International Journal of Environment and Pollution (17 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Phyto-remediator effect of Phragmites australis specie (region of Algeria) to the total organic load of wastewater  
  by Abdelhakim Sellal, Rima Belattar 
  Abstract: The aim of this work is to study the pollution degree in total organic matter of Oued K'sob (region of Bordj Bou Arreridj Algeria) waters using the dosage of the organic matter and their auto-purifying capacity using chemical oxygen demand parameter for one year at five stations distance. Phragmites australis (Pa) proposed as a solution by studying their phyto-purifying capacities to reduce the organic load. The results obtained show an important organic load in the Oued, especially in hot periods where values that greatly exceed the Algerian standard for surface water intended for irrigation and the limit value for discharges of industrial liquid effluents and also exceed the Algerian limit value for organic matter in surface waters which leads us to classify these waters as bad quality. In parallel, the results also show that Pa has a strong COD reducing capacity of 89.97%.
  Keywords: organic pollution; commun reed; Phragmites australis; bioremediation; phytoremediation; Algeria.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2023.10059437
   
  
• Fine-Tuned Regression and Statistical Assessment of India's Air Quality during COVID-19 disease  
  by Kanu Goel, Harsh Bansal, Shivangi Sharma, Shefali Arora Chouhan 
  Abstract: Air pollution levels in India were impacted signi cantly by the COVID-19 lockdown implemented by the Government of India As most factories and commercial establishments shut down, so did the sources of air pollution The levels of pollutants like dust and carbon dioxide, which are major contributors to air pollution, fell signi cantly The decrease in air pollution had a positive impact on the country's environment, leading to cleaner air and better visibility This paper examines the e ect of the lockdown on pollution levels by analyzing data on AQI levels in various metropolitan cities across the past years, focusing on the months in which the lockdown was enforced The results of this analysis show a fall in AQI levels in 2020 compared to previous years
  Keywords: AQI ; COVID-19 ; Statistical modeling ; machine learning ; SARIMAX model ; ARIMA model.
  
  
• Coordinated scheduling of photovoltaic greenhouse energy based on PBFT consensus mechanism  
  by Hui Yan, Dejin Chu, Yunxin Long, Ping Yu, Duo Long 
  Abstract: Aiming at the demand of photovoltaic greenhouse energy management, this paper proposes a collaborative control method of photovoltaic greenhouse energy based on PBFT consensus mechanism. Firstly, the characteristics of photovoltaic output of photovoltaic greenhouse are analyzed, and the influence of weather and other factors on photovoltaic power generation system is considered. Secondly, a distributed energy system model composed of multiple photovoltaic greenhouses is constructed, and a distributed economic scheduling model is introduced to achieve the maximum utilization and economy of energy. Finally, combined with PBFT consensus mechanism, a distributed algorithm is designed, which enables each greenhouse to make power scheduling decisions together to ensure the consistency and stability of scheduling results. The simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively optimize the energy dispatching, reduce the cost and improve the reliability of the system
  Keywords: photovoltaic greenhouse; distributed energy scheduling; PBFT consensus mechanism; energy storage; cost-effectiveness.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10063371
   
  
• An environmental pollution assessment method for tourist attractions in nature reserves based on factor analysis  
  by Qiong Da, Fang Zhou, Nima Ciren 
  Abstract: In order to improve the accuracy of environmental pollution assessment and shorten the assessment time, a factor analysis based environmental pollution assessment method for tourist attractions in nature reserves is proposed. Firstly, establish an environmental pollution assessment index system for tourist attractions. Secondly, based on the evaluation index system, collect relevant data on environmental pollution in tourist attractions, including air pollution data, water pollution data, soil pollution data, noise pollution data, ecosystem data, and socio-economic data. Finally, a standardized matrix was constructed using factor analysis to extract common factor variables of environmental pollution risk in tourist attractions. Calculate the comprehensive factor score of environmental pollution risk and complete the environmental pollution assessment of tourist attractions. The experimental results show that the environmental pollution assessment results of this method are completely consistent with the actual results, and have a shorter assessment time.
  Keywords: factor analysis method; nature reserves; tourist attractions; environmental pollution assessment.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10063450
   
