21,978 results
Search Results
2. Modeling greenhouse gas emissions from biological wastewater treatment process with experimental verification: A case study of paper mill
- Author
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Han, Jiahui, Liu, Yin, Li, Wenqing, Huang, Feini, Shen, Wenhao, Liu, Tianlong, Corriou, Jean-Pierre, and Seferlis, Panagiotis
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Bibliometric analysis of papers on antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments on a global scale from 2012 to 2022: Evidence from universality, development and harmfulness
- Author
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Sun, Xiaofang, Wang, Xiaochen, Han, Qian, Yu, Qiaoling, Wanyan, Ruijun, and Li, Huan
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. How to choose the best tertiary treatment for pulp and paper wastewater? Life cycle assessment and economic analysis as guidance tools
- Author
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Mainardis, Matia, Ferrara, Carmen, Cantoni, Beatrice, Di Marcantonio, Camilla, De Feo, Giovanni, and Goi, Daniele
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Commercial paper as a promising carrier for biofilm cultivation of Chlorella sp. for the treatment of anaerobic digestate food effluent (ADFE): Effect on the photosynthetic efficiency
- Author
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Mkpuma, Victor Okorie, Moheimani, Navid Reza, and Ennaceri, Houda
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Assessing life-cycle GHG emissions of recycled paper products under imported solid waste ban in China: A case study
- Author
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Deng, Huijing, Zhang, Dingfan, Yu, Huajun, Man, Yi, and Wang, Yutao
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Science paper or big data? Assessing invasion dynamics using observational data
- Author
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Clubley, Charlotte H., Firth, Louise B., Wood, Louisa E., Bilton, David T., Silva, Tiago A.M., and Knights, Antony M.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Underestimated bisphenol exposures: Letter to the editor on "Monitoring of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in thermal paper receipts from the Italian market and estimated transdermal human intake: A pilot study".
- Author
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Fujitani T and Harada KH
- Subjects
- Humans, Paper, Pilot Projects, Sulfones, Benzhydryl Compounds, Phenols
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the writing of the manuscript.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. A commentary on the paper "identification of microplastics in human placenta using laser direct infrared spectroscopy": Reflections on identification and typing of microplastics in human biological samples.
- Author
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Malafaia G
- Subjects
- Humans, Plastics, Spectrophotometry, Infrared, Environmental Monitoring, Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Microplastics, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author declares that no known competing financial interests or personal relationships could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Networking the forest infrastructure towards near real-time monitoring - A white paper.
- Author
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Zweifel R, Pappas C, Peters RL, Babst F, Balanzategui D, Basler D, Bastos A, Beloiu M, Buchmann N, Bose AK, Braun S, Damm A, D'Odorico P, Eitel JUH, Etzold S, Fonti P, Rouholahnejad Freund E, Gessler A, Haeni M, Hoch G, Kahmen A, Körner C, Krejza J, Krumm F, Leuchner M, Leuschner C, Lukovic M, Martínez-Vilalta J, Matula R, Meesenburg H, Meir P, Plichta R, Poyatos R, Rohner B, Ruehr N, Salomón RL, Scharnweber T, Schaub M, Steger DN, Steppe K, Still C, Stojanović M, Trotsiuk V, Vitasse Y, von Arx G, Wilmking M, Zahnd C, and Sterck F
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Underestimated bisphenol exposures: Letter to the editor on 'Monitoring of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in thermal paper receipts from the Italian market and estimated transdermal human intake: A pilot study'
- Author
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Tomoko, Fujitani and Kouji H, Harada
- Subjects
Paper ,Environmental Engineering ,Phenols ,Humans ,Environmental Chemistry ,Pilot Projects ,Sulfones ,Benzhydryl Compounds ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal - Published
- 2022
12. Comments on Letter to the Editor by Ph.D. Jussi Sipilä regarding our paper "Geochemistry of multiple sclerosis in Finland".
- Author
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Åström ME and Roos PM
- Subjects
- Humans, Finland, Multiple Sclerosis
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests nor personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. A 'Limitations' section should be mandatory in all scientific papers.
- Author
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Sumpter JP, Runnalls TJ, Johnson AC, and Barcelo D
- Subjects
- Reproducibility of Results, Publications
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Recycling paper to recarbonise soil.
- Author
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Mao L, Keenor SG, Cai C, Kilham S, Murfitt J, and Reid BJ
- Subjects
- Agriculture methods, Carbon Sequestration, Triticum, Water, Carbon, Soil
- Abstract
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 tO C ha-1 . Modelling a rotational (4 yearly) 50 t ha-1 PC amendment indicated 6.65 tO 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 CO2 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.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Green and sustainable 'Al-Zr-oligosaccharides' tanning agents from the simultaneous depolymerization and oxidation of waste paper.
