First detection of lead in black paper from intraoral film An environmental concern

Lead (Pb) contamination in the black paper that recovers intraoral films (BKP) has been investigated. BKP samples were collected from the Radiology Clinics of the Dental School of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. For sake of comparison, four different methods were used. The results revealed the presence of high lead levels, well above the maximum limit allowed by the legislation. Pb contamination levels achieved after the following treatments: paper digestion in nitric acid, microwave treatment, DIN38414-54 method and TCLP method were 997 mu g g(-1), 189 mu g g(-1), 20.8 mu g g(-1), and 54.0 mu g g(-1), respectively. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were employed for lead determination according to the protocols of the applied methods. Lead contamination in used BKP was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDS). All the SEM imaging was carried out in the secondary electron mode (SE) and backscattered-electron mode (QBSD) following punctual X-ray fluorescence spectra. Soil contamination derived from this product revealed the urgent need of addressing this problem. These elevated Pb levels, show that a preliminary treatment of BKP is mandatory before it is disposed into the common trash. The high lead content of this material makes its direct dumping into the environment unwise. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterisation and environmental application of an Australian natural zeolite for basic dye removal from aqueous solution

An Australian natural zeolite was collected, characterised and employed for basic dye adsorption in aqueous solution. The natural zeolite is mainly composed of clinoptiloite, quartz and mordenite and has cation-exchange capacity of 120 meq/100 g. The natural zeolite presents higher adsorption capacity for methylene blue than rhodamine B with the maximal adsorption capacity of 2.8 x 10(-5) and 7.9 x 10(-5) Mot/g at 50 degrees C for rhodamine B and methylene blue, respectively. Kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption followed the pseudo second-order kinetics and could be described as two-stage diffusion process. The adsorption isotherm could be fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich models. Thermodynamic calculations showed that the adsorption is endothermic process with Delta H degrees at 2.0 and 8.7 kJ/mol for rhodamine B and methylene blue. It has also found that the regenerated zeolites by high-temperature calcination and Fenton oxidation showed similar adsorption capacity but lower than the fresh sample. Only 60% capacity could be recovered by the two regeneration techniques. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous preconcentration of copper, zinc, cadmium, and nickel in water samples by cloud point extraction using 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol and their determination by inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry

A procedure for simultaneous separation/preconcentration of copper. zinc, cadmium, and nickel in water samples, based on cloud point extraction (CPE) as a prior step to their determination by inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), has been developed. The analytes reacted with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol (PAR) at pH 5 to form hydrophobic chelates, which were separated and preconcentrated in a surfactant-rich phase of octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-I 14). The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of the proposed method, such as sample pH, complexing agent concentration, buffer amount, surfactant concentration, temperature, kinetics of complexation reaction, and incubation time were optimized and their respective values were 5, 0.6 mmol L(-1). 0.3 mL, 0.15% (w/v), 50 degrees C, 40 min, and 10 min for 15 mL of preconcentrated solution. The method presented precision (R.S.D.) between 1.3% and 2.6% (n = 9). The concentration factors with and without dilution of the surfactant-rich phase for the analytes ranged from 9.4 to 10.1 and from 94.0 to 100.1, respectively. The limits of detection (L.O.D.) obtained for copper, zinc, cadmium, and nickel were 1.2, 1.1, 1.0. and 6.3 mu g L(-1), respectively. The accuracy of the procedure was evaluated through recovery experiments on aqueous samples. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Simultaneous flow injection preconcentration of lead and cadmium using cloud point extraction and determination by atomic absorption spectrometry

A flow injection (FI) micelle-mediated separation/preconcentration procedure for the determination of lead and cadmium by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) has been proposed. The analytes reacted with 1-(2-thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol (TAN) to form hydrophobic chelates, which were extracted into the micelles of 0.05% (w/v) Triton X-114 in a solution buffered at pH 8.4. In the preconcentration stage, the micellar solution was continuously injected into a flow system with four mini-columns packed with cotton, glass wool. or TNT compresses for phase separation. The analytes-containing micelles were eluted from the mini-columns by a stream of 3 mol L(-1) HCl solution and the analytes were determined by FAAS. Chemical and flow variables affecting the preconcentration of the analytes were studied. For 15 mL. of preconcentrated solution, the enhancement factors varied between 15.1 and 20.3, the limits of detection were approximately 4.5 and 0.75 mu g L(-1) for lead and cadmium, respectively. For a solution containing 100 and 10 mu g L(-1) of lead and cadmium, respectively, the R.S.D. values varied from 1.6 to 3.2% (n = 7). The accuracy of the preconcentration system was evaluated by recovery measurements on spiked water samples. The method was susceptible to matrix effects, but these interferences were minimized by adding barium ions as masking agent in the sample solutions, and recoveries from spiked sample varied in the range of 95.1-107.3%. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Barium uptake by maize plants as affected by sewage sludge in a long-term field study

