Using phytoremediation technologies to upgrade waste water treatment in Europe

Goal, Scope and Background One of the burning problems of our industrial society is the high consumption of water and the high demand for clean drinking water. Numerous approaches have been taken to reduce water consumption, but in the long run it seems only possible to recycle waste water into high quality water. It seems timely to discuss alternative water remediation technologies that are fit for industrial as well as less developed countries to ensure a high quality of drinking water throughout Europe. Main Features The present paper discusses a range of phytoremediation technologies to be applied in a modular approach to integrate and improve the performance of existing wastewater treatment, especially towards the emerging micro pollutants, i.e. organic chemicals and pharmaceuticals. This topic is of global relevance for the EU. Results Existing technologies for waste water treatment do not sufficiently address increasing pollution situation, especially with the growing use of organic pollutants in the private household and health sector. Although some crude chemical approaches exist, such as advanced oxidation steps, most waste water treatment plants will not be able to adopt them. The same is true for membrane technologies. Discussion Incredible progress has been made during recent years, thus providing us with membranes of longevity and stability and, at the same time, high filtration capacity. However, these systems are expensive and delicate in operation, so that the majority of communities will not be able to afford them. Combinations of different phytoremediation technologies seem to be most promising to solve this burning problem. Conclusions To quantify the occurrence and the distribution of micropollutants, to evaluate their effects, and to prevent them from passing through wastewater collection and treatment systems into rivers, lakes and ground water bodies represents an urgent task for applied environmental sciences in the coming years. Recommendations Public acceptance of green technologies is generally higher than that of industrial processes. The EU should stimulate research to upgrade existing waste water treatment by implementing phytoremediation modules and demonstrating their reliability to the public.     

Populus alba dioctyl phthalate uptake from contaminated water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phthalates are micro-pollutants of great concern due to their negative effects on ecosystem functioning and human health. Thanks to its capability in...     

Relationship among parameters of lake polluted sediments evaluated by multivariate statistical analysis

In the attempt to assess the relationship and interdependency among sediment toxic pollutants, in particular heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and linear alkyl sulfonates (LAS) and some of the sediment typical components: inorganic carbon (IC), organic material (OM) and acid volatile sulphides (AVS), multivariate techniques of statistical analysis have been applied to a set of chemical data obtained by the analysis of the sediments of the Trasimeno Lake, a central Italy lake characterized by a large surface (128 km(2)) and a low mean depth (about 4.5 m). The results of principal component analysis (PCA) show interrelationships between: OM content and PAH, Pb, and Cu concentrations of the sediments, LAS and AVS, and AVS and IC. The effect of the different sampling periods on sediment composition and contamination level, and the clustering of the sampling sites as a consequence of pollutant load are also shown. The principal component bi-plot of the variables and samples indicates that PAH have the greatest influence on the separation of samples in the different sampling periods.     

Large-scale shrimp farming in coastal wetlands of Venezuela,South America: Causes and consequences of land-use conflicts

In Venezuela, large-scale shrimp farming began in the 1980s. By 1987, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARNR) had received 14 proposals for approval. A developer illegally started the construction of ponds at the Píritu Lagoon in the State of Anzoátegui before the authorization process was completed. This action triggered a land-use conflict. This study identifies the causes for public protest and determines the consequences of this conflict for land-use management. The results show that public protest was based on the impacts of the partial construction of ponds. These impacts were related to direct removal of wetlands, interruption of natural patterns of surface flows, and alteration of feeding grounds of some bird species with migratory status. Consequences were identified in relation to the role that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play in land-use conflicts and the actions that MARNR could take in the future to prevent and solve similar situations.     

Effect of Silica Nanoparticles on the Mechanical Performances of Poly(Lactic Acid)

Various kinds of fumed silica nanoparticles, different in terms of specific surface area and surface functionalization, were melt compounded with a poly(lactic acid) biodegradable matrix, with the aim to investigate the thermo-mechanical and optical properties of the resulting materials. Untreated nanoparticles at elevated surface area resulted to be effective in increasing elastic modulus, because of the extended filler?Cmatrix interaction, while the finer dispersion of silica aggregates at the nanoscale obtained with surface treated nanoparticles led to noticeable improvements of the tensile properties at yield and at break, both under quasi-static and impact conditions. Also the fracture toughness and the creep stability were substantially enhanced by nanosilica addition, without impairing the original optical transparency of the matrix.     

Sources and trends of trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a shallow lake in the Mediterranean area from sediment archives of the Anthropocene

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the anthropogenic contamination in Trasimeno lake (Central Italy) was investigated using three sediment cores spanning over the last...     

Metal accumulation in poplar plant grown with industrial wastes

In this study the effects of different levels of industrial wastes on growth traits and metal accumulation in aerial portions were determined for Populusxeuramericana clone I-214. The experiment started in April 2003. Scions of Populusxeuramericana clone I-214, were grown outdoor near Pisa (Italy), in lisimeters filled with soil naturally present in the land around the experimental site, were daily drip irrigated, hand weeded, monthly fertilized, pruned for a unique shoot and cultivated with four increasing treatments: soil non-amended, soil amended with 4.8 kgm(-2), with 9.6 kgm(-2) and with 19.2 kgm(-2) of fresh tannery waste. The climatic parameters were daily recorded throughout the whole experiment. Growth relieves were performed during the growing season. After six months since the plantation of the scions, aerial portions of every plant were harvested for biomass and metal content analyses. Data demonstrated that the waste exerted beneficial effects on poplars mainly through a general increase of growth traits and that the nutrients relocation is the mechanisms involved in modulating growth rate. The concentration and the amount of the mineral elements analysed (N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr) changed determinately among treatments, organs and position. We concluded that phytoremediation strategies of tannery wastes might be possible and sustainable for polar plantations in soil amended with non-hazardous levels of industrial waste, which maintain total heavy metals concentration close to background values.