- Author
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Gao M, Remón J, Ding W, Jiang Z, and Shi B
- Subjects
- Cellulose, Hydrogen Peroxide, Oligosaccharides, Industrial Waste analysis, Tanning
- Abstract
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 H2 O2 during the synthesis were thoroughly investigated on the properties of the tanning agent and the leather produced. The synthesis temperature and the concentration of AlCl3 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 H2 O2 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 AlCl3 and 5 vol% H2 O2 . 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.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Synergistic role of inherent calcium and iron minerals in paper mill sludge biochar for phosphate adsorption.
- Author
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Yu J, Li X, Wu M, Lin K, Xu L, Zeng T, Shi H, and Zhang M
- Subjects
- Adsorption, Calcium, Charcoal, Iron analysis, Kinetics, Minerals, Phosphates, Sewage, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis
- Abstract
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 Fe3 O4 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., Fe3 O4 , α-Fe2 O3 ) 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.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Trends and challenges in the development of bio-based barrier coating materials for paper/cardboard food packaging; a review.
- Author
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Mujtaba M, Lipponen J, Ojanen M, Puttonen S, and Vaittinen H
- Subjects
- Humans, Lignin, Ecosystem, Polymers, Polyesters, Plastics, Oxygen chemistry, Water, Food Packaging methods, Petroleum
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Efficient adsorption of heavy metals from wastewater on nanocomposite beads prepared by chitosan and paper sludge.
- Author
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Xu K, Li L, Huang Z, Tian Z, and Li H
- Subjects
- Adsorption, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Kinetics, Sewage, Wastewater chemistry, Chitosan chemistry, Metals, Heavy chemistry, Nanocomposites, Water Pollutants, Chemical
- Abstract
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 Cr3+ in wastewater were investigated. The impacts of adsorption time, pH, and initial concentrations of Cu2+ and Cr3+ on adsorption amount were studied and optimized. The saturated adsorption capacity of sludge-chitosan material for Cu2+ and Cr3+ 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 Cu2+ and Cr3+ 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.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. New concept of biodiesel production using food waste digestate powder: Co-culturing algae-activated sludge symbiotic system in low N and P paper mill wastewater.
- Author
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Talapatra N and Ghosh UK
- Subjects
- Biofuels analysis, Biomass, Fatty Acids, Food, Nitrogen analysis, Phosphorus, Powders, Sewage, Wastewater, Chlorophyta, Microalgae, Refuse Disposal
- Abstract
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 D0.836 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.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Green and sustainable ‘Al-Zr-oligosaccharides’ tanning agents from the simultaneous depolymerization and oxidation of waste paper
- Author
-
Mi Gao, Javier Remón, Wei Ding, Zhicheng Jiang, Bi Shi, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Remón, Javier, Ding, Wei, Jiang, Zhicheng, Shi, Bi, Remón, Javier [0000-0003-3315-5933], Ding, Wei [0000-0002-6818-7524], Jiang, Zhicheng [0000-0002-8096-4971], and Shi, Bi [0000-0003-0870-6043]
- Subjects
Leather tanning ,Environmental Engineering ,Industrial Waste ,Oligosaccharides ,Tanning ,Hydrogen Peroxide ,Waste paper ,Pollution ,Degradation ,Oxidation ,Environmental Chemistry ,Cellulose ,Waste Management and Disposal - Abstract
7 figures, 4 tables.-- Supplementary information available.-- © 2022. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, 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 AlCl3 and H2O2 during the synthesis were thoroughly investigated on the properties of the tanning agent and the leather produced. The synthesis temperature and the concentration of AlCl3 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 H2O2 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 AlCl3 and 5 vol% H2O2. 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., This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22078211). Javier Remón acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the Juan de la Cierva (JdC) fellowship (Grant Number: IJC2018-037110-I) awarded.
- Published
- 2022
21. Highly efficient adsorption of chromium on N, S-codoped porous carbon materials derived from paper sludge.
- Author
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Zhu Q, Gao H, Sun Y, Xiang Y, Liang X, Ivanets A, Li X, Su X, and Lin Z
- Subjects
- Adsorption, Carbon, Charcoal chemistry, Chromium analysis, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Kinetics, Porosity, Sewage, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis
- Abstract
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 cm3 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.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Comment on the paper “Microplastic contamination of an unconfined groundwater aquifer in Victoria, Australia”
- Author
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Cha, Jihye, Lee, Jin-Yong, and Chia, Rogers Wainkwa
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Evaluation of photodegradation performance by paper microzones.
