Household food waste contributes extensively to environmental degradation, and it accounts for half of the food wasted around the globe. This study investigates the effect of religious orientations (intrinsic and extrinsic) on household food waste prevention behavior, considering the mediating role of emotional intelligence and spiritual well-being. A questionnaire was distributed to evaluate the research variables targeting women (n = 475). Structural equation modeling has been adopted to analyze the data. Findings demonstrate that intrinsic religious orientation positively impacts household food waste prevention behavior, whereas extrinsic religious orientation negatively impacts it. Moreover, emotional intelligence and spiritual well-being play a mediating role through the effect of intrinsic religious orientation on household food waste prevention behavior. This study indicates that intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientations have opposite effects on household food waste prevention behavior. Also, emotional intelligence and spiritual well-being highlight the need for different strategies to encourage food waste reduction behavior specific to an individual's religious orientation.

This study carries out a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts associated with different options for the treatment of perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS). Four carbonaceous materials are analyzed: Metal oxide sawdust biochar (MOSB), Corn straw biochar (CSB), Bamboo activated carbon (BAC), and Commercial granular activated carbon (GAC). The key impact categories included Human Carcinogenic Toxicity, Marine Ecotoxicity, Freshwater Ecotoxicity, and Freshwater Eutrophication. Results showed GAC with the lowest environmental impacts (<= 1 % of impacts across categories), followed by BAC (1-2 %), CSB (5-7 %) and MOSB with the highest environmental impacts (> 90 % across categories). Electricity, nitrogen, and water are the main contributors to over 90 % of the environmental impacts of the adsorbents. In terms of energy, MOSB uses the most energy (0.72 MJ), mostly from non-renewable sources, while GAC is the most energy-efficient, using only 0.0023 MJ. Regarding the final waste scenario, landfilling presented lower environmental impacts than incineration for MOSB, CSB, BAC, and GAC in general, except for land use and mineral resource scarcity. The treatment of hazardous waste causes over 90 % of the total impacts, while transportation has minimal effects. Sensitivity analyses on yield, electricity mix, water source, and ReCiPe time-horizon assumptions confirmed that the relative ranking of adsorbents remains stable, even though absolute impact levels vary. The findings of this study indicate the use of GAC as a promising method for producing high-quality sorbents that can effectively remove PFOS from water, with the lowest environmental impacts associated.

Given the increasing scarcity of potable water and the rising generation of domestic and industrial wastewater, the reuse of greywater to meet part of plant water requirements, along with its environmentally friendly approach, has gained increasing attention. The present study was conducted in 2023 to investigate the effects of microorganisms and biochar on the establishment and growth of Crassula capitella Thunb., as well as on greywater treatment. Cyanobacteria (C0, C0.4, and C0.8 g), mycorrhiza (M0, M5, and M10 g), and biochar (B0, B5, and B10 g) were evaluated under two irrigation regimes including municipal water (MW) and greywater (GW) within a green wall system in Mashhad, Iran. The results indicated that the combined treatments and irrigation water type had statistically significant effects on most of the measured traits. The C0.4-M10-B0 treatment increased chlorophyll content by more than 97% (from 4.93 to 9.74 µg g⁻¹ FW), while the C0-M10-B5 treatment increased RFW and RDW by 189 and 298%, respectively (from 2.530 to 7.309 g and from 0.353 to 1.407 g), compared to their respective minimum values. The initial wastewater COD (376 mg/L) was 118% greater than the COD measured after treatment with C0.4-M10-B0 (173 mg/L). Overall, the C0-M10-B5 and C0.4-M10-B0 treatments showed superior performance in improving plant establishment and growth of C. capitella in the green wall system, while the C0.4-M10-B0 and C0.4-M5-B5 treatments were more effective in greywater treatment. Based on these findings, the integrated use of cyanobacteria, mycorrhizae, and biochar may contribute to the establishment of Crassula in green wall systems and to urban water resource management under the conditions tested in Mashhad, Iran. However, further studies are needed to assess the applicability of these results to other cities or environmental conditions.

