Chemical speciation in mining affected waters: the case study of Asarel-Medet mine

The inorganic chemical species in Maresh and Luda Yana rivers affected by the Cu– Mo Asarel-Medet mine, Bulgaria were determined during a low-flow and a high-flow period. The mining activities, the weathering and the oxidation processes strongly influenced the physicochemical processes in the whole water system. The main pollution source was a small lake receiving the acid effluents of the mining activities. High levels of SO₄ ^2???, Cu, Mg, Al, Mn and Fe were determined at the mining polluted and affected stations. Cu^2?+? and CuCO₃ ⁰ species (1:1) were present in the reference waters and Cu^2?+? and CuSO₄ ⁰ species (1:1) in the polluted and affected waters; Cu^2?+? species was dominating downstream. Me^2?+? followed by $\rm{MeSO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{0}}$ (Me = Mn, Zn, Cd and Pb), $\rm{PbCO}_{3}^{\kern3pt{0}}$ and $\rm{PbHCO}_{3}^{\kern3pt{+}}$ species as well as $\rm{Fe(OH)}_{2}^{\kern3pt{+}}$ , $\rm{Al(OH)}_{4}^{\kern3pt{-}}$ , $\rm{Al(OH)}_{2}^{\kern3pt{+}}$ , $\rm{Al(OH)}_{3}^{\kern3pt{0}}$ were prevailing in the system. $\rm{MeSO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{+}}$ and $\rm{Me(SO}_{4})_{2}^{\kern3pt{-}}$ (Me = Fe, Al), $\rm{Me(SO}_{4})_{2}^{\kern3pt{2-}}$ (Me = Zn, Cd and Pb), $\rm{Me(SO}_{4})_{3}^{\kern3pt{4-}}$ (Me = Zn, Cd) and $\rm{Cd(SO}_{4})_{4}^{\kern3pt{6-}}$ species polluted and affected waters. The major elements K and Na were mainly Me^?+? species, whereas Ca and Mg were Me^2?+? and $\rm{MeSO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{0}}$ species in different ratios. The concentration of concentration of $\rm{NO}_{2}^{\kern3pt{-}}$ , $\rm{NO}_{3}^{\kern3pt{-}}$ and $\rm{NH}_{4}^{\kern3pt{+}}$ species as well as complex phosphorous species such as H₂ $\rm{PO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{-}}$ , $\rm{FeHPO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{+}}$ , $\rm{HPO}_{4}^{\kern4pt{2-}}$ , $\rm{CaPO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{-}}$ , $\rm{CaHPO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{0}}$ and $\rm{MgHPO}_{4}^{\kern3pt{0}}$ were also calculated. The trace element concentrations decreased downstream due to dilution, sorption processes and precipitation, but the percentage of free metal species, which are more toxic, increased. An exception was iron and aluminum of which the dominant hydroxy colloidal and sulphate species were easily incorporated into the suspended phase.     

Identifying and quantifying nitrogen and phosphorus loadings from agriculture and livestock waste in the Penios River Basin District

The nitrogen and phosphorus loadings coming from diffuse, non-point pollution sources related to agriculture and animal husbandry in the Penios river basin in the region of Thessaly, Greece, were estimated. Detailed data on types of crops and field area as well as types and numbers of animals bred in the municipal districts included in the Penios River Basin District were collected from agricultural cooperatives and rural agencies in Thessaly. Related nitrogen and phosphorus loadings were calculated and all data were mapped in a geographic information system (GIS) environment to show how diffuse pollution is spatially distributed in the Penios basin and to identify areas with the highest anthropogenic pressures. This type of data is useful to a driving forces–pressures–state–impacts–responses (DPSIR) analysis – a tool suitable for the analysis of environmental decisions in the direction of sustainable development.     

Chemical speciation in natural and brine sea waters

A combined approach consisting of monitoring and thermodynamic modeling was used in order to calculate the concentration of trace element species in water samples of a broad salinity range and to explain their chemical behaviour. The study was performed on water samples (fresh, marine, hyper-saline) taken from the area of Burgas Bay, Bulgaria. The ion association model based on Debye-Hückel theory using the sst2008.dat database and the ion interaction model based on Pitzer theory using a new pit2010.dat database were compared and combined for the purposes of this study. The new pit2010.dat database combines the sst2008.dat database and the pitzer.dat database of the PHREEQCI computer program as well as the thermodynamic data for the elements Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb and their Pitzer ion interaction parameters. The results showed that: (1) the predominant species in fresh waters were free ions of Mn(2+) (73.6%), Zn(2+) (58.0%) and Cd(2+) ions (78.3%) as well as carbonate species CuCO?? (81.8%), PbCO?? (77.2%) and hydroxy species Fe(OH) ??(55.2%) and Fe(OH)+?(35.6%); (2) an increase in chloride species MeCl2(n)-(n)(n = 1-4, Me = Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd) and of the hydroxy species Fe(OH)?? for Fe was calculated for sea and hyper-saline water.     

