Zinc and lead content and availability in Brazilian soil contaminated with residue of a secondary smelting lead recycling plant

The sequential extraction procedure of Zinc and lead performed in a Brazilian soil showed that it presents high pollution potential once over 90% of total lead is present in fractions where the metals can be easily mobilized. The fraction contents are as follow: F1 = 174 and 15 mg kg-1; F2 = 3155 and 9.7 mg kg -1; F3 = 99 and 1.6 mg kg -1; Residual fraction = 38 and 5.5 mg kg -1 for lead and zinc, respectively. The comparison with non contaminated soil only Pb 2+ concentration is above its intervention reference concentration, 900 mg kg -1.

Poliuretana contendo corante azóico e espaçador tipo bis-carbonato como material para fabricação de filmes nanoestruturados

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Desenvolvimento na indústria de acumulação de energia em baterias chumbo-ácido: processos alternativos de recuperação de chumbo

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais - FC

Feasibility studies on using microwave-heating techniques for recycling lead waste

Lead is present everywhere in the environment and has been defined as one of the greatest threats to the human health. In this paper, attempts have been made to study a way of recycling the lead produced from waste usage and disposed of in such a way as to avoid degrading the surrounding environment. In order to contain the waste, recycled asphalt material is mixed with the lead and then heated with microwave energy. This is an attempt to solidify and reduce the lead contaminants and use the final product as sub-base material in road pavement construction. The microwave heating of the specimens is carried out with 30%, 50%, 80% and 100% of power at 800W. The optimum power mode is used to compare with the conventional heating of asphalt with sulfur additive. The results are characterized by compact density, permeability, and subjected to toxicity test with regards to lead concentration. A mechanical test to evaluate the stability is also performed on the three methods of solidification and to prove that microwave zapping method allow to convert into an environmentally stable material for recycling without having to be deposited in a landfill site.

Increasing Adoption of Irrigation and Water Recycling Technologies in Australia

Retrofitting nurseries to increase water use efficiency and evaluate 4 soil moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling.

Tracking the evolution of waste recycling research using overlay maps of science

Tracking the evolution of research in waste recycling science (WRS) can be valuable for environmental agencies, as well as for recycling businesses. Maps of science are visual, easily readable representations of the cognitive structure of a branch of science, a particular area of research or the global spectrum of scientific production. They are generally built upon evidence collected from reliable sources of information, such as patent and scientific publication databases. This study uses the methodology developed by Rafols et al. (2010) to make a “double overlay map” of WRS upon a basemap reflecting the cognitive structure of all journal-published science, for the years 2005 and 2010. The analysis has taken into account the cognitive areas where WRS articles are published and the areas from where it takes its intellectual nourishing, paying special attention to the growing trends of the key areas. Interpretation of results lead to the conclusion that extraction of energy from waste will probably be an important research topic in the future, along with developments in general chemistry and chemical engineering oriented to the recovery of valuable materials from waste. Agricultural and material sciences, together with the combined economics, politics and geography field, are areas with which WRS shows a relevant and ever increasing cognitive relationship.

An integrated recycling approach for GFRP pultrusion wastes: recycling and reuse assessment into new composite materials using Fuzzy Boolean Nets

In this study, efforts were made in order to put forward an integrated recycling approach for the thermoset based glass fibre reinforced polymer (GPRP) rejects derived from the pultrusion manufacturing industry. Both the recycling process and the development of a new cost-effective end-use application for the recyclates were considered. For this purpose, i) among the several available recycling techniques for thermoset based composite materials, the most suitable one for the envisaged application was selected (mechanical recycling); and ii) an experimental work was carried out in order to assess the added-value of the obtained recyclates as aggregates and reinforcement replacements into concrete-polymer composite materials. Potential recycling solution was assessed by mechanical behaviour of resultant GFRP waste modified concrete-polymer composites with regard to unmodified materials. In the mix design process of the new GFRP waste based composite material, the recyclate content and size grade, and the effect of the incorporation of an adhesion promoter were considered as material factors and systematically tested between reasonable ranges. The optimization process of the modified formulations was supported by the Fuzzy Boolean Nets methodology, which allowed finding the best balance between material parameters that maximizes both flexural and compressive strengths of final composite. Comparing to related end-use applications of GFRP wastes in cementitious based concrete materials, the proposed solution overcome some of the problems found, namely the possible incompatibilities arisen from alkalis-silica reaction and the decrease in the mechanical properties due to high water-cement ratio required to achieve the desirable workability. Obtained results were very promising towards a global cost-effective waste management solution for GFRP industrial wastes and end-of-life products that will lead to a more sustainable composite materials industry.

