Hair burning and liming in tanneries is a source of pollution by arsenic,lead, zinc,manganese and iron

Heavy metals in the environment may be toxic for human and animals. Tanneries are a source of pollution by heavy metals. There is little information on heavy metals pollution in tanneries, especially on metals produced by the process of hair burning and liming. Liming is the first stage of chemical treatment where animal hair or wool is removed with sodium sulphide and calcium oxide. Here we studied cow, goat, buffalo and sheep hair, conventional liming agents and liming wastewaters from several sources. Samples were acid-digested and aliquots were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy following APHA standard method to measure concentrations of arsenic, lead, cadmium, zinc, manganese and iron. Results show that the range of metal contents in hair or wool and liming agents are 1.3–8.2 mg/kg for arsenic, 0.02–21.8 mg/kg for lead, 17.7–121.0 mg/kg for manganese, 7.3–141.1 mg/kg for zinc and 119.6–10613.8 mg/kg for iron. Liming wastewaters contain 1.9–5.6 µg/L arsenic, 0.03–6.05 µg/L lead, 38.6–139.0 µg/L manganese, 144.0–171.5 µg/L zinc and 399.5–1069.0 µg/L iron. Cadmium was below detection limits. This is the first investigation that reveals that hair burning liming operation is a potential source of heavy metals in the environment.     

Selection and development of efficient consortia for decolorization of metal complex dyes

Decolorization of 18 different metal complex acid dyes was studied with 11 bacterial consortia. Five consortia and five dyes were selected on the basis of maximum decolorization. Among the parameters for optimization, nutrient broth was preferred by all bacterial consortia but one of them showed significant decolorization with Bushnell and Haas medium with or without glucose and yeast extract; hence, this consortium was selected for further studies. Decolorization efficiency was adversely affected beyond 200 mg/L dye and 2% NaCl concentration. Treatment efficiency was increased 2-fold using a developed consortium as compared to original consortium. Changes in the UV-Vis spectra and considerable reduction in chemical oxygen demand of selected metal complex dyes after decolorization prove the efficiency of the consortium for its use. Decolorization of a broad range of metal complex dyes at pH 7.5 ± 0.5, 35 ± 2 °C, and static conditions promises the use of the developed consortium for industrial wastewater treatment.     

Anaerobic decolorization of an azo dye by a mixed culture

Wool dyeing wastewater contains xenobiotic compounds that can be removed by biotechnological processes. Studies on various dyes showed that anaerobic processes are suitable to alter azo dyes as a first step of the biodegradation process. These compounds are reduced by anaerobic consortia to aromatic amines and its ultimate degradation can be achieved by a further aerobic treatment.

Studies on degradation rate of an wool acid dye were performed in batch systems inoculated with anaerobic biomass. A commercial diazo dye, Acid Red 73, was added to the synthetic medium in which glucose was used as sole carbon source.

Results indicated that the Acid Red 73 was partially degraded by a mixed culture of anaerobic bacteria and a decolorization of 90% was obtained. Kinetics studies on removal of the colour showed that the decolorization rate was several times faster than the degradation rate of glucose for a range of dye concentrations between 60 mg/L and 400 mg/L. A first order kinetic model was used for dye concentrations up to 200 mg/L. For higher concentrations a model similar to the Michaelis‐Menten equation was better fitted to the experimental data.     

Adsorptive removal of direct dyes by PEI-treated peanut husk biomass: Box–Behnken experimental design

