Exposure of microplastics to organic matter in waters enhances microplastic encapsulation into calcium carbonate

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Plastic pollution in water ecosystems is threatening the survival of wildlife. In particular, microplastics may be encapsulated into calcium carbonate, a crucial...     

Modelling of a Capillary Rise Height of Biochar by Modified Lucas–Washburn Equation

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - Lucas–Washburn equation is a fundamental expression which is used to describe capillary rise in porous materials according to average pore radius,...     

Active biomonitoring with wet and dry moss: a case study in an urban area

Active biomonitoring of the air quality in Belgrade, Serbia, was performed using the moss Sphagnum girgensohnii. Moss bags were exposed in parallel with and without irrigation for 3 and 6 months, respectively, at three different sites. Twenty-nine elements were determined in the exposed moss samples by INAA. For all exposure periods, higher uptake in the irrigated moss bags was evident for Al, Cr, Fe, Zn and Sr. Elements such as Cl, K, Rb and Cs were depleted in the moss tissue during the time of exposure. For most of the elements the accumulation after 6 months exceeded that observed after 3 months.     

Environmental tritium of the Danube basin in Yugoslavia

An overview of environmental distribution of tritium in the Danube basin in Yugoslavia during the period 1976-1990 is presented. Temporal and regional variations of environmental tritium in the Danube along its flow (1425-847 km from the confluence) and its tributaries (the Sava, the Tisa, the Velika Morava and the Timok) at various locations, as well as in alluvial groundwaters, are given. In Belgrade, monthly values of tritium in rainfall ranged from 1.1 to 18.3 Bq litre(-1), with a maximum in the late spring and early summer months. The half-life for decline in concentration was estimated as 8.3+/-1.0 years. The total amount of tritium deposited in the first 6 months during 1976-90 was 35% larger than in the second 6 months for the same period. Seasonal variations were noticeable in rivers and groundwaters, but these were greatly attenuated and smoothed for the latter. Tritium content in the monthly composite samples from the river in the Belgrade region varied between 2.5 and 18.2 Bq litre(-1) for the Danube and from 1.5 to 16.8 Bq litre(-1) for the Sava. The yearly mean values along the Danube and its tributaries ranged from 2.4 to 15.9 Bq litre(-1) with individual measurements 1.0-30.2 Bq litre(-1). The half-lives were between 6.9+/-1.7 for the Velika Morava and 9.4+/-0.9 for the Danube. Groundwaters, particularly ones in the Ranney wells, followed changes of tritium content in the rivers with a time lag from a few days to a month. During the period of observation, tritium content decreased in alluvial waters with half-lives from 9.9+/-1.6 (Belgrade area) to 7.3+/-1.8 (the Velika Morava).