Background, aim and scope A new approach towards monuments, considering them as a passive sampler of pollution, is presented. Cultural Heritage objects suffer daily the damages of environmental pollution, especially in those areas interested by heavy traffic. Since monuments undergo only periodic conservation or maintenance works, surfaces are able to accumulate atmospheric deposit and to record changes in its composition. An optimised analytical protocol was developed in order to quantify platinum and rhodium at trace level on surfaces. The two elements have become tracers of automobile emissions in recent years, since the introduction of catalytic converters, and could have catalytic effects on the decay reactions of natural and artificial stone materials. As a first case study, the cement mortar surfaces of a twentieth century monument, the Camerlata Fountain, in Como (Italy) were investigated. Materials and methods The surfaces of the monument were scraped in areas both exposed to atmosphere and sheltered by the architectural elements of the building. The powders were dissolved by microwave-assisted mineralisation with a solution of HCl and HNO₃. The solution was filtered, irradiated and analysed by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry. The powders were also analysed by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction in order to determine the chemical and mineralogical composition. Results and discussion An analysis protocol was set up considering the matrix effect and the expected low concentrations of the two metals. The results enlightened variable concentration values and distribution areas of platinum (0.013-45 μg/kg) and rhodium (0.55-274.4 μg/kg), suggesting the ability of artificial stone surfaces to accumulate the two elements. The sample chemical and mineralogical composition was consistent with a typical cement plaster interested by decay phenomena. Conclusions This work investigated the relation between Cultural Heritage and pollution by another point of view. The analytical protocol presented in this paper was effective in determining platinum and rhodium in traces on the investigated stone surfaces with negligible matrix effects. Recommendation and perspectives The presence of platinum and rhodium on monument surfaces should be of significant interest when planning Cultural Heritage conservation. A better knowledge of the role of the two metals in decay phenomena could impact in a positive way artwork conservation.

Introduction In the Middle Ages, we could find gildings on mural paintings. Gold, silver or tin leaves were applied according to distemper or mixtion technique. For the first one, a binder as glue is necessary, and for the second, a lipidic binder is used to stick the metallic leaf. Studies of gildings materials characterization show that the mixtion technique, with a mordant, is the most common. Linseed oil seems to be the binder used. It is always mixed with a siccative agent as lead. Because of bad conditions of conservation, the gildings do not resist anymore, only remain traces of metal or the adhesive under-layer. Thanks to the binder fluorescence, we can nowadays detect ancient gildings. Objective The purpose of this paper is to study the degradation of the linseed oil, generally mixed with lead white to give a mordant for the metallic leaf, by spectrofluorimetry. Materials and methods To understand in situ fluorescence, gildings recreations, linseed oil and lead white are aged in hygro-thermal and ultraviolet (UV) light (313 nm) climatic rooms and under UV irradiation. Irradiation wavelengths are chosen according to the maximum of absorption of linseed oil and the bibliography (296, 313 and 366 nm = mercury bands). Results In comparison with results (in situ UV lamp, spectrofluorimetry), excitation wavelength chosen is 366 nm. Irradiations at 366 nm of linseed oil and linseed oil mixed with lead white show the most degrading effect in the fluorescence to the big wavelength. Lead white plays an important siccative role; it increases the intensity fluorescence and accelerates the drying of linseed oil. This study also allows to show that 366 nm wavelength is good for the in situ observation.

Introduction Nanomaterials have widespread applications in several industrial sectors. ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are among the most commonly used metal oxide NPs in personal care products, coating and paints. However, their potential toxicological impact on the environment is largely unexplored. Materials and methods The aim of this work was to evaluate whether ZnO nanoparticles exert toxic and genotoxic effects upon terrestrial organisms: plants (Lepidium sativum, Vicia faba), crustaceans (Heterocyipris incongruens), insects (Folsomia candida). To achieve this purpose, organisms pertaining to different trophic levels of the soil ecosystem have been exposed to ZnO NPs. In parallel, the selected soil organisms have been exposed to the same amount of Zn in its ionic form (Zn²⁺) and the effects have been compared. Results The most conspicuous effect, among the test battery organisms, was obtained with the ostracod H. incongruens, which was observed to be the most sensitive organism to ZnO NPs. The root elongation of L. sativum was also mainly affected by exposure to ZnO NPs with respect to ZnCl₂, while collembolan reproduction test produced similar results for both Zn compounds. Slight genotoxic effects with V. faba micronucleus test were observed with both soils. Conclusion Nanostructured ZnO seems to exert a higher toxic effect in insoluble form towards different terrestrial organisms with respect to similar amounts of zinc in ionic form.

