surrounding regions are a hotspot for the development of heavy industry. To assess the environmental quality, we collected surface soil samples from Taiyuan’s urban–rural transition zone. We determined concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Cd, and Hg. The primary inputs of Cr and As were pedogen...
Autori: Jinchang Li
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27260

Changes in the climatic and hydrological variables in North-Eastern Romania indicate that the region has mostly a common evolution in terms of precipitation and hydrostatic level of groundwater. This can influence human communities in the region, given that sources of public water supply are predominantly from underground. In the analysed region with more than 8.000 sqm, 50% of the population lives in the rural area, where the main water supply source is provided by the underground water, mainly...
Autori: Ionuț Minea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27284

Paintings signed by Nicolae Grigorescu and Stefan Luchian, exponents of Romanian Modern Art were selected for a technical study on easel painting canvases. Both the physical integrity and the appearance of the artefacts derive mainly from the strength of the canvas and the physical and chemical characteristics of the fibres imparting their response to deterioration. In order to determine a deterioration pattern for canvases subjected to environmental stress, a simulation on flax fibres samples w...
Autori: Maria Geba
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27292

Pharmaceuticals contaminants in waters exhibit a significant threat on the human health and the ecosystem quality. This research demonstrates the utility of a silver-doped zeolite-modified carbon nanofiber-epoxy (AgZ-CNF) prepared by two-roll mill method in development of the fast methodology for the detection of fluoxetine (FXT) in the aqueous solution. The results showed the role of zeolite that improved the sensitivity and the limit of detection of FXT resulted to the possibility to propose a...
Autori: Magdalena Ardelean
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27328

Conversion of natural ecological systems has been one of the greatest human impact on terrestrial ecosystems. The expansion of anthroposphere altered virtually all biogeochemical cycles of elements. Nitrogen holds a key place in sustaining life and presents unique traits such as broad chemical speciation and mobility within the environmental compartments. With historically adapted ecosystems to low bioavailable nitrogen, understanding the complexity of the nitrogen disruption is a continuous cha...
Autori: Andreea Csolti
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27329

The present study shows the results of the chronic test in evaluating the response of lumbricidae under the action of different concentrations of Alleato 80WG. The earthworm samples were taken from a plot of land cultivated with maize. Survival, biomass and aluminum content bioaccumulated in earthworms have been analyzed. Five replicates were carried out for each experiment. The survival rate showed maximum values (100%) for V5 (control sample), and (200 mg kg-1) (p=1) for V4. The other three co...
Autori: Gheorghiţa Brînzea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27334

This study was to optimize the fermentation process for protein enrichment of potato starch residue (PSR) by solid state fermentation with mixed strains. Three single-factor experiments were conducted to optimize the fermentation conditions, and a Plackett-Burman design followed by a central composite design of response surface methodology was investigated to optimize the medium constituents. The optimal fermentation conditions were fermentation temperature 28°C, fermentation period 72 h and...
Autori: Heng Lei
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27380

Mobilization of micro- and macronutrients and their uptake by Zea mays L. and Triticum aestivum L. in response to EDTA additions to risk metal contaminated agricultural soil was monitored over a three year period on the field scale. EDTA addition effectively increased the mobility of total water-soluble micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn) and macronutrients (Ca, Mg, P) in soil extracts. Mobilization was highest in the first year and decreased strongly over time. Elements with a high affinity for EDTA (C...
Autori: Reinhard Rauch
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27477

The delignification of wood pulp using hydrogen peroxide and xylanase enzyme in an ultrasonicator was studied at different process conditions. The factors influencing the chemical delignification were studied simultaneously using the Box-Behnken design of experiments. The mathematical model for Kappa reduction as functions of consistency of the pulp, concentration of peroxide and the temperature of delignification was developed. The response optimization studies for minimizing the Kappa numb...
Autori: Palaniappan Ramesh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27480

