Search results for "Pollutants"

First-principles simulations of hydrogen peroxide formation catalyzed by small neutral gold clusters.

2009

Energetics and dynamical pathways for hydrogen peroxide formation from H(2) and O(2) bound to neutral gold dimers and tetramers have been investigated by applying several strategies: T = 0 K geometry optimizations, constrained Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations at T = 300 K and metadynamics at T = 300 K. The competing reaction channels for water and hydrogen peroxide formation have been found and characterized. In each case, the reaction barriers for Au cluster catalyzed proton transfer are less than 1 eV. Water formation is a competitive reaction channel, and the relative weight of H(2)O and H(2)O(2) products may depend on the chosen Au cluster size. Dynamic simulations demonstr…

Preparation and characterization of sodium iron titanate ion exchanger and its application in heavy metal removal from waste waters.

2006

Abstract The ion exchange properties of sodium iron titanates, namely, NaFeTiO4, Na2Fe2Ti6O16 and iron-doped sodium nonatitanate were investigated. Conventional solid state and sol–gel methods were used in the synthesis of the sodium iron titanates. Structural characterization of the materials was performed with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Based on TG analyses, the novel iron-doped sodium nonatitanate was proven to be a member of the layered titanate family. The different sodium iron titanates were compa…

Photocatalytic degradation of acid blue 80 in aqueous solutions containing TiO2 suspensions.

2001

The photocatalytic degradation of the anthraquinonic dye Acid Blue 80 in aqueous solutions containing TiO2 dispersions has been investigated. The process has been monitored by following either the disappearance of the dye (via HPLC) and the formation of its end-products (via IC, GC, and TOC analysis). Although a relatively fast decolorization of the solutions has been observed, the mineralization is slower, and the presence of residual organic compounds was evidenced even after long term irradiation, confirming the relevant stability of anthraquinone derivatives. The identification of various unstable intermedi ates formed after low irradiation times was performed by HPLC-MS, allowing us to…

Titania Photocatalysts for Selective Oxidations in Water

2011

Heterogeneous photocatalysis by polycrystalline semiconductor oxides is an unconventional technology that has been mainly applied for the degradation of organic and inorganic pollutants in both the vapor and liquid phase. The application of photocatalysis in synthetic routes has also been researched in recent years, demonstrating its viability as an alternative route in organic chemistry. This work illustrates the main findings in the application of heterogeneous photocatalysis to the oxidation of organic compounds dissolved in water, free of any organic co-solvent. Two main aspects of the oxidative process have been studied: the first one is the partial oxidation of various mono-substitute…

La qualità dell’aria indoor: una priorità ambientale e sanitaria

2009

Infant exposure of perfluorinated compounds: Levels in breast milk and commercial baby food

2010

In this study, an analytical method to determine six previous termperfluorinatednext term compounds (PFCs) based on alkaline digestion and solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-QqLIT-MS) was validated for the analysis of human breast milk, milk previous terminfantnext term formulas and cereals baby food. The average recoveries of the different matrices were in general higher than 70% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 21% and method limits of detection (MLOD) ranging from 1.2 to 362 ng/L for the different compounds and matrices. The method was applied to investigate the occurrence of PFCs in 20 sample…

Research focusing on plant performance in constructed wetlands and agronomic application of treated wastewater – A set of experimental studies in Sic…

2019

Constructed wetlands are sustainable technologies for the treatment of wastewater. These biological systems have been widely studied throughout the world for more than 30 years; however, most studies have focused on the effects of design and engineering on pollutant removal from wastewater. Undoubtedly, agro-technical aspects have been given too little consideration by research. This paper reports the main results of a set of experiments carried out on two pilot horizontal subsurface flow systems in Sicily (Italy). Festuca, Lolium and Pennisetum spp. in combination and three emergent macrophytes-Arundo donax L., Cyperus alternifolius L. and Typha latifolia L.-alone, were assessed. The aim o…

Exposure assessment of a burning ground for chemical ammunition on the Great War battlefields of Verdun

2007

The destruction of arsenical shells from the 1914/18 war in the vicinity of Verdun (France) during the 1920s resulted in a locally limited but severe soil contamination by arsenic and heavy metals. At the study site, the main part of the contaminant inventory occurs in the upper 20 cm of the topsoil which is essentially composed of combustion residues. Besides, some Cu (cmax.=16,877 mg/kg) and Pb (cmax.=26,398 mg/kg) in this layer, As (cmax.=175,907 mg/kg) and Zn (cmax.=133,237 mg/kg) were detected in very high concentrations. The mobilities of Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in the soil system were derived from ammonium nitrate eluates. They are strongly influenced by the soil pH and can be described by…

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their oxygen-containing derivatives (OPAHs) in soils from the Angren industrial area, Uzbekistan.

2009

We measured the concentrations and depth distribution (0-10, 10-20 cm) of 31 PAHs and 12 OPAHs in soils at eleven equidistant sampling points along a 20-km transect in the Angren industrial region (coal mine, power plant, rubber factory, gold mine), Uzbekistan to gain an insight into their concentrations, sources, and fate. Concentrations of all compounds were mostly much higher in the 0-10 cm than in the 10-20 cm layer except in disturbed soil close to the coal mine. Proximity to one of the industrial emitters was the main determinant of PAH and OPAH concentrations. The Sigma31PAHs concentrations correlated positively with the Sigma7 carbonyl-OPAH (r=0.98, p<0.01), Sigma5 hydroxyl-OPAH (r=…

Direct and indirect exogenous contamination by pesticides of rice-farming soils in a Mediterranean wetland.

2003

It is known that the sources of soil contamination can be endogenous or exogenous and that exogenous contamination may be direct or indirect. In this work, an environmental pesticide fate study was conducted in soil profiles collected from 23 rice field sites in an important Mediterranean wetland (Albufera Natural Park, Valencia, Spain) from April 1996 to November 1997. Temporal and spatial distribution of 44 pesticide residues in an alluvial Mediterranean soil (gleyic-calcaric Fluvisol, Fluvaquent) were monitored. During this period, the levels of pesticide residues in different soil horizons (Ap1 0–12 cm, Ap2 12–30 cm, ApCg 30–50 cm, C1gr 50–76 cm, and C2r 76–100 cm) were investigated. In…