Barium as a potential indicator of phosphorus in agricultural runoff

In many catchments, anthropogenic input of contaminants, and in particular phosphorus (P), into surface water is a mixture of agricultural and sewage runoff. Knowledge about the relative contribution from each of these sources is vital for mitigation of major environmental problems such as eutrophication. In this study, we investigated whether the distribution of trace elements in surface waters can be used to trace the contamination source. Water from three groups of streams was investigated: streams influenced only by agricultural runoff, streams influenced mainly by sewage runoff, and reference streams. Samples were collected at different flow regimes and times of year and analyzed for 62 elements using ICP-MS. Our results show that there are significant differences between the anthropogenic sources affecting the streams in terms of total element composition and individual elements, indicating that the method has the potential to trace anthropogenic impact on surface waters. The elements that show significant differences between sources are strontium (p < 0.001), calcium (p < 0.004), potassium (p < 0.001), magnesium (p < 0.001), boron (p < 0.001), rhodium (p = 0.001), and barium (p < 0.001). According to this study, barium shows the greatest potential as a tracer for an individual source of anthropogenic input to surface waters. We observed a strong relationship between barium and total P in the investigated samples (R(2) = 0.78), which could potentially be used to apportion anthropogenic sources of P and thereby facilitate targeting of mitigation practices.     

Investigation of metal ions binding of humic substances using fluorescence emission and synchronous‐scan spectroscopy

Abstract

The binding site interactions of IHSS humic substances, Suwannee River Humic Acid, Suwannee River Fulvic Acid, Nordic Fulvic Acid, and Aldrich Humic Acid with various metals ions and a herbicide, methyl viologen were investigated using fluorescence emission and synchronous‐scan spectroscopy. The metal ions used were, Fe(III), Cr(III), Cr(VI), Pb(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II). Stern‐Volmer constants, K_SV for these quenchers were determined at pH 4 and 8 using an ionic strength of 0.1M. For all four humic substances, and at both pH studied, Fe(III) was found to be the most efficient quencher. Quenching efficiency was found to be 3–10 times higher at pH 8. The bimolecular quenching rate constants were found to exceed the maximum considered for diffusion controlled interactions, and indicate that the fluorophore and quencher are in close physical association. Synchronous‐scan spectra were found to change with pH and provided useful information on binding site interactions between humic substances and these quenchers.     

Removal of two cationic dyes from a textile effluent by filtration-adsorption on wood sawdust

BACKGROUND: Wastewater from textile industry contains various contaminants such as dyes, surfactants and heavy metals. Textile dyes have synthetic origin and complex aromatic molecular structures that make them difficult to biodegrade when discharged in the ecosystem. The objective of this study was to examine the decolourisation of textile effluents containing cationic dyes by filtration-adsorption on wood sawdust from two different origins; fir as an example of a conifer tree, and beech as an example of a deciduous one, and to explain the adsorption mechanism. METHODS: The process of dye removal was applied to a synthetic effluent in batch mode. Adsorption experiments were performed by suspending sawdust in the effluent and analyzing the supernatant by spectrophotometry. The effectiveness of the treatment process was evaluated by measuring coloration. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Experimental results showed a significant potential for wood sawdust, especially coniferous sawdust, to remove cationic dyes from textile effluents. Adsorption kinetics was influenced by the initial dye concentration, nature and amount of sorbent as well as sorbent particle size. The adsorption followed a pseudo first-order kinetics. For both basic dyes, the Langmuir adsorption equation showed a better fit than the Freundlich equation. CONCLUSION: Filtration-adsorption using an inexpensive and readily available biosorbent provided an attractive alternative treatment for dye removal, and it does not generate any secondary pollution. Recommendations and Perspectives. Laboratory studies provide promising perspectives for the utilization of wood sawdust as renewable adsorbent for reducing pollution while enhancing the reuse of textile effluents. However, the treatment process needs to be applied to the other textile dye classes in order to be used on an industrial scale.     

