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In this study, pomegranate peels (PPs) as an abundant fruit processing waste was used to produce cost-effective, eco-friendly, and high-quality activated carbon. The produced carbon (fossil free activated carbon) was used for immobilizing laccase to remove a range of emerging pollutants namely diclofenac, amoxicillin, carbamazepine, and ciprofloxacin from water and wastewater. The loaded activated carbon by laccase (LMPPs) and the unloaded one (MPPs) were characterized using advanced surface chemistry analysis techniques. MPPs was found to have a porous structure with a large surface area and an abundance of acidic functional groups. Laccase immobilization reduced surface area but added active degradation sites. The optimal immobilization parameters were determined as pH 4, 35 oC, and a laccase concentration of 2.5 mg/mL resulting in a 69.8% immobilization yield. The adsorption of the emerging pollutant onto MPPs is best characterized as a spontaneous endothermic process that adheres to the Langmuir isotherm and first-order kinetics. Using synergistic adsorption and enzymatic degradation, the target pollutants (50 mg/L) were eliminated in two hours. In both water types, LMPPs outperformed MPPs. This study shows that pomegranate peels can effectively be harnessed as an enzyme carrier and adsorbent for the removal of emerging pollutants even from a complex sample matrix. The removal of contaminants from wastewater lasted five cycles, whereas it continued up to six cycles for water.

The Danube is one of the largest transboundary rivers word-wide, having several tributaries. The discharges from industrial activities and wastewater treatment facilities affect the river's aquatic environment. These discharges pose a serious risk to aquatic life by degrading the water and sediment quality. Therefore, 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds in six different locations were examined along the river over 12 months to investigate the temporal and special variations of the compounds in water and sediment. The findings highlighted a broad variance range in PAHs concentration in water within a year, ranging from 224.85 ng/L in summer to 365.87 ng/L in winter, whereas PAHs in sediment samples recorded values ranging from 316.72 ng/g in dry weight in summer to 422.98 ng/g in dry weight in winter. The overall results indicate that the putative anthropogenic sources of PAHs were of pyrolytic and pyrogenic origin, with pyrogenic sources being more prominent. Generally, except for Acenaphthylene and Fluorene concentrations, the eco-toxicological concerns for the aquatic environment of the Danube River do not pose a significant threat. In addition, the combined impact of the 16 PAHs pollutants in sediments suggests a low chance for negative biological impacts and low ecological risk. The total ILCR for both children and adults is more than 1/104 in all seasons, with the highest values recorded in spring followed by winter time, which becomes a matter of urgency.

Funding Information: The ÚNKP-22-3-I-PE-5 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund supported this research. The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship partially supported the study. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s) This study presented for the first time a comprehensive measurement campaign of 16 PAHs along the Euphrates River for five months, in both water and sediment samples. Our study revealed that the PAHs contamination increased along the flow direction due to the increasing non-point pollution and the return flows of agriculture. The 5–6 rings PAHs were dominant in water and sediment samples with an average of 42 % and 50 %, respectively. The diagnostic ratios of PAHs suggest that the pollution of these compounds originated mainly from petroleum product combustions. The carcinogenic PAHs formed 46 % and 55 % of the total measured compounds in water and sediment samples, respectively, which highlights potential ecological and human health risks. Based on sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), most sites exhibit an effect range between low and medium. The calculated incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for adult and children were in the 10−2–10−3 range, which is 3–6-fold higher than what was reported in the literature. These observations call for urgent attention from environmental authorities of countries sharing this key water source in Western Asia.

