| 1. |
- Alsanius, Beatrix
(författare)
-
Use of a passive bioreactor to reduce water-borne plant pathogens, nitrate, and sulfate in greenhouse effluent
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 48, s. 1740-1747
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of passive bioreactors to reduce water-borne plant pathogens (Pythium ultimum and Fusarium oxysporum) and nutrient load (NO- (3) and SO2- (4)) in greenhouse effluent. Sterilized and unsterilized passive bioreactors filled with a reactive mixture of organic carbon material were used in three replicates. After a startup period of 2 (sterilized) or 5 (unsterilized) weeks, the bioreactor units received for 14 weeks a reconstituted commercial greenhouse effluent composed of 500mg L-1 SO2- (4) and 300mg L-1 NO- (3) and were inoculated three times with P. ultimum and F. oxysporum (10(6) CFU mL(-1)). Efficacy in removing water-borne plant pathogens and nitrate reached 99.9% for both the sterilized and unsterilized bioreactors. However, efficacy in reducing the SO2- (4) load sharply decreased from 89% to 29% after 2 weeks of NO- (3)-supply treatment for the unsterilized bioreactors. Although SO2- (4) removal efficacy for the sterilized bioreactors did not recover after 4 weeks of NO- (3)-supply treatment, the unsterilized bioreactor nearly reached a similar level of SO2- (4) removal after 4 weeks of NO- (3)-supply treatment compared with affluent loaded only with SO2- (4), where no competition for the carbohydrate source occurred between the denitrification process and sulfate-reducing bacteria activity. Performance differences between the sterilized and unsterilized bioreactors clearly show the predominant importance of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Consequently, when sulfate-reducing bacteria reach their optimal activity, passive bioreactors may constitute a cheap, low-maintenance method of treating greenhouse effluent to recycle wastewater and eliminate nutrient runoff, which has important environmental impacts.
|
|
| 2. |
- Armah, Frederick A., et al.
(författare)
-
Anthropogenic sources and environmentally relevant concentrations of heavy metals in surface water of a mining district in Ghana: a multivariate statistical approach
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A: Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1093-4529. ; 45:13, s. 1804-1813
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The levels of heavy metals in surface water and their potential origin (natural and anthropogenic) were respectively determined and analysed for the Obuasi mining area in Ghana. Using Hawth's tool an extension in ArcGIS 9.2 software, a total of 48 water sample points in Obuasi and its environs were randomly selected for study. The magnitude of As, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, Hg, Zn and Cd in surface water from the sampling sites were measured by flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Water quality parameters including conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids and turbidity were also evaluated. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis, coupled with correlation coefficient analysis, were used to identify possible sources of these heavy metals. Pearson correlation coefficients among total metal concentrations and selected water properties showed a number of strong associations. The results indicate that apart from tap water, surface water in Obuasi has elevated heavy metal concentrations, especially Hg, Pb, As, Cu and Cd, which are above the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA) and World Health Organisation (WHO) permissible levels; clearly demonstrating anthropogenic impact. The mean heavy metal concentrations in surface water divided by the corresponding background values of surface water in Obuasi decrease in the order of Cd > Cu > As > Pb > Hg > Zn > Mn > Fe. The results also showed that Cu, Mn, Cd and Fe are largely responsible for the variations in the data, explaining 72% of total variance; while Pb, As and Hg explain only 18.7% of total variance. Three main sources of these heavy metals were identified. As originates from nature (oxidation of sulphide minerals particularly arsenopyrite-FeAsS). Pb derives from water carrying drainage from towns and mine machinery maintenance yards. Cd, Zn, Fe and Mn mainly emanate from industry sources. Hg mainly originates from artisanal small-scale mining. It cannot be said that the difference in concentration of heavy metals might be attributed to difference in proximity to mining-related activities because this is inconsistent with the cluster analysis. Based on cluster analysis SN32, SN42 and SN43 all belong to group one and are spatially similar. But the maximum Cu concentration was found in SN32 while the minimum Cu concentration was found in SN42 and SN43.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bentayeb, Malek, et al.
(författare)
-
Indoor air pollution and respiratory health in the elderly
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 48:14, s. 1783-1789
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Data on respiratory effects of indoor air pollution in elderly are scanty. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge on adverse respiratory effects of indoor air pollution in individuals aged over 65years, by presenting existing epidemiological evidence. Using MEDLINE database through PubMed, we identified relevant publications published between 1991 and 2011 in English on respiratory health effects of indoor air pollution in elderly (>65years). A total of 61 studies were found and after application of the inclusion criteria: (i) epidemiologic studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals between January 1991 and December 2011, (ii) study population with age over or equal 65years, and (iii) outcome of respiratory symptoms and disease with the exclusion of lung cancer, 33 relevant publications were selected. Most of them showed significant relationships between exposure to major indoor air pollutants and various short-term and long-term respiratory health outcomes such as wheezing, breathlessness, cough, phlegm, asthma, COPD, lung cancer and more rarely lung function decline. The most consistent relationship is found between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Further studies in the elderly population are needed in order to define causal relationships between exposures to indoor air pollution and underlying mechanisms in this sub-population.
|
|
| 4. |
- Bhattacharya, Prosun, et al.
