Economic adsorbents in bead form were fabricated and utilised for the adsorption of Al³⁺from aqueous solutions. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) beads, PAN powder and the thermally treated PAN beads (250 °C/48 h/Ar and 600 °C/48 h/Ar-H₂) were characterised using different techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, specific surface analysis (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller), thermogravimetric analysis as well as scanning electron microscopy. Effects of pH, contact time, kinetics and adsorption isotherms at different temperatures were investigated in batch mode experiments. Aluminium kinetic data best fit the Lagergren pseudo-second-order adsorption model indicating a one-step, surface-only, adsorption process with chemisorption being the rate limiting step. Equilibrium adsorption data followed a Langmuir adsorption model with fairly low monolayer adsorption capacities suitable for freshwater clean-up only. Various constants including thermodynamic constants were evaluated from the experimental results obtained at 20, 40 and 60 °C. Positive values of ΔH° indicated that the adsorption of Al³⁺onto all three adsorbents was endothermic with less energy input required for PAN powder compared to PAN beads and low-temperature thermally treated PAN. Negative ΔG° values indicated that the aluminium adsorption process was spontaneous for all adsorbents examined.

Biodegradable chelating agents ([S,S]-ethylenediamine-N,N-disuccinic acid (EDDS) and glutamic-N,N-diacetic acid (GLDA)) and natural humic substances (lignite-derived, standard, and commercially available humic acids) are potentially useful for enhancing soil remediation of timber treatment sites. This study integrated macroscopic and spectroscopic analyses to assess their influence on the distribution and chemical speciation of the remaining metals as well as their interaction with the soil surface after 48-h washing of a field-contaminated soil. The results demonstrated that EDDS and GLDA were an appealing alternative to non-biodegradable ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid, but the three humic substances were less effective. As shown by sequential extractions, Cu was primarily extracted from the carbonate fraction while Cr and As extraction resulted from (co-)dissolution of the oxide fraction. As a result, the relative proportion of strongly bound organic matter and residual fractions increased by 7–16 %. However, it was noteworthy that the exchangeable fraction also increased by 5–11 %, signifying that a portion of the remaining metals was destabilized by chelating agents and transformed to be more labile in the treated soil. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra confirmed the substantial removal of readily accessible Cu from the soil surface, but Cr maintained its original chemical forms of trivalent chromium oxides and iron–chromium coprecipitates, whereas As remained as arsenic trioxide/pentoxide and copper arsenate precipitates. On the other hand, the absence of characteristic peaks of adsorbed carboxylate groups in the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra inferred that the extent of adsorption of chelating agents and humic substances on the bulk soil was insufficient to be characterized by FTIR analysis. These results suggested that attention should be paid to the exchangeable fraction of Cu and oxides/coprecipitates of As prior to possible on-site reuse of the treated soil.

Anthropogenic activities are increasingly impacting the quality of urban surface water, particularly in regions undergoing intensive urbanization, such as Guangzhou of South China with a large urban stream network. To examine such impacts, we conducted field sampling on December 24, 2010, May 24, 2011, and August 28, 2011, representative of the low-, normal-, and high-flow periods, respectively. The first sampling was timed immediately after the closing of the 16th Asian Games (November 12–27, 2010) and the 10th Asian Para Games (December 12–19, 2010) held in Guangzhou. Assessments based on a pollution index method showed that the urban streams under investigation were extremely polluted, with direct discharge of untreated domestic sewage identified as the main pollution contributor. In addition, stream water quality around urban villages with high population densities was worse than that within business districts away from the urban villages. Pollution control measures implemented in preparation for the Asian Games were effective for urban streams within the business districts, but less effective for those adjacent to the urban villages. However, short-term efforts may not be able to achieve sustainable urban water quality improvements. In the case of Guangzhou, minimizing or even eliminating direct point-source inputs to the urban streams is perhaps the best option.

Air quality in urban areas attracts great attention due to increasing pollutant emissions and their negative effects on human health and environment. Numerous studies, such as those by Mouilleau and Champassith (J Loss Prevent Proc 22(3): 316–323, 2009), Xie et al. (J Hydrodyn 21(1): 108–117, 2009), and Yassin (Environ Sci Pollut Res 20(6): 3975–3988, 2013) focus on the air pollutant dispersion with no buoyancy effect or weak buoyancy effect. A few studies, such as those by Hu et al. (J Hazard Mater 166(1): 394–406, 2009; J Hazard Mater 192(3): 940–948, 2011; J Civ Eng Manag (2013)) focus on the fire-induced dispersion of pollutants with heat buoyancy release rate in the range from 0.5 to 20 MW. However, the air pollution source might very often be concentrated and intensive, as a consequence of the hazardous materials fire. Namely, transportation of fuel through urban areas occurs regularly, because it is often impossible to find alternative supply routes. It is accompanied with the risk of fire accident occurrences. Accident prevention strategies require analysis of the worst scenarios in which fire products jeopardize the exposed population and environment. The aim of this article is to analyze the impact of wind flow on air pollution and human vulnerability to fire products in a street canyon. For simulation of the gasoline tanker truck fire as a result of a multivehicle accident, computational fluid dynamics large eddy simulation method has been used. Numerical results show that the fire products flow vertically upward, without touching the walls of the buildings in the absence of wind. However, when the wind velocity reaches the critical value, the products touch the walls of the buildings on both sides of the street canyon. The concentrations of carbon monoxide and soot decrease, whereas carbon dioxide concentration increases with the rise of height above the street canyon ground level. The longitudinal concentration of the pollutants inside the street increases with the rise of the wind velocity at the roof level of the street canyon.

