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Pyrolysis holds immense potential for clean treatment of pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS), enabling efficient energy and chemical recovery. However, current understanding of PPMS pyrolysis kinetics and product characteristics remains incomplete. This study conducted detailed modeling of pyrolysis kinetics for two typical PPMSs from a wastepaper pulp and paper mill, namely, deinking sludge (PPMS-DS) and sewage sludge (PPMS-SS), and analyzed comprehensively pyrolysis products. The results show that apparent activation energy of PPMS-DS (169.25-226.82 kJ/mol) and PPMS-SS (189.29-411.21 kJ/mol) pyrolysis undergoes significant change, with numerous parallel reactions present. A distributed activation energy model with dual logistic distributions proves to be suitable for modeling thermal decomposition kinetics of both PPMS-DS and PPMS-SS, with coefficient of determination >0.999 and relative root mean square error <1.99 %. High temperature promotes decomposition of solid organic materials in PPMS, and maximum tar yield for both PPMS-DS (53.90 wt%, daf) and PPMS-SS (56.48 wt%, daf) is achieved at around 500 °C. Higher levels of styrene (24.45 % for PPMS-DS and 14.71 % for PPMS-SS) and ethylbenzene (8.61 % for PPMS-DS and 8.33 % for PPMS-SS) are detected in tar and could be used as chemicals. This work shows great potential to propel development of PPMS pyrolysis technology, enabling green and sustainable production in pulp and paper industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been regarded as the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study compares the influent characteristics of industrial wastewater represented by the WWTP of paper mill and that of domestic sewage represented by the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 1 (BSM1) under stormy weather. The various sources of GHG emissions from the two processes are calculated, and the contribution of each source to the total GHG emissions is assessed. Firstly, based on the mass balance analysis and the recognized emission factors, a GHG emission calculation model was established for the on-site and off-site GHG emission sources from the WWTP of paper mill. Simultaneously, a GHG emission experimental model was established by determining the dissolved concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) in the papermaking wastewater, to verify the accuracy of the developed GHG calculation model. Subsequently, an optimum aeration rate for the paper mill was investigated to comply with the discharging norms. Under the optimum aeration rate of 10 h -1 , the obtained calculation accuracies of CO 2 and N 2 O emissions were 94.6 % and 91.1 %, respectively. The mean total GHG emission in the WWTP of paper mill was 550 kg CO 2 -eq·h -1 , of which 44.6 % came from the on-site emission sources and 55.4 % from the off-site emission sources. It was also uncovered that the electrical consumption for aeration was the largest contributor to the total GHG emissions with a proportion of 25.2 %, revealing that the control strategy of the aeration rate is highly significant in reducing GHG emissions in WWTP of paper mills., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Jiahui Han and Yin Liu contributed equally to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), emerging pollutants, are widely distributed in aquatic environments, and are tightly linked to human health. However, the research progress and trends in recent years on ARGs of aquatic environments are still unclear. This paper made a comprehensive understanding of the research advance, study trends and key topics of 1592 ARGs articles from 2012 to 2022 by bibliometrics. Publications on ARGs increased rapidly from 2012 to 2022, and scholars paid closer attention to the field of Environmental Sciences & Ecology. The most influential country and institution was mainly China and Chinese Academy of Sciences, respectively. The most articles (14.64 %) were published in the journal Science of the total environment. China and USA had the most cooperation, and USA was more inclined to international cooperation. PCR-based methods for water ARG research were the most widely used, followed by metagenomics. The most studied ARG types were sulfonamides, tetracyclines. Moreover, ARGs from wastewater and rivers were popularly concerned. Current topics mainly included pollution investigation, characteristics, transmission, reduction and risk identification of ARGs. Additionally, future research directions were proposed. Generally, by bibliometrics, this paper reviews the research hotspots and future directions of ARGs on a global scale, and summarizes the more important categories of ARGs, the pollution degree of ARGs in the relevant water environment and the research methods, which can provide a more comprehensive information for the future breakthrough of resistance mechanism, prevention and control standard formulation of ARGs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pulp and paper wastewater (P&P WW) often requires tertiary treatment to remove refractory compounds not eliminated by conventional biological treatment, ensuring compliance with high-quality effluent discharge or reuse standards. This study employs a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to compare alternative tertiary treatment technologies for P&P WW and rank them accordingly. The evaluated technologies in the scenarios include inorganic (S1) and organic (S2) coagulation-flocculation, ozonation (O 3 ) (S3), O 3 +granular activated carbon (GAC) (S4), and ultrafiltration (UF)+reverse osmosis (RO) (S5). The analysis focuses on a P&P wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Northeastern Italy. The LCA is complemented by an economic analysis considering each technology's capital and operating costs, as well as potential revenues from internal effluent reuse. Results indicate that S4 (O 3 +GAC) outranks all the other scenarios in terms of both environmental performance and economic viability, primarily due to the advantages associated with effluent reuse. S5 (UF+RO), which also involves reuse, is limited by the high energy consumption of UF+RO, resulting in increased environmental impacts and costs. The physicochemical scenario S2 (Chem Or), currently utilized in the WWTP under study, remains the best-performing technology in the absence of effluent reuse. In contrast, S3 (O 3 alone) exhibits the poorest environmental and economic outcomes due to substantial energy requirements for O 3 generation and the inability to reuse the treated effluent directly. Lastly, a sensitivity analysis underscores the strong influence of chemical dosages in S1 and S2 on environmental and economic impacts, which is more significant than the impact of water reuse percentages in S4 and S5. The high electricity cost observed during 2022 negatively affects the energy-intensive scenarios (S3-S5), making coagulation-flocculation (S1-S2) even more convenient., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microalgal technology is still economically unattractive due to the high cost associated with microalgal cultivation and biomass recovery from conventional suspension cultures. Biofilm-based cultivation is a promising alternative for higher biomass yield and cheap/easy biomass harvesting opportunities. Additionally, using anaerobic digestate food effluent (ADFE) as a nutrient source reduces the cultivation cost and achieves ADFE treatment as an added value. However, the search for locally available, inexpensive, and efficient support materials is still open to research. This study evaluates the potential of commercially available, low-cost papers as support material for biofilm cultivation of Chlorella sp. and treatment of ADFE. Among the four papers screened for microalgal attachment, quill board paper performed better in higher biomass yield and stability throughout the study period. The attached growth study was done in a modular food container vessel, using anaerobic digestate food effluent (ADFE) as a nutrient source and a basal medium as a control. The microalgae grew well on the support material with higher biomass yield and productivity of 108.64 g(DW) m -2 and 9.96 g (DW) m -2 d -1 , respectively, in the ADFE medium compared with 85.87 g (DW) m -2 and 4.99 g (DW) m -2 d -1 , respectively in the basal medium. Chlorophyll, a fluorescence (ChlF) probe, showed that cell density in the biofilm significantly changes the photosynthetic apparatus of the algae, with evidence of stress observed as the culture progressed. Also, efficient nutrient removal from the ADFE medium was achieved in the 100 %, 85 %, and 40.2 % ratios for ammoniacal nitrogen, phosphate, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Therefore, using quill board paper as carrier material for microalgal cultivation offers promising advantages, including high biomass production, easy biomass harvesting (by scrapping or rolling the biomass with the paper), and efficient effluent treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Changes of raw materials in China's recycled paper industry after the imported solid waste ban affect