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This study investigates the nitrogen removal and sludge reduction efficiency of biological contact oxidation reactors in the presence of two bio-carriers namely basalt fibers (R-BF) and combination fillers (R-CF). The results were also compared with a conventional anoxic-oxic reactor (R-A/O). The reactors were operated at pilot-scale (550 L) and pollutant removal mechanisms were studied based on physicochemical parameters, bio-carrier surface morphology, microbial community structures, and activated sludge characteristics. It was found that chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals for R-BF, R-CF, and R-A/O were comparable in all reactor types, whereas R-A/O performed better in terms of ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N) and total nitrogen (TN) removal followed by R-BF and R-CF. The sludge reduction in R-BF was 40.4% higher than that in R-CF and 61.9% higher than that in R-A/O. This observation was further correlated with the abundance of protozoa (Vorticella and Epistylis) and metazoan (Aeolosoma hemprichi) communities, diverse and rich bacterial communities, stronger dehydrogenase activity, and low specific oxygen uptake rate in R-BF. The results of 16S amplicon sequencing suggested that microbiological conditions in R-BF were more favorable for heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification, sulfur cycle, hydrolysis and fermentation compared to R-CF. In R-A/O, however, sulfur oxidizing and reducing bacteria were completely absent which also indicated its poor efficiency for sulfur removal. This study concludes that R-BF was a better choice towards sludge reduction whereas conventional R-A/O could be a favorable approach for TN removal.
Huicheng Ni; Muhammad Arslan; Jing Wei; Jing Dai; Zhijun Luo; Ruoqi Cai; Shuai Zhao; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Zhiren Wu. Treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater in biological contact oxidation reactors comprising basalt fibers and combination fillers as bio-carriers: Elucidation of bacterial communities and underlying mechanisms. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 785, 147272 .
AMA StyleHuicheng Ni, Muhammad Arslan, Jing Wei, Jing Dai, Zhijun Luo, Ruoqi Cai, Shuai Zhao, Mohamed Gamal El-Din, Zhiren Wu. Treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater in biological contact oxidation reactors comprising basalt fibers and combination fillers as bio-carriers: Elucidation of bacterial communities and underlying mechanisms. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 785 ():147272.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHuicheng Ni; Muhammad Arslan; Jing Wei; Jing Dai; Zhijun Luo; Ruoqi Cai; Shuai Zhao; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Zhiren Wu. 2021. "Treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater in biological contact oxidation reactors comprising basalt fibers and combination fillers as bio-carriers: Elucidation of bacterial communities and underlying mechanisms." Science of The Total Environment 785, no. : 147272.
The direct discharge of azo dyes and/or their metabolites into the environment may exert toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects on exposed fauna and flora. In this study, we analyzed the metabolites produced during the degradation of an azo dye namely Reactive Black 5 (RB5) in the bacterial augmented-floating treatment wetlands (FTWs), followed by the investigation of their underlying toxicity. To this end, a FTWs system was developed by using a common wetland plant Phragmites australis in the presence of three dye-degrading bacteria (Acinetobacter junii strain NT-15, Pseudomonas indoloxydans strain NT-38, and Rhodococcus sp. strain NT-39). We found that the FTW system effectively degraded RB5 into at least 20 different metabolites with the successful removal of color (95.5%) from the water. The fish toxicity assay revealed the non-toxic characteristics of the metabolites produced after dye degradation. Our study suggests that bacterially aided FTWs could be a suitable option for the successful degradation of azo dyes, and the results presented in this study may help improve the overall textile effluent clean-up processes.
Nain Tara; Mazhar Iqbal; Fazale Habib; Qaiser Mahmood Khan; Samina Iqbal; Muhammad Afzal; Hans Brix. Investigating degradation metabolites and underlying pathway of azo dye “Reactive Black 5” in bioaugmented floating treatment wetlands. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleNain Tara, Mazhar Iqbal, Fazale Habib, Qaiser Mahmood Khan, Samina Iqbal, Muhammad Afzal, Hans Brix. Investigating degradation metabolites and underlying pathway of azo dye “Reactive Black 5” in bioaugmented floating treatment wetlands. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNain Tara; Mazhar Iqbal; Fazale Habib; Qaiser Mahmood Khan; Samina Iqbal; Muhammad Afzal; Hans Brix. 2021. "Investigating degradation metabolites and underlying pathway of azo dye “Reactive Black 5” in bioaugmented floating treatment wetlands." , no. : 1.
Quinoa cultivation has expanded from South America to many countries because of its wide adaptability and nutritional value. We evaluated 32 introduced quinoa genotypes using 17 qualitative and 11 quantitative traits under Saudi Arabia conditions during the 2018–2019 season. The quinoa genotypes showed considerable variation during the vegetative and maturity stages. Plant height values varied between 60 and 18 cm, and maturity ranged from 98 to 177 days. Leaf shapes were rhomboidal or triangular, with dentate or serrate margins. Green was the standard color for leaves and panicles at the flowering stage. The leaf granule colors were white, purple, and white-red. At 150 units of the Euclidean distance, the genotypes aggregated into four major groups based on their morphological traits. Twenty-one sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) primer pair combinations generated 75 amplified fragments (alleles), with a mean of 3.57 alleles per primer pair combination. Unweighted Pair-Group Method with Arithmetic means (UPGMA) clustering analysis showed that the quinoa genotypes were grouped based on origin or according to genetic background. Genotypes from South America presented higher mean values for the average number of alleles, Shannon index (0.411), gene diversity (0.271), and polymorphic percentage (83.95). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that most of the genetic variation was because of differences within populations (86%). The wide variability of the genotypes studied herein is of great importance for quinoa breeders.
