Sample preparation methods for the analysis of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The vast amount of plastic waste emitted into the environment is of increasing concern because there is mounting evidence for various toxic effects of...     

Analytical methods for microplastics in the environment: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Microplastic pollution is a recently discovered threat to ecosystems requiring the development of new analytical methods. Here, we review classical and advanced...     

A review of sorbents for high-temperature hydrogen sulfide removal from hot coal gas

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems are considered as the most promising clean coal technologies. Syngas derived...     

水环境中新烟碱类农药去除技术研究进展

新烟碱类农药的大量使用导致其在水环境中普遍存在,对生态系统和人体健康构成巨大威胁.传统的生物处理技术对新烟碱类农药几乎没有去除效果,高效的去除技术成为目前水环境领域的研究热点.本文系统分析了水环境中新烟碱类农药的来源、危害及污染现状,综述了物理、化学和生物去除技术的研究进展,重点讨论了高级氧化技术,详细阐述了不同技术对新烟碱类农药的去除效果、机理及影响因素等,并指出了各技术的应用优势和限制,最后对新烟碱类农药去除技术的研究提出了展望.     

A review for chromium removal by carbon nanotubes

Water pollution is still a serious problem for the entire world. Adsorption technology is a promising process which is based on the fabrication of novel, cheap, non-dangerous and highly sorptive materials for application in wastewater purification processes. Nanomaterials are functional groups which find use in many important fields such as medicine, food processing and agriculture. This review collects information from published works about the use of carbon nanotubes as efficient and promising adsorbents in chromium removal from (real or synthesised) wastewater. For this purpose, isotherm (Langmuir, Freundlich, etc.), kinetic (pseudo-first-, second-order, etc.), thermodynamic (free-energy Gibbs, enthalpy, entropy) and desorption–regeneration studies were discussed in detail. Moreover, significant factors such as pH, agitation time, temperature, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration are also reported extensively. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) ions were 0.39–238.09 and 1.26–370.3?mg/g, respectively. The absolute values of ΔG⁰ and ΔH⁰ ranged 0.237–48.62 and 0.16–58.43?kJ/mol, respectively.     

Microplastics removal strategies: A step toward finding the solution

• Physical, chemical and biological methods are explored for MPs removal. • Physical methods based on adsorption/filtration are mostly used for MPs removal. • Chemical methods of MPs removal work on coagulation and flocculation mechanism. • MBR technology has also shown the removal of MPs from water. • Global policy on plastic control is lacking. Microplastics are an emerging threat and a big challenge for the environment. The presence of microplastics (MPs) in water is life-threatening to diverse organisms of aquatic ecosystems. Hence, the scientific community is exploring deeper to find treatment and removal options of MPs. Various physical, chemical and biological methods are researched for MPs removal, among which few have shown good efficiency in the laboratory. These methods also have a few limitations in environmental conditions. Other than finding a suitable method, the creation of legal restrictions at a governmental level by imposing policies against MPs is still a daunting task in many countries. This review is an effort to place all effectual MP removal methods in one document to compare the mechanisms, efficiency, advantages, and disadvantages and find the best solution. Further, it also discusses the policies and regulations available in different countries to design an effective global policy. Efforts are also made to discuss the research gaps, recent advancements, and insights in the field.     

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.     

Methods for selenium removal from contaminated waters: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Worldwide contamination of waters by metals, metalloids, and organometallic pollutants is a major health issue. In particular, the occurrence of the selenium...     

Hydrogels for the removal of the methylene blue dye from wastewater: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Water pollution is a major environmental issue with the rapid development of industry. Therefore, advanced technologies and materials are needed to remove...     

环境微塑料与有机污染物的相互作用及联合毒性效应研究进展

环境微塑料可吸附有机污染物,并与有机污染物进行相互作用从而改变其毒性效应,增加微塑料的治理难度.本文就全球范围内微塑料与有机污染物的相互作用及毒性效应的研究进展进行综述,分析不同介质中微塑料与有机污染物的共存水平、吸附机理、影响因素以及联合毒性效应等.研究表明,微塑料可作为多环芳烃(PAHs)、多氯联苯(PCBs)、六...     

Accumulation and fate of microplastics in soils after application of biosolids on land: A review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The recent discovery of microplastic occurrence in most ecosystems is raising health concerns globally, yet the fate of microplastics is poorly known, particularly...     

Clay mineral adsorbents for heavy metal removal from wastewater: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Heavy metal pollution such as water contamination by Pb, Hg, Cu, Cd and Cr ions is induced by rapid urbanization and industrialization and is a major threat to...     

