Mesopotamia Environmental Journal

A bio-based automotive parts are currently astonishing applied such as, DaimlerChrysler of biggest proponent with up to 50 components in its European vehicles. The properties of natural fibers are closely related to the nature of cellulose and its crystallinity properties. Where, fibers with higher cellulose content possess impressive specific mechanical properties.In making of natural fibers composites, the natural fibers are usually collected, dried, ground and sieved to obtain the desired size prior to processing between (125-250) μm. The processing method that used to prepare natural fiber based composites is moulding ,where the natural fiber for new composites are processing at low temperature limited to 100OC with a shorter processing time reached 24hr in order to avoid the degradation of natural fibers.PVA/natural fibers green composites processing methods and applications in various fields have been investigated. From results these green composite based on okra shell and peel Pease fibers reinforced PVA composites showed good fiber/matrix bonding and exhibited high tensile strength with the maximum fiber content in addition to other mechanical properties as (impact strength, compression strength, and bending distortion) with preference to the combined fibers composite that selected to be a best optimum one.

This study record the existence of bacteria in indoor of school ( in 5 randomly selected primary school in Baghdad), accurate locating of various groups of microorganisms indoors is needful for both to inform the health hazard and to form standards for indoor air quality control.If air contains microorganisms especially pathogenic microorganisms, it’s the reasons to serious health impacts to human beings especially children who are more expanded to respiratory defect. So, the overall counts of Gram positive microorganisms were found to be higher than Gram negative microorganisms. From this, Staphylococci and Micrococcus were prevalent Gram positive bacteria, while Pseudomonas sp. and Enterobacter sp. were prevalent probably pathogenic Gram negative bacteria isolated from the air samples.

This study is conducted to evaluate the efficiency of plant treatment of the industrial and household wastewater of the Diala state company of Electrical Industries. Sampling was taken monthly for before and after-processing treatment during the period from November, 2014 to March, 2015. Some physicochemical factors were taken, such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, Biological oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), electrical conductivity, and salinity. In addition, the concentration of five heavy metals lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) was determined. Temperature of wastewater in treatment plant showed only a significant difference between temperature before and after treatment in December, 2014. PH was not significant in all study periods before and after the treatment process.Dissolved oxygen concentration was raised after the treatment process during all the study periods, except in February2015. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and Chemical Oxygen demand (COD) concentrations were decreased after treatment. Electrical conductivity (EC) and salinity (S‰) values were decreased only in December 2104 and February 2015. All heavy metals concentrations were not affected scientifically by the treatment. The results revealed that the treatment plant was not efficient to remove the heavy metals from the industrial and household wastewater of the factory.

This study was carried out during 2011-2012 to evaluate the preference of some freshwater snails to specific macrophytes than others. Snails were collected from different aquatic plants; Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton crispus, Salvinia natans,and Hydrilla verticillata at four stations. The presence of these plants was affected by the water temperature, they almost disappear in winter leading to low snail numbers at that season. Eight snail species were found at the study area; Bellamya bengalensis (Lamarck, 1822), Bithynia hareerensis Glöer, and Nasser, 2008 ,Gyrauluse hrenbergi (Beck, 1837), Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774), Melanopsis nodosa Férussac, 1823, Physlla acuta Draparnaud, 1805, Radix auricularia (Linnaeus,1758), Theodoxus jordani (Sowerby, 1832). Statistical analysis shows a significant differences (P<0.05) between macrophyte's snails number, C. demersum and H. verticilata was the most preferred macrophyte in this study, while S. natanus recorded no occurrence of snails.

Phytoremediation is a developing technique that used plant to remediate, degrade, remove or extract organic and inorganic pollutant from soil, water and air. In the present study Catharanthus roseus was used for chromium phytoremediation, this plant was seeded in polyethylene pots that contain 8kg of soil. The plant was irrigated with wastewater for four months (May, June, July and August) and the accumulation of heavy metal were analyzed after every month for leaf, stem and root by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The result of translocation factor showed that the accumulation of chromium was high in root than stem. This plant had been Hyperaccumulation depending on the result of Bioconcentration factor (11.45) for August months. The result express that the order of chromium removal was August (93%), July (33%), June (12%) and May (7%). This plant has been effective for removing this metal from soil irrigated by wastewater.

Decolorization of red azo dye (Cibacron Red FN-R) in simulated wastewater has been investigated as a function of solar photocatalytic process by using Fe3O4. Different parameters that affected on the removal efficiency, such as influent dye concentration, pH of dye solution, catalyst dosage, and H2O2 concentration, all these factors were evaluated to find the optimal operation conditions. Additionally, pH, ORP (oxidation reduction potential) and Ec (electrical conductivity) of the solution was monitored to assess the degradation of dye. From the experimental results, the desired pH value for solar photocatalytic Fe3O4 was 6.5 and the best catalysis dosage was 300mg/L. In addition, the most efficient H2O2 concentration was 200 mg/L for Fe3O4.The mathematical models that describe the photocatalytic process have been predicted by using response surface methodology (RSM). The decolorization efficiency of reactive red dye using Fe3O4 under solar radiation was around 85.51%.

The reach of the Diyala river just before its confluence with Tigris River south of the capital city Baghdad was taken as a case-study. Its aquatic physicochemical characteristics were investigated and its pollution status was assessed in this study according to ORP (oxidation reduction potential) levels and other parameters. This segment of Diyala river was exposed to multiple points of treated and raw municipal waste water discharges, represented by the outfalls and bypass of three wastewater treatment plants of Al-Rustimiyah.Diyala River's aquatic parameters represented by DO, BOD, COD, ORP, pH, and others were monitored and measured at nine stations along the river reach for a period of one year to assess seasonal variations. It was found that station two, which lies downstream the bypass of R3, was the most polluted station among all.With regard to the ORP concentrations, the river was classified as anoxic conditions during winter to anaerobic conditions during summer from station two and downstream. Furthermore, it has been reached that the strong odor observed on site especially during summer, might be attributed to the formation of acid and methane production that goes with the obtained low levels of ORP.The COD and BOD5 levels classified the river as medium to low strength untreated wastewater during summer at station two and the downstream stations respectively.The effect of temperature on DO and ORP was found to be reversed, while a positive nonlinear relation combined the DO concentrations with ORP levels.The COD/BOD ratio of the river was found to be 1.2, which indicates the presence of biodegradable matter at high concentrations.A statistical model relating DO concentration to BOD, ORP, EC and temperature was established. It was proved to be accurate.To sum up, Diyala River at the reach of interest was found heavily polluted. The need for an urgent makeover of the water body characteristics of the river via mechanically assisted methods was found necessary to restore its original usages and ensure public health safety.

The fishery and population characteristics of silver pomfret Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen) landed in basrah were studied for the period from 2005 to 2015. The average annual landing of Silver Pomfrets was about 68.273 tonnes, which contributed 2.04% to the annual marine fish landings in Iraq. The total catches of Silver Pomfrets have declined from 378.16 tonnes in 2012 to 27 tonnes in 2015.It is suggested that the fishery stocks of the northern Arabian Gulf are under ecological stress due to high fishing pressure, and to ecological changes in the area.Length frequency data collected suggested that the general size range of Silver pomfrets in Iraq is 65 to 320 mm total length. The size group (138- 208 mm) was the most fish size landed during the period of the study (59%). The landed Silver Pomfrets was dominated by male individuals (73.3%) with maximum size reached 270mm.