The Heavy Metal (HM) contamination in surface soils poses significant environmental and health concerns near the mining operations. This study examined the concentrations and health risks of the five HMs lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), and iron (Fe) in soils surrounding the Sangan iron ore mines in eastern Iran. Sixty soil samples were collected at depths of 0-20 cm from sites adjacent to the mining area and one control site. The HM concentrations were compared to the global shale values. Soil contamination was quantified using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo). Health risks to the local residents were assessed using the US Environmental Protection Agency's Human Health Risk Evaluation Index. The analysis revealed that the lead concentrations near the mine exceeded the global shale standards, while the arsenic levels remained marginally below permissible limits established by global soil standards. The Igeo values indicated low to moderate the contamination levels for both Pb and As in the mining-adjacent areas. The risk assessment results showed that non-carcinogenic risk indices were within acceptable limits for both children and adults. However, arsenic posed a significant carcinogenic risk to adults through two exposure pathways: ingestion (3.36E-04) and dermal absorption (1.36E-04). These findings highlight the importance of implementing regular monitoring protocols for potentially hazardous elements in the mining region to prevent and mitigate pollution-related health risks.

Bread production is a pivotal component of global nutrition. However, its extensive production imposes significant strain on resources and energy, resulting in substantial environmental consequences. This study focuses on a multidimensional assessment of the environmental sustainability of the bread life cycle as a case study in Iran. By integrating four life cycle assessment (LCA) methods, this research demonstrates a comprehensive analysis of environmental effects, energy consumption, and exergy demand in bread production. It also identifies the hotspot stages and inputs within the bread production chain. Eventually, it proposes strategies for mitigating the environmental impacts in line with sustainable development goals. Data collection involved questionnaires by face-to-face interviews. The LCA evaluation was conducted using SimaPro software. Sustainability analysis was assessed using four different methods: CML, ReCiPe, cumulative energy demand (CED), and cumulative exergy demand (CExD) method, from cradle to bakery gate. The CML method results indicate that the highest environmental impacts are associated with marine aquatic ecotoxicity (157.04 to 193.36 kg 1,4-DB eq), fossil fuel depletion (11.05 to 12.73 MJ), eutrophication (4.20 × 10−3 to 4.70 × 10−3 kg PO4−3 eq), acidification (8.09 × 10−3 to 9.16 × 10−3 kg SO2 eq), and global warming (0.61 to 0.69 kg CO2 eq). The ReCiPe method highlights wheat production stages and gas consumption as the most significant contributors to damage in terms of human health, ecosystems, and resource consumption indicators. The CED method reveals that fossil energy accounts for over 97

Phytoremediation experiments were carried out to investigate the ability of two species of Salicornia persica and Salicornia perspolitana for the extraction of heavy metals including aluminum, iron and copper. In this study, manure and biochar were applied to improve phytoremediation performance. The two species of S. persica and S. perspolitana were grown outdoor in experimental pots. The effect of experimental treatments including manure and biochar on the two species was investigated. The results showed that biochar significantly influenced (p < 0.05) on the accumulation of heavy metals in both S.persica and S. perspolitana. In biochar treatment, the values of heavy metals in roots and shoots were found to be 3327 mg/kg, 109.17 mg/kg for aluminum, 3527 mg/kg and 142.17 mg/kg for iron, and 73.93 mg/kg and 11.90 mg/kg for copper, respectively. In the manure treatment, the values of heavy metals in the roots and shoots were reported as 3993 mg/kg and 119.29 mg/kg for aluminum, 5542 mg/kg and 179.17 mg/kg for iron and 78.67 mg/kg and 12.74 mg/kg for copper, respectively. In general, the accumulation of heavy metals in S. perspolitana was higher than S. persica, and our results indicated that the use of biochar and manure caused stabilization of heavy metals in the soil and consequently reduced accumulation of heavy metals in both S. persica and S. perspolitana.

