This study was designed to assess the levels of nutrient salts and eutrophication status in Burullus Lake water. Most of the physicochemical characteristics showed wide variations among the sites and seasons (p<0.01). The water of the lake was in the alkaline side, and pH value fluctuated in the range (7.47-8.96). The lake water was oxygenated around the year (2.10 and 13.40 mg/l). The nutrient salts showed a lot of fluctuations, often occurring in high concentrations, with a remarkable spatial and temporal difference (p<0.001). As a result of nutrient enrichment, Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) recorded abnormal high concentrations up to 648.3 µg/L. TN:TP ratio implied that phosphorus is the limiting factor for phytoplankton growth in Burullus Lake. The high levels of nutrient salts and Chl-a together serve as a good indicator of hypertrophic levels in the lake water. This observation was confirmed by the data of the Trophic State Index (TSI) using Chl-a, TP, TN, and Secchi depth that indicated the hypereutrophic state of Burullus Lake associated with poorly of its water quality. Our results indicated the existence of dramatic deterioration in Burullus Lake because of human activities and the discharge of wastewater to the lake.

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The construction and electrochemical response characteristics of poly vinyl chloride (PVC) membrane sensors for the determination of copper were described. The sensors are based on using of ethamsylate as an ionophore and dioctylphethalate (DOP) as a plasticizer in the PVC matrix. Conventional and graphite membrane sensors were prepared and the performance characteristics are evaluated according to IUPAC recommendations, reveal fast, stable and linear response for copper over the concentration range 1×10 −6-1×10 −2 M and 7×10-5-1×10-2 M with cationic slopes of 29.5 and 27.8 mV per concentration decade at pH 5 for conventional and graphite membrane sensors respectively. The potentiometric selectivity data revealed no interference from common cations. The direct potentiometric determination of copper using the proposed sensors gave average recoveries of 99.89 ± 0.9 and 100.04 ± 1.1 for the conventional and graphite sensors, respectively. The sensors are used for direct measurement of copper content in industrial waste water, metal alloys samples from copper factories and pharmaceutical formulations. The developed method was found to be simple, accurate and precise when compared with a reported atomic absorption method.

The article entitled "Adsorption of Aluminum, Arsenic and Sulphate Ions from Synthetic and Real Underground Water by Marine Fouling" has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Waste Resources considering the statements provided in the article as personal opinion of the author which was found not having any conflict or biasness towards anything. As the article was a perspective one, information provided by the author was considered as an opinion to be expressed through publication. Publisher took decision to make the article online solely based on the reviewers suggestion which considered the article not but a personal opinion of the author. However, it is found that the author have some personal concerns and issues, therefore, being retracted from the journal.