Adsorption of arsenic(V) by iron-oxide-coated diatomite (IOCD)

Purposes and aims  

Economically efficient methods for removing arsenic from the drinking water supply are urgently needed in many parts of the world. Iron oxides are known to have a strong affinity for arsenic in water. However, they are commonly present in the forms of fine powder or floc, which limits their utility in water treatment. In this study, a novel granular adsorbent, iron-oxide-coated diatomite (IOCD), was developed and examined for its adsorption of arsenic from water.     

Ferrate(VI) enhanced photocatalytic oxidation of pollutants in aqueous TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> suspensions

Background, aim and scope  

Photocatalytic oxidation using UV irradiation of TiO₂ has been studied extensively and has many potential industrial applications, including the degradation of recalcitrant contaminants in water and wastewater treatment. A limiting factor in the oxidation process is the recombination of conduction band electrons (e ⁻ _cb) with electron holes (h_vb⁺) on the irradiated TiO₂ surface; thus, in aqueous conditions, the presence of an effective electron scavenger will be beneficial to the efficiency of the oxidation process. Ferrate (FeO₄²⁻) has received much recent attention as a water treatment chemical since it behaves simultaneously as an oxidant and coagulant. The combination of ferrate [Fe(VI)] with UV/TiO₂ photocatalysis offers an oxidation synergism arising from the Fe(VI) scavenging of e ⁻ _cb and the corresponding beneficial formation of Fe(V) from the Fe(VI) reduction. This paper reviews recent studies concerning the photocatalytic oxidation of problematic pollutants with and without ferrate.     

Potential physiological effects of pharmaceutical compounds in Atlantic salmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo salar</Emphasis>) implied by transcriptomic analysis

Background, aim, and scope  

Pharmaceuticals are emerging pollutants widely used in everyday urban activities which can be detected in surface, ground, and drinking waters. Their presence is derived from consumption of medicines, disposal of expired medications, release of treated and untreated urban effluents, and from the pharmaceutical industry. Their growing use has become an alarming environmental problem which potentially will become dangerous in the future. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about long-term effects in non-target organisms as well as for human health. Toxicity testing has indicated a relatively low acute toxicity to fish species, but no information is available on possible sublethal effects. This study provides data on the physiological pathways involved in the exposure of Atlantic salmon as representative test species to three pharmaceutical compounds found in ground, surface, and drinking waters based on the evaluation of the xenobiotic-induced impairment resulting in the activation and silencing of specific genes.     

Comparison among model estimates of critical loads of acidic deposition using different sources and scales of input data

The critical load (CL) of acidic atmospheric deposition represents the load of acidity deposited from the atmosphere to the earth’s surface at which harmful acidification effects on sensitive biological receptors are thought to occur. In this study, the CL for forest soils was estimated for 27 watersheds throughout the United States using a steady-state mass balance approach based on both national and site-specific data and using different approaches for estimating base cation weathering. Results suggested that the scale and source of input data can have large effects on the calculated CL and that the most important parameter in the steady-state model used to estimate CL is base cation weathering. These results suggest that the data and approach used to estimate weathering must be robust if the calculated CL is to be useful for its intended purpose.     

Organocopper complexes during roxarsone degradation in wastewater lagoons

Background, aim, and scope  

Organoarsenical-containing animal feeds that promote growth and resistance to parasites are mostly excreted unchanged, ending up in nearby wastewater storage lagoons. Earlier work documented the partial transformation of organoarsenicals, such as, 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (roxarsone) to the more toxic inorganic arsenate [As(V)] and 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (3-AHPAA). Unidentified roxarsone metabolites using liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC/ICP-MS) were also inferred from the corresponding As mass balance. Earlier batch experiments in our laboratory suggested the presence of organometallic (Cu) complexes during relevant roxarsone degradation experiments. We hypothesized that organocopper compounds were complexed to roxarsone, mediating its degradation in field-collected swine wastewater samples from storage lagoons. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of organometallic (Cu) complexes during roxarsone degradation under aerobic conditions in swine wastewater suspensions, using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ES-MS).     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their methoxylated metabolites in anchovy (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Coilia</Emphasis> sp.) from the Yangtze River Delta,China

Background, aim, and scope  

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their metabolites are toxic to animals, and concentrations of the PBDEs metabolites can exceed those of the parent materials. But no information was available on concentrations of PBDEs metabolites in the lower Yangtze River in the region around Jiangsu Province of China, which is heavily urbanized and industrialized area. The aims of this study were to determine whether PBDEs and their methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs) were accumulated in Coilia sp. in this area and to investigate the potential sources for these two kinds of brominated organic pollutants.     

Zinc tolerance and uptake by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis halleri ssp. gemmifera</Emphasis> grown in nutrient solution

Background, aim, and scope  

Zinc is an essential micronutrient element but its concentrations found in contaminated soils frequently exceed those required by the plant and soil organisms, and thus create danger to animal and human health. Phytoremediation is a technique, often employed in remediation of contaminated soils, which aims to remove heavy metals or other contaminants from soils or waters using plants. Arabidopsis (A.) halleri ssp. gemmifera is a plant recently found to be grown vigorously in heavy metal contaminated areas of Japan and it contained remarkably high amount of heavy metals in its shoots. However, the magnitude of Zn accumulation and tolerance in A. halleri ssp. gemmifera need to be investigated for its use as a phytoremediation plant.     

Patinas developed in environmental burial conditions: the Neolithic steles of Reguers de Seró (Lleida,Spain)

Background, aim and scope  

Weathering patinas in rocks are the result of interaction processes between rock surfaces and atmosphere, biosphere and soil. Therefore, their textural and mineral composition is strongly related to environmental and bioactivity conditions. Whereas the development of weathering patinas in atmospheric conditions is well documented (e.g. typical Mediterranean patina), only very few studies focus on their formation in a burial environment. Our study of patinas developed on the tumular structure of Reguers de Seró deals with the knowledge of burial patinas from a textural and mineralogical point of view. The aims of this study include: (1) the characterisation of the rock used in this megalithic monument as well as inferences regarding the origin of the raw material; (2) the evaluation of the patinas developed on the surface of the carved steles; and (3) the discussion of the environmental conditions (atmospheric or burial) that favoured the development of the patinas.     

Green accounting and sustainability of the Peruvian metal mining sector

This paper estimates the true economic income of Peru’s metal mining sector for the period 1992–2006, using a model of green economic income based on Hamilton (2000). The total depletion of natural capital caused by metal mining is calculated by estimating, on the one hand, the depreciation of mining resources (using the Hotelling rent approach) and, on the other, the environmental degradation provoked by metal mining activities. The results show that the total loss of natural capital represents between 31% and 51% of the metal mining GDP and between 2% and 4.9% of Peru’s GDP. On the other hand, correcting the usual GDP measure produced by the traditional National Account System (NAS) for the total loss of natural capital caused by mining activities shows that the GDP traditional measure overestimated by 51–64% the true economic income generated by Peruvian's metal mining sector during the period 1992–2006. The importance of the generation, taxation, and disposition of mining economic rents for Peru’s sustainable development in the future is also discussed.