This paper examined the ability of honeycomb biomass (HC), a by-product of the honey industry, to remove Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The equilibrium adsorptive quantity was determined as a function of the solution pH, amount of biomass, contact time, and initial metal ion concentration in a batch biosorption technique. Biosorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray, and X-ray diffraction studies. FTIR spectral analysis confirmed the coordination of metals with hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl functional groups present in the HC. The metals uptake by HC was rapid, and the equilibrium time was 40 min at constant temperature and pH. Sorption kinetics followed a nonlinear pseudo-second-order model. Isotherm experimental data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich, and Temkin isotherm models in nonlinear forms. The mechanism of metal sorption by HC gave good fits for Langmuir model, and the affinity order of the biosorbent for four heavy metals was Pb(II)>Cd(II)>Cu(II)>Ni(II). The thermodynamic studies for the present biosorption process were performed by determining the values of ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS°, and it was observed that biosorption process is endothermic and spontaneous. This work provides an efficient and easily available environmental friendly honeycomb biomass as an attractive option for removing heavy metal ions from water and wastewater.

This study investigated the formation of volatile carbonaceous disinfection by-products (DBPs) and nitrogenous DBPs from chlorination of oxytetracycline. Six DBPs were identified including chloroform (CF), 1,1-dichloroacetone, 1,1,1-trichloroacetone (TCP), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), trichloroacetonitrile, and trichloronitromethane. DBP yields varied with different reaction conditions, including chlorine concentration, reacting time, pH, and bromide concentration. The highest DBP yields were found at Cl₂/C mass ratio and reaction time of 5 and 3 days, respectively. The solution pH had significant influence on CF, DCAN, and 1,1,1-TCP formation. The concentration of CF increased with the increase of pH, while DCAN and 1,1,1-TCP yields were high at acidic pH and decreased greatly under alkaline conditions. In the presence of bromide, the DBP composition shifted to multiple bromide compounds, including bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, bromoform, bromochloroacetonitrile, and dibromoacetonitrile.

In this study, the applications of mesoporous materials based on silica, and those with modifications, namely post-synthetic grafting, co-condensation, and pure SBA-15, were investigated for the removal of phosphate from sewage. The mesostructures were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The absorption of phosphate by the mesoporous adsorbents was examined, using different adsorption models to describe the equilibrium and kinetic data. The maximum adsorption capacities of the mesostructured adsorbents were found to be 69.970, 59.890, and 2.018 mg/g for the co-condensation, post-synthetic grafting, and pure SBA-15, respectively. The kinetic data showed that the adsorption of phosphate onto three different mesostructures followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.

This study examined the impact of oxidative stress indicated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and protein carbonyl (PC), induced by intensive exercise and cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) on ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio). In the first experiment, fish were divided into three groups: (1) control, (2) carp exposed to intensive exercise, and (3) carp that was not exercised but previously, as well as carp in group 2, received single dose of 3-methylcholantrene (3-MC). The third and sixth day fish were sacrificed and the measurements were conducted. In the second experiment, fish were divided into (1) control, (2) carp in water containing CdCl₂, and (3) carp in dechlorinated tap water (2 and 3 received single dose of 3-MC on the seventh day after exposure to CdCl₂). The carp were killed 6 days later and livers were excised for biochemical analyses. In the first experiment, on the sixth day after treatment with 3-MC, results show statistically significant increase in EROD activity in non-exercised carp, while that increase in carp exposed to intensive exercise was significantly lower. Three days after exposure to 3-MC, statistically significant increase in TBARS was observed in both exercised and non-exercised carp. Six days after exposure to 3-MC, PC levels were significantly higher in exercised carp. Pretreatment with CdCl₂, in the second experiment, caused oxidative stress and reduction of EROD activity. Results show linkage between expression of EROD activity and oxidative stress biomarkers and possible influence of oxidative stress on the cell membrane structures and consequently on EROD activity.

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the quality of surface and groundwater in an environmentally sensitive karstic watershed strongly pressed by urban growth. The objective of the study was to assess the integrated effects of human activities and natural characteristics of karstic environments on the quality of surface and groundwater using multivariate statistical techniques. Data from 18 physical, chemical, and microbiological water quality variables obtained throughout a hydrological year were analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis. The PCA was carried out individually for surface water and groundwater. Our goal was to study the behavior of the water quality variables at each of these systems, as well as to infer the importance of these variables on the dynamics of the water resources in the region. Our results for surface water showed that the 18 original variables could be reduced to five principal components which together accounted for 69% of the total variation in the data, whereas for groundwater, 70% of the total variation in the data was explained by five principal components. In order to evaluate the impacts of anthropic activities on the water quality at the monitoring locations, the cluster analysis was applied to the ten sampling points. The analysis identified five clusters, two of which are formed by points with low contamination levels and three where the anthropic interference is noticeable. The results suggest the existence of specific contamination sources in many points, including in the groundwater, and highlight the natural vulnerability of the karstic environments.

