In this paper, three types of black carbons (BCs) named R-BC, W-BC, and C-BC were derived from rice straw ashes, wheat straw ashes, and corn straw ashes, respectively. Under room temperature and in an anaerobic aqueous solution, these three types of BCs could catalyze the reduction of nitrobenzene (NB) by sulfides rather than only act as the superabsorbent. The catalytic activities of BCs derived from different crop-residue ashes were very different and in the order of R-BC > W-BC > C-BC, since the reaction rate constants (k ₒbₛ) of NB with the BCs in the presence of 3 mM sulfides were 0.0186, 0.0063, and 0.0051 h⁻¹, respectively. The key catalytic active sites for NB reduction were evaluated, with four types of modified BCs and two types of tailored graphite as the model catalysts. The results indicated that BCs probably had two types of active sites for NB reduction, the microscopic graphene moieties and the surface oxygen functional groups. Since the sulfides and BCs often coexist in the environment, this BC-catalyzed reduction technology of NACs may be applied as an in situ remediation technique without the need for reagent addition.

Microbial community composition and metabolic potential have been explored in petroleum-hydrocarbon-contaminated sludge of an oil storage facility. Culture-independent clone library-based 16S rRNA gene analyses revealed that the bacterial community within the sludge was dominated by the members of β-Proteobacteria (35 %), followed by Firmicutes (13 %), δ-Proteobacteria (11 %), Bacteroidetes (10 %), Acidobacteria (6 %), α-Proteobacteria (3 %), Lentisphaerae (2 %), Spirochaetes (2 %), and unclassified bacteria (5 %), whereas the archaeal community was composed of Thermoprotei (54 %), Methanocellales (33 %), Methanosarcinales/Methanosaeta (8 %) and Methanoculleus (1 %) members. Methyl coenzyme M reductase A (mcrA) gene (a functional biomarker) analyses also revealed predominance of hydrogenotrophic, methanogenic Archaea (Methanocellales, Methanobacteriales and Methanoculleus members) over acetoclastic methanogens (Methanosarcinales members). In order to explore the cultivable bacterial population, a total of 28 resident strains were identified and characterized in terms of their physiological and metabolic capabilities. Most of these could be taxonomically affiliated to the members of the genera Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Micrococcus, Brachybacterium, Aerococcus, and Zimmermannella, while two strains were identified as Pseudomonas and Pseudoxanthomonas. Metabolic profiling exhibited that majority of these isolates were capable of growing in presence of a variety of petroleum hydrocarbons as sole source of carbon, tolerating different heavy metals at higher concentrations (≥1 mM) and producing biosurfactant during growth. Many strains could grow under a wide range of pH, temperature, or salinity as well as under anaerobic conditions in the presence of different electron acceptors and donors in the growth medium. Correlation between the isolates and their metabolic properties was estimated by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis. Overall observation indicated the presence of diverse groups of microorganisms including hydrocarbonoclastic, nitrate reducing, sulphate reducing, fermentative, syntrophic, methanogenic and methane-oxidizing bacteria and Archaea within the sludge community, which can be exploited for in situ bioremediation of the oily sludge.

The different barks were sampled to discuss the influence of the tree species, trunk circumference, and bark thickness on the accumulation processes of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from air into the bark. The results of different PBDE concentrations indicated that barks with a thickness of 0–3 mm collected from weeping willow, Camphor tree, and Masson pine, the trunk circumferences of which were 100 to 150 cm, were better PBDEs passive samplers. Furthermore, tree bark and the corresponding air samples were collected at Anji (AJ), Hangzhou (HZ), Shanghai (SH), and Wenling (WL) to investigate the relationship between the PBDE concentrations in bark and those in air. In addition, the significant correlation (r² = 0.906; P < 0.05) indicated that atmospheric PBDEs were the principle source for the accumulation of PBDEs in the barks. In this study, the log K BA (bark–air partition coefficient) of individual PBDE congeners at the four sites were in the range from 5.69 to 6.79. Finally, the total PBDE concentration in WL was 5 to 20 times higher than in the other three cities. The result indicated that crude household workshops contributed a heavy amount of PBDEs pollution to the environment, which had been verified by the spatial distribution of PBDEs levels in barks collected at Wenling (range, 26.53–1317.68 ng/g dw). The good correlation between the PBDE concentrations in the barks and the air samples and the variations of the PBDE concentrations in tree barks collected from different sites reflected that the bark could be used as a passive sampler to indicate the atmospheric PBDEs.