This paper reports the application of Box-Behnken experimental design to illustrate the adsorption of direct dyes (Indosol Black NF and Indosol Orange RSN) using polyethyleneimine (PEI)-treated peanut husk biomass. The effect of three independent variables (initial dyes concentration, biosorbent dose and pH) was investigated during the study. Maximum biosorption capacity (141 and 98.2 mg/g) of PEI-pretreated biomass was achieved with 200 mg/L initial dye concentration and 0.05 g/50 mL biomass dose for Indosol Black NF and Indosol Orange RSN, respectively. Acidic pH was found to be favourable for maximum dyes removal. Characterisation of biosorbent was carried out through Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and point of zero charge determination. FT-IR analyses confirmed the involvement of carboxylic and carbonyl groups. The desorption study was also conducted to check out the possibility of regeneration of dyes and adsorbent and it was found that 51.58 and 76.6% of Indosol Black NF and Indosol Orange RSN, respectively, can be desorbed from the loaded biosorbent by using 1 M NaOH solution. The results indicated that PEI-treated peanut husk biomass can be used as an efficient biosorbent for the removal of Indosol Black NF and Indosol Orange RSN dyes from aqueous solutions.     

High adsorption of dyes by water hyacinth fixed on alginate

Pollution from synthetic dyes has emerged to be a significant environmental issue over the past few decades. This has mainly been triggered by the increasing global dye production, possible toxic effects, undesirable colour and high persistence in the environment. Biosorption, which involves dye removal from aqueous solution by passive linkage in live and dead biomass, has shown great potential in removing dyes from aquatic environments. Among aquatic macrophytes, water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, has shown great potential as a biosorbent. In this work, we investigated the removal of two basic dyes, methylene blue and crystal violet, using E. crassipes immobilized on alginate. Results showed that the Langmuir model better described the equilibrium sorption data when compared to the Freundlich model. Optimum amounts of methylene blue and crystal violet dyes were adsorbed in the alkaline pH range (8–10), 8 % biomass dose, and the amount of dye removed increased with increasing initial dye concentration. The equilibrium monocomponent adsorption capacities for the dyes were 111.1 and 43.5 mg/g, while the binary adsorption capacities were 26.1 and 11.6 mg/g for methylene blue and crystal violet, respectively. To conclude, we show for the first time that E. crassipes fixed on alginate beads can uptake and adsorb methylene blue and crystal violet dyes very effectively in batch systems and show great potential for dye removal from aquatic environments.     

Equilibrium,kinetics and thermodynamics of hexavalent chromium biosorption on pristine and zinc chloride activated Senna siamea seed pods

Hexavalent chromium contamination in water is an issue of huge concern due to its use at a high scale, toxicity and non-biodegradability. Biosorption is a cost effective and unconventional strategy for the elimination of Cr(VI). Here, a novel biosorbent Senna siamea seed pod biomass and its chemically activated form have been investigated for the elimination of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution. The biosorbent was characterized by using BET, FTIR, FESEM-EDX and TGA techniques. Parameters controlling the biosorption process were optimized as pH 2.0, temperature 30°C, initial Cr(VI) concentration 500?mg/L, biosorbent dose 0.5?g/L. Optimized contact time was 210 and 180 min for pristine biomass and activated carbon, respectively. Langmuir isotherm correlated well with experimental data revealing that the biosorption occurred in monolayer pattern. Maximum biosorption capacity calculated by Langmuir biosorption isotherm was 119.18 and 139.86?mg/g for S. siamea pristine biomass and activated carbon, respectively. Pseudo-second order kinetic model correlated well with experimental data. Thermodynamic studies suggested that the biosorption process occurs in a non-spontaneous, stable and endothermic manner. These interesting findings on Cr(VI) biosorption by S. siamea seed pod biomass and S. siamea zinc chloride activated carbon vouches for its potential application as an unconventional biosorbent.     