An experimental design methodology was applied to study the copper removal from aqueous solutions by immobilized nanoscale Lentinus edodes. The effect of the various variables (biomass loading, initial metal ions concentration, PH, contact time, agitation speed and temperature) were studied in the batch experiment. The results showed that pH, contact time and agitation speed were the most significant variables on biosorption of copper ions determined by Minimum Run Equireplicated Res V Design...
Autori: Rong Chen
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27487

A large number of microorganisms are capable of producing cellulases; however, fungi are considered among the most active enzymes producers. Different strains of white rot fungi (WRF) were reported to have a great potential for biotechnological applications and cellulase enzymes is much involved in this effect, especially for bioethanol production. Misiones is included in a forest region characterized by a vast biodiversity, and within this environment, a large number of microorganisms can be...
Autori: Ernesto M. Giorgio
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27489

The phenol degradation capacity of Serratia marcescens NSO9-1 isolated from olive mill wastewater was evaluated and optimized in this study. Plackett-Burman design coupled with Box-Behnken methodology was used to evaluate the effects of medium components and significant parameters on phenol degradation by this relevant strain. According to Plackett-Burman-based statistical screening, seven of the eleven components of the medium had a significant effect on the metabolism of phenol degradation. Th...
Autori: Nurdan Saraç
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27495

This paper highlights the utility of rice husk ash for the adsorption of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions. Rice husk ash (RHA) is produced when rice husk is burnt for various purposes. Application of Treated Rice Husk Ash (TRHA) as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions has been investigated. For this purpose, RHA was thermally treated. RHA and treated RHA (TRHA) were characterized by XRD, SEM and FTIR to investigate the effect of treatment on the nature and surface char...
Autori: Varsha Srivastava
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27504

Influence of process variables like pH, adsorbent dosage (D), initial dye concentration (C0), particle size (S) and temperature (T) on adsorption of a direct dye on carbon derived from mango leaf were studied using a 25 factorial design. The main effects and interaction effects were determined using statistical methods. Maximum uptake obtained was 55.7 mg/g (pH = 2, T = 40 °C, D = 0.5 g/dm³, C0= 100 mg/dm³ and S = 53 μm). It was found that the effects of process variables namely...
Autori: Varadarajan Gunasekar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27506

This work describes the variations in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal performances and bacterial population dynamics in response to different influent C/N and C/P ratios in a novel BNR-IC process combining biological nutrients removal (BNR) with induced crystallization (IC). A good nutrients removal performance was achieved at 7.8 of C/N ratio and 23.3 of C/P ratio, where P and TN removal efficiencies were 94.0±2.4% and 90.5±4.3%, respectively. Moreover, significant changes...
Autori: Haiming Zou
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27523

A wide variety of environmental management systems (EMSs) exist today that can be implemented at golf courses in Spain, yet their implementations are not known. The objective of this paper was to conduct an exploratory study to learn about the perception of the present state of EMS applications at Spanish golf courses. An exhaustive study was conducted using a multiquestion paper-based survey that was given to the greenkeepers at 428 Spanish golf courses, and the survey achieved a 13.7% resp...
Autori: Francisco J. Del Campo Gomis
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27529

This paper examines employees’ work-related attitudes to recycling and waste management systems whilst retaining a link with personal domestic behavior. A questionnaire of 38 Likert-type items measured employee attitudes to environmental, waste management and recycling, environmental and sustainability concerns, perceived costs and benefits to the company. The hypotheses included demographic differences in attitudes, that attitudes and behavior are related and that behaviors transfer from...
Autori: Oliver Heidrich
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27531

In this study major factors affecting the phenolation process of lignosulfonate (LS) waste liquor (recovered from pulp and paper industry) were optimized in order to improve LS substitution for replacing petroleum-based phenols during phenolic resin manufacturing. Four different parameters, namely phenol/lignosulfonate ratio, time, temperature and lignosulfonate waste liquor concentration, were varied in an experimental program having as response function the reaction yield. Response Surface Met...
Autori: Andrei Ionuţ Simion
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27551

