Environmental Science
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- ItemSOCIOECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF DRINKING WATER SOURCES IN RAMALLAH CITY(2023-05-04) Sanaa Yaser AssafAbstract Background: Water is the nerve of life and one of the important elements necessary for the survival of humans and other living beings. Safe and hygienic drinking water is the basic requirements for human wellbeing. Nowadays, there is a strong socio-economic attribute among people to buy bottled drinking water even though it does not meet the standard for different reasons such as being an alternative to tap water scarcity, contamination, and quality. Therefore, this study aims to find a relationship between the use of bottled water and socioeconomic factors in Ramallah city. This study contributes to the field by adding significant new data, useful information, an additional reference for interested parties, stakeholder, and researchers. Methodology: The study followed the descriptive and analytical approaches through data collection by questionnaires, in addition to sampling bottled water and laboratory analysis for their contents. The study was conducted between August 2021 to December 2022 in Ramallah governorate. The questionnaire covered 381 respondents with a response rate of 100%. Chemical analysis was done for 21 different bottled water from commercial sources. Statistical analysis of results included these tests (Potential of hydrogen, Electrical conductivity, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, Fluoride, Nitrate, Total hardness). All these tests were conducted in the laboratories of An-Najah National University. Results and Conclusion: The study population consisted of 381 respondents. It included chemical analysis of samples from water companies. Twenty-one chemical analyzes were performed, and then they were analyzed statistically. According to the study findings, there is a significant statistical correlation between drinking water and gender and income. The study findings showed no statistical significant difference among age, education, and household. For chemical analyses, the study findings showed statistical significant differences between the label of the bottles and the chemical test contents (Electrical conductivity, Nitrate, Total hardness, Calcium, and Magnesium). Furthermore, another novel finding is that there are statistically no significant differences between the listed labels listed values and the contents of (Potential of hydrogen pH, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, and Fluoride). Keywords: Bottled Water; Drinking Water; Ramallah Governorate; Socioeconomic Factors; Water Quality; West Bank.
- ItemBIOLOGICAL AND GENETICAL INVESTIGATION FOR CONSERVATION OF PALESTINIAN IRIS HAYNEI OF FAQQUA(2022-09-25) Amer BarahmehBackground:In Palestine, one of the symbolic flowering plants is Iris haynei. It is called "royal iris" and it's limited to the northeast of West Bank, particularly the village of Faqqua. Aim:The main aim of this study was to better understand the current status of Iris haynei population to ensure their continuity in the Palestinian ecosystems. Materials and method:Field surveys were conducted for some species to localize every plant on site and to check the fructification period (in-situ techniques). Past transplantation was monitored on-site and manual pollination was conducted and tested. On the other hand, seeds of the selected species were collected for the seed bank for the development of germination protocols (ex-situ techniques). Finally, after the lab studies have been conducted, the plants generated are ready to reinforce their original populations in their natural habitat (in-situ techniques). Besides, this study investigated the morphological and genetic variations of the planted Iris. For that, several Iris haynei species were grown in Faqqua Palestine and experiments were done including seed germination, genetic variation and site environmental scanning. Results: In lab seed germination, 50% of seeds have been germinated in the presence of Gibberellic acid, while without hormone 34%. In the field, in the first year, none of the seeds have grown, while in the second year, 25% have grown. In" this study, the RAPD method was used for genotypes identification and characterization of "three Iris haynei colors (yellow, purple and pink). Five out of ten primers were tested for their ability to generate polymorphism from selected Iris haynei using RAPD-PCR, and the obtained data were analyzed. The similarity value analysis was 0.46 between (yellow, purple) Irises, while the similarity value between (yellow, pink) was 0.33. By this study, genetic diversities of studied were Iris haynei colored species ascertained successfully using RAPD markers, concluding that it could be a useful tool for identifying Iris species. Keywords: ecosystem; Iris haynei; royal iris, RAPD.
