Environmental Science and Pollution Research最新文献

In recent years, peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs) have garnered increasing attention for their efficacy in eliminating persistent organic pollutants. Metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) materials are frequently employed as efficient catalysts for the activation of PMS, leading to the effective production of various reactive species. In this study, a novel 3D porous cobalt/nickel bimetallic-nitrogen-carbon aerogel (Co/Ni-N-C) with well-dispersed CoNi-nanosheets that enhance electron transfer and provide a large active surface area was prepared through an in situ growth and a straightforward pyrolysis procedure of 2D cobalt/nickel metal-organic framework (CoNi-MOF) which was contained by a bamboo cellulose aerogel as a precursor. Rapid tetracycline (TC) removal (efficiency of 99.83% and mineralization rate of 69.8%) was achieved via PMS activation, facilitated by a synergistic enhancement effect of well-dispersion CoNi-nanosheet array. The evenly dispersed Co/Ni-N active sites and high Co:Ni ratio (P_Co:_Ni = 0.21) producing multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS) were essential in accelerating removal of contaminant. The toxicity assessment results of the intermediates further confirmed that the catalytic degradation in the Co/Ni-N-C-800/PMS system reduced the ecological toxicity of TC through dehydroxylation, demethylation, ring-opening, and deamidation. Furthermore, the Co/Ni-N-C-800/PMS system demonstrated exceptional degradation efficiency for various aromatic compounds with diverse substituents and showed good cyclic stability. These findings offer insights into the development of highly effective bimetallic-nitrogen-carbon catalytic materials.

Freshwater biodiversity plays a pivotal role in maintaining ecological equilibrium and furnishing numerous ecosystem services to diverse organisms. However, these intricate ecosystems face imminent threats from various phenomena, including global warming and anthropogenic activities, leading to heightened occurrences of ecological disasters, notably mass mortality events among aquatic fauna. This study represents the first comprehensive investigation and high-frequency monitoring of the ecological disaster of fish mass mortalities in Africa. We focused on instances of fish mass mortality events (FMME) in North African freshwater ecosystems and estuaries in 2019, focusing on Morocco, as the country most endowed with aquatic ecosystems in North Africa. Seven aquatic ecosystems exhibited susceptibility, impacting a total of 10 species. Notably, 94.59% of the minimum estimated 171,064 deceased fish individuals belonged to non-native species. Lepomis macrochirus stood out as the species most profoundly impacted, representing a substantial 63.36% of the total mortalities, with Lepomis gibbosus following closely at 27.64%. Comprehensive measurements of water quality parameters, encompassing temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, among others, were conducted, and their associations with the affected ecosystems were analyzed. Our findings suggest that the predominant cause of the majority of FMME was attributed to the critically low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, likely resulting from anthropogenic and climatic pressures. Overall, FMME can considered as a potential threat to Moroccan freshwater fish diversity and communities.

Eutrophication, driven by nutrient enrichment, poses a global challenge, impacting the ecosystem, water supply systems, and ultimately, human health. In this research, water unavailability due to phosphorus pollution was assessed in Brazilian semiarid reservoirs with data measured over a decade. Management strategies to control eutrophication were simulated using physical-mathematical modeling of the phosphorus budget in the water and sediment layers. The model parameters were calibrated from 1976 to 2021, and the results were validated by comparing measured and modeled duration curves of phosphorus concentration. Water unavailability due to phosphorus pollution occurred approximately 61% of the time, indicating the need for effective control strategies. Simulation of sediment removal when the reservoirs dry up showed potential to contribute to water quality in reservoirs with high emptying frequency, while external phosphorus load reduction proved to be more widely efficient. The variation in the effectiveness of the techniques among the studied reservoirs emphasizes the need for approaches adapted to the specific conditions. This work contributes to improve the understanding of phosphorus dynamics in reservoirs with high water level fluctuations and appropriate management measures to control eutrophication in dry environments.

