Dangerous Environmental Pollutants Research Articles

Environmental and Health Impact of Heavy Metal Accumulation in (Hair - Nails) of Scavenger Workers at Some Landfill Sites in Baghdad City-Iraq

Background: Heavy metals are considered one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants due to their high toxicity, even at low concentrations, and their accumulation in various body tissues. Landfills contain various wastes rich in heavy metals, such as batteries, paints, and household and hospital waste, making them a major source of air, soil, and groundwater pollution. Objective: To analyze the level of accumulation of heavy metals in hair and nail samples of waste collectors. Material and method: Five main landfill sites in the city of Baghdad were chosen to collect hair and nail samples from waste collectors of both sexes for the winter and summer seasons to analyze the levels of metal concentrations (lead, cadmium, nickel, zinc, and copper). And the use of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Results: Higher concentrations of lead, copper, and nickel were found in nail samples during the summer compared to the winter, indicating an increased risk of exposure to them. While zinc accumulation was much greater in winter samples. Conclusions The results highlight the health risks faced by landfill workers. A need to develop tailored strategies to control exposure to these emissions based on weather conditions and priority metals of concern identified through regular biological monitoring.

Changes in Endogenous Essential Metal Homeostasis in the Liver and Kidneys during a Six-Month Follow-Up Period after Subchronic Cadmium Exposure.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. Its mechanism of action is multidirectional; among other things, it disrupts the balance of key essential elements. The aim of this study was to assess how cumulative exposure to Cd influences its interaction with selected essential elements (Cu, Zn, Ca, and Mg) in the kidney and liver during long-term observation (90 and 180 days) after subchronic exposure of rats (90 days) to Cd at common environmental (0.09 and 0.9 mg Cd/kg b.w.) and higher (1.8 and 4.5 mg Cd/kg b.w.) doses. Cd and essential elements were analyzed using the F-AAS and GF-AAS techniques. It was shown that the highest bioaccumulation of Cd in the kidney occurred six months after the end of exposure, and importantly, the highest accumulation was found after the lowest Cd dose (i.e., environmental exposure). Organ bioaccumulation of Cd (>21 μgCd/g w.w. in the kidney and >6 μgCd/g w.w. in the liver) was accompanied by changes in the other studied essential elements, particularly Cu in both the kidney and liver and Zn in the liver; these persisted for as long as six months after the end of the exposure. The results suggest that the critical concentration in human kidneys (40 μgCd/g w.w.), currently considered safe, may be too high and should be reviewed, as the observed long-term imbalance of Cu/Zn in the kidneys may lead to renal dysfunction.

Environmental pollution and its relationship to the media and the law: Awareness of the dialectics of the complementary relationship

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of public awareness regarding environmental pollution, its causes, and the role that the media—particularly environmental media—plays in informing the public about environmental culture and the dangers it poses to their social, health, and developmental well-being. The role that civil law plays in establishing the guilt of the offender, making him pay, and addressing the consequences of pollution within the context of environmental pollution damage civil liability, particularly in light of the challenges associated with establishing the legal foundation for this duty regarding error and damage. The research employed a stratified random sampling technique. Based on the study’s findings, the population in Iraq is not well-informed about environmental culture or pollution by the country’s media. Proposals and recommendations were made in light of the study’s findings. These included the following: educating children about the risks posed by environmental pollution at home; creating environmental education curricula for all educational levels; disseminating environmental messages in the media; and streamlining these messages so that everyone in society can understand them.

Perundang-Undangan Rumah Sakit Dalam Pengelolaan Limbah Medis Sebagai Upaya Memantapkan Tanggung Jawab Lingkungan

Hospital medical waste is part of the hospital's environmental sanitation activities, which aims to protect the public from the dangers of environmental pollution caused by hospital waste and prevent the spread of disease. The purpose of this research is to find out the regulations or legal principles of medical waste management in hospitals. This type of research relates to normative laws and regulations, research materials consist of primary and secondary materials. Data were obtained using a qualitative descriptive method. Based on the results of the study, hospital waste management policies can be implemented in several ways, namely volume reduction, reuse, recycling and elimination of manipulation in accordance with laws and regulations.

ECOTOXICOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF FUEL STATIONS ON THE POLLUTION OF URBAN SOILS WITH HEAVY METALS

Problem Statement and Purpose. In modern cities, there is a rapid increase in the number of gas stations (gas stations), which are also located in residential areas of cities, causing a high level of local pollution. The growing demand for gas station services leads to the expansion of their network and maximum proximity to consumers. Among the specific features of environmental pollution near gas stations are: a high concentration of pollutants in the surface layer of the atmosphere with subsequent deposition on the soil cover and the surface of plants, the absence of dispersion of pollutants by wind currents, the presence of a significant traffic load and toxic emissions from motor vehicles during refueling, etc. Among pollutants, heavy metals have a particularly negative impact, which, due to participation in various migration cycles, pollute all vital spheres: atmosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere. The high content of heavy metals negatively affects the main functions of living organisms and human health. Soluble forms of HM are especially toxic. The purpose of this study is to assess the ecological state of urban soils in relation to their contamination by soluble forms of heavy metals within the influence of gas stations in the city of Odessa. Data & Methods. As a methodological basis, the developments presented in the scientific works of A. Antropchenko, I. Rabosh, O. Chaika and others regarding the assessment of the ecological state of the territories in the zone of influence of gas stations were used. When determining the impact of gas stations on soil pollution, the HM used both general scientific methods of research (systemic, analysis, observation) and special ones (laboratory-analytical, comparative-geographical, statistical, cartographic). Results. The conducted studies showed that urban soils within the influence of all gas stations have a significantly higher content of movable forms of HM compared to background values. Thus, the manganese content is 1.3–1.7 levels of the background content; zinc – 7–51; cobalt – 0.6–4; copper – 4–24; cadmium – 0–4; lead – 1.5–14. It was established that by the concentration factor, the most polluted are the soils with the content of zinc, copper, and lead, which is from 100% to 50% of the studied territory. 55% of the studied territory has a dangerous level of soil pollution according to the indicator of total pollution. The priority polluting elements that have the highest level of pollution intensity are zinc (Рj = 121.64) and copper (Рj = 51.01), which according to the scale of assessment of ecological danger of soil pollution belong to the fourth – very dangerous category of pollution, which can significantly influence the increase of the total morbidity of children and adults of the city. The average intensity of contamination of the investigated soils with lead (Рj = 24.92) corresponds to the second level (safe); manganese (Рj = 3.63), cobalt (Рj = 8.22) and cadmium (Рj = 9.46) – the first (permissible level of intensity of soil pollution). The correlation between the intensity of urban soil pollution and the total pollution index is 0.99, which confirms the negative impact of gas station operations on the ecological state of the city’s soil cover. Therefore, the conducted studies indicate a high probability of technogenic influence of gas stations on the soils of the studied territory and a high degree of their contamination with heavy metals, which can cause a negative impact on the health of the urban population. The danger of environmental pollution during gas station operation is currently, in our opinion, underestimated, and the issue of environmental safety of gas station operation requires further study. We believe that in order to increase the ecotoxicological safety of gas stations, it is necessary to conduct constant monitoring studies of the urban environment in order to assess the man-made load on the «soil-plant-human » system.

