Environmental Remediation Technologies Research Articles

Surface engineering superparamagnetic nanoparticles for aqueous applications: design and characterization of tailored organic bilayers

This work describes the synthesis and characterization of a rational series of surface tailored superparamagnetic nanoparticles, which have broad potential as platform materials for advanced environmental imaging, sensing, and remediation technologies, among others.

In-situ Biological Water Treatment Technologies for Environmental Remediation: A Review

Water treatment technologies can be classified as in-situ or ex-situ technologies. In-situ biological techniques include the use of aquatic plants, aquatic animals, and microbial remediation. Approaches to alleviate surface water pollution should use bioremediation methods as a primary technique. These methods should be tested not only on rivers and lakes, but also on other polluted surface streams. Furthermore, bioremediation processes need to be optimized depending on flow condition and nutrient availability. This paper comprehensively reviews the latest surface water remediation techniques that are suitable for in-situ applications, focusing on bioremediation technologies as effective techniques to remedy polluted water.

Emerging Technologies for Environmental Remediation: Integrating Data and Judgment.

Emerging technologies present significant challenges to researchers, decision-makers, industry professionals, and other stakeholder groups due to the lack of quantitative risk, benefit, and cost data associated with their use. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) can support early decisions for emerging technologies when data is too sparse or uncertain for traditional risk assessment. It does this by integrating expert judgment with available quantitative and qualitative inputs across multiple criteria to provide relative technology scores. Here, an MCDA framework provides preliminary insights on the suitability of emerging technologies for environmental remediation by comparing nanotechnology and synthetic biology to conventional remediation methods. Subject matter experts provided judgments regarding the importance of criteria used in the evaluations and scored the technologies with respect to those criteria. The results indicate that synthetic biology may be preferred over nanotechnology and conventional methods for high expected benefits and low deployment costs but that conventional technology may be preferred over emerging technologies for reduced risks and development costs. In the absence of field data regarding the risks, benefits, and costs of emerging technologies, structuring evidence-based expert judgment through a weighted hierarchy of topical questions may be helpful to inform preliminary risk governance and guide emerging technology development and policy.

Solubilization of herbicides by single and mixed commercial surfactants

The solubilization capabilities of micellar solutions of three single surfactants, two alcohol alkoxylates B048 and B266, and the tallow alkyl ethoxylated amine ET15, and their equimolar mixed solutions toward the herbicides flurtamone (FL), metribuzin (MTZ) and mesotrione (MST) were investigated. The solubilization capacity was quantified in terms of the molar solubilization ratio (MSR), critical micellar concentration (CMC), micelle–water partition coefficient (Kmc), binding constant (K1), number of aggregation (Nagg) and Stern–Volmer constant (Ksv). The herbicides were greatly solubilized into different loci of the micelles: FL within the inner hydrophobic core, MST at the micelle/water interface and MTZ in the palisade region. Equimolar binary surfactant mixtures did not improve the solubilization of herbicides over those of single components, with the exception of MTZ by the B266/ET15 system which enhanced solubilization by 10–20%. This enhanced solubilization of MTZ was due to an increased number of micelles that arise from both the intermediate Nagg relative to that of the single surfactants and the lower CMC. The use of Ksv values was a better predictor of the solubilization of polar molecules within binary mixtures of these surfactants than the interaction parameter βM from regular solution theory (RST). The results herein suggest that the use of mixed surfactant systems for the solubilization of polar molecules in environmental remediation technologies may be very limited in scope, without clear advantages over the use of single surfactant systems.

