Potential use of composts and vermicomposts as low-cost adsorbents for dye removal: an overlooked application

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The use of composts and vermicomposts as adsorbents is an important topic of study in the field of environmental remediation. These materials are rich...     

Study of metal fractionation in river sediments. A comparison between kinetic and sequential extraction procedures

The extraction kinetic of trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in river sediments by four extraction agents was studied. As extractants ammonium acetate, acetic acid, hydroxylamine and EDTA solutions were assayed. These reagents can leach the metals more or less selectively from several metal compartments of sediments. The metal leaching kinetic model permits classification of the metal species in labile and moderately-labile ones. The combination of two or more non specific reagents permits a high characterisation of metal distribution and leachability. The results obtained with this model in four river sediments were compared with data obtained by the SM&T sequential extraction procedure, in order to characterise the chemical nature of leached metal.     

Self‐leadership in the context of part‐time teleworking

Employees who work periodically in both a traditional office and home office (part‐time teleworkers) face opportunities and risks related to both working locations. As self‐leadership might play a crucial role in this context, we examined within‐person variations in self‐leadership (self‐reward, self‐punishment, self‐cueing, self‐goal setting, imagining successful performance, and evaluation of beliefs and assumptions) on home days and office days. In a typical workweek, 195 part‐time teleworkers filled out daily surveys (729 days), and we examined the relationship between working location (office and home) and self‐leading behavior as well as the mediating role of autonomy. Finally, we investigated whether self‐leading behavior relates to ego depletion and work satisfaction at the end of the working day. Multilevel analyses revealed that part‐time teleworkers reported higher use of self‐reward, self‐goal setting, and visualization of successful performance on home days than on office days. The association between working location and self‐reward, self‐goal setting, visualization of successful performance, and evaluation of beliefs and assumptions was mediated by autonomy. There were no indirect effects of working location on ego depletion through self‐leadership. However, we found that on home days, part‐time teleworkers were more satisfied with their job at the end of the workday through self‐goal setting.     

Sustainability of recycling plastic waste as fibers for concrete: a review

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Plastic waste management is of global concern while construction industry keeps searching for innovations to become more sustainable. In this...     

The role of rhizofiltration and allelopathy on the removal of cyanobacteria in a continuous flow system

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A continuous flow filtration system was designed to identify and quantify the removal mechanisms of Cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa) by...     

Metallothionein levels in Algerian mice (Mus spretus) exposed to elemental pollution: an ecophysiological approach

The potential use of metallothioneins (MTs) as biomarkers of trace metal contamination was evaluated for the first time in the Algerian mouse (Mus spretus). Mice were collected seasonally in an abandoned mining area (Aljustrel) and in a reference area, both located in southern Portugal. MT levels were quantified in liver and kidney by differential pulse polarography and hepatic elemental concentrations (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se) were determined by particle-induced X-ray emission. Hepatic iron and selenium concentrations were elevated in mice from Aljustrel mine when compared to reference animals. MTs levels were averagely higher in mice from Aljustrel than those originated from the reference area. A season-dependent significant effect was found on the hepatic and renal MT concentrations, characterized by higher levels in winter and lower in autumn. In contaminated mice positive relationship between liver elemental contents (Cu in autumn and Fe in winter) and MTs were found. The seasonal variation of MT suggests that probably physiological and environmental factors could influence hepatic and renal MT induction. Results seem to imply that some environmental disturbance occur in the vicinity of the Aljustrel mine. Therefore, for the management purposes MT levels should be followed in liver of M. spretus, especially in winter. Furthermore, other physiological factors that could influence MT expression and turnover in Algerian mouse should also be monitored.     

Prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia major by fetal blood analysis: Experience with 1000 cases

In this report we have summarized our experience with the prenatal diagnosis of β-thalassemia in 1000 pregnancies followed at least until 12 months after birth. In the majority of these cases, the thalassemia lesion was the nonsense mutation at the codon corresponding to amino acid 39, which produces the hematological phenotype of β-thalassemia. Fetal blood sampling was carried out by placental aspiration, by which a sufficient amount of fetal blood for analysis was obtained in the majority of cases (99 per cent). The fetal mortality associated with fetal blood sampling was 6·3 per cent. Those placental samples contaminated by maternal cells were successfully purified by Ørskov lysis. Fetal blood was analysed by globin chain synthesis on CM–52 columns, which gave reliable results. Two misdiagnoses (0·2 per cent) have been made of which one was due to a non-globin protein co-migrating with the β-chains while the other resulted from a misclassification of the type of thalassemia segregating in the family.     