Technologies for pollutant removal and resource recovery from blackwater: a review

● Blackwater is the main source of organics and nutrients in domestic wastewater. ● Various treatment methods can be applied for resource recovery from blackwater. ● Blackwater treatment systems of high integration and efficiency are the future trend. ● More research is needed for the practical use of blackwater treatment systems. Blackwater (BW), consisting of feces, urine, flushing water and toilet paper, makes up an important portion of domestic wastewater. The improper disposal of BW may lead to environmental pollution and disease transmission, threatening the sustainable development of the world. Rich in nutrients and organic matter, BW could be treated for resource recovery and reuse through various approaches. Aimed at providing guidance for the future development of BW treatment and resource recovery, this paper presented a literature review of BWs produced in different countries and types of toilets, including their physiochemical characteristics, and current treatment and resource recovery strategies. The degradation and utilization of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) within BW are underlined. The performance of different systems was classified and summarized. Among all the treating systems, biological and ecological systems have been long and widely applied for BW treatment, showing their universality and operability in nutrients and energy recovery, but they are either slow or ineffective in removal of some refractory pollutants. Novel processes, especially advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), are becoming increasingly extensively studied in BW treatment because of their high efficiency, especially for the removal of micropollutants and pathogens. This review could serve as an instructive guidance for the design and optimization of BW treatment technologies, aiming to help in the fulfilment of sustainable human excreta management.     

S–O–C isotopic picture of sulphate–methane–carbonate system in freshwater lakes from Poland. A review

Microbial oxidation of organic compounds (including methane), in freshwater sediments, may result in precipitation of carbonates, which may become an important geochemical archive of paleoenvironmental variations. Most probably low δ¹³C value in calcite in eutrophic systems results from an advanced oxidation of organic compounds in turbulent or/and sulphate-rich conditions. Likewise, high δ¹³C value in calcite from organic-rich sediments may evidence low redox potential of the freshwater system. Oxidation of methane and organic matter results in significant isotope effects in sulphates dissolved in water. Therefore, to better understand the origin of carbon isotope signal in carbonates, concentration and stable isotope measurements in dissolved sulphate (water column), bubble methane and calcite (freshwater sediments) have been carried out in 24 lakes, 2 ponds and 4 rivers in Poland. The highest concentration of sulphate has been detected in rivers (85.47 SO₄ ²⁻ mg/l) and an artificial lake (70.30 SO₄ ²⁻ mg/l) located in the extremely SO₄ ²⁻-polluted region called the “Black Triangle”. The lowest concentration of sulphate is found in dystrophic and mountain lakes (from 0.5 SO₄ ²⁻ to about 3 mg/l). The lowest δ³⁴S(SO₄ ²⁻) and δ¹⁸O(SO₄ ²⁻) values occur in unpolluted lakes in eastern Poland (−0.94 and 1.38‰, respectively). The highest S and O isotopic ratios are found in a polluted lake in western Poland (δ¹⁴S(SO₄ ²)=12.95‰) and in a dystrophic lake in eastern Poland (δ¹⁸O(SO₄ ²) = 16.15‰) respectively. It is proposed that δ³⁴SO₄ ²⁻ and (¹⁸O(SO₄ ²⁻) values in lakes represent a good tool to assess and quantify anthropogenic impact by acid precipitation and to monitor variations in the trophic state and redox processes controlled by biodegradation of organic compounds in sediments and water column. In general, increasing depth (up to 12 m) of the water column is associated with decreasing trend the δ¹³C(CH₄) value from about –35 to about –78‰. However, δ¹³C value in sedimentary calcite (δ¹³C vary from –10 to 0.5‰) shows opposite trends as compared to the corresponding methane. This is probably due to redox processes and distribution of heavy isotopes between methane and calcite. Likewise, turbulent water (river) show high δ¹³C value in methane and low δ¹³C value in calcite—this is probably due to an enhanced oxidation of methane producing ¹³C-depleted CO₂. In contrast to clean lakes, it is observed that an increase of the δ¹³C(CH₄) value occurs with increasing depth of the water column in a strongly SO₄ ²⁻-contaminated lake. This is probably due to a loss of biological buffering potential of the lake accompanied by an active oxidation of methane precursors.     

Dyes removal from water using polymeric nanocomposites: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Most dyes are pollutants that should be removed from waters due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic properties, requiring advanced adsorption methods. Here, we...     