Biotransformation of β-hexachlorocyclohexane by the saprotrophic soil fungus Penicillium griseofulvum

β-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) of global concern with potentially toxic effects on humans and ecosystems. Fungal tolerance and biotransformation of toxic substances hold considerable promise in environmental remediation technologies as many fungi can tolerate extreme environmental conditions and possess efficient extracellular degradative enzymes with relatively non-specific activities. In this research, we have investigated the potential of a saprotrophic soil fungus, Penicillium griseofulvum Dierckx, isolated from soils with high concentrations of isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane, to biotransform β-HCH, the most recalcitrant isomer to microbial activity. The growth kinetics of the fungus were characterized after growth in stirred liquid Czapek-Dox medium. It was found that P. griseofulvum was able to grow in the presence of 1mgL−1 β-HCH and in stressful nutritional conditions at different concentrations of sucrose in the medium (0 and 5gL−1). The effects of β-HCH and the toluene, used as a solvent for β-HCH addition, on P. griseofulvum were investigated by means of a Phenotype MicroArray™ technique, which suggested the activation of certain metabolic pathways as a response to oxidative stress due to the presence of the xenobiotics. Gas chromatographic analysis of β-HCH concentration confirmed biodegradation of the isomer with a minimum value of β-HCH residual concentration of 18.6%. The formation of benzoic acid derivatives as dead-end products of β-HCH biotransformation was observed and this could arise from a possible biodegradation pathway for β-HCH with important connections to fungal secondary metabolism.

Nanocrystalline ZnO doped lanthanide oxide: An efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of malachite green dye under visible light irradiation

Visible light induced semiconductor photocatalysis has received a great attention in recent years due to the contamination of water bodies. In the present study, we have reported the photo catalytic degradation of a toxic organic dye, malachite green using a ZnO doped Dy2O3 photo catalyst under visible light irradiation. The nanocrystalline photocatalyst was prepared by a precipitation method employing the respective nitrates and sodium carbonate as precursors and were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, UV–Vis DRS, FE-SEM and AFM analysis. The experimental results proved that the prepared photo catalysts were crystalline, nanosized and highly active in the visible region. UV–Vis DRS results suggested that the band gap was 3.1eV for the prepared photo catalyst. The photodegradation efficiency of malachite green was analysed by various experimental parameters namely pH, catalyst dosage, variation of substrate concentration and effect of electrolyte addition. The photo degradation process followed a pseudo first order kinetics and was continuously monitored by UV–Visible spectrophotometer. The degradation of malachite green was above 99% within 1h of visible light irradiation employing the doped photocatalyst, whereas pristine metal oxide possessed only 67% and pristine lanthanide oxide possessed activity which was only due to photolysis. A plausible mechanism for the generation of OH radicals and the pathway for MG dye degradation has been proposed in this study. The experimental results clearly show that nanocrystalline semiconductor doped lanthanide oxides are highly active under visible light irradiations and may find wider applications in environmental remediation technologies.

Nanocrystalline semiconductor doped rare earth oxide for the photocatalytic degradation studies on Acid Blue 113: A di-azo compound under UV slurry photoreactor

Preventive measures for the control of environmental pollution and its remediation has received much interest in recent years due to the world-wide increase in the contamination of water bodies. Contributions of these harmful effluents are caused by the leather processing, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, textile, agricultural and other chemical industries. Nowadays, advanced oxidation processes considered to be better option for the complete destruction of organic contaminants in water and wastewater. Acid Blue 113 is a most widely used di-azo compound in leather, textile, dying and food industry as a color rending compound. In the present study, we have reported the photo catalytic degradation of Acid Blue 113 using a nanocrystalline semiconductor doped rare earth oxide as a photo catalyst under UV light irradiation. The photocatalyst was prepared by a simple precipitation technique and were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, UV-DRS and FE-SEM analysis. The experimental results proved that the prepared photo catalyst was nanocrystalline and highly active in the UV region. The UV-DRS results showed the band gap energy was 3.15eV for the prepared photo catalyst. The photodegradation efficiency was analyzed by various experimental parameters such as pH, catalyst dosage, variation of substrate concentration and effect of electrolyte addition. The photo degradation process followed a pseudo first order kinetics and was continuously monitored by UV–visible spectrophotometer. The experimental results proved the efficacy of the nanocrystalline zinc oxide doped dysprosium oxide which are highly active under UV light irradiations. It is also suggested that the prepared material would find wider applications in environmental remediation technologies to remove the carcinogenic and toxic moieties present in the industrial effluents.