Surface oxygen functional groups can affect the morphological characteristics, aggregation kinetics, and adsorption capacity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). However, little is known about the quantitative relationship between oxygen content and the dispersion stability of MWCNTs. To investigate the effects of surface oxidization, MWCNTs were oxidized using concentrated H₂SO₄/HNO₃acids for 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h, respectively. Experimental results showed that the oxygen content of MWCNTs increased with surface oxidization time. Linear correlations were found to exist between the oxygen content, critical coagulation concentration (CCC) for NaCl, and critical coagulation pH values of MWCNTs detected by optical density at 800 nm. The CCC values for CaCl₂increased with oxygen contents for unmodified MWCNTs and lowly oxidized MWCNTs, while which decreased after further increasing the surface oxidization. CCC ratios in the presence of Ca²⁺to Na⁺were consistent with the empirical Schulze–Hardy rule for unmodified MWCNTs and lowly oxidized MWCNTs; however, which were much lower than the expected values for highly oxidized MWCNTs. Fulvic acid can clearly increase the stability of MWCNT suspension with unmodified MWCNTs and lowly oxidized MWCNTs, while it cannot affect the dispersion of highly oxidized MWCNTs. This study implied that the oxidation and presence of fulvic acid will possibly increase the mobility, exposure, bioavailability, and toxicity of MWCNTs.

The Arctic environment is very vulnerable and sensitive to hydrocarbon pollutants. Soil bioremediation is attracting interest as a promising and cost-effective clean-up and soil decontamination technology in the Arctic regions. However, remoteness, lack of appropriate infrastructure, the harsh climatic conditions in the Arctic and some physical and chemical properties of Arctic soils may reduce the performance and limit the application of this technology. Therefore, understanding the weaknesses and bottlenecks in the treatment plans, identifying their associated hazards, and providing precautionary measures are essential to improve the overall efficiency and performance of a bioremediation strategy. The aim of this paper is to review the bioremediation techniques and strategies using microorganisms for treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated Arctic soils. It takes account of Arctic operational conditions and discusses the factors influencing the performance of a bioremediation treatment plan. Preliminary hazard analysis is used as a technique to identify and assess the hazards that threaten the reliability and maintainability of a bioremediation treatment technology. Some key parameters with regard to the feasibility of the suggested preventive/corrective measures are described as well.

The aim of this study was to address the lack of information concerning the air quality in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In this study, we conducted an unprecedented experiment involving the in situ biomonitoring of air genotoxicity in the city center during and after a public transportation strike using the Tradescantia micronucleus test. The frequency of micronuclei was significantly higher in the city center compared with the reference site (Mann–Whitney test, p < 0.05), with the highest MN levels being observed during public transport stoppage (Kruskal–Wallis, Dunn p < 0.01). In addition, the multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the low circulation of buses during public transport stoppage and the increase in the concentration of particulate matter from the increased flow of vehicles in the city center during the strike positively influenced the MN frequency. The climatic factors did not change during the biomonitoring period, reflecting the fact that climatic factors did not influence the MN frequency.

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the translocation of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) and assess the safety of edible parts in two cultivars of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk.) contrasting in shoot Cd and Pb concentrations. A low-Cd-Pb cultivar (QLQ) and a high-Cd-Pb cultivar (T308) were grown in five soils with different concentrations of Cd and Pb. The results showed that QLQ had lower Cd and Pb concentrations in stems and leaves and higher root Cd concentration than T308 did. Root Pb concentration of T308 dramatically increased with increasing soil Pb concentration and was higher than that of QLQ in the highest Pb treatment. The root-to-stem Cd translocation ability in T308 was 2.3–3.0-fold higher than that in QLQ. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in root-to-stem Pb translocation between QLQ and T308. The bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for Cd and Pb in the two cultivars remained stable in different Cd or Pb treatments, which were attributable to the homeostatic control mechanisms of Cd and Pb in water spinach.

