Accumulation of metals,trace elements and semi-volatile organic compounds on exterior window surfaces in Baltimore

Organic films have been found to develop on window surfaces [Diamond et al., Environmental Science and Technology 34 (2000a) 2900]. The film contains organic compounds that are in dynamic equilibrium with the gas-phase in air, and organic and inorganic compounds and elements associated with deposited air particles. In this study, the exterior surfaces of windows were sampled in downtown and suburban Baltimore, Maryland. Higher concentrations of PCBs, PAH, metals and trace elements were found at downtown than a suburban site. PCBs in the films at downtown sites were dominated by penta and hexa homologue groups and PAH signatures resembled that of vehicle emissions. Twenty-six metals and trace elements were separated into two groups according to their enrichment factors (EF). Ag, Hg, Se, Sb and Zn had EF > 100, suggesting anthropogenic sources of these metals in the films; whereas Fe, Ca, Co, Cr and others had EF <10, suggesting a crustal origin. An unusual profile dominated by deca- and nona- PCBs and relatively higher concentrations of Ag, Hg and Zn may be attributable to emissions from a medical waste incinerator. Dry deposition fluxes of selected metals on windows were 1.4-94 times higher on windows with than without films, indicating that the film increases the dry deposition of particles and their associated chemicals. This implies that film development, which is associated with elevated VOC and SOC emissions to urban air, will increase film development that will, in turn, increase the accumulation of other atmospherically deposited constituents such as metals.     

Emissions of organic compounds and trace metals in fine particulate matter from motor vehicles: a tunnel study in Houston, Texas

Fine particulate matter (PM) samples collected in a highway tunnel in Houston, TX, were analyzed to quantify the concentrations of 14 n-alkanes, 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nine petroleum biomarkers, as well as 21 metals, with the ultimate aim of identifying appropriate tracers for diesel engines. First, an exploratory multivariate dimensionality reduction technique called principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to identify all potential candidates for tracers. Next, emission indices were calculated to interpret PCA results physically. Emission indices of n-heneicosane, n-docosane, n-tricosane, n-tetracosane, n-pentacosane, fluoranthene, and pyrene were correlated highly and increased strongly with percentage carbon present in the tunnel emanating from diesel vehicles. This suggests that these organic compounds are useful molecular markers to separate emissions from diesel and gasoline engines. Additionally, the results are the first quantification of the metal composition of PM with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 2.5 microm (PM2.5) emissions from mobile sources in Houston. PCA of trace metal concentrations followed by emission index calculations revealed that barium in fine airborne particles can be linked quantitatively to diesel engine emissions, demonstrating its role as an elemental tracer for heavy-duty trucks.     

Gas-phase tropospheric chemistry of organic compounds: a review

The current knowledge of the gas-phase reactions occurring in the troposphere for alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, oxygenates and aromatic hydrocarbons and their photooxidation products is reviewed,and areas of uncertainty identified.     

Levels of non-essential trace metals and their impact on placental health: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - According to recent research, even low levels of environmental chemicals, particularly heavy metals, can considerably disrupt placental homeostasis....     

Bioremediation potential of a perchlorate-enriched sewage sludge consortium

The purpose of this work was to explore the reductive bioremediation potential of a perchlorate-enriched facultative anaerobic consortium. Rapid perchlorate reduction and bacterial growth were observed up to 1.84 g l(-1) of perchlorate, but not at 3.82 g l(-1) due to the toxicity. The specific growth rate of the mixed consortium was 0.1 h(-1). The consortium co-reduced perchlorate and nitrate with acetate as e- donor and carbon source. The presence of nitrate slowed down the perchlorate reduction rate. The other e- acceptors utilized include oxygen, chlorate, Cr(VI), and selenate. Over 95% of the 16 mg l(-1) of added Cr(VI) was reduced within 24 h of incubation with a high-density perchlorate-grown consortium. However, the consortium failed to couple growth with reduction of nitrite, sulfate, thiosulfate, and sulfite. During the search for autotrophic perchlorate reduction, many consortia from very diverse natural sources could not use sulfur compounds such as thiosulfate as e- donor.     

The occurrence of chlorinated and other organic trace compounds in urban air

The concentrations of 42 chlorinated hydrocarbons (boiling point range from 61 °C to 400 °C) and those of 16 selected volatile hydrocarbons were simultaneously measured in ambient air during the period of one year. The measurements were carried out at 12 sites with different air qualities in the city of Hamburg (FRG). Annual means, medians and peak concentrations are presented. Analyses of the concentration distributions and a comparison with emission data show that traffic is the dominant source of hydrocarbons, whereas chlorinated hydrocarbons are predominantly emitted by industrial sources. This results in a fairly uniform urban pattern of hydrocarbons, but highly variable concentrations of low boiling halogenated compounds.     

