Journal of Environmental Engineering and Studies

Kinetic and Isotherm Evaluation of Oil Water Treatment Using Adsorbent Materials: Implications for Niger Delta Environmental Remediation

2026-05-02T10:28:40+00:00

Adsorption offers a promising approach for the remediation of petroleum-polluted aquatic environments. This study evaluates the rate of adsorption and equilibrium behavior of a formulated adsorbent applied to crude-oil-contaminated fresh and saltwater systems under varying mix ratios. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models were employed to determine adsorption capacity, surface saturation, and heterogeneity of interaction between crude oil molecules and the developed adsorbent. Regression analysis of the Langmuir plots revealed strong linearity and high reliability values, indicating significant applicability of the Langmuir adsorption model. For a 1:9 mix ratio in saltwater conditions, the regression equation was Y = 0.0065X + 44.398 with R² = 0.9984, indicating 98.94% predictive reliability. Similarly, for 6:4 mix ratio, the regression obtained was Y = 0.0056X + 116.22 (R² = 0.8924), while the 1:8 ratio showed Y = 0.0239X + 51.194 with R² = 0.9799. The 5:5 ratio exhibited Y = 0.0307X + 614.01 with 98.94% model reliability. The results confirm that adsorption follows Langmuir’s monolayer theory, validated by high regression fits and consistent slope-intercept relationships, suggesting strong adsorbent affinity and effective pollutant removal potential. Collectively, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models confirmed the viability of the developed adsorbent for oil-pollution treatment. This work supports low-cost bioremediation techniques and provides essential rate-determination data useful for scale-up designs of petroleum-polluted water treatment systems.

Renewable Energy Systems as a Sustainable Strategy for Environmental Protection, Resource Conservation, and Pollution Control

2026-05-13T05:29:54+00:00

Fossil fuel dependence has caused severe environmental damage, resource depletion, and pollution worldwide. Renewable energy systems provide sustainable solutions by significantly reducing carbon emissions while conserving natural resources. This review examines key technologies, including solar photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, biomass energy, hydropower, and hydrogen fuel cells, which demonstrate lifecycle emissions that are 70–85% lower than those of conventional fossil fuels. The study discusses essential assessment tools: life cycle assessment (LCA) for comprehensive impact analysis, environmental impact assessment (EIA) for project risk evaluation, and carbon accounting for emission measurement. Distributed renewable systems, particularly rooftop solar installations, extend electricity access to remote villages while improving grid resilience and energy security. India’s solar capacity grew dramatically from 39 MW in 2009 to 39,211 MW by 2020, demonstrating the successful adoption of renewable energy. Findings from a multi-criteria decision analysis confirm that solar energy excels in decentralized applications, while wind energy leads utility-scale pollution control. This transition to renewables creates a balanced pathway for sustainable development, effectively addressing both environmental protection and energy security challenges.

Study and Field Assessment of PM2.5 Air Quality in Palghar, Maharashtra

2026-05-15T10:37:31+00:00

Field data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in semi-urban regions in India are limited owing to the lack of 24-hour air quality monitoring systems. This study measured PM2.5 concentrations at thirteen monitoring sites in Palghar, Maharashtra, using a portable PM2.5 optical sensor. The selected locations have different land-use categories, including transportation areas, commercial sectors, healthcare facilities, residential areas, open grounds, and a semi-rural site. Measurements were conducted over three non-consecutive days to capture the short-term variations. The recorded PM2.5 concentrations showed significant variations, with values exceeding both the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline (15µg/m³) and Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) limit (60µg/m³). The highest concentrations were observed at locations with high traffic, such as Palghar Railway Station and Palghar Rickshaw Stand, because of vehicular emissions and human activity. Relatively lower concentrations were recorded in semi-rural areas such as Devkhope, although occasional increases in PM2.5 levels were caused by the dispersion of regional pollutants. The findings indicate that vehicular emissions, road dust resuspension, and localized commercial activities are the primary contributors to PM2.5 pollution in this area. This study provides a basic idea of the AQI (PM2.5) for Palghar, indicating the urgent need for 24-hours AQI monitoring systems and targeted mitigation strategies, including traffic management and dust control measures, to improve air quality in developing semi-urban regions.

