Fate and toxicity of spilled chemicals in groundwater and soil environment I: strong acids

This work is aimed at developing a mathematical model equation that can be used to predict the fate of contaminant in the soil environment. The mathematical model was developed based on the fundamental laws of conservation and the equation of continuity given asand was resolved to obtain a quadratic equation of the form C(X) = DX2+vX+f. The developed equation was then used to fit the experimental data that were obtained from the Physio-chemical analysis of the soil samples which were obtained at various depths; within the vicinity of the H & H Asphalt plant Company, located at Enito 3 in Ahoada West L.G.A, River State, Nigeria. The Experimental and Model results obtained from the Calculation and Simulation of the developed models were compared numerically and graphically as presented in this work. It was observed that there is reasonable level of agreement between the three results. The polynomial of the curve was established to ascertain the validity of the model; this was done for all the parameters that were analyzed. From the findings the model developed can be used to predict the concentration of a chemical pollutant at various depths. The reliability of the model developed was established giving the fact that through this quadratic equation the diffusivity (coefficient of diffusion), the water velocity and the irreversible reaction decay rate could be determined.

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Aqueous acid-aided corrosion products removal from the surface of the brass elements of heat exchangers

Voprosy Materialovedeniya ◽

10.22349/1994-6716-2019-98-2-110-115 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 110-115

Author(s):

L. M. Mironovich ◽

A. Yu. Eliseev ◽

A. Yu. Eliseeva

Keyword(s):

Heat Exchangers ◽

Solution Temperature ◽

Cleaning Process ◽

Complex Effect ◽

Aqueous Acid ◽

Surface Configuration ◽

Additional Input ◽

Heat Exchange Equipment ◽

Working Solution ◽

Strong Acids

The paper studies complex effect of various factors on the process of cleaning brass brand L-68, used for the manufacture of heat exchange equipment. It has been established that acids of various strengths can be used as working solutions. The speed of the cleaning process depends on the nature of the acid and its initial concentration. For strong acids, a working solution with low concentration is recommended, followed by an increase in their concentration during the cleaning process. Additional input of oxygen into the system and an increase of the working solution temperature increase the cleaning rate of brass. The cleaning process proceeds without significant changes in the surface configuration, and, consequently, the expenditure of metal.

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Solvent-Controlled Self-Assembled Oligopyrrolic Receptor

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26061771 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 1771

Author(s):

Fei Wang ◽

Kejiang Liang ◽

Mads Christian Larsen ◽

Steffen Bähring ◽

Masatoshi Ishida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Materials Science ◽

Science Research ◽

Polymeric Chain ◽

Supramolecular System ◽

Receptor System ◽

One Dimensional ◽

X Ray ◽

Host Guest Complex ◽

Colorimetric Response ◽

Strong Acids

We report a fully organic pyridine-tetrapyrrolic U-shaped acyclic receptor 10, which prefers a supramolecular pseudo-macrocyclic dimeric structure (10)2 in a less polar, non-coordinating solvent (e.g., CHCl3). Conversely, when it is crystalized from a polar, coordinating solvent (e.g., N,N-dimethylformamide, DMF), it exhibited an infinite supramolecular one-dimensional (1D) “zig-zag” polymeric chain, as inferred from the single-crystal X-ray structures. This supramolecular system acts as a potential receptor for strong acids, e.g., p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA), methane sulfonic acid (MSA), H2SO4, HNO3, and HCl, with a prominent colorimetric response from pale yellow to deep red. The receptor can easily be recovered from the organic solution of the host–guest complex by simple aqueous washing. It was observed that relatively stronger acids with pKa < −1.92 in water were able to interact with the receptor, as inferred from 1H NMR titration in tetrahydrofuran-d8 (THF-d8) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopic titrations in anhydrous THF at 298 K. Therefore, this new dynamic supramolecular receptor system may have potentiality in materials science research.

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DO WEAK OR STRONG ACIDS REMOVE CARBONATE CONTAMINATION FROM ANCIENT TOOTH ENAMEL MORE EFFECTIVELY? THE EFFECT OF ACID PRETREATMENT ON RADIOCARBON AND δ13C ANALYSES

Radiocarbon ◽

10.1017/rdc.2021.32 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Rachel Wood ◽

Andre Barros Curado Fleury ◽

Stewart Fallon ◽

Thi Mai Huong Nguyen ◽

Anh Tuan Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Acetic Acid ◽

Chelating Agents ◽

Tooth Enamel ◽

Mineral Phase ◽

Acid Pretreatment ◽

Skeletal Material ◽

Lower Porosity ◽

Hot Environments ◽

Strong Acids

ABSTRACT In hot environments, collagen, which is normally targeted when radiocarbon (14C) dating bone, rapidly degrades. With little other skeletal material suitable for 14C dating, it can be impossible to obtain dates directly on skeletal materials. A small amount of carbonate occurs in hydroxyapatite, the mineral phase of bone and tooth enamel, and has been used as an alternative to collagen. Unfortunately, the mineral phase is often heavily contaminated with exogenous carbonate causing 14C dates to underestimate the true age of a sample. Although tooth enamel, with its larger, more stable crystals and lower porosity, is likely to be more robust to diagenesis than bone, little work has been undertaken to investigate how exogenous carbonate can be effectively removed prior to 14C dating. Typically, acid is used to dissolve calcite and etch the surface of the enamel, but it is unclear which acid is most effective. This study repeats and extends earlier work using a wider range of samples and acids and chelating agents (hydrochloric, lactic, acetic and propionic acids, and EDTA). We find that weaker acids remove carbonate contaminants more effectively than stronger acids, and acetic acid is the most effective. However, accurate dates cannot always be obtained.