Kinetic of carbonaceous substrate in an upflow anaerobic sludge sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating 2,4 dichlorophenol (2,4 DCP)

The performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating 2,4 dichlorophenol (2,4 DCP) was evaluated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) using synthetic wastewater in order to obtain the growth substrate (glucose-COD) and 2,4 DCP removal kinetics. Treatment efficiencies of the UASB reactor were investigated at different hydraulic retention times (2-20 h) corresponding to a food to mass (F/M) ratio of 1.2-1.92 g-COD g(-1) VSS day(-1). A total of 65-83% COD removal efficiencies were obtained at HRTs of 2-20 h. In all, 83% and 99% 2,4 DCP removals were achieved at the same HRTs in the UASB reactor. Conventional Monod, Grau Second-order and Modified Stover-Kincannon models were applied to determine the substrate removal kinetics of the UASB reactor. The experimental data obtained from the kinetic models showed that the Monod kinetic model is more appropriate for correlating the substrate removals compared to the other models for the UASB reactor. The maximum specific substrate utilization rate (k) (mg-COD mg(-1) SS day(-1)), half-velocity concentration (K(s)) (mg COD l(-1)), growth yield coefficient (Y) (mg mg(-1)) and bacterial decay coefficient (b) (day(-1)) were 0.954 mg-COD mg(-1) SS day(-1), 560.29 mg-COD l(-1), 0.78 mg-SS g(-1)-COD, 0.093 day(-1) in the Conventional Monod kinetic model. The second-order kinetic coefficient (k(2)) was calculated as 0.26 day(-1) in the Grau reaction kinetic model. The maximum COD removal rate constant (U(max)) and saturation value (K(B)) were calculated as 7.502 mg CODl(-1)day(-1) and 34.56 mg l(-1)day(-1) in the Modified Stover-Kincannon Model. The (k)(mg-2,4 DCP mg(-1) SS day(-1)), (K(s)) (mg 2,4 DCPl(-1)), (Y) (mg SS mg(-1) 2,4 DCP) and (k(d)) (day(-1)) were 0.0041 mg-2,4 DCP mg(-1) SS day(-1), 2.06 mg-COD l(-1), 0.0017 mg-SS mg(-1) 2,4 DCP and 3.1 x 10(-5) day(-1) in the Conventional Monod kinetic model for 2,4 DCP degradation. The second-order kinetic coefficient (k(2)) was calculated as 0.30 day(-1) in the Grau reaction kinetic model. The maximum 2,4 DCP removal rate constant (U(max)) and saturation value (K(B)) were calculated as 0.01 mg COD l(-1) day(-1) and 9.8 x 10(-3) mg l(-1) day(-1) in the Modified Stover-Kincannon model.     

Satellite observations of Mexico City pollution outflow from the Tropospheric Emissions Spectrometer (TES)

Concurrent tropospheric O₃ and CO vertical profiles from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) during the MILAGRO/INTEX-B aircraft campaigns over the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) and its surrounding regions were used to examine Mexico City pollution outflow on a regional scale. The pollution outflow from the MCMA occurred predominantly at 600–800 hPa as evident in O₃, CO, and NO_x enhancements in the in situ aircraft observations. TES O₃ and CO are sensitive to the MCMA pollution outflow due to their relatively high sensitivities at 600–800 hPa. We examined O₃, CO, and their correlation at 600–800 hPa from TES retrievals, aircraft measurements, and GEOS-Chem model results. TES captures much of the spatial and day-to-day variability of O₃ seen in the in situ data. TES CO, however, shows much less spatial and day-to-day variability compared with the in situ observations. The ΔO₃/ΔCO slope is significantly higher in the TES data (0.43) than the in situ data (0.28) due partly to the lack of variability in TES CO. Extraordinarily high ΔO₃/ΔCO slope (0.81) from TES observations at 618 hPa over the Eastern U.S. was previously reported by Zhang et al. [Zhang, L., Jacob, D.J., Bowman, K.W., et al., 2006. Ozone–CO correlations determined by the TES satellite instrument in continental outflow regions. Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, L18804. 10.1029/2006GL026399.]. Thus the application of TES CO–O₃ correlation to map continental pollution outflow needs further examination.