Depollution of indigo dye by anodic oxidation and electro-Fenton using B-doped diamond anode

Hazardous wastes are generated in the synthesis of dyes and pigments applied in industries. Efficient methods are thus needed to clean wastewaters. Here, we use anodic oxidation and electro-Fenton with B-doped diamond anode to degrade the synthetic dye indigo in aqueous sodium dithionite. Results show the near-complete mineralization of the dye within 80 min at 500 mA. Mineralization was faster by electro-Fenton than anodic oxidation. The second-order rate constant (k) for the reaction of indigo with ^·OH was measured as 4.03 × 10⁹ M^?1 s^?1 at pH 3.0 and was compared with the rate constants of reactions between dyes and ^·OH. The results clearly demonstrate that both electro-Fenton and anodic oxidation can be used to depollute dyes in textile effluent with high efficiency and low cost. The main oxidant, ^·OH, being a non-selective reagent, the method could be applied to degrade other organic pollutants.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus algicola</Emphasis> decolourises more than 95% of some textile azo dyes

Textile effluents in natural waters pose environmental health problems if not treated to safe limits. Various bacterial species have the potential to degrade dyes. Here we studied the ability of Bacillus algicola to decolourise red, blue and yellow azo dyes. B. algicola was isolated from soil samples taken from a sanitary landfill site. Isolation and screening were performed using mineral salt medium. Dye-decolourising isolates were assessed in their capacity to decolourise dyes. Experiments were conducted at pH 6, 7 and 8, and 25, 35 and 45 °C. Phytotoxicity of the dyes and biodegradation products was assessed by seed germination tests. Results show that B. algicola gave the highest decolourisation at pH 8.0 and 25 °C in the presence of yeast extract as media supplement. B. algicola degraded the red and blue azo dyes by over 95%. The phytotoxicity results indicated that biodegradation products of the red and blue azo dyes were not toxic. Biodegradation products of the yellow dye were, however, toxic and considerably hindered germination. From these results, we infer that B. algicola has good potential for degrading and decolourising the red and blue test azo dyes.     

Flow characteristic and wastewater treatment performance of a pilot-scale airlift oxidation ditch

A pilot-scale airlift oxidation ditch using bubble diffuser and baffle as aerator was operated in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to investigate its flow characteristic and wastewater treatment performance. Compared with the conventional oxidation ditch process, effective depth and oxygen utilization efficiency of this new process was improved by underwater aeration. Furthermore, it had a reversed velocity distribution, which decreased from the bottom to the top on vertical section. Velocity measurement showed that a velocity over 0.2m/s at the bottom was sufficient to prevent sludge settlement during long term operation. Application of these concepts would save land area and energy consumption by about 25%―50% and 55%, respectively. In this new system, organic biodegradation and nitrification could be well achieved. Denitrification could occur steadily in the straight part by adjusting the airflow rate. An average TN removal rate of 63% was achieved with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations between 0.6mg/L and 1.5mg/L. The main pollutants in the effluent could meet the strictest discharge standard (COD<50mg/L, NH₄⁺―N<5mg/L, and TN<15mg/L) in China now.     

Natural dyes and antimicrobials for green treatment of textiles

Increasing studies on extraction, purification and modification processes of natural dyes and antimicrobials, and their subsequent application on textiles demonstrate the revival of natural dyeing and finishing. Natural dyes have been widely used in textile coloration since ancient times. But, with advent of man-made synthetic dyes in the mid-nineteenth century, the dye market has been captured due to a variety of competitive properties of synthetic dyes against natural ones such as lower cost, higher fastness, color variety, ability to dye synthetic fibers and availability in large industrial scale. However, most of the synthetic dyes raise some serious problems in human health and cause environmental risks. Due to these drawbacks along with the growing awareness about cleaner surroundings and healthy lifestyle, there has been recently a worldwide interest in the production and application of dyes from two natural sources, plants and microorganisms. Most of these natural dyes have also inherently antimicrobial properties and could consequently possess high medicinal activity. They are extracted from different types of microorganisms as well as various parts of the plants that contain coloring materials such as tannin, flavonoids and quinonoids. Here we review the latest scientific researches on extraction and application of natural dyes/antimicrobials on textiles as effective coloring and antibacterial agents. First, different methods of extraction of natural dyes/antimicrobials will be discussed, and then, current methods of textile treatments and examples of early applications of these dyes on textile processing, properties achieved and the results obtained will be presented.     

