Cross-linked polymeric beads of divinylbenzene/ethyl acrylate/acrylonitrile copolymer, with zwitterionic functional groups obtained by aminolysis with ethylenediamine and carboxymethylation with ...sodium chloroacetate (IEx-Zw) were herein used in the heavy metal ions (HMIs) dynamic sorption studies, both as a single component-simulated solution (Cu2+) and in multicomponent polluted water (Cu2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+) collected from tailings pond of Tarnita, Suceava, Romania. The experiments were performed in fluidized bed columns filled with IEx-Zw, for the column sorption of Cu2+ from synthetic polluted waters being used to assess the best working conditions of the sorbent. The HMIs sorption experiments were supported by UV–Vis spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The dual sorbent/catalyst function of the IEx-Zw was followed in the copper sorption experiments, with sorbed Cu2+ being reduced to Cu2O, as found by X-ray diffraction analysis of the obtained precipitate. The multicomponent HMIs sorption kinetic data were described by Thomas and Yoon–Nelson models to gain a deeper understanding of the use of the zwitterionic beads in a continuous flow setup. Furthermore, the germination assays were used to investigate the toxicity of soil collected from the Tarnita sterile dump. Soil cleaning using the IEx-Zw resin was shown to be effective enough to increase the soils’ capacity to support the germination process.
In areas at high environmental risk, a major issue is the assessment of the exposure of the general population to industrial pollutants. To date, few studies have investigated exposure to heavy ...metals in a population residing in a high risk environmental area. The aim of this study is to evaluate the exposure to heavy metals in the industrial area of Taranto, Southern Italy, through biological monitoring techniques. We measured the levels of inorganic arsenic and methylated metabolites, lead, cadmium, chromium, and manganese in the urine samples of 279 subjects residing in Taranto and neighboring areas. After obtaining informed consent from each participant, qualified health staff administered a standardized structured questionnaire investigating lifestyle habits and assessing any confounding factors. The biological monitoring data showed high urinary concentrations of nearly all of the heavy metals investigated. These findings could be related to the presence of industrial plants and is sufficient to warrant the expectation that local and national institutions should be required to adopt preventive measures to reduce the environmental exposure of the general population to heavy metals.
Under dc electric field, pollution may be more easily deposited around insulator string caps and pins, distributing non-uniformly on its inner and outer parts, and presenting ring-like shape. dc ...Flashover tests of 7-unit XHP-160 insulator string were carried out. During the tests, the ring-shaped non-uniform pollution was simulated using solid-layer method by changing the ratio I/O of inner-to-outer surface salt deposit density (SDD) and radius (r) of the heavily polluted area (the inner part). On the basis of the test data, the effects of ring-shaped non-uniform pollution on dc flashover characteristics were studied. Then, the relative variation trend of flashover voltage, surface pollution layer resistance, and leakage current were discussed. Research results show that the ratio I/O affects the dc flashover performance of the insulator string. The flashover voltage increases with the increase of I/O. With the increase of the radius r, the flashover voltage will increase at first and then decrease. Under ring-shaped non-uniform pollution, surface pollution layer resistance of insulator will increase, which results in lower leakage current and higher flashover voltage. The results will be of certain value in providing references for outdoor insulation selection.
•Electrokinetic soil remediation for the textile effluent contaminated agricultural soil.•The negatively charged organic components move towards anode.•Trace metal removal was achieved by ...electroosmosis and electromigration process.•Effective removal of chloride and sulphate was achieved.
The discharge from the dyeing industries constitutes unfixed dyes, inorganic salts, heavy metal complexes etc., which spoil the surrounding areas of industrial sites. The present article reports the use of direct current electrokinetic technique for the treatment of textile contaminated soil. Impressed direct current voltage of 20V facilitates the dye/metal ions movement in the naturally available dye contaminated soil towards the opposite electrode by electromigration. IrO2–RuO2–TiO2/Ti was used as anode and Ti used as cathode. UV–Visible spectrum reveals that higher dye intensity was nearer to the anode. Ni, Cr and Pb migration towards the cathode and migration of Cu, SO42− and Cl− towards anode were noticed. Chemical oxygen demand in soil significantly decreased upon employing electrokinetic. This technology may be exploited for faster and eco-friendly removal of dye in soil environment.
Human health and well-being are strongly linked to the state of the environment. The high industrial pressure present in the Province of Brescia, located in Northern Italy, produced strong ...environmental and health concerns. This narrative review of the literature aims at identifying the studies focused on the association between exposure to environmental pollutants and health effects in the population living in this area. Thirteen papers fitted the inclusion criteria: five were focused on the connection among pollutants present in air matrix and health effects, seven on both air and soil, and one on soil. No study investigated the relationship with water pollution. The great variability in the analyzed end-points made it difficult to draw precise conclusions, but the fact that, in almost all the studies, the investigated health effects have a positive association with the exposure to different kinds of pollutants, allows us to hypothesize that the considered population is living in an area where the “environmental pressure” could produce significant health effects in the future.
Introduction. This paper presents a study of historically formed architecture of popular housing; a further subject is the specifics of the climate of Magnitogorsk City significantly contributing to ...the pollution of the atmosphere with emissions of Magnitogorsk Iron (MMK) integrated iron and steel works.
Materials and methods. Data of long-term satellite remote sensing and regulatory documents were used. Data of scientific research works and publications in periodicals on the topic were analyzed.
Results. A distribution of wind directions in Magnitogorsk was determined, as well as the atmospheric pollution index. Area pollution polygons were plotted around Magnitogorsk, in terms of dust and gas emissions of MMK in summer and in winter period of the year. A map of the Environmental Agglomeration of Magnitogorsk was plotted.
