scholarly journals Screening and Distribution of Contaminants of Emerging Concern and Regulated Organic Pollutants in the Heavily Modified Guadalhorce River Basin, Southern Spain

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3012
Author(s):  
Marta Llamas ◽  
Iñaki Vadillo-Pérez ◽  
Lucila Candela ◽  
Pablo Jiménez-Gavilán ◽  
Carmen Corada-Fernández ◽  
...  

Emerging pollutants have aroused an increasing concern due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and harmful potential. Both emerging (e.g., pharmaceuticals and personal care products) and regulated organic pollutants pose a serious threat to water quality and their presence and spatial distribution are complicated to address as they can derive from several factors: distribution of point and diffuse sources, environmental conditions, hydrogeological features of the region and inherent properties of the considered contaminants. In this study, a ground and surface water monitoring campaign was conducted in the three main detritic groundwater bodies of an extensive and heavily modified river basin in order to draft an initial description of the occurrence and distribution of a wide range of organic contaminants. In total, 63 out of 185 target pollutants were detected. An attempt to understand the importance of different factors governing the distribution of some of the most frequently found pollutants was made. Antibiotics spatial distribution is potentially influenced by the hydrogeological functioning of the basin modified by hydraulic infrastructures (reflected by hydrochemistry and environmental tracers δ2H and δ18O), not directly related to the distribution of potential sources. The presence of other organic pollutants does not reflect an evident correlation with flow pathways. Differences in contaminant occurrence are potentially attributed to the way pollutants are released into the environment as well as physico-chemical properties.

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Liu ◽  
L. J. Zhang ◽  
C. H. Feng ◽  
C. A. Wu ◽  
F. B. Li ◽  
...  

Environmental context. Manganese (hydro)oxide is one kind of the most important natural minerals that are capable of oxidising organic contaminants with a wide range of functionality. However, the oxidative reactivity of manganese (hydro)oxides for organic pollutant degradation may depend on their individual physicochemical properties. It is important to determine a relationship between their oxidative reactivity and physicochemical properties. Abstract. The oxidative reactivity of manganese (hydro)oxides is important for geochemical transformation of organic pollutants. Here, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) degradation by six manganese (hydro)oxides, including γ-MnOOH, β-MnO2, α-MnO2, γ-Mn2O3, δ-MnO2, and MO-700, were investigated with different initial MBT concentrations, manganese (hydro)oxide dosages and pH values. The results show the oxidative reactivity of manganese (hydro)oxides towards MBT degradation strongly depends on their physicochemical properties. Specific surface area and reduction potential of manganese (hydro)oxides were positively correlated with MBT degradation rates, whereas pH at the point of zero charge (pHPZC) of manganese (hydro)oxides and apparent activation energy (Ea) were negatively correlated. A high average oxidation state with the same chemical valence always corresponds to high oxidative reactivity. Such findings provide some insights into understanding the transport and fate of organic pollutants in the presence of different manganese (hydro)oxides in the natural environment.


1992 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 403-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. E. Rittmann

Microbiological detoxification of hazardous organic pollutants is highly promising, but its reliable implementation requires a sophisticated understanding of several different substrate types and how they interact. This paper carefully defines the substrate types and explains how their interactions affect the bacteria's electron and energy flows, information flow, and degradative activity. For example, primary substrates, which are essential for growth and maintenance of the bacteria, also interact with degradation of specific hazardous pollutants by being inducers, inhibitors, and direct or indirect cosubstrates. The target contaminants, which often are secondary substrates, also have the interactive roles of self-inhibitor, inhibitor of primary-substrate utilization, inducer, and a part of an aggregate primary substrate.