Metals contamination in the foraging area of Milky Stork: evidence of anthropogenic inputs in the aquatic environment of Kuala Gula,Malaysia

The rapid decline of the wild Milky Stork population in Malaysia has led to the reintroduction of the captive bred species in Kuala Gula, Perak. The area is known as an important migratory stopover and sanctuary for both visitors and resident birds. Although Kuala Gula and its adjacent areas are regarded as pristine and unpolluted, recent study suggested that accumulation of certain pollutants is occurring in the aquatic environment of the area. Surface sediment samples from five foraging areas considered important to the reintroduced Milky Storks have been analyzed for metals contamination. The results show that elevations of Cu, Zn, and Pb ranging from 9.7 to 57 mg kg^?1, 71 to 120 mg kg^?1, and 28 to 47 mg kg^?1 have occurred, except for Cd (0.9–1.7 mg kg^?1). The accumulation of these metals is site-specific which reflects continuous anthropogenic inputs into the aquatic environment of Kuala Gula. In addition, metal levels in some areas have exceeded the effects range low values, and thus urgent action is needed to ensure good practice and sustainable management of Kuala Gula by responsible parties.     

絮凝-光催化处理实际染料废水的研究

采用絮凝-光催化氧化工艺成功地处理了实际染料废水;研究了COD光催化降解动力学。COD和BOD5浓度分别为2169mg／L、295mg／L的染料废水,经絮凝-光催化处理后,出水COD和BOD5分别为214mg／L、18．5mg／L,去除率分别为90．1％、93．7％。向光催化体系中加入H2O2,可促进COD与BOD5的去除。该工艺可处理高浓度染料废水。     

Steam activation,characterisation and adsorption studies of activated carbon from maize tassels

In this paper, steam-produced activated carbon (STAC) from maize tassel (MT) was evaluated for its ability to remove basic dye (methylene blue MB) from aqueous solution in a batch adsorption process. The equilibrium experiments were conducted in the range of 50–300 mg/L initial MB concentrations at 30°C, for effect of pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time. The experimental data were analysed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models of adsorption. Freundlich adsorption isotherm was found to have highest value of R²(R²=0.97) compared to other models of Langmuir and Temkin having (0.96 and 0.95 respectively). STAC has a high adsorptive capacity for MB dye (200 mg/g) and also showed favourable adsorption for the dye with the separation factor (R_L<1) for the dye-activated carbon system. The kinetic data obtained were analysed using pseudo first-order kinetic equation and pseudo second-order kinetic equation. The experimental data fitted well into pseudo second-order kinetic equation, as demonstrated by the high value of R².     

Fe3O4@SA/Ce微球的表征及对染料的吸附特性

以天然高分子化合物海藻酸钠(sodium alginate,SA)为骨架,结合磁性Fe₃O₄和稀土铈离子Ce(Ⅲ)通过溶液反应制备出一种新型的磁性海藻酸铈复合微球(Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce).采用X射线衍射(XRD)、孔结构比表面积分析(BET)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、红外光谱(FT-IR)及振动样品强磁计(VSM)对Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce的结构进行了表征,并以直接桃红12B(direct red 12B,DR 12B)和直接橙S(direct orange S,DO S)两种染料为吸附对象,探讨了Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce的吸附剂性能、吸附动力学和热力学.结果表明,Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce对室温下自然pH染料溶液中DR 12B和DO S均表现出良好的吸附效果,吸附量分别可达464 mg·g^-1和730 mg·g^-1.在不同温度下(298、313、328 K),Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce对DR 12B和DO S的吸附过程均可用拟二级吸附动力学方程准确描述.通过等温吸附研究,发现Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce对两种染料的等温吸附较好地符合Freundlich模型.各种表征结果表明,SA与Ce(Ⅲ)和Fe₃O₄交联反应后生成的Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce凝胶球表面有大量深浅不一的褶皱沟纹,形貌发生了显著变化.作为一种绿色环保、制备方法简单、可高效吸附的磁性高分子复合吸附剂,Fe₃O₄@SA;Ce对高浓度染料具有很好的吸附效果,期望能够在染料废水处理中得到广泛应用.     

