Distribution of copper,silver and gold during thermal treatment with brominated flame retardants

The growing consumption of electric and electronic equipment results in creating an increasing amount of electronic waste. The most economically and environmentally advantageous methods for the treatment and recycling of waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) are the thermal techniques such as direct combustion, co-combustion with plastic wastes, pyrolysis and gasification. Nowadays, this kind of waste is mainly thermally treated in incinerators (e.g. rotary kilns) to decompose the plastics present, and to concentrate metals in bottom ash. The concentrated metals (e.g. copper, precious metals) can be supplied as a secondary raw material to metal smelters, while the pyrolysis of plastics allows the recovery of fuel gases, volatilising agents and, eventually, energy. Indeed, WEEE, such as a printed circuit boards (PCBs) usually contains brominated flame retardants (BFRs). From these materials, hydrobromic acid (HBr) is formed as a product of their thermal decomposition.In the present work, the bromination was studied of copper, silver and gold by HBr, originating from BFRs, such as Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and Tetrabromobisphenol A-Tetrabromobisophenol A diglycidyl ether (TTDE) polymer; possible volatilization of the bromides formed was monitored using a thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a laboratory-scale furnace for treating samples of metals and BFRs under an inert atmosphere and at a wide range of temperatures. The results obtained indicate that up to about 50% of copper and silver can evolve from sample residues in the form of volatile CuBr and AgBr above 600 and 1000 °C, respectively. The reactions occur in the molten resin phase simultaneously with the decomposition of the brominated resin. Gold is resistant to HBr and remains unchanged in the residue.     

Seasonal patterns of the bacterioplankton community composition in a lake threatened by a pesticide disposal site

Background aim and scope  

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of ca. 35 years of pesticide contamination (pesticide dump—PD) of Lake Szeląg Wielki (located in the north-eastern Poland) on changes in the microbial communities of aquatic ecosystems. In the years 2008–2009, analyses were carried out for seasonal changes in the quantity and composition of bacterioplankton in the lake examined, which is of high significance to the tourism and fishing industries and is located in the vicinity of an area subjected to reclamation after a pesticide dump.     

Study of sorption kinetics of some ionic liquids on different soil types

In the present contribution sorption kinetics experiments under static conditions were utilized in three selected ionic liquids cations (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chlorides) study with five type of soil, differing in total organic carbon (TOC) content. The experimental results indicate the sorption capacity growth with increase in TOC content and hydrophobicity of ionic liquid cation. The obtained kinetic sorption parameters as well as distribution coefficients (K_d) were used to estimate the sorption properties of the soil types towards the ionic liquids in question. The Gibbs free energy values indicate that ionic liquid cations sorption on soils could be generally considered as a physical adsorption with exothermic effect. But the values of −dG for studied cations sorption on soil with very high of TOC content in soil (45%) may testify to nature of chemical adsorption. Sorption of the analyzed compounds occurs probably by means of hydrogen bonds, electrostatic and π  π interaction with the organic matter and the clay minerals of the soils.     

Lessons from Norovirus Outbreak in Warsaw,Poland, December 2012

Efficient foodborne outbreak investigations are important for identification of gaps in food safety and public health practice. This article reports on an investigation of a gastroenteritis outbreak linked to catering food following a Christmas reception at the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene (NIPH-NIH) in Warsaw in December 2012. Of 192 employees eating food at the catering event, 97 (50.5 %) developed symptoms. Persons eating dishes with recipes containing frozen carrots were five times more likely to develop gastrointestinal symptoms compared to those who did not eat carrots. Laboratory analysis identified norovirus in stool samples taken from symptomatic persons. Leftover food was not available for testing. The investigators did not collect stool specimens from food handlers and did not conduct trace backs for the suspected food ingredients. This investigation underlines the need for a revision of an existing procedures and importance of their complementation with detailed instructions for the local public health authorities for effective completion of foodborne outbreaks investigations in Poland.     

Gloves against mineral oils and mechanical hazards: composites of carboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber latex

Resistance to permeation of noxious chemical substances should be accompanied by resistance to mechanical factors because the glove material may be torn, cut or punctured in the workplace. This study reports on glove materials, protecting against mineral oils and mechanical hazards, made of carboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (XNBR) latex. The obtained materials were characterized by a very high resistance of the produced materials to oil permeation (breakthrough time?>?480?min). The mechanical properties, and especially tear resistance, of the studied materials were improved after the addition of modified bentonite (nanofiller) to the XNBR latex mixture. The nanocomposite meets the requirements in terms of parameters characterizing tear, abrasion, cut and puncture resistance. Therefore, the developed material may be used for the production of multifunctional protective gloves.     

Condition dependence of sexual attractiveness in the bank vole

The capture of genetic variation by sexual traits due to their condition dependence is hypothesized to underlie the genetic benefits of mate choice. Here, we investigate condition dependence of sexual attractiveness of bank vole Myodes glareolus males by manipulating their diet during the period of maturation. We find that reducing diet quality negatively affected both male mating success and development of preputial glands used in sexual signaling. Preputial glands showed stronger condition dependence than other organs measured (testes, heart, intestines). In contrast to mating success, male dominance was not significantly affected by diet manipulation and was not correlated with male mating success. Thus, our results support condition dependence of sexual attractiveness but not of intrasexual competitiveness.     

Landfill leachates and wastewater of maritime origin as possible sources of endocrine disruptors in municipal wastewater

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, wastewater from municipal services, such as a port wastewater reception facility (PRF-WW) and a municipal solid waste plant (MSWP), was...