The improvement of knowledge about the toxicity and even processability, and stability of quantum dots (QD) requires the understanding of the relationship between the QD binding head group, surface structure, and interligand interaction. The scanned stripping chronopotentiometry and absence of gradients and Nernstian equilibrium stripping techniques were used to determine the concentration of Cd dissolved from a polyacrylate-stabilized CdTe/CdS QD. The effects of various concentrations of small organic ligands such as citric acid, glycine, and histidine and the roles of pH (4.5-8.5) and exposure time (0-48 h) were evaluated. The highest QD dissolution was obtained at the more acidic pH in absence of the ligands (52 %) a result of the CdS shell solubility. At pH 8.5 the largest PAA ability to complex the dissolved Cd leads to a further QD solubility until the equilibrium is reached (24 % of dissolved Cd vs. 4 % at pH 6.0). The citric acid presence resulted in greater QD dissolution, whereas glycine, an amino acid, acts against QD dissolution. Surprisingly, the presence of histidine, an amino acid with an imidazole functional group, leads to the formation of much strong Cd complexes over time, which may be non-labile, inducing variations in the local environment of the QD surface.

Wastewater treatment is an important source of nitrous oxide (N₂O), which is a strong greenhouse gas and dominate ozone-depleting substance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of carbon source on N₂O emission from anoxic/oxic biological nitrogen removal process. The mechanisms of N₂O emission were also studied. Long-term experiments were operated to evaluate the effect of three different carbon sources (i.e., glucose, sodium acetate, and soluble starch) on N₂O emission characteristics. And batch experiments, in the presence or absence of specific inhibitors, were carried out to identify the sources of N₂O emission. The ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and denitrifiers community compositions under different circumstances were also analyzed based on which the underlying mechanisms of N₂O emission were elucidated. The conversion ratios of N₂O in reactors with glucose, sodium acetate, and soluble starch were 5.3 %, 8.8 %, and 2.8 %, respectively. The primary process responsible for N₂O emission was nitrifier denitrification by Nitrosomonas-like AOB, while denitrification by heterotrophic denitrifiers acted as the sink. Reactor with sodium acetate showed the highest N₂O emission, together with the highest nitrogen and phosphate removal ratios. Carbon source has a significant impact on N₂O emission quantity and relatively minor effect on its production mechanism.

Nutrient load into the ocean can be retained during the process of plant uptake and sedimentation in marshes along the bay zone. Seasonal variations of biomass and nutrient concentration in three dominated plant assemblages and associated sediments were monitored in this study area to determine effects of salt marsh on nutrient retention. Results showed that plant aboveground biomass displayed a unimodal curve with nutrient concentration generally decreased from spring to winter. Belowground biomass was relatively low during the rapid growth period with nutrient concentration tending to decrease and then increase during this period. Plant total nitrogen (TN) pools are higher than total phosphorus (TP) pools, and both pools showed significant seasonal variations. Water purification coefficients (WPC) of nutrients by plant assimilation were 34.4/17.3, 19.3/24.0, and 5.14/6.04 t/(m(2) year) (TN/TP) for Phragmites australis, Spartina alterniflora, and Scirpus mariqueter, respectively. Overall, these results suggest that higher annual plant biomass and nutrient assimilation contribute to greater nutrient retention capacity and accumulation in sediments, thereby enabling reduced eutrophication in transitional waters.

As part of a large study on assessing the impact of environmental contaminants in Indian avifauna, the presence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in liver tissues of 16 species of birds collected from Ahmedabad, India during 2005–2007 was quantified. The higher concentrations of total organochlorine pesticides were detected in livers of shikra Accipiter badius (3.43 ± 0.99 μg/g wet wt) and the lower levels in white ibis Pseudibis papillosa (0.02 ± 0.01 μg/g wet wt). Marked differences in the concentrations of total OCPs occurred among species (p < 0.05). Concentrations of DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and isomers, dieldrin, and heptachlor epoxide were lower than the concentrations reported for various species of birds in India. Accumulation pattern of organochlorine pesticides in birds was, in general, in the order HCH > DDT > heptachlor epoxide > dieldrin. Among various pesticides analyzed, p,p′-DDE and β-HCH contributed maximum towards the total OCPs and study indicates the continuous use of lindane and DDT for agriculture and public health purpose, respectively. Although no serious threat is posed by any of the organochlorine pesticides detected in the present study species, continued monitoring is recommended.

Because of the continuous production of large amount of waste tires, the disposal of waste tires represents a major environmental issue throughout the world. This paper reports the utilization of waste tires (hard-to-dispose waste) as a precursor in the production of activated carbons (pollution-cleaning adsorbent). In the preparation of activated carbon (AC), waste rubber tire (WRT) was thermally treated and activated. The tire-derived activated carbon was characterized by means of scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, FTIR spectrophotometer, and X-ray diffraction. In the IR spectrum, a number of bands centred at about 3409, 2350, 1710, 1650, and 1300–1000 cm⁻¹ prove the present of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of AC in addition to C═C double bonds. The developed AC was tested and evaluated as potential adsorbent removal of chromium (III). Experimental parameters, such as contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage and pH were optimized. A rapid uptake of chromium ions was observed and the equilibrium is achieved in 1 h. It was also found that the adsorption process is pH dependent. This work adds to the global discussion of the cost-effective utilization of waste rubber tires for waste water treatment.