products' life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well. This paper presented a case study of newsprint production with prior- and post-ban scenarios with life cycle assessment, including using imported waste paper (P0) and its three substitutions, i.e., virgin pulp (P1), domestic waste paper (P2), and imported recycled pulp (P3). The function unit is 1 ton of newsprint produced in China, and the study is conducted from cradle to grave which consists pulping and papermaking process, from raw material acquisition to manufacturing, with associated energy production and wastewater treatment, transport, and chemicals production. Our results showed that P1 holds the highest life-cycle GHG emission of 2724.91, followed by 2400.88 from P3. P2 has the lowest emission of 1619.27, only slightly lower than 1742.39 before the ban using route P0 (unit: kgCO 2 e/ton paper). Scenario analysis showed that current average life-cycle GHG emission for one ton of newsprint is 2049.33 kgCO 2 e, increased by 17.62 % due to the ban, while this number could be reduced to 12.22 % or even -0.79 % if switching from P1 to P3 and P2. Our study highlighted the importance of domestic waste paper as a promising way to reduce GHG emissions, which still has great potential to increase if with an enhanced waste paper recycling system in China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Non-native species are spreading at an unprecedented rate over large spatial scales, with global environmental change and growth in commerce providing novel opportunities for range expansion. Assessing the pattern and rate of spread is key to the development of strategies for safeguarding against future invasions and efficiently managing existing ones. Such assessments often depend on spatial distribution data from online repositories, which can be spatially biased, imprecise, and lacking in quantity. Here, the influence of disparities between occurrence records from online data repositories and what is known of the invasion history from peer-reviewed published literature on non-native species range expansion was evaluated using 6693 records of the Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas (Thunberg, 1793), spanning 56 years of its invasion in Europe. Two measures of spread were calculated: maximum rate of spread (distance from introduction site over time) and accumulated area (spatial expansion). Results suggest that despite discrepancies between online and peer-reviewed data sources, including a paucity of records from the early invasion history in online repositories, the use of either source does not result in significantly different estimates of spread. Our study significantly improves our understanding of the European distribution of M. gigas and suggests that a combination of short- and long-range dispersal drives range expansions. More widely, our approach provides a framework for comparison of online occurrence records and invasion histories as documented in the peer-reviewed literature, allowing critical evaluation of both data sources and improving our understanding of invasion dynamics significantly., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Forests account for nearly 90 % of the world's terrestrial biomass in the form of carbon and they support 80 % of the global biodiversity. To understand the underlying forest dynamics, we need a long-term but also relatively high-frequency, networked monitoring system, as traditionally used in meteorology or hydrology. While there are numerous existing forest monitoring sites, particularly in temperate regions, the resulting data streams are rarely connected and do not provide information promptly, which hampers real-time assessments of forest responses to extreme climate events. The technology to build a better global forest monitoring network now exists. This white paper addresses the key structural components needed to achieve a novel meta-network. We propose to complement - rather than replace or unify - the existing heterogeneous infrastructure with standardized, quality-assured linking methods and interacting data processing centers to create an integrated forest monitoring network. These automated (research topic-dependent) linking methods in atmosphere, biosphere, and pedosphere play a key role in scaling site-specific results and processing them in a timely manner. To ensure broad participation from existing monitoring sites and to establish new sites, these linking methods must be as informative, reliable, affordable, and maintainable as possible, and should be supplemented by near real-time remote sensing data. The proposed novel meta-network will enable the detection of emergent patterns that would not be visible from isolated analyses of individual sites. In addition, the near real-time availability of data will facilitate predictions of current forest conditions (nowcasts), which are urgently needed for research and decision making in the face of rapid climate change. We call for international and interdisciplinary efforts in this direction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Zweifel Roman reports financial support was provided by Federal Office for the Environment., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plastic biodegradable mulch (plastic BDM) is tilled after use, but there is concern about incomplete degradation and potential impact on subsequent crops, and we lack a reliable method to measure mulch degradation post soil-incorporation. We conducted two field experiments to (i) develop a sampling method to estimate the amount of mulch (fragments size >2.36 mm) in the field post soil-incorporation, and (ii) assess the amount of BDM in the soil after four consecutive years of mulch incorporation. In Expt. 1, we used the quartering method to reduce soil from a 1 m 2 field sample area to a representative 19 L sample. In Expt. 2, we applied and tilled four plastic BDMs: BioAgri, Naturecycle, Organix AG, and an experimental mulch; and one paper mulch, WeedGuardPlus, in their respective plots for four consecutive years. Starting in year 2, we sampled soil with the quartering method each spring and fall to determine mulch recovery. With respect to the total amount of mulch applied, average mulch recovery in the fall for the three commercial plastic BDMs was 71%, 50%, and 35% after second, third and fourth applications, respectively. For the experimental mulch, the average recovery was 80%, 69%, and 54% in the fall after second, third, and fourth applications, respectively. Recovery was slightly lower in spring than in preceding fall all years. For WeedGuardPlus, average recovery was 14%-20% in each fall, and no recovery in any spring (complete degradation). The results show that the quartering method reliably estimates the amount of mulch in a field and BDMs degrade over time in the field even with repeated applications, but complete degradation takes >1 year. While a few standards (e.g., ASTM D5988) specify how to determine biodegradation of plastics in soil under controlled laboratory conditions, our sampling method assesses plastic degradation under diverse field conditions., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) mainly consists of primary sludge and secondary sludge (activated sludge). Before the disposal and utilization of PPMS, it is dewatered due to high water content. Cellulose fiber is a key and characteristic component in PPMS. In this paper, the role of cellulose fiber on the dewaterability of simulated PPMS (the mixture of cellulose fibers and activated sludge) was investigated, including the fiber content, fiber length and fibrillation degree. The results showed that the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of simulated PPMS decreased with the increase of fiber content (0-30 w%) and also decreased with the decrease of average fiber length (0.597-0.303 mm) noticeably. However, the SRF increased dramatically when the average fiber length reduced further to 0.189 mm. The fiber fibrillation had no obvious effect on the sludge SRF. Besides, the addition of cellulose fiber had little impact on the sludge compressibility. The role of cellulose fiber in the PPMS is to form aggregates with high fiber-sludge adhesion and large floc size, which relieves the blinding effect and changes the permeability of sludge cake respectively, resulting in improving sludge filterability., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