- Author
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Liu X, Xu C, Xie S, Zhu L, and Wang X
- Subjects
- Catalysis, Photolysis, Reproducibility of Results, Ferric Compounds, Titanium
- Abstract
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 TiO2 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 R2 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 TiO2 . 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.)- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Comment to the paper "Photo-ammonification in surface water samples: Mechanism and influencing factors" by Yang et al. 2021.
- Author
-
Grzybowski W
- Subjects
- Nitrogen Cycle, Photolysis, Water, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis
- Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Trends and challenges in the development of bio-based barrier coating materials for paper/cardboard food packaging; a review
- Subjects
Chitosan ,Barrier properties ,Biopolymers ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Packaging ,SDG 14 - Life Below Water ,Cellulose ,Cardboard - Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2022
26. Chronic exposure to a common biopesticide is detrimental to individuals and colonies of the paper wasp Polistes versicolor.
- Author
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Teixeira GVM, De Souza AR, Barbosa WF, Bernardes RC, and Lima MAP
- Subjects
- Animals, Biological Control Agents, Humans, Insecta, Reproduction, Wasps
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Assessing life-cycle GHG emissions of recycled paper products under imported solid waste ban in China: A case study
- Author
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Huijing Deng, Dingfan Zhang, Huajun Yu, Yi Man, and Yutao Wang
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,Environmental Chemistry ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal - Published
- 2023
28. How to convince an editor to accept your paper quickly.
- Author
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Hites RA
- Subjects
- United States, Publishing
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Genotoxic activity of endocrine disrupting compounds commonly present in paper mill effluents.
- Author
-
Balabanič D, Filipič M, Krivograd Klemenčič A, and Žegura B
- Subjects
- Benzhydryl Compounds analysis, Comet Assay, DNA Damage, Dibutyl Phthalate, Humans, Wastewater, Endocrine Disruptors analysis, Endocrine Disruptors toxicity, Phthalic Acids
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. A comprehensive aquatic risk assessment of the beta-blocker propranolol, based on the results of over 600 research papers.
- Author
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Sumpter JP, Runnalls TJ, Donnachie RL, and Owen SF
- Subjects
- Aquatic Organisms, Ecotoxicology, Humans, Risk Assessment, Rivers, Propranolol analysis, Propranolol toxicity, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis, Water Pollutants, Chemical toxicity
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. A commentary on the paper 'identification of microplastics in human placenta using laser direct infrared spectroscopy': Reflections on identification and typing of microplastics in human biological samples
- Author
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Guilherme Malafaia
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,Environmental Chemistry ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal - Published
- 2023
32. Occupational exposure to fungi on recyclable paper pots and growing media and associated health effects - A review of the literature.
- Author
-
Madsen AM and Crook B
- Subjects
- Ascomycota, Chaetomium, Hypocreales, Neurospora, Sporothrix, Stachybotrys, Fungi, Occupational Exposure adverse effects
- Abstract
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.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Synergistic role of inherent calcium and iron minerals in paper mill sludge biochar for phosphate adsorption
- Author
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Jie Yu, Xiaodian Li, Ming Wu, Kun Lin, Liheng Xu, Tao Zeng, Huixiang Shi, and Ming Zhang
- Subjects
Kinetics ,Minerals ,Environmental Engineering ,Sewage ,Charcoal ,Iron ,Environmental Chemistry ,Calcium ,Adsorption ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Water Pollutants, Chemical ,Phosphates - Abstract
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
- Published
- 2022
34. Highly efficient adsorption of chromium on N, S-codoped porous carbon materials derived from paper sludge
- Author
-
Qian, Zhu, Huiqin, Gao, Yiwei, Sun, Yujia, Xiang, Xiangjing, Liang, Andrei, Ivanets, Xiaoqin, Li, Xintai, Su, and Zhang, Lin
- Subjects
Chromium ,Kinetics ,Environmental Engineering ,Sewage ,Charcoal ,Environmental Chemistry ,Adsorption ,Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ,Porosity ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Carbon ,Water Pollutants, Chemical - Abstract
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
- Published
- 2022
35. Comment on the paper 'Microplastic contamination of an unconfined groundwater aquifer in Victoria, Australia'
- Author
-
Jihye, Cha, Jin-Yong, Lee, and Rogers Wainkwa, Chia
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,Victoria ,Microplastics ,Environmental Chemistry ,Groundwater ,Plastics ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Water Pollutants, Chemical ,Environmental Monitoring - Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2022
36. Chronic exposure to a common biopesticide is detrimental to individuals and colonies of the paper wasp Polistes versicolor
- Author
-
Gabrazane V.M. Teixeira, André R. De Souza, Wagner F. Barbosa, Rodrigo C. Bernardes, and Maria Augusta P. Lima
- Subjects
Insecta ,Environmental Engineering ,Biological Control Agents ,Reproduction ,Wasps ,Animals ,Humans ,Environmental Chemistry ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal - Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2022
37. Evaluation of photodegradation performance by paper microzones
- Author
-
Shiwei Xie, Xun Wang, Lei Zhu, Chengxiang Xu, and Xian Liu
- Subjects
Titanium ,Green chemistry ,Photolysis ,Environmental Engineering ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Kinetics ,Reproducibility of Results ,Ferric Compounds ,Pollution ,Catalysis ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Spectrophotometry ,medicine ,Environmental Chemistry ,Degradation (geology) ,Photodegradation ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Salicylic acid ,Methylene blue ,Nuclear chemistry - Abstract
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 TiO2 was evaluated to verify the reliability of the paper microzones method (PMZs). The optimum P25 TiO2 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 R2 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 TiO2. 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.