  
• An evaluation and analysis method of heavy metal pollution in soil of agricultural land around mining areas based on double index method  
  by Xiaojie Hou, Yanle Zhang, Xuan Liu, Chunsheng Zhou, Xingjie Dang, Jianing Hu 
  Abstract: To analyse the pollution degree of soil heavy metals more effectively, aiming at the agricultural land around the mining area, an evaluation and analysis method of heavy metal pollution in soil of agricultural land around mining areas based on double index method is proposed. Based on the correction characteristics of indicator factors, soil heavy metal pollution assessment indicators are selected. The polarization fluorescence spectroscopy method is used to extract the characteristic information of heavy metals in the soil. Using the single factor index method and the Nemerow pollution index method to form the "double index method", the evaluation results of soil heavy metal pollution level are obtained based on data normalization processing. Experiment shows that the highest fit between the evaluation results of this method and the actual pollution level can reach 97.26%, and the sensitivity ranges from 0.91 to 0.97, indicating the effectiveness of this method.
  Keywords: single factor index method; Nemerow pollution index method; mining area pollution; agricultural land soil; heavy metal pollution; evaluation and analysis method.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10063517
   
  
• Deep LSTM model exploiting optical sensors for soil nutrient prediction  
  by C.t. Lincy, A. Lenin Fred, J. Jalbin 
  Abstract: Artificial intelligence is a quickly expanding field incorporated into nearly every human life aspect. There is an enormous requirement for influential and speedy measurement systems to calculate precise macronutrients in soil, wherein fertilizer application can be spatially regulated concerning crop demand. However, develop a potential avenue for research to design a highly developed model to forecast the soil properties. For precise and speedy monitoring of soil macronutrients, a portable sensor device is an essential requirement of an agriculture system. Thus, soil nutrients recognized from gathered soil samples by optical sensors are estimated for their accuracy by the deep learning approach in this work. The deep LSTM model is utilized for prediction of soil nutrients following augmenting collected soil data. From investigational analysis, it is revealed that Deep LSTM model gained least MSE value of 9.106 e-06, least RMSE value of 0.00301, low MAE value of 0.0008 and low MAPE.
  Keywords: soil nutrient; soil samples; prediction; sensor; pre-processing; deep learning.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10064120
   
  
• Modelling of the continuous release of a pollutant by the Eulerian approach  
  by Sara Hakim, Najma Laaroussi, Mohammed Garoum 
  Abstract: The objective of this project is to model the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere utilizing the Computational Fluid Dynamics code Saturne. We employ the Eulerian approach, specifically the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS), along with a Simple Gradient Diffusion Hypothesis (SGDH) closure model. We conduct simulations of a scenario involving the continuous release of a pollutant in a uniform wind with homogeneous turbulence. The pollutant injection is applied either punctually in the central cell or uniformly across all cells in the inlet zone, maintaining a constant injection rate. Two approaches are employed for its implementation: one requires the introduction of an injection across a volumetric source term, whereas the other necessitates alteration to the boundary conditions. Through a comprehensive comparison of the results of these approaches, we have established their equivalence. The pollutant concentration profiles based on the distance to the source of emission for both injection approaches are almost identical, with an error of 1%, illustrating the enhancement of the results previously published.
  Keywords: atmospheric dispersion; Eulerian model; computational fluid dynamics; environmental pollution; release of a pollutant; Code_Saturne.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10064188
   