It is unusual, and can be difficult, for scientists to reflect in their publications on any limitations their research had. This is a consequence of the extreme pressure that scientists are under to 'publish or perish'. The inevitable consequence is that much published research is not as good as it could, and should, be, leading to the current 'reproducibility crisis'. Approaches to address this crisis are required. Our suggestion is to include a 'Limitations' section in all scientific papers. Evidence is provided showing that such a section must be mandatory. Adding a 'Limitations' section to scientific papers would greatly increase honesty, openness and transparency, to the considerable benefit of both the scientific community and society in general. This suggestion is applicable to all scientific disciplines. Finally, we apologise if our suggestion has already been made by others., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: John Sumpter reports financial support was provided by Natural Environment Research Council. Damia Barcelo is serving in an editorial capacity for the journal to which we are submitting (STOTEN)., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Currently, petroleum-based synthetic plastics are used as a key barrier material in the paper-based packaging of several food and nonfood goods. This widespread usage of plastic as a barrier lining is not only harmful to human and marine health, but it is also polluting the ecosystem. Researchers and food manufacturers are focused on biobased alternatives because of its numerous advantages, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and structural flexibility. When used alone or in composites/multilayers, these biobased alternatives provide strong barrier qualities against grease, oxygen, microbes, air, and water. According to the most recent literature reports, biobased polymers for barrier coatings are having difficulty breaking into the business. Technological breakthroughs in the field of bioplastic production and application are rapidly evolving, proffering new options for academics and industry to collaborate and develop sustainable packaging solutions. Existing techniques, such as multilayer coating of nanocomposites, can be improved further by designing them in a more systematic manner to attain the best barrier qualities. Modified nanocellulose, lignin nanoparticles, and bio-polyester are among the most promising future candidates for nanocomposite-based packaging films with high barrier qualities. In this review, the state-of-art and research advancements made in biobased polymeric alternatives such as paper and board barrier coating are summarized. Finally, the existing limitations and potential future development prospects for these biobased polymers as barrier materials are reviewed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Soil organic carbon can be increased through sympathetic land management and/or directly by incorporating carbon rich amendments. Herein, a field experiment amended paper crumble (PC) to soil at a normal deployment rate of 50 t ha -1 , and at higher rates up to 200 t ha -1 . The nominal 50 t ha -1 PC amendment resulted a mean increase in soil carbon of 12.5 g kg -1 . Using a modified Roth-C carbon fate model, the long-term (50 years) carbon storage potential of a 50 t ha -1 PC amendment was determined to be 0.36 t O C ha -1 . Modelling a rotational (4 yearly) 50 t ha -1 PC amendment indicated 6.65 t O C ha -1 uplift would accrue after 50 years. Contextualised for the average farm in the East of England (~120 ha, with 79 % as arable), PC derived increases in SOC would be equivalent to 2310 t CO 2 e. These results support the use of PC to deliver significant levels of soil recarbonisation. Beyond carbon, PC was observed to influence other soil properties. Benefits observed included, decreased bulk density, increased water holding capacity, and increased cation exchange capacity. While PC amendment did not significantly increase wheat (Triticum aestivum) crop yield, manifold benefits in terms of increased SOC, long-term carbon storage potential, and improved soil quality sustain PC as a beneficial soil conditioner., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Brian Reid reports financial support was provided by Research England., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Developing chrome-free and sustainable tanning agents is extremely important to the sustainability of the leather industry. Herein, we have synthesized an Al-Zr-oligosaccharides tanning agent via a simultaneous degradation and oxidation of cellulose in waste paper. The influence of the temperature and the concentrations of AlCl 3 and H 2 O 2 during the synthesis were thoroughly investigated on the properties of the tanning agent and the leather produced. The synthesis temperature and the concentration of AlCl 3 were the factors primarily affecting the effective depolymerization of cellulose. They controlled the conversion of waste paper into oligosaccharides with an appropriate molecular weight to efficiently penetrate the leather matrix. In parallel, the H 2 O 2 concentration substantially influenced the tanning performance of the Al-Zr-oligosaccharides, diminishing the chromaticity of the tanning liquid via oxidation and promoting the conversion of C2/C3/C6-OH moieties into -CHO/-COOH. These functional groups increased the surface charge of the oligosaccharides allowing more effective coordination with Al/Zr, which facilitated the penetration of Al/Zr species into the leather matrix. Once inside the leather matrix, Al and Zr were released and reacted with the collagen fibers in leather, which resulted in effective leather tanning. The process optimization revealed that up to 57% of waste paper could be converted into a low-chromaticity (4350 AU) liquid hydrolysate with the synthesis conducted at 177 °C in a system comprising 47 mM AlCl 3 and 5 vol% H 2 O 2 . The application of this liquid for tanning provided leather with a shrinkage temperature (86.5 °C) sufficiently high for commercial applications. These excellent results, combined with the intrinsic green nature of our approach, exemplify a step forward to simultaneously reduce pollution and hazards in leather industries giving a second life to waste paper., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chitosan was commonly used with inorganic salt and organic compounds to prepare adsorption material for water treatment. Different materials were mixed for the preparation, leading to a high cost for water treatment. Sludge from papermaking has abundant fiber and inorganic salt, which can reduce the addition of raw materials in preparing the adsorption material and thus lower the cost. This work used recycled industrial paper sludge to prepare adsorption material to remove heavy metals from wastewater. The adsorption properties of the prepared sludge-chitosan material for Cu 2+ and Cr 3+ in wastewater were investigated. The impacts of adsorption time, pH, and initial concentrations of Cu 2+ and Cr 3+ on adsorption amount were studied and optimized. The saturated adsorption capacity of sludge-chitosan material for Cu 2+ and Cr 3+ can reach 114.6 and 110.3 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics satisfied the pseudo-second-order model, indicating two modes, physical diffusion, and chem-sorption, in the heavy metal adsorption by the sludge-chitosan materials. Physical distribution has little Effect on chemical adsorption. The materials can be applied to treating Cu 2+ and Cr 3+ containing wastewater with the proposed cheap and readily available sludge-chitosan material. The results confirmed that sludge-chitosan material possessed good regeneration performance and was an ideal adsorbent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work presented in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper aims to demonstrate an innovative process for the conversion of food waste digestate (FWD) powder into biofuel. The effects of different doses of FWD are investigated on microalgae-activated sludge (MAS) in treating pulp and paper mill wastewater (PPW) which generally contains insufficient nitrogen and phosphorus. FWD was added to adjust the initial N:P molar ratio in MAS at various levels (8:1 to 15:1). The highest Auxenochlorella protothecoides biomass achieved was 1.67 gL -1 at a 13.45:1 N/P molar ratio of PPW. After 10 days of cultivation, Auxenochlorella protothecoides-activated sludge system removed 91.7 %, 74.6 %, and 91.5 % of total nitrogen, phosphorus, and sCOD respectively at D 0.836 gL -1 DD. The highest lipid productivity was reported as 41.27 ± 2.43 mg L -1 day -1 . Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis showed the presence of an appreciable percentage of balanced saturated and unsaturated fatty acids i.e. palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acid, rendering its potential as a feedstock for biodiesel production. Activated sludge induced flocculation of Auxenochlorella protothecoides was measured. The whole process establishes an effective means of circular economy, where the secondary source of recyclable nutrients i.e. FWD will be used as a source of N and P in PPW to obtain algal biodiesel from a negative value industrial wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Phosphate adsorption using metal-based biochar has awakened much attention and triggered extensive research. In this study, novel Ca/Fe-rich biochars were prepared via a one-step process of pyrolyzing paper mill sludge (PMS) at various temperatures (300, 500, 700, and 800 °C) under a CO 2 atmosphere for phosphate removal. