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The desert environment is a clean, dynamic system due to its remoteness from human interventions. Yet, sometimes it is approached by anthropogenic activities that change its balanced ecosystem. The present study states that the non-planned construction of wastewater plants has affected the environment and led to water resource deterioration. The presented approach is based on the integration of hydrogeologic data together with remote sensing and GIS applications as well as statistical, chemical, biochemical, and bacteriological analyses of water samples. The groundwater showed high salinity values (up to 13,236 mg/l) where it is extracted from two coastal aquifers; the Middle Miocene aquifer represents the main one, while the Pleistocene aquifer is of limited use. The obtained results reveal the existence of pollution indicators in both stored rainwater and groundwater where the colony bacteria, NO 3 , chemical and biological oxygen demands, and total organic carbon exceed the permissible limits. The satellite images acquired between 2003 and 2021 demonstrated a land use change through the construction of a wastewater plant with two forests that led to the spreading of the partially treated water over the Marmarica Plateau. The photogeological lineaments are extracted where the plateau is affected by many faults (NE-SW, NW–SE, and E-W) that facilitate surface–groundwater interaction. The results indicate that the studied groundwater becomes vulnerable to the existing pollution sources, with the possibility of being affected by climate change and saltwater intrusion. Therefore, this integrated approach is presented to assess the current environmental problems and suggests a strategy to mitigate the pollution hazards.

Monitoring of air pollutants using satellite data has been largely improved over the past few decades, which can provide deeper insights into the effects of anthropogenic activities on the air quality. The observations and measurements of atmospheric NO 2 are poorly investigated in North Africa, therefore, the current study applied a multi-proxy approach to better understand of the ambient environment. This approach is based on satellite observations, chemical and biological analyses, and investigative information during fieldworks. The Aura satellite provides the basic data for the current study with fine resolution of atmospheric NO 2 and O 3 concentrations. The obtained results reveal noticeable increases of atmospheric NO 2 values since the 2011, where its emission reaches the peak during summer season that is characterized by high anthropogenic activities. The study area has many sources for NO 2 emissions, such as the urban region, traffic, as well as the NH 3 emission that is in turn converted to NO 2. Although the discharged and spreading wastewater (80,000 m 3 /day in summer) has a limited role in NO 2 emissions, it represents an indicator of the anthropogenic activities. The wastewater analyses confirm the occurrence of nitrate (NO 3 − ), nitrite (NO 2 − ), and ammonia (NH 4 + ), which provide an appropriate condition for NO 2 release. The analyses of multi-climate datasets (previous records and the expected scenarios) reveal an increase of temperature accompanied by decrease of precipitation which confirmed the existence of climate change. Therefore, the study presents a set of suggestions to mitigate the release of NOx gases and achieve Net-Zero emissions.

The presence of toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and lead in wastewater poses a serious environmental and health risk due to their persistence and bioaccumulation. In this study, a novel polystyrene/sulfonated bentonite nanocomposite (PS/NSB) was synthesized from low-cost materials and applied as an efficient adsorbent for Cd(II) and Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. Structural and morphological characterizations (TEM, FTIR, TGA, SEM, and EDX) confirmed successful functionalization and enhanced surface area. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated high uptake capacities (200 mg/g for Cd(II) and 135.13 mg/g for Pb(II)), with kinetics following the pseudo-second-order model and equilibrium fitting the Langmuir isotherm, indicating monolayer chemisorption. The nanocomposite exhibited good regeneration over successive cycles, underscoring its reusability. After treatment, residual concentrations of Cd(II) and Pb(II) were reduced to below 0.01 mg/L, meeting WHO/FAO discharge standards. These findings highlight the novelty and practical potential of PS/NSB as a cost-effective and sustainable material for wastewater treatment. Graphical Abstract Highlights Novel PS/NSB adsorbent combines polystyrene stability with bentonite activity. Achieved q max of 200 mg/g for Cd(II) and 153 mg/g for Pb(II). Demonstrated strong reusability with >5 adsorption–desorption cycles. Adsorption followed Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Treated water met WHO/FAO limits, enabling safe environmental discharge.

In the current project, the National Institute of Standards (NIS), Egypt, initiated a preliminary investigation to create a certified reference material for certain elements, including Fe, Mg, Mn, Al, Cu, and Zn, in human hair. This reference material would be a quality control sample for trace element determination. This paper studied homogeneity and short-term stability as key parameters for producing certified reference materials. ICP-OES and AAS were used to measure human hair powder samples, and the data was statistically evaluated for normality and outliers, which resulted in the measurement results being normal after removing the outliers. Also, sample homogeneity was evaluated and assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), which revealed that the human hair samples produced were homogenous and stable during transportation. This CRM mainly intends to develop methods and check instrumental performance, analytical trueness, and accuracy-related to trace element analysis in human hair and similar matrices.

