Degradation kinetics and mechanism of trace nitrobenzene by granular activated carbon enhanced microwave/hydrogen peroxide system

The kinetics of the degradation of trace nitrobenzene (NB) by a granular activated carbon (GAC) enhanced microwave (MW)/hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) system was studied. Effects of pH, NB initial concentration and tert-butyl alcohol on the removal efficiency were examined. It was found that the reaction rate fits well to first-order reaction kinetics in the MW/GAC/H₂O₂ process. Moreover, GAC greatly enhanced the degradation rate of NB in water. Under a given condition (MW power 300 W, H₂O₂ dosage 10 mg/L, pH 6.85 and temperature (60±5)℃), the degradation rate of NB was 0.05214 min^-1 when 4 g/L GAC was added. In general, alkaline pH was better for NB degradation; however, the optimum pH was 8.0 in the tested pH value range of 4.0-12.0. At H₂O₂ dosage of 10 mg/L and GAC dosage of 4 g/L, the removal of NB was decreased with increasing initial concentrations of NB, indicating that a low initial concentration was beneficial for the degradation of NB. These results indicated that the MW/GAC/H₂O₂ process was effective for trace NB degradation in water. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis indicated that a hydroxyl radical addition reaction and dehydrogenation reaction enhanced NB degradation.     

State of the art of post-consumer textile waste upcycling to reach the zero waste milestone

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The textile industry is a large source of pollution due to the production of raw materials (natural and synthetic fibers), preparation and finishing...     

Roadside design assessment in an urban,low-density environment in the Gulf Cooperation Council region

Objectives: Proper roadside design is crucial in order to mitigate the consequences associated with single-vehicle run-off-road (SVROR) crashes. However, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region lacks in-depth, detailed information on its roadside design status. Hence, there is a need for an in-service evaluation of roadside design in the GCC region. The objective of this study is to assess the existing roadside design in a medium-sized, low-density city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Methods: A multiyear crash database was used to identify 116 locations where SVROR injury crashes occurred between 2013 and 2016 in the city of Al Ain in the UAE. Visits to these locations were made in order to assess their roadside design. Subsequently, the collected data were analyzed. Roadside design was classified based on whether or not it deviated from roadside design guidelines. The guidelines adopted as a benchmark were those contained in the 2012 Abu Dhabi Department of Transport Roadside Design Guide (RDG) and/or those in the 2011 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) RDG. It is worth stressing that local guidelines are heavily based on the 2011 AASHTO RDG.

Results: The study found that almost one quarter of all SVROR crashes resulted in injuries. The study also found that a staggering 80.17% of the SVROR injury crashes investigated occurred at locations where roadside design deviated from the benchmark. Lack of an adequate clear zone was the main cause of noncompliant locations. Most SVROR injury crash locations containing roadside design with deviations from the benchmark were located on roads with posted speed limits of 100 kph or higher. Light poles, trees, curbs, and barriers were the most harmful objects most often struck, and tree collisions accounted for the highest number of severe crashes. Ninety-four and 86% of all studied locations containing light poles and trees, respectively, were found to be noncompliant with the benchmark. Twenty-eight percent of all SVROR injury crashes involved a rollover. All rollovers were preceded by a collision with a tree, pole, guardrail, or curb. Forty-four percent of all rollover crashes resulted in severe injuries.

Conclusions: Significant revision of the existing roadside design not only in the area studied but throughout the UAE is recommended. The authors propose measures that may be useful in making roadside design in the area studied better align with the benchmark requirements.     

Photochemical Kinetic Modeling of Degradation of Aqueous Polyvinyl Alcohol in a UV/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Photoreactor

This study presents a photochemical kinetics model to describe the degradation of water-soluble PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) polymer in a UV/H₂O₂ batch reactor. Under the effect of UV light, the photolysis of hydrogen peroxide into hydroxyl radicals can generate a series of polymer scission reactions. For a better understanding and analysis of the UV/H₂O₂ process in the cracking of the PVA macromolecules, a chemical reaction mechanism of the degradation process and a relevant photochemical kinetics model are developed to describe the disintegration of the polymer chains. Taking into account the probabilistic fragmentation of the polymer, the statistical moment approach is used to model the molar population balance of live and dead polymer chains. The model predicts the PVA molecular weight reduction, the acidity of the solution, and hydrogen peroxide residual. In addition to previously published data collected in this laboratory, a new set of experiments were conducted using a 500 mg/L PVA aqueous for different hydrogen peroxide/PVA ratios for model validation. Measurements of average molecular weights of the polymer, hydrogen peroxide concentrations and pH of the PVA solution were determinant factors in constructing a reliable photochemical model of the UV/H₂O₂ process. Experimental data showed a decrease in the PVA molecular weight and a buildup of the solution acidity. The experimental data also served to determine the kinetics rate constants of the PVA photochemical degradation and validate the model whose predictions are in good agreement with data. The model can provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the design and operational variables.     