Ehab El-Harty; Abdelhalim Ghazy; Talal Alateeq; Sulieman Al-Faifi; Muhammad Khan; Muhammed Afzal; Salem Alghamdi; Hussein Migdadi. Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Quinoa Genotypes. Agriculture 2021, 11, 286 .
AMA StyleEhab El-Harty, Abdelhalim Ghazy, Talal Alateeq, Sulieman Al-Faifi, Muhammad Khan, Muhammed Afzal, Salem Alghamdi, Hussein Migdadi. Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Quinoa Genotypes. Agriculture. 2021; 11 (4):286.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEhab El-Harty; Abdelhalim Ghazy; Talal Alateeq; Sulieman Al-Faifi; Muhammad Khan; Muhammed Afzal; Salem Alghamdi; Hussein Migdadi. 2021. "Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Quinoa Genotypes." Agriculture 11, no. 4: 286.
Adopting nature-based solutions for the bioremediation of oil sands process water (OSPW) is of significant interest, which requires a thorough understanding of how bacterial communities behave within systems operated under natural conditions. This study investigates the OSPW remediation potential of delayed petroleum-coke (PC), which is a byproduct of bitumen upgrading process and is readily available at oil refining sites, in fixed-bed biofilters particularly for the degradation of naphthenic acids (NAs) and aromatics. The biofilters were operated continuously and total and active bacterial communities were studied by DNA and RNA-based amplicon sequencing in a metataxonomic fashion to extrapolate the underlying degradation mechanisms. The results of total community structure indicated a high abundance of aerobic bacteria at all depths of the biofilter, e.g., Porphyrobacter, Legionella, Pseudomonas, Planctomyces. However, redox conditions within the biofilters were anoxic (−153 to −182 mV) that allowed selected anaerobic bacteria to actively participate in the remediation of OSPW, i.e., Ruminicoccus, Eubacterium, Faecalibacterium, Dorea. The removal of classical NAs was recorded up to 20% whereas oxidized NAs species were poorly removed, i.e., O3-NAs: 4.8%, O4-NAs: 1.2%, O5-NAs: 1.7%, and O6-NAs: 0.5%. Accordingly, monoaromatics, diaromatics, and triaromatics were removed up to 16%, 22%, and 15%, respectively. The physiology of the identified genera suggested that the degradation in the PC-based biofilters was most likely proceeded in a scheme similar to beta-oxidation during anaerobic digestion processes. The presence of hydrogenotrophic methanogens namely Methanobrevibacter and Methanomassiliicoccus and quantification of mcrA gene (2.4 × 102 to 8.7 × 102 copies/mg of PC) revealed that methane production was likely occurring in a syntrophic mechanism during the OSPW remediation. A slight reduction in toxicity was also observed. This study suggests that PC-based biofilters may offer some advantages in the remediation of OSPW; however, the production of methane could be of future concerns if operated at field-scale.
Muhammad Arslan; Mohamed Gamal El-Din. Bacterial diversity in petroleum coke based biofilters treating oil sands process water. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 782, 146742 .
AMA StyleMuhammad Arslan, Mohamed Gamal El-Din. Bacterial diversity in petroleum coke based biofilters treating oil sands process water. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 782 ():146742.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Arslan; Mohamed Gamal El-Din. 2021. "Bacterial diversity in petroleum coke based biofilters treating oil sands process water." Science of The Total Environment 782, no. : 146742.
Landraces are valuable sources of genetic characteristics, which are of plant breeders’ interest to include in breeding programs for crop improvement. We assess the inter- and intra-genetic variability among 96 accessions representing three Hail tomato landrace using DNA-based marker sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP). Seven SRAP primer combinations generated 55 alleles with a polymorphism of 100%, and an average of 7.86 polymorphic alleles per pair of primers. All primers showed an average of 0.68 polymorphic information content (PIC) value and discrimination power (DP) of 14.29. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) confirmed the clustering produced via the UPGMA similarity dendrogram allowed for the grouping of the 96 accessions according to its gene bank accession numbers and showed relatively good separation between landraces. A similarity value ranged from 0.04 to 1.0 among accessions of Hail 747, 0.05 to 1.0 in Hail 1072, and from 0.16 to 0.92 in Hail 548. These results showed the landraces harbor a wide range of genetic diversity at both inter and intra-variation levels. AMOVA showed that most of the genetic variation was because of differences within populations (87%). Tomato Hail landraces have well-differentiated genetic populations and admixtures, where Hail 747 formed their separate group, and both Hail 548 and Hail 1072 were admixed, and some accessions showed more diversity pattern. We have to take the SRAP technique’s effectiveness in the study of genetic variability among and within landraces into consideration in the tomato-breeding programs through marker-assessed selection.
Reem Alzahib; Hussein Migdadi; Abdullah Ghamdi; Mona Alwahibi; Muhammad Afzal; Ehab Elharty; Salem Alghamdi. Exploring Genetic Variability among and within Hail Tomato Landraces Based on Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism Markers. Diversity 2021, 13, 135 .
AMA StyleReem Alzahib, Hussein Migdadi, Abdullah Ghamdi, Mona Alwahibi, Muhammad Afzal, Ehab Elharty, Salem Alghamdi. Exploring Genetic Variability among and within Hail Tomato Landraces Based on Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism Markers. Diversity. 2021; 13 (3):135.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReem Alzahib; Hussein Migdadi; Abdullah Ghamdi; Mona Alwahibi; Muhammad Afzal; Ehab Elharty; Salem Alghamdi. 2021. "Exploring Genetic Variability among and within Hail Tomato Landraces Based on Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism Markers." Diversity 13, no. 3: 135.