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the biochar obtained at 800 °C (PB-800), which could be easily separated magnetically, exhibited the best phosphate adsorption capacity in a wide range of solution pH (5-11). Based on the Langmuir model, the maximum phosphate adsorption capacity for PB-800 was 17.33 mg/g. Besides, the effects of ambient temperature as well as coexisting ions on phosphate removal were also investigated. Kinetic and thermodynamic analysis revealed that chemisorption dominated the adsorption process. The calcium carbonate and ferric salts in the sludge were converted into CaO and Fe 3 O 4 through pyrolysis at 800 °C. The CaO inherent in PB-800 was proved to serve as active sites for the chemical precipitation, showing its synergistic effect with iron oxide compounds (i.e., Fe 3 O 4 , α-Fe 2 O 3 ) on phosphate removal through chemical precipitation, ligand exchange, and complexation. This study not only provides a feasible waste-to-wealth strategy for converting PMS into a Ca/Fe-rich magnetic biochar that can be used as an effective phosphate adsorbent, but also offers new insights into the synergistic effect of calcium and iron species for the adsorption of phosphate using biochar., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic xenoestrogen widely used in various industrial fields, can be present, in its un-reacted form, as an additive in thermal paper. BPA is virtually ubiquitous in industrialized societies and humans are exposed to this chemical via dietary and non-dietary sources. Since in 2015 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) indicated that thermal paper is the second source of BPA exposure after the food chain, some suppliers replaced BPA with its analogue Bisphenol S (BPS), speculatively supposed to be safer. In this work BPA and BPS concentration levels were determined in thermal paper receipts collected in Italy from 50 different sources by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem fluorescence and ultraviolet detection. BPA was found in 44 samples at mean concentration of 107.47μg/100mg of paper (from below Limits of Quantification (LOQ) to 1533.733μg/100mg of paper). BPS was found in 31 samples at mean concentration of 41.97μg/100mg of paper (from below the LOQ to 357.989μg/100mg of paper). 26 samples were positive to both BPA and BPS. The estimate daily intake (EDI) values of BPA and BPS occurring through dermal absorption were calculated for 70kg body weight individuals. For general population, they were 0.0625μg/day for BPA and 0.0244μg/day for BPS, based on the mean content of bisphenols found. For occupationally exposed individuals, they were 66.8μg/day for BPA and 15.6μg/day for BPS, based on the worst scenario. Such levels would produce a dermal intake below the Tolerable Day Intake established by EFSA (4μg/kg·bw/day); nevertheless, the occurrence of co-exposure to dietary and non-dietary sources should be considered in the health risk assessment, mainly for people frequently exposed to thermal paper contact for occupational reason., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Thermal paper contains potentially toxic additives, such as bisphenol A (BPA), as a common color developer. Because of its known endocrine disrupting effects, structural analogues to BPA, such as bisphenol S (BPS), D-8 and Pergafast 201, have been used as alternatives, but little is known about the presence and toxicological effects of alternatives other than BPS. In this study, thermal paper is screened by direct probe ambient mass spectrometry (rapid pre-screening method not requiring sample preparation) and by liquid chromatography (LC) with high resolution time-of flight (TOF-MS) mass spectrometry. Cash receipts and other thermal paper products (cinema tickets, boarding passes and luggage tags) were analyzed. Besides BPA and BPS, other developers only recently reported (Pergafast 201, D-8) or to the best of our knowledge not reported before (D-90, TGSA, BPS-MAE) were frequently found as well as some related unreported impurities (2,4-BPS that is a BPS related impurity and a TGSA related impurity). To gain some insight into the potential estrogenicity of the detected developers, a selection of extracts was further analyzed using a LC-nanofractionation platform in combination with cell-based bioassay testing. These preliminary results seems to indicate very low or absence of estrogenic activity for Pergafast 201, D-8, D-90, TGSA and BPS-MAE in comparison to BPA and BPS, although further dose-response tests with authentic standards are required to confirm these results. Compounds for which standards were available were also tested for developmental toxicity and neurotoxicity using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. TGSA and D-8 induced similar teratogenic effects as BPA in zebrafish embryos. BPS and 2,4-BPS did not induce any developmental effects but 2,4-BPS did alter the locomotor activity at the tested concentration. Our findings suggest that the alternatives used as alternatives to BPA (except BPS) might not be estrogenic. However, TGSA and D-8 showed abnormal developmental effects similar to BPA., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The synergistic effect of heteroatoms is a viable method to enhance the adsorption performance of heavy metal onto carbon-based materials. However, the high cost, complex operation and a lot of pollution from the synthesis process have limited its development. Herein, a facile two-step pyrolysis method is used to prepare in situ N and S doped porous biochar from paper mill sludge for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous environment. The NSC-450 sample prepared under the optimum conditions has a large specific surface area of 3336.7 m 2 g -1 , an average pore size of 2.56 nm and a total pore volume of 2.10 cm 3 g -1 , manifesting the excellent adsorption capacity of 356.25 mg g -1 for Cr(VI). The adsorption of Cr(VI) by NSC-450 is consistent with the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order model, suggesting a spontaneous and endothermic chemisorption process. The analysis results show that the NH, graphitic nitrogen and thiophene structures have a positive effect on converting a large amount of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by synergistic reduction, indicating obviously facilitating Cr(VI) removal compared to other sites. Therefore, in this material, the strong adsorption mechanism is mainly reductive complexation. Moreover, the effects of real water quality, anions, cations and fulvic acid on the adsorption behavior of Cr(VI) onto the NSC-450 were further investigated. The results demonstrate that the chromium removal rate remains above 82% even in actual electroplating wastewater, suggesting NSC-450 has great practical application prospect. This work offered a feasible method for high-value utilization of sludge, but also provided a novel perspective for the future design of heteroatom-doped carbon materials for promoting to eliminate hexavalent chromium from water environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this study, an internal circulation-anoxic/aerobic (IC-A/O) process followed by ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) system was applied for paper wastewater reclamation. The IC-AO system presented a stable and efficient performance, achieving high removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) with methane production rate of 132.8 mL/d. Acute toxicity to Daphnia magna (D. magna) was reduced significantly (83.2%) and the spearman's rank correlation analysis indicated that the toxicity of effluents from each reactor were positively correlated with COD and TOC. Hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid and benzophenone were the main toxic contributors for biological effluent. Microbial community revealed that Anaerolinea was significantly related with organic pollutants. The UF-RO system further removed pollutants and toxicity with the final effluent COD, TOC, ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 -N) and TN of 32.6, 18.8, 0.3 and 9.2 mg/L, respectively, which proved that it was feasible for paper wastewater reuse. This study presented an efficient, practical and environmentally competitive system, and paved a foundation for the treatment and reuse of paper wastewater.