Here, we report a promising new strategy for achieving rapid and complete destruction of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) through the application of hydrothermal conditions (condensed water, 200–350...

Rapid Destruction and Defluorination of Perfluorooctanesulfonate by Alkaline Hydrothermal Reaction

Generation, storage, and management of waste coming from industrial processes are a growing worldwide problem. One of the main contributors is the mining industry, in particular tailings generated by historical mining, which are barely maintained, especially in developing countries. Assessing the impact of a mining site to surrounding soils and ecosystems can be complex, especially when determining mobility and accessibility of the contaminants is required to perform ecological and human health risk assessment. As an effort to obtain information regarding mobility and accessibility of some potentially toxic elements (Zn, Pb, and As) from an historical mining site of northwestern Mexico, the abandoned mine tailings of San Felipe de Jesus in central Sonora and adjacent agricultural soils were investigated. Mobility and accessibility were assessed by means of sequential extraction procedures and using simulated physiological media. Additionally, an assessment of accidental oral intake was calculated considering the bioaccessible fractions. Results show that higher concentrations of contaminants were found in sulfide-rich tailings (Zn = 92,540; Pb = 21,288; As = 19,740 mg kg−1) compared with oxide-rich tailings (Zn = 43,240; Pb = 14,763; As = 13,401 mg kg−1). Concentrations in agricultural soils were on average Zn = 4755, Pb = 2840, and As = 103 mg kg−1. Zinc was mainly recovered from labile fractions in oxide-rich tailings (~ 60%) and in a lower amount from sulfide-rich tailings (~ 30%). Pb and As were mainly associated with residual fractions (80–95%) in both types of tailings. The percentage of mobile fractions (sum of water-soluble, exchangeable, and bound to carbonate fractions) in agricultural soils was as follows: Zn ~ 60%, Pb ~ 15%, and As ~ 70%. Regarding the phytoaccessible fraction, the studied elements in mine tailings and agricultural soil samples exceeded the threshold limits, except for As in agricultural soils. According to data obtained, toxic effects were also calculated. As for daily oral intake for non-carcinogenic effects in adults and children, only Pb and As exceeded reference dose values, especially in children exposed to sulfide-rich tailings and agricultural soils. Regarding carcinogenic effects of Pb and As, most of the samples were above acceptable risk values.

Mobility and accessibility of Zn, Pb, and As in abandoned mine tailings of northwestern Mexico.

Freshwater is a scarce resource that continues to be at high risk of pollution from anthropogenic activities, requiring remediation in such cases for its continuous use. The agricultural and mining industries extensively use water and nitrogen (N)-dependent products, mainly in fertilizers and explosives, respectively, with their excess accumulating in different water bodies. Although removal of NO3 from water and soil through the application of chemical, physical, and biological methods has been studied globally, these methods seldom yield N2 gas as a desired byproduct for nitrogen cycling. These methods predominantly cause secondary contamination with deposits of chemical waste such as slurry brine, nitrite (NO2), ammonia (NH3), and nitrous oxide (N2O), which are also harmful and fastidious to remove. This review focuses on complete denitrification facilitated by bacteria as a remedial option aimed at producing nitrogen gas as a terminal byproduct. Synergistic interaction of different nitrogen metabolisms from different bacteria is highlighted, with detailed attention to the optimization of their enzymatic activities. A biotechnological approach to mitigating industrial NO3 contamination using indigenous bacteria from wastewater is proposed, holding the prospect of optimizing to the point of complete denitrification. The approach was reviewed and found to be durable, sustainable, cost effective, and environmentally friendly, as opposed to current chemical and physical water remediation technologies.

/pdf/nitrate-water-contamination-from-industrial-activities-and-2kmercly.pdf

Nitrate Water Contamination from Industrial Activities and Complete Denitrification as a Remediation Option

Improper waste management has assumed a worrisome dimension in cities across many developing countries. One of its commonest features is open dumps. Open dumps in Enugu and Nsukka were investigated in this study. Waste samples were collected from ten dumps located in low-income, low-to-middle income, and high-income zones of the study area. The composition of waste was determined following standard methods and results obtained subjected to statistical analyses. Selected open dumps were subjected to detailed inspection in order to identify possible environmental impacts. Soil samples were also collected from the top soil and subsoil (15 cm) of selected dumps and analyzed for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cd, and Zn. The sources of contamination were determined using the principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Results of heavy metal analyses were used to determine extent of soil pollution. Food waste ranged from 29.6 to 56.5% with an average of 42.2%. Analysis along income line showed a decline in the proportion of food and rubber waste from lower to high income. The order of heavy metals concentration in waste dump soils investigated was as follows: Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Ni > Cd > Hg. The pollution indices (PI) of the dumpsites ranged from 1.87 for Ni to 1634.6 for Cu in the topsoil, and 0.62 for Ni to 1354.74 for Cu in the subsoil, indicating a severe level of pollution. Pollution load index (PLI) ranged from 25.38 to 75.07 with a mean of 60.75 for the dump surface and from 51.46 to 21.7 with a mean of 33.86 below the dump soil. Forty-three percent (43%) of the topsoil and 40% of the subsoil exhibited ecological risk index values greater than 320, indicating extreme degree of ecological risk. The first principal and second principal components with 36% and 28.2% variance respectively represent the growing impact of electronic waste disposal, specifically mobile phones, personal computers, and other potable electronic devices with short life span on waste dumps. The third principal component (10.2%) represents input from households and other forms of chemicals such as insecticides, paints, and detergents.

Environmental burden of unprocessed solid waste handling in Enugu State, Nigeria.

Restoration of vegetation around mining enterprises

The aim of this study is to evaluate the application of the main hazardous waste management techniques in mining operations and in dumping sites being conscious of the inter-linkages and inter-compartment of the contaminated soils and sediments. For this purpose, a systematic review of the literature on the reduction or elimination of different potential toxic elements was carried out, focusing on As, Cd and Hg as main current contaminant agents. Selected techniques are feasible according to several European countries’ directives, especially in Spain. In the case of arsenic, we verified that there exists a main line that is based on the use of iron minerals and its derivatives. It is important to determine its speciation since As (III) is more toxic and mobile than As (V). For cadmium (II), we observed a certain predominance of the use of biotic techniques, compared to a variety of others. Finally, in mercury case, treatments include a phytoremediation technique using Limnocharis flava and the use of a new natural adsorbent: a modified nanobiocomposite hydrogel. The use of biological treatments is increasingly being studied because they are environmentally friendly, efficient and highly viable in both process and energy terms. The study of techniques for the removal of potential toxic elements should be performed with a focus on the simultaneous removal of several metals, since in nature they do not appear in isolation. Moreover, we found that energy analysis constitutes a limiting factor in relation to the feasibility of these techniques.

/pdf/remediation-of-potential-toxic-elements-from-wastes-and-onuu4fmp9s.pdf

Raquel Táboas-Fernández

Papers

Remediation of Potential Toxic Elements from Wastes and Soils: Analysis and Energy Prospects