Articles

Internet addiction (IA) has emerged as a significant behavioral concern worldwide, and prior research has consistently linked it to loneliness, particularly among young adults. This study examined the level of internet addiction and its correlation with loneliness among undergraduate students of Rajshahi University, and additionally examined whether internet addiction and loneliness differ by gender. Using a correlational design and convenience sampling, data were collected from 60 undergraduate students (33 male, 27 female) from different departments and academic sessions. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Bangla-adapted Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the Bangla version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a small, statistically non-significant positive correlation between internet addiction and loneliness, r (58) = .211, p = .105. An independent-samples t -test showed that male students scored significantly higher than female students on internet addiction, t (58) = 2.74, p = .008, whereas no significant gender difference emerged for loneliness, t (58) = 0.71, p = .478. These findings are broadly consistent with previous studies linking excessive internet use to feelings of loneliness and social disconnection. Implications for early identification and intervention among university students, along with study limitations, are discussed. With N = 60, the study’s power to detect an effect of this size was low (~33% at α = .05), so this result should be read as inconclusive rather than as a confirmed null finding; effect sizes ( r 2 = .04; Cohen’s d = 0.71 for the internet-addiction gender difference and 0.19 for the loneliness gender difference) and 95% confidence intervals are reported alongside significance tests throughout.

As a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, the production of bioethanol and biochemicals from lignocellulosic biomass has drawn significant interest. For biochemical conversion, pretreatement is the most crucial step, which removes biomass recalcitrance to improve cellulose’s accessibility for enzymatic saccharification and fermentation. This study investigated the potential of dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment of waste rice straw to produce building-block sugars and bioethanol. The study focused on optimizing several key parameters, including dilute acid concentration (60 mM), pretreatment time (30 minutes), pretreatment temperature (120°C), and liquid-to-solid ratio (5:1). This study also compared the efficiency of dilute acid pretreatment of rice straw with conventional dilute alkali and organosolv pretreatment techniques. The results showed that dilute acid pretreatment effectively dissolved a significant amount of hemicellulose under these circumstances, retaining 97.96% of cellulose in the solid substrate, which led to 64.28% glucose yield in enzymatic saccharification. The rice straw structure underwent morphological changes (i.e., cell wall rupture and changes in crystallinity) as the result of acid pretreatment, which were confirmed using SEM and XRD techniques. Furthermore, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation trials showed that the total bioethanol yield was 78.7% in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, demonstrating the potential of optimized dilute acid pretreatment in the production of bioethanol from rice straw. This study provides important insights for developing a biorefinery for the effective valorization of rice straw and other agricultural waste biomasses.

This study aimed to assess the quality and suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes, as well as to examine the spatial variation within the area of Rajshahi University, which is located near the mighty Padma River, approximately seven kilometers east of the Rajshahi City Center. A total of twelve water samples were collected from various locations on the campus. The sampling points included Sher-e Bangla Fazlul Haque Hall, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall (Bijoy-24) Hall, Matihar Hall, Sayed Ameer Ali Hall, Nawab Abdul Latif Hall, Shah Makhdum Hall, Shahid Shamsuzzoha Hall, Madar Bux Hall, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall, Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall, Shahid Habibur Rahman Hall, and the Jabir ibn Hayyan Academic Building. The quality of the groundwater was evaluated by measuring several physicochemical parameters: color, taste, odor, temperature, pH, salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total hardness. In comparison to WHO and BDS standards, most of the groundwater samples from the study area fell within permissible limits and were deemed safe for consumption. We also compared the groundwater quality with that of commercially available bottled water in the market. However, when compared to bottled water, most groundwater samples showed significant differences in their quality parameters.