Role of Circular Economy on Climate Change

2026-06-12T05:48:28+00:00

This research explores the critical role of the circular economy (CE) in addressing the “missing 45%” of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—those originating from the production of materials, products, and food—which cannot be eliminated by the energy transition alone. By transitioning from a linear “take-make-waste” model to a restorative system, circular strategies offer a pathway to reduce global GHG emissions by nearly 39% to 45% by 2050. (a) Circular Economics is Directly Proportional to the climate. (b) Key findings highlight that high-impact sectors—including construction, heavy industry (steel, cement, aluminium, and plastics), and food systems—can achieve emission reductions of up to 40–50% through strategies such as material-efficient design, product-life extension, and regenerative agriculture. The analysis further identifies Digital Product Passports, AI-driven sorting, and blockchain traceability as essential technological enablers for scaling these models. However, the study notes significant barriers, including a current policy overemphasis on downstream recycling rather than upstream design, and the risk of the “rebound effect,” where efficiency gains may inadvertently trigger increased consumption. Ultimately, this research concludes that integrating circularity into National Climate Plans is mandatory for achieving the Paris Agreement targets and building a resilient, net-zero global economy.

Removal of Chromium from Tannery Wastewater Using Low-Cost Biosorbents: A Comparative Study of Pinus Sawdust, Teak Sawdust, and Rice Husk

2026-07-09T05:08:05+00:00

Tannery industries are among the key sources of environmental pollution by industrial effluents, mostly contaminated with chromium. Chromium, particularly in the hexavalent state (Cr(VI)), represents an environmentally harmful substance, which is characterized by extreme toxicity, carcinogenicity, and persistence in various environmental media. Thus, in developing nations such as India, where tannery industries operate in huge numbers without any proper waste treatment infrastructure, chromium contamination of both surface and groundwaters is considered to be an important issue. Traditional treatment technologies, including chemical precipitation, ion exchange, and membrane filtration, are very effective in removing chromium ions from industrial effluents; however, their operation is associated with considerable expenses. Therefore, the aim of the current research paper is to analyze the possibility of using Pinus sawdust, Teak sawdust, and rice husk as biosorbents for the removal of chromium ions from tannery wastewater. All the biosorbents used in the study represent low-cost and sustainable alternatives to traditional water treatment approaches and have high efficiency in treating environmental pollutants. Batch tests were carried out in the laboratory using three different types of biosorbents under controlled conditions. The results obtained demonstrate that Pinus sawdust is the most efficient biosorbent for chromium removal from tannery wastewater (91.19%). Rice husk demonstrated a good efficiency as well (85.42%); this can be explained by the presence of many silanes in the structure. Also, Teak sawdust was effective (85.22%), which was related to the presence of phenols.

Effect of Alkaline Environment on the Behavior of High-Density and Low-Density Concrete

2026-07-17T11:45:02+00:00

Concretes that are exposed to high alkalinity suffer from strength deterioration, leading to the requirement for designing new concretes with enhanced durability. In this paper, a comparison study has been done for the mechanical properties and durability of high-density concrete (HDC) and low-density concrete (LDC) subjected to the same alkaline curing conditions (pH = 13). The HDC was prepared by using aggregates of barite and haematite, whereas the LDC was prepared by using aggregates of pumice and vermiculite, with the M60 conventional concrete used as a control. The mechanical and durability properties were tested by using compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, and the Rapid Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT). The alkaline curing decreased the compressive strength of barite, haematite, pumice, vermiculite, and conventional concrete by 2.80%, 3.99%, 11.30%, 10.60%, and 5.60%, respectively. Similar reductions were found in the split tensile strength (2.80–8.90%) and flexural strength (0.93–12.41%). Results from the RCPT test revealed that barite concrete had the least chloride permeability (999 Coulombs), followed by haematite concrete (1126 Coulombs), regular concrete (2284 Coulombs), and vermiculite concrete (3247 Coulombs). It is clear from the results that barite-based high-density concrete is more durable in aggressive alkaline environments and therefore a good choice for such industrial constructions.