Volume 18 - 2016

In the present study, adsorption potential of potassium permanganate (Hypermangan) modified zeolite was investigated for the removal of nitrate from synthetic wastewater. Effects of the most significant parameters (pH, adsorbent dose, nitrate concentration and contact time) were initially evaluated based on the percentage of nitrate removed from the water solutions. Over 90 % removal of 150 mg L^-1 nitrate was achieved at an optimum pH of 5, adsorbent dose of 2g L^-1 after a 60 min contact time. The chemical and morphological characterizations of Hypermangan modified zeolite (HMZ) were carried out by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis methods. Kinetic evaluation indicated that the nitrate adsorption onto HMZ followed the pseudo-first-order model. The equilibrium data assessment illustrated the removal of nitrate by HMZ follows a Langmuir model which attains the maximum adsorption capacity 6.7 mg g^-1.The mean free energy of adsorption was 0.15 kJ mol^-1, which indicates the adsorption of nitrate onto HMZ, occurs through a physical mechanism.

Rapid development in industrial sectors and population expansion has adverse impact on the Cooum river basin, especially Chennai region. The present study focuses on the assessment of seasonal variation in surface water quality of Cooum river basin. The samples were collected seasonally and are categorized as pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon during March 2013 to March 2014. Eighteen physicochemical parameters were assessed for eleven different samples collected along the channel of Cooum river basin. Statistical tools such as correlation analysis scatter plots, box plot and multivariate tools such as cluster analysis and principal component analysis were applied to categorize the Cooum river water quality. From the data sets, the ionic concentration, organic loads exhibits positive correlation (R²>0.7) for all three seasons. Also, box plot and scatter plot results revealed that during post-monsoon season the ionic concentration along with organic and inorganic levels were slightly higher than monsoon and pre-monsoon. Similarly, multivariate statistical tools such as principle component analysis (PCA) indicate that the ionic concentrations and organic load contributed more than 50% of variance while cluster analysis (CA) reveals that nature of pollutant load among the sites.

The effect of Zeolux use as soil amendment on the yield and some of the agronomic traits of a home garden plant, Sage (Salvia officinalis), irrigated by either fresh or RO reject waters was studied. Clay and different combinations of clay-Jordanian zeolux were compared for that purpose. Each combination was divided into two subgroups at randomized experiment and irrigated with either fresh or RO reject waters. The combination of 75% clay and 25% zeolux irrigated with fresh water produced the best results in terms of plant height, number of branches, fresh weight, dry weight and root dry weight of sage plant. The results indicate that the use of RO reject water causes significant reduction in all the studied parameters above. The use of zeolux did not reduce the harmful effects of the saline water used for irrigation on the yield of sage.

This paper proposes one new attempt to formulate a mathematical approach to climate parameters in the context of their complex implications for tourist activities through the tourism climate comfort index (TCCI). This paper also aims to formulate an original and optimal mathematical correlation between readily obtainable climate parameters (mean monthly air temperature, monthly amplitude of air temperatures, monthly insolation, average monthly relative air humidity and the number of rainy days), which results in values of the TCCI. Simultaneously, this index will provide the values correspondent to the values of air temperatures (°C), which represents a comparative baseline understandable equally for tourists, tourism planners and managers. The example of Serbia as a mainland country in the south-east of Europe was used to apply the proposed methodology. The spatial-temporal variability of TCCI is formulated on basis of data for the period 1961-2000 while for testing model was used selected period 2001-2010 on the sample of 26 meteorological stations distributed all around Serbia. For this purpose a standard statistical techniques were applied and ArcGIS software was used for analyze of the variability of the TCCI in relation to the altitude, which is of particular importance for the development of tourism in the mountains. Checking variability of the index was carried out in relation to statistical data about number of tourists on the three most visited tourist destinations which are of importance for the development of urban, mountain and spa tourism, the leading forms of tourism activities on the territory of Serbia. The obtained results correspond with the fact of the pronounced seasonality of tourism market and thus may represent a good basis for future tourism planning and management.