In this study, the magnetic cellulose nanomaterials, containing magnetic nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) and cellulose, were prepared by a novel reduction method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The XRD and XPS results demonstrated the formation of zerovalent iron nanoparticles in the nanocomposite materials. With a saturation magnetization of 57.2 emu g⁻¹, the cellulose@nZVI composites could be easily separated from solutions in 30 s through the external magnetic field. We investigated the adsorption performance of the magnetic cellulose nanomaterials for As(III) removal from aqueous solutions. The experimental results showed that arsenite adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. A maximum removal of 99.27 % was observed for an initial concentration 10 mg L⁻¹, at pH 8.0, and an adsorbent dose of 1.0 g L⁻¹. Considering the high adsorption capacity, fast adsorption rate, and quick magnetic separation from treated water, the cellulose@nZVI composites were expected to be an efficient magnetic adsorbent for arsenic removal from aqueous solutions.

Seed priming effects on Trifolium repens were analysed both in Petri dishes and in two soils (one unpolluted soil and a soil polluted with Cd and Zn). Priming treatments were performed with gibberellic acid 0.1 mM at 22 °C during 12 h or with polyethylene glycol (−6.7 MPa) at 10 °C during 72 h. Both priming treatments increased the germination speed and the final germination percentages in the presence of 100 μM CdCl₂or 1 mM ZnSO₄. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that the positive effect of priming was not related with any advancement of the cell cycle in embryos. Seed imbibition occurred faster for primed seeds than for control seeds. X-ray and electronic microscopy analysis suggested that circular depressions on the seed coat, in addition to tissue detachments inside the seed, could be linked to the higher rate of imbibition. Priming treatments had no significant impact on the behaviour of seedlings cultivated on non-polluted soil while they improved seedling emergence and growth on polluted soil. The two priming treatments reduced Zn accumulation. Priming with gibberellic acid increased Cd accumulation by young seedlings while priming with polyethylene glycol reduced it. Priming improved the light phase of photosynthesis and strengthened the antioxidant system of stressed seedlings. Optimal priming treatment may thus be recommended as efficient tools to facilitate revegetation of former mining area.

This study focused on the pattern recognition of Malaysian air quality based on the data obtained from the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE). Eight air quality parameters in ten monitoring stations in Malaysia for 7 years (2005–2011) were gathered. Principal component analysis (PCA) in the environmetric approach was used to identify the sources of pollution in the study locations. The combination of PCA and artificial neural networks (ANN) was developed to determine its predictive ability for the air pollutant index (API). The PCA has identified that CH₄, NmHC, THC, O₃, and PM₁₀are the most significant parameters. The PCA-ANN showed better predictive ability in the determination of API with fewer variables, with R²and root mean square error (RMSE) values of 0.618 and 10.017, respectively. The work has demonstrated the importance of historical data in sampling plan strategies to achieve desired research objectives, as well as to highlight the possibility of determining the optimum number of sampling parameters, which in turn will reduce costs and time of sampling.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of planting trees (Pinus pinaster or Eucalyptus globulus) and amending with wastes (sewage sludges and paper mill residues) on the nutrient content of mine soils and under field conditions. The studied soils were located in a settling pond and a mine tailing within a former copper mine. The soil samples were analyzed for several physico-chemical characteristics and the concentration of nutrients. The untreated settling pond soil had levels of N and K adequate only for the growth of eucalyptuses and pines, and moreover, the concentration of Ca and P were undetectable. The untreated mine tailing soil presented the same condition, also with adequate levels of Ca and Mg for eucalyptuses and pines. Planting these trees increased the concentration of Mg in the settling pond up to adequate levels only for such trees. Amending with wastes increased the phytoavailable concentration of all nutrients up to adequate levels for most plant species. In conclusion, it is recommended to amend mine soils with wastes rich in nutrients and re-amend after some time because they raise them up to adequate levels for most plants but are depleted over time. It is possible to increase the concentration of all nutrients in mine soils by adding organic wastes, even to values adequate for most plant species.

The purpose of this study is to examine the development and effectiveness of a persistent dissolved-phase treatment zone, created by injecting potassium permanganate solution, for mitigating discharge of contaminant from a source zone located in a relatively deep, low-permeability formation. A localized 1,1-dichloroethene (DCE) source zone comprising dissolved- and sorbed-phase mass is present in lower-permeability strata adjacent to sand/gravel units in a section of the Tucson International Airport Area (TIAA) Superfund Site. The results of bench-scale studies conducted using core material collected from boreholes drilled at the site indicated that natural oxidant demand was low, which would promote permanganate persistence. The reactive zone was created by injecting a permanganate solution into multiple wells screened across the interface between the lower-permeability and higher-permeability units. The site has been monitored for 9 years to characterize the spatial distribution of DCE and permanganate. Permanganate continues to persist at the site, and a substantial and sustained decrease in DCE concentrations in groundwater has occurred after the permanganate injection. These results demonstrate successful creation of a long-term, dissolved-phase reactive treatment zone that reduced mass discharge from the source. This project illustrates the application of in situ chemical oxidation as a persistent dissolved-phase reactive treatment system for lower-permeability source zones, which appears to effectively mitigate persistent mass discharge into groundwater.