Landfill leachate often has high nitrogen concentration that results in an imbalance of carbon to nitrogen ratio, ultimately affecting the bioremediation potential of the system. This problem may be solved by retrofitting a bio-carrier in a reactor that particularly helps microbial communities to drive the nitrogen cycle. In this study, basalt fiber (BF) was used as a bio-carrier in a conventional biological contact oxidation reactor for the remediation of landfill leachate. The physicochemical parameters namely chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) were assessed and compared with a control reactor comprising combination fillers to evaluate the system’s performance. The potential role of microorganisms in the remediation process was elucidated by microscopic morphology and microbial community structure analyses via 16S amplicon sequencing. The results showed that the surface of BF promotes the adhesion and proliferation of microorganisms. The abundant microbial genera were potentially involved in the nitrogen cycle such as dokdonella, saccharibacteria general incertae sedis, and Nitrospira. When the hydraulic retention time was 10 h and the dissolved oxygen was 1–2 mg/L, the nitrogen removal efficiency was the highest. Accordingly, the adsorption equilibrium of heavy metals was achieved in a short time which could be attributed to the sorption on biomass. This study concludes that BF application could help alleviate current problems of complex wastewater treatment having low denitrification abilities as a low cost solution.
Huicheng Ni; Muhammad Arslan; Junchao Qian; Yaping Wang; Zhigang Liu; Zhijun Luo; Ruoqi Cai; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Zhiren Wu. Application of basalt fibers in a biological contact oxidation reactor for the treatment of landfill leachate. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 297, 126648 .
AMA StyleHuicheng Ni, Muhammad Arslan, Junchao Qian, Yaping Wang, Zhigang Liu, Zhijun Luo, Ruoqi Cai, Mohamed Gamal El-Din, Zhiren Wu. Application of basalt fibers in a biological contact oxidation reactor for the treatment of landfill leachate. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 297 ():126648.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHuicheng Ni; Muhammad Arslan; Junchao Qian; Yaping Wang; Zhigang Liu; Zhijun Luo; Ruoqi Cai; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Zhiren Wu. 2021. "Application of basalt fibers in a biological contact oxidation reactor for the treatment of landfill leachate." Journal of Cleaner Production 297, no. : 126648.
Excessive use of detergents in wide industrial processes results in unwanted surfactant pollution. Among them, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) has well-known history to be used in pharmaceutical and industrial applications. However, if discharged without treatment, it can cause toxic effects on living organisms especially to the aquatic life. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) could be a cost-effective and eco-friendly options for the treatment of wastewater containing SDS. In this study, FTWs mesocosms were established in the presence of hydrocarbons-degrading bacteria. Two plant species (Brachiaria mutica and Leptochloa fusca) were vegetated and a consortium of bacteria (Acinetobacter sp. strain BRSI56, Acinetobacter junii strain TYRH47, and Acinetobacter sp. strain CYRH21) was applied to enhance degradation in a short-time. Results illustrated that FTWs vegetated with both plants successfully removed SDS from water, however, bacterial augmentation further enhanced the removal efficiency. Maximum reduction in SDS concentration (97.5%), chemical oxygen demand (92.0%), biological oxygen demand (94.2%), and turbidity (99.4%) was observed in the water having FTWs vegetated with B. mutica and inoculated with the bacteria. The inoculated bacteria showed more survival in the roots and shoots of B. mutica as compared to L. fusca. This study concludes that FTWs have the potential for the removal of SDS from contaminated water and their remediation efficiency can be enhanced by bacterial augmentation.
Momina Yasin; Muhammad Tauseef; Zaniab Zafar; Moazur Rahman; Ejazul Islam; Samina Iqbal; Muhammad Afzal. Plant-Microbe Synergism in Floating Treatment Wetlands for the Enhanced Removal of Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate from Water. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2883 .
AMA StyleMomina Yasin, Muhammad Tauseef, Zaniab Zafar, Moazur Rahman, Ejazul Islam, Samina Iqbal, Muhammad Afzal. Plant-Microbe Synergism in Floating Treatment Wetlands for the Enhanced Removal of Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate from Water. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2883.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMomina Yasin; Muhammad Tauseef; Zaniab Zafar; Moazur Rahman; Ejazul Islam; Samina Iqbal; Muhammad Afzal. 2021. "Plant-Microbe Synergism in Floating Treatment Wetlands for the Enhanced Removal of Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate from Water." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2883.
The genus Solanum exhibits a wide range of variability in morphology, flavor, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Phenotypic and genetic variability using ISSR and RAPD markers of Solanum incanum distributed in Al-Baha province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is assessed. Thirty samples are representing three different locations: Baljershy, Aqeeq, and Tohama, besides twenty-five samples representing five different commercial cultivars tested. Growth type, the number of leaves per plant, fruit size (phenotypic traits), crude protein, carbohydrates, digestive organic matter, and Mg, Ca, P were the principal contributors in the PCA. Molecular analysis showed that 114 ISSR and 80 RAPD alleles with a 100% polymorphism were recorded. The polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.84 to 0.91 for ISSR and from 0.59 to 0.89 for RAPD data. Similarity values ranged from 0.16 to 1.00, with an average of 0.47 for ISSR and from 0.01 to 0.97, with an average of 0.36 for RAPD. It resulted in a positive and significant correlation between morphological, molecular, nutritional, and chemical analysis of fruits using Mantel analysis. UPGMA and PCA for morphological traits and molecular data discriminated commercial cultivars and wild relatives. Solanum incanum was more diverse than commercial varieties. This study revealed a wide genetic diversity among and within collected eggplant accessions and may use in breeding programs of eggplants. There is a need to increase the present eggplant collection to widen the genetic diversity of cultivated eggplant varieties in Saudi Arabia.
