This study proposes a method based on solid-phase extraction using a minicolumn with sugarcane bagasse for pre-concentration uranium in water samples. The first optimization step was used factorial design in two levels (25) for the preliminary assessment of factors: elution flow, sample flow, pH, buffer concentration, and eluent concentration. From this design, it was found that all variables showed

Hydroxypropyl cellulose-g-poly (acrylicacid-co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid)/laterite (HPC-g-P (AA-co-AMPS)/laterite) with excellent water (salt) absorbency, water retention performance, re-swelling property, and fast water absorption rate was prepared by free-radical polymerization. The structure and morphology of the synthetic materials were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and TGA. The

Chlorinated ethene contaminations are a widespread environmental hazard and a threat to drinking water supplies. Electrochemical methods for in situ degradation of the chlorinated ethenes in the plume are under development. In laboratory, complete electrochemical removal of chlorinated ethenes in undivided flow-through reactors is reported when using palladized iron (Fe) cathodes (C) and cast Fe anodes

The authors realized post publication that pertinent information from the Acknowledgments section was inadvertently omitted.

Micro-physicochemical characteristics and low-temperature SCR activities of the Mn–Ce–Cr catalysts on different carriers were investigated with SEM, XRD, XPS, FTIR, and denitration experiments. Mn–Ce–Cr catalysts carried on TiO2 and ZrO2, and composite carrier containing Al2O3 and TiO2 had visible element interactions on the surfaces, and Mn presented the mixed valences of Mn3+ and Mn4+. Mn3+ was transferred

Propylene glycol (PG), commonly used in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and considered non-PBT, is still an emerging contaminant of concern due to its widespread use. In this study, an isolate of a bacterial consortium obtained from an effluent treatment plant, MC1S, was used to degrade PG. The growth kinetics of the isolate was studied under aerated and non-aerated conditions. The

We investigated (1) whether rapid acquisition of tolerance to pirimicarb would develop in three cladocerans (Daphnia magna, Scapholeberis kingi, and Ceriodaphnia cornuta) after short-term exposure and whether this tolerance was maintained in their descendants over four generations; (2) whether tolerance implies fitness costs, and whether these costs quantitatively correlated with tolerance levels;

The work aims to study the removal of crystal violet (CV) using laterite soil with surface modification by surfactant (SML). Surface modification of laterite soil was conducted by pre-adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at pH 4 and low ionic strength to enhance removal of CV. The effective conditions for CV removal through adsorption technique using SML were optimized and found to be contact

Cu-based copper nanoclusters have generated a great deal of interest based on for their fluorescent and catalytic properties. However, as heterogeneous catalysts, little attention has been given to the degradation of organic pollutants in Fenton-like reaction systems. Here, flower-like copper nanoclusters/flower carbon heterostructured microspheres were prepared by a one-pot mixing template-based method

Enteric viruses in the aquatic environment are a concern due to the potential for waterborne disease transmission to humans. In Nepal, the Bagmati River serves as a source of drinking and irrigation water; therefore, the detection of waterborne enteric pathogens is integral to maintaining human health. The objective of this study was to quantify the crAssphage marker in surface water samples from the

Composting has various benefits to achieve sustainability, such as substituting the use of fertilizers and preventing organic residues from being dumped in landfills. Thus, the objective was to evaluate nutrient and heavy metal release dynamics during composting with different mixtures of organic residues containing food wastes. The study was conducted in a community association in Mossoró, Rio Grande

Fourteen pesticides were screened and determined through quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction process combined with GC-MS/MS in arid agriculture soil. The aims of the current investigation were to account the occurrence of organochlorine (OCP) and organophosphates (OPP) pesticide residues as well as other groups of pyrethroids (PYRs), carbamates, and biopesticides using

The response of soil microbiota to hydrocarbon contamination has been studied normally several months after the event. However, as those studies represent a “long-term” context for microbial processes, since protozoa succession can be achieved after 28 days, we wonder how fast does trophic structure of ciliates and flagellates recover from a strong pulse of petroleum contamination under the influence

The artificial radionuclide 90Sr is the main radionuclide in radioactive environmental pollution. In this study, celery was cultured in a laboratory hydroponics system for 21 days with strontium (Sr) levels of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mM. The changes in the Sr contents in celery leaves and roots as well as the translocation factor (TF) values (ratio of the Sr concentration in aerial plant

This study explored the potential use of apple peel extract (APE) for the biosynthesis of iron nanoparticles (FeNPs). The synthesized APE-FeNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission scanning electron microscopy (TEM). The biosynthesis

Two kinds of palladium-only catalysts loaded mesoporous beta zeolite (Pd/beta) and alumina (Pd/Al2O3) have been successfully prepared by the impregnation method and characterized using nitrogen adsorption–desorption, XRD, TEM, H2-TPR, CO2-TPD, and XPS. Catalytic activities of the catalysts for methanol oxidation were investigated with CO coexisting. The results showed that the different support determines