  
• Microplastic contamination in Saccostrea cucullata: a baseline study along the rocky shore in southwest area of Peninsular Malaysia off Strait of Malacca  
  by Intan Ghazali, Mohd Fuad Miskon, Azaima Razali, Noor Artika Hassan, Norhafezah Kasmuri, Muhammad Zahir Ramli, Kamaruzzaman Yunus, Fitri Yusof, Fikriah Faudzi 
  Abstract: Saccostrea cucullata, also known as rock oysters, are chosen as the targeted organisms on rocky shores to demonstrate the pathway of microplastic into sessile organisms as the concentration in biota can reveal adverse biological effects and provide information on ecological health of marine waters. Eight rocky shores along the Strait of Malacca were selected. S. cucullata's soft tissues were digested and isolated particles were then examined under a stereo microscope for physical identification and ATR-FTIR characterization for polymer identification. Out of all particles found, 58.5 percent had been identified as polymers. The microplastic abundance was between 0.0302 to 0.3586 microplastic items/wet weight and 0.1053 to 0.6000 microplastic items/individual of S. cucullata with typical filament-shaped, black colour, and ranging in size from 107.85 m to 14614.43 m. The information gathered served as the starting point for further research into microplastic contamination of the marine environment and its inhabitants.
  Keywords: microplastic contamination; marine pollution; microplastic pollution; Saccostrea cucullata; rock oyster; Johor; Melaka; Negeri Sembilan; FTIR analysis; health risk analysis.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10064198
   
  
• Effects of metal doping on ozone degradation of tributyl phosphate on Al2O3-ZSM-5 catalyst  
  by Gang Li, Songlin Zheng, Xiangping Su, GuiShan Chen 
  Abstract: In this study, we utilized a commonly used Al2O3-ZSM-5 support and impregnated it with different combinations of MnFe, MnCu, and MnCo atoms. These newly created materials were then tested in a flow reactor designed in our laboratory to assess their effectiveness in activating ozone for the decomposition of tributyl phosphate (TBP). Our findings highlight the manganese-iron catalyst as the preferred choice, characterized by a manganese content of 5.0% and an iron content of 2.0%. Under specific reaction conditions of a flow volume of 500 mL/L, a reaction time of 6.5 hours, and a reaction temperature of 80
  Keywords: ozone; tributyl phosphate; degradation; Al2O3-ZSM-5 catalyst; metal doping.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2023.10064434
   
  
• Towards sustainable transportation and integrating ANN, RSM, and exergy analysis for biofuel-diesel blend optimisation of biodiesel ignition enhancer blends  
  by S. Ajay, S. Sivani Hansiha, G. Madhan, K. Manikandan 
  Abstract: In light of mounting environmental concerns and diminishing fossil fuel reserves, the search for environmentally friendly transportation alternatives has taken on more urgency. This research aims to improve combustion efficiency and lower emissions by determining the optimum ignition enhancer mixes for biodiesel, a promising sustainable fuel source. To accomplish long-term optimization of biodiesel ignition enhancer blends, this study employs a multi-pronged strategy using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Response Surface Methodology (RSM), and Exergy Analysis. In the first step, we build an ANN model to predict, from the chemical and physical features of biodiesel-diesel-ignition enhancer mixtures, their ignition characteristics. The ignition performance prediction accuracy of the ANN model is guaranteed by its training on a large dataset of experimental outcomes. Second, the optimal mix ratios of biodiesel, diesel, and ignition enhancer are determined using RSM. This method methodically investigates the parameter space, revealing the best blend ratios that provide the desired combustion efficiency and emissions goals without compromising on sustainability standards. In addition, exergy analysis is used to evaluate the improved blends' thermodynamic efficiency and ecological effect.
  Keywords: artificial neural networks; exergy; response surface models; biodiesel; ignition enhancer.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10064513
   
