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Most coal in India originates from the Korb basin (Chhattisgarh), where coal mines, thermal power, and aluminum plants operate. Groundwater in this region faces severe pollution due to land reclamation, leaching of coal‐related contaminants, waste disposal, and industrial effluent seepage. This work presents results from monitoring groundwater pollution in the Korba basin from 2012 to 2017. Fluoride, aluminum, manganese, and iron levels exceeded acceptable quality limits across all 28 studied locations, with excessive nitrate, magnesium, calcium, and lead levels in specific sites. Tracking seasonal and temporal fluctuations in the most polluted site, namely Kudurmal, revealed peak solute concentrations during the monsoon period and a sustained 18% increase during the study period. Factorial analysis suggests groundwater contamination arises from both human activities and natural sources. These findings underscore the urgent necessity of devising remediation strategies for the drinking water supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several million tons of coal are extracted which discharge the contaminated mineral water into the environment in the coal mines located in the Korba basin (Chhattisgarh, India) chosen as the study area. The aim of this work is to describe: (i) the physico‐chemical characteristics (pH, EC, TDS, DO, RP, CC (carbonate carbon), OC (organic carbon) F−, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, SiO44−, PO43−, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Al, As, Sb, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg) of the coal mine water samples, (ii) spatial, seasonal (i.e. PrM (pre‐monsoon), M (monsoon) and PtM (post monsoon) and temporal (over the period of 2012–2017) variations, (iii) sources of contaminants from fourteen coal mines, (iv) suitability of the water for drinking and other uses, and (v) health impact of the mine water in view of developing remedial approaches. The mine water is neutral in nature with high TDS (total dissolved solid) values ranging from 620 to 13711 mg L−1 due to mainly high carbon content. The concertation of all species lies between 519–11432 mg L−1 with maximum value of OC. The most dominating species were OC, CC, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na, and Ca. Species, that is, F−, OC, Al, Fe, As, Sb, Cd, Pb, and Hg occurred beyond their limits. Their higher concentration in the PtM is observed. Water quality index (WQI) values ranged from 17.52 to 95.68 in the PtM period. 42.85%, 21.42%, and 7.14% of water samples represent "excellent water", "good water" and "poor water" respectively in the PtM period. In addition, the fertilizer and trace element concentrations in the water samples were compared with the limit values determined for usability as drinking water. Accordingly, it was concluded that it is not suitable for use as drinking water in terms of TDS, F−, and NO3− concentrations. In addition, AsT (total arsenic), F− and NO3− pollutants were detected in the water samples, and it was observed that F− and NO3− ions did not have a carcinogenic effect. A health risk assessment of As has been made, and it is found that adults and children have a low risk of developing cancer from the exposure. However, arsenic has high non‐carcinogenic and potentially harmful effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different biomass types, rose oil (Rosa damascena Mill.) distillation solid wastes (RDWs) and red pine sawdust (RPS), were pelletized in this study at different moisture and additives. The prepared pellets were also torrefied. This study revealed that the strength of the RPS and RDW pellets decreased as their moisture content increased in both their raw and torrefied forms. However, the tensile strength of the torrefied pellets increased with the increased binder ratio, which is similar to raw pellets. Compared to their raw form, the torrefied pellets generally had higher ash contents, fixed carbon contents, and higher heating values. As a result of torrefaction, the higher heating value of the RPS pellets increased from 17.51–18.80 MJ/kg to 20.20–21.73 MJ/kg, while the higher heating value of the RDW pellets increased from 17.42–18.54 MJ/kg to 19.13–20.92 MJ/kg. For the torrefied RPS and RDW pellets in this study, there was no statistically significant difference between initial moisture content and energy efficiency, energy density, or mass yield. On the other hand, energy density ratios in both the torrefied RPS and torrefied RDW pellets generally increased with increasing binder content. Furthermore, the torrefied pellets were found to be more stable in moisture absorption than the raw