In recent years, researchers have extensively investigated the remediation of heavy metal–contaminated soil using plants, microorganisms, and iron nanoparticles. The objective of this study was to investigate and compare the individual and simultaneous effects of Paulownia elongata S. Y. Hu, cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria sp.), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) including Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices, and zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) on the remediation of heavy metal–contaminated soil containing chromium (Cr VI and Cr III) and nickel (Ni). The study found significant variations in parameters such as pH (acidity), electrical conductivity (EC), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and organic carbon (OC) among different treatments. The addition of cyanobacteria, AMF, and nZVI influenced these properties, resulting in both increases and decreases compared to the control treatment. The treatment involving a combination of cyanobacteria, AMF, and nZVI (CCAN25) exhibited the highest increase in growth parameters, such as total dry mass, root length, stem diameter, and leaf area, while other treatments showed varied effects on plant growth. Moreover, the CCAN25 treatment demonstrated the highest increase in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid levels, whereas other treatments displayed reductions in these pigments compared to the control. Moderate phytoaccumulation of Cr and Ni in P. elongata samples across all treatments was observed, as indicated by the bioconcentration factor and bioaccumulation coefficient values being less than 1.0 for both metals. The findings provide insights into the potential application of these treatments for soil remediation and plant growth enhancement in contaminated environments.

The undeniable impact of plants in reducing air pollution and the crucial role of nutrition in improving stress tolerance in plants has brought attention to the use of eco-friendly fertilizers. The objective of the study was to investigate how Biogas-digestate (BD) can enhance the tolerance of green roof plants in capturing air pollutants. Four plant species, namely reflexed stonecrop (Sedum reflexum), blue fescue (Festuca glauca), garden mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium), and Peppermint (Mentha piperita) were planted in three urban sites in Mashhad, Iran, with different levels of air pollution. The physiological, biochemical, and morphological characteristics of the treated plants were compared to assess their ability to trap air pollutants. The results showed that the treated M. piperita at Razavi with BD, exhibited the highest level of APTI. Although it was influenced by the site conditions, the determination of the optimum API yielded same results. The F. glauca treated in Khayyam had the highest proline content, while S. reflexum at the Honarestan site had the lowest H2O2 level, without significantly affecting BD. F. glauca, S. reflexum, and M. piperita exhibited the highest levels of SOD, PPO, and GPX activity, respectively, which were significantly increased by the BD treatment. Most of the heavy elements showed increased levels with BD treatment, and M. piperita had the highest concentrations of heavy elements. The leaf surfaces of S. reflexum and M. piperita, had the highest and lowest deposition of particulate matter (PMs), respectively. Carbon and oxygen constituted the majority of PMs on the surface of leaves at all three study locations. The following ranks included the elements Si, Ca, Mg, and Al. BD, particularly in the case of S. reflexum and M. piperita, enhanced the plants' tolerance to air pollution. It is recommended to cultivate S. reflexum using BD on the green roof in polluted areas due to its superior capacity to absorb PMs and the fact that it is not edible.