1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Botterweg ◽  
D. W. Rodda

An Internationally funded Programme, involving the European Commission, the Global Environment Facility managed by UN Development Programme, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is addressing river basin problems in a unique situation. The solution of these should lead to the prevention of pollution and better water quality, protected ecosystems, sustainable water resources and more efficient sewerage and waste water treatment facilities for the 90 million population living in the region and the reduction of pollution impact on the Black Sea into which the Danube River flows. The paper introduces current Programme activities, the challenges being met and progress. Work is described for implementing a monitoring strategy, an accident emergency warning system and implementation of the 1994 Strategic Action Plan. The applied research activity is explained. The Programme is a major activity with many elements addressing a wide range of environmental problems in the catchment of a major international waterway.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1891
Author(s):  
Antonio Reina ◽  
Trung Dang-Bao ◽  
Itzel Guerrero-Ríos ◽  
Montserrat Gómez

Metal nanoparticles have been deeply studied in the last few decades due to their attractive physical and chemical properties, finding a wide range of applications in several fields. Among them, well-defined nano-structures can combine the main advantages of heterogeneous and homogenous catalysts. Especially, catalyzed multi-step processes for the production of added-value chemicals represent straightforward synthetic methodologies, including tandem and sequential reactions that avoid the purification of intermediate compounds. In particular, palladium- and copper-based nanocatalysts are often applied, becoming a current strategy in the sustainable synthesis of fine chemicals. The rational tailoring of nanosized materials involving both those immobilized on solid supports and liquid phases and their applications in organic synthesis are herein reviewed.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (2B) ◽  
pp. 731-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lal ◽  
A J T Jull

Nuclear interactions of cosmic rays produce a number of stable and radioactive isotopes on the earth (Lai and Peters 1967). Two of these, 14C and 10Be, find applications as tracers in a wide variety of earth science problems by virtue of their special combination of attributes: 1) their source functions, 2) their half-lives, and 3) their chemical properties. The radioisotope, 14C (half-life = 5730 yr) produced in the earth's atmosphere was the first to be discovered (Anderson et al. 1947; Libby 1952). The next longer-lived isotope, also produced in the earth's atmosphere, 10Be (half-life = 1.5 myr) was discovered independently by two groups within a decade (Arnold 1956; Goel et al. 1957; Lal 1991a). Both the isotopes are produced efficiently in the earth's atmosphere, and also in solids on the earth's surface. Independently and jointly they serve as useful tracers for characterizing the evolutionary history of a wide range of materials and artifacts. Here, we specifically focus on the production of 14C in terrestrial solids, designated as in-situ-produced 14C (to differentiate it from atmospheric 14C, initially produced in the atmosphere). We also illustrate the application to several earth science problems. This is a relatively new area of investigations, using 14C as a tracer, which was made possible by the development of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The availability of the in-situ 14C variety has enormously enhanced the overall scope of 14C as a tracer (singly or together with in-situ-produced 10Be), which eminently qualifies it as a unique tracer for studying earth sciences.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 9563-9578 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C.-K. Chou ◽  
C. T. Lee ◽  
M. T. Cheng ◽  
C. S. Yuan ◽  
S. J. Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract. To investigate the physico-chemical properties of aerosols in Taiwan, an observation network was initiated in 2003. In this work, the measurements of the mass concentration and carbonaceous composition of PM10 and PM2.5 are presented. Analysis on the data collected in the first 5-years, from 2003 to 2007, showed that there was a very strong contrast in the aerosol concentration and composition between the rural and the urban/suburban stations. The five-year means of EC at the respective stations ranged from 0.9±0.04 to 4.2±0.1 μgC m−3. In rural areas, EC accounted for 2–3% of PM10 and 3–5% of PM2.5 mass loadings, comparing to 4–6% of PM10 and 4–8% of PM2.5 in the urban areas. It was found that the spatial distribution of EC was consistent with CO and NOx across the network stations, suggesting that the levels of EC over Taiwan were dominated by local sources. The measured OC was split into POC and SOC counterparts following the EC tracer method. Five-year means of POC ranged from 1.8±0.1 to 9.7±0.2 μgC m−3 among the stations. It was estimated that the POM contributed 5–17% of PM10 and 7–18% of PM2.5 in Taiwan. On the other hand, the five-year means of SOC ranged from 1.5±0.1 to 3.8±.3 μgC m−3. The mass fractions of SOM were estimated to be 9–19% in PM10 and 14–22% in PM2.5. The results showed that the SOC did not exhibit significant urban-rural contrast as did the POC and EC. A significant cross-station correlation between SOC and total oxidant was observed, which means the spatial distribution of SOC in Taiwan was dominated by the oxidant mixing ratio. Besides, correlation was also found between SOC and particulate nitrate, implying that the precursors of SOA were mainly from local anthropogenic sources. In addition to the spatial distribution, the carbonaceous aerosols also exhibited distinct seasonality. In northern Taiwan, the concentrations of all the three carbonaceous components (EC, POC, and SOC) reached their respective minima in the fall season. POC and EC increased drastically in winter and peaked in spring, whereas the SOC was characterized by a bimodal pattern with the maximal concentration in winter and a second mode in summertime. In southern Taiwan, minimal levels of POC and EC occurred consistently in summer and the maxima were observed in winter, whereas the SOC peaked in summer and declined in wintertime. The discrepancies in the seasonality of carbonaceous aerosols between northern and southern Taiwan were most likely caused by the seasonal meteorological settings that dominated the dispersion of air pollutants. Moreover, it was inferred that the Asian pollution outbreaks could have shifted the seasonal maxima of air pollutants from winter to spring in the northern Taiwan, and that the increases in biogenic SOA precursors and the enhancement in SOA yield were responsible for the elevated SOC concentrations in summer.