Development of Teaching Materials in the Form of E-Books Assisted by Professional Flip Pdf Applications with the Theme of Environmental Conservation to Empower Environmental Care Attitudes

The development of an e-book with the help of a professional flip pdf application with the theme of environmental preservation is motivated by the learning objectives of Natural Sciences (IPA), including to foster a positive attitude and students' awareness of the importance of protecting the environment. Achievement of research objectives in e-book development to empower students' environmental care attitudes through a series of activities contained in e-book systematics. This research was conducted in December 2022. The research method used was Research and Development RD, the research design used Borg and Gall and used 7 of 10 simplified research stages, adjusted based on research and development needs, namely up to the product revision stage. The instrument used was a validation sheet for the validity test which was carried out by 3 validators namely teaching material experts, material experts and science subject teachers. The development of the e-book is carried out using indicators of environmental care, namely Basic Competency (KD) which is used according to the theme of environmental preservation, presentation of pictures and videos about the dangers of environmental pollution around students' residences, about orders to implement greenery and dispose of waste in its place, as well as case studies on environmental pollution. The results of the development of the e-book were then validated by 3 validators with an average percentage of 92.9% with the criteria of "Very Good" which means that the e-book shows valid results and can be used for the trial stage.

Performance of slow sand filter reactor using geotextile for reducing total n and phosphate

Water pollution that occurs is mostly caused by industrial and domestic waste. One of the consequences of polluted water is the increase in total N and Phosphate which causes malfunction of animals and humans. This is a problem that needs attention to protect our life from the dangers of environmental pollution. Slow Sand Filter is an easy and inexpensive raw water treatment solution. The raw water used in this research is the Dungus Sidoarjo river. The acclimatization process was carried out for 14 days. Sand and gravel were used as filter media with a geotextile thickness of 0.2 and 4 cm. The sample is taken on the first, sixth, and twelfth days. The best reactor for reducing Total N and Phosphate is a reactor with a geotextile thickness of 0.2 cm (D2) on the first day of effluent taking, which is 84.5%, and a reactor with a thickness of 4 cm on the sixth day of effluent taking, which is 77%. The results of the One Way ANOVA test with a standard error (α) of 0.05 stated that there was no significant difference in the treatment of each reactor in reducing total N and Phosphate.

H2Ti6O13 Nanosheet/ Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) for the adsorption of cesium ions

Radioactive Cs+ is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. It is necessary for radioactive Cs+ management and removal. Titanium-type cesium ion sieve with a strong Ti–O bond has the advantages of structural stability, radiation resistance and no secondary contamination, which is a promising adsorbent material. In this paper, The CTO (Cs2Ti6O13) is prepared for the first time by sol-gel and de-templating methods, and cesium ion sieves (HTO/PMMA) are further obtained with diluted HCl elution. Compared with the ionic sieves (HTO) prepared by direct sol-gel method, the adsorption capacity is improved from 224.32 mg/g to 299.15 mg/g. The prepared HTO/PMMA has a larger specific surface area (67.282 m2/g). More exchange sites are provided for the adsorption of Cs ions. Moreover, Adsorption involves the cleavage of O–H bonds and the formation of O–Cs bonds, which is a typical ion exchange reaction. A series of batch experiments are carried out. The results showed that the equilibrium adsorption capacity of HTO/PMMA is 307.69 mg/g and remained high in the interfering ion solution as well (280.38 mg/g). The pseudo second order model and Freundlich model can well describe the ion exchange process. Thermodynamic study shows that adsorption is spontaneous and exothermic, and low temperature is conducive to adsorption in H+- Cs+ exchange system. Finally, the reusability of HTO/PMMA is evaluated. The adsorption capacity did not decrease significantly after 5 cycles of use. Therefore, HTO/PMMA is expected to be an excellent material for recovering radioactive Cs+.