Saud L. Al-Rowaily; Abdullah O. Alghamdi; Salem S. Alghamdi; Abdulaziz M. Assaeed; Ahmad Hegazy; Muhammad Afzal; Hussein M. Migdadi. Assessment of morphological and molecular variability of some Solanum melongena L. cultivars and wild Solanum incanum L. in Saudi Arabia. Biologia Futura 2021, 72, 187 -199.
AMA StyleSaud L. Al-Rowaily, Abdullah O. Alghamdi, Salem S. Alghamdi, Abdulaziz M. Assaeed, Ahmad Hegazy, Muhammad Afzal, Hussein M. Migdadi. Assessment of morphological and molecular variability of some Solanum melongena L. cultivars and wild Solanum incanum L. in Saudi Arabia. Biologia Futura. 2021; 72 (2):187-199.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSaud L. Al-Rowaily; Abdullah O. Alghamdi; Salem S. Alghamdi; Abdulaziz M. Assaeed; Ahmad Hegazy; Muhammad Afzal; Hussein M. Migdadi. 2021. "Assessment of morphological and molecular variability of some Solanum melongena L. cultivars and wild Solanum incanum L. in Saudi Arabia." Biologia Futura 72, no. 2: 187-199.
The carrier medium plays a key role in improving existing remediation potential of conventional biological contact oxidation reactors. In this study, a biological contact oxidation reactor was constructed using basalt fiber (R-BF) as a biological carrier. The bioreactor performance was investigated in terms of reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), and total nitrogen (TN) at organic loadings rate of 15.243 kg/m3·d and nitrogen loading rate of 1.068 kg/m3·d. We found that COD, NH4+-N, and TN were reduced to 99.1%, 97.9%, and 97.8%, respectively. Within the R-BF, a bio-nest was developed which had abundant pores and channels and supported successful movement of nutrients, resulting in high biological activity (55.78%). The microbial communities within the bio-nest were diverse and rich and sludge production during operation was minimal. This makes BF a promising application for wastewater treatment. This research might be useful in the construction of integrated bioreactors that can operate under high organic and nitrogen loadings rates with reduced energy consumption, i.e. 75% in this study.
Huicheng Ni; Junchao Qian; Muhammad Arslan; Xiangtong Zhou; Zhijun Luo; Jing Wei; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Zhiren Wu. Treatment of high-load organic wastewater by novel basalt fiber carrier media. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 758, 143760 .
AMA StyleHuicheng Ni, Junchao Qian, Muhammad Arslan, Xiangtong Zhou, Zhijun Luo, Jing Wei, Mohamed Gamal El-Din, Zhiren Wu. Treatment of high-load organic wastewater by novel basalt fiber carrier media. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 758 ():143760.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHuicheng Ni; Junchao Qian; Muhammad Arslan; Xiangtong Zhou; Zhijun Luo; Jing Wei; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Zhiren Wu. 2020. "Treatment of high-load organic wastewater by novel basalt fiber carrier media." Science of The Total Environment 758, no. : 143760.
Dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis Costa (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) is a major pest of cotton crop across various regions in the world, and has developed resistance to a number of insecticides including bifenthrin. In the current study, we evaluated the genetics and realized heritability (h2) of bifenthrin resistance following selection of O. hyalinipennis in the laboratory for 15 generations. The selected population of O. hyalinipennis had a resistance ratio of 554.21-fold as compared to a laboratory susceptible population. Toxicity data of reciprocal crosses F1 and F1’ revealed that bifenthrin resistance was inherited as an autosomal trait and no maternal influence was involved. The degree of dominance (DLC) values, 0.68 and 0.81 for F1 and F1’, respectively, revealed that incompletely dominant genes were governing the bifenthrin resistance in O. hyalinipennis. Resistance to bifenthrin also shifted from completely dominant (DML = 0.95) to fully recessive (DML = 0.08) trait upon changing the concentrations of bifenthrin from 165.25 ppm to 2500 ppm, respectively. The chi-square analysis of monogenic model in both back-crosses, BC1 (F1♀ × S♂) and BC2 (F1♀ × R♂) resulted in rejection of the hypothesis of monogenic resistance, which indicated that multiple factors were involved in controlling bifenthrin resistance. The estimated value of realized heritability (h2) for bifenthrin resistance was 0.09. Selection of O. hyalinipennis with bifenthrin for 15 generations induced a high resistance to bifenthrin that was autosomal, incompletely dominant and polygenic in nature. A low heritability value revealed that bifenthrin resistance could likely develop in the field but at much slower pace. These results have important implications for bifenthrin resistance management in O. hyalinipennis.
Ansa Banazeer; Hafiz Muhammad Usama Khan; Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal; Sarfraz Ali Shad. Characterization of genetic basis and realized heritability of bifenthrin-resistance selected in dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Pakistan. Crop Protection 2020, 141, 105441 .