Funding Information: The ÚNKP-22–3-I-PE-12 (Osamah J. Al-sareji) New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund supported this research. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors This work reports the removal of diclofenac, amoxicillin, carbamazepine, and ciprofloxacin by utilizing three commercially available granular activated carbons (GACs) (Activated carbon, Silcarbon, and Donau) loaded with laccase. Adsorption was used to successfully immobilize laccase on the GACs, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In the three types of GACs tested, pH 5, 30 °C, and 2 mg mL−1 laccase content were found to be the optimum immobilization parameters. Laccase immobilization yields of 65.2%, 63.1%, and 62.9% were achieved with activated carbon, Silcarbon, and Donau respectively. The adsorption behaviors of the pharmaceuticals onto the tested activated carbons are best described as a spontaneous endothermic process that follows Langmuir isotherm and first-order kinetics. The reusability of the immobilized enzyme was evaluated using 2, 2′-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazole-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) as a substrate within six cycles for all adsorbents. In 120 mins, nearly a complete removal of the pharmaceutical compounds (50 mg L−1) was obtained in the case of activated carbon type and more than 90% for other adsorbent types when synergistic adsorption and enzymatic degradation were applied. With adsorption alone, 74% removal was obtained with activated carbon and < 56% for other adsorbents. The finding of this study suggests that biochar produced from coconut shell (same as the one used in this study) can effectively be used as a substrate and adsorbent for pharmaceutical removal. This enzymatic physical removal system has the potential to be applied on a large-scale.

Funding Information: The authors are appreciative of the warm work of the Co-Editor in Chief, Associate Editor, and anonymous reviewers earnestly. The authors thank the support provided by Aalto University, Finland, and Liverpool John Moors University, United Kingdom in different facilities. The opinions or views stated in this article are those of its authors. We deeply thank Dr. Zaid Al-Gazali from Nasiriyah Teaching Hospital, Ministry of Health, Al-Nasiriyah, Thi-Qar, Iraq for his logistic support. Omer Al-Obaidi, Firas Ali, Mohammed Jasim, Tahseen Salah and Redha Ahmed from the Ministry of Health, Iraq are deeply acknowledged in this work for their assistance in the sampling campaign. Funding Information: ÚNKP-22-3-I-PE-5 (Ruqayah Ali Grmasha) New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund supported this research. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors Recent Iraqi battles against ISIS in 2014 and 2015 resulted in the destruction or severe damage to several refineries' infrastructure. This, along with other factors, has led to the release and accumulation of a wide range of hazardous chemicals into the environment, for instance, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Thus, for the first time, a comprehensive 16 PAHs measurements campaign over the course of six months near the oil refineries along the Tigris River and its estuaries was investigated. The 16 PAHs concentrations in surface water and the sediments for the following oil refineries: Baiji, Kirkuk, Al-Siniyah, Qayyarah, Al-Kasak, Daura, South Refineries Company, and Maysan were examined. The overall findings indicated that the 16 PAHs concentrations ranged from 567.8 to 3750.7 ng/L for water and 5619.2–12795.0 ng/g for sediment. Water samples in South Refineries Company recorded the highest PAH concentrations while Baiji oil refinery registered the highest PAH concentrations in the sediment samples. The percentages of high molecular weight PAH (5–6 rings) in water and sediment samples were the highest, ranging from 49.41% to 81.67% and from 39.06% to 89.39% of total PAH for water and sediment, respectively. The majority of 16 PAHs measured in water and sediment samples of the Tigris River were derived from pyrogenic sources. Based on sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), most sites showed a possible effect range with occasional biological effects of most of the PAH concentrations in all sediments’ samples. The calculated incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) value was high risk with adverse health effects, including cancer.