IntroductionOne of the most fundamental global environmental challenges in the past two decades has been the issue of soil pollution and degradation. Soil, as an important environmental element, has played a significant role in food production, human health, and living organisms, but various factors, by both human and naturally have destroyed it. The exploitation of natural resources with activities such as mining and quarrying, as an anthropogenic action (caused by human activities), is one of the most important factors of human intervention in nature and also one of the environmental hazards of soil degradation, which has caused the spread of desertification. Sangan iron mines in Khaf city are the largest mines in the northeast of Iran. According to the geomorphological disturbances caused by the activity of Khaf iron ore mines and the geological composition of the region, there is a potential for causing pollution and destroying the soil around the mine. This research was conducted with the aim of evaluating the impact of mining activity on concentration of some heavy metals such as lead, iron, nickel, copper, and arsenic in the soil around the iron ore mine in Sangan area of Khaf city in Khorasan Razavi province. Realizing the polluted hotspots due to the concentration of heavy metals, as one of the important signs of soil pollution and the spread of desertification, is one of the goals of this research, and the results can be effective in making appropriate management decisions to prevent soil pollution and further destruction.Materials and MethodsIn order to conduct this research, 60 soil samples were systematically taken from a depth of 0-20 cm from two areas adjacent to the mine and control. The concentration of aqua regia extracted heavy metals was measured using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). In the first stage, the results were descriptive, and in the second part, after performing tests related to the normality of the data, they were inferential using the parametric independent t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient in the statistical environment of the SPSS software. In order to quantify the level of soil contamination with heavy metals, geochemical indices including contamination factor, pollution load index, and enrichment factor were used. The pollution load zoning map of the area adjacent to the mine as well as the average enrichment map of lead and arsenic elements were prepared using the inverse distance weighting interpolation method in the ArcGIS environment.Results and DiscussionThe results of this research showed that the average concentrations of arsenic, copper, nickel, lead, and iron elements in the area near the mine were 12.71, 25.54, 34.59, 48.64, and 38860 mg/kg and in the control area were 8.57, 15.97, 32.13, 16.96, 29110 mg/kg, respectively. The comparison of the coefficient of variation (dispersion criterion) of heavy metals showed that the highest coefficient of variation among the metals is related to the lead with a value of 42.8%, as well as the coefficient of variation for other metals in the area adjacent to the mine also has a relatively high dispersion compared to the control area. In addition, it was found in all elements except for nickel (p<0.05), which indicates a significant difference in the average concentrations between the control area and the area adjacent to the mine. The correlation between lead element and nickel, copper and arsenic variables was inverse and there was a positive and very strong correlation between iron and copper and nickel with values of 0.8 and 0.76 respectively and nickel and copper with values of 0.82. The pollution coefficient of the lead elements in the area adjacent to the mine showed moderate to significant pollution levels, which is more polluted than other elements. The pollution load in the area near the mine showed that the value of this index was greater than one in the samples closer to the mining areas, which indicates the high contamination of the surface soil with these elements. Lead and arsenic elements in the area adjacent to the mine showed moderate to relatively intense enrichment. From the examination of all the pollution indicators used in this research, as well as the positive and very strong correlation between copper and nickel, the presence of these two elements in the soil of the study area showed no pollution. The comparison of the results obtained from the analysis of soil samples in the two areas of the control and adjacent to the mine showed an increase in the concentration of heavy metals (iron, lead, and arsenic, copper) in the area adjacent to the mining.ConclusionThe results obtained from the analysis of soil samples and pollution indicators in the two control areas adjacent to the Sangan iron ore mine in Khaf city showed that the presence of iron ore industrial and mining sites in the study area and the spread of its wastes and tailings by seasonal and local winds, as well as the activities of humanity and the spread of these pollutants to other areas, can be one of the main reasons for the increase in the concentration of metal pollutants in the soils of this region.

The release of carbon dioxide (CO2) through human activities causes the global warming issue. CO2 can be captured using a variety of carbonaceous adsorbents, such as activated carbon (AC), amine-modified activated carbon (ACNH), and graphene (G). However, the sustainability of these adsorbents needs to be investigated. The goal of this research is to find the most sustainable option from environmental, economic, and technical perspectives. The scope is from cradle to grave, by considering three end-of-life management options: incineration (I), reactivation (R), and landfilling (L). The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis, and CO2 adsorption capacity, were integrated into this study. The Simapro software was applied to the LCA analysis. Our result shows that AC, ACNH400, ACNH800, and G had CO2 adsorption capacities of 2.98, 1.10, 3.22, and 7.19 mmol/g, respectively. Meanwhile, the manufacturing processes of AC, ACNH400, ACNH800, and G contributed to 30-73%, 37-68%, 21-39%, and 80-97% of each environmental impact category, which were mostly related to energy consumption. Marine aquatic ecotoxicity (MAE) exhibited the largest environmental consequences (74-86%) across all adsorbents, followed by freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity (FWAE). Graphene, ACNH400, ACNH800, and AC had average energy consumption of 22500, 2200, 3400, and 800 MJ/kg, respectively. TOPSIS was used to select the optimal option from a variety of perspectives. The AC is the most sustainable option for capturing CO2. Accordingly, the rank of the options was followed as: AC-L > AC-R > AC-I > ACNH400-R > ACNH800-L > ACNH800-R > ACNH400-L > ACNH800-I > ACNH400-I > G-L > G-I > G-R. Variations in electricity and HCl resulted in considerable changes in the LCA and LCC outputs, according to sensitivity analysis.