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) serve as an alternative tool in sustainable agriculture. PGPR influence the heavy metal accumulation of crops in contaminated soils, either by decreasing or increasing the accumulation. This study focuses on the effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on the heavy metal uptake, plant growth and stress response of bean plants. The simultaneous treatment of Cd2+ and Mitsuaria chitosanitabida T310-2/4 (PGPR strain) as well as Zn2+ and bacteria resu...
Autori: Éva Boglárka Vincze
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27554

Urban expansion, often seen as an indicator of economic growth and a possible response to housing crisis in big cities, is the main driver for carbon emissions in the metropolitan area due to higher values of household income, vehicle ownership and home size. The transport related pollution includes over 200 different compounds: besides CO2 emissions, CO, NOx, BTX and dust resulting from exhausting processes, from abrasive wear of brakes, tires and road surfaces. The expansion of the urban areas...
Autori: Lucian Roșu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27560

• Environmental engineering and Management Journal No. 4    • AN ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL MULTIMEDIA MODELLING SYSTEM (FEMMS): PART II – USER INTERFACE AND FIELD VALIDATION    • COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF OPTIMIZING CONCENTRATED FEED BLENDS TO DECREASE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS    • FATE AND BIODEGRADATION OF ESTROGENS IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENGINEERING SYSTEMS – A REVIEW    • ANALYSIS OF THE MATERIAL COMPOSITION OF MIXED MUN...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27577

• Environmental engineering and Management Journal No. 4    • AN ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL MULTIMEDIA MODELLING SYSTEM (FEMMS): PART II – USER INTERFACE AND FIELD VALIDATION    • COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF OPTIMIZING CONCENTRATED FEED BLENDS TO DECREASE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS    • FATE AND BIODEGRADATION OF ESTROGENS IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENGINEERING SYSTEMS – A REVIEW    • ANALYSIS OF THE MATERIAL COMPOSITION OF MIXED MUN...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27576

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) colonize rhizosphere and enhance growth in crop plants, by producing various regulatory substances. Since PGPR employ diverse array of mechanisms and exact mechanism and role are still to be established. Therefor experiment was designed 1) to identify and 2) to select potential rhizobacterial strains based on their impact on the growth, physiological and enzymatic activities of rice. A CRD pot experiment with six PGPR isolates; two containing only ACC-...
Autori: Waseem Hassan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27587

This work describes the application of Fenton’s like system (H2O2/Cu2+) assisted by microwaves to the removal of phenolic compounds from olive mill wastewater (OMWs). The effect of various operating conditions, namely copper ion concentrations (X1), hydrogen peroxide (X2), time of irradiation (X3) and microwave power (X4) were evaluated by factorial design of experiments. Results showed that X1, X2, X3 and X4 had significant effects on the response followed by the interactions X1X2, X1X3, ...
Autori: Hamida Iboukhoulef
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27602

The present work aimed to optimize a new economic medium for biopolymers production by Rhizobium leguminosarum. Biopolymers were poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and exopolysaccharide (EPS and PHB). They were extensively used in various industrial sectors. Statistical experimental designs and Response Surface Methodology were employed to optimize the medium components. A central composite design was applied to increase the production yield and predict the optimal values of the selected factors. An op...
Autori: Mohamed Sellami
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27609

β-glucosidases are very important in the improvement of cellulose degradation rates by diminishing the inhibition of end products. Although, cellulase cost has reduced significantly in last decade but still the high costs of biomass saccharification is one of the main challenges for the commercialization of ethanol from LC biomass. In this work, β-glucosidase immobilization in calcium alginate was optimized using response surface methodology. 89% immobilization efficiency was achieved ...
Autori: Ruchi Agrawal
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27614

Over the last few decades intensive human activities and climate changing have stressed ecological systems impeding sustainable development of the social economy in many regions in China. The importance of ecological security has gained greater prominence. Sustaining or restoring natural functions of water ecosystems is also crucial for human welfare. To assess water related ecological security (WES), this paper constructed a framework based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model with indica...
Autori: Xiuping Hao
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27615

