The application of the vermicomposting process in the bioremediation of diesel contaminated soils

Abstract

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the environmental pollutants that have very high carcinogenic and mutagenic activity. Among hundreds of different PAHs, 17 are considered priority pollutants and routinely monitored for regulatory purposes. Extended periods of exposure and expensive clean-up costs are typically associated with the vast majority of processes used for the remediation of areas contaminated with PAHs. The results of this study indicate that bioremediation via vermicomposting could be an effective method for remedying soils contaminated with toxic organic compounds, such as PAHs. This study was conducted over 90?days in the presence of various quantities of organic matter (cattle manure) to recover soils contaminated with PAHs. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied to identify PAHs. An evaluation of the toxicity of the final material and the transformation of the organic matter throughout the process was also conducted. The data presented here suggest a relationship between the molar mass of the PAHs and the ability of the vermicomposting process to promote biodegradation. These results suggest that vermicomposting has great potential to be utilized as a tool for the bioremediation of soils impacted by PAHs.     

Assessment of Water Quality in a Border Region Between the Atlantic Forest and an Urbanised Area in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

The preservation of water resources is one of the goals of the designation of parks that act as natural reservoirs. In order to assess the impact of the presence of humans in an environmental preservation area bordering urban areas, the presence of four pathogenic enteric viruses [group A rotavirus (RV-A), norovirus (NoV), human adenoviruses (HAdV), and hepatitis A virus (HAV)], as well as the physico-chemical parameters, and Escherichia coli levels were assessed in riverine water samples. From June 2008 to May 2009, monthly monitoring was performed along the Engenho Novo River. RV-A, NoV, and HAdV were observed in 29 % (31/108) of the water samples, with concentrations of up to 10³ genome copies/liter. The natural occurrence of infectious HAdV was demonstrated by Integrated Cell Culture-PCR (ICC-PCR). This study confirms the suitability of using the detection of fecal-oral transmitted viruses as a marker of human fecal contamination in water matrices and indicates the spread of pathogenic viruses occurring in an alleged area of environmental protection.     

The ability of biological and organic synthetic materials to accumulate atmospheric particulates containing copper, lead, nickel and strontium

This work was aimed at finding materials that could be used as alternatives to lichens as air quality monitors since the high natural variability and the large amount of lichen collected are two drawbacks of the use of these organisms. Lichen Flavoparmelia caperata(L.) Hale was exposed in three different forms (transplant, detached from the substratum and as a biomass-ground and homogeneized) and compared to the planetree bark (Platanus hybrida Brot.), exposed as a biomass, and two organic synthetic materials (Chelex(R) 100 resin and cellulose acetate). Materials were exposed for two months in the winter, spring and summer, at three Portuguese coastal cities. The results showed that the airborne accumulations of Cu, Ni, Pb and Sr were partially dependent on the meteorological conditions but mainly dependent on the nature of the exposed material. The standard deviations of the synthetic materials or homogenized biomass were the same or greater than lichen transplants or detached. The accumulation by biological materials, of the four studied elements, was comparable to the lichen transplant accumulation. The replacement of the traditional transplants by the biomass was not considered advantageous, since their preparation is time-consuming. Therefore lichens remain the most suitable in biomonitoring studies. The exposure of detached lichen allows the accurate measurement of the exposed area/volume so it can be useful to relate atmospheric deposition rates with the lichen metal content. The synthetic materials accumulated Cu and Ni and should only be used as an alternative to traditional transplants when these are the elements of interest.     

Global variability of food waste chemical composition and its consequences on the production of biofuels and chemical compounds

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The use of food waste (FW) for the production of biofuels and value-added compounds is growing worldwide. However, the significant chemical...     

Solid-waste management in the rural area of BRAZIL: a case study in Quilombola communities

Although there has been a worldwide growing concern regarding solid-waste management, the rural area has been left behind on this matter. It is common knowledge that the lack of waste management is very detrimental to the environment and impact seriously the public health. Therefore, the aim of this work is to contribute to the decision-making process regarding waste management in the rural area by proposing a new methodology using the combination of risk analysis and complementary sustainability criteria. The proposed methodology was demonstrated through a case study in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A field survey was performed to define the current scenarios and three new scenarios were proposed. The risk analysis showed that the major risk to which residents are vulnerable to is the appearance of vectors that can cause various types of diseases. Besides that, only 30% of rural Quilombola communities of Mato Grosso do Sul have waste collection and the predominant scenario is the burning of dry waste and use of organic waste for animal feeding. Using the complementary relevant criteria, the most suitable scenario do the studied communities would be the combination of household composting and source separation of dry waste. The proposed methodology can be easily applied to other rural regions seeking for sustainable waste management systems.     