The [Pd(DEEN)Cl2] and [Pt(DEEN)Cl2] complexes were synthesized and characterized where DEEN=N,N-diethylethylenediamine. The stoichiometry and stability of the complexes formed between various biologically relevant ligands (amino acids, peptides, DNA constituents and dicarboxylic acids) and [Pd(DEEN)(H2O)2]2+ were investigated at 37∘C and 0.16 M ionic strength. The stability constant of the complexes formed in solution were determined and the binding centres of the ligands were assigned. The concentration distribution diagrams of the complexes were evaluated The equilibrium constants for the displacement of representative coordinated ligands such as inosine, glycine or methionine by cysteine were calculated and the concentration distribution diagrams of the various species were evaluated. The kinetics of base hydrolysis of free and coordinated S-methylcysteine methyl ester was investigated. The mechanism of hydrolysis was discussed.

Monitoring of air pollutants using satellite data has been largely improved over the past few decades, which can provide deeper insights into the effects of anthropogenic activities on the air quality. The observations and measurements of atmospheric NO are poorly investigated in North Africa, therefore, the current study applied a multi-proxy approach to better understand of the ambient environment. This approach is based on satellite observations, chemical and biological analyses, and investigative information during fieldworks. The Aura satellite provides the basic data for the current study with fine resolution of atmospheric NO and O concentrations. The obtained results reveal noticeable increases of atmospheric NO values since the 2011, where its emission reaches the peak during summer season that is characterized by high anthropogenic activities. The study area has many sources for NO emissions, such as the urban region, traffic, as well as the NH emission that is in turn converted to NO Although the discharged and spreading wastewater (80,000 m /day in summer) has a limited role in NO emissions, it represents an indicator of the anthropogenic activities. The wastewater analyses confirm the occurrence of nitrate (NO ), nitrite (NO ), and ammonia (NH ), which provide an appropriate condition for NO release. The analyses of multi-climate datasets (previous records and the expected scenarios) reveal an increase of temperature accompanied by decrease of precipitation which confirmed the existence of climate change. Therefore, the study presents a set of suggestions to mitigate the release of NOx gases and achieve Net-Zero emissions.

The [Pd(DEEN)Cl2] and [Pt(DEEN)Cl2] complexes were synthesized and characterized where DEEN=N,N-diethylethylenediamine. The stoichiometry and stability of the complexes formed between various biologically relevant ligands (amino acids, peptides, DNA constituents and dicarboxylic acids) and [Pd(DEEN)(H2O)2]2+ were investigated at 37∘C and 0.16 M ionic strength. The stability constant of the complexes formed in solution were determined and the binding centres of the ligands were assigned. The concentration distribution diagrams of the complexes were evaluated The equilibrium constants for the displacement of representative coordinated ligands such as inosine, glycine or methionine by cysteine were calculated and the concentration distribution diagrams of the various species were evaluated. The kinetics of base hydrolysis of free and coordinated S-methylcysteine methyl ester was investigated. The mechanism of hydrolysis was discussed.

The [Pd(DEEN)Cl(2)] and [Pt(DEEN)Cl(2)] complexes were synthesized and characterized where DEEN = N,N-diethylethylenediamine. The stoichiometry and stability of the complexes formed between various biologically relevant ligands (amino acids, peptides, DNA constituents and dicarboxylic acids) and [Pd(DEEN)(H(2)O)(2)](2+) were investigated at 37 degrees C and 0.16 M ionic strength. The stability constant of the complexes formed in solution were determined and the binding centres of the ligands were assigned. The concentration distribution diagrams of the complexes were evaluated The equilibrium constants for the displacement of representative coordinated ligands such as inosine, glycine or methionine by cysteine were calculated and the concentration distribution diagrams of the various species were evaluated. The kinetics of base hydrolysis of free and coordinated S-methylcysteine methyl ester was investigated. The mechanism of hydrolysis was discussed.The [Pd(DEEN)Cl(2)] and [Pt(DEEN)Cl(2)] complexes were synthesized and characterized where DEEN = N,N-diethylethylenediamine. The stoichiometry and stability of the complexes formed between various biologically relevant ligands (amino acids, peptides, DNA constituents and dicarboxylic acids) and [Pd(DEEN)(H(2)O)(2)](2+) were investigated at 37 degrees C and 0.16 M ionic strength. The stability constant of the complexes formed in solution were determined and the binding centres of the ligands were assigned. The concentration distribution diagrams of the complexes were evaluated The equilibrium constants for the displacement of representative coordinated ligands such as inosine, glycine or methionine by cysteine were calculated and the concentration distribution diagrams of the various species were evaluated. The kinetics of base hydrolysis of free and coordinated S-methylcysteine methyl ester was investigated. The mechanism of hydrolysis was discussed.