Nutrients that fall on the ground from the atmosphere represent a minor component of the total nitrogen (N) input to soils, especially when compared with agricultural, civil and industrial inputs (i.e. sewage treatment plants or sewage systems, fertilizer and manure applications). However, integrating all nitrogen forms, processes and scales can represent a breakthrough challenge for the understanding

Microplastics are materials which remain without decay in nature for many years. Thus, they have an essential role in environmental pollution. Microplastics (MPs) can be moved long distances by wind and rain because they can be degraded into small pieces due to oxidation and deterioration of the polymer forms when exposed to ultraviolet radiation like sunlight. Moreover, MPs affect human health badly

There is an increasing research interest in indoor air quality at schools as children who are among the most sensitive to air pollution spend a lot of time indoors. This study aims to estimate BTEX levels, sources, and assess their health risk at ten preschools in Hanoi, Vietnam. Two sampling campaigns were conducted in November and December, 2017, and May and June, 2018, with a total of 80 samples

Excessive nitrogen (N) loading has had severe consequences in coastal zones around the world. Denitrification and anammox are major microbial pathways for removing N in aquatic environments before it is exported to the coast. To assess two processes in eutrophic riverine systems, the denitrification and anammox and their bacterial participants were investigated in sediments of the Xiaoqing (XQ) River

This study investigated invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia from five localities with different levels of anthropogenic pollution in order to determine the potential for accumulation of trace metals and metaloids. Physical characteristics of the soil are presented, together with concentrations of As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, and Zn in both plant and soil. The tested samples

Alkylphenols (APs)—nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP)—are well-known environmental contaminants due to their widespread application and have been identified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. A novel APs-tolerant fungus designated F6 was isolated from the bottom sediments of the coastal part of the Eastern Gulf of Finland (Neva Bay) and was identified as Aspergillus tubingensis F6 based on ITS sequencing

This study aimed to define the optimum weight ratio between Berea Red sand (BRS)/zero-valent iron (ZVI) combinations to be used in the treatment of nitrate contaminated water. The effect of competing ions (phosphate and sulfate) on the nitrate removal efficiency of the best performing BRS-ZVI w/w ratio was also assessed. To achieve this objective, batch tests were performed under anoxic and acidic

To prevent deterioration of receiving water bodies, phosphorus and total suspended solid (TSS) removal from stormwater is commonly targeted, e.g., by bioretention. However, their removal may vary due to ambient conditions and design features. In this study, the effect of a submerged zone with embedded carbon source (SZC), temperature, and (road) salt on phosphorus removal was investigated using a two-level

Petroleum hydrocarbons are applied in various energy activities. If accidents happen, they may result in environmental contamination, especially in soil. Petroleum hydrocarbons have low evaporation rates and are adsorbed on the soil surface, making it necessary to treat contaminated soil before the pollutants spread to other areas. Soil washing with surfactant solution is a method used to treat petroleum

Sand mining in the municipality of Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has created large acidic lakes. This study evaluated the impact of water from sand pit lakes on the soil, leachate, and growth of Urochloa plants. Soil columns were sown with these plants and watered with five irrigation rates (treatments) with sand pit water and one treatment with pit water (control). A bottle was placed under

Lignin-based black liquor from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) as a side product of the pretreatment process in second-generation bioethanol is the next problem in developing renewable energy. Therefore, developing technology to overcome this problem is needed. In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photocatalyst and their synergy with heterogeneous Fenton-like process for degrading lignin

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is listed as an emerging contaminant due to the adverse effects that it has on human health and the environment. Being a broad spectrum antibiotic, OTC is widely used and is found in large concentrations in wastewater. Advanced wastewater treatment is an effective method for the removal of this pollutant; however, these tertiary treatments are expensive and generally not applied

Nickel (Ni) is an essential element in plants and animals, but elevated levels can exert toxicity in living beings, as recently highlighted by the European Food Safety Authority opinion. However, literature regarding the presence of nickel in the environment is scarce. In 2016, the EU Commission Recommendation n°1110 recommended monitoring the presence of Ni in feed in order to set maximum levels or

Nitrate-denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (Nitrate-DAMO) process is a novel bioprocess which couples anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) with nitrite/nitrate reduction. In this study, one Nitrate-DAMO culture contains both DAMO bacteria (62.2%) and DAMO archaea (26.5%). The environmental conditions, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen were found to affect Nitrate-DAMO activity significantly

The removal of Hg from contaminated aquatic media is of major importance, taking into consideration the highly toxic character of the element. One of the most promising water treatment technologies is adsorption by low cost adsorbents, such as activated carbon produced by agricultural byproducts. In this study, activated carbon in granular form (GAC) was produced using pistachio shells from Aegina