Regulatory module WRKY33-ATL31-IRT1 mediates cadmium tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants among heavy metals, and threatens food safety and human health by accumulating in plant sink tissues. Here, we report a novel regulatory cascade that profoundly influences Cd tolerance in Arabidopsis. Phenotypic analysis showed that an insertional knockdown mutation at the Arabidopsis Tóxicos en Levadura 31 (ATL31) locus resulted in hypersensitivity to Cd stress, most likely due to a significant increase in Cd accumulation. Consistently, ATL31-overexpressing lines exhibited enhanced Cd stress tolerance and reduced Cd accumulation. Further, IRON-REGULATED TRANSPORTER 1 (IRT1) was identified, and yeast two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitationand bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays demonstrated its interaction with ATL31. Biochemical, molecular, and genetic analyses showed that IRT1 is targeted by ATL31 for ubiquitin-conjugated degradation in response to Cd stress. Intriguingly, transcription of ATL31 was strongly induced by Cd stress. In addition, transgenic and molecular analyses showed that WRKY33 directly activated the transcription of ATL31 in response to Cd stress and positively regulated Cd tolerance. Genetic analysis indicated that ATL31 acts upstream of IRT1 and downstream of WRKY33 to regulate Cd tolerance. Our study revealed that the WRKY33-ATL31-IRT1 module plays a crucial role in timely blocking Cd absorption to prevent metal toxicity in Arabidopsis.

Is the inhalation influence on the level of mercury and PAHs in the lungs of the baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypusgrypus)?

For many decades, mercury (Hg) has been recognized as one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants that negatively affects the ecosystem, including human health. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hydrophobic, toxic and potentially carcinogenic compounds. The process of respiration in addition to dietary intake is a significant source of these compounds to the human or marine mammalian body. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the sources of PAHs and labile forms of mercury in the lungs of dead seals found in the southern Baltic Sea. Of the PAHs: pyrene, fluoranthene and chrysene showed the highest concentrations. Considering the content of individual Hg fractions, the highest percentage was characterized by Hg labile 1b (related to organic matter). In a few specimens, deviations from the trend described above were observed: a higher proportion of Hg labile 1a (mainly halide-bound forms of mercury than the mean value which may indicate their origin from aerosols). Hg concentrations increased with seal age due to bioaccumulation and biomagnification of Hg from food; therefore, adsorption of atmospheric mercury on alveoli is probably of decreasing importance with seal age. Ratios obtained: FLA/PYR <1; B(a)A/CHR <1; FLA/(PYR + FLA) < 0.4 indicate a petrogenic source. In contrast, high correlations of B(a)A, FLA and PYR and CHR with Hg suggest a common source of PAHs and mercury - from food. Conversely, the presence of pyrogenic (combustion-derived) benzo(a)pyrene in the lungs of these mammals could indicate a respiratory route of entry. Mercury and PAHs in the lungs of the seals studied were mainly of trophic origin, but the results presented here make the hypothesis of an airborne influx of Hg and PAHs into the lungs from marine mammals plausible. This is of particular importance in juveniles (pups), who, at the initial stage of life, spend time on land and do not obtain food on their own.

Біріккен Ұлттар Ұйымының бағдарламасы туралы «Еуропадағы ауыр металдардың атмосфералық шөгінділері - биомонитор мүктерін талдауға негізделген бағалаулар»

Одним из важнейших аспектов в решении задач охраны окружающей среды и здоровья человека является контроль качества атмосферного воздуха. К наиболее опасным загрязнителям окружающей среды относятся тяжелые металлы (ТМ). В большинстве европейских стран потребность в изучении последствий их воздействия на окружающую среду и здоровье человека привела к созданию национальных и международных программ по биомониторингу атмосферных выпадений тяжелых металлов. Данные об атмосферных выпадениях ТМ и других токсичных элементов собираются на основе анализа мхов-биомониторов, служащих аналогом аэрозольных фильтров. Под эгидой Комиссии ООН по трансграничному переносу атмосферных выпадений в Европе (UNECE ICP Vegetation) каждые 5 лет издается Атлас атмосферных выпадений тяжелых металлов. В статье сообщается об вкладе интернационального коллектива сектора нейтронного активационного анализа и прикладных исследований ЛНФ ОИЯИ в эти Атласы, начиная с 1995 года. Изучение атмосферных выпадений тяжелых металлов и других токсичных элементов в ряде стран-участниц и неучастниц ОИЯИ (Азербайджан, Албания, Армения, Беларусь, Болгария, Греция, Грузия, Казахстан, Молдова, Польша, Румыния, Словакия, Западная Украина, Северная Македония, Сербия и Хорватия), включая некоторые территории Центральной России (Московская, Тульская, Тверская, Ивановская, Ярославская, Владимирская, Самарская, Рязанская области), а также Южный Урал и Северный Кавказ (Республика Ичкерия, Северная Осетия) позволило выявить и оценить ареалы этих загрязнений на исследованных территориях и провести сравнение с уровнями аналогичных загрязнений в странах Западной Европы. В настоящее время обсуждается возможность расширения этой программы на страны Азии и Тихоокеанского побережья.

