Photocatalytic degradation of lignin and lignin models, using titanium dioxide: the role of the hydroxyl radical

The role of hydroxyl radicals on the degradation of lignins during a cellulosic pulp bleaching process including a photocatalytic stage, was assessed using peroxyformic acid lignins EL1 and REL1 and two phenolic niphenyl lignin models 1 and 2. The irradiations were performed in the absence of photocatalyst TiO2 and H2O2 (condition a), in the presence of TiO2 (condition b) and in the presence of H2O2 (condition c). The experiments were conducted in alkaline (pH approximately 11) aqueous ethanol solutions with oxygen bubbling. The relative phenolic content of the irradiated solutions, which is indicative of the involvement of hydroxyl radicals, was determined by ionization absorption spectroscopy. The results obtained show that the catalyzed reaction involves both degradation of the phenolate groups by electron transfer and hydroxylation of the lignin aromatic structure. Benzyl alcohol structural elements in sodium borohydride reduced lignin REL1 and compound 2 were also found as good trapping agents for the hydroxyl radicals. The degradation of EL1 was studied by measuring its fluorescence emission by comparison to the fluorescence of compound 2. The emission spectra indicate that some biphenyl phenolate anions in EL1 are reacting under UV/visible irradiation and some others, probably polyphenolic chromophores emitting less fluorescence, are formed.     

Chromium occurrence in the environment and methods of its speciation

This article includes a survey of chromium (Cr) occurrence in different environmental compartments, its pathways in the environment and the cross-sectional presentation of Cr speciation methods against the background of Cr chemistry. The aim of the article is to demonstrate that knowledge of interconversion processes between different Cr forms is necessary to understand its behaviour and role in the environment, in addition to enabling reliable Cr speciation analysis to be performed. The current methods of Cr speciation are presented, characterized and their usefulness discussed. These must rely on superior separation and detection capabilities since Cr in environmental compartments is mostly at trace or ultra-trace level. The need for using unique techniques of sampling, storage, handling and separation for Cr speciation is documented.     

The effects of crude and fuel oils on the growth, chlorophyll 'a' content and dry matter production of a green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turp.) bréb

The growth of Scenedesmus quadricauda algae in a batch culture was examined in the presence of crude oil and fuel oil, added to the cultivation medium in the form of a water-soluble fraction (WSF), water extract (WE) and oil-water dispersion (OWD). On applying various concentrations of oils, a decrease in the number of cells, dry matter and chlorophyll 'a' production, with respect to the cell population, was observed. The extent of this decrease depended on the kind and concentration of the soluble and dispersed hydrocarbon fractions and on the proportions in which these occurred in the culture medium. On the other hand, the water extracts of both oils stimulated dry mass and chlorophyll 'a' content with respect to a single cell. This effect was accompanied by increased size of the algal cells. The WSF, WE and OWD of fuel oil, prepared from 200, 50 and 1 cm(3) of oil per dm(3) of BBM medium, respectively, had a similar inhibitory effect, which points to the dominant role of oil dispersion in the reduction of algal growth. Chemical analysis of the water extracts of fuel oil revealed the presence of 35 hydrocarbons of various kinds, mainly n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Spatial-temporal variability of aerosol sources based on chemical composition and particle number size distributions in an urban settlement influenced by metallurgical industry

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Moravian-Silesian region of the Czech Republic with its capital city Ostrava is a European air pollution hot spot for airborne particulate matter...     

Nitrification in natural waters with high suspended-solid content--a study for the Yellow River

In this research, the mechanism regarding the effects of suspended solids on nitrification in freshwater systems with high solid contents was examined. Experimental studies were conducted for natural water of the Yellow River under laboratory conditions. Nitrification kinetics was investigated in water systems with various levels of suspended-solid contents. The associated mechanisms were analyzed through investigation of the adsorption-desorption of ammonium nitrogen, the process of bacteria growth, and the feature of nitrification kinetics. The results indicated that the presence of suspended solids could accelerate the nitrification process. The nitrification rate would increase non-linearly with the increase of suspended-solid content. When the initial concentration of ammonia nitrogen was 12.70 mg/l in the water system, the ratios of half-time duration for nitrification would be 1.88:1.23:1 under suspended-solid contents of 0, 1.84 and 5.00 g/l, respectively. When the initial concentration of ammonia nitrogen was around 1.0 mg/l in the water system, the nitrification rates in systems with suspended-solid contents of 1.81 and 3.42 g/l would then be approximately 9 and 12 times that without suspended solids, respectively. The populations of nitrifying bacteria would rise with increasing suspended-solid content. The existence of suspended solids would increase the contact chances between bacteria and nitrogen, resulting in accelerated nitrification processes; this was manifested by the increased K(4) (tau(max)/K(S)) along with the raised suspended-solid contents while fitting nitrification kinetics with the growth-based logistic model. Since the amount of ammonium nitrogen adsorbed on suspended-solid surface was non-linearly proportional to the suspended-solid content, the nitrification rate was also non-linearly proportional to the suspended-solid content.     