Monodispersed 3D MnWO4–TiO2 composite nanoflowers photocatalysts for environmental remediation

Pollutants from textile industries into water-bodies have caused huge environmental hazards. The semiconductor mediated photocatalytic purification of polluted water is a promising environmental remediation technology. In the present study MnWO4–TiO2 composite nanoflowers endowed with efficient photocatalytic activity have been successfully synthesized by facile hydrothermal approach. XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX spectroscopy and UV-DRS were used to characterize the as-synthesized samples. The average size of composite nanoflower is ∼2 μm while the nanorods constructing the nanoflowers had the average diameters of 90 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the MnWO4–TiO2 nanoflowers for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in visible light was much higher than of pristine TiO2 nanorods and MnWO4 nanoflowers respectively. The superior photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the formation of a MnWO4–TiO2 heterojunction in the MnWO4–TiO2 nanoflowers.

IAEA Initiatives in Advancement of Radiation Technologies for Environmental Remediation

AbstractA variety of emerging chemicals of concern are discharged into the environment leading to contamination of water resources. These chemicals even at trace levels have the potential to adversely affect the aquatic, animals and human life. Effective and efficient technologies for treatment of such pollutants are therefore needed. Advanced oxidation processes (AOP), involving the in situ generation of oxidants such as the hydroxyl radical (•OH), have emerged as an important class of technologies for accelerating destruction of such organic contaminants. These include the use of photons and energetic sub-atomic particles like electrons (high energy radiation) to generate reactive intermediates •OH radicals IAEA has been at the forefront of recognizing the need to develop appropriate technologies to meet the challenges of evolving environmental issues. This paper gives an insight into the current status of the radiation technology with emphasis on IAEA activities, including examples of successes achieved as well as challenges for broader dissemination of radiation processing technology for environmental remediation.

Renewable hydrogen production by alcohols reforming using plasma and plasma-catalytic technologies: challenges and opportunities.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVReviewNEXTRenewable Hydrogen Production by Alcohols Reforming Using Plasma and Plasma-Catalytic Technologies: Challenges and OpportunitiesChangMing Du*, JianMin Mo, and HongXia LiView Author Information Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China*Phone/fax: 0086-20-39332690. E-mail: [email protected]Cite this: Chem. Rev. 2015, 115, 3, 1503–1542Publication Date (Web):December 12, 2014Publication History Received12 July 2014Published online12 December 2014Published inissue 11 February 2015https://doi.org/10.1021/cr5003744Copyright © 2014 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views3431Altmetric-Citations70LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit Read OnlinePDF (15 MB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Alcohols,Bioethanol,Catalysts,Hydrogen,Plasma Get e-Alerts

Self-Driven Bioelectrochemical Mineralization of Azobenzene by Coupling Cathodic Reduction with Anodic Intermediate Oxidation

Bioelectrochemical systems have been intensively studied as a promising technology for wastewater treatment and environment remediation. Coupling of the anodic and cathodic electrochemical reactions allows an enhanced degradation of recalcitrant organics, but external power supply is usually needed to overcome the thermodynamic barrier. In this work, we report a self-driven degradation of azobenzene in a microbial fuel cell (MFC), where the cathodic reduction of azobenzene was effectively coupled with the anodic oxidation of its reduction degradation intermediate (i.e., aniline). The anodic degradation rate of aniline, as the sole carbon source, was significantly higher than that under open-circuit conditions, suggesting a considerable bioelectrochemical oxidation of aniline. Output voltages up to 8mV were obtained in the MFC. However, a shift of cathodic electron acceptor from oxygen to azobenzene resulted in a decreased aniline degradation rate and output voltage. The present work may provide valuable implications for development of sustainable bioelectrochemical technologies for environmental remediation.

