Uso da casca de coco verde como adsorbente na remoção de metais tóxicos

Green coconut shells were treated with acid, base and hydrogen peroxide solutions for 3, 6, 12 and 24 h for removing toxic metals from synthetic wastewater. The removal of ions by the adsorbent treated with 0.1 mol L-1 NaOH/ 3h was 99.5% for Pb2+ and 97.9% for Cu2+. The removal of Cd2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, using adsorbent treated with 1.0 mol L-1 NaOH/3 h, was 98.5, 90.3 and 95.4%, respectively. Particle size, adsorbent concentration and adsorption kinetics were also studied. An adsorbent size of 60-99 mesh and a concentration of 30-40 g/L for 5 min exposure were satisfactory for maximum uptake of Pb2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ and can be considered as promising parameters for treatment the aqueous effluents contaminated with toxic metals.

Utilização de solos locais para tratamento de efluentes do refino de petróleo contendo metais

The employment of local soils for extraction of metallic elements was evaluated through batch tests to treat wastewaters generated in a petroleum refinery plant in southern Brazil. Clay and organic carbon content and clay mineralogy provide these soils, in principle, with moderate metal retention capacity. The following retention order was established: Cr3+ > Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Hg2+ > Cd2+, with total amount of metals retained varying from 36 to 65 meq kg-1. The results show the high efficiency of local soils for extracting metals from liquid effluents through sorption and precipitation processes under acid pH conditions.

Teores de nitrato (NO3-) e amônio (NH4+) nas águas do aqüífero Barreiras nos bairros do Reduto, Nazaré e Umarizal - Belém/PA

This paper evaluates the occurrence of nitrate and ammonium in the Barreiras aquifer in the metropolitan area of Belém, Pará State, Brazil. The results show that some wells display ammonium and nitrate concentrations above or close to the limits of water potability regulations. The main cause of the pollution of these waters is related the local disposal of domestic effluents and/or leakage from pipes of old sewage systems.

Avaliação da filtração e ozonização de efluente sanitário primário: aspectos de inativação microbiana e variáveis de ozonização

Ozonation tests with and without prior filtration by means of a 50 micron mesh cartridge filter were conducted with primary sanitary effluents. Filtration led to increased inactivation efficiencies with regard to total and thermotolerant coliforms but it did not seem to influence heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria inactivation efficiencies significantly. Application of the Chick-Watson model to experimental data obtained in the situation of constant inactivation showed that the ozone dosage was more important to bacterial inactivation than the contact time with regard to the cases of thermotolerant coliform inactivation in filtered samples and HPC bacteria and total coliform inactivation in non-filtered samples.

2-fenilbenzotriazóis (PBTA): uma nova classe de contaminantes ambientais

This work is a literature review of PBTAs, the phenylbenzotriazoles generated from the reduction and chlorination of azo dyes. The PBTAs and the non- chlorinated PBTAs were isolated for the first time from river blue rayon organic extracts that showed high mutagenic activity in the Salmonella/microsome genotoxicity assay. To date, 8 PBTAs have been identified and beside their mutagenic activity in bacteria they cause genotoxic effects in fish and mammalian cell cultures. Due to the large number of textile dyeing facilities in Brazil, studies to determine them in the aquatic environment seem to be relevant.

The effect of pulp washing on bleaching efficiency

The main aim of this study was to inspect the influence of the ultrafiltration implementation on the washing and on bleaching efficiency. Four cases corresponding to four washing stages were observed: two with hardwood pulp and two with softwood pulp; each case had a reference and a trial experiment. The experiments with hardwood pulp were arranged in a manner to explore predominantly the possibility of bleaching performance improvement by applying for washing instead of untreated filtrate (reference case) the same treated one (trial case). Despite that the ultrafiltration reduced the COD of the wash filtrates allowing the decreasing of COD carry-over to the bleaching stage it didn’t affect the bleaching performance. Another set was used in the experiments with softwood pulp. It implied the ultrafiltration and recirculation of the filtrate to the same washing stage with the purpose to reduce the volumes and pollution of the bleaching effluents. In one case the negative result was obtained which was expressed by worse parameters of the pulp after bleaching. Another case showed the opportunity to replace hot water with the filtrate and reduce the fresh water consumption.

Dinámica del heleoplancton en relación a las fluctuaciones hidrológicas en aiguamolls de l’Empordà (NE de la península Ibérica). Propuesta de un método sencillo de monitorización basado en la abundancia de grupos taxonómicos

Monitoring of the 'ecological water quality' in 'Aiguamolls de l’Empordà' Natural Park was carried out between September 1996 and August 1997 . The aim of this sampling programme was to design a simple method for rapid detect changes in water quality due to human activity. These include flow regulation by the Park management, nutrient entries from effluents of a nearby wastewater treatment plant or agricultural fertilising. The proposed method is based on the analysis of the abundance of characteristic taxonomic groups of aquatic invertebrates (heleoplankton). The simplicity of the method is ensured by the use of large taxa which are easier to recognise than species. The functioning of aquatic systems has been modelled by means of correspondence analysis between samples and taxa. Results can be summerized in five environmental conditions with a regular community structure. Dominated by one taxon: cladocerans, ostracods, calanoids, cyclopoids and harpacticoids. The dynamics of both freshwater and brackish lagoons can be modelled as displacements between these five groups of environmental conditions. Nevertheless, the “calanoids situation” and the “harpacticoids situation” occur mainly in brackish lagoons, whereas the “cladocerans situation” occurs mainly in freshwater. The four principal axes of data variation have been respectively identified as nutrient turnover rate, hypertrophy, degree of mineralization of the organic matter and eutrophy. The use of these taxa has been validated by comparison with a model obtained from the species. We conclude that in a highly fluctuating system such as the one here, only persistent situations of eutrophy or hypertrophy must be equated to low 'ecological water quality'