金属离子协同马尾藻对水中偶氮染料分子脱色的研究

本文研究了多种金属离子对海藻处理不同结构的偶氮染料分子的影响，结果表明，金属离子的种类及浓度对海藻处理偶所染料都有重要的作用，偶氮染料的分子量和结构也影响该体系的脱色效果。适当浓度的金属离子和海藻的体系比单独海藻处理偶氮染料的脱色速度快，脱色率高。同时探讨了该体系处理不同结构染料分子的脱色差异。     

Decolorization and degradation of acid dyes mediated by salt fractionated turnip ( Brassica rapa ) peroxidases

Peroxidases from turnip roots (524?U?g^?1 of vegetable) were highly effective in decolorizing acid dyes having wide spectrum chemical groups. Dye solutions, containing 40–170?mg?dye?L^?1, were treated by turnip peroxidases (TP) (specific activity of 122.0?U?mg^?1 proteins). These enzymes were able to decolorize most of the acid dyes in the presence of 2.0?mM 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBT). Increasing concentration of enzyme and time in the absence of HOBT did not influence dye decolorization. The rate of decolorization was significantly enhanced when HOBT was added to the decolorizing solutions. The decolorization of all the used dyes was maximum at pH 5.0 and 40°C. Complex mixtures of dyes were significantly decolorized when treated with enzyme in the presence of HOBT (2.0?mM). Phytotoxicity test based on Allium cepa root growth inhibition has shown that majority of the TP-treated dye product were not more toxic than their parent dye. Kinetic parameters of the TP with various dyes showed that this enzyme has highest affinity for Acid Yellow 42. This study demonstrates that the peroxidase/mediator system was an effective biocatalyst for the treatment of industrial effluents from textile, dye manufacturing, dyeing and printing industries or complex mixtures of dyes.     

Contaminated lead environments of man: reviewing the lead isotopic evidence in sediments,peat, and soils for the temporal and spatial patterns of atmospheric lead pollution in Sweden

Clair Patterson and colleagues demonstrated already four decades ago that the lead cycle was greatly altered on a global scale by humans. Moreover, this change occurred long before the implementation of monitoring programs designed to study lead and other trace metals. Patterson and colleagues also developed stable lead isotope analyses as a tool to differentiate between natural and pollution-derived lead. Since then, stable isotope analyses of sediment, peat, herbaria collections, soils, and forest plants have given us new insights into lead biogeochemical cycling in space and time. Three important conclusions from our studies of lead in the Swedish environment conducted over the past 15 years, which are well supported by extensive results from elsewhere in Europe and in North America, are: (1) lead deposition rates at sites removed from major point sources during the twentieth century were about 1,000 times higher than natural background deposition rates a few thousand years ago (~10 mg Pb m^?2 year^?1 vs. 0.01 mg Pb m^?2 year^?1), and even today (~1 mg Pb m^?2 year^?1) are still almost 100 times greater than natural rates. This increase from natural background to maximum fluxes is similar to estimated changes in body burdens of lead from ancient times to the twentieth century. (2) Stable lead isotopes (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios shown in this paper) are an effective tool to distinguish anthropogenic lead from the natural lead present in sediments, peat, and soils for both the majority of sites receiving diffuse inputs from long range and regional sources and for sites in close proximity to point sources. In sediments >3,500 years and in the parent soil material of the C-horizon, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios are higher, 1.3 to >2.0, whereas pollution sources and surface soils and peat have lower ratios that have been in the range 1.14–1.18. (3) Using stable lead isotopes, we have estimated that in southern Sweden the cumulative anthropogenic burden of atmospherically deposited lead is ~2–5 g Pb m^?2 and ~1 g Pb m^?2 in the “pristine” north. Half of this cumulative total was deposited before industrialization. (4) In the vicinity of the Rönnskär smelter in northern Sweden, a major point source during the twentieth century, there is an isotopic pattern that deviates from the general trends elsewhere, reflecting the particular history of ore usage at Rönnskär, which further demonstrates the chronological record of lead loading recorded in peat and in soil mor horizons.     

