Treatment of marble industry wastewater by Brassica napus (L.) under oxalic acid amendment: efficacy as fodder and carcinogenic risk assessment.

In the present study, Brassica napus, a food plant, was grown for phytoextraction of selected heavy metals (HMs) from marble industry wastewater (WW) under oxalic acid (OA) amendment. The hydroponic experiment was performed under different combination of WW with OA in complete randomized design. Photosynthetic pigments and growth reduction were observed in plants treated with WW alone amendments. The combination of OA in combination with WW significantly enhanced the growth of plants along with antioxidant enzyme activities compared with WW-treated-only plants. HM stress alone enhanced the hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde contents in plants. OA-treated plants were observed with enhanced accumulation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) concentrations in the roots and shoots of B. napus. The maximum concentration and accumulation of Cd in root, stem, and leaves was increased by 25%, 30%, and 30%; Cu by 42%, 24%, and 17%; and Pb by 45%, 24%, and 43%, respectively, under OA amendment. Average daily intake and hazard quotient (HQ) were calculated for males, females, and children in two phases of treatments in phytoremediation of metals before and after accumulation into B. napus leaves and stems. HQ of metals in the leaves and stem was < 1 before metal accumulation, whereas > 1 was observed after HM accumulation for all males, females, and children. Similarly, the hazard index of the three study types was found > 1. It was observed that the estimated excess lifetime cancer risk was of grade VII (very high risk), not within the accepted range of 1 × 10-4 to 1 × 10-6. Based on the present study, the increased levels of HMs up to carcinogenicity was observed in the B. napus which is not safe to be consumed later as food.

Potential of electronic waste recycling in Gulf Cooperation Council states: an environmental and economic analysis.

This paper for the first time aims to valorize the environmental and economic values of electronic waste recycling for member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from the year 2018 up to 2040. GCC countries have a unique situation due to the significant economic growth with the resulting urbanization and population growth accompanied by high standards of living that in turn increase all types of waste. A direct link among the living standards and quantity of electronic waste production is observed in the GCC states. The annual growth of electronic waste in GCC is 3-5% while the current estimated electronic waste generation exceeds 52.2 million metric tonnes (Mt). In 2018, GCC states generated 857 kilotonnes (kt) electronic waste that would be 1.094 Mt by 2040. KSA, among the GCC states, generated the highest amount of electronic waste (533 kt) in 2018 that would be 675 kt by 2040. GCC countries are on the right track of developing policies and regulations for managing electronic waste. However, more efforts are required to ensure the implementation of these regulations. The findings of this study would be a base for the future studies in the electronic waste sector in the GCC region and a novel initiative for GCC to develop a unified free zone for the electronic waste recycling that will meet the local, regional, and international standards and regulations. This unified GCC initiative has substantial economic and environmental benefits for the region.

Trends in occupational injuries and diseases among Saudi and non-Saudi insured workers.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing industrial and infrastructural development in Saudi Arabia carries a high risk of occupational injuries/diseases. AIMS: To compare trends in occupational injuries and diseases among Saudi and non-Saudi insured workers. METHODS: We used the index values method and slope (S) calculation to analyse the occupational injuries/diseases trends from data in the annual statistical reports published by the General Organization for Social Insurance between 2004 and 2014. Data for 10 565 993 (18.5%) Saudi insured workers (SIWs) and 46 402 079 (81.5%) non-Saudi insured workers (NSIWs) and 896 627 occupational injuries/diseases were analysed. RESULTS: The distribution of incidences of occupational injuries/diseases among NSIWs (93.5%) was 14 times higher than that of SIWs (6.5%). Occupational injuries/diseases were more likely to increase among NSIWs than SIWs, particularly in the construction, trade, financing and real estate economic activities, and engineering, technicians and service workers occupations. There was a general decreasing trend in occupational injuries/diseases until 2013. CONCLUSIONS: Non-Saudi insured workers were at high risk of occupational injuries/diseases, therefore, implementation of an effective injury prevention programme is required.