Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: A review

Application of low-cost adsorbents for dye removal – A review

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides access to information on a variety of topics related to the environment and strives to inform citizens of health risks. The EPA also has an extensive library network that consists of 26 libraries throughout the United States, which provide access to a plethora of information to EPA employees, scientists, and researchers. The EPA implemented a reorganization project to digitize their materials so they would be more accessible to a wider range of users, but this plan was drastically accelerated when the EPA was threatened with a budget cut. It chose to close and reduce the hours and services of some of their libraries. As a result, the agency was accused of denying users the “right to know” by making information unavailable, not providing an adequate strategic plan, and discarding vital materials. This case study explores the background of the digitization project, the practices implemented, and the critiques of the project.

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The Environmental Protection Agency

A review on biodiesel production using catalyzed transesterification

羟氨苄青霉素引起大疱性类天疱疮样疹

Sweet potato bioethanol purification using glycerol

Wildland fires release substantial amounts of hazardous contaminants, contributing to a decline in air quality and leading to serious health risks. Thus, this study aimed to understand the contributions of the 2017 extreme wildland fires in Portugal on children health, compared to 2016 (with burned area, in accordance with the average of the previous 15 years). The impact of long-term exposure to PM10 and NO2 concentrations, associated with wildland fires, on postneonatal mortality, bronchitis prevalence, and bronchitis symptoms in asthmatic children was estimated, as well as the associated costs. The excess health burden in children attributable to exposure to PM10 and NO2, was calculated based on WHO HRAPIE relative risks. Fire emissions were obtained from the Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN). The results obtained indicate that the smoke from wildfires negatively impacts children’s lung function (PM10 exposure: increase of 320 and 648 cases of bronchitis in 2016 and 2017; NO2 exposure: 24 and 40 cases of bronchitis symptoms in asthmatic children in 2016 and 2017) and postneonatal mortality (PM10 exposure: 0.2 and 0.4 deaths in 2016 and 2017). Associated costs were increased in 2017 by around 1 million € for all the evaluated health endpoints, compared to 2016.

Health and Economic Burden of the 2017 Portuguese Extreme Wildland Fires on Children

Corrigendum to “Influence of atmospheric ozone, PM10 and meteorological factors on the concentration of airborne pollen and fungal spore” [Atmos. Environ. 42 (2008) 7452–7464]

Rice is one of the most consumed cereals in the world. From rice processing, rice bran is obtained, and only a part of this by-product is effectively used. Rice bran oil can be obtained and used as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production, although few studies exist to support its exploitation. In addition, pretreatment is required to reduce its acidity and allow for its integration in the conventional industrial process. This work evaluated two pretreatment processes aiming to reduce the free fatty acid (FFA) content of rice bran oil by employing an acid-catalyzed process and a biocatalyzed process. The results allowed us to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of both pretreatments. For that purpose, acid (45, 55 and 65 °C, using H2SO4 concentrations of 2 wt.% or 4 wt.% and a methanol:oil molar ratio of 9:1) and enzymatic FFA conversion (35 °C using a 6:1 methanol:oil molar ratio and 5 wt.% of Thermomyces lanuginosus) were evaluated using rice bran oil with an acid value around 47 mg KOH.g−1, and the reaction kinetics were assessed. Acid esterification enabled a 92% acidity reduction (65 °C, 4 wt.% of catalyst) after 8 h, with the final product presenting an acid value of 3.7 mg KOH.g−1 and a biodiesel purity of 42 wt.%. The enzymatic process allowed an acidity reduction of 82%, resulting in a product with an acid value of 7.0 mg KOH.g−1; however, after 24 h, the biodiesel purity was 87 wt.% (almost a two-fold increase compared to that obtained in the homogeneous process), revealing the conversion of both free fatty acids and glycerides. The study of the reaction kinetics of the homogeneous (acid) esterification showed that, for temperatures > 45 °C, the constant rate increased with temperature. A higher constant rate was obtained for the temperature of 55 °C using 4 wt.% of catalyst (k′ = 0.13 min−1). For the heterogeneous (enzymatic) esterification, the constant rate obtained was lower (k′ = 0.028 min−1), as expected. The study revealed the technical viability of the esterification pretreatment of rice bran oil and the important parameters concerning the performance of the pretreatment solutions. Finally, the enzymatic process should be further explored, aiming to develop more ecofriendly processes (water and energy savings) to produce biodiesel from oils with a high acidity (low-cost raw materials).

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Maria C.M. Alvim-Ferraz

Papers

Sweet potato bioethanol purification using glycerol

Health and Economic Burden of the 2017 Portuguese Extreme Wildland Fires on Children

Corrigendum to “Influence of atmospheric ozone, PM10 and meteorological factors on the concentration of airborne pollen and fungal spore” [Atmos. Environ. 42 (2008) 7452–7464]

Exploiting the Complementary Potential of Rice Bran Oil as a Low-Cost Raw Material for Bioenergy Production

Sweet Potato Bioethanol Upgrade Using Organic and Inorganic Dehydrating Agents