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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Understanding The Impact Of Microplastic Contamination On Soil Quality And Eco-Toxicological Risks In Horticulture: A Comprehensive Review, N. P. Gayathri, Geena Prasad, Vaishna Prabhakaran, Vishnu Priya Jun 2024

Understanding The Impact Of Microplastic Contamination On Soil Quality And Eco-Toxicological Risks In Horticulture: A Comprehensive Review, N. P. Gayathri, Geena Prasad, Vaishna Prabhakaran, Vishnu Priya

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The horticulture sector, essential for global food production, confronts significant challenges with prevalent pollutants, mainly microplastics. The presence of microplastics in the food chain has induced physiological stress and a multifactorial food safety concern. The complexity of the problem, arising from intricate interactions among microplastics, organisms, and ecosystems, poses a substantial challenge to food safety, necessitating an immediate strategic perspective due to the associated risks to human health and eco-toxicology. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding their impact on terrestrial ecosystems, especially in horticulture. This study addresses the urgent need to comprehend the implications of microplastics on soil health, eco-toxicological risks, …


Advective And Diffusive Gas Phase Transport In Vadose Zones: Importance For Defining Vapour Risks And Natural Source Zone Depletion Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, Greg B. Davis, John L. Rayner, Trevor P. Bastow May 2024

Advective And Diffusive Gas Phase Transport In Vadose Zones: Importance For Defining Vapour Risks And Natural Source Zone Depletion Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, Greg B. Davis, John L. Rayner, Trevor P. Bastow

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Quantifying the interlinked behaviour of the soil microbiome, fluid flow, multi-component transport and partitioning, and biodegradation is key to characterising vapour risks and natural source zone depletion (NSZD) of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) petroleum hydrocarbons. Critical to vapour transport and NSZD is transport of gases through the vadose zone (oxygen from the atmosphere, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methane and carbon dioxide from the zone of LNAPL biodegradation). Volatilisation of VOCs from LNAPL, aerobic biodegradation, methanogenesis and heat production all generate gas pressure changes that may lead to enhanced gas fluxes apart from diffusion. Despite the importance of the gaseous …


Microplastics Fouling Mitigation In Forward Osmosis Membranes By The Molecular Assembly Of Sulfobetaine Zwitterion, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou, Masoumeh Zargar Apr 2024

Microplastics Fouling Mitigation In Forward Osmosis Membranes By The Molecular Assembly Of Sulfobetaine Zwitterion, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Forward osmosis (FO) membranes have potential for the efficient water and wastewater treatment applications. However, their development has faced significant challenges due to their fouling propensity. In this study, FO membranes modified with sulfobetaine zwitterions (i.e., [2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide) were fabricated and used for the first time to address microplastic (MP) fouling issue. Water flux, reverse salt flux (RSF), fouling, and flux recovery were evaluated for the membranes loaded with different quantities of the zwitterions ranging from 0.25 % to 2 %. The developed membranes were tested over 49 h with feed solutions containing polyethylene MPs and bovine serum albumin …