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This study evaluated the feasibility of producing solid recovered fuel (SRF) from rejected waste from waste picker cooperatives (WPC). Three scenarios using different SRF and petroleum coke proportions in cement kilns were assessed. The samples of rejected waste from WPC were obtained in the city of Florianópolis, Brazil, and their physical and chemical characteristics were determined. Furthermore, the avoided atmospheric emissions by replacing conventional cement fuel with SRF and the costs to implement a SRF facility were estimated. According to the results, 60.29% of the waste from WPC could be used for energy recovery. Out of the materials eligible to produce SRF, 75.26% are made up of plastic packaging and paper. Concerning atmospheric emissions, replacing petroleum coke with SRF for direct feeding into the clinker kiln contributed to a reduction of 4.83%, 14.73%, and 13.37% in the atmospheric emissions for Scenario 1, Scenario 2, and Scenario 3, respectively. Furthermore, considering two hypothetical SRF industrial plants with capacities of 522 and 720 t/day, each ton of SRF produced would cost about USD 6.00, representing a decrease of 35 times in the costs when compared to petroleum coke. Therefore, SRF from the rejected fraction of WPC could be an alternative waste-to-energy approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylonitrile membranes (PAN) have high stability against chemical agents, making them suitable for a wide range of applications as such Ultrafiltration processes. Ultrafiltration membranes composed of PAN/Superfine powder activated carbon (S-PAC) mixtures can be a good research route, aiming the development of a new separation processes for water treatment. The association of materials to form a single product can have technological and economic advantages in separation processes. In this study, S-PAC impregnated into PAN membranes were prepared, characterized and used, as a case study, to remove diclofenac (DCF) from water. The membranes (PAN/S-PAC) were synthesized with different concentrations of S-PAC (0.2, 0.6, 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 wt%) by a phase inversion process. The results of the TEM characterizations of the S-PAC indicated the presence of micro and nanoparticles (∼10 nm) and tending to form micrometric clusters. The infrared spectra of the membranes were characteristic of PAN; however, vibrational bands attributed to the S-PAC spectrum were also observed, which indicated an interaction between the materials. The case study showed an increase in the water flux and in the DCF rejection efficiency, for composite membranes (PAN/S-PAC) with higher concentration of S-PAC. The results of static adsorption tests indicated that the mechanism of DCF rejection occurred predominantly by adsorption. There were indications that the PAN/S-PAC membranes formed a composite material and the PAN/S-PAC (3.0) presented the best study composition given the results. Although the research is in its initial phase, the results indicated that the composition can improve many water treatment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multigenerational toxicological effects of a binary mixture of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with glyphosate were identified in Daphnia magna using acute and chronic toxicity tests. Acute toxicity interactions were analyzed with the Abbott method. In the chronic tests, the survival, growth, reproduction, and age at first brood were evaluated for the parents and the exposed (F1E) and non-exposed (F1NE) descendants. The scales tested for binary mixture, at the acute level, presented antagonistic and additive interactions, possibly associated with the complexation of the AgNPs by glyphosate. Multigenerational chronic effects related to the parameters, reproduction, and age at first brood were observed in the descendants tested with the individual compounds, with no recovery for F1E and F1NE. In organisms exposed to binary mixture, there was a delay in the age at first brood and also a significant change in the reproduction parameter, with a strong reduction for the parents, F1E, and F1NE, indicating a higher toxicity than the compounds tested individually. Although the results for acute interactions between AgNP and glyphosate did not provide clear evidence, multigenerational chronic binary mixture trials have resulted in unexpected toxicity compared with individual treatments, increasing the concerns associated with this co-exposure in other scenarios. Therefore, the interaction of binary mixture with the organisms merits further investigation and the results reported in the present study will be useful in this regard. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1123-1131. © 2020 SETAC., (© 2020 SETAC.)

Contamination of water bodies by saxitoxin can result in various toxic effects in aquatic organisms. Saxitoxin contamination has also been shown to be a threat to human health in several reported cases, even resulting in death. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity of animal (Neuro-2A) and algal (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) bioassays to saxitoxin effect. Neuro-2A cells were found to be sensitive to saxitoxin, as shown by a 24 h EC50 value of 1.5 nM, which was obtained using a cell viability assay. Conversely, no saxitoxin effect was found in any of the algal biomarkers evaluated, for the concentration range tested (2-128 nM). These results indicate that saxitoxin may induce toxic effects in animal and human populations at concentrations where phytoplankton communities are not affected. Therefore, when evaluating STX risk of toxicity, algal bioassays do not appear to be reliable indicators and should always be conducted in combination with animal bioassays., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)