Cemeteries and crematoria are the main funeral ways used in the world nowadays. It is a little-studied segment in the present days, mainly as for the possible environmental impacts in the environment, such as those derived from dental amalgam, prostheses, and dioxins, among other. This article aimed to identify the environmental impacts caused by cemeteries and crematoria and to point out new trends in funeral processes such as freeze-drying and alkaline hydrolysis. The study is justified due to the large part of the Brazilian population that do not know the environmental impacts caused by cemeteries and crematoria, as well as to bring information about the new processes. For that, a research was carried out with 400 people. The main results show that among all the funeral processes, the new freeze-drying process was opted by 33% of the sample. We also identified that the main reasons for choosing the funeral process were less environmental impact (28%), no after-death expenses (grave payment) (16.1%), and the possibility of putting away or throwing away the remains wherever you want (14.9%). Finally, new funeral processes were well accepted by the Brazilian population—those who were interviewed—due to their benefits.

Furan (Fu) is a liver carcinogen produced during heating process of food and concerns a public health problem. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the protective role of quercetin (Que) on Fu-induced hematological, immunological, and histopathological alterations in rats. Fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five equal groups. Group I (Cont) received distilled water, group II (CO) received corn oil, group III (Que) received Que at 50 mg/kg BW, group IV (Fu) received Fu at 16 mg/kg BW, and group V received Que + Fu simultaneously; all groups gavaged daily for 30 days. Our results revealed that Fu administration significantly elevated RBCs, Hb, PCV, WBCs, lymphocytes, and granulocytes and reduced phagocytic percent (Ph%) and index (PhI). Fu decreased the serum total protein, albumin, globulin, IgM, IgG, and IL4, with a significant increase in the TNFα and 8-OHdG. Moreover, it decreased the GSH content and GST activity and increased the MDA levels in the splenic tissue. Histopathologically, Fu led to a moderate depletion in the lymphoid cells and weak immunostaining of CD20 antigen of few lymphocytes appeared in the spleen. Meanwhile, Que co-administration ameliorated the altered hematological parameters and improved the Ph% and PhI. It modulated the serum biochemical parameters and immunoglobulins. Moreover, it decreased lipid peroxidation and enhanced antioxidant status in the spleen. The results indicated that Que possesses antioxidant protective activity against Fu-induced oxidative damage and stimulates the immune function.

The performances of different 5Cu/CoₓMg₆₋ₓAl₂ (x = 0; 2; 4; 6) catalysts prepared by the wet impregnation method were investigated in the ethanol steam-reforming reaction (ESR) at 450 °C during 4 h under a steam/ethanol ratio of 3 (S/E = 3). The best catalyst among the prepared solids was 5Cu/Co₆Al₂ as it showed a complete ethanol conversion and the highest hydrogen and carbon dioxide productivities. However, following 50 h of aging, the catalyst deactivated due to the formation of a high amount of carbonaceous products detected by differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetry. On the other hand, the 5Cu/Co₂Mg₄Al₂ catalyst showed a much lower quantity of coke deposition with no deactivation due to the basic character conferred by the magnesium oxide phase.

A new mathematical model incorporating biopolymer kinetics and the process of the simultaneous storage and growth are established for the treatment of low carbon source wastewater with a high effluent quality and energy efficiency. A set of initial parameter values was assigned as a combination of estimated values, literature-based values, and fitted values to simulate a cyclic activated sludge technology (CAST) system effectively. Compared with experimental data from the CAST system, the calibrated model demonstrated a good performance. Model simulations indicated that the recommended condition for a CAST fed with low carbon source wastewater was a volume ratio of the anoxic zone to the aerobic zone of 7/28. Moreover, using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing not only characterised the microbial communities in the CAST reactors operated under two feeding ratios but also indirectly validated the model predictions.

Atmospheric samples were collected using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air sampling device for every 3 months from June 2012 to May 2013 in Shanghai rural regions in order to investigate the concentrations, profiles, spatial distributions, and seasonal variations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Twelve PBDE congeners (BDE-17, BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-49, BDE-66, BDE-85, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-138, BDE-153, BDE-154, and BDE-183) were measured and analyzed by GC-MS. The results showed that detectable PBDEs were examined in all air samples, which indicated that these pollutants are widespread in the research areas. The ∑₁₂PBDE concentrations in Shanghai rural air ranged from 4.49 to 77.5 pg m⁻³, with mean value up to 26.7 pg m⁻³. The highest concentration was found at Jinshan sampling site in summer (from June to August in 2012). Furthermore, among the PBDE compounds investigated, the most frequently detected and the major congeners were BDE-17, BDE-28, BDE-47, and BDE-99. And the lower brominated diphenyl ethers (accounting for 75.0%) were the majority of the PBDE congeners. Finally, the result of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the lower and higher brominated diphenyl ethers in Shanghai rural regions were emitted from different pollutant sources.