pellets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil quality in urban areas in India is degraded due to multiple anthropogenic activities. The objectives of this work are to determine the concentration variations, toxicity, and sources of carbons, metals, and ions in the surface soil of Raipur, the industrialized capital city of Chhattisgarh state, India. High concentrations of Al, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, and elemental carbon (EC) were registered. Relatively lower concentrations of V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ba, Pb, organic carbon (OC), and carbonate carbon (CC), as well as ions (viz. F–, Cl–, NO3–, SO42–, Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+), were also recorded. EC was found to be one of the major pollutants, although enrichment factors pointed to high contamination with SO42–, K+, Mg2+, Cr, Mn, and Pb; and extreme contamination with NO3– and Ca2+. The spatial and temporal variations, enrichment factors, toxicity, and sources of the chemical species detected in the soil are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and carbon emissions, resulting from fossil fuel combustion, is a matter of major concern in India. In this work, the distribution, variations, sources and fate of twelve PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, benzo[ghi]perylene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene) and carbonaceous particulate matter (elemental/black carbon (EC/BC), organic carbon (OC) and inorganic/carbonate carbon (CC)) in the air, road dust and sediments of three cities in the most industrialized area of Central India (Chhattisgarh state) are reported. The PM and road dust/sediment samples were collected by using a low volume air sampler and a stainless–steel scoop, respectively. PAHs were extracted into organic solvents and the dried residue was dissolved into acetonitrile for analysis. Carbons and PAHs were analyzed by thermal and chromatographic methods. Concentrations of particulate matter (PM10), total carbon (TC = EC + OC + CC) and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑12PAHs) of 116–523 µg m−3, 22.1–179.6 µg m−3 and 37.7–164.9 ng m−3, respectively, were found in air at the beginning of the study (2007/08). Concentrations of 6.02 − 9.87% (TC) and 8689 − 87458 ng g−1 (Σ12PAHs) were detected in road dust, while relatively lower concentrations were observed in sediments, in the 4.99–10.78% and 4721–11768 ng g−1 range, respectively. Regarding monthly and seasonal variations, the highest PAHs and TC concentrations occurred in December/January and in the winter season. Spatial (residential, commercial, and industrial areas) and temporal (2008-2015) variations of these pollutants are also discussed, together with their source apportionment based on factor analysis. Given that benzo[a]pyrene and ∑12PAHs concentrations clearly exceed the permissible limits, and that the concentration of PAHs in dust for one of the three cities under study (Bhilai) is the highest reported in the literature, this study shows the urgent need for continuous monitoring of organic aerosol constituents in the ambient air of the cities in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants accumulate minerals and synthesize phytochemicals valuable for treating human diseases. The objective of this work has been to characterize the polyphenol and mineral contents of 25 medicinal plant leaves grown in the urban environment of India to know their antioxidant, nutritional potentiality, and ease of contamination with toxic elements. Total polyphenol (TPh) and flavonoid (Fla), and mineral concentrations were determined spectrophotometrically and by X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. The leaves under study were found to be rich in polyphenols, nutrients (P, S, Cl, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mo), and other metals (Rb, Sr, Ba, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Co, As, Se, and Pb), with concentrations ranging from 1.28 to 3.96 g 100 g−1, from 219.8 to 7159.9 mg 100 g−1, and from 4.3 to 334.0 mg 100 g−1, respectively. Maximum polyphenol and mineral (nutrient and other elements) concentrations were detected in Melia azadirachta L. and Solanum lycopersicum L. leaves. Enrichment factors, correlations among elements, sources, health hazards associated with heavy metals, and potential applications of plant leaves are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of particle size on combustion kinetics, mechanisms, and decomposition characteristics of five wood samples were examined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under air atmosphere and three different heating rates (10, 40, and 80 °C/min). By using the both Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Coats-Redfern methods, the highest activation energies were found to be for the coarse samples except untreated pine samples. Only a few studies in the literature investigated the effect of particle size on both thermal kinetics and responsible mechanisms of solid biomass fuels under oxidative environment. Therefore, the findings can be taken into consideration for highly efficient design and operation of industrial thermochemical processes by using waste lignocellulosic biomass as a fuel. In this study, the average activation energies calculated by Flynn-Wall-Ozawa were 166.57, 153.08, and 171.42 kJ/mol for the smallest, medium and coarse samples, respectively. A similar trend but lower values were also evaluated by Coats-Redfern and it was stated as 131.34, 137.52, 146.22 kJ/mol for the smallest, medium, and coarse samples, respectively. As particle size increased lower combustion performance indexes were also obtained. Therefore, in addition to the particle size, the chemical content of the samples also had an impact on the alteration of the kinetic mechanisms and thermal decomposition properties of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SDU Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design / Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Tasarım Dergisi is the property of Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of SDU Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design / Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Tasarım Dergisi is the property of Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pose a serious risk for human health and the environment. In this study, PCBs contamination and sources of ambient air, road dust, and sediments in the most polluted city in India, Raipur, has been measured over the period 2008–2015. The seasonal variations of particulate matter (PM), elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and carbonate carbon (CC) were studied, and maximum concentrations were detected in the December–January period each year. Total PCBs concentrations in the ambient air (associated with PM), road dust, and sediments samples during 2008 were in the 186–645 pg m−3, 102–537, and 241–538 ng g−1 range, respectively. 2-chlorobiphenyl (PCB-1) and 4-chlorobiphenyl (PCB-3) were the dominant chemical compounds identified. A substantial vertical migration of the PCBs in the sediments was observed. Concentration variations (spatial and temporal), correlations, and sources of PCB are discussed. In particular, an average increment rate of 6.2%, 4.9%, and 5.4% of PCBs concentration in the particulate matter (PM10), road dust, and sediments, respectively, was observed over the 2008–2015 period. The reported data points to India's low degree of accomplishment of the Stockholm Convention's requirement to phase out the use of PCBs in equipment by 2025 and ensure elimination of PCBs by 2028. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SDU Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design / Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Tasarım Dergisi is the property of Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were investigated in ambient air of a highly industrialized region at 23 different sampling sites for 12 months. Total concentrations of 8 PBDE congeners (Σ 8 PBDE) were found to be between 5.73 and 520 pg m−3 (94.7 ± 78.9; average ± SD) and BDE-209 was the predominant congener, followed by BDE-47 and/or BDE-99. Their contributions to Σ 8 PBDE were 71 ± 13, 9 ± 4% and 8 ± 4%; respectively. Compared to previous studies around the world, high concentrations detected in Dilovasi demonstrated the severity of atmospheric PBDE pollution in the area. For all sampling sites, average PBDE concentration obtained in summer (118.5 ± 98.7 pg m−3) was higher than one found in winter period (79.7 ± 59.1 pg m−3) and this seasonal difference was more obvious in industrial/urban sites (p < 0.05), probably due to enhanced volatilization from ongoing PBDE sources such as waste incineration and iron-steel plants. The soil-air exchange tendencies of PBDEs did not show substantial differences between the sampling periods with small variations for each congener. All congeners either tend to deposit to soil or to be within the equilibrium range for all seasons. This reflects the impact of local ongoing sources rather than temperature on the direction of soil-air exchange of PBDEs in this region. Specific congener ratios such as BDE-47/-99 and -99/-100 confirmed the impact of local sources rather than long-range transport on PBDE congeners in the study area. According to the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) results, the BDE-209 content of the first factor was found to be 91.7% and this factor was attributed to the deca-BDE technical formulations. The second factor was highly rich with both BDE-183 (%61) and BDE-28 (%52) and identified as octa-BDE technical products. The last factor was highly loaded with BDE-99, BDE-47, BDE-100, BDE-154 and BDE-153 and has been determined as the penta-BDE commercial formulations. