Sewage sludge management has emerged as a critical environmental challenge due to the large volumes generated globally.Valorization techniques,including energy production and agricultural applications,offer sustainabl...Sewage sludge management has emerged as a critical environmental challenge due to the large volumes generated globally.Valorization techniques,including energy production and agricultural applications,offer sustainable solutions,particularly in regions with low soil fertility.The sewage sludge utilization in the Middle East region is low.This paper presents a pragmatic risk-based assessment using the riskbased corrective action approach to evaluate sludge application in desert soils.This methodology focuses on the source-pathway-receptor interaction and assesses the likelihood of contaminants posing a real threat.In arid desert regions like Kuwait,where soil organic content and moisture are extremely low,the application of sewage sludge presents a feasible option to enhance soil quality and valorize unutilized sludge dumps which pose significant environmental concerns but are left to desiccate in the absence of any environmental regulation towards its utilization and due to religious apprehensions.Since the sludge characterization is not well detailed a brief review of the available data was included to establish the bounds of various organic,metal and nutrients that were used for generating the model.This study examines the changes in the physico-chemical properties of desert soils following sludge application,focusing on the likely fate of trace metals and organic contaminants.The alkaline desert soils of Kuwait,with a pH range of 7.7e8.9,are particularly suitable for sludge application due to the low mobility of metals in alkaline conditions.Additionally,sludge application lowers soil pH,improving conditions for plant growth.The region's deeper water table and scant annual precipitation(<0.15 m)further reduce the risk of groundwater contamination and deeper soil profile contamination.The presence of organic content,nitrates,Zn,and Cu in sludge can promote native vegetation growth.However,trace organic contaminants,including PAHs,PCBs,and pharmaceuticals,pose a potential risk to soil contamination,but since the geological section shows intervening impervious layers the contamination is going to be localized,even if there is sufficient leachable fraction.Given the minimal risk of contamination under the unique conditions of arid regions,this approach highlights the potential for eco-friendly sludge valorization,that will improve vegetation cover and arrest the suspended particulate suspension.However,before the large-scale implementation of this modelled concept,a detailed experimental study on the pilot scale or lysimeters is recommended to assess the long-term impacts of sludge application and to obtain data that can inform policy guidelines for sustainable sludge management in desert environments.展开更多
Transmission of microplastics(MPs)through aerosolization has been recently realized as an important route.Inspite of the reports of the ubiquitous MP presence in aerosols,the spatio-temporal information is inadequate ...Transmission of microplastics(MPs)through aerosolization has been recently realized as an important route.Inspite of the reports of the ubiquitous MP presence in aerosols,the spatio-temporal information is inadequate and has very limited practicality in assessing if aerosol can be a significant source of MPs to the marine environment.Data on marine contribution to atmospheric MPs is exceptionally scarce,and the ocean-air exchange is considered an emerging research area.Evidence of MPs entering the oceans via atmospheric deposition has been recently produced.The idea of ocean-air exchange emanates from the fact that beach sediments can get suspended under sand and dust storms,bubble bursts and sea sprays due to wind and waves in surf zones can lead to the ejection of particles into aerosols.In this succinct review,we have tried compiling the data on atmospheric MPs that can shed some light on the flux from and to the aquatic environment.While the information is too limited never the less its incorporation into the marine MP cycle cannot be neglected.展开更多
基金the joint FAO-IAEA Centre,International Atomic Energy Agency for Research Contract No.26641,under Coordinated Research Project D15021 and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research for their support of this study.
文摘Sewage sludge management has emerged as a critical environmental challenge due to the large volumes generated globally.Valorization techniques,including energy production and agricultural applications,offer sustainable solutions,particularly in regions with low soil fertility.The sewage sludge utilization in the Middle East region is low.This paper presents a pragmatic risk-based assessment using the riskbased corrective action approach to evaluate sludge application in desert soils.This methodology focuses on the source-pathway-receptor interaction and assesses the likelihood of contaminants posing a real threat.In arid desert regions like Kuwait,where soil organic content and moisture are extremely low,the application of sewage sludge presents a feasible option to enhance soil quality and valorize unutilized sludge dumps which pose significant environmental concerns but are left to desiccate in the absence of any environmental regulation towards its utilization and due to religious apprehensions.Since the sludge characterization is not well detailed a brief review of the available data was included to establish the bounds of various organic,metal and nutrients that were used for generating the model.This study examines the changes in the physico-chemical properties of desert soils following sludge application,focusing on the likely fate of trace metals and organic contaminants.The alkaline desert soils of Kuwait,with a pH range of 7.7e8.9,are particularly suitable for sludge application due to the low mobility of metals in alkaline conditions.Additionally,sludge application lowers soil pH,improving conditions for plant growth.The region's deeper water table and scant annual precipitation(<0.15 m)further reduce the risk of groundwater contamination and deeper soil profile contamination.The presence of organic content,nitrates,Zn,and Cu in sludge can promote native vegetation growth.However,trace organic contaminants,including PAHs,PCBs,and pharmaceuticals,pose a potential risk to soil contamination,but since the geological section shows intervening impervious layers the contamination is going to be localized,even if there is sufficient leachable fraction.Given the minimal risk of contamination under the unique conditions of arid regions,this approach highlights the potential for eco-friendly sludge valorization,that will improve vegetation cover and arrest the suspended particulate suspension.However,before the large-scale implementation of this modelled concept,a detailed experimental study on the pilot scale or lysimeters is recommended to assess the long-term impacts of sludge application and to obtain data that can inform policy guidelines for sustainable sludge management in desert environments.
文摘Transmission of microplastics(MPs)through aerosolization has been recently realized as an important route.Inspite of the reports of the ubiquitous MP presence in aerosols,the spatio-temporal information is inadequate and has very limited practicality in assessing if aerosol can be a significant source of MPs to the marine environment.Data on marine contribution to atmospheric MPs is exceptionally scarce,and the ocean-air exchange is considered an emerging research area.Evidence of MPs entering the oceans via atmospheric deposition has been recently produced.The idea of ocean-air exchange emanates from the fact that beach sediments can get suspended under sand and dust storms,bubble bursts and sea sprays due to wind and waves in surf zones can lead to the ejection of particles into aerosols.In this succinct review,we have tried compiling the data on atmospheric MPs that can shed some light on the flux from and to the aquatic environment.While the information is too limited never the less its incorporation into the marine MP cycle cannot be neglected.
