Assessment of toxic metals in waste personal computers

Considering the enormous production of waste personal computers nowadays, it is obvious that the study of their composition is necessary in order to regulate their management and prevent any environmental contamination caused by their inappropriate disposal. This study aimed at determining the toxic metals content of motherboards (printed circuit boards), monitor glass and monitor plastic housing of two Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors, three Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors, one LCD touch screen monitor and six motherboards, all of which were discarded. In addition, concentrations of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) were compared with the respective limits set by the RoHS 2002/95/EC Directive, that was recently renewed by the 2012/19/EU recast, in order to verify manufacturers’ compliance with the regulation. The research included disassembly, pulverization, digestion and chemical analyses of all the aforementioned devices. The toxic metals content of all samples was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results demonstrated that concentrations of Pb in motherboards and funnel glass of devices with release dates before 2006, that is when the RoHS Directive came into force, exceeded the permissible limit. In general, except from Pb, higher metal concentrations were detected in motherboards in comparison with plastic housing and glass samples. Finally, the results of this work were encouraging, since concentrations of metals referred in the RoHS Directive were found in lower levels than the legislative limits.     

Leaching assessment of concrete made of recycled coarse aggregate: Physical and environmental characterisation of aggregates and hardened concrete

Each year, millions of tonnes of waste are generated worldwide, partially through the construction and demolition of buildings. Recycling the resulting waste could reduce the amount of materials that need to be manufactured. Accordingly, the present work has analysed the potential reuse of construction waste in concrete manufacturing by replacing the natural aggregate with recycled concrete coarse aggregate.However, incorporating alternative materials in concrete manufacturing may increase the pollutant potential of the product, presenting an environmental risk via ground water contamination.The present work has tested two types of concrete batches that were manufactured with different replacement percentages. The experimental procedure analyses not only the effect of the portion of recycled aggregate on the physical properties of concrete but also on the leaching behaviour as indicative of the contamination degree. Thus, parameters such as slump, density, porosity and absorption of hardened concrete, were studied. Leaching behaviour was evaluated based on the availability test performed to three aggregates (raw materials of the concrete batches) and on the diffusion test performed to all concrete.From an environmental point of view, the question of whether the cumulative amount of heavy metals that are released by diffusion reaches the availability threshold was answered. The analysis of concentration levels allowed the establishment of different groups of metals according to the observed behaviour, the analysis of the role of pH and the identification of the main release mechanisms. Finally, through a statistical analysis, physical parameters and diffusion data were interrelated. It allowed estimating the relevance of porosity, density and absorption of hardened concrete on diffusion release of the metals in study.     

Accumulation of metallic elements by Amanita muscaria from rural lowland and industrial upland regions

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on the accumulation and occurrence of Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sr and Zn in the mushroom Amanita muscaria and forest topsoil from two lowland sites in the Tuchola Pinewoods in the north-central region and an upland site in the ?wietokrzyskie Mountains in the south-central region of Poland. Topsoil from the upland location showed Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Na and Zn at significantly higher concentration levels (pseudo-total fraction and often also the labile or extractable fraction) than at both lowland locations, where topsoil was richer in Mg, and similar in Rb. Amanita muscaria from the upland region differed from individuals collected in the lowland sites by higher concentration levels of Cd, Cu, Hg and Mn in caps. This could be related to higher concentration levels of the metallic elements in topsoil in the upland region. On other side, A. muscaria from the upland site was poorer in Co and Fe in caps, and in Ca, Co, Fe and Sr in stipes. In spite of the differences in content of the geogenic metallic elements in topsoil between the lowland and upland locations, A. muscaria from both regions was able to regulate uptake and accumulation of Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Rb and Zn, which were at similar concentration levels in caps but not necessarily in stipes.     

A new strain for recovering precious metals from waste printed circuit boards

A new strain, Pseudomonas Chlororaphis (PC), was found for dissolving gold, silver, and copper from the metallic particles of crushed waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). The optimized conditions that greatly improved the ability of producing CN^? (for dissolving metals) were obtained. Dissolving experiments of pure gold, silver, and copper showed that the metals could be changed into Au⁺, Ag⁺, and Cu²⁺. PC cells and their secreta would adsorb metallic ions. Meanwhile, metallic ions destroyed the growth of PC. Dissolving experiments of metallic particles from crushed waste PCBs were performed by PC. The results indicated that 8.2% of the gold, 12.1% silver, and 52.3% copper were dissolved into solution. This paper contributed significance information to recovering precious metals from waste PCBs by bioleaching.     