One of the most pressing issues confronting the civilized and modern world is air pollution. Particulate matter (PM) is a well-known pollutant that contributes significantly to urban air pollution and has numerous short- and long-term adverse effects on human health. One method of reducing air pollution is to create green spaces, mainly green walls, as a short-term solution. The current study investigated the ability of nine plant species to reduce traffic-related PM using a green wall system installed along a busy road in Mashhad, Iran. The main aims were (1) estimate the tolerance level of plant species on green walls to air pollution using the air pollution tolerance index (APTI); (2) assess the PM capture on the leaves of green wall species using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and accumulation of heavy metals using inductively coupled plasma (ICP); (3) select the most tolerance species for reducing air pollution using anticipated performance index (API). The plants' APTI values ranged from 5 to 12. The highest APTI value was found in Carpobrotus edulis and Rosmarinus officinalis, while Kochia prostrata had the lowest. Among the APTI constituents, leaf water content (R2 = 0.29) and ascorbic acid (R2 = 0.33) had a positive effect on APTI. According to SEM analysis, many PMs were adsorbed on the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces, as well as near the stomata of Lavandula angustifolia, C. edulis, Vinca minor, and Hylotelephium sp. Based on EDX analysis, carbon and oxygen formed the highest amount (more than 60%) of metals detected in the elemental composition of PM deposited on the leaves of all species. The Sedum reflexum had the highest Cr, Fe, Pb, and As accumulation. The concentrations of all heavy metals studied in green wall plants were higher than in the control sample. Furthermore, the C. edulis is the best plant for planting in industrial, urban areas of the city based on APTI, biological, economic, and social characteristics. It concludes that green walls composed primarily of plants with small leaves can significantly adsorb PM and accumulation of heavy metal.

Synthetic or natural substances that are emitted from nonpoint and point sources and end up in aquatic habitats at low concentrations are referred to as emerging micropollutants (EMPs). EMPs have negative consequences on both human health and the aquatic environment since they are not frequently tested and monitored. This comprehensive review covers the capabilities of clay-based photocatalysts for EMPs degradation and microbial inactivation in aqueous conditions. The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge databases were searched for literature between 1970 and 2021 using Mesh terms. Following careful screening and analysis, it was determined that 79 papers in total were qualified for the review section. The results showed that pharmaceutical photo -degradation was the focus of these studies, followed by microorganisms and industrial chemicals. The most common photocatalysts were TiO2, ZnO, CuxO, and Ag/Au, and the most frequent clay supports were mont-morillonite, kaolinite, and bentonite for the degradation of EMPs and microbial inactivation. Numerous exper-imental variables, including pH, initial concentration, catalyst dosage, irradiation time, and applied light type were studied for their impact on pollutant photodegradation. Many studies focused on employing photocatalytic materials at neutral pH (6-7) to eliminate EMPs and microorganisms from aqueous media. 42.9% and 34.3% of these studies used UV irradiation and visible light, respectively as the principal sources of irradiation. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model had the best fit for the data. In 53% of the studies, the photocatalysts were recycled between two and four times. In general, clay-based photocatalysts are fascinating and efficient materials for the degradation and elimination of EMPs as well as microbial inactivation from water and wastewater.

