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.
- Itemمستوى الوعي بالمشكلات البيئية في مدارس محافظة سلفيت(جامعة النجاح الوطنية, 2025-02-04) عبيدة عامرهدفت الدراسة التعرف إلى مستوى الوعي بالمشكلات البيئية في مدارس محافظة سلفيت من وجهة نظر مديري المدارس والهيئات التدريسية ومنسقي الصحة المدرسية والمرشدين التربويين وأثر المتغيرات المستقلة والتي تمثلت بالتالي: )الجنس، المسمى الوظيفي، سنوات الخبرة، مستوى المدرسة، المستوى التعليمي، التخصص العلمي، موقع المدرسة، جنس المدرسة(. المنهجية والأدوات: تعتمد الدراسة على المنهج المختلط الذي يجمع بين الأسلوبين الكمي والكيفي، وتم اختيار العينة بشكل عشوائي، حيث شملت ) 302 ( فردًا من مجتمع الدراسة. واستخدمت أداة بحثية مكونة من ) 39 ( فقرة، تم توزيعها على ثلاثة محاور: البيئة العامة، الإدارة المدرسية، والهيئة التدريسية . أوضحت النتائج ارتفاعًا كبيرًا في مستوى الوعي بالمشكلات البيئية، مع وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في الدرجة الكلية مرتبطة بمتغيري مستوى المدرسة وجنس المدرسة . في المقابل، لم تُظهر الدراسة فروقًا ذات دلالة إحصائية فيما يتعلق بمتغيرات مثل الجنس، المسمى الوظيفي، سنوات الخبرة، المستوى التعليمي، التخصص العلمي، وموقع المدرسة . أوصت الدراسة بأهمية تعزيز دور المجتمع المحلي والمؤسسات الشريكة في زيادة الوعي بالمشكلات البيئية.
- 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.
- ItemTHE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH SYSTEM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONCEPT OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT: PERSPECTIVES FROM SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND HEALTH COORDINATORS IN SCHOOLS OF SALFEET GOVERNORATE(An-Najah National University, 2025-01-05) Awad, Inasجاءت الدِّراسة بهدف معرفة دور منظومة الصِّحَّة المدرسيَّة وعلاقتها بواقع المحيط المَدرسيّ الصِحِّيّ من منظور مديري المدارس ومنسِّقي الصِّحَّة في مدارس بمحافظة سلفيت، وأثر متغيِّرات الدِّراسة والتي تشمل: المسمى الوظيفي، نوع المدرسة، المرحلّة الدراسيَّة، مساحة المدرسة، عدد الغرف، عدد الطَّلَبة. واعتَمَّدت الباحثة المنهج الوصفيَّ، واستخدمت منهج المسح الشامل في توزيع أداة الدِّراسة على مجتَمَّع الدِّراسة، وبلغت العَيِّنَة (154) مديراً ومنسقاً للصِّحَّة المدرسيَّة. بَيَّنَت المتوسِّطات الحسابيّة التي توصلت إليها الدِّراسة أَنَّ تأثير دور منظومة الصِّحَّة المدرسيَّة كان مرتفعاً؛ إذ بلغ المتوسِّط الحسابيّ (3.96) على مقياس ليكرت (Likert) الخماسي، وكذلك لواقع البيئة الصِّحِّيَّة، بمتوسِّط حسابي (3.76). كما بَيَّنَت عدم وجود فرق ودلالة إحصائيَّة في متوسِّط منظومة الصِّحَّة المدرسيَّة لمتغَيِّرات: المسمى الوظيفي، المرحلّة الدراسيَّة، عدد الغرف، عدد الطَّلَبة. في حين كانت الفروق ذات دلالة إحصائيَّة تبعاً لنوع المدرسة، ولمساحتها. وأشارت النَّتائج إلى عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائيَّة في متوسِّطات البيئة الصِّحِّيَّة تبعا لمتغيِّر: نوع المدرسة، المرحلّة الدراسيَّة، مساحة المدرسة، عدد الغرف، عدد الطَّلَبة في حين كانت الفروق ذات دلالة إحصائيَّة تبعاً لمتغيِّر المسمى الوظيفي، كما بَيَّنَت النَّتائج وجود علاقة ارتباط ايجابيه ذات دلالة إحصائيَّة عند مستوى الدَّلالة (α≤.05) بين منظومة الصِّحَّة المدرسيَّة وواقع البيئة الصِّحِّيَّة في مدارس المحافظة، وأَوصت بأَهميَّة التشبيك الدَّائم مع مؤسسات المجتَمَّع المحلّي والاهتَمَّام بالأَنَّشطة اللامنهجية الصِّحِّيَّة.