Search results for "Pollutant"
showing 10 items of 1389 documents
New perspectives on diastereoselective determination of hexabromocyclododecane traces in fish by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-high re…
2014
a b s t r a c t A new analytical method is presented for diastereoisomer-specific identification and quantitation of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCD) in fish samples. The method is based on extraction of the target analytes from samples with a mixture of organic solvents, with further three-stage clean-up includ- ing destructive removal of matrix components with sulphuric acid and acid-impregnated silica gel, and Florisil adsorption column chromatography. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) cou- pled with high resolution (HR) Orbitrap mass spectrometry featuring heated electrospray ionization (HESI-II) interface operated in negative ion mode was employed for the identification…
Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances, immune-related outcomes, and lung function in children from a Spanish birth cohort study.
2019
Background: Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has been associated with impaired immune and respiratory health during childhood but the evidence is inconsistent and limited for lung function. We studied the association between prenatal PFASs exposure and immune and respiratory health, including lung function, up to age 7 years in the Spanish INMA birth cohort study. Methods: We assessed four PFASs in maternal plasma samples collected during the 1st trimester of pregnancy (years: 2003-2008): perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA). Mothers reported the occurrence (yes/no) of lower respir…
Respiratory Effects of Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollutants During Exercise
2020
Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is increasing worldwide. Habitual physical activity is known to prevent cardiorespiratory diseases and mortality, but whether exposure to TRAP during exercise affects respiratory health is still uncertain. Exercise causes inflammatory changes in the airways, and its interaction with the effects of TRAP or ozone might be detrimental, for both athletes exercising outdoor and urban active commuters. In this Mini-Review, we summarize the literature on the effects of exposure to TRAP and/or ozone during exercise on lung function, respiratory symptoms, performance, and biomarkers. Ozone negatively affected pulmonary function after exercise, especially after co…
Bivariate Distributed Lag Models for the analysis of temperature-by-pollutant interaction effect on mortality.
2007
This paper introduces Bivariate Distributed Lags Models (BDLMs) to investigate synergic effect of temperature and airborne particles on mortality. These models seem particulary attractive since they allow to model interactions between such environmental variables accounting for possible delayed effects. A B-spline framework is used to approximate the coefficient surface of the temperature-by-pollutant interaction and possible alternatives are also discussed. A case study of mortality time-series data in Palermo, Italy, is presented to illustrate the model. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Functional Principal Component Analysis for the explorative analysis of multisite-multivariate air pollution time series with long gaps
2013
The knowledge of the urban air quality represents the first step to face air pollution issues. For the last decades many cities can rely on a network of monitoring stations recording concentration values for the main pollutants. This paper focuses on functional principal component analysis (FPCA) to investigate multiple pollutant datasets measured over time at multiple sites within a given urban area. Our purpose is to extend what has been proposed in the literature to data that are multisite and multivariate at the same time. The approach results to be effective to highlight some relevant statistical features of the time series, giving the opportunity to identify significant pollutants and…
Contaminant Intrusion through Leaks in Water Distribution System: Experimental Analysis
2015
Abstract This paper presents the results of experimental tests on the intrusion of contaminant through pipe cracks in water distribution network resulting from low/negative pressures. The tests were carried out on a looped distribution network at the University of Enna and were performed first producing a pressure transient that causes negative pressures then reproducing intermittent supply. A soluble contaminant was added to the water volume in the network through a pipe crack. Sampling of water volume was carried out in two nodes of the network and the contaminant concentrations were measured. It was showed that: the contaminant was drawn in and transported, in the first set of tests; the…
Spectroscopic and conformational properties of size-fractions separated from a lignite humic acid
2007
Abstract A lignite humic acid (HA) was fractionated by preparative high performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) in seven different size-fractions. The size-fractions were characterized by cross polarization (CP) magic angle spinning (MAS) 13 C NMR spectroscopy and a further analytical HPSEC elution under UV and fluorescence detection. The alkyl hydrophobic components mainly distributed in the largest molecular-size-fraction, whereas the amount of oxidized carbons increased with decreasing size of fractions. Cross polarization time ( T CH ) and proton spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame ( T 1 ρ (H)) were measured from variable contact time (VCT) experiments. The bulk…
A sustainable replacement for TiO2 in photocatalyst construction materials: Hydroxyapatite-based photocatalytic additives, made from the valorisation…
2018
The use of waste materials and by-products in building materials is of increasing importance to improve sustainability in construction, as is the incorporation of photocatalytic materials to both combat atmospheric pollution and protect the structures and façades. This work reports the innovative use of photocatalytic hydroxyapatite (HAp) based powders, derived from Atlantic codfish bone wastes, as an additive to natural hydraulic lime mortars. HAp is the main component of bone, and hence is non-toxic and biocompatible. This is the first time that such a calcium phosphate-based photocatalyst, or indeed any fish/marine derived wastes, have been added to building materials. A key factor is th…
Effects of sewage sludge addition to Norway spruce seedlings on nitrogen availability and soil fauna in clear-cut areas
2012
Anaerobically digested and composted sewage sludge (CSS) has been suggested to be a slow-release fertilizer in forestry and an alternative to quick-release inorganic fertilizers. The effects of CSS with or without added carbohydrate on inorganic nitrogen availability and on soil animals were tested in two Norway spruce plantations. Half of the seedlings were individually fertilized with CSS, and the rest were left as controls. Solid sucrose was added to half of the fertilized and untreated seedlings. Soil samples were taken in the autumn in the first and the second year after the treatments. CSS increased soil NH4-N (2100%), the proportion of soil NO3-N, and the N concentration of spruce ne…
Metal–organic framework technologies for water remediation: towards a sustainable ecosystem
2018
Having access to clean water is a mandatory requirement for the proper development of living beings. So, addressing the removal of contaminants from aquatic systems should be a priority research topic in order to restore ecosystem balance and secure a more sustainable future. The fascinating structures and striking physical properties of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have revealed them as excellent platforms for the removal of harmful species from water. In this review, we have focused our attention on critically highlighting the latest developments achieved in the adsorptive removal of inorganic – metal cations, inorganic acids, oxyanions/cations, nuclear wastes and other inorganic anion…