A Brief Review of Recent Results in Arsenic Adsorption Process from Aquatic Environments by Metal-Organic Frameworks: Classification Based on Kinetics, Isotherms and Thermodynamics Behaviors

In nature, arsenic, a metalloid found in soil, is one of the most dangerous elements that can be combined with heavy metals. Industrial wastewater containing heavy metals is considered one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants, especially for microorganisms and human health. An overabundance of heavy metals primarily leads to disturbances in the fundamental reactions and synthesis of essential macromolecules in living organisms. Among these contaminants, the presence of arsenic in the aquatic environment has always been a global concern. As (V) and As (III) are the two most common oxidation states of inorganic arsenic ions. This research concentrates on the kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which have been applied for arsenic ions uptake from aqueous solutions. This review provides an overview of the current capabilities and properties of MOFs used for arsenic removal, focusing on its kinetics and isotherms of adsorption, as well as its thermodynamic behavior in water and wastewater.

Toxicity of cadmium salts on indicators of embryogenesis of rats

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal which is considered a dangerous environmental pollutant and has a detrimental effect on the organs of the reproductive system, the period of implantation and the development of embryos. The experiment presented in this article established the effect of cadmium salts (chloride and citrate) on the general progress of embryogenesis. For this purpose, 60 rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, experimental group with cadmium chloride exposure and experimental group with cadmium citrate exposure. Cadmium chloride solvent, cadmium citrate solvent at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg and distilled intragastric water were injected from the first to the thirteenth (first subgroup) and from the first to the twentieth days of embryogenesis (second subgroup). When cadmium chloride was injected, total embryonic (by 4.24 and 3.67 times), pre-implantation (by 6.50 and 14.03 times) and post-implantation mortality (by 3.07 and 2.49 times) increased with a reduction of the number of surviving fetuses by 24.0% and 25.9% compared with the control group on the 13th and 20th days of embryogenesis respectively. At the same time, during exposure to cadmium citrate, indicators of total embryonic mortality increased by 4.02 and 3.52 times, pre-implantation mortality by 6.04 and 13.03 times, and post-implantation mortality by 3.09 and 2.26 times, and indicators of the number of live fetuses decreased by 18.3% and 22.2% in relation to the control group. When determining the accumulation of cadmium in embryos on the 20th day of gestation, polyelement analysis of biological materials using the atomic emission method with electric arc atomization revealed a 15.83-fold increase in cadmium chloride and 9.00 times in cadmium citrate relative to the control group. Embryolethality rates increased in animals of both experimental groups while the number of live fetuses per female decreased, which indicated an obvious embryotoxic effect of cadmium compounds. It is would be useful to conduct histological studies, which will help detect changes at the tissue level and possibly explain the level of embryonic mortality.

