Soybean stover-derived biochar was used to immobilize lead (Pb) in military firing range soil at a mass application rate of 0 to 20 wt.% and a curing period of 7 days. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. The mechanism responsible for Pb immobilization in military firing range soil was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy analyses. The treatment results showed that TCLP Pb leachability decreased with increasing biochar content. A reduction of over 90 % in Pb leachability was achieved upon treatment with 20 wt.% soybean stover-derived biochar. SEM-EDX, elemental dot mapping and XAFS results in conjunction with TCLP leachability revealed that effective Pb immobilization was probably associated with the pozzolanic reaction products, chloropyromorphite and Pb-phosphate. The results of this study demonstrated that soybean stover-derived biochar was effective in immobilizing Pb in contaminated firing range soil.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate copper (Cu) subcellular distribution and toxicity in Hydrilla verticillata. Fronds were subjected to different concentrations (15, 75, and 150 μM) of Cu for 7 days. Cu grains were found in cell walls, plasmodesmata, and within the nuclei and chloroplasts using the autometallographic technique. Subcellular fractionation of Cu-containing tissues indicated that in leaves subjected to high Cu concentrations, 59-65 % of the element was located in the cell wall fraction, followed by cell organelles (21-30 %) and the soluble fraction (10-14 %). The levels of K, P, Zn, and Mg declined under all Cu concentrations, but Ca, Mn, and Fe contents reached their peak at 15 μM Cu and decreased thereafter. F v/F m, F 0, and F m fell significantly in line with the decrease in pigment content. Cu exposure also caused significant damage to the chloroplasts, mitochondria, and nuclei, including disintegration of the chloroplasts and vacuolization of the mitochondria and nuclei, all of which suggested that Cu hastened plant senescence. The Cu maximum permissible concentration for H. verticillata was 10 μM, which was less than the existing general water quality standard. This suggested that H. verticillata could be used to assess Cu phytotoxicity.

Spent sorbents in water treatment processes have potential risks to the environment if released without proper treatment. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential regeneration of commercially prepared nano-TiO (anatase) for the removal of Pb (II), Cu (II), and Zn (II) by pH 2 and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solutions. The percent of metal adsorption/desorption decreased with the increasing number of regeneration cycles, and the extent of decrease varied for each metal. Competitive effects were observed for the adsorption/desorption of different metals when the nano-TiO was regenerated by EDTA solutions. Nano-TiO was able to treat simulated metal polluted water with greater than 94 % adsorption and greater than 92 % desorption after four cycles of regeneration using pH 2 solution. These results demonstrated that nano-TiO can be regenerated and reused using pH 2 solution compared to an EDTA solution for aquatic metal removal, which makes nanosorbents promising and economically and environmentally more attractive in the application of water purification.

The aim of this study was to investigate electrochemical properties of brass in neutral and weakly alkaline solutions in the presence of cysteine as a nontoxic and ecological corrosion inhibitor. Potentiodynamic measurements, open circuit potential measurements, as well as chronoamperometric measurements were the methods used during investigation of the inhibitory effect of cysteine on the corrosion behaviour of brass. Potentiodynamic measurements showed that cysteine behaves as a mixed-type inhibitor in the investigated media. Based on polarization curves for brass in a weakly alkaline solution of sodium sulphate at varying cysteine concentrations, an interaction occurs between Cu⁺ions and the inhibitor, resulting in the formation of a protective complex on the electrode surface. The results of chronoamperometric measurements confirm the results obtained by potentiodynamic measurements. Optical microphotography of the brass surface also confirms the formation of a protective film in the presence of a 1 × 10⁻⁴ mol/dm³cysteine. Adsorption of cysteine on the brass surface proceeds according to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm.

Sulfonylurea herbicides are extensively widespread for the protection of a variety of crops and vegetables because of their low application rates, high selectivity and low persistency in the environment; unfortunately, their low persistence does not always correspond to a lower toxicity, since new species potentially more toxic and stable than the precursor herbicides can form, owing to natural degradation processes. Here, the photodegradation of amidosulfuron in aqueous solutions was studied by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry to identify the degradation products in order to outline the environmental fate of the molecules generating from the simulation of one of the natural processes that can occur, i.e., photoinduced degradation. The photodegradation process results in a first order kinetic reaction with a t₁/₂value of 276 h (11.5 days) and a kinetic constant of 0.0027 h⁻¹, and three possible degradation products were identified. The results obtained are then compared to those obtained in previous works carried out in comparable experimental conditions about nicosulfuron and tribenuron-methyl, two sulfonylurea herbicides belonging to different classes, and to literature data: hypotheses on the existence of preferential degradation pathways are then drawn, in consequence of the molecular structure of the sulfonylurea pesticide. In particular, the use of organic solvents to obtain complete solubilization of the sample plays a fundamental role and deeply influences the degradation processes that, therefore, not always fully adhere to the actual natural photodegradation pathways. Moreover, considerations about toxicity were driven since the complete mineralisation of the sample is not reached: even when the parent pesticides are totally degraded, they are, however, transformed into other organic compounds showing, if subject to ecotoxicological tests, at least the same toxicity of the precursor herbicides. The evidence here presented suggests that, at least for the class of sulfonylurea pesticides, their professed low persistence actually does not produce any real advantage.