Monitoring the genotoxicity of Lake Taihu, using two kinds of micronucleus tests

Mutagenicity of surface water in Lake Taihu was monitored by genotoxicological methods. The goal is to determine the situation concerning the contamination by mutagens, their distribution in the lake, and the potential effect on public health. In this study, the micronucleus test of Vicia faba root tip, a standard monitoring technique now in China, was carried out to make a preliminary screening of environmental mutagens in 39 representative sites of the lake. Highly significant differences in MCN permillage (average number of micronuclei per 1000 cells) and PI (pollution index) values were found among these sites. From the results, a rough distribution of the contamination could be obtained: mainly concentrated in the north-west area of the lake from several tributaries flowing into the lake. In order to provide further evidence, organic extracts from four entrances and one outlet of the five major tributaries were examined by the micronucleus test of human peripheral lymphocytes. The results were in accord with those of the micronucleus tests using Vicia faba. The tests also revealed that the intensity and mechanism of the pollutants were diverse in the different sources.     

A multivariate statistical analysis of the composition of rainwater near Cubatão, SP, Brazil

With the aim of estimating the chemical composition of bulk precipitation (wet + dry) in Cubat?o, rainwater samples were collected at several localities in the Cubat?o region from May 1984 to October 1985. The levels of some inorganic ions (Na+, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO4(2-), NH4+, PO4(3-)) were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, turbidimetry and titration analysis. Correlation and Fisher discrimination indices, principal component and varimax loading and scores were determined in the multivariate statistical data treatment. The results showed that ionic concentrations in rainwater from Vila Parisi are significantly higher than those of Cubat?o Centro, Santos and Serra do Mar. The ionic compositions of the Vila Parisi rainwater seem to be mainly determined by local anthropogenic activities (industrial pollution). Besides the influence of this factor on water quality, there is also a natural oceanic contribution involving Cl- and Na+ at the other locations.     

A new bathymodioline mussel symbiosis at the Juan de Fuca hydrothermal vents

Until recently, the only major hydrothermal vent biogeographic province not known to include bathymodioline mussels was the spreading centers of the northeast Pacific, but deep-sea dives using DSV Alvin on the Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge (47°56N 129°06W; ∼2,200 m depth) in August 1999 yielded the only recorded bathymodioline mytilids from these northeastern Pacific vents. One specimen in good condition was evaluated for its relatedness to other deep-sea bathymodioline mussels and for the occurrence of chemoautotrophic and/or methanotrophic symbionts in the gills. Phylogenetic analyses of the host cytochrome oxidase I gene show this mussel shares evolutionary alliances with hydrothermal vent and cold seep mussels from the genus Bathymodiolus, and is distinct from other known species of deep-sea bathymodiolines, suggesting this mussel is a newly discovered species. Ultrastructural analyses of gill tissue revealed the presence of coccoid bacteria that lacked the intracellular membranes observed in methanotrophic symbionts. The bacteria may be extracellular but poor condition of the fixed tissue complicated conclusions regarding symbiont location. A single gamma-proteobacterial 16S rRNA sequence was amplified from gill tissue and directly sequenced from gill tissue. This sequence clusters with other mussel chemoautotrophic symbiont 16S rRNA sequences, which suggests a chemoautotrophic, rather than methanotrophic, symbiosis in this mussel. Stable carbon (δ¹³C = −26.6%) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N = +5.19%) isotope ratios were also consistent with those reported for other chemoautotroph-mussel symbioses. Despite the apparent rarity of these mussels at the Juan de Fuca vent sites, this finding extends the range of the bathymodioline mussels to all hydrothermal vent biogeographic provinces studied to date.     

Field studies on 32P movement and P leaching from flooded paddy soils in the region of Taihu Lake, China

Field experiments were done in two sites, Yixing and Changshu, Jiangsu province, China, to study P movement and leaching in flooded paddy soils. P movement in soil was investigated by using the KH2 32PO4 tracker method, and the amount of P leached from the soil layer in different depths was estimated by measuring P concentrations in the soil solution and saturated hydraulic conductivities in field. Determination was done about one month after P application. There was 46% and 42% of total 32P retained in the 0-5cm layer of soil in the Yixing site and in the Changshu site respectively. The 32P retained in the 25-30 cm layer was only about 1-2% of the total 32P added. Furthermore, 8.01% of 32P in the soil of Yixing site and 16.8% of 32P in the soil of Changshu site was lost from the layer 0-30 cm soil. The seasonal amounts of P leached from the top soil layer and from bottom layer are about 4.5-5.8% and 1.6-2.1% of the total P application, respectively. Changes of total P concentrations in soil solutions during rice growth showed that the fertilizer P applied before flooding of the paddy fields suffered a flash leaching loss and a slow leaching loss. We concluded that the fertilizer P could quickly move in the flooded paddy rice field and parts of it can enter into surface water and ground water. Unless the P application is well managed the risk of P loss and consequently environmental pollution exist.