The current study estimates premature mortality caused by long-term exposure to elevated concentrations of PM₂.₅ (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 μm) in Japan from 2006 to 2009. The premature mortality is calculated based on a relative risk of 1.04 (95 % CI, 1.01–1.08) per 10 μg m⁻³ increase above the annual mean limit of 10 μg m⁻³ taken from the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines. The spatiotemporal variations of PM₂.₅ are estimated based on the measurements of suspended particulate matter (SPM) (with aerodynamic diameter approximately less than 7.0 μm) at 1,843 monitors. The improvements of air quality in Japan by reducing the emissions of SPM from 2006 to 2009 could save 3,602 lives based on a reduction target of 10 μg m⁻³ annual mean concentration. This finding could be a tangible benefit gained by reducing the emissions of particulate matter in Japan.

Application of an agricultural residue (rice husk, RH) as a raw material for catalyst support for advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) was evaluated. The supported catalyst was produced by the calcination of TiCl₄ impregnated in RH, thereby providing a composite TiO₂/Si-C, which was characterized by elemental analysis (CHN), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV/VIS diffuse reflectance spectroscopic (DRS), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), SEM, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET and BJH). Catalytic photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB), naphthalene, phenol, and abamectin and acid drainage of a mine by a titania-based catalyst composite were investigated. For comparative purposes, a commercial photocatalyst (TiO₂) was also employed. Photocatalytic degradation of MB, phenol, naphthalene, abamectin, and from coal mining effluent ranged from 8 to 93 % of the initial concentration. Performances of both catalysts were comparable. Additionally, in these evaluated systems, the toxicity of the effluent decreased after photocatalysis, either for Daphnia magna or for Scenedesmus subspicatus (employed as bioindicators).

The photooxidation degradation of tri (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) by combining UV with hydrogen peroxide as oxidant was primarily studied in the present study by evaluating various treatment parameters. The results suggested that light intensity, initial pH and concentration of TCEP and H₂O₂, and reaction time affected the degradation efficiency of TCEP. The total organic carbon (TOC) removal rates, and the yield rates of Cl⁻and PO₄ ³⁻reached up to 86 %, 94 % and 97 %, respectively, under the optimized conditions in the present study. The degradation process obeyed the pseudo-first-order kinetic reaction expressed as ln (C ₜ/C ₀) =−0.0275 t with a R ² of 0.9962. The addition of t-butanol indicated that hydroxyl radicals played an important role in the degradation of TCEP. The primary investigation of the degradation mechanism of TCEP suggested that TCEP molecules were attacked by hydroxyl radicals produced from H₂O₂ with the irradiation of UV light, PO₄ ³⁻, Cl⁻and chlorinated alcohol/aldehyde, and/or non-chlorinated aldehyde with small molecular weight were produced, these produced small organic molecules were furthered oxidized to acids, most of them were finally mineralized to CO₂ and H₂O. The present technology was successfully applied for degrading TCEP in simulated real wastewater, which shows a promising potential for treating similar contaminants using corresponding advanced oxidation technology.

Radionuclide and heavy metal contamination influences the composition and diversity of bacterial communities, thus adversely affecting their ecological role in impacted environments. Bacterial communities from uranium and heavy metal-contaminated soil environments and mine waste piles were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene retrieval. A total of 498 clones were selected, and their 16S rDNA amplicons were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism, which suggested a total of 220 different phylotypes. The phylogenetic analysis revealed Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes as the most common bacterial taxa for the three sites of interest. Around 20-30 % of the 16S rDNA sequences derived from soil environments were identified as Proteobacteria, which increased up to 76 % (mostly Gammaproteobacteria) in bacterial communities inhabiting the mine waste pile. Acidobacteria, known to be common soil inhabitants, dominated in less contaminated environments, while Bacteroidetes were more abundant in highly contaminated environments regardless of the type of substratum (soil or excavated gravel material). Some of the sequences affiliated with Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, and Candidate division OP10 were site specific. The relationship between the level of contamination and the rate of bacterial diversity was not linear; however, the bacterial diversity was generally higher in soil environments than in the mine waste pile. It was concluded that the diversity of the bacterial communities sampled was influenced by both the degree of uranium and heavy metal contamination and the site-specific conditions. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Several studies related to zero-valent iron (ZVI), which is employed for water remediation, have been made during the last years. It was found in the literature that the tests made with ZVI in situ, especially for groundwater remediation, were performed using ZVI and nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) as well. Particles usually are used like a “trench-and-fill” installation. In this arrangement, ZVI or nZVI is disposed in the contaminated areas, applied alone or mixed with other materials. The aim of the current work is to evaluate the use of nZVI, which is synthesized in laboratory, for copper ion removal in aqueous solution. The present study will serve like a base focusing, in a future stage, on the use of nZVI on groundwater remediation. For this purpose, commercial ZVI particles were also tested in order to compare the removal behavior. During this study, a relation between the solution characteristic (pH, ion concentration) and the surface purity of the iron particles was found. This relation generally is not reported in the literature. Finally, the copper removal was satisfactory with ZVI and nZVI.

