A method for measuring dermal exposure to multifunctional acrylates

UV-curable acrylates are used increasingly for coating wood surfaces in the furniture industry. One of the active components, tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA), is known to be both an allergen and irritant to the skin. Methods to measure dermal exposure to skin irritants and allergens, such as acrylates, are insufficient for exposure assessment and there is none for this compound. The aim of this investigation was to develop a skin and surface sampling method, based on tape stripping, and a gas chromatographic method for quantitative analysis for assessing occupational skin exposure to multifunctional acrylates. Twelve adhesives were tested for their efficiency to remove TPGDA and UV-coating from a glass surface, the skin of guinea pigs and human volunteers employing the tape-stripping method in order to find the best performing tape. Variables that affect removal efficiency such as the applied dose and its retention time on the skin, tape adhesion time on the skin, and the number of strippings required to detect the contaminant from the skin were studied. Fixomull tape performed the best during sampling and analysis and had the most consistent removal efficiencies for the studied substances. The average removal efficiency with a single stripping at the 2 microliters TPGDA exposed skin sites was 85% (RSD = 14.1), and for UV-resin exposed sites 63% (RSD = 20.2). The results indicated that this method can be used for measuring dermal exposure to multifunctional acrylates efficiently, accurately, and economically. This method provides a sensitive and powerful tool for the assessment of dermal exposure to multifunctional acrylates both from the skin and from other contaminated surfaces in occupational field settings.     

Chemical availability of 137Cs and 90Sr in undisturbed lysimeter soils maintained under controlled and close-to-real conditions

Chemical availability of 137Cs and 90Sr was determined in four undisturbed soils in a lysimeter study three and four years after deposition to the soil surface. The study was part of a larger project on radionuclide soil-plant interactions under well-defined conditions. The soil types were loam, silt loam, sandy loam and loamy sand, and were representatives of important European soil and climatic conditions. The lysimeters were installed in greenhouses with climatic and hydrological control, and were contaminated with 137Cs and 90Sr in an aerosol mixture simulating fallout from a nuclear accident. Soil samples were taken from several depths in each soil in 1997 and 1998 and the samples were sequentially extracted with H2O, NH4Ac, NH2OH.HCl, H2O2 and HNO3. Extractability of 137Cs decreased in the order: HNO3 > R-esidual > or = NH4Ac > H2O2 > or = NH2OH.HCl > or = H2O. More than 80% was found in the acid digestible or residual fractions, and 11-17% in labile fractions. Soil type differences were small. Extractability of 90Sr decreased in the order: NH4Ac > NH2OH.HCl > HNO3 > H2O2 approximately H2O. 31-58% was found in easily available fractions. Differences between soil types were quite small. The results suggest that availability of 137Cs for plant uptake and migration is low, whereas availability of 90Sr is rather high.     

Performance of mortars with PET

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The massive amount of plastic production inevitably leads to huge levels of pollution and, consequently, is threatening the environment and...     

A tubular ceramic membrane coated with TiO2-P25 for radial addition of H2O2 towards AMX removal from synthetic solutions and secondary urban wastewater

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This work aims to integrate several hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activation mechanisms, photolysis (UVC irradiation), chemical electron transfer (TiO2-P25...     

Application of modeling and simulation tools in costs and pollution monitoring

This paper presents the development and application of process modeling and simulation tools to aid in the monitoring and measuring of pollution from industry, and investigate a plant's overall performance. A case study of a generic reduction plant is investigated, taking into account the underlying principles that determine the amount of fluoride emissions released from the plant's processes. The simulation study includes the investigation of the gas cleaning system within the plant, such as the system's operating relationships between the scrubbing efficiency, wear of the scrubber filter bags, maintenance costs and its response to the change of scrubbing circulation. Two sets of simulation runs are performed to seek a balance for the plant's overall system performance, taking into account environmental issues (fluoride emissions) and cost. The final simulation result demonstrates that cost savings can be achieved when the plant operates in a cleaner manner.     