Volatile organic compounds at swine facilities: A critical review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are regulated aerial pollutants that have environmental and health concerns. Swine operations produce and emit a complex mixture of VOCs with a wide range of molecular weights and a variety of physicochemical properties. Significant progress has been made in this area since the first experiment on VOCs at a swine facility in the early 1960s. A total of 47 research institutions in 15 North American, European, and Asian countries contributed to an increasing number of scientific publications. Nearly half of the research papers were published by U.S. institutions.Investigated major VOC sources included air inside swine barns, in headspaces of manure storages and composts, in open atmosphere above swine wastewater, and surrounding swine farms. They also included liquid swine manure and wastewater, and dusts inside and outside swine barns. Most of the sample analyses have been focusing on identification of VOC compounds and their relationship with odors. More than 500 VOCs have been identified. About 60% and 10% of the studies contributed to the quantification of VOC concentrations and emissions, respectively. The largest numbers of VOC compounds with reported concentrations in a single experimental study were 82 in air, 36 in manure, and 34 in dust samples.The relatively abundant VOC compounds that were quantified in at least two independent studies included acetic acid, butanoic acid (butyric acid), dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, iso-valeric, p-cresol, propionic acid, skatole, trimethyl amine, and valeric acid in air. They included acetic acid, p-cresol, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, indole, phenol, propionic acid, iso-valeric acid, and skatole in manure. In dust samples, they were acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, p-cresol, hexanal, and decanal. Swine facility VOCs were preferentially bound to smaller-size dusts.Identification and quantification of VOCs were restricted by using instruments based on gas Chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) with different detectors most of which require time-consuming procedures to obtain results. Various methodologies and technologies in sampling, sample preparation, and sample analysis have been used. Only four publications reported using GC based analyzers and PTR-MS (proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry) that allowed continuous VOC measurement. Because of this, the majority of experimental studies were only performed on limited numbers of air, manure, or dust samples. Many aerial VOCs had concentrations that were too low to be identified by the GC peaks.Although VOCs emitted from swine facilities have environmental concerns, only a few studies investigated VOC emission rates, which ranged from 3.0 to 176.5 mg d⁻¹ kg⁻¹ pig at swine finishing barns and from 2.3 to 45.2 g d⁻¹ m⁻² at manure storages. Similar to the other pollutants, spatial and temporal variations of aerial VOC concentrations and emissions existed and were significantly affected by manure management systems, barn structural designs, and ventilation rates.Scientific research in this area has been mainly driven by odor nuisance, instead of environment or health concerns. Compared with other aerial pollutants in animal agriculture, the current scientific knowledge about VOCs at swine facilities is still very limited and far from sufficient to develop reliable emission factors.     

Biogenic volatile organic compounds as a potential stimulator for organic contaminant degradation by soil microorganisms

The effects of monoterpenes on the degradation of ¹⁴C-2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) were investigated in soils collected from areas surrounding monoterpene and non-monoterpene-emitting vegetation. Indigenous microorganisms degraded ¹⁴C-2,4-DCP to ¹⁴CO₂, after 1 d contact time. Degradation was enhanced by prior exposure of the soils to 2,4-DCP for 32 d, increasing extents of mineralisation up to 60%. Monoterpene amendments further enhanced 2,4-DCP degradation, but only following pre-exposure to both 2,4-DCP and monoterpene, with total 2,4-DCP mineralisation extents of up to 71%. Degradation was greatest at the higher monoterpene concentrations (≥1 μg kg⁻¹). Total mineralisation extents were similar between concentrations, but higher than the control and the 0.1 μg kg⁻¹ amendment, indicating that increases in monoterpene concentration has a diminishing enhancing effect. We suggest that monoterpenes can stimulate the biodegradation of 2,4-DCP by indigenous soil microorganisms and that monoterpene amendment in soils is an effective strategy for removing organic contaminants.     

TiO2光催化处理废水中贵重金属的研究进展

概述了TiO2光催化处理废水中贵重金属的原理、影响因素及应用研究.影响光催化处理水相中金属的因素包括TiO2的晶型、粒径和比表面积、TiO2的用量、改性剂、光源与光强、金属离子、溶液pH值、O2、空穴捕获剂、阴阳离子、固定化及光反应器.叙述了采用光催化法除去单一金属离子(Cr(Ⅵ)、Hg(Ⅱ)、Cd(Ⅱ))、选择性分离回收多种贵金属以及耦合协同处理金属与有机污染物.最后,指出了存在的问题及今后的研究趋势.     