- Itemالأمن البيئي والممارسات الصحية في ظل جائحة كورونا في فلسطين دراسة ميدانية مطبقة على عينة من مدراء المدارس ومنسقي الصحة المدرسية في التعليم العام في محافظات شمال الضفة(2022-11-23) كاملة حسين مصطفى دلوخلفية الدراسة: شهد العالم بشكل مستمر العديد من الأوبئة، كالطاعون، والأنفلونزا الإسبانية، وانفلونزا الطيور، والسارس الذي ظهر في العقد الماضي من القرن الحالي، مما أثر سلبا على جزء كبير من العالم، ومنذ عامين كان العالم عرضة لتفشي أمراض الجهاز التنفسي نتيجة ظهور وباء فايروس كورونا (COVID-19) في العام 2020 م، وطال هذا الوباء العديد من المؤسسات بما فيها المدارس ليصل إلى حد إغلاقها وممارسة التعيلم الإلكتروني عن بعد. ثم تم فتحها بشكل تدريجي تحت إجراءات وممارسات صحية، مع التشديد على تطبيق البروتوكولات الصحية، وحيث أن تأثير فايروس كورونا قد طال العديد من الحالات بما فيها الصحية والاقتصادية والتعليمية، فإن هذه الدراسة تبحث الأمن البيئي والممارسات الصحية في ظل انتشار فايروس كورونا وخصوصا فيما يتعلق بالوضع الصحي والبيئي في مدارس فلسطين. أهداف الدراسة: هدفت الدراسة درجة معرفة الطلاب بالممارسات الصحية ودرجة ممارستهم لإجراءات الأمن البيئي الصحي في ظل جائحة كورونا من وجهة نظر مدراء ومنسقي الصحة المدرسية في محافظات فلسطين الشمالية، والتعرف على الفروق ذات الدلالة الإحصائية عند مستوى (0.05) في ممارسة أفراد عينة الدراسة لإجراءات الأمن البيئي الصحي وفقا لاختلاف متغيرات الدراسة والمحددة ب (المحافظة، الجنس، العمر، المستوى التعليمي، المسمى الوظيفي، والمرحلة التعليمية). منهجية الدراسة: تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، والاستبانة الإحصائية كأداة للدراسة، حيث بلغت عينة الدراسة (314) مدير ومديرة ومنسق صحة مدرسية في مدارس التعليم العام الأساسي والثانوي في المحافظات الشمالية في الضفة الغربية في فلسطين. نتائج الدراسة: وجاءت أبرز النتائج أن عينة الدراسة غير موافقة على درجة معرفة الطلاب بالممارسات الصحية في ظل جائحة كورونا، وموافقة إلى حد ما على ممارسة الطلاب لإجراءات الأمن البيئي الصحي في ظل جائحة كورونا من وجهة نظر مدراء المدارس ومنسقي الصحة المدرسية في محافظات فلسطين الشمالية، وأنه لا توجد فروق في استجابات أفراد عينة الدراسة تعزى لكل من متغير المسمى الوظيفي، ومتغير المرحلة الدراسية، ومتغير العمر، وأنه توجد فروق في استجابات أفراد عينة الدراسة تعزى لمتغير المستوى التعليمي لصالح فئة بكالوريوس، ومتغير المحافظة لصالح جنين وطولكرم، ومتغير الجنس لصالح الإناث. الاستنتاجات: ضرورة تعاون مدير المدرسة ومنسق الصحة المدرسية في إصدار نشرات دورية تعرّف الطلاب بأهمية الأمن الصحي على البيئة وتأثير ذلك على الطلاب أنفسهم، وإقامة أنشطة مدرسية تركز على زرع الممارسات الصحية والبيئية السليمة وتأثيرها على الأمن الصحي، وتنويع المجالات الإذاعية في الإذاعة الصباحية، وخلق وعي صحي سليم، وتوضيح أهمية الممارسات الصحية السليمة وتأثيرها على تحقيق بيئة صحية سليمة. الكلمات المفتاحية: الممارسات الصحية، الأمن البيئي، جائحة كورونا، فلسطين، منسق الصحة المدرسية.
- ItemREDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT BY USING THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS IN PALESTENIAN BUILDING(2023-04-17) Rafif HanaishyDecreasing carbon dioxide emissions is a significant concern worldwide because of its connection to global warming and subsequent climate change. Buildings account for an average of 39% of emissions worldwide. Therefore, saving electricity through the use of insulating materials is a crucial step in decreasing electricity consumption and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. A thorough survey of all buildings in the West Bank of Palestine was carried out, using the Palestinian Census Report of the year 2017 as a base to determine the quantity and condition of buildings in the various governorates of the West Bank. Additionally, annual reports from the Palestinian Engineers Association were used to calculate the number of buildings for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. In addition to the survey, the Palestinian Monetary Authority's Residential Real Estate in Palestine 2021 report was used to determine the rate of area per building, and calculate the energy consumption for each governorate separately, using data from the Palestinian Electricity Transmission Company for the same years of study. The average energy used for heating and air conditioning was calculated, and insulating materials were applied to the buildings to measure their ability to save energy and to evaluate the impact on carbon dioxide emissions based on the source of electricity used in Palestine. Also, the approximate cost of insulating materials and the period required to recover the cost by the savings in energy consumption were calculated using the prices of materials in the Palestinian local market. The results indicate that utilizing insulating materials can significantly decrease CO2 emissions and decrease electricity consumption by 27.23%. The cost recovery period for retrofitted buildings is estimated to be between 4.34 to 7.2 years, and for new buildings, it is between 0.39 to 1.09 years. These estimates may vary depending on the location and the average temperature of the region. The study recommends promoting the widespread use of insulating materials in all new construction projects and providing incentives for retrofitting already-existing structures. These initiatives will not only increase energy efficiency but also support worldwide efforts to reduce emissions and achieve sustainable development goals. Keywords: Carbon Footprint, CO2 Emissions, Thermal Insulation Material, CDD, HDD, U- Value, R- Value, Cost Benefit Analysis.
- ItemTHE EFFECT OF SEWAGE SLUDGE FERTILIZATION AND TREATED WASTEWATER IRRIGATION ON THE ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN CALCAREOUS SOIL, VERTISOLS SOIL AND BARLEY PLANT (HORDEUM VULGARE)(2023-08-20) Mohammed OdehThis experiment was applied to study the effect of sludge fertilization and irrigation with treated wastewater produced from the Jenin treatment plant on the accumulation of heavy metals in vertisols soil, calcareous soil, and barley plants. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse under controlled conditions at the National Center for Agricultural Research in Qabatia, Jenin. This study used the soil column experiment with two types of soil: vertisol soil and calcareous soil. A section of each type of soil was taken at a depth of 1 m, and then it was represented in PVC tubes (6 columns for each type of soil) with a length of 1 m and a diameter of 72 mm. Every three soil columns were arranged into lines for the experiment, with two lines for each type of soil. These lines were then connected to an irrigation network. Then 200 ml of sludge was applied to a line of each soil type as fertilizer. After that, during the following growing season of 2021–2022, three barley seeds were sown in each column. After three months of irrigation with treated wastewater, the plants were harvested, the soil columns were dried, and they were divided into three layers (1-30 cm, 30-60 cm, and 60-100 cm). The chemical analyses were used to measure the content of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Co, Pb, Cd, and As) in plants and soil layers using an ICP-MS device. The major nutrients N, P, and K were measured in the plant samples, and the length and weight of the plant were recorded. The results showed that fertilization with sludge and irrigation with treated wastewater increased the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and macronutrients N, P, and K in barley plants. Also, fertilization with sludge increased the weight of barley plants. The results confirmed that Vertisol soil is more fertile than calcareous soil. Fertilization with sludge increased the movement of heavy metals in the soil column and their filtration into the bottom layer. Sludge can be considered a source of plant nutrients as it contains macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and manganese. Keywords: Calcareous soil; column experiment; heavy metals; vertisols soil.