AMA StyleAnsa Banazeer, Hafiz Muhammad Usama Khan, Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal, Sarfraz Ali Shad. Characterization of genetic basis and realized heritability of bifenthrin-resistance selected in dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Pakistan. Crop Protection. 2020; 141 ():105441.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnsa Banazeer; Hafiz Muhammad Usama Khan; Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal; Sarfraz Ali Shad. 2020. "Characterization of genetic basis and realized heritability of bifenthrin-resistance selected in dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Pakistan." Crop Protection 141, no. : 105441.
Face masks are primary line of defense to reduce the transmission risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). World Health Organization (WHO) has already updated the guidelines and advised the use of face masks in public areas essentially. This has dramatically increased the production and use of face masks in many parts of the world. Arabian Peninsula is comprised of six countries where the public perception of following WHO guidelines is high. In this study, we highlight the concerns relating to extensive use of face masks in this region, particularly in the context of (micro-)plastic pollution. We computed the number of face masks to be used in each of the countries of Arabian Peninsula for varying levels of acceptance rate and average number of daily usages. Accordingly, the amount of (micro-)plastic that could come into the terrestrial and marine environment is also reported. Saudi Arabia, being the most populated country in the region may contribute up to 32–235 thousand tons of (micro-)plastic which is nearly half of the amount in the whole Peninsula. On the other hand, an extremely high infection rate in Qatar (25.74%) may also lead to a significant increase of (micro-)plastic content due to high public acceptance rate and living standards. The high (micro-)plastic fraction is of significant concern because it ends up in the marine ecosystems. Further, it allows colonization of several pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungal filaments, and spores) and might serve as carriers of disease transmission finally affecting the living organisms habituating these ecosystems. It is suggested that appropriate regulations on face masks waste should be devised to avoid any unwanted consequences in the near future.
Saddam Akber Abbasi; Amjad B. Khalil; Muhammad Arslan. Extensive use of face masks during COVID-19 pandemic: (micro-)plastic pollution and potential health concerns in the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 2020, 27, 3181 -3186.
AMA StyleSaddam Akber Abbasi, Amjad B. Khalil, Muhammad Arslan. Extensive use of face masks during COVID-19 pandemic: (micro-)plastic pollution and potential health concerns in the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 2020; 27 (12):3181-3186.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSaddam Akber Abbasi; Amjad B. Khalil; Muhammad Arslan. 2020. "Extensive use of face masks during COVID-19 pandemic: (micro-)plastic pollution and potential health concerns in the Arabian Peninsula." Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 27, no. 12: 3181-3186.
Genetic diversity enrichment is urgently necessary to develop climate-resilient faba bean cultivars. The present study aimed to measure the enrichment of genetic diversity and changes in the population structure of faba bean, following induced mutagenesis. 120 samples, including 116 M2 mutant plants, generated by exposing the ILB4347 accession to four mutagen treatments (25 and 50 Gray gamma radiation and 0.01%, and 0.05% diethyl sulfate) and four reference genotypes were characterized using 11 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) primer combinations. The AFLP markers generated 1687 polymorphic alleles, including 756 alleles (45%) that were detected infrequently (f ≤ 0.1). The total allele count of the mutant plants ranged from 117 to 545. We observed a wide range of banding patterns and counts among the mutant plants, showing the high genetic diversity induced by mutation. Mutations also changed the population structure, by altering 31.78% of the total membership coefficient (Q). Although mutations changed the population structure, Nei’s genetic distance showed that the mutant population remained closely related to its control parent. This is the first report examining genetic diversity and population changes in faba bean mutant populations and, thus, could facilitate the application of induced mutagenesis during faba bean breeding.
Nurmansyah; Salem Alghamdi; Hussein Migdadi; Muhammad Khan; Muhammad Afzal. AFLP-Based Analysis of Variation and Population Structure in Mutagenesis Induced Faba Bean. Diversity 2020, 12, 303 .
AMA StyleNurmansyah, Salem Alghamdi, Hussein Migdadi, Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Afzal. AFLP-Based Analysis of Variation and Population Structure in Mutagenesis Induced Faba Bean. Diversity. 2020; 12 (8):303.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNurmansyah; Salem Alghamdi; Hussein Migdadi; Muhammad Khan; Muhammad Afzal. 2020. "AFLP-Based Analysis of Variation and Population Structure in Mutagenesis Induced Faba Bean." Diversity 12, no. 8: 303.
The textile industry is one of the most chemically intensive industries, and its wastewater is comprised of harmful dyes, pigments, dissolved/suspended solids, and heavy metals. The treatment of textile wastewater has become a necessary task before discharge into the environment. The textile effluent can be treated by conventional methods, however, the limitations of these techniques are high cost, incomplete removal, and production of concentrated sludge. This review illustrates recent knowledge about the application of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) for remediation of textile wastewater. The FTWs system is a potential alternative technology for textile wastewater treatment. FTWs efficiently removed the dyes, pigments, organic matter, nutrients, heavy metals, and other pollutants from the textile effluent. Plants and bacteria are essential components of FTWs, which contribute to the pollutant removal process through their physical effects and metabolic process. Plants species with extensive roots structure and large biomass are recommended for vegetation on floating mats. The pollutant removal efficiency can be enhanced by the right selection of plants, managing plant coverage, improving aeration, and inoculation by specific bacterial strains. The proper installation and maintenance practices can further enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and aesthetic value of the FTWs. Further research is suggested to develop guidelines for the selection of right plants and bacterial strains for the efficient remediation of textile effluent by FTWs at large scales.
Fan Wei; Munazzam Shahid; Ghalia Alnusairi; Muhammad Afzal; Aziz Khan; Mohamed El-Esawi; Zohaib Abbas; Kunhua Wei; Ihsan Zaheer; Muhammad Rizwan; Shafaqat Ali. Implementation of Floating Treatment Wetlands for Textile Wastewater Management: A Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5801 .