Sustainability Improvement of a composite materials’ industry through recycling and re-engineering process approaches

Recent Advances in Mechanics and Materials in Design

Lead poisoning in cattle grazing pasture contaminated by industrial waste

Lead poisoning is described in a herd of 120 Nelore cows of which 35 were affected. All affected cows died after a clinical course of 2-7 d with clinical signs related to cortical neurological disturbances. The source of Pb was fumes from a car battery recycling plant which has had a failure in its filtering system. Lead concentrations in liver and kidneys of 2 cows, in soil;and in grass where the cows were held were respective 39 to 431 ppm, 147 to 431 ppm,and 245ppm. No significant gross changes were observed. Histopathology revealed of neuronal necrosis, vacuolation of the neuropil and hypertrophy of the vascular endothelium inthecerebral cortices, degeneration of the epithelial cellsofrenal proximal tubules, and hemosiderosis of kidney, spleen and liver.

Chromium, Cadmium, Nickel, and Lead in a Tropical Soil after 3 Years of Consecutive Applications of Composted Tannery Sludge

Agricultural use of tannery sludge (TS) may increase risks to soils. Thus, composting is recognized as one of the most suitable alternatives for TS recycling. Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of composted tannery sludge (CTS) on chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) accumulation in soil after 3 years. Soil samples were collected 60 days after CTS application. After 3 years, The CTS increased Cr and Ni content, while Cd and Pb contents decreased. The third year, Cr contents showed linear increases as CTS rates were applied. The application of CTS, after 3 years, in the 2.5, 5, and 10 Mg ha(-1) increased Cr significantly (140.7%, 159.7%, and 19%, respectively) and Ni (32%, 53%, and 43.8%, respectively) contents in the soil surface layer. This means that consecutive amendments of CTS increase Cr contents in the soil and plants.

Sodium nitrite prevents both reductions in circulating nitric oxide and hypertension in 7-day lead-treated rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Environmental lead poisoning among children in Porto Alegre state, Southern Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of lead poisoning in children and to identify associated factors, as well as possible local sources of contamination. METHODS: A cross-sectional prevalence study conducted in 2006 with a random sample of 97 children age zero to five years from a neighborhood in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. Blood lead levels were measured and a questionnaire administered to collect information on sociodemographics, recycling and dwelling. A preliminary environmental evaluation was carried out with direct analysis of soil and indirect analysis of air pollution with bioindicators to identify possible sources of contamination. To analyze lead concentrations from the different collection sites, for each type of material studied, ANOVA was performed with a Brown-Forsythe adjustment for heteroscedasticity and with Dunnett's T3 procedure for multiple comparisons of unequal variances. RESULTS: Blood lead levels >= 10.0 mu g/dL was found in 16.5% of children. Recycling of waste at home, low father's education level, and increased age of children were associated with increase blood lead levels. High lead levels were found in soil, and there was little indication of lead air pollution. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of lead poisoning was identified, and the potential sources of contamination in this community appear related to waste recylcing activities. Studies should be conducted with other populations of Brazilian children and evaluate potential sources of local and general contamination, to accurately characterize this issue in Brazil.

Gilberts/Kedzie Property : former battery recycling facility : Kane County - Gilberts, Illinois.

In 2004, both Illinois EPA and U.S. EPA investigated the location of a former battery cracking and recycling operation in Gilberts. The main site is located immediately north of the intersection of Railroad and Mill Streets bounded to Galligan Road on the east and the Chicago and Northwestern Railway on the west. It is in an area that is mostly wooded near both industrial and residential properties. Lead acid batteries were cracked open to recover the lead. Some of the lead seeped into the ground along with acid contained in the batteries. Extensive environmental sampling last summer identified a six-acre area of gross contamination (mainly lead). Later, a second area of contamination was discovered to the southwest, where the Village of Gilberts Public Works building is now located, west of the railroad tracks - this is known as the Tower Hill Road site.