The building materials industry encounters naturally occurring radioactive materials problems and elicits growing attention in radiation protection regulations. However, the availability of useful, comprehensive data on radiological hazard in building materials is unfortunately scant: data are few and far between. In the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, there is a flourishing ceramic industry, with a vast production of building materials, particularly tiles and bricks. Our laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Radioactivity has collaborated with this industry since the year 2000, collecting over time a vast number of samples and processing them through high-resolution gamma spectrometry, to obtain a large dataset of radionuclide contents. This paper presents a radiation protection study based on said dataset, aimed at assessing the radiological risk associated with these materials: in particular, different indexes, internationally accepted, and dose rates are calculated in compliance with well-established EU algorithms. Statistical treatment of data is also presented.

Lakes play a vital role in supporting biodiversity, providing water resources, regulating climate, cycling nutrients, and offering recreational opportunities. Despite their importance for environmental health and human well-being, lakes face significant pressures in the Anthropocene era. The present work seeks to assess the species-environment interactions and the ecological status of six lakes in the Western Black Sea basin of Türkiye utilizing phytoplankton metrics during wet and dry periods. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed a significant correlation equal to 98.5% between phytoplankton species and environmental stressors during two hydrological periods. Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total organic carbon (TOC), and temperature were the most influential environmental factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in lakes (p = 0.002). Lake Sarıkum, a brackish habitat, was under high EC and pH pressure and is characterized by pollution-tolerant species. Lake Yeniçağa associated with TOC is characterized by some species, such as Anabaenopsis milleri, Chroococcus turgidus, Pseudoschroederia robusta, Aphanocapsa sp., Merismopedia glauca, Micractinium quadrisetum, and Microcystis aeruginosa. Lake Abant is located on the opposite side of EC, TOC, and temperature, which was associated with some species such as Cymbella affinis, Achnanthidium minutissimum, Encyonema minutum, E. silesiacum, and Dinobryon divergens. Results of the phyto-assessment displayed that the ecological status (ES) of the sampling stations during the rainy and dry periods varied from bad to high. The modified phytoplankton trophic index (MPTI) exhibited that a moderate ES was found in Lakes Sarıkum and Yeniçağa, while others had a good ES. The present study confirmed that phytoplankton communities are strongly linked to the ecological status of lakes in the Western Black Sea basin, which could be assessed using the MPTI.

In this study, ZnFe₂O₄ (ZFO), Pd_0.2Zn_0.8Fe₂O₄ (PZFO), Ba_0.1Ca_0.1Mg_0.1Sr_0.1Zn_0.6Fe₂O₄ (BCMSZFO), Ca_0.2Co_0.2Cu_0.2Zn_0.4Fe₂O₄ (CCCZFO), Mg_0.2Mn_0.2Zn_0.6Fe₂O₄ (MMZFO), and Co_0.1Cu_0.1Mg_0.1Mn_0.1Ni_0.1Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ (CCMMNZFO) nanospinels were synthesized via a hydrothermal method assisted by succinic acid. This material was evaluated for hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting under separate irradiation wavelengths of visible LED light. The chemical, physical, and photophysical properties of the ZFO family nanophotocatalysts were characterized using FT-IR, XRD, FESEM-EDX-MAP, UV-Vis DRS, and VSM. All synthesized nanospinels exhibited a pure spinel phase with no evidence of secondary crystalline phase. The direct band gap energies of ZFO, PZFO, BCMSZFO, CCCZFO, MMZFO, and CCMMNZFO were determined as 1.75, 1.51, 1.73, 1.50, 1.48, and 1.25 eV, respectively. Photocatalytic water splitting experiments were conducted under N₂ injection using a setup with operational parameters of 5 min irradiation time and 1 g of nanophotocatalyst mass. The hydrogen production rates of the nanophotocatalysts under identical conditions revealed significant differences, forming the basis for further investigations in this study.