Conclusions. It was determined that in the polluted area around Magnitogorsk, the dust and gas emissions to the atmosphere have exterminated the natural environment contributed by the wind speed and direction, as well as by the air flow temperature. The wind transports the gas and dust emissions from MMK territory far beyond Magnitogorsk borders. Even if by 2024 the emission of pollutants from the hot workshops is reduced by 20 %, at least 20–30 years will be required for the perishing nature to resurrect. Thus, it is now absolutely high time, after a century of pollution with MMK emissions, to launch a number of landscape revitalization projects and to create environmentally aware architectural situation in the adjoining areas of the Environmental Agglomeration of Magnitogorsk. This goal is feasible for students of the Architectural School of Magnitogorsk of the Institute of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Arts. A list of students’ term and graduation papers of the architectural faculty has been revised, which are dedicated to the recovery of the architecture of the natural landscape and to the development of the architectural environment of the settlements of Verkhneuralskiy, Nagaybakskiy, Agapovskiy and Kizilskiy Districts.
Objectives This study aimed to (i) describe mesothelioma incidence in the Italian national priority contaminated sites (NPCS) on the basis of data available from the Italian National Mesothelioma ...Registry (ReNaM) and (ii) profile NPCS using Bayesian rank analysis. Methods Incident cases of mesothelioma and standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were estimated for both genders in each of the 39 selected NPCS in the period 2000–2011. Age-standardized rates of Italian geographical macro areas were used to estimate expected cases. Rankings of areas were produced by a hierarchical Bayesian model. Asbestos exposure modalities were discussed for each site. Results In the study period, 2683 incident cases of mesothelioma (1998 men, 685 women) were recorded. An excess of mesothelioma incidence was confirmed in sites with a known past history of direct use of asbestos (among men) such as Balangero (SIR 197.1, 95% CI 82.0–473.6), Casale Monferrato (SIR 910.7, 95% CI 816.5–1012.8), and Broni (SIR 1288.5, 95% CI 981.9–1691.0), in sites with shipyards and harbors (eg, Trieste, La Spezia, Venice, and Leghorn), and in settings without documented direct use of asbestos. The analysis ranked the sites of Broni and Casale Monferrato (both genders) and Biancavilla (only for women) the highest. Conclusions The present study confirms that asbestos pollution is a risk for people living in polluted areas, due to not only occupational exposure in industrial settings with direct use of asbestos but also the presence of asbestos in the environment. Epidemiological surveillance of asbestos-related diseases is a fundamental tool for monitoring the health profile in NPCS.
The studies on Zn, Pb and Mn content in the needles of Pinus silvestris and the surface layers of soil (0.0–0.2 m and 0.4–0.6 m) were conducted in 2010. The research stations covered residential ...areas, municipal parks, neighborhoods of busy streets, industrial establishments, waste dump sites and sewage treatment plants. The tests showed variability of the analyzed elements in the needles of P.silvestris and in municipal soils, depending on concentration of urban and industrial activity, road traffic and the depth of the examined layer of soil. The content of heavy metals in soil varied. Zn was characterized by the highest variability, depending on the depth (50.3–52.4%), Mn slightly lower (38.5–42.2%), and Pb, the lowest (29.1–33.2%). It was evidenced that the values of the heavy metals enrichment factors of the needles are closely connected with concentration of the examined metals in the soil. Along with the rise of Zn, Mn and Pb content in the soil, the values of enrichment factors decreased. The strongest negative correlations were found in the case of Zn, both in 1-year old needles (r = -0.82, p<0.05), as well as in 2-years’ old ones (r = -0.83, p<0.05), slightly weaker in the cases of lead and manganese.
The most serious quality issue of natural resources for human consumption or medicinal purposes is the contamination with pollutants harmful to consumers. Common blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) is a ...sought-after nutraceutical and an important component in herbal medicine in many places around the globe. The present study aims to analyze the level of heavy metal bioaccumulation in blackberry organs, as well as its spatial distribution in two consecutive years immediately after the interruption of the extended activity of the industrial source of pollution. The research was conducted in one of the most polluted areas in Romania and Eastern Europe, within a 26 km radius of the source of pollution. The Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations in the leaves, flowers, and unwashed blackberry fruits were analyzed spectrophotometrically through flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). The results show that blackberry is an important bioaccumulator of these heavy metals—71% of the Pb concentration values and 100% of the Cd concentration values exceeded the World Health Organization thresholds by up to 29 and 15 times, respectively. Also, the leaves are the largest reservoirs of Pb and Zn (the median values: 51.4 mg/kg dry weight and 105.2 mg/kg d.w., respectively), and the flowers contained the largest quantities of Cd and Cu (2.54 mg/kg d.w. and 11.3 mg/kg d.w., respectively). The Pb concentrations decreased by a power function in relation to the distance from the source of pollution. The implications of these results on the safety of the use of blackberry are discussed. The urgent necessity for food education of the local population which consumes contaminated nutraceutical products is emphasized.
Three harmful metals were determined using AAS techniques in 285 samples of fruiting bodies of 15 wild-growing edible mushroom species. The mushrooms were collected from a forest on the fringe of a ...historical area of silver mining. The metals were also determined in a topsoil organic layer sampled from nine sites within the observed area. As compared to background levels from unpolluted sites from several European countries, cadmium contents were considerably elevated in nearly all the tested species; lead contents were increased in most of the species, while mercury contents were elevated only in certain species. Thus, many species from the observed area may contribute considerably to the body burden of the metals.
Agaricus silvaticus accumulated cadmium extremely and
Lepista nuda accumulated mercury. There were no obvious simple positive relationships between the contents of the observed metals in fruiting bodies and the contents of total metals in the soil organic layer.
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