Iranica Journal of Energy and Environment (IJEE)

191 - 200

Authors: Mohamed M. El Bouraie, Ahmed A. El Barbary

The concentrations of organochlorine pesticides were determined in surface water and bed sediments from El Rahawy drain in the south-western part of Nile Delta. Results obtained show that the concentration of ΣDDT compounds in surface water range from 0.008 to 0.239 μg L-1 and from 0.011 to 3.10 μg kg-1 (dry weight) in bed sediments during wet and dry seasons. Hexachlocyclohexanes (HCHs) have also been widely used in the region but the current environmental concentrations are slightly higher than those of DDT's, which is due to the less persistence of those compounds. Cyclodienes (Cds) were measured, for example as endosulfan II, in concentrations range from 0.021 to 0.823 μg L-1 and 0.09 to 1.73 μg kg-1 (dry weight) in surface water and bed sediments, respectively. The investigation of OCPs in the surface water and sediments are still within safety margins compared to Canadian guidelines.

208 - 214

Authors: Aliakbar Hedayati, Alireza Safahieh, Ahmad Savari, Abdolali Movahedinia, Parviz Zare, Tahere Bagheri

Biochemical parameters are indicators measured in a biological system which can be related to exposure to, or effects of, a contaminant compound. In current study some serum biochemical parameters were measured in order to investigate patterns of response and change caused by the mercury contamination in yellowfin sea bream. According to the LC50, five mercury treatment was selected. Serum glucose was measured photometrically based on the quantification of NADH after a glucose oxidation catalyzed by glucose dehydrogenase. Serum total protein levels were determined with bovine serum albumin serving as standard. Values recorded for activity of total protein show high significance depletion (P<0.001) with mercury exposed. Although glucose was increase in different treatment, but there was not find significant variation. Results of the present investigation indicated that the sub- acute mercury concentrations tested is a toxic substance in yellowfin sea bream and may cause several changes in the serum biochemical parameters.

221 - 228

Authors: G.D. Najafpour, M. Raeisi

Due to wide usage of nitrocellulose in civilian and non-domestic industries, massive amount of waste residues is generated. The waste has to be treated with an environmental friendly process. Historically, methods for decomposition of waste materials have been open burning or open explosion may not be suitable or safe disposal. Alkaline hydrolysis of nitrocellulose seems to be a simple and inexpensive method for cleavage of its structure to non-energetic materials that can be directly disposed or further biologically deteriorated. Furthermore having a valuable product is desired for making the process to be profitable. In this work, a simple method for alkaline decomposition of waste nitrocellulose to cellulose was used. The effect of sodium hydroxide solution and temperature on decomposition of nitrocellulose was investigated. In such circumstances the optimum conditions that achieved were 1.5 M sodium hydroxide, at 55⁰C. The identification and characterization of product was carried out by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The obtain results showed that hydrolysis occurred and the product was completely denitrified and its characterization compatible and similar to pure cellulose.

235 - 243

Authors: K.L. Njoku, M.O. Akinola, O.R. Oshodin

The toxicity of crude oil on ten accessions of Sorghum bicolor Moench was evaluated in this study. The study used germination, shoot length, root length, chromosomal abnormalities, mitotic indices and EC50 as bioassay parameters in the evaluation with 0% to 8% of crude oil as treatments. The percentage germination of seeds of the different accessions in the different treatments were significantly different (p<0.05; p<0.01 and p<0.001). Significant differences also existed in the rates at which the different accessions grew in the different treatment (p<0.05; p<0.01 and p<0.001). Chromosomal aberrations ranging from vagrant, bridged anaphase, c-metaphase amongst others were noticed in the cells of the seedlings exposed to the different treatments. The EC50 of the different accession ranged from 5.5% to 19% for germination, 4.4% to 13.8% for root length and 6.3% to 16.7% for shoot length. The mitotic indices of the plants were also affected by the different treatments. The results of the study shows that although the different assay parameters show that crude oil can affect different plants in the different ways, 07/125 is more sensitive to crude oil pollution. Further studies can be carried out on the more resistant accessions to determine their suitability for remediation of crude oil contaminated sites.