Funding Information: First and foremost, we are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for improving the paper's quality. The authors acknowledge the support in the form of various facilities provided by Aalto University, Finland and Liverpool John Moores University, UK. We also appreciate the facilities provided by the Environmental Research and Studies Center (ERSC), University of Babylon, Iraq. This article represents the views or opinions of its authors. Funding Information: The ÚNKP-22-3-I-PE-12 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund supported this research. The study was partially supported by the Stipendium Hungaricum, and the Environmental Research and Studies Center, University of Babylon. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors In recent years, enzymatic remediation/biocatalysis has gained prominence for the bioremediation of recalcitrant chemicals. Laccase is one of the commonly investigated enzymes for bioremediation applications. There is a growing interest in immobilizing this enzyme onto adsorbents for achieving high pollutant removal through simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation. Due to the influence of the biomolecule-support interface on laccase activity and stability, it is crucial to functionalize the solid carrier prior to immobilization. Date stone (PDS), as an eco-friendly, low-cost, and effective natural adsorbent, was utilized as a carrier for laccase (fungus Trametes versicolor). After activating PDS through chemical treatments, the surface area increased by thirty-six-fold, and carbonyl groups became more prominent. Batch experiments were carried out for ketoprofen and aspirin biodegradation in aqueous solutions. After six cycles, the laccase maintained 54% of its original activity confirmed by oxidation tests of 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS). In addition, the storage, pH, and thermal stability of immobilized laccase on functionalized date stone (LFPDS) were found to be superior to that of free laccase, demonstrating its potential for ongoing applications. In the aqueous batch mode, this immobilized laccase system was used to degrade 25 mg L−1 of ketoprofen and aspirin, resulting in almost complete removal within 4 h of treatment. This study reveals that agricultural wastes such as date stone can successfully be valorized through simple activation techniques, and the final product can be used as an adsorbent and substrate for immobilization enzyme. The high efficiency of the LFPDS in removing ketoprofen and aspirin highlights the potential of this technology for removing pharmaceuticals and merits its continued development.

The effects of different ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) concentrations on the fatty acid profile of the blue-green alga Arthrospira platensis cultured in Zarrouk’s medium to produce biodiesel were studied. Different ferrous sulfate concentrations (0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 g/L) and 0.01 g/L were examined on the biochemical composition of the alga and fatty acids profile of A. platensis. Findings revealed that the highest and lowest yields of fatty acid were 0 and 0.1 g/L FeSO4, respectively. It was also noticed an increase of palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid when ferrous sulfate was between 0.05 and 0.1 g/L, while these fatty acids decreased at low concentration. Ferrous sulfate at a concentration of 0.1 g/L exhibited an increase and best yields in the following: growth rate and the shortest doubling time, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, phycobiliproteins, and carotenoids. Thus, increasing the FeSO4 concentration to 0.1 g/L has led to the increase in fatty acid individuals, which in turn, resulted in potential enhancement of the biodiesel production from A. platensis.

Funding Information: First and foremost, we are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for improving the paper quality. Thank Ahmed Al-Azawi, Mostafa Kadhem Al-Baaiti and Liath M. Al-Musawy from the ministry of education for their help in collecting the data. Additionally, thank Basheer Khalid, Ali Jaber Oudah and Ghazwan Hussein Hamza for their effort in logistic support. The views in this manuscript are those of the authors, and they do not reflect those of other agencies. Additionally, this study has not received any specific grants. We also declare no conflict of interest. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Ltd Particulate matter (PM) is a major indicator of urban air quality deterioration due to its impact on human health, atmospheric visibility and climate change. However, sufficient data on personal exposure to air pollution is still rare or unavailable in developing countries such as Iraq. Thus, this paper investigated the personal exposure and inhalation doses of PM1 and PM2.5 in Al-Hillah city, Iraq, for four common motorized transportation modes, namely open windows car, closed window car, bus, and motorbike. A portable monitoring device was used to collect the data during morning and afternoon hours in two main streets in the city. A t-test examination of the obtained results showed that the mean exposure concentration for both PM2.5 and PM1 were significantly different in the two streets form most of the transportation modes. The difference in the means of the measured PM1 and PM2.5 in the morning and afternoon trips were statistically significant for all the transportation modes except for bus in 60 street. This highlights the special and temporal variation of air pollution in the city. This is largely due the deteriorated infrastructure and lack of control policies in the city. Overall, PM2.5 and PM1 measured exposure concentrations were higher in the morning trips than in the afternoon ones. Regardless of the time or place of measurements, closed windows cars always had the lowest exposure concentrations to PM1 and PM2.5. The alarming observation in this study was the high levels of PM1 and PM2.5 that exceeded the recommended WHO limits, and were higher than the reported concentrations in the world bank database. The study findings present preliminary data on personal exposure concentrations and inhalation doses for travelers in Al-Hillah city, which can be utilized for global studies of air contamination in countries in similar situations as Iraq and for developing local control strategies.