To assess the concentration and status of metal contaminants in four major Southeast Asian river systems, water were collected from the Tonle Sap–Bassac Rivers (Cambodia), Citarum River (Indonesia), lower Chao Phraya River (Thailand), and Saigon River (Vietnam) in both dry and wet seasons. The target elements were Be, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Tl, and Pb and the concentrations exceeded the background metal concentrations by 1- to 88-fold. This distinctly indicates enrichment by human urban area activities. The results of a normalization technique used to distinguish natural from enriched metal concentrations confirmed contamination by Al, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Cluster analysis revealed the probable source of metals contamination in most sampling sites on all rivers studied to be anthropogenic, including industrial, commercial, and residential activities. Stable lead isotopes analyses applied to track the sources and pathways of anthropogenic lead furthermore confirmed that anthropogenic sources of metal contaminated these rivers. Discharges of wastewater from both industrial and household activities were major contributors of Pb into the rivers. Non-point sources, especially road runoff and street dust, also contributed contamination from Pb and other metals.

Metals concentrations and histolopathological lesions of gills and digestive gland were investigated in Carcinus maenas crabs sampled from Bizerta Lagoon and Kuriat Island (Tunisia) as control site. The concentrations of trace metals varied between tissues, sites and sampling time. The highest levels of the analysed metals in gills and digestive gland were noted in Menzel Bourguiba and Cimentery sites at both sampling times (February and July). The higher metals loads were associated with severe and various tissues alterations in contaminated crabs. We particularly noted in the gills a haemocytic infiltration, distension and enlargement of the lamellae, lifting of lamellar epithelium, necrotic lesions and fusion of lamellae in the most polluted sites (Menzel Bourguiba and Cimentery). Moreover, others pathological alterations were observed in digestive gland of crabs collected from polluted sites and with a severity site dependent. We observed necrotic tubules containing tissue debris in the lumen with more intensity in crabs collected from Cimentery site in both sampling times. The thickened basal laminae and the walling off of the tubules by haemocytes around the thickened basal laminae were more abundant at Menzel Bourguiba than at others sites. The coagulation in the thickened basal laminae was observed only at Cimentery in February. Tissues histopathological lesions were sensitive to discriminate crabs of different sites and demonstrated its usefulness in this biomonitoring study. We recommend the association of histopatholocial lesions to biochemical biomarkers in future biomonitoring studies.

This study aims to determine the source apportionment of surfactants in marine aerosols at two selected stations along the Malacca Straits. The aerosol samples were collected using a high volume sampler equipped with an impactor to separate coarse- and fine-mode aerosols. The concentrations of surfactants, as methylene blue active substance and disulphine blue active substance, were analysed using colorimetric method. Ion chromatography was employed to determine the ionic compositions. Principal component analysis combined with multiple linear regression was used to identify and quantify the sources of atmospheric surfactants. The results showed that the surfactants in tropical coastal environments are actively generated from natural and anthropogenic origins. Sea spray (generated from sea-surface microlayers) was found to be a major contributor to surfactants in both aerosol sizes. Meanwhile, the anthropogenic sources (motor vehicles/biomass burning) were predominant contributors to atmospheric surfactants in fine-mode aerosols.

A new inorganic-organic hybrid material zirconium-glycine complex (ZGC) was firstly used as a coagulant in a coagulation process to treat Pearl River raw water. Its coagulation performance was compared with commonly used aluminum (Al) coagulants such as aluminum sulfate (Al₂(SO₄)₃) and polyaluminum chloride (PAC), in terms of water quality parameters and floc properties. ZGC coagulation achieved higher removal of turbidity (93.8 %) than other traditional coagulants. Charge neutralization was proven to act as a dominant mechanism during ZGC coagulation. The aggregated flocs with ZGC showed the fastest growth rate and good recovery ability compared with the other coagulants and achieved the largest floc size within 5 min. The ZGC coagulant can decrease the hydraulic retention time and increase removal efficiency.

The frequent co-existence of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) necessitates the investigation of clean-up technologies for multi-metal(loid)s. Field survey and hydroponic experiments were conducted to elucidate the co-accumulation of As and Pb in Pteris vittata L. The P. vittata population isolated from a Pb–Zn mine in Yunnan province, China is a potential extractor of As and Pb co-contamination. Hydroponic experiment found that the highest frond As and Pb concentrations in mining population of P. vittata reached 12.2 and 0.99 g kg⁻¹, respectively. The interaction between As and Pb in P. vittata was further more disclosed. Pb (2 mg L⁻¹) improved the frond As concentration by 60 to 150 % in mining populations of P. vittata. Micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that under the combined exposure of As and Pb, the As content in the rhizoid epidermis increased by about 10-fold, and the As(V) percentage increased in each rhizoid tissue, as compared with that under As exposure alone. The co-absorption of As and Pb on the epidermis and the enhanced transportation of As(V) from epidermis into the rhizoid were suggested to contribute to the increased As accumulation.

The Pseudomonas sp. P-1 strain, isolated from heavily petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil, was investigated for its capability to degrade hydrocarbons and produce a biosurfactant. The strain degraded crude oil, fractions A5 and P3 of crude oil, and hexadecane (27, 39, 27 and 13 % of hydrocarbons added to culture medium were degraded, respectively) but had no ability to degrade phenanthrene. Additionally, the presence of gene-encoding enzymes responsible for the degradation of alkanes and naphthalene in the genome of the P-1 strain was reported. Positive results of blood agar and methylene blue agar tests, as well as the presence of gene rhl, involved in the biosynthesis of rhamnolipid, confirmed the ability of P-1 for synthesis of glycolipid biosurfactant.¹H and¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectrum and mass spectrum analyses indicated that the extracted biosurfactant was affiliated with rhamnolipid. The results of this study indicate that the P-1 and/or biosurfactant produced by this strain have the potential to be used in bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.