Soils impacted by PAHs: Would the stabilized organic matter be a green tool for the immobilization of these noxious compounds?

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of stabilized organic matter (vermicompost) and tropical soils in the sorption of naphthalene, anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene. The results obtained for the three compounds were extrapolated for the priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollutants according to Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). To evaluate the sorption process, high performance liquid chromatography was employed and the data was fitted by Freundlich isotherms. The results suggest that the sorption effect generally increases with the number of benzene rings of the PAHs, and that the persistence of PAHs in the environment is possibly related to the number of benzene rings in the PAH molecule. In addition, the pH of the vermicompost can strongly affect the adsorption process in this matrix.     

Cointegration and causality: considering Iberian economic activity sectors to test the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis

Few studies have attempted to study the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis at the individual sector level using more than one sector at once. This paper investigates the existence of the EKC hypothesis in the Iberian countries (Portugal and Spain) using thirteen economic activity sectors for each, analyzing each individual sector’s cointegration and causality relationships considering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, sector gross value added and energy consumption. The findings of this paper using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach only validate cointegration in six Portuguese sectors and in five of the Spanish sectors. Results confirm both short- and long-run bi-directional and unidirectional causality between economic growth, energy consumption and CO2 emissions, using the error correction model (ECM) and Toda and Yamamoto’s causality approaches. Moreover, results for Portuguese and Spanish sectors indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship only for one sector each. In some sectors there was evidence of a U-shaped relationship and in others the EKC hypothesis could be verified but no statistical significance was obtained. The study has significant contributions for sector policy, including implications to curtail energy pollutants by implementing environmental friendly regulations to sustain economic development at the sector level in the Iberian market. It also allows inferences to be made about the existence of different behaviors in comparative terms for the same economic activity sectors of the individual countries.     

Do tailings from the Mariana,MG (Brazil), disaster affect the initial development of millet,maize, and sorghum?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, MG, in 2015 resulted in the overflow of more than 50 million m3 of mud containing mine tailings,...     

Monitoring of firefighters exposure to smoke during fire experiments in Portugal

Forest fires represent a serious threat to public security in Europe due to the large burned area. Moreover, smoke pollution due to forest fire events is an important public health issue for the communities directly affected, and particularly for the personnel involved in firefighting operations. Aiming to contribute to the scientific knowledge concerning firefighters exposure to forest fires smoke, data of individual exposure to carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter were obtained during experimental field fires for a group of 10 firefighters equipped with portable “in continuum” measuring devices. Measured values are very high exceeding the Occupational Exposure Standard limits, in particular for peak limit thresholds. These are the first measurements and analysis of firefighter's individual exposure to toxic gases and particles in fire smoke experiments in Europe. However, they already indicate that urgent measures to avoid these levels of exposure are needed.     

Advancing climate compatible development: lessons from southern Africa

Climate compatible development (CCD) has emerged as a new concept that bridges climate change adaptation, mitigation and community-based development. Progress towards CCD requires multi-stakeholder, multi-sector working and the development of partnerships between actors who may not otherwise have worked together. This creates challenges and opportunities that require careful examination at project and institutional levels and necessitates the sharing of experiences between different settings. In this paper, we draw on the outcomes from a multi-stakeholder workshop held in Mozambique in 2012, the final in a series of activities in a regional project assessing emerging CCD partnerships across southern Africa. The workshop involved policymakers, researchers and representatives from NGOs and the private sector. We employ a content analysis of workshop notes and presentations to identify the progress and challenges in moving four case study countries (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe) towards CCD pathways, by exploring experiences from both project and policy levels. To advance institutional support for the development of successful CCD policies, practices and partnerships, we conclude that there is a need for: (a) institutional development at the national level to strengthen coordination and more clearly define roles and responsibilities across sectors, based on the identification of capacity and knowledge gaps; (b) partnership development, drawing on key strengths and competences of different stakeholders and emphasising the roles of the private sector and traditional authorities; (c) learning and knowledge-sharing through national and regional fora; and (d) development of mechanisms that permit more equitable and transparent distribution of costs and benefits. These factors can facilitate development of multi-stakeholder, multi-level partnerships that are grounded in community engagement from the outset, helping to translate CCD policy statements into on-the-ground action.