Dam construction in Cuba and their use for freshwater aquaculture development are explained. Some of the environmental impacts of Cuban freshwater reservoirs, particularly in fisheries, the salinization of coastal lands, and effects on marine fisheries, are reviewed and analyzed. Some argumentation and explanations given are in response to remarks on the impact of Cuban dams on species composition of reservoir fishery landings and on coastal marine fisheries. The main impacts of dams are on estu...
Autori: Luis Alvarez-Lajonchčre
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27653

The reuse of sewage sludge will be increasing in the future, with expansion of sewerage works and advanced sewage treatments. During anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants the humification of organic matter will have an important effect on the physico-chemical forms of heavy metals. The aim of our paper was to investigate mobility of zinc from dried anaerobic sludge (DANS) from municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) via single step (simultaneous) extraction pr...
Autori: Vladimír Frišták
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27695

• INFLUENCING FACTORS OF THE ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION OF FARMERS FOR CONTROLLING FERTILIZER-INDUCED WATER POLLUTION    • DETERMINATION OF THE RARE EARTH METALS IN THE RED MUD FOR POSSIBLE UTILIZATION    • Fe(II) AND Mn(II) REMOVAL FROM CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER BY ADSORPTION: A COMPARISON OF ACTIVATED CARBON AND PINE BARK    • RESPONSE OF UPLAND COTTON GENOTYPES TO SALINITY AT EARLY GROWTH STAGES    • KINETICS AND ISOTH...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27782

Salt tolerance was studied in eight upland cotton cultivars (CIM-446, CIM-473, CIM-496, CIM-499, CIM-506, CIM-554, CIM-707 and SLH-284) under four NaCl salinity concentrations (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) and control. Significant (p≤0.01) variations were observed among cultivars, salinity concentrations, and cultivar by salinity interactions for various growth traits and ions (K+ and Na+) accumulation in dry shoot and root tissues. As compared to control, the growth variables were decreased by i...
Autori: Zarina Bibi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27778

Application of a biological treatment system using white rot fungi is an interesting alternative for treatment of water and wastewater contaminated with persistent organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A packed bed bioreactor using the white rot fungi, Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) was evaluated for degradation of pyrene and phenanthrene in polluted wastewater. White rot fungi have significant potential to metabolize organic pollutants such as PAHs...
Autori: Mahsa Baniasadi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27767

• INFLUENCING FACTORS OF THE ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION OF FARMERS FOR CONTROLLING FERTILIZER-INDUCED WATER POLLUTION    • DETERMINATION OF THE RARE EARTH METALS IN THE RED MUD FOR POSSIBLE UTILIZATION    • Fe(II) AND Mn(II) REMOVAL FROM CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER BY ADSORPTION: A COMPARISON OF ACTIVATED CARBON AND PINE BARK    • RESPONSE OF UPLAND COTTON GENOTYPES TO SALINITY AT EARLY GROWTH STAGES    • KINETICS AND ISOTH...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27729

• INFLUENCING FACTORS OF THE ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION OF FARMERS FOR CONTROLLING FERTILIZER-INDUCED WATER POLLUTION    • DETERMINATION OF THE RARE EARTH METALS IN THE RED MUD FOR POSSIBLE UTILIZATION    • Fe(II) AND Mn(II) REMOVAL FROM CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER BY ADSORPTION: A COMPARISON OF ACTIVATED CARBON AND PINE BARK    • RESPONSE OF UPLAND COTTON GENOTYPES TO SALINITY AT EARLY GROWTH STAGES    • KINETICS AND ISOTH...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27730

In this study, the development of a suitable methodology for establishing and monitoring indicators of Ecosystem Health (EH) and its responses to wildfire using Earth Observation (EO) data synergistically with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is investigated. The proposed methodology combined GIS and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data to assess ecosystem characteristics, including its vigor, organization and resilience, for a case study in Central Gr...
Autori: Aaron Evans
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27745

As it is widely known, according with European directives, the correct approach for waste management is based on a strict hierarchy of prevention, reuse and recycling, energy recovery and final disposal. In that way, all the countries have to strongly move in urban waste reduction and recycling promotion. The principles of the Circular Economy have become part of the European and other extra Europe Countries regulations. The European pack on Circular Economy suggests ambitious objectives by 203...
Autori: Alfonso Andretta
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27785