The vast majority of Hg²⁺ can be removed while elemental mercury (Hg⁰) can hardly be removed due to its characteristic of high volatility and insolubility in water. Till now, how to oxidize Hg⁰ to Hg²⁺ is the key for the purification of Hg⁰, especially when there are others pollutants, such as HCl, SO₂, and NOx. In this review, the method and mechanism of Hg⁰ purification from flue gas by H₂O₂, KMnO₄, NaClO₂, and O₃ are reviewed comprehensively. It is concluded that the oxidation of Hg⁰ mainly depends on the electronic supply efficiency from the solution. The Fenton reagent, composed of H₂O₂ and metal cations, is superior to O₃ and the solution of KMnO₄ and NaClO₂. Moreover, HCl, SO₂, and NOx in the flue gas can influence the oxidation and purification mechanism of Hg⁰. It is found that HCl in flue gas had obvious auxo-action on the oxidation of mercury, and SO₂ and NOx have different effects on the oxidation of Hg⁰ with the change of compositions and concentration of pollutants in the flue gas. In general, SO₂ and NOx can slightly promote the oxidation of Hg⁰ due to the synergistic effect.

Three different soils were spiked with 12 different concentrations of inorganic mercury (Hg). Sub-chronic Hg toxicity tests were carried out with Eisenia fetida in spiked soils by exposing the worms for 28 days following standard procedures. The toxicity studies revealed that Hg exerted less lethal effect on earthworms in acidic soil with higher organic carbon (S-3 soil) where water soluble Hg recovery was very low compared to the water soluble Hg fractions in soils with less organic carbon and higher pH (S-1 and S-2 soils). The concentrations of total Hg that caused 50 % lethality to E. fetida (LC₅₀) after 28 days of exposure in S-1, S-2 and S-3 soils were 152, 294 and 367 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The average weight loss of E. fetida in three soils ranged from 5 to 65 %. The worms showed less weight loss in the organic carbon-rich soil (S-3) compared to less organic carbon containing soils (S-1 and S-2). The bioconcentration of Hg in E. fetida increased with increased Hg concentrations. The highest bioaccumulation took place in the acidic soil with higher organic carbon contents with estimated bioaccumulation factors ranging from 2 to 7.7. The findings of this study will be highly useful for deriving a more robust soil ecological guideline value for Hg.

Dissipations of three insecticides: chlorantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos-methyl and indoxacarb in apples were studied following their foliar application on apples intended for production of baby food. The apples were sprayed with formulations for control of codling moth (Cydia Pomonella L.) and leafrollers (Tortricidae). Six experiments were conducted; each insecticide was applied individually on dessert apples. A validated gas chromatography-based method with simultaneous electron capture and nitrogen–phosphorus detection (GC-ECD/NPD) was used for the residue analysis. The analytical performance of the method was satisfactory, with expanded uncertainties ≤36% (a coverage factor, k = 2, and a confidence level of 95%). The dissipations of insecticides were studied in pseudo-first-order kinetic models (for which the coefficient of determination, R ² , ranged between 0.9188 and 0.9897). Residues of studied insecticides were below their maximum residue limits of 0.5 mg/kg at an early stage of growth of the fruit. The half-lives of chlorantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos-methyl and indoxacarb were 16–17, 4–6 and 20–24 days, respectively. The initial residue levels declined gradually and reached the level of 0.01 mg/kg in 1 month for chlorpyrifos-methyl, 2 months for chlorantraniliprole and 2.5 months for indoxacarb. To obtain the insecticide residue levels below 0.01 mg/kg, which is the default MRL for food intended for infants and young children, the application of the studied insecticides should be carried out at recommended doses not later then: 1 month before harvest for chlorpyrifos-methyl, 2 months for chlorantraniliprole and 2.5 months for indoxacarb.

In order to protect the skin from UV radiation, personal care products (PCPS) often contain chemical UV-filters. These compounds can enter the environment causing serious consequences on the water ecosystems. The aim of this study was to examine, the effect of different factors, such as UV light, the presence of NaOCl and H₂O₂ on the formaldehyde formation during popular UV filter, 2-ethylhexyl 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate (ODPABA) demethylation. The concentration of formaldehyde was determined by VIS spectrophotometry after derivatization. The reaction mixtures were qualitatively analyzed using GC/MS chromatography. The highest concentration of formaldehyde was observed in the case of ODPABA/H₂O₂/UV reaction mixture. In order to describe two types of demethylation mechanisms, namely, radical and ionic, the experimental results were enriched with Fukui function analysis and thermodynamic calculations. In the case of non-irradiated system containing ODPABA and NaOCl, demethylation reaction probably proceeds via ionic mechanism. As it was established, amino nitrogen atom in the ODPABA molecule is the most susceptible site for the HOCl electrophilic attack, which is the first step of ionic demethylation mechanism. In the case of irradiated mixtures, the reaction is probably radical in nature. The results of thermodynamic calculations showed that abstraction of the hydrogen from N(CH₃)₂ group is more probable than from 2-ethylhexyl moiety, which indicates higher susceptibility of N(CH₃)₂ to the oxidation.

Calcium titanate zirconate, Ca(Ti₍₁₋ₓ₎Zrₓ)O₃ (CZT), powders have been synthesised by the polymeric precursor method. The structural analysis of the CZT powders was monitored by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) and textural analysis. The photocatalytic properties were evaluated by methylene blue (MB) decomposition and real textile wastewater (RTW) combined treatment (coagulation/flocculation/photocatalysis). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) of RTW was successfully reduced from 6195 mg L⁻¹ (untreated) to 662 mg L⁻¹ after coagulation/flocculation with a tannin-based coagulant (Tanfloc®) and finally to 471 mg L⁻¹ after combined treatment (coagulation/flocculation/photocatalysis) applying ultraviolet radiation and CaTiO₃ as photocatalyst.