In this study, the concentration-dependent joint action of chromium (Cr) and salt (NaCl), two important environmental stressors, was examined in aquatic plants. Ceratophyllum demersum L. plants were exposed to Cr (0–10 mM) for 5 days in the presence and absence of NaCl (0–500 mM). The effect of Cr, Na, and Cl accumulations on certain biological parameters (water content, ion leakage, relative growth rate, photosynthetic pigments, and protein and proline contents) was determined. Furthermore, the interactive effects of NaCl and Cr were evaluated using a mathematical model developed on the basis of the theory of probabilities. The highest Cr accumulation (0.42 mmol g⁻¹) was found in plants treated with 10 mM Cr + 125 mM NaCl. Treatment with 125 mM NaCl resulted in an increase in Cr accumulation compared with that in the control. However, 250 and 500 mM NaCl concentrations decreased Cr accumulation. Proline and water contents were not affected by increasing Cr concentration. However, NaCl did have a significant effect on any of the studied parameters. Furthermore, the interactive effects of Cr and NaCl on all studied parameters except for proline and water contents were determined. Except for photosynthetic pigments and proline content, effect of NaCl was higher than Cr on all studied parameters. The interactive effects were mostly antagonistic or additive. However, the mode of action for ion leakage was synergistic or additive. These results suggest that the coexistence of NaCl and Cr in aquatic ecosystems does not pose an additional ecological risk for aquatic plants.

In the present study, we investigate the effects of a possible protective role of vitamin E (vit E) or selenium (Se) on glucose metabolism disruption induced by static magnetic field (SMF) in rats. Rats have been exposed to SMF (128 mT, 1 h/day during 5 days). Our results showed that SMF failed to alter body weight and relative liver weight. Our data demonstrated that exposure to SMF increased (+21 %) blood glucose level and caused a decrease (−15 %) in liver glycogen content. Moreover, the same treatment induced a reduction of pancreatic islet area. Interestingly, supplementation with vit E (DL α-tocopherol acetate, 150 mg/kg per os during 5 days) prevented alterations induced by SMF on glucose metabolism and liver glycogen content, whereas supplementation with Se (Na₂SeO₃, 0.20 mg/l, in drinking water for 4 weeks) restored only hepatic glycogen contents. By contrast, both vit E and Se failed to correct the area of pancreatic islets.

A granular media synthesized using iron oxide nanoparticle-coated alumina (IONA) has been demonstrated as an effective solid catalyst in the heterogeneous catalytic ozonation of para-chlorobenzoic acid (pCBA). TEM analysis showed that iron oxide nanoparticles with an average size of 5–20 nm were well-coated onto an alumina surface. It was determined that the iron oxide nanoparticle coating increased the specific surface area by 54 times and the functional group density by 1.5 times. During catalytic ozonation at acidic pH levels, it was clearly observed that IONA increased the degradation of pCBA (98 %) through effective hydroxyl radical formation compared to bare alumina (9 %) under continuous ozonation processes. In comparing the Rcₜvalue, which represents the ratio of ozone exposure to hydroxyl radical exposure, the Rcₜof IONA was approximately four times higher than for bare alumina. In addition, IONA showed good stability for catalytic ozonation of pCBA in the reusability tests.

Recent evidence suggests that microplastic pollution is widespread in every oceanic basin; however, there is limited data available for the tropical South Atlantic Ocean. The purpose of this study was to examine the distribution, density and characteristics of plastic particles in plankton samples collected in the western tropical Atlantic Ocean. Neustonic tows (N = 160) were conducted near three important insular environments (Fernando de Noronha, Abrolhos and Trindade), and the presence of microplastics in the ocean surface of these areas was confirmed for the first time. The collected microplastic particles included hard plastic fragments, plastic films, paint chips and fibres and strands, which were classified as a secondary source of microplastics. The stock of plastic originates from both land-based and marine-based sources. This type of marine pollution in the tropical Atlantic Ocean is a potential threat to important ecological species.

Novel nanocomposite hydrogels based on wheat bran-g-poly(methacrylic acid) and nano-sized clinoptilolite have been successfully utilized for the removal of Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) cations from their aqueous solution. The experimental results were investigated using Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models. The pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and interparticle diffusion kinetic models were studied in order to analyze the kinetic data. The kinetic data indicated that the rate of cation adsorption on nanocomposite hydrogels was fast that more than 80 % of the equilibrium adsorption capacity occurs within 15 min. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of the nanocomposite hydrogel, as obtained from the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, was found to be 166.7, 243.9, 175.4, and 166.6 mg g⁻¹ for Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II), respectively. Thermodynamic parameters such as free energy (ΔG ⁰), enthalpy (ΔH ⁰), and entropy (ΔS ⁰) change were determined; the sorption process was found to be endothermic. The results of five times sequential adsorption–desorption cycle showed high adsorption efficiency and a good degree of desorption.