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Air and soil concentrations of PBDEs were investigated in industrialized region in Turkey. • High concentrations detected in Dilovasi demonstrated the severity of PBDE pollution. • PBDEs tend to deposit to soil indicating ongoing atmospheric sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and inorganic pollutants including sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were measured using passive samplers in both indoor and outdoor environments at 2, 5, 8, 13, 17, 24, and 29 m from the ground level at a high-rise building in the Middle East Technical University campus in Ankara, Turkey. The measured indoor concentrations of ∑24VOCs were highly variable, ranging from 98 μg m−3 (at the ground floor) to 235.3 μg m−3 (at the fourth floor), while the outdoor concentrations varied between 96.8 μg m−3 (at the seventh floor) and 189.8 μg m−3 (at the ground level). Outdoor concentrations of inorganic pollutants ranged between 58 μg m−3 at the ground floor and 26 μg m−3 at the ninth floor for SO2, and 59.9 μg m−3 at the ground floor and 31.2 μg m−3 at the ninth floor for NO2. A similar decreasing trend with altitude was also observed for indoor concentrations of these pollutants. Indoor and outdoor O3 concentrations did not change with altitude. Statistically significant correlations were found between indoor and outdoor concentrations of some of the measured NO2, SO2 toluene, octane, nonane and 1,2-dichlorobenzene, indicating moderate-to-strong relationships between their indoor and outdoor concentrations. The factor analysis revealed six factors for both indoor and outdoor data. Traffic was found to be the highest contributor to the measured VOCs, SO2, and NO2 concentrations, which was followed by painting activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer has become the primary reason of deaths in Dilovasi probably due to its location with unique topography under the influence of heavy industrialization and traffic. In this study, possible sources and carcinogenic health risks of PAHs and PCBs were investigated in Dilovasi region by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) and the USEPA approach, respectively. PAHs and PCBs were measured monthly for a whole year at 23 sampling sites using PUF disk passive samplers. Average ambient air concentrations were found as 285 ± 431 ng/m 3 and 4152 ± 6072 pg/m 3 , for Σ 15 PAH and Σ 41 PCB, respectively. PAH concentrations increased with decreasing temperature especially at urban sites, indicating the impact of residential heating in addition to industrial activities and traffic. On the other hand, PCB concentrations mostly increased with temperature probably due to enhanced volatilization from their sources. Possible sources of PAHs were found as emissions of diesel and gasoline vehicles, biomass and coal combustion, iron and steel industry, and unburned petroleum/petroleum products, whereas iron-steel production, coal and biomass burning, technical PCB mixtures, and industrial emissions were identified for PCBs. The mean carcinogenic risk associated with inhalation exposure to PAHs and PCBs were estimated to be >10 −6 and >10 −5 , respectively, at all sampling points, while the 95th percentile was >10 −5 at 15 of 23 and >10 −4 at 8 of 23 sampling locations, respectively. Probabilistic assessment showed, especially for PCBs, that a majority of Dilovasi population face significant health risks. The higher risks due to PCBs further indicated that PCBs and possibly other pollutants originating from the same sources such as PBDEs and PCNs may be an important issue for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilovasi is one of the heavily industrialized areas in Turkey with serious environmental problems. In this study, the atmospheric concentration of PAHs and PCBs were measured for a whole year at 23 sites. The average ambient air Σ 15 PAH and Σ 41 PCB concentrations were found as 285 ± 431 ng m −3 and 4152 ± 6072 pg m −3 , respectively. PAH concentrations increased with decreasing temperature especially in urban areas, indicating the impact of residential heating. However, PCB concentrations mostly increased with temperature probably due to enhanced volatilization from their sources. The gradient obtained for PCBs, rural < suburban < urban < industrial/urban, is more clear than those obtained for PAHs. The average