The safe application of farm dairy effluent (FDE) to land has proven to be a challenge for dairy farmers and regulatory authorities throughout New Zealand. Poorly performing FDE systems can have deleterious effects on water quality because contaminants such as phosphorus, nitrogen and faecal microbes enter receiving waters with minimal attenuation by soil. We present a decision framework that supports good management of effluent, particularly during its application to land. The framework considers how FDE management can be tailored to account for soil and landscape features of a location that pose varying levels of contaminant transport risk. High risk soils and landscapes are vulnerable to direct losses via preferential and/or overland flow pathways and include sloping land (e.g. slopes greater than 7 degrees) and soils with mole drainage, coarse structure, poor natural drainage or low surface infiltration rates. Soil types that are well-drained with fine structure typically exhibit matrix flow characteristics and represent a relatively low risk of direct contaminant loss following FDE application. Our framework provides guidance on FDE application timings, rates and depths to different landform and soil types so that direct losses of contaminants to water are minimal and the opportunity for plant uptake of nutrients is enabled. Some potential limitations for using the framework include the potentially severe effects of animal treading damage during wet conditions that can reduce soil hydrological function and consequently increase the risk of overland flow of applied FDE. The spatial distribution of such treading damage should be considered in the framework's application. Another limitation is our limited understanding of the effects of soil hydrophobicity on FDE infiltration and application of the framework.

The study explored the long-term efficiency of an integrated electrodialysis-forward osmosis (EDFO) treatment technology for nutrient recovery and its application in irrigating and fertilizing high-value crops. Results showed a stable energy profile with consistent electrical conductivity (EC) trends in both municipal and dairy digestates, highlighting the system's capacity to maintain ionic stability, essential for long-term operation. Fouling resistance was indicated by gradual and minimal declines in current density, reflecting stable performance after three cycles and reducing the need for chemical cleaning. A greenhouse trial assessed the impact of using treated and untreated wastewater for irrigation on plant growth and nutrient dynamics in southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. interspecific hybrid). The plants were grown in a soilless potting media and irrigated with a modified Hoagland nutrient solution (control), untreated municipal or dairy digestate, or recovered nutrient water from municipal or dairy digestate treated by the EDFO process. Leaf area and shoot biomass were similar among the treatments, confirming that wastewater irrigation did not adversely affect blueberry growth. Furthermore, pH levels in the potting media were near or within the optimal range for blueberry cultivation (4.5-5.5), while EC exceeded salinity thresholds for the crop (> 2 dS m(-1)) but did not visibly damage the plants, suggesting that salt levels were manageable with periodic freshwater flushing. Mass-spectrometry-based, non-targeted analysis detected significant reductions in organic pollutants across treatment cycles. In particular, pharmaceuticals and pesticides in untreated digestate were reduced by over 90 % post-treatment, affirming the system's efficacy in removing emerging contaminants that could pose risks in agriculture and consumers. Given the favorable nutrient recovery and contaminant removal, the EDFO system offers a sustainable solution for wastewater reuse, enabling nutrient cycling in agricultural systems and reducing freshwater dependence.

The environment has been damaged due to anthropogenic activities related to the production and consumption of cattle. The present study investigated the pollution potentials of slaughterhouse effluents on groundwater qualities in Ebonyi State Southeast Nigeria, with the specific objectives to determine the effect of slaughterhouse effluents on both microbiological, physicochemical and heavy metal parameters on the quality of groundwater. Eighty-four well water samples were taken in 2022 and 2023 from slaughterhouse locations, and a control location for the determination of physicochemical properties and microbiological contents using standard analytical methods. Datasets were analyzed using Fisher's Significance Least Difference (F-LSD) at 0.05 probability level. The study recorded higher levels of physicochemical, BOD, COD, Salinity, bacterial and fungal counts in the slaughterhouses well waters when compared to the control well water. With the exception of chloride, ammonia, copper and electrical conductivity, all water parameters were significant in both years. The result of the study also demonstrated that, with the exception of ammonia, lead, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, salinity, salmonella spp, shigella spp, E. coli, and other coliforms, the majority of the analysed parameters were within the World Health Organisation recommended standard. In addition, as compared to the first year of study, the well water parameters were generally higher in the second year. In order to prevent groundwater pollution, the present study suggests that slaughterhouse effluents be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner through the segregation of waste materials to prevent groundwater pollution.

Large quantities of hazardous heavy metals found in industrial wastes and are adequate to make crops toxic and these noxious metals accumulate in plant tissues can cause deleterious effects in plants. The current investigation was carried out to assess the physiological response of onion plants in textile effluents contaminated soil and to determine the role of silicone in the onion plant under oxidative stress. The industrial effluent was used at the rate of control, 30 %, 60 % and 100 % effluents. Following treatment applications were made (30 % +Si, 60 % +Si, 100 % effluents + Si,0 % +Si). Various physiological and enzymatic parameters were studied. The complete randomized design (CRD) with triplicates was used for the experiment. Treatment T4 (seed + 100 % effluents) was most toxic and 43 % shoot length, 51 % root length, 47 % membrane damage,74 % chlorophyll a,67 % chl b, 82 %carotenoids, and 44 %, catalase inhibition was observed over (T1). Similarly, MDA content and membrane damage were also higher in T4 (237,189 %) as control. The (seed+ Si) was found most effective in terms of onion growth which increased the shoot length, root length, chl a, chl b, carotenoids, and SOD (34, 51,70,284, 175, and 174 %) higher as compared to T1 respectively. It is concluded from the current investigation that textile effluents contain various toxic materials, especially heavy metals which can adversely affect the onion plant and silicon suppressed the toxicity of effluents in plant, Si can be used l to overcome toxic effect of industrial waste and plant growth promotion

Domestic laundry wastewater is a major contributor to microfiber emissions in the aquatic environment. Among several mitigation measures, the use of external filters to capture microfibers from wastewater is one of the most efficient and commercially viable methods. This study attempted to develop an eco-friendly filtration medium to filter microfibers in laundry wastewater using luffa cylindrica fibers. Sourced luffa fibers were made into tight rolls and stacked in a filtration column to filter the effluent. The analysis showed that the alkali-treated luffa fiber rolls were more effective in filtering the microfibers than untreated luffa fibers. Hence, the alkali treatment process was optimized for better performance; an alkali concentration of 5.8%, treatment time of 5 h, and 37 degrees C temperature provide better performance. The characterization of alkali-treated luffa fibers showed significant changes in the morphology and removal of lignin and hemicellulose components, enhancing the physical adsorption of microfibers on the surface. The experimental filtration results showed that the developed filter can effectively remove up to 93% of microfibers from laundry effluent, and the efficiency remained superior for up to 15 filtrations. Furthermore, an increase in filtration leads to the accumulation of detergents in the luffa net-like vascular structure and reduced effectiveness. The use of the developed product in a real-time washing machine outlet was found to be effective with an efficiency of 98%. The developed product is a versatile and cost-effective solution, suitable for use in domestic washing machines. Its simplicity and ease of integration make it an effective and eco-friendly alternative for filtering microfibers from laundry effluent. The future direction of the study also suggests a sustainable disposal method for luffa fibers using it as a matrix material in red soil-based thermal or sound insulation panels and restricting the reach of microfibers into the environment.