The widespread application of dyes in the textile sector results in the production of highly pigmented and contaminated wastewater, which presents considerable environmental and health risks. This research examines the efficiency of dye removal using eco-friendly bio-adsorbents derived from sugarcane bagasse and rice husk, both of which are plentiful agricultural by-products. The synthesized bio-adsorbents are characterized through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate their surface properties, structure, and crystallinity and amorphousness. Both agricultural wastes were subjected to drying, grinding, and chemical activation to enhance adsorption properties. The resulting composite bio-adsorbent was used on textile wastewater samples under controlled experimental conditions. Various adsorption tests were performed to analyze the removal effectiveness under different conditions, including contact time, pH, and dosage of the adsorbent. Furthermore, the effect of treatment on essential physicochemical parameters of the textile wastewater, such as pH, BOD, COD, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity, salinity was examined. Kinetics adsorption study also shows here for analyzing the behavior and interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate. The results show a notable efficiency in color removal, supporting the viability of these affordable bio-adsorbents for sustainable and efficient wastewater treatment. For reactive dye waste water, bioadsorbent removed 80.13% color. For basic dye, it removed 87.80% color imparting particles. And for ETP inlet and outlet sample, the percentages were 73.56% and 44.12% respectively. The outcomes underscore a promising alternative to traditional treatment approaches by leveraging agricultural waste materials for environmental remediation.

The textile and apparel industry is one of the pollution intensive and resource consuming industries and responsible for putting a huge amount of negative environmental impact. For making this sector much more environmentally friendly, proper dataset and analysis is required. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can provide a widespread look of environmental impacts of each and every stage of a product’s life cycle. A cradle to gate system boundary was applied to acquire and analysis all the dataset with some key environmental indicators like Water usage, Chemical burden, Land consumption, Energy usage, GHG emission & different pollution factors. Major environmental hotspots can be identified from the whole study. The overall study shows each fibre has different environmental profile. Cotton is extremely dependent on climate. It requires high water, land and agrochemicals. Polyester has a different profile with high energy requirement and contributes to GHG emission. Regenerated cellulose stands in between natural and synthetic fibre but it requires high amount of toxic chemicals for manufacturing. A proper evaluation and analysis is done in this study by comparing different pollution factors, carbon footprinting and eco-cost concept. The study gives a widespread look to identify environmental trade-offs among fibres and helps to identify the sustainable fibre in particular context and which will eventually help to reduce the negative environmental impacts and lessen down the eco burdens.

Textile industry is one of the most energy intensive sectors due to large scale of production processes such as spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing occur here. At the same time, it generates huge amounts of waste throughout its supply chain, thus creating environmental and disposals challenges. Reports say that 92 millions of tons of waste are produced globally in these industries. These waste streams are divided into two categories: pre and post consumer textile waste. This study examines the potentiality wastes to be converted to energy across textile value chain through calorific assessment with the objective of assessing their feasibility as alternative energy sources for the textile industry. The study adopts a comprehensive review and analytical approach based on secondary data analysis of existing literature, technical reports, and previous experimental studies including pyrolysis, torrefaction, gasification and combustion of textile waste materials to analyze the energy output and HHV (Higher Heating Value) within the context of textile industries. In addition, the study highlights the significance, rationale, and conceptual advancements of previous research on textile waste valorization and energy recovery. By analyzing the calorific value ranges of different wastes and conversion efficiency, the study showed if different types of textile wastes can serve as viable alternative energy feedstocks and can be turned into useful energy such as syngas, bio-oil, hydro char. The study contributes to both academic and practical knowledge by providing an understanding of the relationship between textile waste to energy recovery potential. The insights may assist researchers, waste management authorities, and textile industry stakeholders in improving sustainable waste management system and developing alternative source of energy within a circular textile economy.

As carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions continue to drive climate change, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) emerges as a transformative technology aimed at managing the carbon cycle sustainably. CCUS encompasses a range of advanced methods to capture CO₂ from both concentrated industrial sources and the ambient atmosphere, convert it into valuable products, and store it securely to prevent its release. This review explores four primary capture pathways: pre combustion systems that separate CO₂ before fuel combustion, post combustion capture from flue gases, oxy fuel combustion in oxygen rich environments, and Direct Air Capture (DAC) that extracts CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. Beyond storage, the utilization aspect of CCUS is equally vital. Captured CO₂ can be converted into construction materials, synthetic fuels and chemical feedstocks, supporting a circular carbon economy. CCUS is particularly crucial for decarbonizing hard to abate sectors such as cement and steel manufacturing, where conventional renewables fall short. However, widespread implementation faces challenges, including high costs (30 to 100 USD per ton of CO₂), the need for global CO₂ transport infrastructure, and complex regulatory frameworks. Addressing these barriers requires collaborative efforts among industries, governments and communities. Ultimately, CCUS offers more than a mitigation tool. It provides a strategic pathway to net negative emissions, turning industrial byproducts into valuable resources. As we advance toward climate resilience, the question is no longer whether we can capture carbon, but whether we can harness its potential for a sustainable future.

The study focused on the solvent extraction of Cr(III) from sulfate media using Cyanex 302 (bis (2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) monothio-phosphinic acid). Various parameters were systematically evaluated, including phase contact time, initial pH, metal ion concentration, extractant concentration, sulfate ion concentration, temperature, and the type of diluent. Equilibrium was reached within 30 minutes, with the highest extraction efficiency occurring at pH 5.0. Adding more Cyanex 302 improved the extraction efficiency. The study showed that each Cr(III) ion paired with a single dimeric extractant molecule. The presence of sulfate ions was found to hinder extraction by forming non-extractable chromium complexes. The extraction process was endothermic, as indicated by positive enthalpy changes. Among the diluents tested, toluene showed the highest extraction efficiency; however, kerosene was chosen for practical reasons. The maximum loading capacity of Cyanex 302 for Cr(III) was determined to be 2.742 g per 100 g of the extractant. Research found that sulfuric acid was good for stripping, but HCl and HNO3 did not work in the conditions tested. Cyanex 302 had a medium level of extraction efficiency compared to other extractants. These results suggest that Cyanex 302 holds promise for industrial applications in Cr recovery processes, although further optimization may be required to enhance its effectiveness.

This study presents a comparative investigation of two common catalysts - p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA, a strong organic Brønsted acid) and aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 , a Lewis acid) over non-catalyst one in the polycondensation of succinic acid (SA) with 1,3-propane diol (PDO) to form poly (trimethylene succinate) (PTSu). Reaction parameters (temperature, catalyst loading, and time) were systematically varied to evaluate catalyst efficiency with respect to (i) degree of polymerization, (ii) the rate of reaction of polycondensation, (iii) esterification rate, (iv) order of the reaction, and (v) activation energy of the reaction. Analytical techniques included FTIR & 1 H NMR. Mechanistic differences between Brønsted and Lewis acid catalysis are discussed. Results (representative data and trends are provided) indicate that p-TSA yields faster initial esterification and higher final molecular weights under identical conditions. In contrast, the AlCl 3 catalyst exhibits similar activity to the p-TSA catalyst. Among the non-catalyst, p-TSA, and AlCl 3 catalysts, the p-TSA and AlCl 3 catalysts performed well in the polycondensation reaction over the non-catalyst one.

Mining-induced subsidence, a typical consequence of underground mining, can cause environmental and structural problems in the mine area. Predicting surface subsidence for inclined and deep seams has been less emphasized than horizontal seams, mainly due to the complexities of extracting such coal seams. The prediction of surface subsidence and the dynamics of subsidence in down-cut slicing panels is more complex and crucial in practice. This study presents a novel profile function method for forecasting surface subsidence resulting from downward slicing panels in the inclined coal seam mining of the Barapukuria coal mine. The calculated maximum subsidence depth is 10.23 meters whereas the measured maximum water depth of the subsided lake of the Barapukuria coal mine is 10.5 meters. The results indicate a strong correlation between the predicted and the measured values.