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Occupations and exposure events in acute and subacute irritant-induced asthma

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2020-107323 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. oemed-2020-107323

Author(s):

Irmeli Lindström ◽

Jussi Lantto ◽

Kirsi Karvala ◽

Satu Soini ◽

Katriina Ylinen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Onset ◽

High Exposure ◽

Root Cause ◽

Multiple Exposures ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Hygiene Measures ◽

Work Tasks ◽

Causative Agents ◽

Strong Acids ◽

Normal Work

BackgroundExposures leading to irritant-induced asthma (IIA) are poorly documented.MethodsWe retrospectively screened the medical records of patients with IIA diagnosed in an occupational medicine clinic during 2000–2018. We classified the cases into acute (onset after single exposure) and subacute (onset after multiple exposures) IIA. We analysed in detail, occupations, causative agents and their air levels in the workplace, exposure events and the root causes of high exposure.ResultsAltogether 69 patients were diagnosed with IIA, 30 with acute and 39 with subacute IIA. The most common occupational groups were industrial operators (n=23, 33%), metal and machinery workers (n=16, 11%) and construction workers (n=12, 8%). Among industrial operators significantly more cases had subacute IIA than acute IIA (p=0.002). Forty cases (57%) were attributable to some type of corrosive acidic or alkaline chemical. Acute IIA followed accidents at work in different types of occupation, while subacute IIA was typical among industrial operators performing their normal work tasks under poor work hygiene conditions. The most common root cause was lack of information or false guidance in acute IIA (n=11, 36%) and neglect of workplace hygiene measures in subacute IIA (n=29, 74%).ConclusionsAccidents are the main causes of acute IIA, whereas subacute IIA can develop in normal work in risk trades with poor work hygiene. Airborne strong acids or bases seem to be the most important causative agents of acute and subacute IIA. The different risk profiles of acute and subacute IIA should be considered in the prevention and identification of the cases.

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The Role of Biochar in Regulating the Carbon, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen Cycles Exemplified by Soil Systems

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13105612 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 5612

Author(s):

Shu-Yuan Pan ◽

Cheng-Di Dong ◽

Jenn-Feng Su ◽

Po-Yen Wang ◽

Chiu-Wen Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Environmental Control ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Soil Environment ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Soil Systems ◽

P Mineralization ◽

Rich Material ◽

Pyrolysis Of Biomass

Biochar is a carbon-rich material prepared from the pyrolysis of biomass under various conditions. Recently, biochar drew great attention due to its promising potential in climate change mitigation, soil amendment, and environmental control. Obviously, biochar can be a beneficial soil amendment in several ways including preventing nutrients loss due to leaching, increasing N and P mineralization, and enabling the microbial mediation of N2O and CO2 emissions. However, there are also conflicting reports on biochar effects, such as water logging and weathering induced change of surface properties that ultimately affects microbial growth and soil fertility. Despite the voluminous reports on soil and biochar properties, few studies have systematically addressed the effects of biochar on the sequestration of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soils. Information on microbially-mediated transformation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) species in the soil environment remains relatively uncertain. A systematic documentation of how biochar influences the fate and transport of carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen in soil is crucial to promoting biochar applications toward environmental sustainability. This report first provides an overview on the adsorption of carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen species on biochar, particularly in soil systems. Then, the biochar-mediated transformation of organic species, and the transport of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soil systems are discussed. This review also reports on the weathering process of biochar and implications in the soil environment. Lastly, the current knowledge gaps and priority research directions for the biochar-amended systems in the future are assessed. This review focuses on literatures published in the past decade (2009–2021) on the adsorption, degradation, transport, weathering, and transformation of C, N, and P species in soil systems with respect to biochar applications.

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Investigation of steel corrosion near the air–liquid interface in NaCl solution and soil environment

Corrosion Engineering Science and Technology ◽

10.1080/1478422x.2021.1943818 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Muye Yang ◽

Shigenobu Kainuma

Keyword(s):

Steel Corrosion ◽

Liquid Interface ◽

Nacl Solution ◽

Soil Environment ◽

Air Liquid Interface

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A Dieldrin Case Study: Another Evidence of an Obsolete Substance in the European Soil Environment

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11040314 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 314

Author(s):

Petros Tsiantas ◽

Evangelia N. Tzanetou ◽

Helen Karasali ◽

Konstantinos M. Kasiotis

Keyword(s):

Active Substance ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Carcinogenic Risk ◽

The European Union ◽

Soil Environment ◽

Single Application ◽

Environmental Concentration ◽

Tandem Mass Spectrometric ◽

Potential Use

Soil constitutes a central environmental compartment that, due to natural and anthropogenic activities, is a recipient of several contaminants. Among them, organochlorine pesticides are of major concern, even though they have been banned decades ago in the European Union, due to their persistence and the health effects they can elicit. In the presented work, a gas chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (GC-MS/MS) developed method was applied to soil samples after the suspected and potential use of formulations containing organochlorine active substance. One soil sample was positive to dieldrin at 0.018 mg kg−1. Predicted environmental concentration in soil (PECsoil) considering a single application of this active substance potentially attributed the finding in its past use. The subsequent health risk assessment showed negligible non-carcinogenic risk and tolerable carcinogenic risk. The latter signifies that repetitive and prolonged sampling can unveil the pragmatic projection of persistent chemicals’ residues in the soil.

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