- Published
- 2022
38. How to convince an editor to accept your paper quickly
- Author
-
Ronald A. Hites
- Subjects
Publishing ,Environmental Engineering ,business.industry ,Library science ,Pollution ,United States ,Advice (programming) ,Chemical society ,Associate editor ,Environmental Chemistry ,Sociology ,business ,Waste Management and Disposal - Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2021
39. Genotoxic activity of endocrine disrupting compounds commonly present in paper mill effluents
- Author
-
Damjan Balabanič, Bojana Žegura, Aleksandra Krivograd Klemenčič, and Metka Filipič
- Subjects
endocrine system ,Bisphenol A ,Environmental Engineering ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Dibutyl phthalate ,Phthalic Acids ,Endocrine Disruptors ,Wastewater ,010501 environmental sciences ,Diethyl phthalate ,complex mixtures ,01 natural sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Benzyl butyl phthalate ,Humans ,Environmental Chemistry ,Benzhydryl Compounds ,Waste Management and Disposal ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Phthalate ,Pollution ,Dibutyl Phthalate ,Nonylphenol ,Comet assay ,chemistry ,Environmental chemistry ,Comet Assay ,Dimethyl phthalate ,DNA Damage - Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2021
40. Occupational exposure to fungi on recyclable paper pots and growing media and associated health effects – A review of the literature
- Author
-
Brian Crook and Anne Mette Madsen
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Stachybotrys chartarum ,Fungus ,Chaetomium ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Stachybotrys ,Ascomycota ,Occupational Exposure ,Environmental Chemistry ,Waste Management and Disposal ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Mushroom ,biology ,Chaetomium globosum ,Acremonium ,Sporothrix ,fungi ,Fungi ,food and beverages ,biology.organism_classification ,Pollution ,Fungicide ,Aureobasidium pullulans ,Neurospora ,Horticulture ,Hypocreales ,Cladosporium - Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2021
41. Effect of (bio)plastics on soil environment: A review
- Author
-
Ewa Liwarska-Bizukojc
- Subjects
Microplastics ,Environmental Engineering ,biology ,Soil biology ,Earthworm ,biology.organism_classification ,Pulp and paper industry ,complex mixtures ,Pollution ,Bioplastic ,Soil ,Food chain ,Animals ,Environmental Chemistry ,Environmental science ,Terrestrial ecosystem ,Ecosystem ,Ecotoxicity ,Plastics ,Waste Management and Disposal - Abstract
The contribution of improperly disposed plastic wastes is globally evaluated at the level of 30% and these wastes make a particular threat to all living creatures. Thus, the evaluation of the possible impacts of plastic particles on the biotic part of ecosystems has become increasingly important in recent years. As a result, the growing number of publications concerning this subject has been observed since 2018. This paper aims to review the advances in studies on the effect of petroleum-derived plastic and bioplastic particles, taken together in the term (bio)plastics, on the terrestrial ecosystem, particularly on soil biota. It is the first review, in which both petroleum-derived plastics and bioplastics were analysed regarding their potential impacts on the soil compartment. Petroleum-derived plastics were more frequently studied than bioplastics and among analysed papers about 18% concern bioplastics. It was found that (bio)plastics did not affect the germination of seeds. However, they might contribute to the delay in germination processes. Both inhibitory and stimulating effects were observed in relation to the growth of roots and stems. (Bio)plastic microparticles did not inhibit the biochemical activity of nitrifiers and transformation of carbon compounds. Earthworms were predominantly used organisms to test the effect of petroleum-derived plastics on soil biota but there are hardly any data about bioplastics. Petroleum-derived microplastics present in soil at concentrations up to 1000 mg kg-1 usually neither cause to the mortality of earthworms nor affect their reproduction. Micro- and nanoparticles of petroleum-derived plastics could be accumulated in the earthworm intestine and transferred in the food chain. Summarizing, a high variability of results and often appearing lack of dose-dependence relationships hamper the final evaluation of the ecotoxicity of (bio)plastics simultaneously creating a need to develop the ecotoxicological studies on (bio)plastics, especially including these on the effect of bioplastics on soil animals.