Along-term experiment was carried out under field conditions in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the concentration of Ba in soil and in maize plants grown in a soil treated with sewage sludge for nine consecutive years. During 2005/2006, maize was used as test plants and the experimental design was in randomized complete blocks with four treatments and five replicates. Treatments consisted of: 0.0, 45.0, 90.0 and 127.5 t ha(-1) sewage sludge (dry basis). Sewage sludge application increased soil Ba concentration. Barium accumulated in the parts of maize plants were generally affected by the successive applications of sewage sludge to the soil. However, the concentration of Ba in maize grain did not exceed the critical levels of Ba for human consumption. Sewage sludge applied to soil for a long time did not affect dry matter and grain production, nevertheless had the similar effect of mineral fertilization. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Coconut coir as biosorbent for Cr(VI) removal from laboratory wastewater

A high cost-effective treatment of sulphochromic waste is proposed employing a raw coconut coir as biosorbent for Cr(VI) removal. The ideal pH and sorption kinetic, sorption capacities, and sorption sites were the studied biosorbent parameters. After testing five different isotherm models with standard solutions, Redlich-Peterson and Toth best fitted the experimental data, obtaining a theoretical Cr(VI) sorption capacity (SC) of 6.3 mg g(-1). Acid-base potentiometric titration indicated around of 73% of sorption sites were from phenolic compounds, probably lignin. Differences between sorption sites in the coconut coir before and after Cr adsorption identified from Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested a modification of sorption sites after sulphochromic waste treatment, indicating that the sorption mechanism involves organic matter oxidation and chromium uptake. For sulphocromic waste treatment, the SC was improved to 26.8 +/- 0.2 mg g(-1), and no adsorbed Cr(VI) was reduced, remaining only Cr(III) in the final solution. The adsorbed material was calcinated to obtain Cr2O3, with a reduction of more than 60% of the original mass. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combined photocatalytic and fungal processes for the treatment of nitrocellulose industry wastewater

The objective of this work was to characterize the delignification effluent originating from the delignification industry and evaluate the combination of the fungus and photocatalytic process (TiO(2)/UV system) for the treatment of this effluent. The delignification effluent has proven harmful to the environment because it presents high color (3516 CU), total phenol (876 mg/L and TOC (1599 mg/L) and is also highly toxic even in a low concentration. The results of photocatalysis were 11%, 25% and 13% higher for reductions in color, total phenol and TOC, respectively. The combined treatments presented benefits when compared to the non-combined treatments. Fungus and photocatalysis in combination proved to be the best treatment, reducing the color, total phenol, toxicity (inhibition of Escherichia coli growth) and TOC by 94.2%, 92.6%, 4.9% and 62%, respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by hydrous zirconium oxide

A type of ZrO(2)center dot nH(2)O Was synthesized and its Cr(VI) removal potential was investigated in this study. The kinetic study, adsorption isotherm, pH effect, thermodynamic study and desorption were examined in batch experiments. The kinetic process was described by a pseudo-second-order rate model very well. The Cr(VI) adsorption tended to increase with a decrease of pH. The adsorption data fitted well to the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity increased from 61 to 66 mg g(-1) when the temperature was increased from 298 to 338 K. The positive values of both Delta H degrees and Delta S degrees suggest an endothermic reaction and increase in randomness at the solid-liquid interface during the adsorption. Delta G degrees values obtained were negative indicating a spontaneous adsorption process. The effective desorption of Cr(VI) on ZrO(2)center dot nH(2)O could be achieved using distilled water at pH 12. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Leak detection by inverse transient analysis in an experimental PVC pipe system

Leakage reduction in water supply systems and distribution networks has been an increasingly important issue in the water industry since leaks and ruptures result in major physical and economic losses. Hydraulic transient solvers can be used in the system operational diagnosis, namely for leak detection purposes, due to their capability to describe the dynamic behaviour of the systems and to provide substantial amounts of data. In this research work, the association of hydraulic transient analysis with an optimisation model, through inverse transient analysis (ITA), has been used for leak detection and its location in an experimental facility containing PVC pipes. Observed transient pressure data have been used for testing ITA. A key factor for the success of the leak detection technique used is the accurate calibration of the transient solver, namely adequate boundary conditions and the description of energy dissipation effects since PVC pipes are characterised by a viscoelastic mechanical response. Results have shown that leaks were located with an accuracy between 4-15% of the total length of the pipeline, depending on the discretisation of the system model.