Heavy metal (HM) and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) pollution is continuously increasing due to anthropogenic activities, and it is one of the global problems that pose a threat to human and environmental health. Phosphogypsum (PG), a by-product of phosphate fertilizer (PF) production, is an industrial solid waste produced in large quantities worldwide, and much of it is stockpiled. PG contains enhanced levels of toxic substances such as HMs and NORMs. The first detailed study on the determination of major-minor oxides, HMs, and NORMs contents of PGs collected from waste stockpiles at phosphate fertilizer factories (PFFs) in Türkiye was carried out using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to obtain data for the reuse of these wastes and a better characterization of the waste deposit. The major-minor oxides analyzed in the PG samples were ranked as SO₃ (53.22%) > CaO (36.84%) > SiO₂ (2.08%) > P₂O₅ (1.21%) > Al₂O₃ (0.13%) > Fe₂O₃ (0.11%) according to their average contents. The average contents (mg/kg) of HMs and NORMs analyzed in the PG samples were listed as follows: Fe (744.2) > Ti (102.1) > Zn (59.2) > Mn (28.9) > Ni (18.4) > Cr (15.2) > Co (14.6) > Cu (13.5) > Zr (10.8) > Pb (8.8) > Cd (8.5) > V (7.4) > U (4.9) > Th (4.2). The results revealed that HMs, except Cd and U, were lower than the Earth's crust averages and maximum soil contaminant levels recommended in the Turkish Regulation on Control of Soil Pollution.

Single-use plastics are a major environmental concern in developing countries like Bangladesh due to their non-biodegradable nature. Finding sustainable alternatives is crucial to reduce reliance on these harmful plastics and mitigate pollution. This study aims to explore the public opinions on plastic pollution and investigate the challenges and potential for substituting plastics with jute. The study also provides essential recommendations for addressing these challenges and fostering the successful substitution of plastics with jute-based alternatives. A thorough social study was carried out in two major cities of Bangladesh, involving 212 participants through face-to-face questionnaire surveys. The selected participants represented diverse demographics in terms of age, gender, occupation, and education level. The findings reveal broad support for plastic recyclability, with many participants favoring jute and paper bags as alternatives to plastics. However, most individuals show little concern for reusing plastic products. Moreover, more than half of the total participants, spanning various demographics, have been exposed to plastic waste reduction campaigns. Furthermore, two-thirds of participants from diverse age groups, occupations, education levels, and genders support the introduction of higher pricing, such as additional tax, as measures to reduce plastic pollution. The correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) plot reveal clustering patterns aligning plastic recycling, extra charges on plastic, and the availability of jute products with socio-demographic variables. Despite favorable views on jute, participants highlight high prices and limited availability as major barriers to adopting jute alternatives. Most of the participants call for additional support to the jute sector, with consensus favoring increased subsidies from the Government of Bangladesh and recognition of the significance of investing in research.

The global community is very concerned about the removal of arsenic from contaminated water sources. There is significant global interest in practical methods for the removal of arsenic from polluted water sources. A 3D-porous Fe₂O₃-basalt composite was manufactured by a one-pot solvothermal approach and studied by several methods. The effects of pH, contact duration, adsorption isotherm, and Combodian ground water treatment on removal efficiency were systematically analyzed. The Fe₂O₃-basalt composite demonstrated adsorption capacities of 5.393 mg/g for As(III) and 5.7117 mg/g for As(V) at a neutral pH of 7. Adsorption behavior for both arsenic species aligned closely with the Langmuir isotherm model, while the adsorption isotherm followed a pseudo-second-order model. In Combodian ground water samples, the composite achieved arsenic removal efficiencies of 99.9% for As(III) and 97.3% for As(V), underscoring its potential as an effective adsorbent. Notably, the composite maintained high removal performance over five regeneration cycles, showing robust reusability for both As(III) and As(V) at neutral pH. Sustainability assessments in geothermal water samples confirmed that the Fe₂O₃-basalt composite reliably reduced arsenic levels to meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water, supporting its applicability as a sustainable solution for arsenic mitigation in ground water systems.