A green flow-based procedure for fluorimetric determination of acid-dissociable cyanide in natural waters exploiting multicommutation

A flow system designed with solenoid valves is proposed for determination of weak acid dissociable cyanide, based on the reaction with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and glycine yielding a highly fluorescent isoindole derivative. The proposed procedure minimizes the main drawbacks related to the reference batch procedure, based on reaction with barbituric acid and pyridine followed by spectrophotometric detection, i.e., use of toxic reagents, high reagent consumption and waste generation, low sampling rate, and poor sensitivity. Retention of the sample zone was exploited to increase the conversion rate of the analyte with minimized sample dispersion. Linear response (r=0.999) was observed for cyanide concentrations in the range 1-200 mu g L(-1), with a detection limit (99.7% confidence level) of 0.5 mu g L(-1)(19 nmol L(-1)). The sampling rate and coefficient of variation (n=10) were estimated as 22 measurements per hour and 1.4%, respectively. The results of determination of weak acid dissociable cyanide in natural water samples were in agreement with those achieved by the batch reference procedure at the 95% confidence level. Additionally to the improvement in the analytical features in comparison with those of the flow system with continuous reagent addition (sensitivity and sampling rate 90 and 83% higher, respectively), the consumption of OPA was 230-fold lower.

Geophysical investigation using resistivity and GPR methods: a case study of a lubricant oil waste disposal area in the city of Ribeiro Preto, So Paulo, Brazil

Geophysics has been shown to be effective in identifying areas contaminated by waste disposal, contributing to the greater efficiency of soundings programs and the installation of monitoring wells. In the study area, four trenches were constructed with a total volume of about 25,000 m(3). They were almost totally filled with re-refined lubricating oil waste for approximately 25 years. No protection liners were used in the bottoms and laterals of the disposal trenches. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the potential of the resistivity and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods in characterizing the contamination of this lubricant oil waste disposal area in Ribeiro Preto, SP, situated on the geological domain of the basalt spills of the Serra Geral Formation and the sandstones of the Botucatu Formation. Geophysical results were shown in 2D profiles. The geophysical methods used enabled the identification of geophysical anomalies, which characterized the contamination produced by the trenches filled with lubricant oil waste. Conductive anomalies (smaller than 185 Omega m) immediately below the trenches suggest the action of bacteria in the hydrocarbons, as has been observed in several sites contaminated by hydrocarbons in previously reported cases in the literature. It was also possible to define the geometry of the trenches, as evidenced by the GPR method. Direct sampling (chemical analysis of the soil and the water in the monitoring well) confirmed the contamination. In the soil analysis, low concentrations of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found, mainly naphthalene and phenanthrene. In the water samples, an analysis verified contamination of the groundwater by lead (Pb). The geophysical methods used in the investigation provided an excellent tool for environmental characterization in this study of a lubricant oil waste disposal area, and could be applied in the study of similar areas.

Structure and Applications of a Rhamnolipid Surfactant Produced in Soybean Oil Waste

Soybean oil soapstock was utilized as an alternative carbon source for the production of rhamnolipids by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBI strain. The chemical composition and properties of the rhamnolipid mixture obtained were determined to define its potential applications. The chemical characterization of the rhamnolipid has revealed the presence of ten different homologues. The monorhamnolipid RhaC(10)C(10) and the dirhamnolipid Rha(2)C(10)C(10) were the main components of the mixture that showed predominance of 44% and 29%, respectively, after 144-h of cultivation. The biosurfactant was able to form stable emulsions with several hydrocarbons and showed excellent emulsification for soybean oil and chicken fat (100%). The rhamnolipid removed 67% of crude oil present in sand samples and presented antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Mucor miehei at 64 mu g/mL and inhibition of Neurospora crassa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Micrococcus luteus at 256 mu g/mL. The results demonstrated that the rhamnolipid produced in soybean oil soapstock can be useful in environmental and food industry applications.