Geochemical Record of the Cenomanian-Turonian Anoxic Event in Tunisia:Is it Correlative and Isochronous to the Biotic Signal?

In Tunisia, five Bahloul spaced sections, Bargou, Jerisa, Guern Halfaya, Kherij and Gafsa were analyzed for biostratigraphy （foraminifera and radiolarians） and major and trace elements. This high-resolution biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic integrated analyses for the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian Bahloul Formation provide new insight into the palaeoceanographic evolution of the southern Tethyan margin. Relative low abundance of related terrigenous Ti/Ai and K/ Al ratios and enrichment of some productivity proxies such as Ba, Cu, and Ni （organic matter related trace elements） suggests that the Bahloul, deposited during a relatively short period （0.5 Ma）, was of relatively elevated primary productivity and minimal detrital input. While higher D＊ values concurrent with lower Ti/AI ratios are interpreted as caused by enhanced fluvial material contribution, due to more humid climate during the OAE-2. Enhanced humidity triggered probably fluvial influxes, resulted in a sluggish water circulation and consequent anoxic/euxinic conditions favoring the preservation of organic matter at the bottom. Enrichments in redox-sensitive trace metals U, V, and Mo in the Bahloul Formation deposits and redox indices, such as V/（V＋Ni）, U/Th, V/Cr, and Ni/Co, indicate that oxygen-restricted conditions prevailed during the Late Cenomanian to earliest Turonian times and correlate well with relative abundances of some foraminiferal and radiolarian paleo- environmental relevant indicators. High Ba~ values and Uauth may indicate anoxic conditions at least at the water-sediment interface during the Bahloul Formation deposition and provide information about low to moderate sulfate-reduction reactions.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocarbon from waste batteries via an eco-friendly method

The widespread use of disposable batteries to power common electronic devices is a major source of e-waste.There are growing environmental and health concerns due to the expansion of e-waste around the world.Hence,developing a reli-able system for recycling old batteries has reached the top of the recycling priority list.The current study presents a novel approach to synthesis carbon nanoparticles(CNPs)from spent batteries via an eco-friendly method that offers economical,environment-friendly,and nontoxic approaches in comparison to conventional chemical methods.The synthesized nano-particles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray(EDX),powder X-ray diffractometry(XRD),UV-VIS absorption analysis(UV),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),Atomic force microscope(AFM),and thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA).The average diameter of the synthesized particles was 40.16 nm,and the particles tended to be aspherical in shape.EDX analysis also predicted the presence of pure carbon,with some contamination arrived at 15%(in weight).This is a novel study in which nanocarbons were synthesized in a brine(7600×10^(-6))from a target(CNPs>75 nm),which paves the way for future use of CNPs derived from spent batteries and helps the environment by decreasing the amount of electronic waste dumped in landfills.

Bioremediation and detoxification of real refinery oily sludge using mixed bacterial cells

Anaerobic biotreatment of real field petroleum refinery oily sludge(PROS)was investigated under using four different organic loads(OLs)in the order ofOL4>OL3>OL2>OL1,in bench-scale bioreactors.The bioremediation of raw PROS was carried out using mixed culture biocatalyst without chemicals addition or any type of pretreatment.The results revealed a potential performance of the used biocatalyst dominated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa(class:Gammaproteo)and Staphylococcus spp.(class:Bacilli)achieving significant removal of chemical oxygen demand(COD)and total petroleum hydrocarbons(TPH).The highest organic removal rate was recorded in OL4 followed by OL3,0L2,OL1,respectively indicating a positive relationship between the percentage removal of organics and their content.Maximum removal efficiencies of 96.7%and 90%were observed for COD and TPH,respectively in OL4 within 14 days only.Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)demonstrated that acenaph-thylene and phenanthrene exhibited the maximum removal efficiency(almost complete)among the 8-priority PAHs tested in this study.However,the overall degradation of PAHs in the oily sludge was 83.3%.