Heavy metals are among the most dangerous contaminants in the environment. Organic components and plant species that can accumulate and stabilize heavy metals in their organs are a good option for soil remediation of these elements. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of manure and biochar on the accumulation of heavy metals by Salicornia species. Salicornia persica Akhani and Salicornia perspolitana Akhani were cultivated outdoor in experimental pots. The effects of experimental treatments, including Cr (VI) concentrations, manure, and biochar on the two studied species, were investigated. The results indicated a significant effect (p < 0.05) of biochar on the accumulation of heavy metals by two species, S. persica and S. perspolitana, so that Cr concentrations in the roots and shoots were 258 and 5.41 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, Cr accumulations under manure treatments in the roots and shoots were 334.34 and 9.79 mg/kg, respectively. The content of photosynthetic pigments in both S. persica and S. perspolitana species under biochar treatment was higher than in control and manure treatments. In general, one can conclude that the accumulation of Cr in S. perspolitana was higher than in S. persica. Applying biochar and manure amendments could stabilize Cr in soil and reduce Cr accumulation in both S. persica and S. perspolitana species.

Facade Integrated Photovoltaic Systems (FIPS) is considered the most promising strategy to utilize solar power in various buildings and enhance its energy efficiency in recent years. The sustainability performance of FIPS needs to be evaluated. Hence, this study aims to analyze and compare the life cycle impacts of FIPS using energy analysis, life cycle assessment (LCA), and life cycle costing (LCC), from cradle to-grave to identify the most sustainable alternative. Three types of PV facades using cadmium telluride (CdTe), dye sensitizes (DSS), and Perovskite modules were investigated to determine the best and worst economic and environmental options. Life cycle impact assessment was performed through cumulative energy demand (CED), ReCiPe, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rate, and the energy payback time (EPBT). The ReCiPe results indicated that Perovskite and CdTe facades created the lowest and highest environmental burdens, regardless of their lifespan. The module fabrication, along with panel manufacturing, was the major contributor to the environmental impacts. Furthermore, the total CED for the CdTe facade was 1975.6 MJ per m(2), which was significantly higher than that for perovskite (587.1 MJ) and DSS (1177.4 MJ) facades. Besides, the EPBT of DSS, CdTe, and Perovskite facades was 1.57, 1.21, and 0.6 years, respectively. Moreover, the economic analysis, including LCC and the Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of the DSS facade was estimated at 204 $ and 0.12 $/kWh, which indicated the lowest quantity among other facades. Hierarchical adaptive weighting (HAW) was utilized as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tool which assists to combine the suggested various criteria in environmental (e.g., GHG emission rate, ReCiPe, CED), economic (e.g., LCC and LCOE), and energy (EPBT) aspects to a sustainability index. Therefore, the analysis results indicated that the Perovskite facade was the most sustainable options for building. However, the integrated LCC-LCA-HAW implies that choosing an option depends on the policy maker's approach. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract Heavy metals are among the most dangerous contaminants in the environment. Application of organic compounds and plant species with the ability to accumulate and stabilize heavy metal in their organs is the best option for remediation of these elements in the soil. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of manure and biochar on the accumulation of heavy metals by Salicornia species. Two species of Salicornia ,including S. persica and S. perspolitana, were cultivated outdoor in experimental pots. The effects of experimental treatments ,including hexavalent chromium concentrations, manure ,and biochar on the two studied species, were investigated. The results indicated a significant effect (P < 0.05) of biochar on the accumulation of heavy metals by two species ,S. persicaand S. perspolitana, so that chromium concentrations in the roots and shoots were 258 and 5.41 mg/kg, respectively. Also, chromium accumulations under manure treatments in the roots and shoots were 334.34 and 9.79 mg/kg, respectively. Plant dry weight and height for both species in manure treatment were higher than control and biochar treatments. S. persica showed higher growth than S. perspolitana species. The content of photosynthetic pigments in both S.persica and S. perspolitana species under biochar treatment was higher than control and manure treatments. In general, one can conclude that the accumulation of chromium in S. perspolitana was higher than in S. persica ,and the application of biochar and manure amendments could stabilize chromium in soil and reduce chromium accumulation in both S. persica and S. perspolitana species.

