Efficacy and reliability of upgraded industrial treatment plant at Porto Marghera, near Venice, Italy, in removing nutrients and dangerous micropollutants from petrochemical wastewaters

Chemical and petrochemical wastewaters contain a host of contaminants that require different treatment strategies. Regulation of macropollutants and micropollutants in the final discharge from industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have become increasingly stringent in recent decades, requiring many WWTPs to be upgraded. This article presents an analysis of a WWTP treating petrochemicals in Porto Marghera, Italy, that recently was upgraded following legislative changes. Because of strict legal limits for macropollutants and micropollutants and a lack of space necessary for a full-scale WWTP overhaul, the existing activated sludge tank was converted into a membrane biological reactor. The paper presents experimental data collected during a five-month investigation showing the removal rates achieved by the upgraded plant for macropollutants (particularly nitrogen compounds) and micropollutants (heavy metals and organic and inorganic toxic compounds).     

Monuments as sampling surfaces of recent traffic pollution

Background, aim and scope  

A new approach towards monuments, considering them as a passive sampler of pollution, is presented. Cultural Heritage objects suffer daily the damages of environmental pollution, especially in those areas interested by heavy traffic. Since monuments undergo only periodic conservation or maintenance works, surfaces are able to accumulate atmospheric deposit and to record changes in its composition. An optimised analytical protocol was developed in order to quantify platinum and rhodium at trace level on surfaces. The two elements have become tracers of automobile emissions in recent years, since the introduction of catalytic converters, and could have catalytic effects on the decay reactions of natural and artificial stone materials. As a first case study, the cement mortar surfaces of a twentieth century monument, the Camerlata Fountain, in Como (Italy) were investigated.     

Development of a sampling train for arsenic in pyrolysis vapours resulting from pyrolysis of arsenic containing wood waste

In the present study a sampling and analysis method for arsenic emissions during pyrolysis of arsenic containing wood, such as chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood, has been developed. The procedure is based on the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) standard for arsenic trioxide sampling. Validation for this specific application is needed since pyrolysis of arsenic containing wood leads to a gas stream containing sticky tar compounds and aerosols. Validation was carried out through tube furnace experiments using both CCA treated wood and arsenic trioxide powder as input. The outlet of the tube furnace was coupled to a cooling section and sampling train. The sampling train consisted of one or more filter sections and impingers. Different combinations of filters (untreated or impregnated) and impingers, as well as different combinations of washing solutions were tested. The different units of the sampling train were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in order to determine the distribution of arsenic over the different units. For the working conditions considered (pyrolysis at 350 degrees C for 20 minutes with a nitrogen flow rate of 100 Nl h(-1)) the combination of a quartz cooling tube and a cellulose ester membrane filter impregnated with a Na2CO3-glycerol solution was sufficient to capture the arsenic. Two extra impingers (the first one containing 50 ml HNO3 1 M in the case of CCA treated wood and 50 ml NaOH 0.1 M in the case of As2O3 and the second one containing 50 ml NaOH 0.1 M) were added downstream of the filter section as backup either in case of filter failure or to check whether all the arsenic released is captured by the cooling tube and filter.     

Poliovirus and Other Enteroviruses from Environmental Surveillance in Italy, 2009–2015

Within the initiatives for poliomyelitis eradication by WHO, Italy activated an environmental surveillance (ES) in 2005. ES complements clinical Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance for possible polio cases, detects poliovirus circulation in environmental sewage, and is used to monitor transmission in communities. In addition to polioviruses, the analyses comprised: (i) the monitoring of the presence of non-polio enteroviruses in sewage samples and (ii) the temporal and geographical distribution of the detected viruses. From 2009 to 2015, 2880 sewage samples were collected from eight cities participating in the surveillance. Overall, 1479 samples resulted positive for enteroviruses. No wild-type polioviruses were found, although four Sabin-like polioviruses were detected. The low degree of mutation found in the genomes of these four isolates suggests that these viruses have had a limited circulation in the population. All non-polio enteroviruses belonged to species B and the most frequent serotype was CV-B5, followed by CV-B4, E-11, E-6, E-7, CV-B3, and CV-B2. Variations in the frequency of different serotypes were also observed in different seasons and/or Italian areas. Environmental surveillance in Italy, as part of the ‘WHO global polio eradication program’, is a powerful tool to augment the polio surveillance and to investigate the silent circulation or the re-emergence of enteroviruses in the population.     