Σ 15 PAH and Σ 41 PCB soil concentrations were found as 992 ± 1323 and 18.8 ± 32.0 μg kg −1 , respectively. PCB soil concentrations did not show significant temporal variations while PAH concentrations were variable especially for urban areas. The volatilization tendencies of low and medium molecular weight PAHs from soil to air were higher in industrial-urban areas than rural sites, showing that soil was a secondary source for PAHs. Fugacity ratios of PCBs were mostly <1.0 for the whole sampling period. Although the source/sink tendency of soil for some PCBs depends on their volatility, considering the whole data, PCBs were generally deposited to soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Istanbul, one of the mega cities in the world located between Asia and Europe, has suffered from severe air pollution problems due to rapid population growth, traffic and industry. Atmospheric levels of PAHs and PCBs were investigated in Istanbul at 22 sampling sites during four different sampling periods using PUF disk passive air samplers and spatial and temporal variations of these chemicals were determined. Soil samples were also taken at the air sampling sites. At all sites, the average ambient air Σ 15 PAH and Σ 41 PCB concentrations were found as 85.6 ± 68.3 ng m −3 and 246 ± 122 pg m −3 , respectively. Phenanthrene and anthracene were the predominant PAHs and low molecular weight congeners dominated the PCBs. The PAH concentrations were higher especially at urban sites close to highways. However, the PCBs showed moderately uniform spatial variations. Except four sites, the PAH concentrations were increased with decreasing temperatures during the sampling period, indicating the contributions of combustion sources for residential heating, while PCB concentrations were mostly increased with the temperature, probably due to enhanced volatilization at higher temperatures from their sources. The results of the Factor Analysis represented the impact of traffic, petroleum, coal/biomass and natural gas combustion and medical waste incineration plants on ambient air concentrations. A similar spatial distribution trend was observed in the soil samples. Fugacity ratio results indicated that the source/sink tendency of soil for PAHs and PCBs depends on their volatility and temperature; soil generally acts as a source for lighter PAHs and PCBs particularly in higher temperatures while atmospheric deposition is a main source for higher molecular weight compounds in local soils. Toxicological effect studies also revealed the severity of air and soil pollution especially in terms of PAHs in Istanbul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 34 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured in the indoor of laboratories, offices and classrooms of the Chemical Engineering Department of Hacettepe University in Ankara in 2 week-day passive sampling campaigns. The average concentrations ranged from 0.77 to 265 μg m−3at the different indoor sites, with the most abundant VOC found to be toluene (119.6 μg m−3), followed by styrene (21.24 μg m−3), 2-ethyltoluene (17.11 μg m−3), n-hexane (10.21 μg m−3) and benzene (9.42 μg m−3). According to the factor analysis, the evaporation of solvents used in the laboratories was found to be the dominant source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Karaelmas Science & Engineering Journal / Karaelmas Fen ve Mühendislik Dergisi is the property of Karaelmas Science & Engineering Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: In this study, concentrations of approximately 30 VOCs were measured, between January and June 2008 at a university campus in Ankara. Concentrations of measured VOCs are lower than corresponding concentrations reported for other cities in literature. Average concentrations of the measured VOCs ranged from 0.04 to 7.89μgm−3. Benzene (2.18μgm−3), toluene (7.89μgm−3), ethylbenzene (0.85μgm−3) and xylenes (2.62μgm−3) (BTEX) were found as a major organics in suburban Ankara atmosphere. The measured VOCs also show well defined diurnal and weekday–weekend cycles. Toluene-to-benzene ratio (T/B) suggested that non-traffic sources can be important during summer months. The m,p-xylene-to-ethylbenzene ratio (X/E) pointed to transport of organic compounds from high-emission districts of the city. Positive matrix factorization applied to data revealed four sources, including gasoline exhaust, solvent evaporation, diesel emissions and a local laboratory source, contributing to VOC concentrations. Strengths of these sources, particularly solvent source, on total VOC concentrations showed seasonal differences. Source contributions on light and heavy VOCs were also different. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]