Drinking water treatment sludge in large quantities was generated in the flocculation process of the treatment plant, all over the world. It considered the secondary raw material due to having valuable inorganic compounds such as iron. Herein, a novel green method was developed to recover iron from drinking water treatment sludge for synthesizing nanoscale iron supported on nanoclay by a lemon Beebrush polyphenol. The surface of nanoclay containing iron nanoparticles was modified with ethylenediamine for their applications as heavy metals adsorbent. The field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, derivative thermogravimetry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy techniques were utilized to examine the adsorbents. Based on the results of energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, iron and nitrogen were successfully introduced into the structure of modified nanoclay. A batch adsorption system was used to investigate the simultaneous removal performance of hexavalent chromium and lead onto drinking water treatment sludge, nanoclay, and nanoclay-iron nanoparticle-ethylenediamine. The influence of factors, e.g., initial concentration, contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, and temperature, were evaluated. The maximum uptake for chromium was 0.303, 0.352, and 0.984 mmol/g and for lead 0.03, 0.042, and 0.108 mmol/g at pH of 3 onto drinking water treatment sludge, nanoclay, and nanoclay-iron nanoparticle-ethylenediamine, respectively. The results show that the quantity of chromium and lead adsorbed onto modified nanoclay was more than 2.5-fold than that adsorbed onto unmodified nanoclay. The equilibrium adsorption data of hexavalent chromium and lead were fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model (R-2 > 0.97). Besides, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model demonstrated the kinetic adsorption of the metal ions. The thermodynamic constants suggested that the adsorption of lead by three adsorbents was exothermic and spontaneous while that of hexavalent chromium was endothermic. It leads to a finding that nanoclay-iron nanoparticle-ethylenediamine could be an effective adsorbent for heavy metals removal from water and wastewater.

Abstract Background and Aim: Today, air pollution, with an impact on a global scale, is an important concern of the modern world. It has many adverse effects on human health and the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to find sustainable and environment-friendly solutions that prevent the increase of pollution levels and help eliminate them. One of the newest ways to reduce air pollution and absorb particulate matter, as well as improve air quality, is to use green walls in urban spaces. The present study investigated the potential of green walls in reducing air pollutants. Materials and methodology: In this research, two green walls were installed at the Khayyam intersection in Mashhad for three months. Finally, the Air Pollution Tolerance Index was determined for all the plants by measuring chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, leaf-related water content, and pH. Results All of the plant species planted on the walls were classified as intermediate in the tolerance. Among all the plants, Carpobrotus edulis and Rosmarinus officinalis had higher APTI, which makes them more resistant and suitable for planting in polluted areas. Considering the statistical analysis, the APTI of the plants was correlated with ascorbic acid and leaf-related water content. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the suitability of the above-mentioned plants for plantation in areas with high levels of pollutants.

In recent decades, soil contamination with heavy metals has become an environmental crisis due to their long-term stability and adverse biological effects. Therefore, bioremediation is an eco-friendly technology to remediate contaminated soil, which the efficiency requires further research. This study was designed to comparatively investigate two strategies: bioaugmentation by using a cyanobacterial species (Oscillatoria sp.) and bioaugmentation-assisted phytoremediation by using Oscillatoria sp. and purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) for the bioremediation of soil contaminated by heavy metals (Cr (III), Cr (VI), Fe, Al, and Zn). Various quantities of biochar (0.5, 2, and 5% (w/w)) were used as an amendment in the experiments to facilitate the remediation process. The results of the bioaugmentation test showed that applying biochar and cyanobacteria into contaminated soil significantly increased the chlorophyll a, nitrogen, and organic carbon contents. In contrast, the extractable fractions of Cr (III), Cr (VI), Zn, Al, and Fe declined compared with those of the control treatment. The highest reduction content (up to 87 %) in the extractable portion was obtained for Cr (VI). The development of longer root and hypocotyl lengths and vigour index from lettuces and radish seeds grown in the remediated soil confirmed the success of remediation treatments. Moreover, the findings of the bioaugmentation-assisted phytoremediation test displayed a reduction in the bioavailable fraction of Cr (III), Cr (VI), Zn, Al, and Fe. Cr (III) presented the highest reduction (up to 90 %) in metal bioavailability. With cyanobacteria inoculation and biochar addition, the shoot and root lengths of purslane grew 4.6 and 3-fold while the heavy metal accumulation decreased significantly. Besides, these treatments enhanced the tolerance index (TI) quantities of purslane whereas diminished its bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC) and bioconcentration factor (BCF) values. For all heavy metals (except Zn), translocation factor (TF) and BAC values were found to be less than 1.0 at all treatments, indicating the successful phytoextraction by the purslane. These results suggest that the purslane can be considered an excellent phytoextracting agent for soils contaminated with heavy metals.

