Uptake of 203Hg++ and 115 mCd++ by Chlamydomonas reinhardi under various conditions

The uptake of radioactively labeled mercury and cadmium ions by living and dead cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardi WT⁺ was measured at 25 °C under minimal and optimal conditions (dark/nitrogen or light/air, respectively). In each case, incorporation was completely independent of external energy. Living and dead cells incorporated almost the same amount of the added heavy metal ions; after about 4 to 8 hours, saturation was obtained. Furthermore, the distribution of mercury in the system of algea/culture medium/gas phase and the amount of mercury and cadmium adsorbed by cells were studied.     

Improving the adsorption capacity and solid structure of natural volcanic soil using a foaming-sintering process based on recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The volcanic soils of southern Chile have demonstrated a high capacity to adsorb environmental pollutants, but for an industrial application, a stable solid material is necessary. The objective of this work was to produce a stable ceramic material through a process involving volcanic soil-polyurethane foam produced with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-polyols, and further thermal treatment. The selected foam formulation with 35.4% volcanic soil (< 63 microm) seems to be the most suitable for thermal treatment, with temperature steps at 700, 850, 1000 and 1200 degrees C. The porous ceramic material obtained has a stable solid form and an improved chlorophenols adsorption capacity (comparable to natural zeolites) that makes it suitable for advanced wastewater treatment and landfill leachate depuration.     

Quantification of sources of PCBs to the atmosphere in urban areas: A comparison of cities in North America, Western Europe and former Yugoslavia

We present estimated emission source strengths of seven polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners for Banja Luka, a city that was affected by the civil war in Bosnia and Hercegovina (former Yugoslavia) in the 1990s. These emission estimates are compared to PCB emission rates estimated for the cities of Zurich, Switzerland, and Chicago, USA using an approach that combines multimedia mass balance modeling and measurement data. Our modeled per-capita emission estimates for Banja Luka are lower by a factor of ten than those for Zurich and Chicago, which are similar. This indicates that the sources of PCB emissions in Banja Luka are likely to be weaker than in the Western European and North American cities which show relatively high PCB emissions. Our emission rates from the three cities agree within a factor of ten with emission estimates from a global PCB emission inventory derived from production and usage estimates and emission factors.     

Determination of malic acid and other C4 dicarboxylic acids in atmospheric aerosol samples

An ion chromatographic method was developed which is able to separate five unsubstituted and hydroxy C4 dicarboxylic acids, succinic, malic, tartaric, maleic and fumaric acid, besides the other unsubstituted C2-C5 dicarboxylic acids, oxalic, malonic and glutaric acids, as well as inorganic ions in samples extracted from atmospheric particulate matter. By the application of this method it was found for both rural and urban sites and for various types of air masses that in the summer-time malic acid is the most prominent C4 diacid (64 ng m(-3) by average), exceeding succinic acid concentration (28 ng m(-3) by average) considerably. In winter-time considerably less, a factor of 4-15, C4 acids occurred and succinic acid was more concentrated than malic acid. Tartaric, fumaric and maleic acids were less concentrated (5.1, 5.0 and 4.5 ng m(-3) by average, respectively). Tartaric acid was observed for the first time in ambient air. The results indicate that in particular anthropogenic sources are important for the precursors of succinic, maleic and fumaric acids. Biogenic sources seem to influence the occurrence of malic acid significantly.