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Nitration reactions of aromatic compounds are commonly involved in different industrial processes for pharmaceutical, pesticide or military uses. For many years, most of the manufacturing sites used lagooning systems to treat their process effluents. In view of a photocatalytic degradation assay, the wastewater of a lagoon was investigated by using HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry. The wastewater was highly concentrated in RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine), HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) and two herbicides Dinoterb (2-tert-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol) and Dinoseb (2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol). First of all, an analytical method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with HPLC ESI MS/MS was put in work for identification and titration of RDX, HMX and the two dinitrophenols in a complex natural matrix. Then, the UV/TiO2 treatment was investigated for pollutants removal. Dinitrophenolic compounds were significantly degraded after a 8-h-exposition of the wastewater/TiO2 suspension, whereas RDX and HMX were poorly affected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Olive mill wastewater was treated by an aerobic bio-process at different values of pH (with or without addition of lime), for 45 days on a laboratory scale, to evaluate the reduction of the organic load. The lipid content showed an appreciable change in relation to the applied treatment both for total lipids and for the different fractions (neutral lipids, monoglycerides and phospholipids). 13C NMR spectroscopy was performed on initial and final samples both raw and after lipid extraction. The main spectral differences were observed in the C-alkyl region (0–50ppm), in the C O-alkyl/N-alkyl region (50–110ppm), and in the C-carboxylic (160–200ppm) region, providing information on the alterations occurring in the different biochemical entities composing this complex biomatrix (e.g. lipids and carbohydrates) according to the treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wastewater treatment plant effluent, sludge and manure are the main sources of contamination by antibiotics in the whole environment compartments (soil, sediment, surface and underground water). One of the major consequences of the antibiotics discharge into the environment could be the prevalence of a bacterial resistance to antibiotic. In this review, four groups of antibiotics (Tetracyclines, Fluoroquinolones, Macrolides and Sulfonamides) were focused for the background on their wide spread occurrence in sludge and manure and for their effects on several target and non-target species. The antibiotics concentrations range between 1 and 136,000 μg kg -1 of dry matter in sludge and manure, representing a potential risk for the human health and the environment. Composting of sludge or manure is a well-known and used organic matter stabilization technology, which could be effective in reducing the antibiotics levels as well as the antibiotic resistance genes. During sludge or manure composting, the antibiotics removals range between 17-100%. The deduced calculated half-lives range between 1-105 days for most of the studied antibiotics. Nevertheless, these removals are often based on the measurement of concentration without considering the matter removal (lack of matter balance) and very few studies are emphasized on the removal mechanisms (biotic/abiotic, bound residues formation) and the potential presence of more or less hazardous transformation products. The results from the few studies on the fate of the antibiotic resistance genes during sludge or manure composting are still inconsistent showing either decrease or increase of their concentration in the final product. Whether for antibiotic or antibiotic resistance genes, additional researches are needed, gathering chemical, microbiological and toxicological data to better understand the implied removal mechanisms (chemical, physical and biological), the interactions between both components and the environmental matrices (organic, inorganic bearing phases) and how composting process could be optimized to reduce the discharge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes into the environment., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The humic acids extracted from a compost of activated sludge at different stages of maturity were characterized by various chemical techniques. Elemental analysis showed the reduction of H, and the H/C and C/N ratios and an increase in the proportion of N and S. At the end of composting C% and O% presented the same values as initially, although they increased in the intermediate stage. Based on the ratios of FTIR absorbance it was shown that the end product was enriched in etherified and peptidic compounds absorbing at 1384, 1034 and 1544 cm(-1). The alkyl and other N-rich and oxidized recalcitrant structures compose the new humic polymers produced during composting. In principal components analysis, the first axis, PC1: 49.75% considers the variability between structures in decomposition from the other parameters that concern the stable new humic polymers formed after composting. PC2 (40.5%) shows a negative correlation between (aromatic carbon, FA level) and (aliphatic carbon, HA level) during composting., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present work is the assessment of the concentration, toxicity and phytoavailability of heavy metals in garden soils