+ -N) and TN of 32.6, 18.8, 0.3 and 9.2 mg/L, respectively, which proved that it was feasible for paper wastewater reuse. This study presented an efficient, practical and environmentally competitive system, and paved a foundation for the treatment and reuse of paper wastewater., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper was written to comment on a few important problems of an original paper published in this journal. In the original paper, polyamide (PA) ropes, a kind of plastic, were used for groundwater sampling. Also, polycarbonate, another plastic, was also used as a filter paper although their potential contamination was later evaluated. Although the original authors reported that high levels of PA were not found in any of the 21 groundwater samples, it is still necessary to only use equipment(s) made of non-plastic at every step of the method for an accurate and reliable analysis of the presence of microplastic in groundwater. The original authors collected a total of 3 l for each borehole (1 l for each sample), but for an unbiased and reliable analysis of microplastics, bigger volumes of groundwater samples should be collected. Furthermore, the original authors computed the Pearson correlation coefficients between the analyzed plastic types, but omitted the normality test of the data distribution. If the collected data are not normally distributed, then Spearman rank correlation coefficients are a better option. In addition, we found some important misstatements regarding the results of the analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Risk assessments of agrochemicals on non-target insects are biased in studies with surrogate groups, such as pollinators. In social insects, such investigations are generally restricted to lethal tests with adults maintained individually, simulating a non-realistic scenario. Here, we performed a holistic approach to resemble a chronic field exposure of Polistes versicolor (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) to a common biopesticide. These wasps are predators that perform biological control in the agroecosystems. Wasps were chronically subjected to the ingestion of different concentrations of azadirachtin. The neonicotinoid imidacloprid was used as a positive control. For the first time, we demonstrated that the biopesticide azadirachtin is detrimental for individual and colony survival and impairs colony reproduction of a social wasp maintained in the laboratory. Our data also indicated that neonicotinoid imidacloprid is harmful to wasps and their colonies. Therefore, the concomitant use of azadirachtin and paper wasps in integrated pest management strategies should be carefully evaluated, because the constant use of this pesticide can be detrimental for social wasps, possibly reducing biological control., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fly ash (FA) from biomass combustion and biological sludge (S), both wastes from the pulp and paper industry, were granulated in different proportions (90% FA+10% S, and 70% FA+30% S w/w, dry weight basis, dw) and used to recover the functionality of soils affected by mining activities (Aljustrel, Iberian Pyrite Belt), with and without the application of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC). Application doses of both mixtures were 2.5, 5.0 and 10% (w/w, dw). These materials corrected soil acidity to circumneutral values and increased extractable P and K concentrations. A significant increase in soil organic matter (from 0.6 to 0.8-1.5% w/w, dw) and N content (from 0.04 to 0.09-0.12% w/w, dw) was also observed, but only when MSWC was applied. The soil was already heavily contaminated with Cu, Pb and Zn and the application of amendments did not increase their pseudo-total concentrations. The CaCl 2 extractable fractions of both Cu and Zn decreased to very low values. The improvement in soil quality, compared to fertilizer only treatment, was further evidenced by the increase in some soil enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and cellulase), with a better response for the granules with the higher proportion of biological sludge, as well as by the decrease in the soil-water extract toxicity towards different organisms (Daphnia magna, Thamnocephalus platyurus, and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata). Agrostis tenuis germinated and grew during the first month only in the amended pots, but, after that, a considerable phytotoxic effect was evident. This was mainly attributed to salt stress or to some specific ionic toxicity. In conclusion, to establish a long-term plant cover in mining soils amended with biomass ash-based materials, the selection of plants with higher resistance to salinity and/or the stabilization of the amendments, to reduce their soluble salt content, is recommended., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Secondary effluent from paper mill was characterized by poor biodegradability and containing recalcitrant compounds. In this study, four bioreactors, including a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR), a stirred-tank reactor (STR) and two submerged aeration reactors (SAR) were used to treat secondary effluent from a recycled paper mill respectively. The results indicated that chemical oxygen demand (COD) was increased by SAR2 treatment and COD removal efficiency for SBBR, SAR1 and STR was 39.7%, 15.7% and 30.9% respectively. It is suggested that recalcitrant compounds were removed by SBBR, SAR1 and STR respectively. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of wastewater were increased by treatments of each bioreactor, which suggested that endogenous respiration of biomass occurred during the treatment. Microbial analysis of sludge from different bioreactors suggested that the removal of recalcitrant compounds in SBBR and STR might be related to the presence of unique microorganisms in each reactor., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Currently, the performance evaluation of catalysts usually requires expensive instruments. Hence, it is imperative to develop an alternative, green and sustainable method to investigate the photocatalytic reaction processes. Herein, the variation of degradation performance of different wastewaters with different dosage of P25 TiO 2 was evaluated to verify the reliability of the paper microzones method (PMZs). The optimum P25 TiO 2 dosage of 1 g/L for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) (UV light for 6 mins) and 0.5 g/L for the degradation of fuchsin basic (FB) (UV light for 5 mins) was obtained by the PMZs method. For the photocatalytic degradation of trivalent iron ion complexed salicylic acid (Fe(III)-SA) solution, the R 2 values of 0.904 and 0.801 were obtained for the photocatalytic reaction kinetics by PMZs and spectrophotometry, respectively, which again indicated the high reliability of PMZs. The accuracy of the results obtained by PMZs method relative to the spectrophotometric method ranged from 68.80% to 87.54% when degrading MB, FB, mixture of MB and FB, and Fe(III)-SA by P25 TiO 2 . Therefore, the PMZs method is all in line with the requirements of low-carbon environmental protection and green chemistry, and has broad application prospects in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Paper mill effluents are complex mixtures containing different toxic compounds including endocrine-disrupting (EDCs) and genotoxic compounds. In the present study non-concentrated raw and biologically treated wastewaters from two paper mill plants with different paper production technologies i) Paper mill A uses virgin fibres, and ii) Paper mill B uses recycled fibres for paper production and the corresponding receiving surface waters, were assessed for their cytotoxic/genotoxic activity with SOS/umuC, Ames MPF 98/100 Aqua, and comet assay with human hepatoma HepG2 cells. In addition the levels of seven selected EDCs were quantified in wastewater samples and receiving surface waters. All investigated EDCs were confirmed in raw and biologically treated effluents from both paper mills with concentrations being markedly higher in Paper mill B effluents. In the receiving surface waters three of the studied EDCs were determined downstream of both paper mills effluent discharge. The wastewater samples and the recipient surface water samples from Paper mill A were not mutagenic for bacteria and did not induce DNA damage in HepG2 cells. On the contrary, half of the raw wastewater samples from Paper mill B were mutagenic whereas biologically treated wastewater and the recipient surface water samples were negative. In HepG2 cells most of the raw and biologically treated wastewater samples from Paper mill B as well as surface water samples collected downstream of Paper mill B effluent discharge induced DNA damage. The results confirmed that genotoxic contaminants were present only in wastewaters from Paper mill B that uses recycled fibres for paper production, and that the combined aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment procedure efficiently reduced contaminants that are bacterial mutagens, but not those that induce DNA damage in HepG2 cells. This study highlights that in addition to chemical analyses bioassays are needed for a comprehensive toxicological evaluation of complex wastewater samples., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Let's imagine that you have just finished writing a scientific paper. The paper is well-structured and clearly written, and you are proud of it. Now is the time to submit it to a peer-reviewed journal and see what your colleagues think of it. You are now entering the peer-review publishing system, which is overseen by journal editors. Dealing with these editors is a skill that can be acquired like any other. Here is some advice on dealing with the peer-review system and with editors. This advice is based on my years of experience as an associate editor of an American Chemical Society journal. I have also submitted and revised hundreds of papers in my career and have reviewed hundreds more. (Google my name for details.) Thus, I have learned how to deal with editors from both sides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author declares no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The current investigation deals with how chemically activated carbon derived from industrial paper sludge (ACPS) performs on sorptive removal of enrofloxacin (ENF), an antibacterial drug from its water solution. Thermogravimetric (TGA) and proximate analysis of