稻米镉积累的影响因素与阻控措施

长期高镉暴露能引发"痛痛病"等疾病,镉的人体健康危害不容小视.目前我国镉污染较为严重,因其容易富集于水稻等粮食作物而备受当前环境、食品领域的关注.镉污染大米(也称为"镉米")摄入是目前人体镉暴露的最重要来源,探究"镉米"的形成及影响因素,并针对影响因素提出相应的阻控措施对保障食品安全和人体健康具有重要意义.本文针对土壤—水稻体系,简介了当前我国稻田镉污染现状,分析了土壤理化性质、全球变暖、水稻品种、水稻根系结构、水稻根系基因对水稻镉吸收的影响,总结了镉被吸收后在水稻植株内的分布和迁移过程及相关调控基因,探讨了土壤修复、基因调控、稻米加工、膳食摄入等措施降低大米镉含量及人体健康风险的效果.本文揭示了稻米镉积累的关键影响因素,并对今后"镉米"阻控措施的发展方向进行了展望.     

Cellulose-based beads for the adsorptive removal of wastewater effluents: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Wastewater pollution is a major issue requiring advanced treatment methods such as nanotechnologies. In particular, nanocelluloses appear promising as adsorbents...     

污水中内分泌干扰物的去除技术研究进展

内分泌干扰物(EDCs)在水环境中广泛存在,对生物体生存和繁衍危害巨大,是改善水质、保障生态安全的一个世界性环境问题.对于污水中EDCs的去除,常用的方法包括物理方法、高级化学氧化和生物降解.物理方法主要包括活性炭法和膜分离技术,这2种技术对EDCs具有较好的去除效果,但活性炭的吸附能力随着运行时间的增长和EDCs浓度的增加而减弱,而膜分离技术对EDCs的去除效率受EDCs的物化属性和膜本身特性等因素的影响;高级化学氧化法降解EDCs的关键是氧化剂的选择,氯化去除EDCs易产生副产物,相比而言O3、UV/H2O2和其它联合技术对EDCs的去除效果更明显;生物降解从EDCs的去除率、运行条件和评价方法方面进行了分析,在化学沉降法、活性污泥法和滴流生物滤器3种工艺中,活性污泥法对EDCs的去除效率最高,生物降解EDCs的效果主要受处理工艺类型、水力停留时间、泥龄、温度、溶解氧等因素的影响,由于化学分析的局限性,结合生物测试的方法来评价EDCs的去除效果将更为全面;最后结合实际对各种技术的应用前景进行了分析和展望,相比其他技术而言生物处理技术有一定的优势,以生物单元为主体的综合处理过程将成为未来去除EDCs最经济实用的方法,而结合化学分析和生物测试来综合评价EDCs的去除效果也将成为研究的重要的评价手段.     

A critical review of the emerging research on the detection and assessment of microplastics pollution in the coastal,marine, and urban Bangladesh

● Coastal and marine regions are the most studied for microplastic pollution. ● Tourism is a major cause of microplastic pollution in coastal regions. ● Sediments contain larger microplastics while fish ingest smaller microplastics. ● Inland lakes, rivers, and freshwater fish are impacted by microplastic pollution. ● Microplastics are found in edible salts, however, presence is less in refined salt. The research on the extent and effects of microplastics pollution in the Global South is only getting started. Bangladesh is a South Asian country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world, however, such exponential economic growth has also increased the pollution threats to its natural and urban environment. In this paper, we reviewed the recent primary research on the assessment of the extent of microplastics pollution in Bangladesh. From the online databases, we developed a compilation of emerging research articles that detected and quantified microplastics in different coastal, marine, and urban environments in Bangladesh. Most of the studies focused on the coastal environment (e.g., beach sediment) and marine fish, while limited data were available for the urban environment. We also discussed the relationship of the type of anthropogenic activities with the observed microplastic pollution. The Cox’s Bazar sea beach in south-east Bangladesh experienced microplastics pollution due to tourism activities, while fishing and other anthropogenic activities led to microplastics pollution in the Bay of Bengal. While microplastics larger than 1 mm were prevalent in the beach sediments, smaller microplastics with size below 0.5 mm were prevalent in marine fish samples. Moreover, the differences in microplastic abundance, size, shape, color, and polymer type found were depended on the sampling sites and relevant anthropogenic activities. It is imperative to identify major sources of microplastics pollution in both natural and urban environment, determine potential environmental and human health effects, and develop mitigating and prevention strategies for reducing microplastics pollution.     

A roadmap for the conservation of freshwater mussels in Europe

Europe has a long history of human pressure on freshwater ecosystems. As pressure continues to grow and new threats emerge, there is an urgent need for conservation of freshwater biodiversity and its ecosystem services. However, whilst some taxonomic groups, mainly vertebrates, have received a disproportionate amount of attention and funds, other groups remain largely off the public and scientific radar. Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionida) are an alarming example of this conservation bias and here we point out six conceptual areas that need immediate and long-term attention: knowledge, threats, socioeconomics, conservation, governance and education. The proposed roadmap aims to advance research, policy and education by identifying the most pressing priorities for the short- and long-term conservation of freshwater mussels across Europe.