in the vicinity of three mines (A, B and C) in South of Morocco by using concurrently selective chemical extractions, MetPLATE a toxicity bioassay and plant growth experiments. The tailings materials containing very high concentrations of Mn, Cu and Co in mine A, Co, Mn, Cr and Ni in mine B and Cu and Zn in mine C. The high toxicity of tailings from mine C (86.7% inhibition) and moderate toxicity of tailings from mine B (51.0% inhibition) were mainly due to the relative high concentrations of soluble Cu and Zn. Nevertheless, the low metal toxicity observed in most garden soils was confirmed by the low metal concentrations in the soil water extracts. In all garden soils, Lactuca sativa L. and Lolium multiflorum L. contained in their shoots Cd, Co, Cr, Cu and Ni below toxic concentrations while Zn (in all soils) and Mn in two soils from mine A were accumulated at concentrations high enough to be considered phytotoxic. The low biomass produced on garden soils in the vicinity of mines B and C is explained by the relative low toxicity compared to mine A. Transfer factor values for Zn were higher than those found for Mn for both plant species, confirming that this element is present at lower bioavailable fraction in soil than Zn., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this work was to investigate the structural transformations occurring in organic matter and their relationships with organic matter stability during the composting of two different solid olive-mill residues (SOMR). Raw materials were prepared from SOMR (compost C1) and from a mixture of SOMR and olive-mill wastewater for compost C2. Composts evolution was monitored by direct Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and by physicochemical parameters. Results showed that both wastes are suitable for composting and showed a strong thermophilic phase extending over the first 2 months, progressively and slowly reaching maturity after approximately 6 months. By the end of the thermophilic phase the water-soluble phenol content decreased by 93% and the pH and organic matter loss became more stable, oscillating around 8.5 and 41%, respectively. DSC and FTIR results showed that the biodegradation of the heterogeneous raw material is progressive and can be mainly attributed to a loss of aliphatic and peptidic structures and to an increase of the aromatic structures which essentially occurs during the maturity phase. By the end of the maturity phase, the two composts showed DSC and FTIR spectra typical of humic-like substances confirming the high degree of humification of the end products.

Humic acids (HAs) were isolated at different stages of composting from two piles of solid olive mill residues (SOR) treated for the first 30 days with tap water (pile C1) or olive mill wastewater (pile C2), for a total composting period of 9 months. The HA fractions were characterized by elemental analysis, UV-visible, Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy in order to monitor humification process and the maturity of the composts. As composting proceeded, the elemental composition of the humic acids showed a decrease in C and H content, and in the C/N ratio, and an increase in N and O contents and in the C/H and O/C ratios. These changes could be attributed to a loss of aliphatic groups and to an increase of aromatic character, polycondensation and degree of oxidation of the HAs. Spectroscopic data agree and support these results, suggesting that the chemical and structural features of the HAs of both composts tend to reach those typical of native soil HAs, that is compounds with a high degree of humification and a high molecular weight and complexity. Therefore, both composting processes seem suitable to produce well-humified organic matter, with important benefits for their use in soil amendment. No differences appeared between the two treatments concerning the humic character of the two final composts.

In Marrakech, solid by-products from tanneries are highly polluting, generating large amounts of nitrogenous and organic matter. In the present study composting is tested as a cost-effective method for waste management to overcome many of the environmental hazards and produce a stable, rich material for soil fertilization. Two composting trials were conducted after neutralization by ammonia or lime. The aim of the neutralization was to avoid the antimicrobial effects of the acidity in the tannery waste, thus ensuring correct composting. Different techniques such as elemental analysis and 13C NMR spectroscopy were applied to analyse humic acids isolated from raw and composted materials, and to monitor the process of tannery waste composting, and the stability and maturity of the final product according to the means of neutralization. Comparison of data showed similar behaviour in both trials, but the composting process appeared to be more complete following neutralization with lime. The C, H and N content decreased, while the O increased. The FTIR and 13C NMR spectra show the decrease of aliphatic compounds demonstrated by the reduction of absorbance around 2922cm(-1) and of the resonance in the C-alkyl area around 0-55ppm. The humic acids newly formed during composting were richer in the O-N alkyl and oxidized aromatic structures that increased almost twofold on composting after neutralization with lime. The first principal component axis PC1 (54%) separated C-aliphatic, C-carboxylic and other less stable and less polycondensed compounds such as polyphenols from the more polycondensed O-N alkyl and oxidized C-aromatic compounds.