Using revealed preferences to estimate the Value of Travel Time to recreation sites

The opportunity Value of Travel Time (VTT) is one of the most important elements of the total cost of recreation day-trips and arguably the most difficult to estimate. Most studies build upon the theoretical framework proposed by Becker (1965) by using a combination of revealed and stated preference data to estimate a value of time which is uniform in all activities and under all circumstances. This restriction is relaxed by DeSerpa's (1971) model which allows the value of saving time to be activity-specific. We present the first analysis which uses actual driving choices between open access and toll roads to estimate a VTT specific for recreation trips, thereby providing a value which conforms to both Becker's and DeSerpa's theoretical models. Using these findings we conduct a Monte Carlo simulation to identify generalizable results for subsequent valuation studies. Our results indicate that 3/4 of the wage rate provides a reasonable approximation of the average VTT for recreation trips, while the commonly implemented assumption of 1/3 of the wage rate generates downward biased results.     

As(V)-reduction to As(III) by arsenic-resistant Bacillus spp. bacterial strains isolated from low-contaminated sediments of the Oliveri-Tindari Lagoon,Italy

Five arsenic-resistant bacterial strains designated MT1, MT2, MT3, V1 and V2 were isolated from sediments of the Oliveri-Tindari Lagoon (Italy), which comprises six small lakes whose sediments contain low arsenic concentrations. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences assigned them to the genus Bacillus. Bacillus sp. strain MT3 showed higher tolerance to As(III) and As(V), as indicated by minimum inhibitory concentrations of 14 and 135 mmol^?1, respectively. Bacillus sp. strain V1 showed growth inhibition at 14 mmol^?1 in the presence of As(III) and at 68 mmol^?1 in the presence of As(V), whereas the arsenic resistance of Bacillus sp. strain MT1 was 10 and 27 mmol^?1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The strains Bacillus spp. MT2 and V2 showed low levels of As(III) and As(V) resistance, as it was unable to grow at concentrations>7 and 14 mmol^?1, respectively. The isolated arsenic-resistant Bacillus spp. strains were able to reduce As(V) to As(III), especially Bacillus spp. strain MT3. This study suggests that the isolated bacterial strains play a role in the arsenic biogeochemical cycle of arsenic-poor sediments in the Oliveri-Tindari Lagoon.     

Bisphenol A endocrine disruptor complete degradation using TiO2 photocatalysis with ozone

Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor. Complete mineralization of bisphenol A is therefore a primary environmental issue. Here, the combination of ozonation and photocatalysis by TiO₂ is proposed for the degradation and final mineralization of bisphenol A. TiO₂ films deposited onto two sides of an Al lamina show good stability and high surface roughness. We used a specific experimental setup employing two facing ultraviolet lamps and TiO₂ layers, together with an ozone flux. High-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry determinations on bisphenol A solutions sampled at different reaction times and Fourier Transform Infrared analyses of the oxide at the end of the reaction were performed to study the reaction intermediates and the overall degradation mechanism. Our results show that pollutant mineralization achieved with the combined method is far higher, of 55% in the case of 0.3 mM bisphenol A, than those obtained by individual treatments such as photolysis (<3%), ozonation (6%), photocatalysis (6%), and by other combined processes: photolytic ozonation (13%) and catalytic ozonation (15%). This finding is explained by the occurrence of highly synergistic effects.     

Reuse of municipal solid wastes incineration fly ashes in concrete mixtures

This study is aimed at assessing the feasibility of concrete production using stabilized m.s.w. (municipal solid waste) incineration fly ashes in addition to natural aggregates. The tested fly ashes were washed and milled, then stabilized by a cement-lime process and finally were reused as a "recycled aggregate" for cement mixture production, in substitution of a natural aggregate (with dosage of 200-400 kg m(-3)). These mixtures, after curing, were characterized with conventional physical-mechanical tests (compression, traction, flexure, modulus of elasticity, shrinkage). In samples containing 200 kg(waste) m(-3)(concrete), a good compressive strength was achieved after 28 days of curing. Furthermore, concrete leaching behavior was evaluated by means of different leaching tests, both on milled and on monolithic samples. Experimental results showed a remarkable reduction of metal leaching in comparison with raw waste. In some cases, similar behavior was observed in "natural" concrete (produced with natural aggregates) and in "waste containing" concrete.