MCM-48 were prepared using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and TEOS and modified with N1-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl) diethylenetriamine by post-synthesis method to develop efficient adsorbent for heavy metal adsorption. These materials were determined by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption measurement, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the modification of MCM-48 resulted in a decrease in the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and total pore volume. Batch adsorption technique in the single and multicomponent systems was used in this study. The experimental parameters’ influence was investigated, and the results indicated that amine-attached MCM-48 indicated higher adsorption efficiency for metal ions than MCM-48. Langmuir and Freundlich models modeled the equilibrium data in a single system, whereas two-component data fitted to the extended Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity (qm, single system) of NH2-NH-NH-MCM-48 for cadmium and lead was 82.7 and 119.24 mg g−1, respectively. In both adsorption systems, the affinity of NH2-NH-NH-MCM-48 for cadmium was more significant than that for lead.

Introduction: Free plastic bags have practical benefits for consumers but because of their non-biodegradability and additives, they have adverse effects on the environment. Therefore, in this study, the factors affecting people's intention and behavior for using plastic bags with the Theory of Planned Behavior and Structural Equation Modeling were investigated.Material and methods: A total of 360 customers in seven major hypermarkets in different areas of Mashhad responded to the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistic V.22 and AMOS 24 software. An extended model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior was introduced with the constructs including cognitive attitude, affective attitude, economic motivation, feedback, subjective norm, behavioral control, intention, and behavior to determine the factors influencing the behavior.Results and discussion: The results of this study showed that more than half of the respondents to the questionnaires were women and more than 30% of them were in the age group of 25-35 years. The effect of demographic information on the intention to reduce plastic bags in hypermarkets was examined by the ANOVA test. Only the age (p <0.001, df = 7, F = 3.6) and the type of job (p <0.001, df = 7, F = 3.5) had a significant effect on the intention. The fit indices of the structural model were as follows: Chi-squared test was equal to 254.3 with freedom of 106, the ratio of Chi-squared to a degree of freedom was equal to 2.4, IFI was equal to 0.9, CFI was equal to 0.9, NFI was equal to 89, and RMSEA was equal to 0.622. According to the standard, the fit of the model was appropriate. Findings of the structural equation model can describe the relationships between variables: cognitive attitude had a significant statistical effect on effective attitude; there was a statistical relationship between cognitive attitudes and norm. In addition, cognitive attitudes (p <0.001) had a negative effect on behavioral control. There was a positive and significant (p <0.001) relationship between economic motivation and norm (coefficient of 0.18). Also, there was a negative and significant (p <0.001) relationship between feedback and norm (coefficient 0.43). Besides, there was a positive and significant (p <0.001) relationship between feedback and behavioral control (coefficient 0.45). Cognitive attitude had a positive and significance (p< 0.05) effect (coefficient of 0.16) on intention to reduce plastic bags. The norm with a coefficient of 0.41 had a positive and significant effect (p <0.001) on the intention.Conclusion: The results showed that the structural equation model with appropriate fit could describe the relationships between variables. The main parameters of the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitude, subjective norms, and behavioral control) significantly describe the intention of using plastic bags. Adding new variables such as feedback and economic incentives to this theory will help determine other predictors of behavior. The norm is one of the most important variables that mediate the influence of other factors such as cognitive attitude, affective attitude, economic motivation, feedback, and behavioral control on intention to using a plastic bag. Although the economic incentive affects the intention to use free plastic bags, it is appropriate to use the intervention approach based on the model presented in this study to find a solution.