  
• Studies on the bioactive elements and nutrients distribution in surface sediments of Cross River Estuary, Calabar River and Great Kwa River, South South Nigeria  
  by Mbuotidem Usen Ntinya, Nsidibe Inyang Akata, Vincent Ndem Osabor 
  Abstract: The continuous misconception of the assimilative ability of water bodies have led to severe pollution of the marine ecosystem. The indiscriminate waste disposal and effluent discharges from individuals and companies into the water bodies, oil pipe line vandalism and bunkering, industrialization, fishing and other agricultural practices taking place across the riverine areas alter the physical, chemical and biological attributes of Cross River Estuary, Calabar River and Great Kwa River. This study was conducted to ascertain the pollution index of the rivers using surface sediment. The concentrations of some bioactive elements (Fe, Zn, Mn, Mg and Ni) and nutrients (NO3--N, NO2- -N, NH4+ -N, PO43- -P, TN, and TP) in surface sediments of Cross River Estuary (CRE), Calabar River (CR) and Great Kwa River (GKR) were determined. The average results of bioactive elements in CRE, CR and GKR were Fe:25.25mg/kg, 30.82mg/kg, 28.34mg/kg Zn:5.30mg/kg, 3.69mg/kg, 3.22mg/kg, Mn:1.37mg/kg, 1.43mg/kg, 0.77mg/kg, Mg:14.95mg/kg, 16.35mg/kg, 16.42mg/kg and Ni:8.91mg/kg, 7.01mg/kg and 8.46mg/kg while that of the nutrients were NO3--N:24.30
  Keywords: bioactive elements; river; estuary; nutrients; concentrations; distributions; surface sediments.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2023.10064514
   
  
• Altered composition of the Indonesian gut microbiome and heavy metal resistance genes abundance in response to heavy metal exposure  
  by Fitria Nungky Harjanti, Maulida Aisyah Khairunnisa, Ruri Agung Wahyuono, Arif Luqman, Anjar Tri Wibowo 
  Abstract: Exposure to heavy metals poses a significant risk to human health due to their accumulation through inhalation, ingestion, and contact with contaminants. Such exposure can profoundly alter the gut microbiome, potentially causing gastrointestinal disorders and heightened infection vulnerability. Indonesia, like other nations, grapples with heavy metal-related health issues. Nonetheless, the extent of heavy metal contamination in the Indonesian population and its impact on their gut microbiome remain unexplored. Our study aimed to evaluate heavy metal prevalence in stools from coastal and highland Indonesian populations and discern its potential effect on gut microbiome. We detected copper (Cu), barium (Ba), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in fecal samples, with notable concern regarding barium contamination (13 of 20 participants), known for its adverse health impacts. Genes linked to heavy metal resistance were widely distributed in both populations' stool samples, including znuC, nikE, modC, mntH, and arsB. Copper levels correlated negatively with Prevotella abundance, suggesting inhibition of its growth, while barium levels correlated positively with Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, and Ruminococcus abundance, indicating an antagonistic Ba-Cu relationship in shaping the microbiome.
  Keywords: heavy metals; barium; metal resistance genes; gut microbiome.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10065024
   
  
• Peak carbon emission prediction of tourist attractions based on fuzzy support vector machine  
  by Xiumei Feng 
  Abstract: In order to address the issues of low stability, low sensitivity, and low accuracy in traditional peak carbon emission prediction methods, a peak carbon emission prediction of tourist attractions based on fuzzy support vector machine is proposed. Tourist attraction carbon emission data is collected, and various factors such as average emission, total emission, and growth rate are obtained through statistical analysis. By combining Pearson correlation coefficient and information gain, the interrelationships between various factors are determined, clarifying the key influencing factors of tourist attraction carbon emissions. Key influencing factors such as number of consumers, transportation mode, energy utilization, and tourist behavior are taken as input vectors, and carbon emission peaks are taken as output vectors to construct an optimized fuzzy support vector machine, obtaining relevant prediction results. The experimental results demonstrate that this method has high stability, sensitivity, and accuracy, enabling precise prediction of tourist attraction carbon emission peaks
  Keywords: fuzzy support vector machine; tourist attractions; carbon emissions; prediction; Pearson correlation coefficient.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10065073
   