Leachate production and management are recognized as one of the greatest problems associated with environmentally operations for landfills. Variations in leachate quality and quantity are related to rainfall depth and its infiltration processes into landfill. This work examines important hydrological problems of the Scarpino site (Genoa, northern Italy), a garbage dump which covers the valley of a first order flash creek with a surface of 100 hectares, located in one of the rainiest area of Ita...
Autori: Marco Mancini
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27788

Activated sludge (AS) is the mainly used biological process in water treatment; therefore, assessing the influence of various operating conditions on this process is relevant. This study aimed to evaluate at laboratory-scale the influence of the gas-to-liquid volume ratio (RG/L) and the stirring speed (SS) on the biodegradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) by activated sludge. For this purpose, a central composite design (CCD) was used in association with response surface methodology (RSM). Batch cult...
Autori: Samer Semrany
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27869

In this study, nine microbial strains with oil-degrading function were isolated from oil-contaminated soil near four oil wells in the 0.6 km2 area of the Jinnan Oil Field, Huaian, Jiangsu, China (32°57′ N, 119°02′ E). Based on morphological observations, physiological and biochemical responses, and molecular identification, we confirmed that the nine strains belong to five genera: Pseudomonas, Raoultella, Lysinibacillus, Escherichia, and Klebsiella. The degradation capacity o...
Autori: Yujia Liu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27848

Greywater reuse is widely accepted as a suitable response to the increasing demand of fresh water in urban areas. On the other hand, strict environmental regulations have obligated the development and implementation of membrane separation technologies for production of municipal potable water, in industrial water supply and in wastewater treatment. Potential energy crisis in the future has highlighted the importance of using renewable source of energy for membrane separation processes. This r...
Autori: Mohammad Ramezanianpour
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27889

Advanced oxidation process is getting tremendous importance in the treatment techniques for the removal of nonbiodegradable organics from wastewater due to its ability to completely mineralize the pollutants. It uses different methods to produce hydroxyl radicals which are responsible for oxidation of pollutants. In this work, studies on Fenton, ultraviolet radiation (UV) and UVhydrogen peroxide processes for removing acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide from aqueous solution are carried ...
Autori: Puthenkattil Abdukunji Fasnabi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27895

Considering world energy demand and its security, much attention has been focused on identifying promising lignocellulosic substrates to generate a variety of downstream fuels and chemicals. In response, a recent key research area has centered on hydrolysis of cell wall polysaccharides by various physical, chemical and biological means. Due to their complex chemical and molecular structure, there is a substantial knowledge gap in understanding of biomass recalcitrance and its relationship wit...
Autori: Nadeem Akhtar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27908

In this study, Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles with 2% Mg content were synthesized by sol-gel method. The structure and morphology of the nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, BET and UV-Vis absorbance techniques. From TEM image, it was found out that the nanoparticles had uniform size and uniform distribution. BET analysis revealed that in comparison with pure ZnO, Mg 2%/ZnO nanoparticles had a higher specific surface area. Based on UV-Vis absorbance analysis, Mg 2%/ZnO nanoparticles shifted t...
Autori: Nahide Zarei
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27909

The manner in which individuals deal with stressful situations depends on several variables. Personality characteristics, event circumstances, preparedness of individual, personal appraisal of events, pre-existing organizational and personal stressors are all key factors. Psychological resistance to stress can be the result of spontaneous evolution, or can be developed through special training, through programs that increase the threshold beyond which functional alterations may occur, resulti...
Autori: Izabella Kovacs
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27958

Human behavior in critical situations is at the core of all concerns about the fire safety of buildings, regardless of their destination. The way in which the human caught in the fire reacts to the risk factor to which he is exposed, his behavioral response to the direct action of the fire, or his psychological response to the effect of the fire (temperature, smoke opacity, reduced visibility, exposure to toxic combustion gases), are all factors that can drastically influence the required saf...
Autori: Marius Cornel Şuvar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27965