Purpose Textile dyeing and sago industries are the most polluting industries in South India, especially in industrial cities like Salem, Tamil Nadu, where textile dyeing and sago industries are clumped together geographically. Conventional physicochemical treatment followed by biological processes for the effluent generated from these industries are ineffective, costlier and produce huge quantities of hazardous sludge and harmful by-products which requires further treatment and safe disposal. Hence, the development of an alternative treatment method will become important. The main objective of this investigation is to establish a sustainable biotreatment technology for the treatment of textile dyeing effluent using sago effluent as co-substrate in a two-phase upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Methods In this study, influence of hydraulic retention time (HRT) in a two-phase UASB reactor treating textile dyeing effluent using sago effluent as co-substrate was investigated with different HRTs (36, 30, 24 and 18 h) with an optimum mixing ratio of 70:30 (sago to textile dye wastewaters). Results The results revealed that the HRT had a high influence on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal. The maximum COD removal efficiency of 39.4% and 88.5% and colour removal efficiency of 43.7% and 84.4% in the acidogenic and methanogenic reactors, respectively was achieved at 24 h of HRT. The biogas production was 312 L/day. Conclusion The biphasic UASB reactor could be a very feasible alternative, cost-effective, eco-friendly and sustainable treatment system for textile dyeing effluent with sago effluent as a co-substrate.

Purpose Birds have been used successfully for biomonitoring of the levels and effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environments; however, there is exceedingly little data on organochlorinated pesticide (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) residues in bird inhabiting in China. In the present study, we detected the concentrations of PCBs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in muscle, liver and kidney of birds that inhabit in an e-waste recycling site. Associated with the stable isotope ratio (δ ¹⁵N), we investigated the effect of trophic level on the body burdens of persistent contaminants in birds. The tissue distributions of contaminants in these birds were examined, and a preliminary risk assessment was also conducted. Materials and methods Specimens from eight bird species were collected from Qingyuan County, Guangdong Province, South China. Pectoral muscle, liver and kidney tissues were Soxhlet-extracted and finally dissolved in isooctane. Both PCBs and OCPs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The subsamples for nitrogen stable isotope analysis were lyophilized, ground and analyzed by a flash EA 112 series elemental analyzer interfaced with an isotope ration mass spectrometer. Results and discussion PCBs exhibited the highest concentrations among all target compounds, and a preliminary risk assessment suggested that adverse effects might occur in some birds for its high level. Generally, the concentrations of pollutants in liver and kidney were higher than those in muscle, which was mainly driven by passive diffusion to the ‘lipid-compartment'. Significant differences in level of contaminants were obtained among species due to the varieties in dietary composition and habitat. An increasing trend was obtained between concentrations of PCBs and DDTs with trophic levels; however, HCHs exhibited the same level among species. Recommendations and perspectives Because of the e-waste recycling activities, the study area has been heavily polluted by PCBs. Studies on the species-specific hazard assessment associated with exposure to PCBs are urgently needed in the study of birds in the area.

Introduction Identifying geographic locations in urban areas from which air pollutants enter the atmosphere is one of the most important information needed to develop effective mitigation strategies for pollution control. Materials and methods Stochastic analysis is a powerful tool that can be used for estimating concentration fluctuation in plume dispersion in a wake region around buildings. Only few studies have been devoted to evaluate applications of stochastic analysis to pollutant dispersion in an urban area. This study was designed to investigate the concentration fields in the wake region using obstacle model such as an isolated building model. We measured concentration fluctuations at centerline of various downwind distances from the source, and different heights with the frequency of 1 KHz. Concentration fields were analyzed stochastically, using the probability density functions (pdf). Stochastic analysis was performed on the concentration fluctuation and the pdf of mean concentration, fluctuation intensity, and crosswind mean-plume dispersion. Results The pdf of the concentration fluctuation data have shown a significant non-Gaussian behavior. The lognormal distribution appeared to be the best fit to the shape of concentration measured in the boundary layer. We observed that the plume dispersion pdf near the source was shorter than the plume dispersion far from the source. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the use of stochastic technique in complex building environment can be a powerful tool to help understand the distribution and location of air pollutants.