The industrial wastewater from resin production plants contains as major components phenol and formaldehyde, which are traditionally treated by biological methods. As a possible alternative method, electrochemical treatment was tested using solutions containing a mixture of phenol and formaldehyde simulating an industrial effluent. The anode used was a dimensionally stable anode (DSA®) of nominal composition Ti/Ru₀.₃Ti₀.₇O₂, and the solution composition during the degradation process was analyzed by liquid chromatography and the removal of total organic carbon. From cyclic voltammetry, it is observed that for formaldehyde, a small offset of the beginning of the oxygen evolution reaction occurs, but for phenol, the reaction is inhibited and the current density decreases. From the electrochemical degradations, it was determined that 40 mA cm⁻² is the most efficient current density and the comparison of different supporting electrolytes (Na₂SO₄, NaNO₃, and NaCl) indicated a higher removal of total organic carbon in NaCl medium.

The attenuation of Escherichia coli and total coliform from secondary treated wastewater effluent under two “at-grade” effluent distribution systems was evaluated in a sandy silt vadose zone in a cold climate. The two at-grade distribution lines had different designs and hydraulic loading rates. Effluent transport was examined using chloride as a tracer. Coliform fate was evaluated relative to the chloride using a combination of in situ pore water sampling and destructive soil sampling, combined with the observation of a dye tracer along excavation sidewalls. Although bacteria attenuation in the subsoil appeared to decrease during colder, winter temperatures (likely due to decreased viability and decreased predation), the subsoil provided about a four log reduction in E. coli over 90 cm of vertical transport. Horizontal transport of bacteria (up to 1.5 m from the line) was likely aided by flow on top of a microbial biomat observed at the soil surface. Both the subsurface dye patterns and the E. coli sampling suggested less preferential flow occurred below the lower loading rate design. At-grade distribution of secondary treated wastewater appears to be a viable alternative to conventional distribution fields at sites with similar climate and soils.

Most previous studies investigating controls on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions have relied on plot-scale experiments and focused on relative homogeneous biotic and abiotic factors such as soil, vegetation, and moisture. We studied soil N2O flux at 11 chamber sites along a 620 m topographic gradient in upstate New York, USA, aiming at identifying patterns of N2O flux and correlating them to hydrological factors and soil substrate properties along the gradient. The topographic gradient is a complex slope with an overall gradient of 8%, covering plant communities of pasture, forest, alfalfa field, and riparian area from the top to the bottom. Mean fluxes of N2O measured from late March to May ranged from 4.45 to 343 μg N m−2 h−1, and these fluxes were not significantly different among chamber sites located in different communities. With the descending of the slope, N2O fluxes increased with the increase of soil water content, except for the riparian site. Statistically, N2O fluxes were not strongly correlated with soil temperature, soil bulk density, and water filled pore space (p > 0.05). Instead, strong correlations (p < 0.05) were found between N2O fluxes and soil C and N content including NO 3 − , NH 4 + , total organic carbon, and C/N ratio. Multiple linear regression analyses including both soil physical and substrate properties highlighted the significance of soil NO 3 − content and C/N ratio in regulating N2O fluxes along the gradient.

In order to assess the use of magnetic methods to study vertical migration behavior of metal pollutants in natural soils, a controlled experiment was performed near Belle River, Ontario, Canada. The soil at the site consists primarily of clay-rich glacial till overlain by localized alluvium. Twenty PVC tubes (16″ × 8″) were inserted vertically into the ground as test capsules. Magnetite powder (<5 μm) was distributed on the surface of the soil inside ten tubes (10 grams/tube) to simulate anthropogenic contamination, while the other ten were used as controls. While the surficial magnetic susceptibility (MS) remained fairly stable in controls, decreases of 15–60% were observed in contaminated soil tubes. Post-test MS profiles from soil cores in contaminated tubes show that the magnetic signal is strongest at depths between 4 and 6 cm. Magnetic measurements and chemical analysis (using SEM-EDS) on soil layers with enhanced magnetic signal indicate the presence of iron containing particles, likely magnetite. Overall, the results suggest that magnetite powder migrated vertically downwards at a rate of ∼14 cm/year over the four month period, probably as a result of rainwater infiltration. Such magnetic methods and chemical analytical techniques are useful in the investigation of migration of metal pollutants and the potential depth of soil contamination.

Microbial processes have shown promise for the remediation of uranium and nitrate in groundwater impacted by uranium mine tailings. This study investigated the inhibitory impact of uranium(VI) towards different microbial populations in anaerobic biofilms, including methanogenic, denitrifying, and uranium-reducing microorganisms, which are commonly found at uranium bioremediation sites. Results of batch activity bioassays indicated a very distinct level of toxicity depending on the targeted microbial community. U(VI) caused severe inhibition of acetoclastic methanogenesis as indicated by a 50 % inhibiting concentration (IC₅₀) of only 0.16 mM. Denitrifying populations were also impacted by uranium, but their sensitivity depended on the electron donor utilized. Sulfur-oxidizing denitrifiers were the least affected (IC₅₀ for denitrification activity = 0.32 mM), followed by H₂- and acetate-utilizing denitrifiers (IC₅₀ of 0.20 and 0.15 mM, respectively). In contrast, exposure to U(VI) concentrations up to 1.0 mM did not inhibit the rate of U(VI) bioreduction with H₂ as electron donor in the presence or absence of nitrate. On the contrary, a considerable increase in the uranium-reducing activity of the denitrifying and methanogenic mixed cultures was observed with increasing uranium concentrations. The results suggest that microorganisms responsible for U(V) reduction could tolerate much higher uranium concentrations compared to the other microbial populations assayed.