In this study, the activity concentrations of naturally occurring 238U, 232Th and 40K and anthropogenic 137Cs radionuclides were measured for 56 soil and beach sand samples collected from the Princes’ Islands (Istanbul) in the Sea of Marmara, using a gamma-ray spectrometer. In each case, the outdoor gamma-ray dose rates in air were measured at the coordinates where the samples were collected, using

The study was conducted in order to assess the spatiotemporal variations of selected water quality parameters, impact analysis, and trophic status on the Edremit shores of Lake Van. Water samples were collected from 10 representative sampling stations taken from the influent, effluent, and from Lake Van itself in order to analyze the physicochemical parameters in both dry and wet seasons. The trophic

Cementitious materials are commonly used to reinforce the bearing capacity of silty soils. However, there is very little data about how changes in arsenic (As) leaching from silty soils caused by the addition of cementitious materials. Therefore, batch leaching tests were conducted using As-bearing silty soil under different pH conditions. The pH was adjusted by changing the amount of slag cement added

The effects of CuO NPs and bulk Cu at 0–1000 mg L−1 on the growth, photosynthesis and biochemical parameters were investigated in 30-day-old rice plants grown hydroponically. ICP-OES measurements showed that CuO NPs released ≤ 1 mg L−1 of Cu2+ ions compared with ≤ 81 mg L−1 by bulk Cu at their highest concentration. Both treatments showed that growth, photo-phosphorylation and carbon dioxide assimilation

Wastewater stabilization ponds (WSP) are a common method to treat wastewater before release. The purpose of the current study was to find the most inexpensive coagulation and flocculation reagents to use during harvesting of WSP algae from effluent so that water without algae can be generated for irrigation purposes. In the study, the toxicity of effluent from the algae-based WSP system after treatment

Rapid growth of vehicles in Medan, Indonesia, is one of the causes in the increasing of air pollution, in which approximately 85% is contributed merely by vehicles. On the other hand, the use of lead-based fuel in motor vehicle increases the air contamination in Medan. This study aimed to obtain an accumulation of lead (Pb) in the thallus of lichens in mahogany trees in four different locations in

The food industry is considered to be one of the greatest sources of environmental contamination produced by dyes. Moreover, a large number of commercial food dyes and their by-products have been shown to be toxic, having chronic effects on human health. The search for efficient processes with which to treat these compounds is, therefore, necessary. In this work, the photo-peroxidation and photo-Fenton

Concrete grinding residue (CGR) is a byproduct of diamond grinding, a road surface maintenance technique. Direct deposition of CGR along roadsides may influence plant growth, which has not been fully studied. Particularly, systematic experiments of CGR effects on selected common prairie species growth under controlled environments are rarely reported. Thus, in this study, a greenhouse experiment was

This study investigated the potential of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSF-CWs) and open raceway ponds (RWPs) operated under different regimes (plants, impregnated activated charcoal (IAC), and algae) for long-term nitrogen removal to control eutrophication problems. For experimental purposes, five mesocosms HSSF-CWs and two RWPs were set up in Wuxi, China, a temperate climate zone

The wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the biggest reservoirs of pharmaceutical residues discharged into the environment. Among many pharmaceuticals, derivatives of 5-nitrofuran, whose cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity have been proved, are widely used. The ability of such compounds to accumulate in water and sediments motivated us to analyze the ability of microbial communities of rural and municipal

To prevent the collapse and settlement of fine granular soil during earth pressure balance (EPB) tunneling or tunneling balance machine (TBM) operations, foaming agent mixing is one of the most efficient techniques. This work focuses on the stability of loose sandy-clay soil conditioned with the foaming agent. Four reconstituted loose sandy-clay soils were conditioned with the foaming agent CLB F5/AC

Leonardite (LND), a low-grade coal, is an inexpensive material used to improve soil fertility in humic-deficient soils. Our objective was to quantify the ability of LND to immobilize atrazine (ATZ). To accomplish this, LND morphological properties, elemental composition, and spectroscopic properties were determined. We found that LND had a high organic matter content (40.53%, w/w) with a mesopore particle

Mercury (Hg) in the environment has been receiving considerable attention in recent years, but little is known about Hg accumulation in trees. We analyzed Hg in tree rings from four tree species at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire to determine whether Hg concentrations are more influenced by soil Hg concentrations, which have been stable or increasing due to the cumulative retention

End-of-life packaging materials (EOLPM) present an important challenge from an environmental and financial perspective at utility-scale solar energy (USSE) sites. Reuse on-site represents, in particular for remote sites, a significant contribution to sustainable business practice as it provides a higher value end use when used to develop on-site mulch to enable soil improvement, reducing transport

