Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) constitute important, promising, efficient, and environmental-friendly methods developed to principally remove persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from waters and wastewaters. Generally, AOPs are based on the in situ generation of a powerful oxidizing agent, such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH), obtained at a sufficient concentration to effectively decontaminate waters. This critical review presents a precise and overall description of the recent literature (period 1990–2012) concerning the main types of AOPs, based on chemical, photochemical, sonochemical, and electrochemical reactions. The principles, performances, advantages, drawbacks, and applications of these AOPs to the degradation and destruction of POPs in aquatic media and to the treatment of waters and waste waters have been reported and compared.

Advanced Oxidation Processes in Water/Wastewater Treatment: Principles and Applications. A Review

The long-term stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM) in tropical and temperate regions is mediated by soil biota (e.g. fungi, bacte- ria, roots and earthworms), soil structure (e.g. aggregation) and their interactions. On average, soil C turnover was twice as fast in tropical com- pared with temperate regions, but no major differences were observed in SOM quality between the two regions. Probably due to the soil mineralogy dominated by 1:1 clay minerals and oxides in tropical regions, we found a higher aggregate stability, but a lower correlation between C contents and aggregate stability in tropical soils. In addition, a smaller amount of C associated with clay and silt particles was observed in tro- pical versus temperate soils. In both tropical and temperate soils, a general increase in C levels (≈ 325 ± 113 kg C·ha -1 ·yr -1 ) was observed under no-tillage compared with conventional tillage. On average, in temperate soils under no-tillage, compared with conventional tillage, CH4 uptake (≈ 0.42 ± 0.10 kg C-CH4·ha -1 ·yr -1

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Soil organic matter, biota and aggregation in temperate and tropical soils - Effects of no-tillage

Electrochemically Assisted Remediation of Pesticides in Soils and Water: A Review

The handbook of environmental chemistry

Current use of pressurised liquid extraction and subcritical water extraction in environmental analysis.

Lethal effects of abamectin on the aquatic organisms Daphnia similis, Chironomus xanthus and Danio rerio.

An old landfill leachate was pre-treated in a pilot-scale aerated packed tower operated in batch mode for total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) removal. The stripped ammonia was recovered with a 0.4 mol L−1 H2SO4 solution, deionized water and tap water. Ca(OH)2 (95% purity) or commercial hydrated lime was added to the raw leachate to adjust its pH to 11, causing removal of colour (82%) and heavy metals (70–90% for Zn, Fe and Mn). The 0.4 mol L−1 H2SO4 solution was able to neutralize 80% of the stripped ammonia removed from 12 L of leachate. The effectiveness of the neutralization of ammonia with deionized water was 75%. Treating 100 L of leachate, the air stripping tower removed 88% of TAN after 72 h of aeration, and 87% of the stripped ammonia was recovered in two 31 L pilot-scale absorption units filled with 20 L of tap water.

Ammonia removal from landfill leachate by air stripping and absorption

Co-treatment of landfill leachate and domestic wastewater using a submerged aerobic biofilter.

Occurrence of PPCPs in a Brazilian water reservoir and their removal efficiency by ecological filtration.

This report shows an unexpected toxicity decrease during atrazine photoelectrodegradation in the presence of NaCl. Atrazine is a pesticide classified as endocrine disruptor occurring in industrial effluents and agricultural wastewaters. We therefore studied the effects of the degradation method, electrochemical and electrochemical photo-assisted, and of the supporting electrolyte, NaCl and Na2SO4, on the residual toxicity of treated atrazine solutions. We also studied the toxicity of treated atrazine solutions using Artemia nauplii. Results show that at initial concentration of 20 mg L−1, atrazine was completely removed in up to 30 min using 10 mA cm−2 electrolysis in NaCl medium, regardless of the electrochemical method used. The total organic carbon removal by the photo-assisted method was 82% with NaCl and 95% with Na2SO4. The solution toxicity increased during sole electrochemical treatment in NaCl, as expected. However, the toxicity unexpectedly decreased using the photo-assisted method. This finding is a major discovery because electrochemical treatment with NaCl usually leads to the formation of toxic chlorine-containing organic degradation by-products.

Eny Maria Vieira

Papers

Lethal effects of abamectin on the aquatic organisms Daphnia similis, Chironomus xanthus and Danio rerio.

Ammonia removal from landfill leachate by air stripping and absorption

Co-treatment of landfill leachate and domestic wastewater using a submerged aerobic biofilter.

Occurrence of PPCPs in a Brazilian water reservoir and their removal efficiency by ecological filtration.

Unexpected toxicity decrease during photoelectrochemical degradation of atrazine with NaCl