raw paper sludge (RPS) were conducted. ACPS was characterized with proximate analysis, XRD, FT-IR, SEM and BET. The influence of five operational parameters viz. adsorbate concentration (initial), dose of adsorbent, pH, temperature, and contact time on the adsorption of ENF onto ACPS has been conducted using batch experiments. The process of adsorption was optimized through ANN (artificial neural network) in addition to RSM (response surface methodology). The maximum percentage removal (95.85%) was achieved at initial ENF concentration 12 mg/g, adsorbent dose 1.2 g/L, contact duration of 18 h and temperature 20 °C. Kinetic data were best fitted into pseudo-second order kinetic model and adsorption equilibrium study indicates that the adsorption process follows Langmuir isotherm model. Adsorption capacity was noted to have a highest value of 44.44 mg/g. A study on thermodynamics of the adsorption process suggests that it exhibits spontaneity, being essentially exothermic. Cost analysis and reusability study confirm that adsorbent produced from industrial paper sludge is cost-effective and reusable. Therefore, ACPS as adsorbent has potency for removing ENF from aqueous solution., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Alkaline residuals, such as wood ash and lime mud generated from pulp and paper mills, could be recycled as liming agents in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) forests affected by soil acidification. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate soil chemistry, in particular soil acidity, after the application of three alkaline residuals from the pulp and paper industry, and (2) to determine if these alkaline residuals altered soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a result of the change in soil pH or due to their chemical composition. Soil properties and GHG fluxes were monitored for two years after alkaline residuals were applied to six forest sites dominated by sugar maple in southeastern Quebec, Canada. Each site received six treatments: wood ash applied at 5, 10 and 20 t ha -1 , lime mud (7.5 t ha -1 ), a mixture of slaker grits and green liquor sludge (7 t ha -1 ) and an unamended control. These treatments had acid-neutralizing power from 0 to 9 t ha -1 . All alkaline residuals buffered soil acidity as a function of their neutralizing power, and more neutralization occurred in the forest floor layer than in the underlying mineral soil. In the forest floor, the alkaline residual treatments significantly increased pH by more than one unit, nearly doubled the base saturation, and reduced exchangeable acidity, Al and Fe concentrations compared to control plots. The CO 2 and N 2 O fluxes were lower after application of alkaline residuals, and this was related to the soil pH increase and the type of alkaline residual applied. Lime mud was more effective at reducing GHG fluxes than other alkaline residuals. We conclude that these alkaline residuals can effectively counteract soil acidity in sugar maple forests without increasing soil GHG emissions, at least in the short term., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present study we evaluated cytotoxic and genotoxic activities of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), including dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), bisphenol A (BPA), and nonylphenol (NP), which have been previously identified in effluents from two paper mills with different paper production technologies (virgin or recycled fibres). Moreover, we evaluated genotoxic activity of the effluents from these two paper mills and compared it to the activity of artificial complex mixtures consisting of the seven EDCs at concentrations detected in corresponding paper mill effluents. None of the EDCs was genotoxic in Salmonella typhimurium (SOS/umuC assay), while all induced DNA damage in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells (comet assay). After 4 h of exposure genotoxic effects were determined at concentrations ≥ 1 μg/L for BBP and DEHP, ≥10 μg/L for DMP, DEP, DBP, and BPA, and ≥100 μg/L for NP, while after 24 h of exposure DNA damage occurred at ≥10 μg/L for DBP, BPA and NP, and ≥100 μg/L for DMP, DEP, BBP and DEHP. The effluents and corresponding artificial mixtures of EDCs from paper mill that uses virgin fibres did not induce DNA damage in HepG2 cells, while the effluents and corresponding artificial mixtures for the paper mill that uses recycled fibres were genotoxic. Genotoxic activity of effluents was significantly higher compared to corresponding artificial mixtures suggesting the presence of further unknown compounds contributing to the effect. Wastewater monitoring based on chemical analysis is limited to determination of targeted compounds and does not take into account possible interactions between chemicals in mixtures. Therefore, it alone cannot provide an adequate information on potential toxic effects required for the assessment of genotoxic activity of real environmental samples and their potential threats to the environment and human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A comprehensive aquatic environmental risk assessment (ERA) of the human pharmaceutical propranolol was conducted, based on all available scientific literature. Over 200 papers provided information on environmental concentrations (77 of which provided river concentrations) and 98 dealt with potential environmental effects. The median concentration of propranolol in rivers was 7.1 ng/L (range of median values of individual studies 0.07 to 89 ng/L), and the highest individual value was 590 ng/L. Sixty-eight EC50 values for 35 species were available. The lowest EC50 value was 0.084 mg/L. A species sensitivity distribution (SSD) provided an HC50 value of 6.64 mg/L and an HC5 value of 0.22 mg/L. Thus, there was a difference of nearly 6 orders of magnitude between the median river concentration and the HC50 value, and over 4 orders of magnitude between the median river concentration and the HC5 value. Even if an assessment factor of 100 was applied to the HC5 value, to provide considerable protection to all species, the safety margin is over 100-fold. However, nearly half of all papers reporting effects of propranolol did not provide an EC50 value. Some reported that very low concentrations of propranolol caused effects. The lowest concentration reported to cause an effect - in fact, a range of biochemical and physiological effects on mussels - was 0.3 ng/L. In none of these 'low concentration' papers was a sigmoidal concentration-response relationship obtained. Although inclusion of data from these papers in the ERA cause a change in the conclusion reached, we are sceptical of the repeatability of these 'low concentration' results. We conclude that concentrations of propranolol present currently in rivers throughout the world do not constitute a risk to aquatic organisms. We discuss the need to improve the quality of ecotoxicology research so that more robust ERAs acceptable to all stakeholders can be completed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This study was partially funded by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, and one of the authors (SFO) is an employee of that company. However, the literature searches, identification of relevant research, extraction of information, and writing the complete first draft of the paper were all conducted entirely by the university-based authors, with no interference from any employee of AstraZeneca. SFO and other employees of AstraZeneca subsequently improved that initial draft, but none of the data, or their interpretation, were changed during that process., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Different types of pots and growing and casing media, including biodegradable materials, are used for plant and mushroom production. The fungus Peziza ostracoderma has gained attention for its visible growth on growing media for plants and casing media for mushrooms. Through a review of the literature we aim to evaluate whether exposure to fungi from recyclable pots and different growing and casing media occurs and causes occupational health effects. Based on the published papers, specific fungal species were not related to a specific medium. Thus P. ostracoderma has been found on paper pots, peat, sterilized soil, vermiculite, and rockwool with plants, and on peat, pumice, and paper casing for mushrooms. It has been found in high concentrations in the air in mushroom farms. Also Acremonium spp., Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, Athelia turficola, Aureobasidium pullulans, Chaetomium globosum, Chrysonilia sitophila, Cladosporium spp., Cryptostroma corticale, Lecanicillium aphanocladii, Sporothrix schenckii, Stachybotrys chartarum, and Trichoderma spp. have been found on different types of growing or casing media. Most of the fungi have also been found in the air in greenhouses, but the knowledge about airborne fungal species in mushroom farms is very limited. Eight publications describe cases of health effects associated directly with exposure to fungi from pots or growing or casing media. These include cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by exposure to: A. fumigatus, A. niger, Au. pullulans, Cr. corticale, P. ostracoderma, and a mixture of fungi growing on different media. Different approaches have been used to avoid growth of saprophytes including: chemical fungicides, the formulation of biodegradable pots and growing media and types of peat. To increase the sustainability of growing media different types of media are tested for their use and with the present study we highlight the importance of also considering the occupational health of the growers who may be exposed to fungi from the media and pots., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lignosulfonates are important by-products of the paper industry and may be transformed into different commodities. We studied the molecular properties of ammonium (LS-AM) and calcium Lignosulfonates (LS-C) and evaluated their bioactivity towards the early development of maize plantlets. The FT-IR, 13 C NMR and 1 H- 13 C-HSQC-NMR spectra showed that the two lignosulfonates varied in hydroxyl, sulfonate and phenolic content, while DOSY-NMR spectroscopy suggested a similar diffusivity. High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) was used to simulate the effects of root-exuded acids and describe the conformational dynamics of both LS substrates in acidic aqueous solutions. This technique showed that LS-C was stabilized by the divalent Ca 2+ counterion, thus showing a greater conformational stability than LS-AM, whose components could not be as efficiently aggregated by the monovalent NH4 + counter-ion. The plant bioassays revealed that LS-AM enhanced the elongation of the root system, whereas LS-C significantly increased both total and shoot plant weights. We concluded that the lignosulfonate bioactivity on plant growth depended on the applied concentrations, their molecular properties and conformational stability., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to measure the anaerobic biodegradation of different types of paper products in laboratory-scale landfill reactors. The study included (a) measurement of the loss of cellulose, hemicellulose, organic carbon, and (b) measurement of the methane yields for each paper product. The test materials included two samples each of newsprint (NP), copy paper (CP), and magazine paper (MG), and one sample of diaper (DP). The methane yields, carbon storage factors and the extent of cellulose and hemicellulose decomposition all consistently show that papers made from mechanical pulps (e.g., NPs) are less degradable than those made from chemical pulps where essentially all lignin was chemically removed (e.g., CPs). The diaper, which is not only made from chemical pulp but also contains some gel and plastic, exhibited limited biodegradability. The extent of biogenic carbon conversion varied from 21 to 96% among papers, which contrasts with the uniform assumption of 50% by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for all degradable materials discarded in landfills. Biochemical methane potential tests also showed that the solids to liquid ratio used in the test can influence the results., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A multilayered iron oxide/reduced graphene oxide (ION-RGO) nanocomposite electrode is reported for the voltammetric sensing of bisphenol-A (BPA). Structural characterizations reveal the nanocomposite features RGO sheets decorated with nanometric spherical ION in a mixture of maghemite and magnetite phases. ITO substrate modified with the ION-RGO multilayered film exhibits strong electrocatalytic effect toward BPA oxidation, which is made possible by Fe(III) catalysts generated at the ION's surface after scanning the electrode potential from below 0 V (vs Ag/AgCl) and followed by the RGO phase conducting the transferred electrons. Under optimized differential pulse voltammetry conditions, the proposed sensor shows three linear working ranges 0.09-1.17 (r 2  = 0.999), 1.17-3.81 (r 2  = 0.995) and 3.81-8.20 (r 2  = 0.998), with the highest sensitivity equaling 7.76 μA cm -2 /μmol L -1 and the lowest limit of detection of 15 nmol L -1 . A single electrode can be used for at least twenty consecutive runs loosing less than 15% of sensitivity, whereas electrodes fabricated in different bacthes exhibit almost identical perfomances. Determination of BPA in a thermal paper sample shows no difference (at 95% confidence level) between the proposed sensor and HPLC/UV. The sensor is neither influenced by the matrix composition nor by other emerging contaminants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None, (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The in vitro potential of sensitizers and related compounds (SRCs) originating from impurities in waste paper in activating the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) α was assessed using yeast reporter gene as well as cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A1 and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) assays. In the yeast assay, eight compounds exhibited agonist activity, and their activity relative to β-naphthoflavone (BNF) ranged from 1.4 × 10(-4) to 8.3 × 10(-2), with the highest activity observed for benzyl 2-naphthyl ether (BNE). In the EROD assay, six compounds caused a more significant induction of CYP1A-dependent activity than did the vehicle control at 50 μM (p<0.01), and their induction levels were 5.1- to 11-fold more potent; 1,2-bis(3-methylphenoxy)ethane (BME) was the most effective inducer. The water from the waste paper recycling area was fractioned using solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with a C18 disk and florisil cartridge. In gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, SRCs were detected in the first fraction, at a total concentration of 5.5 μg/L. This fraction also activated AhR, and its activity, expressed as a BNF equivalent value, was 0.42 nM in the yeast assay. The contribution ratio of active compounds accounted for up to 34% and 4.4% observed activity of the fraction and total samples, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that paper industry-related compounds, namely aromatic sensitizers, activate AhR by using a yeast assay and HepG2 cells., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A portable, cheap and sensitive paper type electrochemical immunosensor was developed with conductive nanobiochar paper as the conductive layer and utilized for sensitive detection of microcystin-LR (MCLR) toxin in water. The paper immunosensor was constructed by coating of highly conductive and dispersible nanobiochar particle (nBC) and anti-MCLR antibody on the filter paper via dipping-drying method. The presence of MCLR could be specifically quantified amperometrically by the nBC-paper immunosensor with the response time of less than 5 min, and the lowest detection limit of 17 pM (0.017 μg/L) was achieved. Moreover, the proposed immunosensor exhibited high selectivity, reproducibility and storage stability, and was also used for environmental water detection with satisfactory recovery. The successful fabrication of low cost and ubiquitous biochar based paper type electrochemical immunosensing system would have significant value for the development of highly cost-effective electrochemical device., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Parabens (alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid) are widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and foodstuffs. Although parabens have been reported to be used as antimicrobials in certain types of papers (e.g., wet sanitary or hygiene wipes), little is known about the occurrence of these compounds in paper products. In this study, we determined the concentrations of six paraben analogs, methyl (MeP), ethyl (EtP), propyl (PrP), butyl (BuP), benzyl (BzP), and heptyl parabens (HepP), in 253 paper products divided into 18 categories, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). At least one of the six parabens was detected in almost all (detection rate: 98%) paper samples, and the total concentrations (∑PBs; sum of six parabens) ranged from 1.85 to 3,220,000 ng/g (geometric mean (GM): 103; median: 55.1 ng/g). Sanitary wipes contained very high concentrations of ∑PBs (GM: 8300 ng/g). Paper currencies, tickets, business cards, food cartons, flyers, and newspapers contained notable concentrations of ∑PBs, and the GM concentrations in these paper categories were on the order of a few tens to thousands of nanograms per gram. One source of parabens in paper products is the use of these chemicals as antifungal agents. MeP and PrP were the predominant analogs, accounting for approximately 62% and 16% of the total concentrations of parabens, respectively. On the basis of measured concentrations and frequency of handling of paper products, we estimated the daily intake (EDI) of parabens through dermal absorption. The GM and 95th percentile EDI values were 6.31 and 2050 ng/day, respectively, for the general population. Among the paper categories analyzed, sanitary wipes contributed to the majority (>90%) of the exposures., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

