Search results for " Pollution"
showing 10 items of 1010 documents
The bioremediation potential of the Priolo Harbour (SR, Italy): isolation, identification and catabolic ability of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria
2013
The petrochemical site of Priolo-Augusta-Melilli (Sicily, Italy), is a Site of National Interest (SIN) due to high levels of contamination of the coastline and its remediation is urgently needed. Successful remediation strategies relying on the catabolic potential of marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (HCB) have been described. HCB are specialised hydrocarbon (HC)-degrading marine bacteria that use HC almost exclusively as unique carbon and energy source and become dominant in oil-impacted environments. In order to identify the key hydrocarbon degraders and explore the natural bioremediation potential of the contaminated area, sediment cores and sea water were collected inside the Priolo H…
Environmental impact on historical monuments: The black crusts of the Venice lagoon
2020
Black crusts are typical decay forms on calcareous rocks in polluted urban environments. Their origin is due to “sulphation” reaction of calcium carbonate substrates (CaCO3), as a consequence of pH value decrease caused by SO2 in the polluted atmosphere. They can be therefore defined as a passive air pollution sampler. For the purpose of this work, samples from the historic center of Venice were analyzed. The city of Venice suffers in particular maritime and industrial pollution (Marghera industrial zone). By means of minero-petrographic and geochemical analyses, it was possible to obtain information on the mineralogy of the crust and its interaction with the underlying substrates, other th…
Passive exposure to nicotine from e-cigarettes
2016
A procedure based on the use of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), after liquid-liquid microextraction (LLME), has been successfully employed for the determination of passive exposure to nicotine from cigarette and e-cigarette smoking. Nicotine has been determined in exhaled breath and oral fluids of both, active and passive smokers. The aforementioned studies, made in closed environments, evidenced that the exhaled breath after conventional blend cigarette smoke provides nicotine levels of the order of 220 ng per puff, in the case of experienced smokers, being exhaled only 32 ng in the case of e-cigarettes. On the other hand, the nicotine amount in oral fluids of passive vapers was between 8…
Combination of ozonation and photocatalysis for purification of aqueous effluents containing formic acid as probe pollutant and bromide ion
2014
The treatment by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) of waters contaminated by organic pollutants and containing also innocuous bromide ions may generate bromate ions as a co-product. In the present work heterogeneous photocatalysis and ozonation have individually been applied and in combination (integrated process) to degrade the organic compounds in water containing also bromide anions. The results show that: i) the sole photocatalysis does not produce bromate ions and in the case of its presence, it is able to reduce bromate to innocuous bromide ions; ii) the integration of photocatalysis and ozonation synergistically enhances the oxidation capabilities; and iii) in the integrated proces…
Three-Dimensional Calibration for Routine Analyses of Bromide and Nitrate Ions as Indicators of Groundwater Quality in Coastal Territories
2019
Nitrate and bromide ions are generally considered indicators of anthropogenic pollution and seawater intrusion, respectively, in the groundwater of coastal territories. The analysis of these species is generally carried out with routine chromatographic analyses which generally afford partially merged or poorly resolved peaks. In the present paper a simple method for the correct evaluation of their concentration in water is reported. This method does not imply utilization of other instruments or technologies, only the mathematical elaboration of the data obtained from routine analysis of standard solutions containing the two species. Standard binary solutions of nitrate and bromide ions at d…
Environment, wealth, inequality and the burden of disease in the Accra metropolitan area, Ghana
2005
The study examines environmental problems and adverse impacts on the health of urban households in the Accra metropolitan area, Ghana. Accra is faced with severe inadequacy of urban infrastructure in the face of rapid population growth in the metropolis. More than half of the city's population do not have access to solid waste collection services. Only 39.8% of households have indoor pipe and over 35.0% of households depend on unsanitary public latrines whilst 2.5% do not have access to toilet facilities. Human excrement, garbage and wastewater are usually deposited in surface drains, open spaces and streams in poor neighbourhoods. The resultant poor sanitation has serious health impacts as…
Vertical standing copper nanowires for electrochemical sensor of nitrate in water
2020
Nitrogen, in the forms of nitrate (NO3-), nitrite, or ammonium, is a nutrient needed for plant growth and it is a common constituent of fertilizers [1]. When fertilizers are overused, they contaminate the ground water and then the food chain. For humans, a low level of nitrate is advisable because it increases the blood flow and has a good effect on both blood pressure and cardiovascular system. On the contrary, a high concentration of nitrate can be dangerous for humans. Nitrate ions undergoes different chemical transformations (i.e. to nitrite ions by Escherichia coli) producing different nitrogen-based compound such as nitrite ions, nitric oxide and ammonia [2]. These chemicals lead to s…
Toxico-resistance of Baltic amphipod species to heavy metals
2013
Benthic organisms are important components of aquatic ecosystems and have been widely used to assess environmental pollution. Being very sensitive to a wide range of toxicants amphipods are often used as test objects in eco-toxicological studies. The aim of this study was to compare toxico-resistance of various Baltic amphipod species to exposure of heavy metals. The acute toxicity (48-h LC50 and 96-h LC50) of cadmium (CdCl2), copper (CuSO4) and zinc (ZnSO4 ⋅ 7H2O) was detected experimentally, using juveniles and adults of brackish water amphipods, Monoporeia affinis, Bathyporeia pilosa, Gammarus tigrinus, Pontogammarus robustoides and the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex as test objects.…
Quantitative relations between different concentrations of micro- and macroelements in mosses and lichens: the region of Opole (Poland) as an environ…
2010
We examined the concentration of selected metals: Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, as well as activity of 137Cs in samples of moss and lichen, collected in the area surrounding Bory Stobrawskie, a wood complex situated in southern Poland. The concentration of metals was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The activity of 137Cs was determined by gamma spectrometry. We used these results, as well as results published in the literature, to determine the correlation between the concentration of analytes in lichens and in mosses. The analysis of the function ln(cx,moss) = lna + bln(cx,lichen) indicated with high degree of certainty that the concentration levels of analytes accumulated in…
Environmental cadmium, lead and nickel contamination: possible relationship between soil and vegetable content
1991
The cadmium, lead and nickel content of soils of four agricultural areas exposed to different degrees of environmental pollution and vegetables grown there were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). In order to ascertain the possible relationship between the heavy metal content of soils (total and extractable) and of vegetables grown in them, the correlation between the two was calculated. The highest correlation values between metal content of soil and vegetables are these corresponding to nickel: the total metal content in soils and leaves-stems are linear (p<0.01). The extractable metal content of soils and leaves-stems are linear (p<0.1). Therefore, soil seems to be the…