Using textile industrial sludge,sewage wastewater,and sewage sludge as inoculum to degrade recalcitrant textile dyes in a co-composting process: an assessment of biodegradation efficiency and compost phytotoxicity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recalcitrant dyes found in textile wastewater represent a threat for sustainable textile production due to their resistance to conventional...     

Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell,a potential plant species for degradation of textile azo dyes

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The current study highlighted the phytoremediation potential of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell for most commonly used azo dyes which are resistant to...     

PAHs composition of surface marine sediments: a comparison to potential local sources in Todos Santos Bay, B.C., Mexico

The analysis of the 16 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) listed as priority pollutants by EPA, was carried out on surface sediments at 32 stations at Todos Santos Bay, Baja California, Mexico. The purpose was to investigate concentration levels, distribution patterns and relate them to three suspected local sources. The PAHs composition of car exhaust, grass and shrubs combustion, and asphalt and tire dust, were all compared to the relative abundance of PAHs signature found on marine sediments of the bay. We used GC-MS analysis in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The total concentration found was low (from 7.6 to 813 ng/g of dry sediment. The average concentration was 96 ng/g). PAHs concentration was somewhat correlated (r = 0.612; P < 0.05) with organic matter content. Surface distributions suggest depositional patterns conforming to the reported water circulation in the bay. The maximum concentration was found near Todos Santos Canyon. The largest concentrations found were those of fluoranthene (120.6 ng/g), Indene(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene (115.6 ng/g) and pyrene (109.9 ng/g). Percentagewise, the main components were PAHs with three and four rings. Several indexes were used to investigate origins including simple PAH ratios and ternary plots. These indexes and plots suggest the main origin as a combination of urban air and wood and brush fires with little influence of oil.     

Establishing the redox potential of Tibouchina pulchra (Cham.) Cogn., a native tree species from the Atlantic Rain Forest,in the vicinity of an oil refinery in SE Brazil

The present study aimed to establish the seasonal variations in the redox potential ranges of young Tibouchina pulchra plants growing in the Cubatão region (SE Brazil) under varying levels of oxidative stress caused by air pollutants. The plants were exposed to filtered air (FA) and non-filtered air (NFA) in open-top chambers installed next to an oil refinery in Cubatão during six exposure periods of 90 days each, which included the winter and summer seasons. After exposure, several analyses were performed, including the foliar concentrations of ascorbic acid and glutathione in its reduced (AsA and GSH), total (totAA and totG) and oxidized forms (DHA and GSSG); their ratios (AsA/totAA and GSH/totG); the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR); and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). The range of antioxidant responses in T. pulchra plants varied seasonally and was stimulated by high or low air pollutant concentrations and/or air temperatures. Glutathione and APX were primarily responsible for increasing plant tolerance to oxidative stress originating from air pollution in the region. The high or low air temperatures mainly affected enzymatic activity. The content of MDA increased in response to increasing ozone concentration, thus indicating that the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance may not have been reached.