2,4,7,9-Tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol (TMDD) is a non-ionic surfactant which is preferentially used as defoamer in paints and printing ink and for the treatment of surfaces. Effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as the domination point sources for TMDD in rivers since the removal rate of the compound in the WWTPs is in general less than 70%. However, the dominating entry pathways of TMDD into the sewage were unknown so far. In this study effluents from both, municipal WWTPs with and without treatment of indirect industrial dischargers and from industrial WWTPs with direct discharge of wastewater into receiving rivers were analyzed for the first time to identify the proportions of TMDD coming from domestic wastewater and from various industrial sources. Moreover, rivers were samples before and after the influent of sewage water from WWTPs. The TMDD concentrations in the water samples were measured using solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). High TMDD concentrations were found in rivers (up to 63.5 μg/L), and in effluents of WWTPs (up to 310 μg/L) affected by wastewater from paper recycling industry and factories producing paint and printing ink. Concentrations of TMDD revealed to be far higher in wastewater from factories processing recycled paper (up to 113 μg/L) compared to wastewater from factories not processing recycled paper (0.066 μg/L). The results indicate that the use of recycling paper in the paper production process is the dominating reason for increased TMDD concentrations in wastewaters and receiving rivers due to the wash out of TMDD from the paper impregnated with printing ink. Very high TMDD concentrations (up to 3300 μg/L) were also detected in wastewater from a printing ink factory and a paint factory., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pulp and paper wood feedstocks have been previously implicated as a source of chemicals with the ability to interact with or disrupt key neuroendocrine endpoints important in the control of reproduction. We tested nine Canadian conifers commonly used in pulp and paper production as well as 16 phytochemicals that have been observed in various pulp and paper mill effluent streams for their ability to interact in vitro with the enzymes monoamine oxidase (MAO), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and GABA-transaminase (GABA-T), and bind to the benzodiazepine-binding site of the GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)-BZD). These neuroendocrine endpoints are also important targets for treatment of neurological disorders such as anxiety, epilepsy, or depression. MAO and GAD were inhibited by various conifer extracts of different polarities, including major feedstocks such as balsam fir, black spruce, and white spruce. MAO was selectively stimulated or inhibited by many of the tested phytochemicals, with inhibition observed by a group of phenylpropenes (e.g. isoeugenol and vanillin). Selective GAD inhibition was also observed, with all of the resin acids tested being inhibitory. GABA(A)-BZD ligand displacement was also observed. We compiled a table identifying which of these phytochemicals have been described in each of the species tested here. Given the diversity of conifer species and plant chemicals with these specific neuroactivities, it is reasonable to propose that MAO and GAD inhibition reported in effluents is phytochemical in origin. We propose disruption of these neuroendocrine endpoints as a possible mechanism of reproductive inhibition, and also identify an avenue for potential research and sourcing of conifer-derived neuroactive natural products., (© 2013.)

After normal alkali treatment process, the industrial Cr(VI) containing wastewater still contains a ppm level of Cr(VI) ions which should be further purified before discharging. In this study, the Cr(VI)-containing wastewater has been efficiently treated by the porous paper sludge-based activated carbon (psAC) with an excellent specific surface area and rich oxygen functional groups. The batch experimental results showed that under acidic conditions, pH has little effect on the Cr(VI) removal. The kinetic and isotherms studies showed that the Elovich and Freundlich model could describe the adsorption process well and the maximum adsorption capacity of psAC was 54.04 mg/g. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the reaction process was endothermic and spontaneous. Adsorption enthalpy was 17.37 kJ/mol, showing that the chemisorption process was a hydrogen bonding-controlled that has been also verified by some analytical techniques. Lastly, this study also provided an idea for reutilization of waster Cr(VI)-contained psAC in furfural hydrogenation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Two temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD) systems (55 °C in the first reactor and 35 °C in the second reactor) with and without recirculation were operated in parallel for the co-digestion of food waste and paper waste. A long-term experiment was carried out for these two systems with the paper waste ratios elevated from 0 to 50%. The removal efficiencies of COD, TS, VS, carbohydrate and protein in the recirculated TPAD system were higher than those of the non-recirculated system. The successful acclimation of thermophilic cellulose-degrading bacteria in the first reactor (RT1), partly due to recirculation, ensured the effective degradation of cellulose when the paper waste ratio was higher than 40%, resulting in the production of large amounts of hydrogen in reactor RT1. In the absence of recirculation, the main substance produced in the first reactor of the non-recirculated system (T1) was lactic acid. This gradually led to over-acidification and a low degradation efficiency and no methane or hydrogen was produced in T1. Recirculation helped to establish a stable bacterial community capable of producing bio-hydrogen in reactor RT1. The relatively low pH of 5.5 in the RT1 inhibited the activity of hydrogenotrophic archaea without consuming hydrogen, facilitating high hydrogen production levels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study examined the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the phosphorus (P) in the effluents from a paper processing facility before and after an alum based P removal process. The alum based treatment process reduced effluent total P concentrations from an average of 230 ± 103 (±1 SD) μg L -1 to an average of 36 ± 10 μg L -1 . Ultra-filtration showed the treatment process shifted the P in these effluents from being 75 ± 9% particulate pre-removal to being 52 ± 0% dissolved and 27 ± 1% colloidal after the Trident P removal process. The alum removal process also reduced the fraction of reactive P in the dissolved and colloidal pools from 55% to 14%, respectively. Algal phosphorus bioavailability (BAP) bioassays showed the BAP of these effluents averaged 12 ± 9% of total P. Algal dissolved P uptake experiments indicated ≈ 30% of the dissolved P was converted to particulate P (which usually indicates algal uptake) during 21-day bioassays. However, treatments without algae indicated >80% of the apparent algal uptake may have been due to colloidal P forming flocs via physical-chemical processes. These analyses indicate the phosphorus contained in this paper processing facility's effluents had much lower bioavailability than the P in typical municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Yaron Ogen is a student of my former PhD adviser. During my PhD he started his master thesis. On my return to the Department as a faculty member, Yaron was at his last stages of PhD. I know Yaron as a wonderful student and personality.

The CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere is increasing and threatening the earth's climate. Selective CO 2 capture at large point sources will help to reduce the CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. Biochar with microporous structure could be a potential material to capture CO 2 . The impact of feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature and steam activation of biochars were evaluated for CO 2 adsorption capacity. Pine sawdust biochars were produced at 550 °C, and steam activated for 45 min at the same temperature after completing the pyrolysis (PS550 and PSS550). Paper mill sludge biochars were produced at 300 and 600 °C (PMS300 and PMS600). The CO 2 adsorption capacity of biochars was tested at 25 °C using a volumetric sorption analyzer. Pine sawdust biochars showed significantly higher CO 2 adsorption capacity than paper mill sludge biochars due to high surface area and microporosity. Pine sawdust biochars were then evaluated for dynamic adsorption under representative post-combustion flue gas concentration conditions (15% CO 2 , 85% N 2 ) using a breakthrough rig. Both materials showed selective CO 2 uptake over N 2 which is the major component along with CO 2 in flue gas. PSS550 had slightly higher CO 2 adsorption capacity (0.73 mmol g^ -1 vs 0.67 mmol g^ -1 ) and CO 2 over N 2 selectivity (26 vs 18) than PS550 possibly due to increase of microporosity, surface area, and oxygen containing basic functional groups through steam activation. Pine sawdust biochar is an environmentally friendly and low-cost material to capture CO 2 ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)