Magnetic nanosized calcium ferrite particles for efficient degradation of crystal violet using a microwave‐induced catalytic method: insight into the degradation pathway

AbstractBACKGROUNDMagnetic iron based catalysts with high oxidation performance are generally effective for many catalytic reactions and can be magnetically recovered after application, showing advantages over other metal oxides. In this work, a highly active nanosized CaFe2O4 was prepared by a sol–gel method. Application of the microwave‐induced catalytic degradation (MICD) method to the abatement of crystal violet (CV) using the magnetic catalyst was studied.RESULTSMore than 90% of CV was degraded within 10 min. The intermediate products were investigated by UV–vis, HPLC and NMR. The results confirmed that CV was completely degraded and converted into harmless products. The reaction kinetics, effect of different ion species (Cl−, SO42−, NO3−, H2PO4− and HPO42−), pH, dye initial concentration, dosage of catalyst, and degradation mechanism were comprehensively studied. It was found that CaFe2O4 presented high activity to produce hydroxyl radicals and holes for degradation of CV under microwave radiation (MW). Surface hydroxyl groups of CaFe2O4 were a critical part in the generation of radicals, and iron on CaFe2O4 surface formed active sites to catalyze CV suggesting that CaFe2O4 plays a significant role in degradation of dyes.CONCLUSIONThis work provides valuable knowledge on the development of CaFe2O4 catalyst for environmental remediation technology. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

Transplant experiment to evaluate the feeding behaviour of the Atlantic ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa, moved to a high inorganic seston area

In 2011–12, a field study demonstrated that ribbed mussels from two locations in the north-east Atlantic Coast of the USA used different feeding strategies to adapt to widely differing seston characteristics and achieve the same absorption efficiency. To investigate whether there was local, genetic adaptation of mussels in the two contrasting sites, we conducted a transplant experiment in 2012 in which mussels were moved from the high-plankton, low-inorganic waters of Milford Harbor, CT, to the high-inorganic, low-plankton waters of Hunts Point, Bronx, NY. Results showed that mussels from Milford adapted to the new, poorer-quality seston within 6 days of submersion in Hunts Point waters, which indicates that phenotypic plasticity in the species is sufficient to account for adaptability of the ribbed mussel to Hunts Point conditions. This adaptability makes the ribbed mussel a good candidate for environmental remediation technologies, such as nutrient bioextraction.

Closure to “Drainage-Process Analyses for Agricultural Non-Point-Source Pollution from Irrigated Paddy Systems” by Kang Wang, Renduo Zhang, and Hui Chen

Kang Wang; Renduo Zhang; and Ying Li Professor, State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan Univ., Wuhan 430072, China. Professor, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen Univ., Guangzhou 510275, China (corresponding author). E-mail: zhangrd@mail.sysu.edu.cn Ph.D. Candidate, State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan Univ., Wuhan 430072, China.

Removal of Cu2+ from copper flotation waste leachant using sepiolite- full factorial design approach

Copper flotation waste which is the product pyrometalurgical production of copper from copper ores contains materials such as iron, alumina, calcium oxide, silica, etc. Copper flotation waste generally contains a significant amount of Cu together with trace elements of other toxic metals such as Zn, Co and Pb. A variety of techniques can be used for decontaminating and remediating copper slag. Environmental remediation technologies include in situ or ex situ techniques for decontaminating the polluted fields, such as soil-washing, physical separation, phytoremediation and leaching. The aim of the present study is to investigate the removal of the copper from copper flotation waste leachant using sepiolite. 2 3 full factorial design was employed to study the effect of three factors which are contact time, adsorbent dosage and pH at two levels.

Removal and Degradation of Phenanthrene and Pyrene from Soil by Coupling Surfactant Washing with Photocatalysis

In this study, two environmental remediation technologies, surfactant washing and photocatalytic oxidation, have been investigated to remove and decompose phenanthrene (Phe) and pyrene (Pry). Aqueous solutions containing the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and the nonionic surfactant Tween-80 (TW-80) were used to extract the contaminants from the soil samples. The effects of concentration of surfactant, washing time and temperature on the desorption efficiency of the contaminants from soil samples were studied. The photocatalytic oxidation treatment of the obtained washing wastes, performed in the presence of Fenton-TiO2 suspensions irradiated with a 250W high pressure mercury lamp, showed an effective abatement of the two kinds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to the relevant concentrations of organics in the waste. This study demonstrates the two-stage progress process can be an effective treatment method for PAHs not only desorption by soil washing but also degradation by photocatalytic oxidation.

