Open Access Research Paper

Salt-making is a major agro-industry in the coastal municipalities and cities of Pangasinan, Philippines. During salt refining, vapor with corrosive properties is released as a by-product, contributing to infrastructure deterioration in surrounding communities. This study aimed to develop a salt-making machine with a built-in distillation system to capture and utilize this vapor by converting it into distilled water. A prototype salt-making machine equipped with an integrated distiller was fabricated and operated under typical refining conditions. Distilled water produced during the refining process was collected and subjected to laboratory analysis to evaluate its chemical quality. Results showed that the recovered water contained measurable amounts of magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, chlorides, and bicarbonates, indicating incomplete removal of dissolved ions during distillation. While the system effectively recovered water vapor and refined salt simultaneously, the chemical composition of the collected distilled water did not meet the purity requirements for direct use in automotive radiators or lead-acid batteries. The distilled water, however, may be suitable for other non-automotive applications following appropriate treatment. The findings highlight the potential of vapor recovery in salt refining as a sustainable practice, while emphasizing the need for further purification to expand the utility of the recovered water.

Knowledge of limiting factors is an important prerequisite for ensuring efficient agricultural production, agronomically, economically and environmentally. The objective of this study is to determine the basic physicochemical properties of manganiferous soils derived from volcano-sedimentary material under different climatic facets. Three sites on different climatic facets were prospected. An analysis of soil samples was carried out in order to determine the physicochemical parameters (water pH, exchangeable bases, CEC, organic matter, phosphorus). The results show that soils are acidic with pH

The increasing demand for sustainable food production, coupled with challenges such as freshwater scarcity, environmental degradation, and climate change, has intensified interest in integrated farming systems that maximize resource efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. Among these, aquaponics has emerged as a promising approach by integrating aquaculture and hydroponic crop production within a recirculating system. Although finfish dominate existing aquaponics research and commercial production, freshwater crayfish have gained increasing attention because of their high market value, environmental adaptability, and potential for diversified production. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the design and development of crayfish aquaponics systems based on peer-reviewed literature and authoritative publications published between 2000 and 2026. The review examines the biological characteristics of commercially important crayfish species, engineering and operational considerations, plant production and nutrient dynamics, economic feasibility, environmental sustainability, and emerging technological innovations relevant to crayfish aquaponics. The literature indicates that successful system performance depends on species-specific management strategies, appropriate stocking densities, effective shelter provision, balanced nutrient cycling, and optimized integration between crayfish biomass and plant production. Despite encouraging advances, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding commercial-scale production, nutrient balancing, system optimization, digital technologies, climate resilience, and comprehensive economic evaluation. Addressing these challenges will require interdisciplinary research integrating aquaculture, plant science, engineering, environmental management, economics, and precision agriculture. By consolidating current evidence and identifying priority research areas, this review provides a comprehensive reference for researchers, producers, and policymakers and offers a framework for advancing the development of efficient, resilient, and commercially viable crayfish aquaponics systems that contribute to sustainable food production and circular bioeconomy objectives.

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) production in the Far North Region, Cameroon is confronted with, diseases and pests. To improve the production of this plant, a study was carried out in Mouvou and Gouria to evaluate the impact of fertilizers on the development of late blight and early blight diseases of this plant. The experimental design used was a completely randomized block with 4 treatments: Mycorrhizae (MYC), NPK (20-10-10) chemical fertilizers, chicken droppings (CD) and a control (T). The plant material used was a local variety of potato (Dosa). Disease incidence and severity and rainfall were evaluated. Area Under Disease Progress Curve was calculated. At 60 DAS, mean incidences recorded for fertilizers were 5.7, 3.6, 1.8 and 0.8 % respectively for control, MYC, NPK and CD. In general, early blight severity decreased from 22.1% at 45 DAS to 0.3 % at 60 DAS. The highest AUDPC value of late blight at Mouvou site was observed in NPK treatment while potato in CD treatment had the lowest. The lowest AUDPC value of early blight was observed in CD treatment at both sites. AUDSIPC value for late blight was significantly higher in NPK treatment in both sites. The highest value of AUDPSIC of early blight was recorded in MYC treatment, 45 DAS in both sites. The average rainfall was higher in the Gouria site (716.5mm) than in Mouvou site (679 mm). The CD treatment can be recommended to the farmers for the phytosanitary protection of potatoes.

An attempt was undertaken to characterize the bacterial flora of saltwater crocodiles reared on a commercial farm at Valuka, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Swab samples (n=60) comprised of the oral swab (n=20), nasal swab (n=20) and cloacal swab (n=20) were collected from apparently healthy farm-raised crocodiles. Samples were cultured into various selective media to isolate bacteria. Characterization of the isolated bacteria was performed by studying the cultural, staining, biochemical properties followed by polymerase chain reaction. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacteria were investigated against eight commonly used antibiotics by the disc diffusion method. A total of 135 bacterial isolates belonged to 5 genera such as Escherichia (22%), Salmonella (22%), Staphylococcus (21%), Bacillus (16%) and Vibrio (19%) were identified. A genus-specific PCR targeting 16s rRNA gene successfully identified Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus spp. In PCR assay, 11 of 30 (36.67%) E. coli isolates were found positive for stx1 and stx2 genes and 4 of 30 (13.33%) isolates were found positive for and hly gene. Five isolates of Staphylococcus spp. were found positive with nuc gene, indicating these were pathogenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Multidrug resistance profile was observed in E. coli, Salmonella spp. and Vibrio spp. The results of this study indicate that captive crocodiles in the farm harbor multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria, which may produce infection in crocodiles and might cause health problems if transmitted to a human.

