Persulfate mediated solar photo-Fenton aiming at wastewater treatment plant effluent improvement at neutral PH: emerging contaminant removal,disinfection, and elimination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This work investigated an innovative alternative to improve municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent (MWWTP effluent) quality aiming at the...     

Preliminary assessment of antimicrobial activity and acute toxicity of norfloxacin chlorination by-product mixture

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Among drugs and personal care products, antibiotics arouse interest since they are widely used in human and veterinary medicine and can lead to the...     

Effects of La2O3 nanoparticles and bulk-La2O3 on the development of Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen and respective nutrient element concentration

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nanoparticles (NPs) have been progressively applied in the last decades, which may impact the environment. Synthesis of pigments, growing, and...     

Applications of chitosan to the roots and shoots change the accumulation pattern of cadmium in Talinum patens (Talinaceae) cuttings

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Chitosan induces tolerance to abiotic stress agents in plants. However, studies on the different application forms of this biopolymer are limited....     

Biosorption of uranium from aqueous solutions by Azolla sp. and Limnobium laevigatum

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The main goal of this study was to assess alternatives to the current challenges on environmental quality and circular economy. The former is here...     

Trace metal dynamics in an industrialized Brazilian river: A combined application of Zn isotopes, geochemical partitioning, and multivariate statistics

The Paraiba do Sul (PSR) and Guandu Rivers (GR) water diversion system (120 km long) is located in the main industrial pole of Brazil and supplies drinking water for 9.4 million people in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. This study aims to discern the trace metals dynamics in this complex aquatic system. We used a combined approach of geochemical tools such as geochemical partitioning, Zn isotopes signatures, and multivariate statistics. Zinc and Pb concentrations in Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and sediments were considerably higher in some sites. The sediment partition of As, Cr, and Cu revealed the residual fraction (F4) as the main fraction for these elements, indicating low mobility. Zinc and Pb were mostly associated with the exchangeable/carbonate (F1) and the reducible (F2) fractions, respectively, implying a higher susceptibility of these elements to being released from sediments. Zinc isotopic compositions of sediments and SPM fell in a binary mixing source process between lithogenic (δ^66/64Zn_JMC ≈ + 0.30‰) and anthropogenic (δ^66/64Zn_JMC ≈ + 0.15‰) end members. The lighter δ^66/64Zn_JMC values accompanied by high Zn concentrations in exchangeable/carbonate fraction (ZnF1) enable the tracking of Zn anthropogenic sources in the studied rivers. Overall, the results indicated that Hg, Pb, and Zn had a dominant anthropogenic origin linked to the industrial activities, while As, Cr, and Cu were mainly associated with lithogenic sources. This work demonstrates how integrating geochemical tools is valuable for assessing geochemical processes and mixing source effects in anthropized river watersheds.     

Evaluation of the toxicity of two soils from Jales Mine (Portugal) using aquatic bioassays

Soil contamination can be one path for streams and groundwater contamination. As a complement of chemical analysis and total contaminants determination, bioassays can provide information on the bioavailable fraction of chemical compounds, focusing on the retention and habitat function of soils. In this study the evaluation of the toxicity of two soils from the abandoned Jales Mine (Portugal) regarded both functions. The buffer capacity of soils was tested with bioassays carried out using the cladoceran Daphnia magna and the marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri. The habitat function of soils was evaluated with the reproduction bioassay with the collembolan Folsomia candida. The Microtox solid-phase test was performed with V. fischeri using soil as test medium, and soil elutriates were extracted to perform the Microtox basic test, and an immobilization and reproduction bioassay with D. magna. The marine bacteria showed high sensitivity to the soil with low heavy metal content (JNC soil) and to JNC soil elutriates, while the soil with highest heavy metal content (JC soil) or soil elutriates exposure did not cause any toxic effect. In the bioassays with D. magna, organisms showed sensitivity to JNC and also to JC soil elutriates. Both mobilization and reproduction features were inhibited. The bioassay with F. candida did not reflect any influence of the contaminants on their reproduction. Although JNC soil presented lower heavy metal contents, elutriates showed different patterns of contamination when compared to JC soil and elutriates, which indicates different retention and buffer capacities between soils. Results obtained in this study underlined the sensitivity and importance of soil elutriate bioassays with aquatic organisms in the evaluation strategy in soil ERA processes.     

Migration of inorganic ions from the leachate of the Rio das Ostras landfill: A comparison of three different configurations of protective barriers

Batch tests and diffusion tests were performed to analyze the efficiency of a protective barrier in a landfill consisting of compacted soil with 10% bentonite compared to the results obtained for only compacted soil and for compacted soil covered with a 1-mm-thick HDPE geomembrane; the soil and leachate were collected from the Rio das Ostras Landfill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The diffusion tests were performed for periods of 3, 10 and 60 days. After the test period, the soil pore water was analyzed and the profiles for chloride, potassium and ammonium were determined along a 6-cm soil depth. The results of the batch tests performed to define sorption parameters were used to adjust the profiles obtained in the diffusion cell experiment by applying an ion transfer model between the interstitial solution and the soil particles. The MPHMTP model (Multi Phase Heat and Mass Transfer Program), which is based upon the solution of the transport equations of the ionic contaminants, was used to solve the inverse problem of simultaneously determining the effective diffusion coefficients. The results of the experimental tests and of the model simulation confirmed that the compacted soil with 10% bentonite was moderately efficient in the retention of chloride, potassium and ammonium ions compared to the configurations of compacted soil with a geomembrane and compacted soil alone, representing a solution that is technically feasible and requires potentially lower costs for implementation in landfills.     

Agribusiness Opportunity Costs and Environmental Legal Protection: Investigating Trade-Off on Hotspot Preservation in the State of São Paulo,Brazil

Prior to deforestation, São Paulo State had 79,000 km² covered by Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) physiognomies, but today less than 8.5% of this biodiversity hotspot remains, mostly in private lands. The global demand for agricultural goods has imposed strong pressure on natural areas, and the economic decisions of agribusiness managers are crucial to the fate of Cerrado domain remaining areas (CDRA) in Brazil. Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of Brazilian private protected areas policy, and to propose a feasible alternative to promote CDRA protection. This article assessed the main agribusiness opportunity costs for natural areas preservation: the land use profitability and the arable land price. The CDRA percentage and the opportunity costs were estimated for 349 municipal districts of São Paulo State through secondary spatial data and profitability values of 38 main agricultural products. We found that Brazilian private protected areas policy fails to preserve CDRA, although the values of non-compliance fines were higher than average opportunity costs. The scenario with very restrictive laws on private protected areas and historical high interest rates allowed us to conceive a feasible cross compliance proposal to improve environmental and agricultural policies.     

Durability of PCL Nanocomposites Under Different Environments

The stability of PCL/TiO₂ nanocomposites under different environments was investigated. Samples were exposed to UV radiation in an accelerated weathering chamber equipment and characterized by viscosimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the presence of nanoparticles containing titanium enhanced polymer chain scission during UV exposure. For all samples, the melting temperature and crystallinity increased along photodegradation time. The biodegradability, assessed by biochemical oxygen demand, increased as the amount of inorganic particles increased. However, the thermal stability and activation energy evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis decreased as the amount of inorganic nanoparticles increased, indicating that nanocomposites exhibited lower thermal stability.