Journal of hazardous materials advances最新文献

The negative impact of azo dye emission on the lifestyle of humans, germination of plants, and the survival of marine life forms disturbs the whole food chain. The current investigation uses Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus to evaluate their degradation potential for Sumifex Tourqi Blue and Navy Blue dyes. The loss of the original dye peaks in the visible region by UV–Vis spectra showed the potential of Aspergillus strains to decolorize and degrade azo dyes. The respective decolorization percentages were 75 % and 48 % for Sumifex Tourqi Blue and Navy Blue by A. fumigatus, whereas 63 % and 85 % for both azo dyes by A. flavus. The GC-MS analysis of the degraded product exhibited different compounds such as Furo[2,3-c] pyridine-2-carboxylic acid, 5-(methylthio)-, ethyl ester, Ethanone, 1-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2,8,8-trimethyl-4H-cyclohepta[b]furan-5-yl), Oxazole, 2-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl-5-phenyl, etc. The efficient production of laccase by the fungal strains proved that the enzyme played a crucial role in decolorizing the harmful azo dyes. The most enzyme activity was recorded by A. flavus, 393 % for Sumifex Tourqi Blue and 299 % for Navy Blue by A. fumigatus. Based on their ability to decolorize and degrade such dyes, Aspergillus strains can be a good bioresource for green chemistry to eradicate azo dyes from the environment.

Electronic waste (E-waste) is a critical challenge of today's period, with around 57 million tons generated in 2021, of which only about 9 million tons were properly recycled, E-waste tends to affect the globe with issue like, illegal recycling, improper landfill disposal, illicit exports and others. Addressing this issue requires sustained, well-structured efforts, with effective policy interventions which are key towards reducing E-waste, by providing a framework for minimizing its generation and safeguarding the environment. These policies can ensure proper disposal methods, public awareness, device repair and refurbishment, and recycling rates with E-waste management monetizing the efforts of E-waste management startups. The study examines innovative E-waste policies across various countries which includes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), WEEE directives, regional laws, and State level laws, highlighting successful strategies such as incentivized recycling programs and stricter regulations on hazardous materials. The aim of the paper is to update information with an emphasis on global trends of E-waste, emphasizing the importance of robust policies in reducing environmental harm and lowering the cost of new electronics through efficient recycling.

The amount of plastic waste has increased enormously due to the using of protective equipment in order to slow down the viral transmission of COVID-19. The usage of protective face masks brought a huge environmental burden. Moreover, a lot of disposed masks enter the ocean or end on landfills, where they threaten the ecosystem. It is still necessary to deal with environmental-friendly disposal or to reuse and recycle of these masks. This article is focused on the disposal of FFP2 face masks by their co-combustion with wood. Due to the possibility of produced emissions, disintegrated masks were blended with spruce and beech sawdust and compared with pure wood. These materials were compressed into pellets with the aim of higher density. The emissions such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter were measured during pellet combustion. The heat output of the automatic pellet boiler was also determined. The filters with captured particulate matter were sent to the investigation of dioxin and furan concentration. Except for this, the regression model has been created for the prediction the concentration of particulate matter. The results confirmed that the co-combustion of wood with FFP2 masks could be one of the environmental-friendly ways of face mask disposal when they are used as an additive in a small percentage. The fuel composition and operational conditions are also very important parameters during the combustion process. However, the concentration of gas emissions and particulate matter, as well as heat output, did not change significantly, when the content of FFP2 masks of 5 % or 10 % was used.