Among all female sex hormones, 17β-estradiol (E2) has been most often detected in discharge water from animal farms. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of UV/heat-activated persulfate to degrade E2 and the technical feasibility to use this system for treating real wastewater. As an individual persulfate (PS) homogeneous activator, UV-activated PS removed E2 better than using

The effect of nickel in the adsorption of N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (paracetamol) on a metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) type MIL-101(Cr) was studied. The incorporation of Ni to MOFs adsorbent was carried out by impregnation and adjusted to give a 4.00 wt.% Ni. The adsorbents were characterized by specific surface area (SSA), surface acidity techniques, electrophoretic migration (EM), thermogravimetric

The Upper Silesian basin belongs to the largest industrial pollution sources in Europe and the city of Ostrava ranks among the worst-polluted urban areas in the European Union. To assess temporal and spatial trends in atmospheric pollution, we determined concentrations of S, Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sb, and Al in snow in downtown Ostrava and at the Lysa Hora Mt. (LH), situated 33 km southeast. Snowpack

This study investigated the removal of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater by using rice and corn husk biochar. The choice of the materials was influenced by their large surface area, abundance of functional groups as well as their availability in the local environment. Rice and corn husks were pyrolyzed at 500, 600, and 700 °C to make biochars that were used to treat low-quality industrial

A sensitive, specific, precise, accurate, and fast method Swas suitably developed for the determination of selected heavy metals including Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn in tap water samples by inductivity coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after pre-concentration using Chelex-100 ion exchange resin. This method is based on studying several parameters including pH, weight of Chelex-100

This study aimed to investigate the kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of biosorption of the cationic dye rhodamine B by a low-cost biosorbent prepared from Aspergillus oryzae cells. Culture medium composition (mineral salts, nitrogen source, and carbon source) influenced removal efficiency, and dye removal increased with increasing biosorbent concentrations until a plateau was reached at 10 g L−1

The efficiency of two common Mediterranean agroforestry systems, a potato-poplar and a maize-poplar, was assessed with respect to the uptake of nutrients and pesticides in an experimental plot located in Attica, Greece, during the cultivating period of 2016. Soil samples were collected on a monthly basis at different soil horizons and varying distance from the tree row. The monitored substances included

This study investigated the impact of pyrolysis conditions on physical characteristics of date palm fronds biochars and their performances for aqueous uptake of anionic dyes—methyl orange (MO) and Eriochrome Black-T (EBT)—and cationic dyes—methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV). Detailed characterization of the biochars revealed the formation of oxygen functionalities (C=O, C-O-C, and C-O), improved

Trichloroethene (TCE) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) are notorious pollutants in groundwater. The biodegradation of them yields more toxic vinyl chloride (VC) and 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE). Although their biodegradation is highly feasible in the lab, field remediation still faces huge challenges. One challenge of them is the lack of good microbial indicators and consequently, monitoring famous

Pharmaceutically active compounds are gradually increasing in different environments such as surface waters, groundwater, and soil. Paracetamol is a pharmaceutical used as a pain reliever and antipyretic. In this study, paracetamol removal was investigated using manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieves (OMS-2) and persulfate. In the first stage of the study, OMS-2 was produced in a laboratory, and

In this study, partial nitrification algal-bacterial granular sludge system was cultivated when treating ammonium-rich wastewater. With 200 mg/L influent NH4-N concentration, the effluent NH4-N, NO2-N and NO3-N concentrations were maintained at 62.3 mg/L, 67.1 mg/L, and 7.8 mg/L, making it as an ideal influent for anaerobic ammonia oxidation (Anammox). The combined stress of algae growth and free nitrous

Bioleaching is suggested as a methodology with benefits in ex situ/in situ bioremediation for reducing metal contamination in dredged sediments. The process of bioleaching assisted by microorganisms in a stirred tank is widely used, among other biohydrometallurgical techniques, for the efficient extraction of metals of interest if the recovery costs of valuable metals allow it. Measurement of the mass

The advanced oxidation process based on sulfate radicals (SO4.−) is one of the most promising wastewater treatment technologies. In this study, we utilized potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) as an organic pollutant to configure simulated wastewater that was then treated by activation of sodium persulfate (PS) by zero-valent iron (ZVI) to produce SO4.−. Our results showed that the ZVI-PS system had

In this study, volcanic rock, ceramsite, and zeolite as media in biological aerated filters (BAFs) were evaluated on simultaneous ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus (SNP) removal performance in micro-polluted water. The highest NH4+-N removal efficiencies were 92.3% for zeolite BAF, and the highest PO43−-P removal efficiencies were 67.4% for volcanic rock BAF. Zeolite BAF and volcanic rock BAF were more

The great expansion in recent years in the use of plant biostimulants has underestimated the possibility of producing environmental risks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and toxicity of three different biostimulants (A, B, and C) produced and widely marketed in Brazil and exported to other countries on both plant and animal indicator organisms. In Allium