AMA StyleFan Wei, Munazzam Shahid, Ghalia Alnusairi, Muhammad Afzal, Aziz Khan, Mohamed El-Esawi, Zohaib Abbas, Kunhua Wei, Ihsan Zaheer, Muhammad Rizwan, Shafaqat Ali. Implementation of Floating Treatment Wetlands for Textile Wastewater Management: A Review. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (14):5801.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFan Wei; Munazzam Shahid; Ghalia Alnusairi; Muhammad Afzal; Aziz Khan; Mohamed El-Esawi; Zohaib Abbas; Kunhua Wei; Ihsan Zaheer; Muhammad Rizwan; Shafaqat Ali. 2020. "Implementation of Floating Treatment Wetlands for Textile Wastewater Management: A Review." Sustainability 12, no. 14: 5801.
Dusky cotton bug Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) has been found to infesting cotton and other plants in Pakistan and some other countries. However, in Pakistan the increasing infestation of O. hyalinipennis was controlled with different insecticides, but some degree of resistance has been reported. Inheritance and cross-resistance of dimethoate resistance selection have not been documented in O. hyalinipennis previously. Therefore, this study for the first time characterized dimethoate resistance in O. hyalinipennis by inducing it in the laboratory for six generations. The selected population was 9.70- and 157-fold resistant compared with the field and laboratory population, respectively. The dimethoate resistance selection did not bring about any cross-resistance with lambda-cyhalothrin (1.47-fold) but had a very low cross-resistance with chlorfenapyr (3.03-fold) and acephate (2.21-fold) compared with the field population. The overlapping in 95% confidence limits of LC50 ratios of F1 (R♀ × S♂) and F1` (R♂ × S♀) indicated the lack of maternal effects, whereas their degree of dominance of 0.54 and 0.51 suggested an incompletely dominant resistance inheritance. Multiple factors were involved in dimethoate resistance as implied from Chi-square analyses of backcrosses. In conclusion, O. hyalinipennis develops easily resistance to dimethoate due to selection. Lack of/or very low cross-resistance with lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorfenapyr and acephate implies that these insecticides can be used in rotation. Moreover, dimethoate resistance inheritance was incompletely dominant, autosomal and polygenic which implies that resistance to dimethoate can be delayed by using it in rotations, alterations, mosaics and combinations.
Ansa Banazeer; Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal; Sarfraz Ali Shad. Characterization of dimethoate resistance in Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa): resistance selection, cross-resistance to three insecticides and mode of inheritance. Phytoparasitica 2020, 48, 1 -9.
AMA StyleAnsa Banazeer, Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal, Sarfraz Ali Shad. Characterization of dimethoate resistance in Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa): resistance selection, cross-resistance to three insecticides and mode of inheritance. Phytoparasitica. 2020; 48 (5):1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnsa Banazeer; Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal; Sarfraz Ali Shad. 2020. "Characterization of dimethoate resistance in Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa): resistance selection, cross-resistance to three insecticides and mode of inheritance." Phytoparasitica 48, no. 5: 1-9.
This study aims to explore the application of sulfur-based constructed wetlands (CWs) for effective nitrogen (N) removal from wastewater. Two solid sulfur sources namely elemental sulfur (S0) and pyrite (FeS2) were used as substrates in two CWs, i.e. S-CW and P-CW, respectively. The CWs were vegetated with a common wetland plant Iris pseudacorus, and were operated to investigate the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and temperature on N removal. The use of S0 resulted in the highest denitrification rate (19.0 ± 7.5 g m−2 d−1), whereas up to 20 times slower total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal was observed with FeS2. Different sulfur sources had negligible effects on the growth of I. pseudacorus, but the element contents (e.g., N, S, and P) within the plant tissues were different. Iris roots in S-CW had higher S content compared with those in P-CW, which resulted in the difference in shoots colors. The characteristics of rhizospheric microbial communities were closely related to the sulfur and nitrogen sources. Briefly, denitrifying and sulfur-oxidizing genera (e.g., Denitratisoma, Sulfurimonas, Thiobacillus) were dominating in the S-CW, suggesting the occurrence of both autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification processes in the wetland. On the other hand, nitrifying bacteria were more abundant (e.g. Nitrospira, Piscinibacter) in the P-CW. S0 layer and rhizosphere accounted for 99.3% of nitrogen removal and the former part most likely played important roles with a decrease in HRT. Low temperature strongly affected the rate and efficiency of denitrification but recovered to 49.2 ± 25.8% when added with 30 mg L−1 sodium acetate. This study broadens the applications of sulfur-based CWs and provides a promising management strategy for denitrification at low temperatures.
Meng Li; Rui Duan; Wen Hao; Qingcheng Li; Muhammad Arslan; Panpan Liu; Xiang Qi; Xia Huang; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Peng Liang. High-rate nitrogen removal from carbon limited wastewater using sulfur-based constructed wetland: Impact of sulfur sources. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 744, 140969 .
AMA StyleMeng Li, Rui Duan, Wen Hao, Qingcheng Li, Muhammad Arslan, Panpan Liu, Xiang Qi, Xia Huang, Mohamed Gamal El-Din, Peng Liang. High-rate nitrogen removal from carbon limited wastewater using sulfur-based constructed wetland: Impact of sulfur sources. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 744 ():140969.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMeng Li; Rui Duan; Wen Hao; Qingcheng Li; Muhammad Arslan; Panpan Liu; Xiang Qi; Xia Huang; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Peng Liang. 2020. "High-rate nitrogen removal from carbon limited wastewater using sulfur-based constructed wetland: Impact of sulfur sources." Science of The Total Environment 744, no. : 140969.