This paper provides a short overview of the main oxidation processes more commonly applied for the remediation of contaminated sites, with specific reference to their application for the in situ remediation of contaminated sites, i.e. In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO). A review of the main patents issued on this topic shows the relevant contribution to the development of this technology in the last 20 years, especially in the USA. The still limited deployment of ISCO in other geographical areas may be improved by the increased acceptance of the technology that may come from the development of proper application guidelines based on accepted design criteria. The latter ones are also discussed in this paper with reference to the application of Fenton's treatment. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Surfactant-enhanced solubilization and subsequent biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene from aqueous solutions by Arthrobacter strain Sphe3 was investigated. The results show that growth of Arthrobacter strain Sphe3 was increased upon increase in concentration of Tween 20 and Tween 80. Inhibition of bacterial growth was observed with increasing Triton X-100 concentrations, whereas sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) totally inhibited this bacterial growth. Phenanthrene and pyrene solubilization was enhanced in the presence of surfactants and found to be linearly proportional to their concentrations, above the critical micelle concentration (CMC). In addition, Tween 20 and Tween 80 enhanced the biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene. The high correlation coefficient (R ²) values obtained at all the concentrations studied, suggest that biodegradation kinetics of both phenanthrene and pyrene in the presence of Tween 20 and Tween 80 follow first-order kinetic equation model. Experimental results suggest that Tween 20 and Tween 80 may have great potential for applications in bioremediation of these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds using Arthrobacter strain Sphe3.

Static granular bed reactor (SGBR) and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor were demonstrated at mesophilic condition for the treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewater. The hydraulic retention times (HRTs) were varied from 4 to 24 h following 29-day start-up period. The overall chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of the SGBR was higher than the UASB during this study. At 4 h HRT, the COD removal was greater than 70 % for the SGBR and 60 % for the UASB. Biomass yield and volatile fatty acids concentration of SGBR were slightly less than UASB at organic loading rates ranging from 1.2 to 5.1 kg/m³/day. The results indicated that the SGBR system can be considered a viable alternative system for anaerobic treatment for pulp and paper wastewater.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous in marine areas in many parts of the world. Effect of environmental factors (light intensity, temperature, oxygen levels, and presence of sensitizer) on photodegradation of VOCs present in water-soluble fraction of Kuwait crude oil was investigated in laboratory conditions. The results showed that all factors investigated had significant effects on photo degradation rates. Higher temperatures produced faster degradation rates. At 15 °C, most of the volatile optimally degraded when light intensity was set at 750 W/m². Oxygen level of 7 ppm and presence of sensitizer was also required. Oxygen level of 4 ppm and light intensity of 500 W/m² and presence of a sensitizer produced optimal degradation rates for most of the compounds at 30 °C. At 40 °C, deoxygenated water-soluble fraction and light intensity of 500 W/m² produced the fastest degradation for many of the volatile compounds. Linear regression indicated that for most of the compounds temperature had the greatest effect on degradation rates.

In this study, we investigate the corrosion effects on modern materials at various sheltered and unsheltered locations in the Greater Athens Area (GAA) due to atmospheric pollution, since materials deterioration could emerge severe economic costs in the near future. The preselected materials are weathering steel, copper, bronze, zinc, and aluminum, which are mainly used in modern constructions in the GAA. The method applied in this study leads in the production of corrosion maps for GAA in the period 2000–2009 by using sophisticated geoanalytical methods together with dose–response functions for the selected materials. The corrosion effects are significant for weathering steel, moderate for copper and bronze and weak for zinc and aluminum. Also, a corrosion trend analysis is performed, which can be a very helpful tool for future protection of such materials from atmospheric pollution. The results show increasing corrosion trends for weathering steel and copper in the eastern regions of GAA, probably caused by the recent operation of the Athens International Airport at Spata, while no corrosion trends were observed to the other materials. The method applied in this work provides comprehensive results for the estimation of the impact of atmospheric corrosion on various construction materials.