Degradation of formaldehyde in anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor (ASBBR)

The present study evaluated the degradation of formaldehyde in a bench-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor, which contained biomass immobilized in polyurethane foam matrices. The reactor was operated for 212 days at 35 C with 8 h sequential cycles, under different affluent formaldehyde concentrations ranging from 31.6 to 1104.4 mg/L (formaldehyde loading rates from 0.08 to 2.78 kg/m(3) day). The results indicate excellent reactor stability and over 99% efficiency in formaldehyde removal, with average effluent formaldehyde concentration of 3.6 + 1.7 mg/L. Formaldehyde degradation rates increased from 204.9 to 698.3 mg/L h as the initial concentration of formaldehyde was increased from around 100 to around 1100 mg/L. However, accumulation of organic matter was observed in the effluent (chemical oxygen demand (COD) values above 500 mg/L) due to the presence of non-degraded organic acids, especially acetic and propionic acids, This observation poses an important question regarding the anaerobic route of formaldehyde degradation, which might differ Substantially from that reported in the literature. The anaerobic degradation pathway can be associated with the formation of long-chain oligomers from formaldehyde. Such long- or short-chain polymers are probably the precursors of organic acid formation by means of acidogenic anaerobic microorganisms. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical treatment of tannery wastewater using DSA (R) electrodes

In this work we studied the electrochemical treatment of a tannery wastewater using dimensionally stable anodes (DSA (R)) containing tin, iridium, ruthenium, and titanium. The electrodes were prepared by thermal decomposition of the polymeric precursors. The electrolyses were performed under galvanostatic conditions, at room temperature. Effects of the oxide composition, current density, and effluent conductivity were investigated, and the current efficiency was calculated as a function of the time for the performed electrolyses. Results showed that all the studied electrodes led to a decrease in the content of both total phenolic compounds and total organic carbon (TOC), as well as lower absorbance in the UV-vis region. Toxicity tests using Daphnia similis demonstrated that the electrochemical treatment reduced the wastewater toxicity. The use of DSA (R) type electrodes in the electrochemical treatment of tannery wastewater proved to be useful since it can promote a decrease in total phenolic compounds, TOC, absorbance, and toxicity. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Permeability optimization and performance evaluation of hot aerosol filters made using foam incorporated alumina suspension

Porous ceramic samples were prepared from aqueous foam incorporated alumina suspension for application as hot aerosol filtering membrane. The procedure for establishment of membrane features required to maintain a desired flow condition was theoretically described and experimental work was designed to prepare ceramic membranes to meet the predicted criteria. Two best membranes, thus prepared, were selected for permeability tests up to 700 degrees C and their total and fractional collection efficiencies were experimentally evaluated. Reasonably good performance was achieved at room temperature, while at 700 degrees C, increased permeability was obtained with significant reduction in collection efficiency, which was explained by a combination of thermal expansion of the structure and changes in the gas properties. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toxicity-directed approach of polyester manufacturing industry wastewater provides useful information for conducting treatability studies

A broader characterization of industrial wastewaters, especially in respect to hazardous compounds and their potential toxicity, is often necessary in order to determine the best practical treatment (or pretreatment) technology available to reduce the discharge of harmful pollutants to the environment or publicly owned treatment works. Using a toxicity-directed approach, this paper sets the base for a rational treatability study of polyester resin manufacturing. Relevant physical and chemical characteristics were determined. Respirometry was used for toxicity reduction evaluation after physical and chemical effluent fractionation. Of all the procedures investigated, only air stripping was significantly effective in reducing wastewater toxicity. Air stripping in pH 7 reduced toxicity in 18.2%, while in pH 11 a toxicity reduction of 62.5% was observed. Results indicated that toxicants responsible for the most significant fraction of the effluent`s instantaneous toxic effect to unadapted activated sludge were organic compounds poorly or not volatilized in acid conditions. These results led to useful directions for conducting treatability studies which will be grounded on actual effluent properties rather than empirical or based on the rare specific data on this kind of industrial wastewater. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A mechanistic kinetic model for phenol degradation by the Fenton process

The objective of this paper is to develop and validate a mechanistic model for the degradation of phenol by the Fenton process. Experiments were performed in semi-batch operation, in which phenol, catechol and hydroquinone concentrations were measured. Using the methodology described in Pontes and Pinto [R.F.F. Pontes, J.M. Pinto, Analysis of integrated kinetic and flow models for anaerobic digesters, Chemical Engineering journal 122 (1-2) (2006) 65-80], a stoichiometric model was first developed, with 53 reactions and 26 compounds, followed by the corresponding kinetic model. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the most influential kinetic parameters of the model that were estimated with the obtained experimental results. The adjusted model was used to analyze the impact of the initial concentration and flow rate of reactants on the efficiency of the Fenton process to degrade phenol. Moreover, the model was applied to evaluate the treatment cost of wastewater contaminated with phenol in order to meet environmental standards. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.