Relationship between health literacy skills and walking behavior to prevent osteoporosis among health volunteers.

Background: Considering the effect of exercise and health literacy in preventing osteoporosis, the effect of health literacy in adopting preventive behaviors, and the role of health volunteers in transferring health messages to the community, this study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy skills and adopting walking behavior to prevent osteoporosis in women health volunteers. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 290 health volunteers referring to Qazvin health centers in 2020 were selected through Multi-stage random sampling. Data were collected using a health literacy questionnaire (HELIA) and a questionnaire for the adoption of walking behaviors for the prevention of osteoporosis, and they were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression in SPSS software version 23. Results: The adoption of walking behaviors to prevent osteoporosis was at an average level. Age (P = 0.034, OR = 1.098), decision-making and application of health information (P < 0.001, OR = 1.135), understanding (P = 0.031, OR = 1.054), and evaluation skills (P = 0.018, OR = 1.049) were factors affecting the adoption of this behavior so that by increasing one score to these variables, the chance of adopting the behavior increased 1.098, 1.135, 1.054 and 1.049 respectively. Also, the level of education was another effective variable in adopting this behavior, so having a favorable level of adoption of this behavior in health volunteers with a diploma degree (P = 0.017, OR = 0.736) and below diploma (P = 0.011, OR = 0.960), were 0.736 and 0.960 times of those with university degrees respectively. Conclusion: The adoption of walking behaviors to prevent osteoporosis among health volunteers - who have lower age, education, and decision-making skills and the use of health information, understanding, and evaluation - was less. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to them when designing educational health programs.

Bio-efficacy of imidazolinones in weed control in a tropical paddy soil amended with optimized agrowaste-derived biochars.

Biochar is a black carbon sorbent that has the ability to stabilize organic substances in soil and, therefore, the potential to reduce their bio-availability. This sustainable material can be produced from locally-available agro wastes. The present study, for the first time, investigated the effects of biochars produced from oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and rice husk (RH) on the efficiency of imazapic and imazapyr (two polar members of imidazolinone herbicides) as well as Onduty®, a mixture of them. It was executed in a Malaysian paddy field soil during a 30-day greenhouse experiment. The presence of optimized EFB and RH biochars in the heavy soil generally increases weed seeds germination and plants growth due to stabilization of the herbicides. The effect of EFB biochar was found higher than RH biochar having a higher affinity to the herbicides. An increase in the biochars application rates enhanced their effects as a soil modifier. Differences were more significant in the higher herbicides doses. Efficacies of all the herbicides were generally decreased in the biochar-amended soils. In the presence of 0.5% biochar in soil, the GR50 values for all herbicides were almost similar to biochar-free soil. In a 1.0% biochar-soil mixture, GR50 values of the herbicides increased by about 1.5 times. Bio-efficacies of the herbicides decreased by around 2.0 times as the biochar application rate enhanced to 2.0%. The greatest GR50 values were obtained in the presence of 4.0% biochar in the soils and were about 7.0-8.5 folds, indicating the high capability of amended soil in the stabilization of the herbicides. The findings of this study can help to reduce imidazolinones' pollution and, in this way, prevent the threats of their residues to the environment.

Dataset on leaching properties of coal ashes from Malaysian coal power plant.

Coal combustion by-products (CCPs) (i.e. fly (FA) and bottom (BA) ashes) generated by power plants contain heavy metals. This research presents leaching properties of coal ashes (FA and BA) collected from Jimah coal-fired power station, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan using USEPA standard methods namely toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), and synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP). Heavy metals like lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and arsenic (As) were quantified using atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). The leached of heavy metals fluxes were Cu < Zn < Pb < As. As leached the most whilst indicating of possible contamination from As. Overall, the ranges of leached concentration were adhered to permissible limits of hazardous waste criteria for metal (Pb and As) and industrial effluent (Zn and Cu). The presented data has potential reuse as reference for the coal ash concrete mixed design application in construction industries.

Dataset on specific UV absorbances (SUVA254) at stretch components of Perak River basin.

Perak River basin is in Perak state of Peninsular Malaysia. In this research, the river stretch serves as water intake for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes in Perak Tengah, Hilir Perak and Manjung regions. It is located in mixed use area whilst exposing the river to anthropogenic elements. The sampling locations were conducted at selected points of Perak River namely Tanjung Belanja Bridge (TBB), Water Treatment Plant Parit (WTPP), Parit Town discharge (PTD), Water Treatment Plant Senin (WTPS) and Water Treatment Plant Kepayang (WTPK). The existence of aromatic hydrocarbons in freshwater samples was pre-assessed via qualification analysis; specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA254) method at 254 nm of wavelength. The SUVA dataset were 48.38 L/mg-m (TBB), 50.54 L/mg-m (WTPP), 8.05 L/mg-m (PTD), 85.75 L/mg-m (WTPS) and 217.39 L/mg-m (WTPK). The SUVA254 values of fresh water at the river basin have exceeded the water quality standards value equivalent to 2.0 L/mg-m permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency of United States. The exceeding values were an indication of a large portion of aromatic compounds in the water. Qualification analyses evident the existence of water pollutants at treacherous concentrations for public health in freshwater samples of Perak River basin. Thus, this research has presented important findings towards further research and countermeasure for a better alternative of water treatment in Malaysia.