A techno-economic study of the recycling of mixed plastics to useful products

The techno-economic implications of recycling the components of mixed plastics waste have been studied in a two-part investigation: (a) An economic survey of the prospects for plastics recycling, the plastics waste arisings from retailing, building, automotive, light engineering and chemical industries have been surveyed by mans of questionnaires and interviews. This was partially successful and indicated that very considerable quantities of relatively clean plastics packaging was available in major department chains and household stores. The possibility of devising collection systems for such sources, which do not lead to any extra cost, have been suggested. However, the household collection of plastics waste has been found to be uneconomic due to high cost of collection, transportation and lack of markets for the end products. (b) In a technical study of blends of PE/PP and PE/PS which are found in admixture in waste plastics, it has been shown that they exhibit poor mechanical properties due to incompatibility. Consequently reprocessing of such unsegregated blends results in products of little technological value. The inclusion of some commercial block and graft copolymers which behave as solid phase dispersants (SPES) increase the toughness of the blends (e.g. EPDM in PE/PP blend and SBS in PE/PS blend). Also, EPDM is found to be very effective for improving the toughness of single component polypropylene. However, the improved Technical properties of such blends have been accompanied by a fast rate of photo-oxidation and loss of toughness due to the presence of unsaturation in SPD's. The change in mechanical properties occurring during oven ageing and ultra-violet light accelerated weathering of these binary and ternary blends was followed by a viscoelastonetric technique (Rheovibron) over 9,, wide range of temperatures, impact resistance at room temperature (20-41'G) and changes in functional groups (i.e. carbonyl and trans-1,4-polybutadiene). Also the heat and light stability of single and mixed plastics to which thiol antioxidants were bound to SPE1 segment have been studied and compared with conventional antioxidants. The long-term performance of the mixed plastics containing SPE1 have been improved significantly by the use of conventional and bound antioxidants. It is concluded that an estimated amount of 30000 tonnes/year of plastics waste is available from department chains and household stores which can be converted to useful end products. This justifies pilot-experiments in collaboration with supermarkets, recyclers and converters by use of low cost SPD's and additives designed to make the materials more compatible.

Eco-innovation – does additional engagement lead to additional rewards?

Purpose: Eco-innovation is any form of product, process or organisational innovation that contributes towards sustainable development. Firms can eco-innovate in a variety of ways. The purpose of this paper is to identify nine different eco-innovation activities – including such items as reducing material use per unit of output, reducing energy use per unit of output, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) “footprint” – and the authors ask whether these act as substitutes or complements to one another. Design/methodology/approach: Eco-innovation is any form of product, process or organisational innovation that contributes towards sustainable development. Firms can eco-innovate in a variety of ways. In this paper the authors identify nine different eco-innovation activities – including such items as reducing material use per unit of output, reducing energy use per unit of output, reducing CO2 “footprint” – and the authors ask whether these act as substitutes or complements to one another. Findings: Introducing only one eco-innovation activity has little payoff (in terms of turnover per worker) with only those firms who reduce their CO2 “footprint” having higher levels of turnover per worker. When introducing more than one eco-innovation activity the authors find that certain eco-innovation activities complement one another (e.g. reducing material use within the firm at the same time as improving the ability to recycle the product after use) others act as substitutes (e.g. reducing material use within the firm at the same time as recycling waste, water or materials within the firm). Practical implications: The results suggest that firms can maximise their productive capacity by considering specific combinations of eco-innovation. This suggests that firms should plan to introduce eco-innovation which act as complements, thereby, boosting productivity. It also suggests that eco-innovation stimuli, introduced by policy makers, should be targeted at complementary eco-innovations. Originality/value: The paper analyses whether eco-innovations act as complements or substitutes. While a number of studies have analysed the importance of eco-innovation for firm performance, few have assessed the extent to which diverse types of eco-innovation interact with each other to complement or substitute for one another.