A full-scale study of treatment of pig slurry by composting: kinetic changes in chemical and microbial properties

Since the indiscriminate disposal of pig slurry can cause not only air pollution and bad odours but also nutrient pollution of ground waters and superficial waters, composting is sometimes used as one environmentally acceptable method for recycling pig manure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of composting pig slurry on its sanitation (evaluated by ecotoxicity assays and pathogen content determination), as well as to determine the effect of a carbon-rich bulking agent (wood shavings, WS) and the starting C/N ratio on the changes undergone by different chemical (volatile organic matter, C and N fractions) and microbiological (microbial biomass C, ATP, dehydrogenase activity, urease, protease, phosphatase, and beta-glucosidase activities) parameters during composting. Pig slurry mixed with bulking agent (P+WS) and the solid faction separated from it, both with (PSF+WS) and without bulking agent (PSF), were composted for 13 weeks. Samples for analysis were taken from composting piles at the start of the process and at 3, 6, 9, and 13 weeks after the beginning of composting. The total organic carbon, water soluble C and ammonium content decreased with composting, while Kjeldahl N and nitrate content increased. The nitrification process in the PSF+WS pile was more intense than in the PSF or P+WS composting piles. The pathogen content decreased with composting, as did phytotoxic compounds, while the germination index increased with compost age. Piles with bulking agent showed higher values of basal respiration, microbial biomass carbon, ATP and hydrolase activities during the composting process than piles without bulking agent.     

Integrated Simulation and Modelling Approach to Decision Making and Environmental Protection

This paper's objective is first to test the application of computer simulation and modelling tools in investigating the effects of applying sustainable manufacturing practices in a smelter plant, and second, to prove quantitatively and visually that 'sustainibility is free'. A simulation model is built to test and capture two different operating polices, 'Policy 1' and 'Policy 2', of an industrial system. In the case study, the simulation model is designed to reflect the effects of decision making in the activites found in a smelter plant, and to quantify the cost, sustainable and environmental consequences based on the decisions. Apart from providing a means of accurately measuring a system's performance, the purpose of using simulation tools is also to link the economic factors, such as productivity and total costs, as well as the sustainable factors, such as natural resource and energy consumption of a system. The simulation results prove quantitatively and visually that sustainability is not only 'free' but is, in fact, a far better proposition for economic growth in the medium to longer term than traditional forms of management.     

Mercury pollution trends in subarctic lakes in the northern Swedish mountains

Despite many years of research about mercury pollution, data concerning high-latitude regions of Europe are limited, particularly studies of long-term temporal trends. It is not clear whether the mercury load at high latitudes follows the recent decreasing trends in European mercury emissions or whether the load is still high because of continuing global emissions. In this study we use sediments from 12 lakes, located above the Arctic Circle in the Swedish mountains, to assess the past and recent mercury pollution situation, especially for the last 200 y. The mercury load increased clearly in sediment deposited from the late 19th or early 20th century to a peak between 1960 and 1990. This peak represents an enrichment of 1.4 to 4.2 times over background concentrations. This enrichment is comparable with enrichments in sediments from lower latitudes as well as other Arctic regions. Since the 1990s mercury concentration has declined in 8 of the 12 lakes, i.e., similar to emission trends in Europe.     

Biomonitoring approach with mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lmk) and clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams and Reeve, 1850) in the Lagoon of Venice

Transplanted Mytilus galloprovincialis and native Ruditapes philippinarum were deployed in 10 sampling stations with different pollution impact within the Lagoon of Venice to evaluate the temporal variations and the suitability of the following cytochemical and histochemical biomarkers just as indicators of environmental stress: lysosomal membrane stability, lipofuscins, neutral lipids and lysosome to cytoplasm volume ratio. The physiological status of the organisms was also investigated by determining the survival in air capability and the reburrowing rate (clams). The biological parameters were assessed in June and October. Furthermore, for a better definition of the environmental aspects of the study sites, heavy metal, PAH and PCB concentrations were also evaluated in the sediments. As a whole, the biological responses examined in both species from all the sampling sites showed significant differences between the two seasonal campaigns, only lysosomal membrane stability exhibited less variability. Pollutants in sediments generally showed low-intermediate contamination levels, few hotspots persisting mostly in the inner areas of the lagoon, the most influenced by the industrial zone. Transplanted mussels were more responsive than native clams and the biological responses of both species varied temporally. The range of the spatial variability was always narrow and reflected only partially the broader variability shown by the chemical content in the sediments. In this sense, biological responses seemed to be particularly influenced by the high temporal and spatial heterogeneity that characterise the Lagoon of Venice, as well as most of the transitional environments.