Habitat quality affects stress responses and survival in a bird wintering under extremely low ambient temperatures

Animals normally respond to stressful environmental stimuli by releasing glucocorticoid hormones. We investigated whether baseline corticosterone (CORT), handling-induced corticosterone concentration(s), and body condition indices of members of willow tit (Poecile montanus) groups differed while wintering in old growth forests and managed young forests in mild weather conditions and during cold spells. Willow tits spend the winter season in non-kin groups in which dominant individuals typically claim their priority to access resources, while subordinate individuals may experience greater levels of stress and higher mortality, especially during cold spells. We captured birds to measure baseline CORT and levels of handling-induced CORT secretion after 20 min of capture. Willow tits in the young forests had higher baseline CORT and a smaller increase in CORT in response to capture than individuals in the old forests. Baseline CORT was higher in females and juvenile birds compared to adult males, whereas handling-induced CORT secretion did not differ between birds of different ages. During cold spells, baseline CORT of willow tits increased and handling-induced CORT secretion decreased, especially in birds in young forests. Willow tits’ survival was higher in the old forests, with dominant individuals surviving better than subordinates. Our results show that changes in CORT secretion reflect responses to habitat quality and climate harshness, indicating young managed coniferous forests as a suboptimal habitat for the willow tit.     

MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF INFORMATION FOR GROUND WATER PROTECTION: THREE TEST CASES1

ABSTRACT: Public awareness of the importance of protecting the nation's water supplies is growing. Recent studies have shown a substantial increase in the perceived value of protecting water supplies for future use. In the Northeast, much of the water supply comes from ground water. This paper examines three test cases, each with different approaches for using geographic information systems (GIS) for ground water protection planning. In Wellfleet, Massachusetts, build-out scenarios were used to support regulatory and land acquisition decisions for siting a public water supply well. In Hadley, Massachusetts, the focus was on a decision support model for septic suitability assessment in support of regulatory efforts and infrastructure expansion. For Cortland County, New York, an interactive graphic user interface was created to facilitate the manipulation and recombination of a large volume of data by county officials to target ground water pollution prevention efforts. As personal computers become more powerful and inexpensive, and GIS data become more readily available, community and county governments are turning to GIS as a tool for developing comprehensive resource protection plans. Once appropriate data are input, a GIS can effectively and efficiently be used to derive outcomes of various land use plans and regulations.     

Chemical monitoring of river water bodies in an EU outermost region: examples from the Azores archipelago (Portugal)

Chemical monitoring of water quality on a total of 16 rivers in the Azores archipelago (Portugal), since 2003, made it possible to identify the major pressures and spatial geochemical variations along main course of the rivers. River water pollution is to a large extent associated to point sources, namely domestic wastewater discharges, especially in urban areas, and diffuse sources, associated with pasture land, and explain the high values on BOD(5) and nutrients (P and N). Heavy metals and metalloids, as well as hydrocarbons and pesticides, are generally under the detection limits of the analytical methods. Generally, river water reflects pollution loads according to a simple model, derived from land use in the watershed: in the upper part conditions are pristine, in the intermediate portion of the basin pasture land dominates and near the coast urban discharges are increasingly important. Results stress the role that an approach based on the watershed scale, coupled with land use management measures, are crucial to water management procedures and a successful WFD implementation in small river basin districts like the Azores. The paper also shows the need for full compliance regarding EU directives on urban wastewater and nitrate pollution due to agriculture.     

New Methods for the Preparation Nanosized Metal Coordination Polymers

Transition-metal coordination polymers [M(ndc)(bpy)·(H₂O)m]·xH₂O (where M = Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II), ndc = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylate, bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine; m = 0 or 1; x = 1 or 2) were prepared by reacting the ligands and metal ions at room temperature with the aid of microwave irradiation and sonication methods. The structure of the coordination polymers was assigned based on elemental analysis, FT-IR and electronic spectral studies, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscope and X-ray powder diffraction. Thermogravimetric analysis was also used to follow up the possible thermal decomposition steps and to calculate the thermodynamic parameters of the nano-sized metal complexes. The kinetic parameters were calculated making use of the Coats–Redfern and Horowitz–Metzger equations. All obtained results of the different technics used in our study stated the ability to synthesis the metal coordination polymers of our interest using both microwave irradiation and sonication methods.     

Indigenous soil bacteria with the combined potential for hydrocarbon consumption and heavy metal resistance

Introduction  

Transconjugant bacteria with combined potential for hydrocarbon utilization and heavy metal resistance were suggested by earlier investigators for bioremediation of soils co-contaminated with hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The purpose of this study was to offer evidence that such microorganisms are already part of the indigenous soil microflora.     

The effect of high UV radiation exposure environment on the novel PVC polymers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although plastic induces environmental damages, almost the consumption of poly(vinyl chloride) never stops increasing. Therefore, this work abstracted...