Estudo sobre a utilização da lama vermelha para a remoção de corantes em efluentes têxteis

Red mud is the principal residue of the alumina (Al2O3) industry. Generated during the Bayer process, it is characterized by strong alkalinity and ion exchange. Iron oxides are the principal component (30 to 60%). Annually millions of tons of red mud are generated in the world. Red mud disposal is responsible for a large part of the cost of alumina production. On the other hand, textile industry wastewaters containing dyes have a great impact on the environment and on human health. In this paper the possibility of applying red mud for the removal of dyes was investigated by two processes: adsorption and degradation by the Fenton reagent.

Imobilização de ferro (II) em matriz de alginato e sua utilização na degradação de corantes têxteis por processos Fenton

In this work Fenton and photo-Fenton processes for textile dye degradation were investigated using iron (II) immobilized in alginate spheres. Photomicrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy showed an irregular and porous surface with a homogeneous distribution of iron. The Fenton process was used to evaluate the degradation efficiency of reactive dyes and this procedure showed a low degradation effect. The association of artificial visible light or solar radiation in the Fenton process (foto-Fenton process) showed degradation ratios of 70 and 80% respectively in 45 min. It was also observed that the iron-alginate matrix can be reused.

Aplicação de adsorção para remover amônia de efluentes suinícolas pré-tratados

The aim of this work is to evaluate the use of natural zeolites to remove the NH4+ that remains in effluents from swine facilities which were submitted to physico-chemical and biological treatments. Experiments were made in batch made adding 5% (w/w) of adsorbent (0.6-1.3 and 3.0-8.0 mm) to synthetic and real swine facilities effluents. The results show that ammonium removal is influenced by adsorbent particle size and the presence of other ions in the effluent. The adsorption equilibrium was described by Langmuir as well as Freundlich isotherms and the kinetic data fitted well a pseudo-second order model.

Preparação de carvão ativado em baixas temperaturas de carbonização a partir de rejeitos de café: utilização de FeCl3 como agente ativante

Ferric chloride as a new activating agent was used to obtain activated carbons from agroindustrial waste. This material was prepared at three temperatures of pyrolysis, 200, 280 and 400 ºC. The carbonaceous materials obtained after the activation processes showed high specific surface areas (BET), with values higher than 900 m² g-1. The materials showed different behaviors in the adsorption of methylene blue dye and reactive red textile dye in water solutions. An important fact in the use of FeCl3 as an activating agent is that the activation temperature is at 280 ºC, well below of those commonly employed in chemical or physical activations described in the literature.

Cadeia do biodiesel da bancada à indústria: uma visão geral com prospecção de tarefas e oportunidades para P&D&I

Contextualized overview of the Biodiesel Production Chain, from the lab bench to the industry, with critical evaluation of state-of-art and technological development through scientific articles and patents, focusing on feedstock, reaction/production, first and second generation processes, specification and quality, transport, storage, co-products (effluents and sub-products), and emissions. Challenges are identified and solutions are proposed based on the Brazilian feedstock, edaphoclimatic conditions, process monitoring in remote regions, state policy, and environment preservation, among others. Forecasts are made based on the technology assessment, identifying future trends and opportunities for R&D&I.

Perfil espacial e temporal de poluentes nas águas da represa municipal de São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brasil

In this manuscript, seasonal and spatial trends of water collected from two sampling places in the Preto River in the Turvo-Grande watershed were evaluated. Water samples were collected during June/07 to July/08 and parameters sulphate, total organic carbon, ammonia, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, dissolved total solids and nitrate were quantified. Seasonal trend indicated sanitary effluents as a point source of contamination in both sampling points. Vertical trends demonstrated that the Municipal Dam was not stratified and received a diffuse source of pollutants from flooding and agriculture runoffs. It was also verified that there is relatively fast ammonia consumption kinetics having a half-life time of 1.43 h which can explain the low ammonia concentrations found in these aquatic bodies.

Avaliação da qualidade de sedimentos - estudo de caso: sub-bacia do Ribeirão Espírito Santo, afluente do Rio São Francisco

This study evaluated the environmental impact resulting from surface water and sediment contamination by metals in a watershed affected by a tailing basin that controls effluents coming from a zinc-ore beneficiation plant. The studies combined assessments of sediment chemistry (exceedances of sediment quality guidelines), benthic assemblage structure and acute and chronic ecotoxicity. The results showed that the levels of metal contamination in sediments are not yet enough to cause deleterious effects to the biota. However, the ecotoxicity tests indicated the occurrence of chronic effects, demonstrating that other factors, as the use of fertilizers, could also be a source of contamination.

Recent research data on the removal of pharmaceuticals from sewage treatment plants (STP)

Pharmaceutical compounds have been detected in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents, surface waters and, less frequently, in groundwater and drinking water, all over the world. Different sources are responsible for their appearance in the aquatic environment, however, it is widely accepted that the main sources of this type of pollutant are STP effluents. The adverse effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment include aquatic toxicity, development of resistance in pathogenic bacteria, genotoxicity and endocrine disruption. Thus, the discharge of these compounds to the environment in STP effluents should be minimized.