Trace metals were examined in the muscle tissue of flatfish species of flounder, Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758), sediments from two southern Baltic Sea sites (Gdańsk Bay and Ustecko-Łebskie as a reference) and in two areas of the Portuguese Atlantic coast (Douro River estuary and Atlantic fishing ground as a reference) to evaluate spatial differences in trace metals. Additionally, the accumulation of trace metals in flounder of different length classes was assessed. Flounder from the Gdańsk Bay area contained twofold more cupper (Cu), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) than did flounder from the Douro River estuary, but zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) were at similar concentrations. The sediments from Gdańsk Bay contained significantly more Zn and threefold more Cd, while concentrations of Cu and Pb were twofold lower. The concentrations of metals in the sediments did not correlate with those in the flounder. Spatial differences were noted in metal concentrations in flounder from the southern Baltic Sea and the Portuguese Atlantic coast as well as within these regions, with higher concentrations in the flounder from the Baltic Sea Gdańsk Bay. The flounder in length class 25-30 cm from Gdańsk Bay contained metal concentrations comparable to those of class 40-45 cm specimens from the Atlantic coast. The accumulation of metals in flounder length classes differed in the two regions.

Mercury (Hg) speciation and mobility were determined in calcines and waste rocks collected from 9 Hg mines in China. Total Hg (THg) concentrations in the mine wastes varied widely in different Hg mines (with a range of 0.369 to 2,620 mg kg(-1)). Cinnabar is the dominant form of Hg in the mine wastes. However, Hg(2+) and Hg(0) concentrations in the calcines were significantly higher than these in the waste rocks, which suggested the retorting can produce large amounts of by-product Hg compounds. The THg and Hg(0) concentrations in certain mine wastes exceeded soil guidelines recommended by US Environmental Protection Agency; while total soluble Hg concentrations of leachates in certain mine wastes exceeded National Surface Water Quality Standard of China. Mine wastes are important Hg pollution sources to the aquatic ecosystem and atmosphere.

The levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the water and the sediment samples collected near the Mopanshan Reservoir—the most important drinking water resource of Harbin City in Northeast China—were examined. A total of 16 PAHs were concurrently identified and quantified in the three water bodies tested (Lalin River, Mangniu River, and Mopanshan Reservoir) and in the Mopanshan drinking water treatment plant during the high- and low water periods. The total PAH concentrations in the water and sediment samples ranged from 122.7 to 639.8 ng/L and from 89.1 to 749.0 ng/g dry weight, respectively. Similar spatial and temporal trends were also found for both samples. The lowest Σ₁₆PAH concentration of the Mopanshan Reservoir was obtained during the high water period; by contrast, the Lalin River had the highest concentration during the low water period. The PAH profiles resembling the three water bodies, with high percentages of low-molecular weight PAHs and dominated by two- to three-ring PAHs (78.4 to 89.0 %). Two of the molecular indices used reflected the possible PAH sources, indicating the main input from coal combustion, especially during the low water period. The conventional drinking water treatment operations resulted in a 20.7 to 67.0 % decrease in the different-ringed PAHs in the Mopanshan-treated drinking water. These findings indicate that human activities negatively affect the drinking water resource. Without the obvious removal of the PAHs in the waterworks, drinking water poses certain potential health risks to people.

Phthalate acid esters (PAE), commonly named phthalates, are toxics classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds; they are primarily used as additives to improve the flexibility in polyvinyl chloride. Many studies have reported the occurrence of phthalates in different environmental matrices; however, none of these studies has yet established a complete overview for those compounds in the water cycle within an urban environment. This review summarizes PAE concentrations for all environmental media throughout the water cycle, from atmosphere to receiving waters. Once the occurrences of compounds have been evaluated for each environmental compartment (urban wastewater, wastewater treatment plants, atmosphere, and the natural environment), we reviewed data in order to identify the fate of PAE in the environment and establish whether geographical and historical trends exist. Indeed, geographical and historical trends appear between Europe and other countries such as USA/Canada and China, however they remain location dependent. This study aimed at identifying both the correlations existing between environmental compartments and the processes influencing the fate and transport of these contaminants into the environment. In Europe, the concentrations measured in waterways today represent the background level of contamination, which provides evidence of a past diffuse pollution. In contrast, an increasing trend has actually been observed for developing countries, especially for China.

A scale-free network model with surface and vertical field measurements was used to identify the connectivity distribution of the scale-free network behavior of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The results show that the carbon number (C ₙ ) with the total amount of C ₙ compounds (P(C ₙ )) possesses an explicit relationship with the scale-free network behavior. The proportionate coefficient (α) and exponent ( γ) of the scale-free network model with spatial and temporal variations are estimated and discussed. The analytical results demonstrate that although photochemical reactions cause the VOCs fraction variation, they do not alter the fraction of C ₙ compounds observably. Therefore, the values of α and of γ did not vary with time, but with local regional characteristics. The results indicate that the influence of local VOCs emissions occurs at a height of 100 m, but becomes insufficient at a height of 300 m. Air mass mixing increases with greater height; thus, the influence of regional characteristics at a height of 700 m is low. Finally, a successful empirical model was established to evaluate the distribution of surface VOCs in various regions.