- Published
- 2021
42. Macrophytes as wastewater treatment agents: Nutrient uptake and potential of produced biomass utilization toward circular economy initiatives
- Author
-
Ipung Fitri Purwanti, Siti Rozaimah Sheikh Abdullah, Nor Sakinah Mohd Said, Ahmad Razi Othman, Setyo Budi Kurniawan, Azmi Ahmad, Hassimi Abu Hasan, and Muhammad Fauzul Imron
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Biomass ,Wastewater ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Water Purification ,Biogas ,Bioenergy ,Biochar ,Animals ,Environmental Chemistry ,Waste Management and Disposal ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,fungi ,food and beverages ,Nutrients ,Pulp and paper industry ,Pollution ,Biofuel ,Wetlands ,Constructed wetland ,Environmental science ,Sewage treatment - Abstract
Macrophytes have been widely used as agents in wastewater treatment. The involvement of plants in wastewater treatment cannot be separated from wetland utilization. As one of the green technologies in wastewater treatment plants, wetland exhibits a great performance, especially in removing nutrients from wastewater before the final discharge. It involves the use of plants and consequently produces plant biomasses as treatment byproducts. The produced plant biomasses can be utilized or converted into several valuable compounds, but related information is still limited and scattered. This review summarizes wastewater's nutrient content (macro and micronutrient) that can support plant growth and the performance of constructed wetland (CW) in performing nutrient uptake by using macrophytes as treatment agents. This paper further discusses the potential of the utilization of the produced plant biomasses as bioenergy production materials, including bioethanol, biohydrogen, biogas, and biodiesel. This paper also highlights the conversion of plant biomasses into animal feed, biochar, adsorbent, and fertilizer, which may support clean production and circular economy efforts. The presented review aims to emphasize and explore the utilization of plant biomasses and their conversion into valuable products, which may solve problems related to plant biomass handling during the adoption of CW in wastewater treatment plants.
- Published
- 2021
43. A review of ecotoxicity reduction in contaminated waters by heterogeneous photocatalytic ozonation
- Author
-
Viviane Yargeau and Brent Lashuk
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Wastewater ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Water Purification ,12. Responsible consumption ,Ozone ,Environmental Chemistry ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Effluent ,Ecosystem ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,business.industry ,Chemistry ,Chemical industry ,Contamination ,Pulp and paper industry ,Pollution ,6. Clean water ,Acute toxicity ,13. Climate action ,Toxicity ,Sewage treatment ,Ecotoxicity ,business ,Oxidation-Reduction ,Water Pollutants, Chemical - Abstract
The widespread deterioration of our water systems requires new wastewater treatment technologies to ensure environmental protection. Conventional wastewater treatments were not designed for, and are therefore ineffective, at removing contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. Furthermore, treatment processes capable of breaking down CECs may produce toxic transformation products more harmful than the parent chemicals. Heterogeneous photocatalytic ozonation provides a promising option with high degradation and mineralization of organic compounds. The aim of the present paper is to review ecotoxicity reduction in water treated by heterogeneous photocatalytic ozonation as a measure of process viability. The discussion investigates changes in toxicity based on a variety of toxicity tests performed to evaluate potential effects on ecosystems, the types of catalysts and radiation sources used, the nature of the target contaminants, and the type of water matrix treated. Acute toxicity testing, TiO2 catalysts, and mercury-vapour lamps including blacklights were dominant in the reviewed studies, investigated in 86%, 84% and 79% of the papers, respectively. Pharmaceuticals were the main group of chemicals treated and the water matrices used were predominantly pure water and secondary effluent. Overall, the findings of these studies provide evidence that photocatalytic ozonation is an efficient process to remove persistent organic compounds while, most of the time, not increasing the toxicity of the effluent (as reported by 86% of the studies). Due to the wide variation in experimental set-ups, no clear correlation between reaction conditions and toxicity was determined, however, V. fischeri acute toxicity assays and chronic/sublethal tests appeared most sensitive to transformation products. Future studies need to a) incorporate multiple toxicity tests to produce a more reliable and inclusive ecotoxicity assessment of treated effluent and b) investigate immobilized catalysts and energy efficient radiation sources (i.e. solar and LEDs) for industrial applications.
