Mariangela Grassi

Bio: Mariangela Grassi is an academic researcher from University of Salerno. The author has contributed to research in topics: Wastewater & Sewage treatment. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 7 publications receiving 1310 citations. Previous affiliations of Mariangela Grassi include University of Florence.

Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Water and Wastewater by Adsorption Process

Abstract: Emerging contaminants are chemicals recently discovered in natural streams as a result of human and industrial activities. Most of them have no regulatory standard and can potentially cause deleterious effects in aquatic life at environmentally relevant concentrations. The conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not always effective for the removal of these huge classes of pollutants and so further water treatments are necessary. This chapter has the aim to study the adsorption process in the removal of emerging compounds. Firstly, a brief description of adsorption mechanism is given and then the study of conventional and non-conventional adsorbents for the removal of emerging compounds is reviewed with the comparison between them.

Endocrine disruptors compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in urban wastewater: implications for agricultural reuse and their removal by adsorption process

Abstract: In the last years, a lot of emerging contaminants, such as, endocrine disruptors compounds (EDCs), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs) have been detected in wastewater. Because of their toxicity and possible adverse effects on the environment and humans, their release from urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) effluents should be minimized, particularly when a wastewater reuse for crops irrigation is expected. Many processes have been investigated for advanced treatment of UWWTP effluents as well as for emerging contaminant degradation; among these, adsorption process was successfully used to remove EDCs and PPCPs from wastewater. This article shortly reviews EDCs and PPCPs removal from UWWTP effluents by adsorption process using conventional and non-conventional adsorbents. The fate of EDCs and PPCPs in UWWTPs and the implications for agricultural wastewater reuse has been addressed too. In spite of the adsorption process looking to be a valuable alternative to other advanced technologies for the removal of emerging contaminants from wastewater, some gaps still remain to evaluate the actual feasibility at full scale. However, according to a few studies available in scientific literature on the use of both powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon at full scale, adsorption process by activated carbon is a promising, potentially effective, and economically feasible solution for producing safe wastewater for agricultural reuse.

A review on Fenton and improvements to the Fenton process for wastewater treatment

Abstract: The increase in the disposal of refractory organics demands for newer technologies for the complete mineralization of these wastewaters. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) constitute a promising technology for the treatment of such wastewaters and this study presents a general review on such processes developed to decolorize and/or degrade organic pollutants. Fundamentals and main applications of typical methods such as Fenton, electro-Fenton, photo-Fenton, sono-Fenton, sono-photo-Fenton, sono-electro-Fenton and photo-electro-Fenton are discussed. This review also highlights the application of nano-zero valent iron in treating refractory compounds.

Efficiency of various recent wastewater dye removal methods: A review

Abstract: Dye effluents released from numerous dye-utilizing industries are harmful towards the environment and living things. Consequently, existence of dye effluent in environmental water bodies is becoming a growing concern to environmentalists and civilians. A long term sustainable and efficient dye effluent treatment method should be established to eliminate this issue. Dye wastewater should be treated first before release to minimize its negative impacts towards the environment and living things. However, due to lack of information on efficient dye removal methods, it is difficult to decide on a single technique that resolves the prevailing dye effluent issue. Therefore, this paper reviews existing research papers on various biological, chemical and physical dye removal methods to find its efficiency through percentage of dye removal. Although there are numerous existing tried and tested methods to accomplish dye removal, most of them have a common disadvantage which is the generation of secondary pollution to the environment. This paper highlights enzyme degradation (biological) and adsorption (physical) dye removal as these are known as one of the most efficient dye removal techniques these days. This paper also suggests the usage of a combined adsorbent as it is envisioned that this technique has better efficiency and is able to remove dyes at a faster rate.

Pharmaceuticals of Emerging Concern in Aquatic Systems: Chemistry, Occurrence, Effects, and Removal Methods.

Abstract: In the last few decades, pharmaceuticals, credited with saving millions of lives, have emerged as a new class of environmental contaminant. These compounds can have both chronic and acute harmful effects on natural flora and fauna. The presence of pharmaceutical contaminants in ground waters, surface waters (lakes, rivers, and streams), sea water, wastewater treatment plants (influents and effluents), soils, and sludges has been well doccumented. A range of methods including oxidation, photolysis, UV-degradation, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and adsorption has been used for their remediation from aqueous systems. Many methods have been commercially limited by toxic sludge generation, incomplete removal, high capital and operating costs, and the need for skilled operating and maintenance personnel. Adsorption technologies are a low-cost alternative, easily used in developing countries where there is a dearth of advanced technologies, skilled personnel, and available capital, and adsorption appears to be the most broadly feasible pharmaceutical removal method. Adsorption remediation methods are easily integrated with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Herein, we have reviewed the literature (1990-2018) illustrating the rising environmental pharmaceutical contamination concerns as well as remediation efforts emphasizing adsorption.