The white cochineal Parlatoria blanchardi is the most redoubtable pest of date palm Phoenix dactylifera in the palm groves of the region of Ouargla (Sahara Desert of Algeria). In order to explain the food preferences of the insect pest, this study aims to relate the variation of infestation rates caused by the white cochineal to biochemical characteristics of leaflets of two date palm cultivars Deglet-Nour and Ghars. The study of the dynamic populations of the white cochineal showed that it had the same developmental pattern in both cultivars (P=0.107 for the study months). Three annual generations are recorded, of which the spring generation is the most dangerous, with a mean number of individuals of 77.72±6.07 at Deglet-Nour and 46.10±5.14 at Ghars. Estimating infestation rates of Parlatoria blanchardi showed that the cultivar Deglet-Nour has higher infestation rates (36.34%±9.92) compared to Ghars (7.08%±2.34). The highest infestation rates are recorded during the months of April, May and October. Biochemical analyses were performed on leaflets of the two cultivars and the study of the principal components (PCA) shows that the Ghars cultivar has a higher cationic ratio K+/ Ca2++ Mg2+ (0.34%±0.11) than the Deglet-Nour (0.29%±0.04) rich on Mg2+ (0.33±0.02) and Ca2+ (1.03±0.13), which contributes to its resistance against the pest.

Mangrove forests are important blue carbon ecosystems due to their ability to store carbon in aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, and soil. This study compared the carbon stock of natural and planted mangrove forests in Malita and Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, Philippines. Carbon stocks were quantified using non-destructive quadrat and stratified random sampling across landward, mid, and seaward zones. Aboveground and belowground biomass was estimated using allometric equations, while soil organic carbon was determined through laboratory analysis and bulk density measurements. Total carbon stock in natural mangrove forests ranged from 372.28 to 8,167.92 Mg C ha⁻¹, whereas planted mangrove forests ranged from 245.92 to 2,506.52 Mg C ha⁻¹. The maximum carbon stock in natural forests was recorded in the landward zone of Transect 2 (8,167.92 Mg C ha⁻¹), while the highest value in planted forests occurred in the midzone of Transect 1 (2,506.52 Mg C ha⁻¹). Non-parametric analysis showed a significant effect of forest type on carbon stock (H= 16.81, p < .001), whereas ecological zone (H= 0.18, p= .914) and the forest type × zone interaction (H= 0.03, p= .987) were not significant. Correlation analyses indicated no significant relationships between total carbon stock and tree density or average basal area in either natural (r= .01–.48, p > .05) or planted forests (r= .32–.38, p > .05). These results demonstrate clear differences in carbon stock between natural and planted mangrove forest types.

By generating large concentrations of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO), road building greatly adds to atmospheric pollution, endangering ecosystems, public health, and urban sustainability. Through the integration of empirical data, systematic reviews, and cutting-edge simulation techniques, this review summarises developments in air quality research and modelling from peer-reviewed publications published between 2020 and 2025. It looks at spatiotemporal dispersion patterns, phase-specific emission profiles, the effects on the environment and human health, and mitigation techniques. Case studies from around the world show that peak emissions are produced during the pavement and earthworks phases, frequently surpassing legal limitations in urban areas. The forecast accuracy of pollution hotspots is improved by combining machine learning, geographic modelling, and real-time monitoring. The assessment promotes phase-tailored strategies to encourage sustainable infrastructure development and emphasises the potential for significant emission reductions with current technologies. Researchers, legislators, and practitioners can use the insights offered to reduce the environmental impact of road construction projects and promote sustainable urban growth.

ESBL producing Enterobacteriacae harbouring multidrug-resistant plasmids is an emerging worldwide threat. One of the major concerns is the prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) to Quinolones which has hindered the viability of these antibiotics. To date, very little data is available regarding the co-existence of ESBL and PMQR in Pakistan. This study aimed to detect PMQR genes in clinical isolates of ESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae in the city of Rawalpindi. A total of 60 clinical ESBL positive Enterobacteriaceae isolates were obtained from hospitalized patients at Holy family Hospital, Rawalpindi. It included strains of E. coli (n=24), K. pneumoniae (n=25), and Enterobacter spp (n=11). Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the standard disk diffusion method. Genes encoding quinolone resistance (qnrA, qnrB and qnrS) were detected using PCR. Out of 60 tested strains, 38 (63%) yielded PMQR determinants. QnrB was the most prevalent occurring alone and in combination with other qnr genes in about 89% (34/38) of the ESBL producing isolates. It was followed by qnrS (22/38 i.e 58%) and qnrA (12/38 i.e 32%). E.coli was the predominant qnrA (43%) and qnrS (69%) harbouring species.

Daucus carota, or black carrot, belongs to the family Apiaceae. Globally, Daucus carota is widely using to treat different ailments. The objective of this study is to document previously established pharmacological activities and isolated phytochemicals of the black carrot. The data was searched in the English language without any year limit. Various electronic databases were used for the literature survey, including Web of Sciences, Pub Med, and Scopus. The phytochemical investigation of Daucus carota L. revealed that the plant contains lecithin, pectin, essential oils, volatile oils, provitamin, gluten, starch, extractine, malic acid, carotin, albumen, water, sugar, and trace elements like calcium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, potassium, molybdenum, etc. Anthocyanins and carotenoids are the essential antioxidant constituents present in carrots. Anthocyanin-rich carrots are purple. In addition, carrots have three unique flavonoids, namely quercetin, luteolin and kaempferol. Traditionally, Daucus carota is being utilized for its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antioxidant activities. Many scientific studies have validated its wound healing, hepatoprotective, renal protective, gastric healing, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-fungal and anti-diabetic activities. However, more scientific studies are required to justify its pharmacological use in traditional medicine. Further, toxicity and clinical studies should perform to ensure its effective and safe use.