- Published
- 2021
44. Effect of ozonation-based disinfection methods on the removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance genes (ARB/ARGs) in water and wastewater treatment: a systematic review
- Author
-
Sama Yektay, Maryam Foroughi, Vahid Kholghi, Samaneh Kakhki, Mehdi Khiadani, and Khosro Naderi
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,Contact time ,medicine.drug_class ,Antibiotics ,Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ,Wastewater ,Water Purification ,Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists ,Ozone ,Antibiotic resistance ,Drug Resistance, Bacterial ,medicine ,Environmental Chemistry ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Disinfection methods ,Bacteria ,Chemistry ,Water ,Drug Resistance, Microbial ,Heavy metals ,Pulp and paper industry ,Pollution ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Disinfection ,Genes, Bacterial ,Sewage treatment ,Literature survey - Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is considered a universal health threat of the 21st century which its distribution and even development are mainly mediated by water-based media. Disinfection processes with the conventional methods are still the most promising options to combat such crises in aqueous matrices especially wastewater. Knowing that the extent of effectiveness and quality of disinfection is of great importance, this paper aimed to systematically review and discuss ozonation (as one of the main disinfectants with large scale application) effect on removing antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from aqueous solutions, for which no study has been reported. For this, a comprehensive literature survey was performed within the international databases using appropriate keywords which yielded several studies involving different aspects and the effectiveness extent of ozonation on ARB & ARGs. The results showed that no definite conclusion could be drawn about the superiority of ozone alone or in a hybrid form. Mechanism of action was carefully evaluated and discussed although it is still poorly understood. Evaluation of the studies from denaturation and repairment perspectives showed that regrowth cannot be avoided after ozonation, especially for some ARB & ARGs variants. In addition, the comparison of the effectiveness on ARB & ARGs showed that ozonation is more effective for resistant bacteria than their respective genes. The degradation efficiency was found to be mainly influenced by operational parameters of CT (i.e. ozone dose & contact time), solids, alkalinity, pH, and type of pathogens and genes. Moreover, the correlation between ARB & ARGs removal and stressors (such as antibiotic residuals, heavy metals, aromatic matters, microcystins, opportunistic pathogens, etc.) has been reviewed to give the optimal references for further in-depth studies. The future perspectives have also been reported.
- Published
- 2022
45. Fragmentation of microplastics in the drinking water treatment process - A case study in Yangtze River region, China
- Author
-
Yan Zhang, Junyi Wu, and Yu Tang
- Subjects
Pollutant ,Microplastics ,Environmental Engineering ,Drinking Water ,Pulp and paper industry ,Pollution ,Water Purification ,law.invention ,Rivers ,law ,Yangtze river ,Environmental Chemistry ,Environmental science ,Water treatment ,Fragmentation (cell biology) ,Raw water ,Plastics ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Effluent ,Water Pollutants, Chemical ,Filtration - Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are the emerging pollutants in the fresh water and have been found in the drinking water. Drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) is an important barrier to ensure the safety and quality of drinking water, so their effectiveness in removing MPs needs to be evaluated and optimized. In this paper, the abundance, characteristics and removal performance of 5 μm-5 mm granular MPs and 100 μm-5 mm fibrous MPs in the effluent of each water treatment unit in a DWTP in China were analyzed. The results show that only 80.96% of MPs ≤ 20 μm, accounting for more than 98% in the raw water, could be removed in the DWTP, while over 99% of the removal efficiency could be achieved for MPs > 20 μm. Coagulation-sedimentation and micro-flocculation combined with sand filtration couldn't effectively remove the granular MPs ≤ 20 μm (42.8% and 25.8%, respectively), but biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration was prone to remove this part (63.8%). Significant increases of granular MPs ≤ 20 μm were observed in the effluents of biological treatment (+149.6%) and ozonation (+13.8%). According to the variation in separate MPs' size distribution, the increases in MPs were attributed to the fragmentation of MPs, on which ozonation showed a remarkable effect. The ozonation might accelerate the aging and embrittlement of MPs, and then external stresses could further break them into smaller pieces, which eventually lead to an increase in MPs. To deal with the stubborn part and fragmentation of MPs in water, the removal ability of DWTP for MPs ≤ 20 μm needs to be improved. This study provides a detailed proof for the fate of MPs in the DWTP, and the results indicate that the fragmentation of MPs and the removal rate of MPs ≤ 20 μm should draw more attention in the DWTP.