Rapid Accumulation of Cadmium and Antioxidative Response in Tobacco Leaves

Background: Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. Plant damage caused by oxidative stress during long-term Cd accumulation is well documented, while the primary response to Cd uptake is poorly understood. Objective: We assess the short-term injury and the primary reaction of the antioxidant system to the rapid accumulation of Cd in tobacco leaves. Methods: Leaf rosettes of the 5-week-old plants without roots were exposed to 100, 500 and 5000 μM Cd chloride for 2 and 12 hours. Cd accumulation, oxidation levels of proteins and lipids, content of reduced (Asc) and oxidized (DHA) ascorbate and activity of CAT, APX and POD were determined. Results: An accumulation of Cd in high concentration, but only a relatively small increase in the oxidation of proteins and lipids was found in the leaves after 2 hours of treatment. These effects were transient and disappeared after 12 hours. No visible damage to plants was observed. After 12 hours, the total ascorbate content (Asc + DHA) decreased by 18%, remained unchanged or increased by 85% after the application of 100, 500 and 5000 µM Cd chloride. The increase in the ascorbate pool, which should be considered as a component of the protective response, was caused by the accumulation of DHA. The activity of APX and POD remained unchanged, while that of CAT decreased, indicating that antioxidant enzymes activation is not involved in the primary response to Cd. Conclusions: The primary generation of ROS induced by Cd does not appear to be a deleterious manifestation of Cd toxicity, but rather a component of stress signaling that causes activation of the protective response. Uptake of Cd caused severe damage to the plant after long-term, but not after short-term treatment, suggesting that the damage is the result of secondary effects of Cd toxicity.

Synthesis of carbon supported iron oxide nanochips and their composite with glutathione: A novel electrochemical sensitive material

In this study, bare iron oxide nanochips (NCs), carbon-supported iron oxide nanochips (C@α-Fe2O3), and glutathione-supported C@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite (Glu/C@α-Fe2O3) were synthesized. As-synthesized materials were inspected using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and a UV-visible absorption approach. Physical investigations confirmed the synthesis of rhombohedral phased α-Fe2O3, whereas FESEM certified nano-sized material formation. Voltammetry and impedance studies were used to evaluate and compare the electrochemical sensing activities. The electrochemical behavior of the Glu/C@α-Fe2O3 nanohybrid was investigated using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) to identify their sensitivity towards 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The stability of the square wave voltammetry SWV signals was detected in the range of 50–0.05 μM for both 2-NP and 4-NP. All electrochemical factors that influence the effectiveness of the developed sensors, including pH of the medium, accumulation time, and the influence of supporting electrolytes were thoroughly investigated. The sensor-based on our prepared electroactive material demonstrated remarkable electrocatalytic activity and good conductivity with a broad linear range, a low detection limit and high sensitivity for nitrophenol isomer reduction. We also tested the sensor for practical applications in water samples. These results showed that the suggested method could be used in the future to detect potentially dangerous environmental pollutants in water samples.

A review on chromium health hazards and molecular mechanism of chromium bioremediation.

Living beings have been devastated by environmental pollution, which has reached its peak. The disastrous pollution of the environment is in large part dueto industrial wastes containing toxic pollutants. The widespread use of chromium (Cr (III)/Cr (VI)) in industries, especially tanneries, makes it one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. Chromium pollution is widespread due to ineffective treatment methods. Bioremediation of chromium (Cr) using bacteria is very thoughtful dueto its eco-friendly and cost-effective outcome. In order to counter chromium toxicity, bacteria have numerous mechanisms, such as the ability to absorb, reduce, efflux, or accumulate the metal. In this review article, we focused on chromium toxicity on human and environmental health as well as its bioremediation mechanism.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Are an Influential Factor in Improving the Phytoremediation of Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Chromium.

The increasing expansion of mines, factories, and agricultural lands has caused many changes and pollution in soils and water of several parts of the world. In recent years, metal(loid)s are one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants, which directly and indirectly enters the food cycle of humans and animals, resulting in irreparable damage to their health and even causing their death. One of the most important missions of ecologists and environmental scientists is to find suitable solutions to reduce metal(loid)s pollution and prevent their spread and penetration in soil and groundwater. In recent years, phytoremediation was considered a cheap and effective solution to reducing metal(loid)s pollution in soil and water. Additionally, the effect of soil microorganisms on increasing phytoremediation was given special attention; therefore, this study attempted to investigate the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus in the phytoremediation system and in reducing contamination by some metal(loid)s in order to put a straightforward path in front of other researchers.