Adsorption-Desorption Behavior of Polar Imidazolinone Herbicides in Tropical Paddy Fields Soils.

Analysis of herbicides sorption behavior in soil is critical in predicting their fate and possible harmful side effects in the environment. Application of polar imidazolinone herbicides is growing in tropical agricultural fields. Imidazolinones have high leaching potential and are persistent. In this study, adsorption-desorption of imazapic and imazapyr herbicides were evaluated in different types of Malaysian agricultural soils. Effects of soil parameters were also investigated on the soils' sorption capacities. The adsorption data fitted best to Freundlich isotherm (R2 > 0.991). The herbicides adsorptions were physical and spontaneous processes as ΔG values were negative and below 40 kJ/mol. The adsorption correlated positively with clay content, total organic carbon (TOC) content, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). There were strong negative correlations between hysteresis index and these factors indicating their importance in imidazolinones immobilization and, thus, their pollution reduction in the environment.

Degradation of imazapic and imazapyr herbicides in the presence of optimized oil palm empty fruit bunch and rice husk biochars in soil.

Imidazolinones as a persistent and active herbicides group have potential risks to non-target organisms in the environment. Biochar is a carbon-rich sorbent used as an amendment to change soil properties and its microbial communities effective on pesticides degradation rate. The present study was the first to compare empty fruit bunch (EFB) of oil palm and rice husk (RH) biomasses as biochar feedstock for remediation of imidazolinones-contaminated soils. Degradations of imazapic, imazapyr, and a mixture of them (Onduty®) was investigated in the presence of the optimized biochars in the soil during a 70-days incubation. Based on the results, the polar herbicides were resistant to hydrolysis degradation. Photolysis rates of the herbicides reduced significantly in the presence of the biochars in the soil. EFB biochar had greater effects due to its chemical compositions and surface functional groups. Photo-degradation of imazapyr was more affected by biochars amendment. The imidazolinones bio-degradation, however, accelerated significantly with the presence of EFB and RH biochars in soil with the greater effects of RH biochar. It was concluded that the application of the optimized EFB and RH biochars as an innovative sustainable strategy has the potential to decrease the persistence of the imidazolinones and minimize their environmental hazards.

Fullerene C60 for enhancing phytoremediation of urea plant wastewater by timber plants.

Phytoremediation has been applied as a promising and cost-effective technique for removing nutrient pollutants from wastewater. In this study, the effect of fullerene C60 was assessed on enhancing the phytoremediation efficiency of teak plants over a period of 1 month. Teak plants were supplied with fullerene C60 (0, 25, or 50 mg L-1) and fed daily with two types of urea plant wastewater (with and without adding optimum ratio of phosphorus and potassium). The required volume of wastewater by the teak plants, nitrogen removal percentage, plant growth parameters (plant height, number of leaves, leaf surface area, and dry biomass), and nutrient content was recorded throughout the study. The results showed that addition of 25 mg L-1 fullerene C60 to urea plant wastewater could increase water uptake and nitrogen recovery of the teak plants. Plant growth and nutrient contents of teak plants were also increased in the presence of 25 mg L-1 fullerene C60. However, addition of 50 mg L-1 fullerene C60 to the wastewater decreased the values for water uptake and nitrogen recovery. The findings indicated that addition of proper amount of fullerene C60 to the teak-based remediation system can increase the efficiency of the plants for nitrogen removal.

Nutrient balancing for phytoremediation enhancement of urea manufacturing raw wastewater.

Application of urea manufacturing wastewater to teak (Tectona grandis) trees, a fast growing tropical timber plants, is an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective alternative for treatment of nitrogen-rich wastewater. However, the plant growth is strongly limited by lack of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) elements when the plants are irrigated with wastewater containing high concentration of nitrogen (N). A greenhouse experiment was conducted to optimize the efficiency of teak-based remediation systems in terms of nutrient balance. Twelve test solutions consisted of 4 levels of P (95, 190, 570, 1140 mgL-1) and 3 levels of K (95, 190, 570 mgL-1) with a constant level of N (190 mgL-1) were applied to teak seedlings every four days during the study period. Evapotranspiration rate, nutrient removal percentage, leaf surface area, dry weight and nutrient contents of experimental plants were determined and compared with those grown in control solution containing only N (N:P:K = 1:0:0). Teak seedlings grown in units with 1:0.5:1 N:P:K ratio were highly effective at nutrient removal upto 47%, 48% and 49% for N, P and K, respectively. Removal efficiency of teak plants grown in other experimental units decreased with increasing P and K concentrations in test solutions. The lowest nutrient removal and plant growth were recorded in units with 1:6:0.5 N:P:K ratio which received the highest ratio of P to K. The findings indicated that teak seedlings functioned effectively as phytoremediation plants for N-rich wastewater treatment when they were being supplied with proper concentrations of P and K.

Treatment of urea manufacturing facility effluent by Hopea odorata and Khaya ivorensis.

Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative for treatment of nitrogen-enriched wastewaters. In this study, Ta-khian (Hopea odorata) and Lagos mahogany (Khaya ivorensis), two tropical timber plants, were investigated for their performances in treatment of urea manufacturing factory effluent with high nitrogen (N) content. Plant seedlings received four concentrations of N (190, 240, 290 and 340 mg/L N) in laboratory-scale constructed wetlands every 4 days for a duration of 8 weeks. The solution volumes supplied to each container, amount of N recovered by plants and plant growth characteristics were measured throughout the experiment. Results showed that Ta-khian plants were highly effective at reducing N concentration and volume of water. A maximum of 63.05% N recovery was obtained by Ta-khian plants grown in 290 mg/L N, which was assimilated in the chlorophyll molecule structure and shoot biomass. Significant positive correlations have been shown between N recovery percentages and plant growth parameters. Ta-Khian plants can be applied as suitable phytoremediators for mitigating N pollution in water sources.

Synthesis optimization of oil palm empty fruit bunch and rice husk biochars for removal of imazapic and imazapyr herbicides.

Imidazolinones are a family of herbicides that are used to control a broad range of weeds. Their high persistence and leaching potential make them probable risk to the ecosystems. In this study, biochar, the biomass-derived solid material, was produced from oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and rice husk (RH) through pyrolysis process. Feedstock and pyrolysis variables can control biochar sorption capacity. Therefore, the present study attempts to evaluate effects of three pyrolysis variables (temperature, heating rate and retention time) on abilities of biochars for removal of imazapic and imazapyr herbicides from soil. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for optimizing the variables to achieve maximum sorption performance of the biochars. Experimental data were interpreted accurately by quadratic models. Based on the results, sorption capacities of both biochars raised when temperature decreased to 300 °C, mainly because of increased biochars effective functionality in sorption of polar molecules. Heating rate of 3°C/min provided optimum conditions to maximize the sorption capacities of both biochars. Retention time of about 1 h and 3 h were found to be the best for EFB and RH biochars, respectively. EFB biochar was more efficient in removal of the herbicides, especially imazapyr due to its chemical composition and higher polarity index (0.42) rather than RH biochar (0.39). Besides, higher cation exchange capacity (CEC) values of EFB biochar (83.90 cmolc/kg) in comparison with RH biochar (70.73 cmolc/kg) represented its higher surface polarity effective in sorption of the polar herbicides.

Effects of production conditions on yield and physicochemical properties of biochars produced from rice husk and oil palm empty fruit bunches.

Biochar is the bio-solid material produced by pyrolysis. The biochar properties are controlled by feedstock and pyrolysis variables. In this study, the impacts of these production variables on biochar yield and physicochemical properties including pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total organic carbon (TOC) content, surface area, and pore volume and size were investigated. Rice husk (RH) and oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) were used as biomass. The biochars were produced at temperature range of 300 to 700 °C, heating rate of 3 to 10 °C/min and retention time of 1 to 3 h. The pyrolysis conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) technique to maximize the values of the responses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the results demonstrated that the data fitted well to the linear and quadratic equations. Temperature was found to be the most effective parameter on the responses followed by retention time and heating rate, sequentially. CEC, TOC, surface area, and pore characteristics were evaluated as biochar properties determining their sorption potential. The optimum conditions for the maximum values of the properties were temperatures of 700 and 493.44 °C and time of 3 and 1 h for RH and EFB biochars, respectively. Heating rate at 3 °C/min was found to be the best rate for both biochars. The structure of EFB biomass was more sensitive to heating than rice husk. The biomass type and the production variables were demonstrated as the direct effective factors on biochar yield and physicochemical properties.

Biochar efficiency in pesticides sorption as a function of production variables--a review.

Biochar is a stabilized, carbon-rich by-product derived from pyrolysis of biomass. Recently, biochar has received extensive attentions because of its multi-functionality for agricultural and environmental applications. Biochar can contribute to sequestration of atmosphere carbon, improvement of soils quality, and mitigation of environmental contaminations. The capability of biochar for specific application is determined by its properties which are predominantly controlled by source material and pyrolysis route variables. The biochar sorption potential is a function of its surface area, pores volume, ash contents, and functional groups. The impacts of each production factors on these characteristics of biochar need to be well-understood to design efficient biochars for pesticides removal. The effects of biomass type on biochar sorptive properties are determined by relative amounts of its lingo-cellulosic compounds, minerals content, particles size, and structure. The highest treatment temperature is the most effective pyrolysis factor in the determination of biochar sorption behavior. The expansion of micro-porosity and surface area and also increase of biochar organic carbon content and hydrophobicity mostly happen by pyrolysis peak temperature rise. These changes make biochar suitable for immobilization of organic contaminants. Heating rate, gas pressure, and reaction retention time after the pyrolysis temperatures are sequentially important pyrolysis variables effective on biochar sorptive properties. This review compiles the available knowledge about the impacts of production variables on biochars sorptive properties and discusses the aging process as the main factor in post-pyrolysis alterations of biochars sorption capacity. The drawbacks of biochar application in the environment are summarized as well in the last section.