- Published
- 2022
46. Current status of hypochlorite technology on the wastewater treatment and sludge disposal: Performance, principals and prospects
- Author
-
Xiaoshi Cheng, Su-Na Wang, Jingyang Luo, Le Zhang, Ran Ge, Wei Du, Feng Wang, Qian Feng, Qin Zhang, Jiashun Cao, Wenxuan Huang, Fang Fang, and Shiyu Fang
- Subjects
Pollutant ,Technology ,Environmental Engineering ,Sewage ,Membrane fouling ,Hypochlorite ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Wastewater ,Pulp and paper industry ,Waste Disposal, Fluid ,Pollution ,Hypochlorous Acid ,Water Purification ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Chlorine ,Environmental Chemistry ,Environmental science ,Sewage sludge treatment ,Sewage treatment ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Resource recovery - Abstract
As cost-effective and high-efficient oxidants, the hypochlorite chemicals have been widely utilized for bleaching and disinfection. However, its potential applications in wastewater treatment and sludge disposal were less concerned. This paper mainly summarized the state-of-the-art applications of hypochlorite technology in wastewater and sludge treatment based on the main influencing factors and potential mechanisms of hypochlorite treatment. The results indicated that the hypochlorite approaches were not only effective in pollutants removal and membrane fouling mitigation for wastewater treatment, but also contributed to sludge dewatering and resource recovery for sludge disposal. The ClO- and large generated free active radicals (i.e., reactive chlorine species and reactive oxygen species), which possessed strong oxidative ability, were the primary contributors to the pollutants decomposition, and colloids/microbes flocs disintegration during the hypochlorite treatment process. The performance of hypochlorite treatment was highly associated with various factors (i.e., pH, temperature, hypochlorite types and dosage). In combination with the reasonable activators (i.e., Fe2+ and ultraviolet), auxiliary agents, and innovative processes (i.e., hydrothermal and electro-oxidation), the operational performance of hypochlorite technology could be further enhanced. Finally, the feasibility and benefits of hypochlorite application for wastewater and sludge treatment were analyzed, and the existing challenges and future research efforts that need to be made have also prospected. The review can hopefully provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance to extend the application of hypochlorite technology for wastewater treatment and sludge disposal on large scale.
- Published
- 2022
47. An eco-efficiency analysis of refinery effluent pretreatments for water reuse under a Zero Liquid Discharge regime
- Author
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Beatriz Arioli de Sá Teles, Hugo Sakamoto, and Luiz Alexandre Kulay
- Subjects
Osmosis ,Environmental Engineering ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Oil refinery ,PETRÓLEO ,Water ,Wastewater ,010501 environmental sciences ,Reuse ,Pulp and paper industry ,01 natural sciences ,Pollution ,Zero liquid discharge ,Refinery ,Water Purification ,Petrochemical ,Environmental Chemistry ,Environmental science ,Reverse osmosis ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Effluent ,Filtration ,Evaporator ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
This paper presents an eco-efficiency analysis of five scenarios for treating a petrochemical unit effluent defined sequentially to increase the water reuse rate to the limit condition of Zero Liquid Discharge perspective. The base process, consisting of reverse osmosis, an evaporator and crystallizer, displayed pretreatment alternatives the addition of antifouling agents, desupersaturation of barium ions and coprecipitation of low solubility salts to increase osmosis efficiency. The eco-efficiency analysis applied the life cycle approach to verify environmental and energy performances and determined the costs of the treatment unit installation and operation for a time horizon of 9.5 years. The pretreatment increased water recovery during osmosis from 84% to over 97%. The environmental-energetic analysis indicated a strong influence of electric energy, consumed mainly during the thermal stages of the treatment, and of the chlorine-derived compounds used in the pretreatment. Also due to pre-treatment, it was possible to reduce impacts in terms of Global Warming Potential by up to 59%, and in Primary Energy Demand by 64% for the best scenario. The economic analysis depicted a significant influence of operating costs, and the electricity consumed in the processes is responsible for the largest share of expenses. The reuse water presented a cost ranging between US$ 1.08/m3 and US$ 1.80/m3. The systems with pretreatment by coprecipitation with Ca(OH)2 and CaCO3 and monoacids to adjust the pH of the final effluent showed to be more eco-efficient than the other options under analysis.
