Glycolysis of flexible polyurethane wastes using stannous octoate as the catalyst

Flexible polyurethane foam wastes can be advantageously treated by two-phase glycolysis to recover the polyols with an improved quality compared to single-phase processes. This reaction has been traditionally catalyzed by alkanolamines, titanium compounds, or acetates. Recently, the employment of new catalysts based on potassium and calcium octoates has opened up a new way to catalyze the glycolysis of polyurethanes. In this work, the use of stannous octoate, which has never before been applied in the glycolysis reactions of polyurethanes, is proposed. The catalytic activity of stannous octoate in such a process was studied. The decomposition rate and the purity of polyol obtained were greater than those obtained using other catalysts previously employed for this application.     

Understanding slums: analysis of the metabolic pattern of the Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

This paper illustrates an innovative approach to characterize the metabolic pattern of informal urban settlements or slums with the aim to better understand the factors that affect the material standard of living of slum residents, the dynamics of slum development and the interaction of the slum with its wider socioeconomic context. The proposed system of accounting, multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM), integrates socioeconomic and spatial data and studies energy and monetary flows in relation to the pattern of human activities and land uses. The theoretical basis of the approach is illustrated with data from Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In particular, we show how to construct taxonomies of accounting categories to characterize: (1) the set of activities carried out by the slum dwellers, to which to link assessments of flow rates per hour; (2) the set of land uses or spatial elements making up the slum, to which to link assessments of flow densities per hectare. The analysis of the interaction of Vidigal with its wider socioeconomic context focuses on monetary flows and transport (job commuting).     

Detection and quantitative analysis of 21 veterinary drugs in river water using high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

Introduction

The use of veterinary drugs in food production focuses on the control and improvement of animal health. The disadvantage of this practice is that pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are released into the environment, finding their way to natural water systems and becoming a potential risk to non-target organism.

Methods

This paper reports the development and validation of a quantitative method, based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, for the simultaneous analysis of 21 veterinary drugs, antimicrobials, corticosteroids, coccidiostats and antifungal agents, in surface water.

Results

The precision of the method was established by calculating the mean recoveries, which were in the range of 94?C101%. The developed method was employed to conduct the first monitoring study on the presence of veterinary drugs in the Galicia region, Northwest of Spain and was applied to 235 surface water samples. Eleven veterinary drugs were detected at concentrations from below the limit of quantification to 2,978.6?ng?L^?1. Limits of detection and quantification were in the range of 6.2 (betamethasone, cortisone, decoquinate, dexamethasone, maduramycin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin, sulfachloropyridazine, sulfamethoxypyridazine and trimethoprim) to 12.5?ng?L^?1 (for the rest of the selected drugs) and 12.5 (betamethasone, cortisone, decoquinate, dexamethasone, maduramycin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin, sulfachloropyridazine, sulfamethoxypyridazine and trimethoprim) to 25.0?ng?L^?1 (for the remaining pharmaceuticals), respectively.

Conclusion

Sulfonamides were the group most frequently found, which are widely used in veterinary medicine.     

Review on physical and chemical characterizations of contaminated sediments from urban stormwater infiltration basins within the framework of the French observatory for urban hydrology (SOERE URBIS)

Urban stormwater infiltration basins are designed to hold runoff from impervious surfaces and allow the settling of sediments and associated pollutants. However concerns have been expressed about the environmental impacts that may be exerted by the trapped pollutants on groundwater, soils and ecosystems. In this context, sediment characterization represents a key issue for local authorities in terms of management strategies. During the last two decades, several studies were launched including either physical or chemical characterization of stormwater sediments but without real synthesis of data and methods used. Consequently, there is an important need for reviewing the current experimental techniques devoted to the physico-chemical characterization of sediment. The review is based on the outcomes of two experimental sites for which long term monitoring and data collection have been done: the Cheviré basin (near Nantes) and the Django Reinhardt basin (near Lyon). The authors summarize the studies dealing with bulk properties, pollutant contents, their potential mobility and speciation. This paper aims at promoting the significant progresses that were made through a multidisciplinary approach involving multi-scaled and combined experimental techniques.     