The occurrence of heavy metals in water sources is grave worldwide concerns for many reasons, firstly because the heavy metals could remain in the water for very long periods because they cannot be degraded by the microorganisms. Secondly, the heavy metals can be accumulated in the bodies of plants and other living cells to toxic levels and could affect humans through the food chain. Finally, the contaminated water by heavy metals causes severe health problems for consumers, such as kidney and brain diseases. Therefore, the development of effective water treatment methods for remediation of water from heavy metals is a vital concern for scientists nowadays. The present work uses sawdust as a chemically activated adsorbent to remove copper. The adsorption experiments were employed in a batch system to investigate the impact of different parameters such as contact time, solution pH, and adsorbent dose. The favorable pH for maximum copper removal was at neutral. After performing the batch experiments, an optimum contact time of 150 min was adopted. The findings indicated that the sawdust dosage of 2 g/L removed about 79% from the copper concentration in the aqueous solution. Sawdust has been successfully utilized as low-cost sorbents for copper removal.

One of the worldwide environmental issues is water contamination by toxic heavy metals. Copper is considered one of the most common heavy metals founded in industrial wastes, and it has potential impacts on the ecosystem and human health. In order to remove copper from synthetic water, an economically effective adsorbent is required. Thus, this work evaluated the adsorption of copper by utilizing Westland Irish peat moss. The adsorbent was prepared by washing the Westland Irish peat moss using an acidic bath for half an hour with a continuous shaken process, then the mixture was centrifuged to separate the peat moss particles, which was washed using deionized water and dried using an oven. The dried sample was ground and sieved at 80 mesh screen before it was used as an adsorbent. The experiments were accomplished in a batch system as a function of initial solution pH, contact time as well as peat moss dosage. The maximum copper removal, 94.8%, was obtained at a pH of 6, optimum adsorption-equilibrium time of 80 minutes, and peat moss dosage of 7.5 g/L. Irish peat moss as an economically effective adsorbent was satisfactorily employed to remove copper from synthetic water.

In the last few decades, there have been increasing in assessing sustainability for industrial originations worldwide. The educational institution stared to adopt these principles as it is considering a large platform to start with. Narrowing down to the Iraqi educational institutions, there are still frustrating with applying the sustainability concept at the universities. Therefore, a developed tool to assess the current sustainability situation was conducted. Based on the analyzing by using Prism software after a year of gathering data, there was a significant issue with all the 15 indicators. The indicators broke down into Transportation, Educations and Research, Recycling Systems, Green Buildings as well as Water and Wastewater. The developed sustainability assessment tool is beneficial for any other university that willing to take a part in this principle with continuous measuring should be monitored.

This study is considered to be the first investigation of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in terms of distribution and sources identification for three land-use in Babylon governorate, Iraq. Potential sources of 16 US EPA priority PAHs were identified by employing diagnostic ratio as well as principal component analysis (PCA) method. Additionally, Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) model was determined in order to assess the risk exposure to the individual PAHs in street dust (SD). Findings in three land-use indicated that the total sixteen PAHs concentrations in the samples were 555.9, 1388, 1221.8 µg Kg−1 for Residential Area, Industrial Area, and Commercial area, respectively, with an average of 1055 µg Kg−1. Moreover, study findings pointed out that the percentages of both LMW and HMW (included MMW) in the street dust were accounted for 38.3% and 61.7% of the total PAHs, respectively. Two components are founded in the PCA with HMW accounted for 75.8% of the total PAHs, and PAHs LMW contributed 24.2% of the total PAHs. Ratios results in nutshell indicated the predominance of pyrogenic source for sixteen PAHs. This suggested by possible sources such as the emission from vehicles, regular gas and fuel combustion activities, as well as coal and wood, were the major cause of 16 principal PAHs in SD samples in all three land-use in Babylon governorate. Results from ILCR model stated that total cancer risk for both targeted individuals exposed to SD in all land-use is more than 10-4 that is referred to increase potential health risk. The PAHs contamination in Babylon governorate needs urgently to be addressed on priority. Moreover, this work is beneficial for Babylon governorate to utilize it as a benchmark for future research.