This article provides useful information for understanding the specific role of microbes in the pollutant removal process in floating treatment wetlands (FTWs). The current literature is collected and organized to provide an insight into the specific role of microbes toward plants and pollutants. Several aspects are discussed, such as important components of FTWs, common bacterial species, rhizospheric and endophytes bacteria, and their specific role in the pollutant removal process. The roots of plants release oxygen and exudates, which act as a substrate for microbial growth. The bacteria attach themselves to the roots and form biofilms to get nutrients from the plants. Along the plants, the microbial community also influences the performance of FTWs. The bacterial community contributes to the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, toxic metals, hydrocarbon, and organic compounds. Plant–microbe interaction breaks down complex compounds into simple nutrients, mobilizes metal ions, and increases the uptake of pollutants by plants. The inoculation of the roots of plants with acclimatized microbes may improve the phytoremediation potential of FTWs. The bacteria also encourage plant growth and the bioavailability of toxic pollutants and can alleviate metal toxicity.
Munazzam Shahid; Ameena Al-Surhanee; Fayza Kouadri; Shafaqat Ali; Neeha Nawaz; Muhammad Afzal; Muhammad Rizwan; Basharat Ali; Mona Soliman. Role of Microorganisms in the Remediation of Wastewater in Floating Treatment Wetlands: A Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5559 .
AMA StyleMunazzam Shahid, Ameena Al-Surhanee, Fayza Kouadri, Shafaqat Ali, Neeha Nawaz, Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Rizwan, Basharat Ali, Mona Soliman. Role of Microorganisms in the Remediation of Wastewater in Floating Treatment Wetlands: A Review. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (14):5559.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMunazzam Shahid; Ameena Al-Surhanee; Fayza Kouadri; Shafaqat Ali; Neeha Nawaz; Muhammad Afzal; Muhammad Rizwan; Basharat Ali; Mona Soliman. 2020. "Role of Microorganisms in the Remediation of Wastewater in Floating Treatment Wetlands: A Review." Sustainability 12, no. 14: 5559.
The advent of novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its potential transmission via fecal-oral and aerosols-borne routes are upcoming challenges to understand the fate of the virus in the environment. In this short communication, we specifically looked at the possibilities of these transmission routes based on the available literature directly related to the SARS-CoV-2 as well as on the closer phylogenetic relatives such as SARS-CoV-1. The available data suggest that, in addition to human-to-human contact, the virus may spread via fecal-oral and aerosols-borne routes. Existing knowledge states that coronaviruses have low stability in the environment due to the natural action of oxidants that disrupt the viral envelope. Previous recommended dosage of chlorination has been found to be not sufficient to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in places where viral load is high such as hospitals and airports. Although there is no current evidence showing that coronaviruses can be transmitted through contaminated drinking water, there is a growing concern on the impact of the current pandemic wave on underprivileged societies because of their poor wastewater treatment infrastructures, overpopulation, and outbreak management strategies. More research is encouraged to trace the actual fate of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment and to develop/revise the disinfection strategies accordingly.
Muhammad Arslan; Bin Xu; Mohamed Gamal El-Din. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via fecal-oral and aerosols–borne routes: Environmental dynamics and implications for wastewater management in underprivileged societies. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 743, 140709 -140709.
AMA StyleMuhammad Arslan, Bin Xu, Mohamed Gamal El-Din. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via fecal-oral and aerosols–borne routes: Environmental dynamics and implications for wastewater management in underprivileged societies. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 743 ():140709-140709.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Arslan; Bin Xu; Mohamed Gamal El-Din. 2020. "Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via fecal-oral and aerosols–borne routes: Environmental dynamics and implications for wastewater management in underprivileged societies." Science of The Total Environment 743, no. : 140709-140709.
Flowback water from shale gas extraction is highly saline and comprises complex organic substances, thereby posing a significant challenge for the environmental management of the unconventional natural gas industry. In this work, an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) method was successfully used for the treatment of flowback water from shale gas extraction. The formed AGS had a diameter of 0.25–2.0 mm and the total sludge volume index was 23.40 mL g−1. The AGS efficiently removed COD, NH4+-N and TN by 70.1%, 92.1%, and 59.2%, respectively. The bacterial communities responsible for the removal of nitrogen and degradation of organics were enriched in AGS. The dynamics of contaminant removal was further explained with a three-layered artificial neural network model. The results showed that the initial concentration of COD, TDS, NH4+-N and TN governed the contaminants’ removal. As for operating parameters, aerating time showed a strong effect on NH4+-N and TN removal, whereas settling time impacted the COD removal.
Jiahao Liang; Qinghong Wang; Qing X. Li; Liangyan Jiang; Jiawen Kong; Ming Ke; Muhammad Arslan; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Chunmao Chen. Aerobic sludge granulation in shale gas flowback water treatment: Assessment of the bacterial community dynamics and modeling of bioreactor performance using artificial neural network. Bioresource Technology 2020, 313, 123687 .
