Mesopotamia Environmental Journal

A total of 500 handling specimens of the common carp Cyprinus carpio were transported from a fish farm in Maysan Province in a special truck to Marine Sciences Center of the University of Basrah, in six plastic tanks with water volume of 500 liters per tank, with a fish density of 300 kg/m3. Three methods were used to reserve the fishes, aerators, ice and without additives (control) in duplicate for each method for four hours. Blood was collected directly from fishes, and serum was extracted to conduct cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), glucose and total protein. The results indicated a significant rise in the activities of all parameters in transported fishes from those in the wild. The highest values were recorded in the control containers and the lowest were recorded in the ice containers. Survival rates were 100% in ice containers and aerated containers and 85% in control containers. The low values recorded in ice containers 0.54 µg/dl for cortisol, 0.55 uIU/ml for TSH, 3.54 Mmol.L-1 for glucose and 2.43 gm/100 ml for total protein indicated that the physiological activities of stressed fishes were at their lowest level, this is necessary to reduce the stress during fish transportation. This confirms the possibility of using ice as a stress-reducing agent when transferring handlings of common carp for short distances.

The current study aimed to susceptibility testing of Capparis spinose against bacterial species isolated from environmental and clinical sources. 260 samples were taken from indoor places (hospital and school). The environmental samples included air-condition system and air rooms of hospital (Rizgary Hospital and Erbil Teaching Hospital) and school buildings (Gwar-jara School, Shorsh School and Shaysta School) in Erbil city from January to April 2023. Out of 260 samples, 157 isolates (or 60.4%) showed good results for bacterial growth on the best cultured media, including blood agar, mannitol agar, and MacConkey agar. 103(39.6%) of 260 samples were appear as negative results for bacterial growth. Staphylococcus aureus was the most isolated, with 42(26.8%) isolates out of a total of 157 isolates, followed by E. coli as the number of its isolates reached 40(25.4%). While, Enterobacter cloacae the least isolated, as the number of its isolates reached 11(7.0%) out of a total of 157 isolates. The most sensitive was E. faecalis towards the C. spinosa aqueous extract, as the inhibition zone reached 24.2 mm, while S. aureus was resistant to the plant extract, as the inhibition zone reached 7.7 mm. while, the results shows the zone of inhibition of the ethanolic extract against the study bacteria, where the results show that E. faecalis was the most sensitive towards the ethanolic extract, as the inhibition zone reached 41.2 mm, while S. aureus was the least sensitive towards the ethanolic extract, as the inhibition zone reached 19.8 mm.

The current study included evaluating the efficiency of some aquatic plants, such as " Lemna minor and Ceratophyllum demersum ", in improving the quality of the wastewater that was taken after the final treatment of the water treatment plant in Al-Almamierh through the biological treatment of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), total inorganic nitrogen and dissolved organic nitrogen in wastewater. The plants were cultivated separately in that water and in natural environmental conditions with conducting some chemical tests for the water by by collecting water samples every three days throughout the course of 24 days. The present research showed that the effectiveness of the L. minor and C. demersum plants in lowering the levels of total dissolved nitrogen. Where the "L. minor and C. demersum" plants exhibited the greatest decrease rate of about (24.12 % and 29.94%) respectively .Also current plants showed the efficiency in reducing inorganic nitrogen compounds, where both L. minor and C. demersum showed the greatest decrease rate of total inorganic nitrogen, which was about (76.25% and 73.96%) respectively, and recorded the highest percentage of dissolved organic nitrogen reduction which amounted to about (30.14% and 26.33%) respectively. Regarding the physiological state of the current plants, it is noted that both plants recorded an increase in the content of carbohydrates and proline content compared to the control, while the protein content decreased in L. minor, but increased in C. demersum plant.

Antibiotics in the aquatic environment have a negative impact on non-target aquatic organisms. The current study intends to evaluate the effects of the toxicity of the amoxicillin antibiotic and the contribution of immobilized Chlorella vulgaris to decreasing toxicity by observing histological changes in the clam Pseudodontopsis euphraticus. The results demonstrated that seven days of exposure to amoxicillin in different concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 mg/L caused significant histological changes, including cell infiltration, haemocytes, cell degeneration, large lymphatic spaces between the tubes, necrosis of the cells of the digestive glands, and narrowing of the tubular lumen, while histological changes to the gills included an anterior fusion of the cilia, hyperplasia of cells, infiltration of blood cells, necrosis, and rupture of epithelial cellse specially in concentrations of 200 and 300 mg/L, The results of the present study showed that immobilized C. vulgaris contributed effectively to reducing amoxicillin toxicity by alleviating the histological changes in freshwater clams P. euphraticus. The aim of the study was to use histological changes to evaluate the use of immobilized algae in reducing the toxic effect of amoxilcillin on Pseudodontopsis euphraticus

As industry expands, a significant quantity of industrial and domestic wastewater is released into water, resulting in water pollution and deterioration of water quality. Industrial wastewater contributes to water scarcity, endangers human existence and progress, and has become a global concern. Nowadays, recovering waste from industry has been observed in a sequential approach in decreasing environmental concerns in sustainable and economic approach by fixing an environmental problem and regulating disposal difficulties. The current study presents a comprehensive review on the industrial by product waste such as steel and iron slag, cement kiln dust, plaster kiln dust, wastepaper sludge ash and fly ash and its application in wastewater treatment.

The present study was conducted as an attempt to find and inexpensive novel adsorbent that can be used to get rid of the dangerous. Throughout the study the ability of reed seed to get rid of both Congo red and methylene blue dyes was estimated. The newly proposed adsorbent showed a very high removal efficiency (R%) for both dyes with removal percentage up to 99% for the congo red and up to 72% for the methylene blue dyes, respectively. The reed seed as adsorbent was highly efficient in the removal of the days at different concentrations (from 10 to 50 ppm) with R% range from 94 to 96 % for methylene blue and from 22 to 72 % for congo red, while the highest R% for methylene blue was 96 at pH 7, and it was 72% at pH 5 for the congo red.

Nutrients that exhibit antioxidant properties and are found in plants may be protective against various types of cancers. carotenes present in carrots, which consist of a conjugted system, it is one of the molecules causing these effects. The amis of this work are identify the characteristics of carrote extract and evaluate its anti-cancer cell proliferation activity in vitro assay. carrote extract was obtained by blended of carrote, the carrote extract identified by UV–VIS Spectroscopy , and FTIR technique. Antiproliferative activity was estimated toward lung cancer cell line (HBE140-Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Lines) by MTT assay. caroten juice have been showed Antiproliferactive effects in lung cancer cell line (HBE140-Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Lines) in a dose dependent minner (0.2-0.8 µM) with IC50=2.19 µM. Therefore it can be concluded that the carrote extract is a good natural resource as anti-cancer toward HBE140-Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Lines.