Environmental Science
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- ItemPOLYURETHANE BASED FOAM FROM OLIVE MILL WASTEWATER: SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATION IN WASTEWATER PURIFICATION(An-Najah National University, 2023-02-21) Ishraydeh, IsraOne of the most important challenges in the world is water contamination especially from heavy metal ions. The high effectiveness removal of heavy metal ions, even at trace levels, has proved particularly demanding for absorption procedures, which are also less expensive than traditional approaches. Absorbents that have undergone chemical modification often have increased surface area and a higher absorption capacity than unmodified absorbents. The goal of this study is to identify a natural source and a simple low-cost method to make a new absorbent for the removal of toxic metal ions. Pb(II) ions from wastewater have been tested using a modified version of lignin obtained from natural waste. What makes this study new and commercially important is the use of waste material for making new adsorbent material. This study examines the enzymatic degradation approaches of lignin present in olive industry liquid waste (OILW) and converted it to a polyurethane foam material with urethane functionality. Then, the foam material as an adsorbent for toxic metals from wastewater. The prepared foams were characterized by using FT-IR and TGA to examine the type of functional groups present in the foam and to determine its thermal stability. The prepared lignin-based foam was evaluated as an adsorbent for Pb (II) present in water. Lead (II) was selected because it is one of the most toxic metal ions. The effect of various parameters such as Pb ion concentration, temperature, pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time were all evaluated to determine the optimum adsorption conditions. The optimal value of the investigated parameters for LHMDIC was around 7.5 pH, 50 mg dosage, 50.00 ppm concentration, and 5.00 min of contact time, at 10°C. The ideal conditions for LPDIC were pH 8, 50 mg dosage, 50.00 ppm concentration, 5 min contact duration, at 10°C of Pb. The maximum removal efficiency was determined to be 99.95% for LHMDIC and 98.75% for LPDIC. This application for Pb (II) ion removal efficiency for a genuine sewage sample showed outstanding removal. The Pb (II) ion appears to follow pseudo-second-order in the Pb (II) ion adsorption on LHMDIC and LPDIC polymers because (R² = 0.9999) and (R² = 1), respectively. Both forms follow the Langmuir model, since both showed R² values near 1. The values of G° for both foams are negative, indicating that the Pb (II) ion adsorption on LPDIC polymers is spontaneous.
- ItemASSESSMENT OF RED WIGGLER WORMS ABILITY IN VERMICOMPOSTING OF TREATED SLUDGE, AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PRODUCED VERMICOMPOST(An-Najah National University, 2025-02-06) Najim, SajedaSludge is produced during the wastewater treatment process. It contains organic materials and elevated concentrations of nutrients. So, it is considered a source of pollution. Therefore, further treatment is required to eliminate the source of pollution in sludge before safe reuse. This study aims to assess the impact of using vermicompost, a material resulted from feeding red wiggler of Eisenia fetida species on treated sludge and its effect on the growth of basic fodders. Red wiggler, 2000 worms, were brought from Om Suliman Organic farm in Ramallah. Worms were used to treat the sludge produced from Nablus-West Wastewater Treatment plant (WWTP), and produce vermicompost. Two fodder crops were grown, barley and vetch, each crop was planted in 27 pots, 9 of with vermicompost, 9 with sludge was added and 9 without any additives. The study was conducted by the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) from June 2022 to April 2023. The results showed that vermicomposting reduced the heavy metal content in the sludge by 45.9% on average, with a range of 7.9% in Na and 83.1% in Mg. According to Palestinian regulations, the original concentration of heavy metal in the treated sludge was below the maximum allowed levels. In addition, the results showed that the plant parameters were the highest in soils mixed with treated sludge, followed by soil mixed with vermicompost in both crops, without any significant differences (at 95% confidence level) in these parameters between sludge mixed soils and vermicompost mixed soils. The fresh weights of barley were 124.7 g/plant, and 113.4 g/plant were for sludge and vermicompost consequence compared to 82.8 g/plant for the control. For vetch, the fresh weight in both sludge and vermicompost compared to the control are 62 g/plant for sludge and 57.6 g/plant for vermicompost. A similar increase in the other plant parameters is found without significant differences (at 95% confidence level) between the sludge and vermicompost. Also, the crops added to vermicompost and sludge showed improved water use efficiency (WUE) compared to those grown without any additives. The (WUE) (kg/m3) increased from 13.9 to 20.96 for barley with sludge and 19.05 for barley with vermicompost, from 7.05 to 15.18 for vetch with sludge, and 14.10 for vetch with vermicompost. Results indicate that red wiggler worms could be used in vermicomposting treated sludge, and using the resulting vermicompost as soil amendment enhances the production.
- ItemTOWARDS SUSTAINABLE SEWAGE SLUDGE MANAGEMENT IN PALESTINE(An-Najah National University, 2025-02-27) Abdou, AliSewage sludge management in Palestine faces considerable environmental, economic, and public health challenges due to fragmented governance, technological limitations, and social barriers. The research aims to understand the current state of practice in sludge management in Palestine, assess the sludge's potential for agricultural and energy uses, and determine the possibilities of value-added processing. It also aims to assess the environmental and public health risks associated with the current management practices. By analyzing these factors, the study aims to enhance sludge management and promote resource utilization. The research employed the Governance Assessment Tool (GAT) to evaluate governance structures' effectiveness, coherence, and responsiveness. Data collection included a comprehensive review of the available literature, such as policies, standards, and related literature. Also, stakeholder interviews were conducted, and case studies of wastewater treatment plants in Nablus, Jericho, and Al-Bireh were conducted, along with an overview of the countries in the region. The study also included the best global practices and innovative technologies such as biogas recovery, composting, and hydrothermal carbonization to identify suitable solutions for the local context. The findings reveal some challenges in governance, technology, and public perception. Current governance frameworks are fragmented, with inadequate coordination and enforcement of regulations. Technical issues, including high sludge moisture content and the absence of efficient disposal pathways, also raise operational costs and environmental risks. Sociocultural and behavioral barriers to sludge reuse, including the perception of farmers as opposed to it, also restrict progress. However, the study shows potential for resource recovery, including biogas production and composting, that can decrease reliance on landfills and be compatible with circular economic approaches. To address these challenges, a multifaceted, comprehensive approach is needed. Recommendations include proposing unified governance systems, selecting and implementing advanced treatment technologies, and enhancing stakeholder engagement. Increasing biogas recovery and composting activities is a way of enhancing resource utilization, decreasing costs, and decreasing adverse environmental effects. Public education campaigns and targeted stakeholder engagement are essential to removing socio-cultural barriers and encouraging acceptance of new solutions.
- 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.