Natural forest expansion on reclaimed coal mines in Northern Spain: the role of native shrubs as suitable microsites

The characterization of suitable microsites for tree seedling establishment and growth is one of the most important tasks to achieve the restoration of native forest using natural processes in disturbed sites. For that, we assessed the natural Quercus petraea forest expansion in a 20-year-old reclaimed open-cast mine under sub-Mediterranean climate in northern Spain, monitoring seedling survival, growth, and recruitment during 5 years in three contrasting environments (undisturbed forest, mine edge, and mine center). Seedling density and proportion of dead branches decreased greatly from undisturbed forest towards the center of the mine. There was a positive effect of shrubs on Q. petraea seedling establishment in both mine environments, which increase as the environment undergoes more stress (from the mine edge to the center of the mine), and it was produced by different shrub structural features in each mine environment. Seedling survival reduction through time in three environments did not lead to a density reduction because there was a yearly recruitment of new seedlings. Seedling survival, annual growth, and height through time were greater in mine sites than in the undisturbed forest. The successful colonization patterns and positive neighbor effect of shrubs on natural seedlings establishment found in this study during the first years support the use of shrubs as ecosystem engineers to increase heterogeneity in micro-environmental conditions on reclaimed mine sites, which improves late-successional Quercus species establishment.     

Proposal for an Integral Quality Index for Urban and Urbanized Beaches

A composite index, based on function analysis and including thirteen sub-indices, was developed to assess the overall quality of urban and urbanized beaches in the Mediterranean area. The aggregation of components and sub-indices was based on two questionnaires completed by beach users and experts. Applying the new Beach Quality Index (BQI) demonstrated that the quality of beaches could be improved. In general, the strongest aspects of the beaches assessed were those related to short-term user demand, and the weakest were those related to the consequences of human pressure on the area, in particular, erosion problems. The composite index is intended to be used together with Environmental Management Beach Systems (EMBs) as a hierarchical management scorecard and in monitoring programs. This new tool could also make planning more proactive by synthesizing the state of the most important beach processes.     

Auramine dyes induce toxic effects to aquatic organisms from different trophic levels: an application of predicted non-effect concentration (PNEC)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The dyes Auramine and Auramine O are used in several industrial products, despite the scarce information regarding their ecotoxicity. The aim of the...     

Bioluminescent yeast estrogen assay (BLYES) as a sensitive tool to monitor surface and drinking water for estrogenicity

Estrogenic Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are a concern due to their ubiquity and recognized adverse effects to humans and wildlife. Methods to assess exposure to and associated risks of their presence in aquatic environment are still under development. The aim of this work is to assess estrogenicity of raw and treated waters with different degrees of pollution. Chemical analyses of selected EDCs were performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and estrogenic activity was evaluated using in vitro bioluminescent yeast estrogen assay (BLYES). Most raw water samples (18/20) presented at least one EDC and 16 rendered positive in BLYES. When EDCs were detected, the bioassay usually provided a positive response, except when only bisphenol A was detected at low concentrations. The highest values of estrogenic activity were detected in the most polluted sites. The maximum estrogenic activity observed was 8.7 ng equiv. of E2 L(-1). We compared potencies observed in the bioassay to the relative potency of target compounds and their concentrations failed to fully explain the biological response. This indicates that bioassay is more sensitive than the chemical approach either detecting estrogenic target compounds at lower concentrations, other non-target compounds or even synergistic effects, which should be considered on further investigations. We have not detected either estrogenic activity or estrogenic compounds in drinking water. BLYES showed good sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.1 ng equiv. E2 L(-1) and it seems to be a suitable tool for water monitoring.     

Plastic pollution: A focus on freshwater biodiversity

Plastics are dominant pollutants in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Scientific studies that investigated the interaction between plastics and freshwater biodiversity are incipient, especially if compared to the marine realm. In this review, we provide a brief overview of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems around the world. We found evidence of plastic ingestion by 206 freshwater species, from invertebrates to mammals, in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, we reported other consequences of synthetic polymers in freshwater ecosystems—including, for instance, the entanglement of animals of different groups (e.g., birds). The problem of plastic pollution is complex and will need coordinated actions, such as recycling programs, correct disposal, stringent legislation, regular inspection, replacement of synthetic polymers with other materials, and ecological restoration. Current information indicates that the situation in freshwater ecosystems may be as detrimental as the pollution found in the ocean, although highly underappreciated.Supplementary InformationThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01496-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.