Purpose Industrial emissions can raise urban background levels of inhalable Mn particles in an order of magnitude above normal, eclipsing the contribution made by natural sources and traffic. Methods The source of such emissions can be identified using a multidisciplinary approach which integrates ICP-MS chemical analyses of PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ samples with positive matrix factorization source apportionment modelling, scanning electron microscopy and meteorological data. Results We apply this methodology to data from Santander (N Spain), where morning Mn-bearing industrial contamination sourcing from the SW is returned towards the city by afternoon NE sea breezes. This wind direction reversal carries the industrial pollution plume inland, detectably raising urban background levels of MnPM₁₀ in the town of Torrelavega 20 km away. Industrially sourced daily urban background Mn levels at Santander reach >1,000 ng/m³, average >150 ng/m³. Conclusions We demonstrate the anomalous nature of such concentrations by comparing them with >2,500 PM₁₀ chemical analyses of ambient PM₁₀ from other sites in Spain which show how current background Mn levels in urban air typically average only 10 ng/m³, rising to 20-25 ng/m³ in city traffic sites. Daily levels of atmospheric Mn PM₁₀ only rarely exceed 50 ng/m³, usually during desert dust intrusions which, in extreme cases (such as Canary Islands “calima” events from Africa) can produce Mn concentrations of 100-125 ng/m³.

PURPOSE: Stabilisation/solidification (S/S) has emerged as an efficient and cost-effective technology for the treatment of contaminated soils. However, the performance of S/S-treated soils is governed by several intercorrelated variables, which complicates the optimisation of the treatment process design. Therefore, it is desirable to develop process envelopes, which define the range of operating variables that result in acceptable performance. METHODS: In this work, process envelopes were developed for S/S treatment of contaminated soil with a blend of hydrated lime (hlime) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as the binder (hlime/GGBS = 1:4). A sand contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons was treated with 5%, 10% and 20% binder dosages, at different water contents. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed using unconfined compressive strength (UCS), permeability, acid neutralisation capacity and contaminant leachability with pH, at set periods. RESULTS: The UCS values obtained after 28 days of treatment were up to ∼800 kPa, which is quite low, and permeability was ∼10−8 m/s, which is higher than might be required. However, these values might be acceptable in some scenarios. The binder significantly reduced the leachability of cadmium and nickel. With the 20% dosage, both metals met the waste acceptance criteria for inert waste landfill and relevant environmental quality standards. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that greater than 20% dosage would be required to achieve a balance of acceptable mechanical and leaching properties. Overall, the process envelopes for different performance criteria depend on the end-use of the treated material.

INTRODUCTION: Cadmium (Cd) in plants interrupts numerous metabolic processes and reduces the water and nutrient uptake that cause chlorosis, growth retardation, and ultimately plant death. Response of Brassica napus L. to calcium (Ca) enrichment in growth medium for reducing Cd toxicity stress by strengthening the photosynthesis organelles and their functionality was explored in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: B. napus seedlings of two cultivars (ZS 758 and ZS 72) were exposed to Cd toxicity at 500 μM in hydroponics, and it was ameliorated with Ca at 2.0 mM. The study included determinations and evaluations pertaining to physiological attributes of plant growth, chlorophyll, and photosynthesis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Cadmium stress significantly depressed the seedling growth and reduced photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductivity (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr). Further, Cd toxicity markedly decreased the electron transport rate of PSII, effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in PSII [Y(II)], photosynthetic active radiation, coefficient of photochemical quenching (qP), and chlorophyll fluorescence decrease ratio (RFd). Addition of Ca in Cd-stressed plants antagonized the toxicity effects on all the above-mentioned attributes. Calcium amendment also reversed the Cd stress-induced increase in intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and non-photochemical quenching, and countered the Cd accumulation in seedlings. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that Ca2+ in the proximity of plasma membrane is proficient in alleviating Cd toxicity by reducing the cell-surface negativity and competing for Cd2+ ion influx. Consequently, both the plant growth and activity of diurnal photosynthetic system remain the least altered under Cd-provoked toxicity stress.

Purpose Adsorption of metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn) to TiO₂ nanoparticles and bulk particles was examined for use as a contaminant removal substrate as a function of particle size, sorbent concentration, and exhaustion. Methods Adsorption experiments were conducted with 0.01, 0.1, and 0.5 g/L nanoparticles in a pH 8 solution and in spiked San Antonio tap water. Results When results were normalized by mass, nanoparticles adsorbed more than the bulk particles but when results were surface-area normalized, the opposite was observed. The adsorption data shows the ability of the TiO₂ nanoparticles to remove Pb, Cd, and Ni from solution with similar adsorption at 0.1 and 0.5 g/L. Adsorption kinetics for all metals tested was described by a modified first order rate equation with the nanoparticles having a faster rate of adsorption than the bulk particles. The nanoparticles were able to simultaneously removal multiple metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu) from both pH 8 solution and spiked San Antonio tap water. Exhaustion experiments showed that both the nanoparticles and bulk particles were exhausted at pH 6 but at pH 8, exhaustion did not occur for the nanoparticles. Conclusion Comparison of K d, distribution coefficient, with other literature showed that the nanoparticles were better sorbents than other metal oxide nanoparticles and a commercial activated carbon.