  
• Nucleic acids accumulation in environmental waste release: a scientific map of particulate nucleic acid yet unattended and a potential outbreak helix-spring  
  by Bright Esegbuyota Igere, Hope Onohuean, Emmanuel Erufuare Odjadjare 
  Abstract: Various nucleic acid containing wastes released into the environment have been associated with diverse natural phenomena and health-related concerns. This has made environmental health practitioners, and other sectors, to continuously stress on the need for adroit application/implementation of environmental-health-related policy (e.g. water reuse policy/act, especially in continents applying water reuse act) and environmental-wellness act. Although some scientific progress has been made, there is still a non-negligible particulate nucleic acid containing environmental-waste-release in some localities. The current study determines nucleic acid (NA) accumulation/increase in environmental release; a scientific map of particulate nucleic acid yet unattended and a potential outbreak helix-spring. Using the PRISMA procedure, relevant documents were collated from Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus from January 1975 to December 2023. Reports show prevalence of NA in environmental-release which varied with the applied sampling methods and poor application/implementation of removal strategies, which suggests prompt action for appropriately control/remove of release and potential impacts.
  Keywords: wastewater; nucleic acids (NA) in environmental-release; cfNA; cell-free nucleic acid; extra-chromosomal DNA; environmental health risk.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10062258
   
  
• The current status, opportunities, and path selection of cultural industries facilitating China's economic transformation from the perspective of "dual carbon"  
  by Jinbei Wen, Qiyuan Hu, Feng Yun 
  Abstract: This paper explores opportunities and strategies for advancing China's economic transformation within the 'dual carbon' strategy framework by analysing current cultural industry trends. Overall, our results revealed that the scale of cultural industry continued to expand since 2012, but there were still some issues such as imbalanced regional development, inadequate competitiveness of cultural products, and insufficient international influence. Thus, within the context of the 'dual carbon' background, we found that the emerging cultural tourism model, new infrastructure construction, the virtual trend of cultural products, and the rise of digital consumption promoted the emergence of new forms of cultural industry. In conclusion, we advocate that the government should establish a mechanism for the coordinated development of cultural and tourism industries, formulate policies to incentivise community culture and enhance the construction of digital cultural infrastructure, and establishment a platform for the exchange of cultural resources.
  Keywords: China; dual carbon; cultural industry; economic transformation; realisation path.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10063032
   
  
• Evaluation method of sustainable utilisation level of agricultural land resources based on double difference method  
  by Jie Tang 
  Abstract: The sustainable utilisation level of agricultural land resources is closely related to people's lives. In this study, an evaluation method based on double difference method is proposed to analyse the factors affecting the sustainable utilisation level of agricultural land resources. Taking Sichuan Province as the research area, the problems in the process of ecological resources information and land use were analysed. A basic model including explanatory variables, core explanatory variables and control variables is constructed by using double difference method, and the sustainable utilization level under different indicators is evaluated. The results show that the sustainable utilisation level of agricultural land resources in the experimental group considering comprehensive evaluation index is improved by about 1.2% compared with the control group considering only a single evaluation index. At the same time, parallel trend test and process specification model-dynamic integrity dimension (PSM-DID) grouping matching test show that this method has strong robustness.
  Keywords: double difference method; agricultural land resources; sustainable utilisation; evaluation model; explanatory variables; control variable.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10063040
   
  
• Multi index comprehensive evaluation of sustainable development level of agricultural economy under the economic new normal  
  by Liqun Li 
  Abstract: Aiming at the problems of low coupling degree of evaluation indicators and insufficient coordination degree of evaluation results in the existing evaluation methods of economic development level, this paper proposes a new evaluation method of sustainable development level of agricultural economy based on the research background of the new normal of economy. Firstly, construct an evaluation index system. Then, construct a judgement matrix for sustainable development of agricultural economy and calculate the weight of indicators; finally, the Data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is used to fuse the preset evaluation indicators and build a comprehensive evaluation model to achieve a multi indicator comprehensive evaluation of the sustainable development level of agricultural economy under the economic new normal. The experimental results show that the highest coupling degree of evaluation data for this method can reach 0.70, and the coordination degree of evaluation results is close to 1.0, indicating that this method effectively achieves the design expectations.
  Keywords: economic new normal; sustainable development; agricultural economy; data envelopment analysis; analytic hierarchy process.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2024.10063041