Complexing agents are extensively applied in many fields of industry. They are used to provide effective controlling trace metal ions in cleaning industries, textile, pulp and paper production, water treatment, agriculture, food industries, etc. Recently, the low biodegradability of these ligands and their accumulation in the environment has become a cause for concern. Therefore, replacement of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid by more environmentally friendly chelating agents is highly desirable. So far, these acids and their salts have been applied as components of household chemistry, cosmetics, modern microelement fertilizers and agrochemicals. This paper reviews the sorption of heavy metal ions such as Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) in the presence of the above-mentioned complexing agents on commercially available anion exchangers of different matrix. The obtained sorption results were fitted using the Langmuir and Freundlich sorption isotherm models. The kinetic data were also analysed using the Lagergren, Ho and McKay sorption kinetic equations. The studies were carried out considering the effects of such important parameters as phase contact time, initial concentration, pH and temperature.

In this study, surface water samples from the Wenyu River and the North Canal, effluent from major wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Beijing, and wastewater from open sewers that discharge directly into the river system were collected and analyzed for 16 priority USEPA polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Concentrations of these 16 PAHs ranged from 193 to 1790 ng/L in river surface waters, 245 to 404 ng/L in WWTP effluents, and 431 to 2860 ng/L in the wastewater from the small sewers. The WWTP effluent was the main contributor of dissolved PAHs to the river, while wastewater from the small sewers contributed both dissolved and suspended particulate matter-associated PAH to the river as indicated by the high dissolved organic carbon and suspended particulate matter contents in the wastewater. Although the flow from each open sewer was small, a PAH discharge as high as 44 kg/year could occur into the river from these types of sewers. This amount was equivalent to about 22 % of the PAH loads discharged into the North Canal downstream from Beijing, whereas the remainder was mainly released by the major WWTPs in Beijing.

Multivariate statistical techniques, such as analysis of variance, cluster analysis (CA), correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and factor analysis (FA), were applied to determine the spatial and temporal variations of dissolved heavy metals in the Tigris River at 7 different sites spread over the river stretch of about 500 km during the period of February 2008 to January 2009. The results indicated that Fe, Cr, and Ni were the most abundant elements in the river water, whereas Cd and As were the less abundant. Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn showed significant spatial variations, reflecting the influence of anthropogenic activities. The lowest total concentration of heavy metals was found at site 2 downstream of the Dicle Dam due to clean water from the dam. The concentrations of most metals were found lower when compared with results of previous studies due to reduction of the activity of the copper mine plant and the construction of two dams on the river. The lowest total concentrations were determined in February due to high precipitation and snow melts. Hierarchical agglomerative CA classified all the sampling sites into three main groups of spatial similarities. Clusters 1 (Maden and Bismil), 2 (Cizre), and 3 (Eğil, Diyarbakır, Batman, and Hasankeyf) corresponded to moderate polluted and relatively low polluted regions, respectively. PCA/FA, CA, and correlation analysis suggest that Cu, Ni, and Zn are controlled by anthropogenic sources.

Several environmental media in Austria were monitored for artificial radionuclides released during the Fukushima nuclear accident. Air (up to 1.2 mBq/m³ particulate ¹³¹I) and rainwater (up to 5.2 Bq/L ¹³¹I) proved to be the media best suited for the environmental monitoring, allowing also a temporal resolution of the activity levels. Significant regional differences in the wet deposition of ¹³¹I with rain could be observed within the city of Vienna during the arrival of the contaminated air masses. Forward-trajectory analysis supported the hypothesis that the contaminated air masses coming from the northwest changed direction to northeast over Northern Austria, leading to a strong activity concentration gradient over Vienna. In the course of the environmental monitoring of the Fukushima releases, this phenomenon—significant differences of ¹³¹I activity concentrations in rainwater on a narrow local scale (8.1 km)—appears to be unique. Vegetation (grass) was contaminated with ¹³¹I and/or ¹³⁷Cs at a low level. Soil (up to 22 Bq/kg ¹³⁷Cs) was only affected by previous releases (nuclear weapon tests, Chernobyl). Here, also significant local differences can be observed due to different deposition rates during the Chernobyl accident. The effective ecological half-lives of ¹³⁷Cs in soil were calculated for four locations in Austria. They range from 7 to 30 years. No Austrian sample investigated herein exceeded the detection limit for ¹³⁴Cs; hence, the Fukushima nuclear accident did not contribute significantly to the total radiocesium inventory in Austrian environmental media. The levels of detected radioactivity were of no concern for public health.

The ubiquitous protozoa Toxoplasma gondii is now the subject of renewed interest, due to the spread of oocysts via water causing waterborne outbreaks of toxoplasmosis in different parts of the world. This overview discusses the different methods for detection of Toxoplasma in drinking and environmental water. It includes a combination of conventional and molecular tools for effective oocyst recovery and detection in water sources as well as factors hindering the detection of this parasite and shedding light on a promising new molecular assay for the diagnosis of Toxoplasma in environmental samples. Hopefully, this attempt will facilitate future approaches for better recovery, concentration, and detection of Toxoplasma oocysts in environmental waters.