- Published
- 2021
48. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA throughout wastewater treatment plants and a modeling approach to understand COVID-19 infection dynamics in Winnipeg, Canada
- Author
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Liqun Wang, Miguel Uyaguari, Adeola Adegoke, Qiuyan Yuan, and Kadir Yanac
- Subjects
Flocculation ,food.ingredient ,Environmental Engineering ,viruses ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Ultrafiltration ,Wastewater ,Water Purification ,food ,Skimmed milk ,Humans ,Environmental Chemistry ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Effluent ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Sewage ,SARS-CoV-2 ,fungi ,COVID-19 ,Pulp and paper industry ,Pollution ,body regions ,Environmental science ,RNA, Viral ,Sewage treatment ,Sample collection - Abstract
Although numerous studies have detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and attempted to find correlations between the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and the number of cases, no consensus has been reached on sample collection and processing, and data analysis. Moreover, the fate of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater treatment plants is another issue, specifically regarding the discharge of the virus into environmental settings and the water cycle. The current study monitored SARS-CoV-2 RNA in influent and effluent wastewater samples with three different concentration methods and sludge samples over six months (July to December 2020) to compare different virus concentration methods, assess the fate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater treatment plants, and describe the potential relationship between SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in influent and infection dynamics. Skimmed milk flocculation (SMF) resulted in 15.27 ± 3.32% recovery of an internal positive control, Armored RNA, and a high positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in stored wastewater samples compared to ultrafiltration methods employing a prefiltration step to eliminate solids in fresh wastewater samples. Our results suggested that SARS-CoV-2 RNA may predominate in solids, and therefore, concentration methods focusing on both supernatant and solid fractions may result in better recovery. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in influent and primary sludge samples but not in secondary and final effluent samples, indicating a significant reduction during primary and secondary treatments. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was first detected in influent on September 30th, 2020. A decay-rate formula was applied to estimate initial concentrations of late-processed samples with SMF. A model based on shedding rate and new cases was applied to estimate SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations and the number of active shedders. Inferred sensitivity of observed and modeled concentrations to the fluctuations in new cases and test-positivity rates indicated a potential contribution of newly infected individuals to SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads in wastewater.
- Published
- 2022
49. Assessment and optimization of the oxygen based membrane biofilm reactor as a novel technology for source-diverted greywater treatment
- Author
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Yun Zhou, Xiaocai Cui, Xingtao Zuo, Qingqing Ren, and Jiajie He
- Subjects
Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis ,Environmental Engineering ,Central composite design ,Nitrogen ,Chemistry ,Chemical oxygen demand ,Biofilm ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Wastewater ,Greywater ,Pulp and paper industry ,Waste Disposal, Fluid ,Pollution ,Oxygen ,Bioreactors ,Membrane ,Biofilms ,Total nitrogen ,Environmental Chemistry ,Response surface methodology ,Waste Management and Disposal - Abstract
The oxygen based membrane biofilm (O2-MBfR) has been proved to be a novel technology in treating greywater (GW) and response surface methodology (RSM) was used to model the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) with operation parameters COD/TN ratio, system pH and lumen air pressure (LAP). Results indicated that the all target single factors affect GW treatment efficiency, and the regression model with central composite design (CCD) showed good agreement with the experimental results with high R2 and R2 adj values (all >0.97) for all the target responses. Statistical evaluation revealed that system pH was the most significant parameter affecting COD and TN removal, followed by COD/TN ratio and LAP. The interaction between COD/TN ratio and system pH also played an important role on the GW treatment. The optimized maximum removal of COD (96.48%) and TN (133 g N/m2-day) were achieved with the COD/TN ratio 17.76 g COD/g TN, system pH 7.10 and LAP 1.00 psi. Thus, RSM combined with CCD could be used for predicting the organics and nitrogen removal during GW treatment in the O2-MBfR.
- Published
- 2022
50. Can a compact biological system be used for real hydraulic fracturing wastewater treatment?
- Author
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Guangsheng Qian, Pu Liu, Li Wei, Hamish R. Mackey, and Tianwei Hao
- Subjects
Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis ,Environmental Engineering ,Hydraulic retention time ,Hydraulic Fracking ,Chemistry ,Moving bed biofilm reactor ,Chemical oxygen demand ,Wastewater ,Pulp and paper industry ,Waste Disposal, Fluid ,Pollution ,Anoxic waters ,Water Purification ,Bioreactors ,Hydraulic fracturing ,Biofilms ,Environmental Chemistry ,Sewage treatment ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Total suspended solids - Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing wastewater (HFW), a byproduct of hydraulic fracturing oil extraction, contains a complex mixture of oil, aldehydes, and benzene compounds. Efficient and eco-friendly HFW treatment means are critical for the oil extraction industry, particularly in developing countries. In this study, two biological processes namely an anaerobic/anoxic/moving bed biofilm reactor (A2-MBBR) and an A2-MBBR with a microfiltration membrane (A2-MFMBBR) were established, and assessed for the real HFW treatment. Removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH4+-N were over 92% and 95%, respectively, in both processes with a hydraulic retention time of 72 h. The majority of organic compounds in both systems identified by GC–MS were degraded in the anaerobic units. In comparison, A2-MFMBBR demonstrated higher removal efficiencies for oil, total suspended solids, and complex compounds. The average relative abundances of refractory compound degrading bacteria were 43.4% and 51.6% in the A2-MBBR and A2-MFMBBR, respectively, which was consistent with the COD and oil removal, and suggested that the MBR could maintain a high diversity of microorganisms and contribute to deep recalcitrant organics degradation. This study sheds light on the potential of using a compact biological process for the real HFW treatment.
- Published
- 2022
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