A series of water quality and ecological problems are caused by algal blooms, and natural allelochemicals are considered as the source of algaecides due to their friendly advantages to environment. It has been reported that abundance of secondary metabolites are found in grape plants, and the extracts from the plant exhibit antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal capacities. In order to reveal the anti-algal activity of grape pruning wastes and promote their usage, we analyzed the composition ...
Autori: Zhaojiang Zuo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27971

Water retention capacity and hydraulic conductivity are major soil hydraulic properties that influence soil quality and the environment. The objective of this work was to assess major soil hydraulic characteristics in response to the effect of soil management and tillage practices. Eight soil treatments were considered: conventional tillage, reduced tillage, no-tillage, fallow notillage, abandoned soil, compacted soil, plough on compacted soil, and application of super absorbent polymers. The...
Autori: Fereshte Haghighi Fashi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27996

After the recent global financial and economic crises, unemployment, especially among young people have become a particularly serious problem. Fostering young entrepreneurship represent not only a tool to combat young unemployment and social exclusion but also a way to encourage innovation and a country’s economic growth. Education and training can contribute in building an entrepreneurial society and may shape individuals attitudes versus risk-taking. Risk taken ability is an important...
Autori: Ana Iolanda Vodă
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28038

In this research, optimization of Homogeneous Fenton process was performed using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Taguchi method to remove Ciprofloxacin (CIP) from an aqueous phase. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is one of the most comprehensive systems designed for multi-criteria decision making. In this study, paired comparisons based on the AHP method were performed for three criteria including (i) CIP removal, (ii) COD removal and (iii) Sludge to iron ratio (SIR) to select th...
Autori: Marjan Salari
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28040

The concept of the sustainable development which is defined in terms of the triple bottom line (economic, environmental and social) is becoming increasingly important. Until now, however, the social aspects have been under-investigated in comparison to environmental and economic aspects. From the product design point of view there is an emergency for development tools and methodologies that are directly linked with the social pillar of sustainability. The research has as main target to discover ...
Autori: Nikolaos Efkolidis
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28052

Wastewater for irrigating tree crops may act both as water and mineral nutrients source, offering potential agronomical and environmental advantages. This work investigated the effect of an entire season supply of secondary treated wastewater (STW) on the nutritional and physiological responses of 3 year old apple trees. Trees (Gala /M9) were individually grown on 40-L pots filled with a sandy-loamy soil and drip irrigated with: 1)Tap water (TW) (without any mineral fertilizer inputs); 2) Tap wa...
Autori: Giulio Demetrio Perulli
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28079

Sediments in coastal areas can accumulate a variety of contaminants, acting as both carriers and long-term secondary sources of contamination for aquatic ecosystems. Nowadays, there is a growing interest on developing new assessment criteria of sediment ecological quality for setting priorities and management strategies of contaminated materials. According to the literature, the weight of evidence (WOE) approach has been developed to provide a multidisciplinary characterization which combines di...
Autori: Francesco Todaro
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28089

In this study we present time-related 3D ERI models for a site that was contaminated using waste automobile engine oil. The pristine geo-electrical characteristics of the site were recorded before the contamination was carried out. The purpose of the study was to progressively monitor the geo-electrical responses of the site for possible natural bio-transformations on the waste oil. Data were acquired once every two weeks for a period of three months using eight parallel 2D resistivity profiles....
Autori: Bokani Nthaba
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28118

Challenges that characterize the relations between humans and environment can be addressed using the concepts and methods of ecosystem services assessment to provide a proper basis for environmental accountability and policy development. While the provisioning ecosystem services received a lot of focus in the science, and based on different cultural values that may be associated to different regions, there are still gaps in understanding how local communities use the ecosystems’ cultural s...
Autori: Danny Daniel Castillo Vizuete
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28126

Salinity of irrigation water is one of the main environmental constraints limiting the geographical distribution of several species. In order to understand and to cope with critical environmental constraint, a pot experiment was undertaken to investigate the potential effect of irrigation with various natural saline waters gathered from arid and semiarid regions; on rooting of stem cuttings, growth and on the physiological responses of Mascarene grass (Zoysia tenuifolia Willd.). The obtained res...
Autori: Sihem Soufi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28169