1997 ◽  
Vol 496 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Derwin ◽  
Kim Kinoshita ◽  
Tri D. Tran ◽  
Peter Zaleski

AbstractSeveral types of carbonaceous materials from Superior Graphite Co. were investigated for lithium ion intercalation. These commercially available cokes, graphitized cokes and graphites have a wide range of physical and chemical properties. The coke materials were investigated in propylene carbonate based electrolytes and the graphitic materials were studied in ethylene carbonate / dimethyl solutions to prevent exfoliation. The reversible capacities of disordered cokes are below 230 mAh / g and those for many highly ordered synthetic (artificial) and natural graphites approached 372 mAh / g (LiC6). The irreversible capacity losses vary between 15 to as much as 200 % of reversible capacities for various types of carbon. Heat treated cokes with the average particle size of 10 microns showed marked improvements in reversible capacity for lithium intercalation. The electrochemical characteristics are correlated with data obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TAM), X - ray diffraction (XRD) and BET surface area analysis. The electrochemical performance, availability, cost and manufacturability of these commercial carbons will be discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Roinas ◽  
Cath Mant ◽  
John B. Williams

Sustainable drainage (SuDs) is an established method for managing runoff from developments, and source control is part of accepted design philosophy. However, there are limited studies into the contribution source control makes to pollutant removal, especially for roads. This study examines organic pollutants, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in paired source and non-source control full-scale SuDs systems. Sites were selected to cover local roads, trunk roads and housing developments, with a range of SuDs, including porous asphalt, swales, detention basins and ponds. Soil and water samples were taken bi-monthly over 12 months to assess pollutant loads. Results show first flush patterns in storm events for solids, but not for TPH. The patterns of removal for specific PAHs were also different, reflecting varying physico-chemical properties. The potential of trunk roads for pollution was illustrated by peak runoff for TPH of > 17,000 μg/l. Overall there was no significant difference between pollutant loads from source and non-source control systems, but the dynamic nature of runoff means that longer-term data are required. The outcomes of this project will increase understanding of organic pollutants behaviour in SuDs. This will provide design guidance about the most appropriate systems for treating these pollutants.


2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (4) ◽  
pp. 4905-4917
Author(s):  
S Contreras ◽  
R E Angulo ◽  
M Zennaro ◽  
G Aricò ◽  
M Pellejero-Ibañez

ABSTRACT Predicting the spatial distribution of objects as a function of cosmology is an essential ingredient for the exploitation of future galaxy surveys. In this paper, we show that a specially designed suite of gravity-only simulations together with cosmology-rescaling algorithms can provide the clustering of dark matter, haloes, and subhaloes with high precision. Specifically, with only three N-body simulations, we obtain the power spectrum of dark matter at z = 0 and 1 to better than 3 per cent precision for essentially all currently viable values of eight cosmological parameters, including massive neutrinos and dynamical dark energy, and over the whole range of scales explored, 0.03 < $k/{h}^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ < 5. This precision holds at the same level for mass-selected haloes and for subhaloes selected according to their peak maximum circular velocity. As an initial application of these predictions, we successfully constrain Ωm, σ8, and the scatter in subhalo-abundance-matching employing the projected correlation function of mock SDSS galaxies.


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