AMA StyleJiahao Liang, Qinghong Wang, Qing X. Li, Liangyan Jiang, Jiawen Kong, Ming Ke, Muhammad Arslan, Mohamed Gamal El-Din, Chunmao Chen. Aerobic sludge granulation in shale gas flowback water treatment: Assessment of the bacterial community dynamics and modeling of bioreactor performance using artificial neural network. Bioresource Technology. 2020; 313 ():123687.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJiahao Liang; Qinghong Wang; Qing X. Li; Liangyan Jiang; Jiawen Kong; Ming Ke; Muhammad Arslan; Mohamed Gamal El-Din; Chunmao Chen. 2020. "Aerobic sludge granulation in shale gas flowback water treatment: Assessment of the bacterial community dynamics and modeling of bioreactor performance using artificial neural network." Bioresource Technology 313, no. : 123687.
Aquatic pollution caused by industrial effluents is an environmental issue, imposing deleterious impacts on the overall environment, specifically, on humans, by disrupting the balance of the ecosystem. Among all the industries, tanneries are considered some of the most polluting due to heavy use of toxic organic and inorganic compounds during leather processing, most of which find their way into rivers, lakes, and streams, thus exerting adverse effects on aquatic life, particularly on fish. Considering the huge concentrations of pollutants present in tannery effluents, toxicity evaluation is of prime importance. Therefore, bioassays are usually employed to assess the acute toxicity of industrial effluents and efficiency of effluent clean-up technologies as they provide a thorough response of test species to the substances present in the tested media. In the present study, the toxic effects of tannery effluent on common grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were studied for 96 h in laboratory conditions. The effluent was added at different concentrations, before and after treatment by constructed wetlands (CWs). During this period, mortality data was collected to calculate the 96 h-LC50 (lethal concentration inducing 50% mortality) and acute toxicity of C. idella. In addition to this, observations on change in morphological, physiological, and behavioural patterns were also made every 24 h. The present toxicity assay revealed that the raw tannery effluent changed the morphology, physiology, and behavioural response of fish. Moreover, fish exposure to raw/untreated effluent caused high acute toxicity and 100% mortality, due to the presence of high concentrations of salts and chromium (Cr) metal. While treatment of tannery effluent by CWs vegetated with different plants (B. mutica, L. fusca, and T. domingensis) significantly reduced its toxicity and fish mortality as well, and inoculation of salt and Cr-tolerant endophytic bacteria (Enterobacter sp. HU38, Microbacterium arborescens HU33, and Pantoea stewartii ASI11) further reduced (up to 90%) its toxicity level. Hence, the use of CWs for tannery effluent treatment can be recommended to favour public health and promote the overall safety of the environment.
Sobia Ashraf; Muhammad Naveed; Muhammad Afzal; Sana Ashraf; Sajid Rashid Ahmad; Khadeeja Rehman; Zahir Ahmad Zahir; Avelino Núñez-Delgado. Evaluation of Toxicity on Ctenopharyngodon idella Due to Tannery Effluent Remediated by Constructed Wetland Technology. Processes 2020, 8, 612 .
AMA StyleSobia Ashraf, Muhammad Naveed, Muhammad Afzal, Sana Ashraf, Sajid Rashid Ahmad, Khadeeja Rehman, Zahir Ahmad Zahir, Avelino Núñez-Delgado. Evaluation of Toxicity on Ctenopharyngodon idella Due to Tannery Effluent Remediated by Constructed Wetland Technology. Processes. 2020; 8 (5):612.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSobia Ashraf; Muhammad Naveed; Muhammad Afzal; Sana Ashraf; Sajid Rashid Ahmad; Khadeeja Rehman; Zahir Ahmad Zahir; Avelino Núñez-Delgado. 2020. "Evaluation of Toxicity on Ctenopharyngodon idella Due to Tannery Effluent Remediated by Constructed Wetland Technology." Processes 8, no. 5: 612.
Combining electro-oxidation (EO) with biodegradation for real oil sands process water (OSPW) treatment was evaluated in terms of naphthenic acid (NA) biodegradation enhancement. Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) qualitative analysis showed that EO by graphite was able to degrade the different NA clusters in OSPW including: classical, oxidized and heteroatomic NAs. Applying EO even at current density as low as 0.2 mA/cm2 was still able to reduce classical NAs and acid extractable fraction (AEF) by 19% and 7%, respectively. EO pretreatment preferentially broke long carbon chains and highly cyclic carboxylic fractions of NAs in OSPW to improve the biodegradation of NAs. Aerobic biodegradation for 40 days reduced NAs by up to 30.9% when the samples were pre-treated with EO. Applying EO at current densities below 2 mA/cm2 maintained current efficiency as high as 48% and resulted in improvement in the biodegradation rate of remaining NAs by up to 2.7 folds. It was further revealed that applying EO before biodegradation could reduce the biodegradation half-life of classical NAs by up to 4.4 folds. 16S amplicon sequencing analysis showed that the samples subjected to biodegradation had increased abundances of Sphingomonadales and Rhodocyclales with increasing the applied current density for EO pre-treatments.
Abdallatif Satti Abdalrhman; Yanyan Zhang; Muhammad Arslan; Mohamed Gamal El-Din. Low-current electro-oxidation enhanced the biodegradation of the recalcitrant naphthenic acids in oil sands process water. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2020, 398, 122807 .
AMA StyleAbdallatif Satti Abdalrhman, Yanyan Zhang, Muhammad Arslan, Mohamed Gamal El-Din. Low-current electro-oxidation enhanced the biodegradation of the recalcitrant naphthenic acids in oil sands process water. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2020; 398 ():122807.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAbdallatif Satti Abdalrhman; Yanyan Zhang; Muhammad Arslan; Mohamed Gamal El-Din. 2020. "Low-current electro-oxidation enhanced the biodegradation of the recalcitrant naphthenic acids in oil sands process water." Journal of Hazardous Materials 398, no. : 122807.