What have we known so far for fluorescence staining and quantification of microplastics: A tutorial review

• Fluorescence staining provides a fast and easy method to quantify microplastics. • Factors that influence staining are summarized to obtain an optimum staining effect. • Natural organic matter can be stained by dye and interfere with quantification. • Fluorescence staining is applied in both field and laboratory studies. • Future work involves developing new dyes and automated image-analysis methods. Understanding the fate and toxicity of microplastics (MPs,<5 mm plastic particles) is limited by quantification methods. This paper summarizes the methods in use and presents new ones. First, sampling and pretreatment processes of MPs, including sample collection, digestion, density separation, and quality control are reviewed. Then the promising and convenient staining procedures and quantification methods for MPs using fluorescence dyes are reviewed. The factors that influence the staining of MPs, including their physicochemical properties, are summarized to provide an optimal operation procedure. In general, the digestion step is crucial to eliminate natural organic matter (NOM) to avoid interference in quantification. Chloroform was reported to be the most appropriate solvent, and 10–20 μg/mL are recommended as optimal dye concentrations. In addition, a heating and cooling procedure is recommended to maintain the fluorescence intensity of MPs for two months. After staining, a fluorescence microscope is usually used to characterize the morphology, mass, or number of MPs, but compositional analysis cannot be determined with it. These fluorescence staining methods have been implemented to study MP abundance, transport, and toxicity and have been combined with other chemical characterization techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. More studies are needed to focus on the synthesis of novel dyes to avoid NOM’s interference. They need to be combined with other spectroscopic techniques to characterize plastic composition and to develop image-analysis methods. The stability of stained MPs needs to be improved.     

Adsorptive removal of Drimarine Red HF-3D dye from aqueous solution using low-cost agricultural waste: batch and column study

This study involves the utilisation of peanut husk for the removal of Drimarine Red HF-3D dye from aqueous solutions. Batch study experiments were conducted with native, HNO₃-treated and Na-alginate-immobilised peanut husk biomass. Maximum dye removal (95.24 mg/g) was obtained with HNO₃-treated biomass. The experimental data were successfully explained with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model for all types of biosorbents. The equilibrium data fitted well to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. A thermodynamic study was also carried out to check the nature of the adsorption process. A fixed-bed column study for Drimarine Red HF-3D was carried out to optimise the effect of bed height, flow rate and initial dye concentration using peanut husk biomass. The column study showed that biosorption capacity increased with the increase in initial dye concentration and bed height, but decreased with increased flow rate. Data for Drimarine Red HF-3D were in very good agreement with the bed depth service time model. Fourier transform infrared analysis demonstrated the involvement of different functional groups in dye biosorption. These results showed that peanut husk biomass possessed good potential for the removal of Drimarine Red HF-3D from aqueous solution.     

Cadmium accumulation by green algae Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz. (Chlorophyta) in presence of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Accumulation of metals by aquatic organisms is mostly affected by other biological components in environments. In this study, cadmium (Cd) accumulation in green algae, Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz., exposed to 0.1 and 1.0 mg L^?1 of Cd for 15 and 30 days was examined in laboratory conditions in the presence of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.). The green algae C. glomerata accumulated Cd concentrations as 690 ± 70 and 3430 ± 470 mg kg^?1 on day 15, and 1130 ± 180 and 6830 ± 1540 mg kg^?1 on day 30. There were significant increases (p < 0.05) in metal accumulation by green algae as the exposure time and metal concentration increased. The results also indicated that the presence of Nile tilapia in the medium led to a significant Cd accumulation in the green algae compared to control (p < 0.05).