Study on particulate matter air pollution,source origin,and human health risk based of PM10 metal content in Volos City,Greece

Investigations on the fluctuation in PM₁₀ air pollution in Volos, a medium-sized industrialized port city in the Mediterranean, are presented for the 5-year period between 2009 and 2014. The levels detected have been examined in relation to legislatively set limits, sampling year, and day of the week. A PM₁₀ spring sampling campaign has been performed in 2014 and metals and other elements in the PM₁₀ mass have been quantified. Source origin has been attempted for the latter sampling campaign and human health risk has been assessed. Results show compliance with the mean annual value of 40 μg m^?3 of 2008/50/EC for the city; however, exceedances of the daily quality standard of 50 μg m^?3 were frequently recorded. Shifts in PM₁₀ concentrations and in contributing sources have been recorded; nevertheless, longer duration data series are needed for safe deductions. Element measurements have enabled source identification for early summer of 2014, with Earth's crust minerals and anthropogenic sources being the main factors. Cumulative non-carcinogenic risk may exceed the threshold value of 1. Possible involvement of sea salt aerosol and desert dust long-range transport has also been assessed. These results may furnish databases on PM pollution of Greek cities as well as other Mediterranean urban centers with similar characteristics.     

Chemical speciation in waters influenced by lead–zinc metallurgical industry

The Lead–Zinc Company region, Kardjali city, Bulgaria, is known to be highly polluted with heavy metals from its pyrometallurgical activities. The polluted levels and the chemical speciation in surface natural waters in the region as well as in the wastewaters of the factory were investigated in January 2008 by application of monitoring studies, thermodynamic modeling, and interpretation in terms of the “softness–hardness” factor. It was found that the levels of trace metals pollution of surface waters were lower than the legislation limits for the regions with Pb and Zn production. The wastewater treatment facilities of the company were found to operate properly, and the quality of the cleaned waters in station Kar4 was comparable to the other surface waters studied (e.g., station Kar5). The trace metals were divided into three groups: (1) Fe^3?+? and Al^3?+?, being “hard” acids, existed in all the studied waters as hydroxy species Fe(OH) $_{2}^{+}$ , AlOH^2?+?, and Al(OH) $_{2}^{+}$ , followed by the phosphate species AlPO $_{4}^{0}$ and Al₂(OH)₂PO $_{4}^{+}$ ; (2) Mn^2?+?, Zn^2?+?, and Cd^2?+? being “soft” acids with crystal field stabilization energy (CFSE) = 0 were present in natural waters mainly as free Me^2?+? ions. Small concentrations of their MeSO $_{4}^{0}$ , MeCO $_{3}^{0}$ species, and of MeCl $_{2}^{0}$ (Me = Zn, Cd) species were also calculated. In the wastewaters, two more species [Me(SO $_{4})_{2}^{2-}$ and Me(SO $_{4})_{3}^{4-}$ ] of the softer Zn and Cd metals were also calculated; (3) Cu^2?+? and Pb^2?+?, as “soft” acids with CFSE $\ne $ 0 preferentially coordinated with softer CO $_{3}^{2-}$ ions and in natural waters existed mainly as MeCO $_{3}^{0}$ and PbHCO $_{3}^{+}$ , followed by free Me^2?+?ions and MeOH^?+?. In the wastewaters, MeSO $_{4}^{0}$ and Pb(SO $_{4})_{2}^{2-}$ species increased at the expense of the free Me^2?+? ions. The highest self-cleaning capability of natural waters was found with respect to Al and Fe, followed by Mn and Cd. The lowest corresponded to Pb, Cu, and Zn.     

Psychological consequences among adults following the 1999 earthquake in Athens, Greece

One year after the 7 September 1999 earthquake in Athens, Greece, we investigated the psychological consequences among 305 individuals (71 per cent female) residing in the settlements of Ano Liosia Municipality. Adaptability was difficult (63 per cent) due to limited space (50 per cent). Insecurity feelings were predictive of difficult adaptability (chi2= 29.8, p<0.0001) and were common (63 per cent) among married subjects, independent of age (chi2= 5.0, odds ratio (OR): 0.49, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI): 0.26-0.90). Eighty per cent expressed stress feelings, mainly nervousness/tension (60 per cent). Adaptability (chi2= 5.3, OR: 0.5, 95 per cent CI: 0.27-0.9), age (chi2= 6.5, OR: 1.03, 95 per cent CI: 1.01-1.06), and female gender (chi2= 4.7, OR: 0.48, 95 per cent CI: 0.25-0.90) were independent predictors of stress feelings. The majority (55 percent) developed sleep disorders, chiefly insomnia (60 percent). Adaptability problems were the only predictor of sleep disorders (chi2= 6.4, OR: 0.5, 95 per cent CI: 0.33-0.87). Psychiatric medication use increased after the earthquake.     

Innovative approach and design for environmental protection from arising threats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Risk informed optimization of a hazardous material multi-periodic transportation model

This paper presents a systematic framework toward the development of a Transportation Model for Hazardous Materials (HazMat). In practice, the proposed modeling framework is realized through an appropriate generalization of the traditional transportation network problem in the presence of safety constraints that need to be satisfied. The objective is to minimize transportation cost while reducing risks at the desired levels.In particular, the present research study identifies and evaluates different risk factors that influence the HazMat transportation network. Next, the transportation model is depicted graphically using nodes and arcs and optimal conditions are identified by solving the associated minimum cost flow network problem. The results show safety levels that help making informed decisions on choosing the optimal transportation configuration for hazardous material shipments.Within the proposed methodological context, appropriately parameterized simulation studies elucidate the effects of occurrence probabilities of the different risk events on transportation cost. Furthermore, as the appropriate management decisions must consider the effect of actions in one time period on future periods, the proposed model is structured as a multi-periodic model.Finally, the proposed methodological approach is employed to demonstrate the utility of proper analytical tools in decision making and particularly in ensuring that scientifically informed safety procedures are in place while transporting goods that can be potentially proven dangerous to the public and the surroundings.