University of Peradeniya

About: University of Peradeniya is a education organization based out in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 5970 authors who have published 7388 publications receiving 197002 citations.

Application of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in tropical and subtropical regions (2000-2013).

Abstract: Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been successfully used for treating various wastewaters for decades and have been identified as a sustainable wastewater management option for developing countries. With the goal of promoting sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being but are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems, the application of CWs has become more relevant. Such application is especially significant for developing countries with tropical climates, which are very conducive to higher biological activity and productivity, resulting in higher treatment efficiencies compared to those in temperate climates. This paper therefore highlights the practice, applications, and research of treatment wetlands under tropical and subtropical conditions since 2000. In the present review, removal of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solid (TSS) was shown to be very efficient and consistent across all types of treatment wetlands. Hybrid systems appeared more efficient in the removal of total suspended solid (TSS) (91.3%), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (84.3%), and nitrogen (i.e., 80.7% for ammonium (NH)4-N, 80.8% for nitrate (NO)3-N, and 75.4% for total nitrogen (TN)) as compared to other wetland systems. Vertical subsurface flow (VSSF) CWs removed TSS (84.9%), BOD (87.6%), and nitrogen (i.e., 66.2% for NH4-N, 73.3% for NO3-N, and 53.3% for TN) more efficiently than horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) CWs, while HSSF CWs (69.8%) showed better total phosphorus (TP) removal compared to VSSF CWs (60.1%). Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) showed comparable removal efficiencies for BOD (70.7%), NH4-N (63.6%), and TP (44.8%) to free water surface (FWS) CW systems.

Epidemiology and clinical picture of the Russell's viper (Daboia russelii russelii) bite in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: a prospective study of 336 patients.

Abstract: Russell's viper (russelii russelii) bite is associated with a high incidence of mor- bidity and mortality in Sri Lanka. Hence, this study enrolled all consecutive Russell's viper bite admissions to the 'Unit A' of General Hospital, Anuradhapura, over a two year period from January 1996, to describe the epidemiology, clinical picture, treatment and outcome. There were 336 cases which showed the following results. The male: female ratio was 5:1; 75% of patients were below the age of 40 years. Biting occurred mainly in paddy fields 41%, and on footpaths 29% at dusk or dawn. Envenoming manifested in 310 (92%) of patients as follows: local swelling 92%, local necrosis 8.9%, coagulopathy 77%, neurotoxicity 78%, nephrotoxicity 18%, cardiac effects 3-12% and myotoxicity 14%. Coagulopathy appeared within 30 minutes to 12 hours after the bite and was corrected within 1 hour to 48 hours (mode 20 hours). Neurotoxicity recovered spontaneously in 1 to 5 days (mode 3 days); however, eight patients needed mechanical ventilation. Thirteen (4%) of patients were man- aged with peritoneal dialysis because of hyperkalemia caused by a hypercatabolic state (7) and acute renal failure (6). The mortality rate of the series was 2.6% (9 patients). Rural dry zone paddy farmers are the common victims of Russell's viper bite in Sri Lanka and its' envenoming leads to diverse clinical manifestations. Therefore, practically feasible preventive measures should be developed to minimize the incidence of bite and an evidence based management guideline should be developed for hospital practice.

Assessment of ecosystem services in homegarden systems in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam

Abstract: Numerous studies have been conducted on homegarden systems by researchers from different disciplines and countries, but most of them focus on ecological structure or specific ecosystem services in a selected study area. Few studies take a comprehensive look at the ecosystem services provided by homegardens, especially on a regional scale. This paper shows how these homegardens are ecologically, socially, and economically diversified and how beneficial they are to human well-being as ecosystem services. It also investigates the impacts of drivers on homegarden systems in rural areas in three countries. These studies involved comprehensive literature reviews and field survey along with a framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Four types of ecosystem services—provision, regulation, cultural, and support—were assessed and compared. We found that traditional homegardens maintain high ecosystem diversity especially in rural areas; however, recent socio-economic changes are converting subsistence-oriented homegardens into commercial ones. Future challenges for further research include how to enhance the resilience of homegarden systems against socioeconomic and global climate changes by integrating traditional homegarden systems, modern technology, and the global economy.