Polyvinyl pyrrolidone-modified Pd/Fe nanoparticles for enhanced dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenal

Dechlorination of chlorinated organic compounds with zero-valent iron or iron-based bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) is an innovative technology for environmental remediation in soil and groundwater. However, dechlorination efficiency can be dramatically decreased due to aggregation of NPs. In this study, Pd/Fe NPs were modified by coating with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (K30) (PVP-K30) and PVP/ethanol as dispersants, respectively, resulting in not only the prevention of particle aggregation, but also the enhancement of overall dechlorination effectiveness. Transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, specific surface area, and X-ray diffraction analyses indicate the dispersant-modified Pd/Fe NPs with a diameter of 50–100nm were α-bcc crystal structure, highly dispersed with particle size distribution relatively uniform, and the majority of NPs are spherical particles. In comparison, the batch dechlorination tests demonstrated that the dispersant-modified Pd/Fe NPs exhibited higher dechlorination rate than pristine Pd/Fe NPs under same reaction condition. Additionally, some important parameters of catalytic dechlorination of 2,4-DCP with modified Pd/Fe NPs, such as pH value, temperature, and dosage of Pd/Fe NPs were also optimized.

Monitoring of organophosphorus pesticides and remediation technologies of the frequently detected compound (chlorpyrifos) in drinking water

Abstract Studies on the currently used organophosphorus insecticides with respect to their environmental levels and effective remediation technologies for their residues in water have been considered as a source of major concern. This study was carried out to monitor the presence of organophosphorus in drinking water plants (Kafr-El-Shiekh, Ebshan, Elhamoul, Mehalt Aboali, Fowa, Balteem and Metobess) in Kafr-El-Shiekh Governorate, Egypt. Furthermore, it was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of different remediation technologies (advanced oxidation processes and bioremediation) for removing chlorpyrifos in drinking water. The results showed the presence of several organophosphorus pesticides in water sampling sites. Chlorpyrifos was detected with high frequency relative to other compounds in drinking water. Nano photo-Fenton like reagent (Fe2O3(nano)/H2O2/UV) was the most effective treatment for chlorpyrifos removal in drinking water followed by ZnO(nano)/H2O2/UV, Fe3+/H2O2/UV and ZnO/H2O2/ UV, respectively. Bioremediation of chlorpyrifos by effective microorganisms (EMs) removed 100% of the chlorpyrifos initial concentration after 23 days of treatment. There is no remaining toxicity in chlorpyrifos contaminated-water after remediation on treated rats with respect to cholinesterase activity and histological changes in kidney and liver relative to control. Advanced oxidation processes especially with nanomaterials and bioremediation with effective microorganisms can be regarded as safe and effective remediation technologies for chlorpyrifos in drinking water.

Development of Metal–Organic Nanotubes Exhibiting Low-Temperature, Reversible Exchange of Confined “Ice Channels”

Nanotubular materials have unique water transport and storage properties that have the potential to advance separations, catalysis, drug delivery, and environmental remediation technologies. The development of novel hybrid materials, such as metal-organic nanotubes (MONs), is of particular interest, as these materials are amenable to structural engineering strategies and may exhibit tunable properties based upon the presence of inorganic components. A novel metal-organic nanotube, (C4H12N2)(0.5)[(UO2)(Hida)(H2ida)]·2H2O (UMON) (ida = iminodiacetate), that demonstrates the possibilities of these types of hybrid compounds has been synthesized via a supramolecular approach. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of the compound revealed stacked macrocyclic arrays that contain highly ordered water molecules with structural similarities to the "ice channels" observed in single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nanoconfinement of the water molecules may be the cause of the unusual exchange properties observed for UMON, including selectivity to water and reversible exchange at low temperature (37 °C). Similar properties have not been reported for other inorganic or hybrid compounds and indicate the potential of MONs as advanced materials.

Bioremediation, an environmental remediation technology for the bioeconomy

Bioremediation differs from other industrial biotechnologies in that, although bioremediation contractors must profit from the activity, the primary driver is regulatory compliance rather than manufacturing profit. It is an attractive technology in the context of a bioeconomy but currently has limitations at the field scale. Ecogenomics techniques may address some of these limitations, but a further challenge would be acceptance of these techniques by regulators.