Four bacterial strains isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated soils in Lagos, Nigeria, displayed extensive degradation abilities on carbazole, an N-heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Physicochemical analyses of the sampling sites (ACPP, MWO, NESU) indicate gross pollution of the soils with a high hydrocarbon content (157,067.9 mg/kg) and presence of heavy metals. Phylogenetic analysis of the four strains indicated that they were identified as Achromobacter sp. strain SL1, Pseudomonas sp. strain SL4, Microbacterium esteraromaticum strain SL6, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain BA. The rates of degradation of carbazole by the four isolates during 30 days of incubation were 0.057, 0.062, 0.036, and 0.050 mg L⁻¹ h⁻¹for strains SL1, SL4, SL6, and BA. Gas chromatographic (GC) analyses of residual carbazole after 30 days of incubation revealed that 81.3, 85, 64.4, and 76 % of 50 mg l⁻¹carbazole were degraded by strains SL1, SL4, SL6, and BA, respectively. GC-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatographic analyses of the extracts from the growing and resting cells of strains SL1, SL4, and SL6 cultured on carbazole showed detection of anthranilic acid and catechol while these metabolites were not detected in strain BAunder the same conditions. This study has established for the first time carbazole angular dioxygenation and mineralization by isolates from African environment.

The objective of the study is to empirically examine the air pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and low birth weight in Pakistan through the cointegration and error correction model over a 36-year time period, i.e., between 1975 and 2012. The study employed the Johansen cointegration technique to estimate the long-run relationship between the variables, while an error correction model was used to determine the short-run dynamics of the system. The study was limited to the following variables, including carbon dioxide emissions, methane emissions, nitrous oxide emissions, GHG emissions, and low birth weight in order to manage robust data analysis. The results reveal that air pollution and GHG emissions significantly affects the low birth weight in Pakistan. In the long run, carbon dioxide emissions act as a strong contributor for low birth weight, as the coefficient value indicates there is a more elastic relationship (i.e., −1.214, p < 0.000) between them, whereas in the short run, this results has been evaporated. Subsequently, in the short run, GHG emissions have a one-to-one corresponding relationship with the low birth weight in Pakistan. Nitrous oxide emissions, both in the short and long run, have a significant and less elastic relationship (i.e., −0.517 with p < 0.001 and −0.335 with p < 0.090). Methane emissions have no significant relationship with the low birth weight in Pakistan.

A large number of filter materials, organic and inorganic, for removal of heavy metals in mine drainage have been reviewed. Bark, chitin, chitosan, commercial ion exchangers, dairy manure compost, lignite, peat, rice husks, vegetal compost, and yeast are examples of organic materials, while bio-carbons, calcareous shale, dolomite, fly ash, limestone, olivine, steel slag materials and zeolites are examples of inorganic materials. The majority of these filter materials have been investigated in laboratory studies, based on various experimental set-ups (batch and/or column tests) and different conditions. A few materials, for instance steel slag materials, have also been subjects to field investigations under real-life conditions. The results from these investigations show that steel slag materials have the potential to remove heavy metals under different conditions. Ion exchange has been suggested as the major metal removal mechanisms not only for steel slag but also for lignite. Other suggested removal mechanisms have also been identified. Adsorption has been suggested important for activated carbon, precipitation for chitosan and sulphate reduction for olivine. General findings indicate that the results with regard to metal removal vary due to experimental set ups, composition of mine drainage and properties of filter materials and the discrepancies between studies renders normalisation of data difficult. However, the literature reveals that Fe, Zn, Pb, Hg and Al are removed to a large extent. Further investigations, especially under real-life conditions, are however necessary in order to find suitable filter materials for treatment of mine drainage.