Photocatalytic purification of volatile organic compounds in indoor air: A literature review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are prevalent components of indoor air pollution. Among the approaches to remove VOCs from indoor air, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is regarded as a promising method. This paper is a review of the status of research on PCO purification of VOCs in indoor air. The review and discussion concentrate on the preparation and coating of various photocatalytic catalysts; different kinetic experiments and models; novel methods for measuring kinetic parameters; reaction pathways; intermediates generated by PCO; and an overview of various PCO reactors and their models described in the literature. Some recommendations are made for future work to evaluate the performance of photocatalytic catalysts, to reduce the generation of harmful intermediates and to design new PCO reactors with integrated UV source and reaction surface.     

The organic carbon derived from sewage sludge as a key parameter determining the fate of trace metals

In a sandy agricultural soil of south-west of France, continuously cultivated with maize and amended with sewage-sludge over 20 years, the behavior of three trace metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) was studied during the sludge applications (1974-1993) and after its cessation (1993-1998). Using the delta13C analysis, the dynamics of different sources of organic matter were followed in order to elucidate the influence of the sludge-derived organic matter on the fate of trace metals in the soil and its particle size fractions. This study revealed that sludge-derived organic matter contributed to the formation of macroaggregates through the binding of preexisting microaggregates. These macroagreggates were thus responsible for the accumulation of trace metals in the coarsest fraction as well as for the protection of maize-derived organic matter against biodegradation. After sludge application ceased, the disaggregation of macroaggregates occurred simultaneously with high losses in Cu and Pb. On the contrary, Zn appeared less affected by the cessation of sludge application, with only a location change from coarse to fine fractions.     

电场强化微滤工艺去除水中微量有机物的效果

微滤工艺虽然可以有效去除浊度、悬浮颗粒物等污染物,但对于微量有机物的去除则非常有限。外加电场与膜分离相结合,可以提高对微量有机物的去除效果。为此,研究了单独微滤、单独电场以及电场结合微滤3种工艺对水中5种典型低浓度微量有机物(舒必利、咖啡因、美托洛尔、利古隆、卡马西平)的去除效果;并考察了不同膜材料、进水中离子种类、进水离子浓度以及pH条件对微量有机物去除效果的影响。结果表明,微滤主要通过吸附作用去除水中微量有机物,吸附机理主要包括疏水性相互作用和静电引力作用,分别对应去除疏水性微量有机物(利古隆和卡马西平)和带正电荷微量有机物(舒必利和美托洛尔),而且微量有机物还可能通过与微滤膜表面形成的氢键,被吸附在膜表面。在单独电场中,电场力可以促进微量有机物在电极上的吸附,同时阳极上生成的总氯氧化剂也能强化微量有机物的去除,在3 V电压下微量有机物的去除率可以达到44.2%~82.8%。电场结合微滤可以明显提高微量有机物的去除效果。在外加电压为3 V时,在进水依次通过阴极、阳极以及膜片的模式下,可以实现对微量有机物90%以上的去除率,但阳极生成的总氯对膜表面造成的侵蚀可能会减少膜的使用寿命。     

Development of a packed-bed reactor for the recovery of metals from industrial wastewaters

Affinity separation is becoming well established for the purification and recovery of metals from industrial wastewaters. Although the method has been successfully applied on a bench-scale, there is a need for reaction engineering studies to scale-up the process for use in large-scale wastewater purification and recovery of valuable metals. In this study, a pilot-scale packed-bed reactor has been developed in order to investigate influences of process parameters and their interactions on the recovery of metals from process wastewaters using diatomaceous material. The material was formed into a packed configuration to provide a high adsorbent area-to-aqueous solution volume ratio. Activated carbon and ion-exchange resin were tested for comparison. The results obtained show that the flow-rate, residence time, metal concentration loading and packed-bed geometry significantly influenced the efficiency of the reactor system metal recovery and have to be considered in the design of large-scale system. An optimum residence time of 2 h was found to give metal recovery capacities of 60%, 76% and 80% for the ion-exchange resin, diatomaceous material and activated carbon, respectively, which confirmed the bench-scale studies. The sequestered metals were efficiently eluted from the diatomaceous material using different elution solutions for different metals. The selectivity of the adsorbent for specific metals can be manipulated on the uptake and elution sides of the process. The study also revealed that diatomaceous material can be regenerated and used many times over, just like conventional adsorbents or ion-exchange resins in process wastewater purification as well as in metal recovery processes. The application of the packed-bed reactor using the locally available diatomaceous material is therefore recommended for economical and cost-effective small-scale purification and recovery of metals from industrial wastewaters loaded with metals in Nigeria.     

Bioremediation perspectives and progress in petroleum pollution in the marine environment: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The marine environment is often affected by petroleum hydrocarbon pollution due to industrial activities and petroleum accidents. This pollution has...     