Utilization of sepiolite materials as a bottom liner material in solid waste landfills

Landfill bottom liners are generally constructed with natural clay soils due to their high strength and low hydraulic conductivity characteristics. However, in recent years it is increasingly difficult to find locally available clay soils that satisfy the required engineering properties. Fine grained soils such as sepiolite and zeolite may be used as alternative materials in the constructions of landfill bottom liners. A study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using natural clay rich in kaolinite, sepiolite, zeolite, and their mixtures as a bottom liner material. Unconfined compression tests, swell tests, hydraulic conductivity tests, batch and column adsorption tests were performed on each type of soil and sepiolite–zeolite mixtures. The results of the current study indicate that sepiolite is the dominant material that affects both the geomechanical and geoenvironmental properties of these alternative liners. An increase in sepiolite content in the sepiolite–zeolite mixtures increased the strength, swelling potential and metal adsorption capacities of the soil mixtures. Moreover, hydraulic conductivity of the mixtures decreased significantly with the addition of sepiolite. The utilization of sepiolite–zeolite materials as a bottom liner material allowed for thinner liners with some reduction in construction costs compared to use of a kaolinite-rich clay.     

江苏省浅水湖泊表层沉积物中重金属污染特征及其风险评价

为揭示江苏省浅水湖泊表层沉积物重金属污染特征,采集江苏省8个浅水湖泊的表层沉积物,测定了8种重金属的含量,并利用地积累指数法和潜在生态风险指数法对沉积物重金属的污染现状以及潜在生态风险程度进行评价。结果表明:江苏省8个浅水湖泊表层沉积物中Mn、Zn、Cr、Ni、Cu、As、Cd、Pb的平均含量分别为634~1 031、66~138、76.0~97.5、39.2~56.3、25.2~50.1、9.9~27.1、0.15~2.98、24.6~51.6mg/kg。地积累指数法评价结果表明,Cd是江苏省8个浅水湖泊表层沉积物中最主要的污染物,Zn、Cu、As、Pb、Ni在一些湖泊为轻度污染,Mn和Cr处于无污染水平。Hkanson潜在生态风险指数法评价结果显示,各湖泊综合潜在生态风险程度的高低顺序为:长荡湖石臼湖白马湖滆湖高邮湖洪泽湖澄湖骆马湖,长荡湖达到严重生态风险水平,石臼湖存在重生态风险,白马湖与滆湖处在中等生态风险水平,而骆马湖、洪泽湖、高邮湖以及澄湖重金属污染则处于低生态风险水平。     

基于地理探测器的土壤重金属空间分异及其影响因素分析研究进展

地理探测器是探测空间分异性,以及揭示其背后驱动因子的一种新的统计学方法,由于其既能揭示单一因素对因变量的影响,也能评价双因素相互作用的影响,且不需要考虑线性,还能避免多变量共线性的影响,没有较强的模型假设,解决了传统方法在分析类别变量时的局限性,在土壤重金属空间分异领域研究的应用越来越广泛.通过收集40篇关于地理探测器在土壤重金属空间分异领域的研究报道,梳理了采用的自变量离散化方法、研究尺度、因变量和自变量类型、因子探测、交换探测、风险探测和生态探测等内容,并提出下一步的应用研究急需明确的问题,为地理探测器在土壤重金属空间分异领域深层次应用提供支撑.     

基于蒙特卡罗模拟的煤矸山周边农用地土壤重金属健康风险评估

以重庆市煤矸山周边农用地土壤为研究对象,运用内梅罗指数、地累积指数和潜在生态风险指数分析土壤重金属污染水平,并采用蒙特卡罗模拟的健康风险模型,探析研究区土壤重金属对人体的健康风险.结果表明,研究区土壤Cd、Hg、As、Pb、Cr、Cu、Ni和Zn含量均值超重庆市土壤背景值,地累积指数（I_geo）表现为：Cd>Hg>Cu>As>Ni>Zn>Cr>Pb;内梅罗指数表明土壤以轻污染（1<P_N≤2）为主,各重金属污染指数（P_i）表现为：Cd>Cu>Ni>Cr>Zn>As>Pb>Hg;潜在生态风险指数表明土壤以中等生态风险（150≤RI<300）为主,各重金属生态风险指数（E_rⁱ）表现为：Cd>Hg>As>Cu>Ni>Pb>Cr>Zn.土壤健康风险表明,儿童和成人非致癌健康风险可忽略,但存在可耐受致癌健康风险,综合致癌风险指数（TCR）均值分别为1.04E-5和3.94E-6,主要致癌因子为As和Cd.敏感性分析表明非致癌健康风险土壤颗粒摄入速率（R_ingest）敏感性最高,其次是As含量,致癌健康风险土壤颗粒摄入速率As含量敏感性最高,其次是土壤颗粒摄入速率（R_ingest）.整体上儿童非致癌和致癌健康风险高于成人.     

