Blandreese0901
This encompasses medical uses, addiction, prevalence, user typology, and associated public health implications. An overview of WBE is described including its benefits, limitations and potential as a monitoring method for PIED use. A summary of previous work in this field is presented. Finally, we summarise gaps in the literature, future perspectives, and recommendations for monitoring PIEDs in wastewater.Pearl-farming is the second most important source of income in French Polynesia. However, tropical lagoons are fragile ecosystems with regard to anthropogenic pressures like plastic pollution, which threaten marine life and the pearl oyster-related economy. Here, we investigated the spatial distribution of microplastics (MP) and concentrations in surface water (SW), water column (WC) and cultivated pearl oyster (PO) from three pearl-farming atolls with low population and tourism. Microplastics were categorized by their size class, shape, colour and polymer type identified using FTIR spectroscopy. Widespread MP contamination was observed in every study site (SW, 0.2-8.4 MP m-3; WC, 14.0-716.2 MP m-3; PO, 2.1-125.0 MP g-1 dry weight), with high contamination in the WC highlighting the need to study the vertical distribution of MP, especially as this compartment where PO are reared. A large presence of small ( 70%) MP suggests that they result from the breakdown of larger plastic debris. The most abundant polymer type was polyethylene in SW (34-39%), WC (24-32%), while in PO, polypropylene (14-20%) and polyethylene were more evenly distributed (9-21%). The most common MP identified as black-grey polyethylene and polypropylene matches the polymer and colour of ropes and collectors questioning a pearl-farming origin.Nickel (Ni) is a potentially toxic element that contaminates soil and water, threatens food and water security, and hinders sustainable development globally. Biochar has emerged as a promising novel material for remediating Ni-contaminated environments. However, the potential for pristine and functionalized biochars to immobilize/adsorb Ni in soil and water, and the mechanisms involved have not been systematically reviewed. Here, we critically review the different dimensions of Ni contamination and remediation in soil and water, including its occurrence and biogeochemical behavior under different environmental conditions and ecotoxicological hazards, and its remediation using biochar. Biochar is effective in immobilizing Ni in soil and water via ion exchange, electrostatic attraction, surface complexation, (co)precipitation, physical adsorption, and reduction due to the biogeochemistry of Ni and the interaction of Ni with surface functional groups and organic/inorganic compounds contained in biochar. The efficiency for Ni removal is consistently greater with functionalized than pristine biochars. Physical (e.g., ball milling) and chemical (e.g., alkali/acidic treatment) activation achieve higher surface area, porosity, and active surface groups on biochar that enhance Ni immobilization. This review highlights possible risks and challenges of biochar application in Ni remediation, suggests future research directions, and discusses implications for environmental agencies and decision-makers.Ozone (O3) is a reactive oxidant that causes chronic effects on human health, vegetation, ecosystems and materials. This study aims to create O3 isopleths in urban and suburban environments, based on machine learning with air quality data collected from 2001 to 2017 at urban (EA) and suburban (CC) monitoring stations from Madrid (Spain). Artificial neural network (ANN) models have powerful fitting performance, describing correctly several complex and nonlinear relationships such as O3 and his precursors (VOC and NOx). Also, ANN learns from the experience provided by data, contrary to mechanistic models based on the fundamental laws of natural sciences. The determined isopleths showed a different behaviour of the VOC-NOx-O3 system compared to the one achieved with a mechanistic model (EKMA curve) e.g. for constant NOx concentrations, O3 concentrations decreased with VOC concentrations in the ANN model. Considering the difficulty to model all the phenomena (and acquired all the required data) that influences O3 concentrations, the statistical models may be a solution to describe this system correctly. The applied methodology is a valuable tool for defining mitigation strategies (control of precursors' emissions) to reduce O3 concentrations. However, as these models are obtained by air quality data, they are not geographical transferable.Two-phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs) have been extensively used for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal. To date, most studies have focused on improving the mass transfer of gas phases/non-aqueous phases (NAPs)/aqueous phases, whereas the NAP/biological phases and gas/biological phases transfer has been neglected. (R)-2-Hydroxyglutarate mouse Herein, chitosan was introduced into a TPPB to increase cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and improve the n-hexane mass transfer. The performance and stability of the TPPB with chitosan for n-hexane biodegradation were investigated, and it was found out that the TPPB with chitosan achieved maximum removal efficiency and elimination capacity of 80.6% and 26.5 g m-3 h-1, thereby reaching much higher values than those obtained without chitosan (61.3% and 15.2 g m-3 h-1). Chitosan not only obvio usly increased cell surface hydrophobicity and cell dry biomass on the surface of silicone oil, but might also allow hydrophobic cells in aqueous phases to directly capture and biodegrade n-hexane, resulting in an obvious improvement of mass transfer from the gas phase to biomass. Stability enhancement was another attractive advantage from chitosan addition. This study might provide a new strategy for the development of TPPB in the hydrophobic VOCs treatment.Photo-Fenton process is an advanced oxidation technology, which is used to eliminate organic pollutants in environmental pollution. In this paper, g-C3N4 quantum dots incorporated hierarchical macro-mesoporous CuO-SiO2 (MM SC-QDs) composite was successfully fabricated by a dual-template method combined with polystyrene sphere (PS) crystal and copolymer F127. With the presence of H2O2, MM SC-QDs exhibited excellent degradation performance against the antibiotic pollutant norfloxacin (NOR) under visible-light assisted heterogeneous Fenton process at neutral condition, which was 27 times higher than that of the Bulk CuO-SiO2. Interconnected macropores, together with abundant mesopores effectively expand specific surface area and improve mass transfer. In addition, the g-C3N4 QDs served as the separation center for photogenerated charges, promoting the separation and migration of the charge carriers. Wherein, the long-lived photogenerated electrons were effectively separated and transferred to the surface of CuO-SiO2, which accelerated the reduction rate of Cu2+ to Cu+, enhancing the photo-Fenton-like catalytic activity.