Occurrence and determination of organic oxidants in rivers and wastewaters

Two iodometric methods for the concentration and analysis of water samples containing organic oxidants were applied to rivers and wastewaters in Illinois, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Oxidant concentrations detected were as high as 2.5 § 10⁻⁵ M; the methods were capable of detecting as little as 10⁻⁸ M. Compounds possibly responsible for the observed oxidizing activity include N-chloro compounds, organic peroxides, or quinones.     

Inhibition of laccase activity from Trametes versicolor by heavy metals and organic compounds

Due to the numerous biotechnological applications of laccase enzyme, it is essential to know the influence of different agents usually present in the natural environment on its enzymatic action, especially for in situ treatment technologies. In the present work, a simple and rapid method to determine the inhibitory or inducer effect of different compounds on laccase activity was developed. The compounds tested were copper-chelating agents and heavy metals. It was found that using syringaldazine as a substrate, all copper-chelating agents (except EDTA) highly inhibited laccase activity (around 100%) at an inhibitor concentration lower than 20 mM. Moreover, 40% of inhibition, which was detected at a concentration of 20 mM for both Cd(2+) and Cu(2+) increased with concentration until nearly complete inhibition at 80 mM.     

Key factors in chemical reduction by hydrazine for recovery of precious metals

Most of the commonly used metal waste treatment approaches only allow removal of metals which are ultimately discarded as sludge and do not permit the reuse of the metals, resulting in a waste of raw materials. In this study, the recovery of precious metals of sliver and copper in a synthesized wastewater in batch reactors was investigated using a reduction method by hydrazine as the reducing agent. Recovery of metal ions was greatest at pH > 11. The presence of humic acid did not have negative effects on the recovery process. Varying dissolved oxygen levels in the hydrazine solution did not significantly affect the recovery of both metals while seeding and ageing processes resulted in an increase in the particle size of the solid obtained. Under competitive conditions between Cu2+ and Ag+ ions, the recovery of silver remained the same, while that of copper was enhanced.     

Contamination status and potential release of trace metals in a mangrove forest sediment in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam

Can Gio district is located in the coastal area of Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam. Discharge of wastewater from Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces to the rivers of Can Gio has led to concerns about the accumulation of trace metals (As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the coastal sediments. The main objective of this study was to assess the distribution of As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface and core sediments and to evaluate the contamination status in relation to local background values, as well as the potential release of these selected trace metals from sediments to the water environment. Sediment characteristization, including determination of fine fraction, pH, organic matter, and major elements (Al, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, and S), was carried out to investigate which parameters affect the trace metal enrichment. Fine fraction and Al contents were found to be the controlling proxies affecting the distribution of trace metals while other sediment characteristics did not show any clear influence on trace metals’ distribution. Although As concentrations in the sediments were much higher compared to its reference value in other areas, the enrichment factor based on local background values suggests minor contamination of this element as well as for Cr, Cu, and Pb. Risk assessment suggested a medium to very high risk of Mn, Zn, and Ni under acidification. Of importance is also that trace metals in sediments were not easily mobilized by organic complexation based on their low extractabilities by ammonium-EDTA extraction.

     

Simultaneous removal of organic compounds and heavy metals from soils by electrokinetic remediation with a modified cyclodextrin

Thousands of sites are contaminated with both heavy metals and organic compounds and these sites pose a major threat to public health and the environment. Previous studies have shown that electrokinetic remediation has potential to remove heavy metals and organic compounds when they exist individually in low permeability soils. This paper presents the feasibility of using cyclodextrins in electrokinetic remediation for the simultaneous removal of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from low permeability soils. Kaolin was selected as a model low permeability soil and it was spiked with phenanthrene as well as nickel at concentrations of 500 mg kg-1 each to simulate typical mixed field contamination. Bench-scale electrokinetic experiments were conducted using hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) at low (1%) and high (10%) concentrations and using deionized water in control test. A periodic voltage gradient of 2VDC cm-1 (with 5 d on and 2 d off) was applied to all the tests, and 0.01 M NaOH was added during the experiments to maintain neutral pH conditions at anode. In all tests, nickel migrated as Ni2+ ions towards the cathode and most of it was precipitated as Ni(OH)2 within the soil close to the cathode due to high pH condition generated by electrolysis reaction. The solubility of phenanthrene in the flushing solution and the amount of electroosmotic flow controlled the migration and removal of phenanthrene in all the tests. Even though high flow was generated in tests using deionized water and 1% HPCD, migration and removal of phenanthrene was low due to low solubility of phenanthrene in these solutions. The test with 10% HPCD solution showed higher solubility of phenanthrene which caused it migrate towards the cathode, but further migration and removal was retarded due to reduced electric current and electroosmotic flow. Approximately one pore volume of flushing resulted in approximately 50% removal of phenanthrene from the soil near the anode. Sustained higher electroosmotic flow with higher concentration cyclodextrin and maintaining low soil pH near cathode should be investigated to increase removal efficiency of both phenanthrene and nickel.