Adsorptive removal of some Cl-VOC's as dangerous environmental pollutants using feather-like γ-Al2O3 derived from aluminium waste with life cycle analysis

Herein, we designed a cost-effective preparation method of nanocomposite γ-Al2O3 derived from Al-waste. The produced material has a feather-like morphology, and its adsorption of some chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOC's) such as benzyl chloride, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride (C7H7Cl, CHCl3 and CCl4) was investigated due to their potential carcinogenic effect on humans. It showed a characteristic efficiency towards the adsorptive removal of these compounds over a long period, i.e., eight continuous weeks, at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. After 8-weeks, the adsorbed amounts of these compounds were determined as: 325.3 mg C7H7Cl, 247.6 mg CHCl3 and 253.3 mg CCl4 per g of γ-Al2O3, respectively. CCl4 was also found to be dissociatively adsorbed on the surface of γ-Al2O3, whereas CHCl3 and C7H7Cl were found to be associatively adsorbed. The prepared γ-Al2O3 has a relatively high surface area (i.e., 192.2 m2. g−1) and mesoporosity with different pore diameters in the range of 25–47 Å. Furthermore, environmental impacts of the nanocomposite γ-Al2O3 preparation were evaluated using life cycle assessment. For prepartion of adsorbent utilising 1 kg of scrap aluminium wire, it was observed that potential energy demand was 288 MJ, climate change potential was 19 kg CO2 equivalent, acidification potential was 0.115 kg SO2 equivalent and eutrophication potential was 0.018 kg PO43− equivalent.

Morphological, Gene, and Hormonal Changes in Gonads and In-Creased Micrococcal Nuclease Accessibility of Sperm Chromatin Induced by Mercury.

Mercury is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. In this work, we analysed the effects of exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to 1, 10 and 100 pM HgCl2 for 24 h on the gonadal morphology and on the expression level of three stress genes: mt10, hsp70 and πgst. In this tissue we also evaluated the level of steroidogenic enzymes 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD and the expression of PL protein genes. Finally, we determined difference in sperm chromatin accessibility to micrococcal nuclease. We found alterations in gonadal morphology especially after exposure to 10 and 100 pM HgCl2 and hypo-expression of the three stress genes, particularly for hsp70. Furthermore, decreased labelling with both 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD antibodies was observed following exposure to 1 and 10 pM HgCl2 and complete absence at 100 pM HgCl2 exposure. Gonads of mussels exposed to all HgCl2 doses showed decreased expression of PL protein genes especially for PLIII. Finally, micrococcal nuclease digestions showed that all doses of HgCl2 exposure resulted in increased sperm chromatin accessibility to this enzyme, indicative of improper sperm chromatin structure. All of these changes provide preliminary data of the potential toxicity of mercury on the reproductive health of this mussel.

CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF DUST OF BAG FILTERS OF THE REINFORCED CONCRETE PLANT IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS

Nickel and copper compounds are among the most dangerous environmental pollutants and their removal from wastewater is an important task. To extract them from aqueous media, traditional methods are used, such as ion exchange, reagent purification, membrane filtration, and adsorption. Recently, for the purification of aqueous media from heavy metal ions, it is increasingly proposed to use waste from various industries, for example, slag, sludge, ash, dust, etc. The paper considered the possibility of wastewater treatment from Cu2+and Ni2+ions using dust from bagfilters in the production of reinforced concrete products as reagents.It was determined that bag filter dust has a fine structure and contains a significant amount of silicates of various composi-tions.The paper describes the chemical transformations that occur in the aquatic media when dust from the bag filters of the reinforced concrete plant is added to it. Some reagents, coagulants, sorp-tion materials that can be used to purify wastewater from heavy metal ions are given. The values of the solubility products of the formed compounds -copper hydroxide, nickel hydroxide, hydrox-omeric carbonate are indicated. The results of granulometric, X-ray phase and chemical analyzes of bag filter dust are presented. According to the studies, the efficiency of purification of the model solution from heavy metal ions in this case is at least 99.3%.