250 - 257

Authors: Hamideh Radnia, Ali Asghar Ghoreyshi, Habibollah Younesi

In this study removal of Fe(II) by chitosan adsorbent was experimentally investigated in a batch system. The adsorbent dose and pH of the metal solution was fixed at 0.15 g and 4, respectively. Adsorption experiments were carried out at initial concentration range of 10–50 mg l-1 at 20˚C. Equilibrium studies showed that experimental data were well fitted to Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm model. Linear and non-linear forms of pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were employed to describe the kinetic adsorption processes. The model parameters were confidently recovered. The kinetics followed the non-linear form of pseudo-first-order model which represents adsorption of Fe(II) on chitosan takes place through a physical process. The examination of kinetic data also revealed that the adsorption rate was dominated by intra-particle diffusion mechanism.

262 - 273

Authors: Wan Ramli Wan Daud, Ghasem Najafpour, Mostafa Rahimnejad

Fuel cell technology using hydrogen energy is an advanced green energy technology for the future use. This is green, sustainable, clean and very environmental friendly. Green house gases emission from industrial activities has been proven beyond doubt as the main cause of global warming and climate changes. The finite world energy supply that consists nearly 90% of fossil fuel which is depleted; an energy crisis because of widening fossil fuel production and demand gaps. Many nations responded to anticipate energy crisis by diversifying their fuel resources to include renewable and alternative energy and developing green energy technology for the future. Despite political announcements on renewable energy, fossil fuels will continue to dominate energy resources for some time to come and carbon emission will increase but global nuclear energy expansion is uncertain because of international tensions and general public fears of another Chernobyl or Fogoshima disasters or a nuclear terrorist attack. Biofuels are plagued by the conflict between crops for fuel and crops for food and there is a shift of interest towards crop biomass wastes. The further expansion of hydrogen energy is constrained by costs and safety in hydrogen transport and storage. Fuel cell research and development has shifted from older AFC, PAFC and MCFC whose entry into the market were stalled by intractable operational and durability problems, to more promising PEMFC, DMFC and SOFC. A new type of fuel cell, the microbial fuel cell (MFC) is also gaining some attention because of sustainable way of simultaneously reducing BOD and COD of wastewater and provide power; combined wastewater treatment and power (CWTP). The main thrust in PEMFC research and development is cost reduction of membrane and electrocatalyst by substitution of cheap and more efficient organic-inorganic nanocomposite membranes and nanoinorganic electrocatalyst as well as lower electrocatalyst loading and cost reduction of bipolar plate by material reformulation with nanomaterials for injection or compression molding. In addition, cost reduction can also be achieved by reduction of system complexity using non-hydrated or self-hydrated membranes that eliminate water management sub-system and CO tolerant anodes that eliminate CO removal of reformate hydrogen feed. PEMFC system efficiency can be further enhanced by better design of flow field in bipolar plates and fuel and air manifold in the stack as well as through process optimization using process system engineering tools. The main thrust of SOFC research and development is reduction of its operational temperature by replacement with low temperature electrolytes, anodes and cathodes. Future DMFC development focuses on methanol crossover reduction, desired water management and low manufacturing costs. Also for future development on MBC focuses on understanding the electron transfer mechanism and redox reactions in cells and developing more efficient nanostructured electrodes and cell immobilization. The main objective in hydrogen production from liquid fuels are in the development of low temperature auto-thermal steam reforming catalysts, purification of reformate hydrogen through pressure swing adsorption and membrane processes as well as membrane reactors, and higher hydrogen storage capacity in carbon nano-tubes and other nanostructures. The main focus on sustainable hydrogen production is photolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen in solar photovoltaic-electrolyzer system, direct solar photoelectrochemical reactors and solar photo-biological fermentors.

286 - 290

Authors: Mohammad Hadi Dehghani, Gholam Reza Jahed Khaniki, Hossein Mohammadi, Simin Nasseri, Amir Hossein Mahvi, Masoud Younessian, Sajad Mazlomi

In this research, the villages with water supply systems under the supervision of the Water and Wastewater Company were studied. Turbidity, fecal coliform, Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) and free residual chlorine were analyzed. The measured turbidity and free residual chlorine in many of the villages were less than drinking water guidelines. Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) and fecal coliforms tests in drinking water samples were positive. According to the results, it is found out that the water source used for drinking consumption must be fully treated properly and finally be chlorinated Water and Wastewater Company should have a proper consideration on safe drinking water supply.