浙江省香榧主产区土壤重金属空间异质性及其生态风险

香榧(Torreya grandis cv.Merrillii)是我国特有的一类经济树种.目前关于香榧的研究大都关注于果实的品质以及高产措施等,对香榧林地土壤重金属污染的研究鲜见报道.为探明其污染状况,选择位于浙江省会稽山脉附近的香榧集中种植区[诸暨、嵊州、柯桥和东阳四市(区)]作为研究对象,系统地采取了121个土壤样品(0～20 cm),对其中的13种重金属(As、Cd、Co、Cr、Cu、Fe、Mn、Ni、Pb、Sb、Sn、V和Zn)进行分析.同时结合主成分分析方法构建最小数据集,筛选出能最大程度代表土壤重金属元素信息的6种元素(As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Ni和Zn),利用地统计学等空间分析方法研究筛选所得的6种重金属空间异质性并评价其潜在生态风险.结果表明,研究区重金属平均o(As)、ω(Cd)、ω(Cr)、ω(Ni)、ω(Cu)和ω(Zn)分别为14.23、0.14、49.08、27.05、28.20和109.93 mg·kg-1通过半方差理论模型拟合得出研究区土壤Cr、Ni和Zn具有强烈的空间自相关性,而Cd、Cu和As空间自相关性处在中等水平.克里格插值揭示了研究区土壤重金属的空间分布格局,东阳市ω(Cd)、ω(Cr)和ω(Ni)呈低值分布,而诸暨市局部地区存在ω(Cd)、ω(Cr)和ω(Ni)的高值分布,其中诸暨市、柯桥区和嵊州市Cd积累较多,As在研究区土壤中的局部积累最严重,高值主要分布在诸暨市的西部和嵊州市东部地区.单因子污染指数和内梅罗污染指数结果显示,研究区6种重金属均存在超标现象,呈现出不同程度的累积特征.诸暨市重金属的分布受早期铜矿开采以及长期过度施肥影响,其他地区重金属的积累情况主要是由香榧种植户不合理的施肥方式尤其是磷肥和有机肥的过度使用等集约经营措施造成.潜在生态风险评价结果表明,研究区整体处于轻度危害程度,其中以Cd的潜在风险最大.     

陆浑水库饮用水源地水体中金属元素分布特征及健康风险评价

在2016年对陆浑水库饮用水源地46个水样中12种金属元素(包括重金属As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Fe、Hg、Mn、Mo、Ni、Pb、Zn和轻金属Al)进行测定,探讨了水体中金属元素的分布特征,并借助健康风险评价模型评价了水体中金属人体健康风险.结果表明,陆浑水库饮用水源地水体中Al最大浓度(200.27μg·L~(-1))和Mo所有浓度(151.42~170.69μg·L~(-1))均超过《地表水环境质量标准》(GB 3838-2002)和《生活饮用水卫生标准》(GB 5749-2006)规定的标准限值,超标率依次为4.35%和100%.陆浑水库饮用水源地水体中金属浓度分布具有较明显的空间差异性,高值区域集中在库区西南部(上游)、东北部(下游).健康风险评价结果表明,儿童暴露剂量明显高于成人暴露剂量,金属元素经饮用水途径引起的健康风险均高于皮肤接触途径.金属致癌风险中,Cr和As致癌风险超过最大可接受风险水平(5.0×10~(-5)a~(-1)),超标率分别为100%和3.80%,Cr对总致癌风险的贡献率平均达到85%;非致癌性金属元素健康风险(10~(-12)~10~(-7)a~(-1))呈现出AlMoCuPbNiHgFeZnMn,比最大可接受风险水平低2~7个数量级.