Stoutgallagher7150

Two binding periods were distinguished according to the viscoelastic properties of CIP layer viscous binding in the initial period and elastic towards binding saturation. Results highlighted QCM-D as an effective and real-time technique to evaluate the role of extracellular proteins in contaminants removal.The presence of pharmaceutical micropollutants in water and wastewater is considered a serious environmental issue. To eliminate these pollutants, biodegradation of pharmaceuticals using enzymes such as laccase, is proposed as a green method. In this study, immobilized laccase was used for the removal of two model pharmaceutical compounds, carbamazepine and diclofenac. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized as a tailor-made support for enzyme immobilization. Covalently immobilized laccase from Trametes hirsuta exhibited remarkable activity and activity recovery of 4.47 U/cm2 and 38.31%, respectively. The results also indicated improvement in the operational and thermal stability of the immobilized laccase compared to free laccase. Finally, by using immobilized laccase in a mini-membrane reactor, removal efficiencies of 27% in 48 h and 95% in 4 h were obtained for carbamazepine and diclofenac, respectively. The findings suggest that immobilized laccase on PVDF/MWCNT membranes is a promising catalyst for large-scale water and wastewater treatment which is also compatible with existing treatment facilities.Solid wastes from chromium-processing facilities, when used as fill material, have generated chromium point source contamination of soils and groundwaters, that remains after decades in many urban and peri urban areas all over the world, causing environmental impacts that need to be addressed in a sustainable economic, social and environmental way. Representative surface soil samples, from a polluted area affected by chromite wastes burials, were used to carry on a feasibility study on Phytoextraction applicability, and chelating agents' selection to reduce environmental risks, considering chromium bioaccessible forms reduction as an objective. GW788388 manufacturer Tests for natural (only vegetation), and induced phytoextraction (plants + chelating agents) applicability were performed at greenhouse facilities under controlled conditions at two rounds. Natural phytoextraction tests, using first wheat and then corn plants, allowed to observe a low but significant 4,8% reduction in soil chromium. At induced phytoextraction trials, when comparing the action of the different chelating agents versus a blank on final soil chromium concentration, the results were not so conclusive globally (0,5% less soil chromium in trials in which the first crop was wheat followed by corn, and 2% in trials in which the first and the second crop was corn). In each group, the most "effective" chelating agent differed EDDS for the first set, MGDA for the second one.The addition of chelating compounds in the soil could result in an increasing of the Cr oxidizable fraction mainly composed by Cr species associated to the organ mineral complexes.The interaction of microplastics with freshwater biota and their interaction with other stressors is still not very well understood. Therefore, we investigated the ingestion, excretion and toxicity of microplastics in the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. MP ingestion was analyzed as tissues levels in L. stagnalis after 6-96 h of exposure to 5-90 μm spherical polystyrene (PS) microplastics. To understand the excretion, tissue levels were determined after 24 h of exposure followed by a 12 h-7 d depuration period. To assess the toxicity, snails were exposed for 28 d to irregular PS microplastics ( less then 63 μm, 6.4-100,000 particles mL-1), both alone and in combination with copper as additional stressor. To compare the toxicity of natural and synthetic particles, we also included diatomite particles. Microplastics ingestion and excretion significantly depended on the particle size and the exposure/depuration duration. An exposure to irregular PS had no effect on survival, reproduction, energy reserves and oxidative stress. However, we observed slight effects on immune cell phagocytosis. Exposure to microplastics did not exacerbate the reproductive toxicity of copper. In addition, there was no pronounced difference between the effects of microplastics and diatomite. The tolerance towards microplastics may originate from an adaptation of L. stagnalis to particle-rich environments or a general stress resilience. In conclusion, despite high uptake rates, PS fragments do not appear to be a relevant stressor for stress tolerant freshwater gastropods considering current environmental levels of microplastics.Zinc (Zn2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) in water pose serious threats to human health and the environment. In search for a more effective treatment technology, we prepared a type of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) bridged chlorapatite (CMC-CAP) nanoparticles and tested the material for removal of Zn2+ and Cd2+ from water. CMC macromolecules were attached to CAP by bidentate bridging and hydrogen bonding, preserving the high adsorption capacity of CAP nanoparticles while allowing for easy gravity-separation of the nanoparticles. CMC-CAP showed rapid adsorption kinetics and 22.8% and 11.2% higher equilibrium uptake for Zn2+ and Cd2+, respectively, than pristine CAP. An extended dual-mode isotherm model, which takes into account both sorption and chemical precipitation, provided the best fits to the sorption isotherms, giving a maximum Langmuir sorption capacity of 141.1 mg g-1 for Zn2+ and 150.2 mg g-1 for Cd2+ by CMC-CAP. Na+ at up to 5 mM showed modest effects on the uptake of the heavy metals, while 2-5 mM of Ca2+ exerted notable inhibitive effects. Dissolved organic matter (up to 5 mg L-1 as TOC) inhibited the Zn2+ uptake by 16.5% but enhanced the Cd2+ removal by 8.6%. Material characterizations and surface binding analyses revealed that ion exchange, surface precipitation, and surface complexation were the removal mechanisms for the heavy metals. This study demonstrates stabilizer bridging may serve as a convenient strategy to facilitate water treatment uses of nanoparticles.