The objective of the present work was to introduce a novel adsorbent with high adsorption potential toward methylene blue by decorating montmorillonite clay (MMT clay) with Zn(OH)2–nanoparticles (Zn(OH)2–NPs). The adsorbent was characterized structurally by FE-SEM and FTIR techniques. Central composite design–response surface methodology was applied to optimize experimental variables including adsorbent dosage, pH, initial MB concentration, NaCl concentration, and sonication ti...
Autori: Adel Valipour
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28173

The mineral contents of leaf, leaf petiole, fruit and fruit peduncle during the early and late stages of the production cycle may explain differences in response to fertilization in several strawberry genotypes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of two strawberry cultivars grown in soil. The nutritional status was determined as the amounts of nutrients taken up by the strawberry plants and the nutrient distribution within various parts of the plants during the produ...
Autori: Antonio DomĂ­nguez
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28187

Architects and engineers play an important role in the choice of innovative and environmentally sustainable materials and techniques. To define these materials and techniques, they mobilize competencies acquired throughout their lives. To learn the profile of the environmentally innovative architect and engineer in Brazil, we created a self-assessment instrument that allows us to identify essential characteristics in practice, namely, which competencies are mobilized when they choose an environ...
Autori: Elaine Resende
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28223

The solar energy received by the atmosphere of the Earth is universally distributed, which constitutes the atmospheric dynamics. The changes observed in the climate of the Earth are due to solar output variations. Some detailed reviews have accounted for the influence of solar activities on the climate using sunspot number derived from peak Sun hours, but has gaps in analyzing critical statistical background information, seasonal, latitudinal and solar activity year validation. A number of st...
Autori: Chukwuma Moses Anoruo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28260

The Jinghui Canal Irrigation District (JCID) is a highly productive agricultural area of Shaanxi province, China. Because of severe water scarcity, implementing water-saving renovation practices for agricultural sustainability is necessary. To determine the influence of different water saving practises on the shallow groundwater system in the JCID, ArcGIS and Processing MODFLOW are used to simulate changes in shallow groundwater in the irrigated farmland in this area. The results show that field...
Autori: Fenggang Dai
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28278

The global climate change, especially global warming, has seriously affected our living environment and the terrestrial biosphere. The typical consequences include biosystem destruction, crop failure and the rise of sea level. Therefore, a growing attention has been paid to quantify the relationship and mutual influence between vegetation and climate in the recent decade. In this paper, the vegetation distribution across China is digitized using the geographic information system (GIS) software....
Autori: Yan Wang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28282

This study shows the results of the experimental investigation of refinery wastewater treatment by the electro-Fenton process. The experiments were designed using Taguchi design approach with an orthogonal array (OA) of L16 runs. Four process variables (current density (CD), temperature (T), Fe2+ concentration (Fe2+), and time (t)) at four different levels were considered for the present design. Regression analysis was performed to predict a correlation for the response function (chemical oxyge...
Autori: Zainab I. Abbas
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28322

Optimal evacuation routes are crucial to protect workers’ safety when accidental leakage of toxic gas occurs in chemical plants. However, the majority of route optimization focuses on the transport field and few on the evacuation routing optimization in chemical plants. This paper proposes a dynamic evacuation routing optimization method for chemical plants under toxic gas release scenarios. From the complete accident scenario set (CASS) built with wind fields and leakage sources, the leak...
Autori: Ying Liu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28336

Water treatment has been extensively studied; however, only a few studies have considered it in isolated sites that do not have electric supply, which is a major inconvenience for inhabitants of rural areas. In this paper, the aim was to develop and implement a photovoltaic generator (PVG) that powers a pumping system, and water treatment with ozone. First, the PVG panel’s orientation was optimized using response surface modelling to identify the optimum operating orientation angles. Then,...
Autori: Mohammed Nadjib Brahami
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28341