Indoor particle size distributions in homes with open fires and improved Patsari cook stoves

Particulate pollution has been clearly linked with adverse health impacts from open fire cookstoves, and indoor air concentrations are frequently used as a proxy for exposures in health studies. Implicit are the assumptions that the size distributions for the open fire and improved stove are not significantly different, and that the relationship between indoor concentrations and personal exposures is the same between stoves. To evaluate the impact of these assumptions size distributions of particulate matter in indoor air were measured with the Sioutas cascade impactor in homes using open fires and improved Patsari stoves in a rural Purepecha community in Michoacan, Mexico. On average indoor concentrations of particles less than 0.25 μm were 72% reduced in homes with improved Patsari stoves, reflecting a reduced contribution of this size fraction to PM_2.5 mass concentrations from 68% to 48%. As a result the mass median diameter of indoor PM_2.5 particulate matter was increased by 29% with the Patsari improved stove compared to the open fire (from 0.42 μm to 0.59 μm, respectively). Personal PM_2.5 exposure concentrations for women in homes using open fires were approximately 61% of indoor concentration levels (156 μg m^?3 and 257 μg m^?3 respectively). In contrast personal exposure concentrations were 77% times indoor air concentration levels for women in homes using improved Patsari stoves (78 μg m^?3and 101 μg m^?3 respectively). Thus, if indoor air concentrations are used in health and epidemiologic studies significant bias may result if the shift in size distribution and the change in relationship between indoor air concentrations and personal exposure concentrations are not accounted for between different stove types.     

Multivariate statistics to investigate metal contamination in surface soil

The modification of soil composition in the urbanized area of Ankara due to wet-dry deposition and pollution-derived particles from the atmosphere is investigated by analyzing 120 surface soil samples, collected from the urbanized area and its un-urbanized surrounding, for major, minor and trace elements. Concentrations of elements from human activity (e.g. Cd, Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu and Ca) in the urbanized area were higher than their corresponding concentrations in global average soil and soil in un-urbanized areas outside the urbanized area. Metal contents in soil were very high in densely populated districts and around some industrial facilities. The only exception was Pb distribution, which was more dispersed, due to the nature of motor vehicle emissions. Alteration of the Cd, Zn, Cu and Cr content of soil was confined to the inhabited and industrial areas, whereas enrichment factors of these elements were close to unity in the remaining study area. Factor analysis identified two polluted soil factor associations. One factor includes elements, such as Zn and Cd, which had high factor scores in inhabited areas and the other factor (high loading of Pb) represents soil polluted by motor vehicle emissions.     

Experimental investigation of biodynamic human body models subjected to whole-body vibration during a vehicle ride

In this study, responses of biodynamic human body models to whole-body vibration during a vehicle ride were investigated. Accelerations were acquired from three different body parts, such as the head, upper torso and lower torso, of 10 seated passengers during a car ride while two different road conditions were considered. The same multipurpose vehicle was used during all experiments. Additionally, by two widely used biodynamic models in the literature, a set of simulations were run to obtain theoretical accelerations of the models and were compared with those obtained experimentally. To sustain a quantified comparison between experimental and theoretical approaches, the root mean square acceleration and acceleration spectral density were calculated. Time and frequency responses of the models demonstrated that neither of the models showed the best prediction performance of the human body behaviour in all cases, indicating that further models are required for better prediction of the human body responses.     

Correction to: Increasing water productivity,nitrogen economy,and grain yield of rice by water saving irrigation and fertilizer-N management

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The original publication of this paper contains a mistake.     

Trace metals solubility in rainwater: evaluation of rainwater quality at a watershed area, Istanbul

In this study, 79 bulk precipitation samples were collected at two sampling sites near Büyükçekmece Lake, one of the important drinking water sources of Istanbul, for the period of October 2001 to July 2002. The study comprised the determination of trace and toxic metals concentrations in rain water. The concentrations of the metals in this study were found to be higher than those reported by other researchers around the world. The solubility of toxic metals was found in the order of Cd > Cu > V > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cr. Solubility of metals under acidic conditions (pH < 5.5) was approximately five times higher than those under neutral conditions with Cd as the most soluble metal (50% soluble). Statistical evaluations including seasonal variations, crustal enrichment factors, and correlation matrix were discussed to identify the possible sources of these pollutants. The study revealed that anthropogenic elements were highly enriched especially for Cd > Cu > Pb which were found to be highly enriched. Significant portion of Cu and Pb could be increased by the effect of local sources like cement industry in the area; however, the rest of the investigated trace metals could be brought to the sampling site by long-range transport to the Büyükçekmece Lake watershed area.     

Polymeric Materials as Potential Inhibitors Against SARS-CoV-2

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Recently discovered SARS-CoV-2 caused a pandemic that triggered researchers worldwide to focus their research on all aspects of this new peril to humanity....