(författare)
-
Temporal and seasonal variability of arsenic in drinking water wells in Matlab, southeastern Bangladesh : A preliminary evaluation on the basis of a 4 year study
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 46:11, s. 1177-1184
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Temporal and seasonal variability of As concentrations in groundwater were evaluated in As-affected areas of Matlab, southeastern Bangladesh. Groundwater samples from 61 randomly selected tubewells were analyzed for As concentrations over a period of three years and four months (from July 2002 to November 2005) and monitored seasonally (three times a year). The mean As concentrations in the sampled tubewells decreased from 153 to 123 mu g/L during July 2002 to November 2005. Such changes were pronounced in tubewells with As concentration >50 mu g/L than those with As concentrations <50 mu g/L. Similarly, individual wells revealed temporal variability, for example some wells indicated a decreasing trend, while some other wells indicated stable As concentration during the monitoring period. The mean As concentrations were significantly higher in Matlab North compared with Matlab South. The spatial variations in the mean As concentrations may be due to the differences in local geological conditions and groundwater flow patterns. The variations in mean As concentrations were also observed in shallow (<40 m) and deep (>40 m) wells. However, to adequately evaluate temporal and seasonal variability of As concentration, it is imperative to monitor As concentrations in tubewells over a longer period of time. Such long-term monitoring will provide important information for the assessment of human health risk and the sustainability of safe drinking water supplies.
|
|
| 5. |
- Brudzinska-Kosior, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in herbaceous Centaurium erythraea affected by various sources of environmental pollution
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 50:13, s. 1369-1375
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent xenobiotics with harmful effects on humans and wildlife. Their levels in the environment and accumulation in biota must be carefully controlled especially in species harvested from wild populations and commonly used as medicines. Our objective has been to determine PBDE concentrations (BDEs 28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183 and 209) in Centaurium erythraea collected at sites with various levels of environmental pollution. PBDE congener profiles in C. erythraea were dominated by BDE209, which accounted for 47-89% of the total PBDE burden in the plants. Principal Component and Classification Analysis, which classifies the concentration of PBDEs in C. erythraea, allowed us to distinguish the pattern of these compounds characteristic for the origin of pollution: BDEs 28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100 for lignite and general chemical industry and the vicinity of an expressway and BDEs 183 and 209 for a thermal power plant and ferrochrome smelting industry. Careful selection of sites with C. erythraea for medicinal purposes is necessary as this herb can accumulate PBDEs while growing at polluted sites.
|
|
| 6. |
- Bundschuh, Jochen, et al.
(författare)
-
Arsenic removal from groundwater of the Chaco-Pampean Plain (Argentina) using natural geological materials as adsorbents
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 46:11, s. 1297-1310
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Use of natural geological materials for arsenic (As) removal is an emerging solution at a household level for poor people in remote rural settlements, especially when the materials are locally available and can be collected by the local population. Their low or zero cost makes these materials very attractive compared with synthetic or commercial materials. Sometimes, this may be the only option to provide safe water to very poor settlements. Their suitability for As removal from water is mainly due to adsorption, co-precipitation and ion exchange processes involving Fe- and Al-rich minerals and clay minerals present in the soils or sediments. In the present study, various clay-rich soils from the Santiago del Estero province (SDE, NW Argentina) and, for comparison, a laterite from the Misiones province have been tested as adsorbents for As in shallow naturally contaminated groundwaters of the Rio Dulce alluvial aquifer in SDE. Batch adsorption experiments showed higher As(V) removal for the Misiones laterite sample (99 %) as compared with the soils from SDE (40-53 %), which can be related to lower contents of water-soluble and oxalate extractable Al and Fe in the last samples. These results suggest the application of the Misiones laterite soil as an alternative for As removal. However, high transportation costs from Misiones to SDE can be an economical restriction for the low-income population of SDE.
|
|
| 7. |
- Bundschuh, Jochen, et al.
(författare)
-
Foreword
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 46:11, s. 1161-1162
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
|
|
| 8. |
- Bäckström, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
-
Integrated stormwater management in cold climates
- 2000
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 35:8, s. 1237-1249
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Integrated stormwater management is based on the natural processes in the water cycle and the criteria for sustainable development. The aim of this paper was to investigate which integrated stormwater system components might be suitable in cold climate regions. The evaluation was based on literature reviews and studies made in Lulea, Northern Sweden. It was found that porous pavement, grassed waterways (swales, ditches), wet pond, and percolation basin were the most suitable integrated stormwater system components in cold regions whereas dry basin, stormwater infiltration surfaces, and stormwater reuse seemed to be the less suitable. Polluted snow may be treated at a central (large-scale) snow deposit; cleaner snow may be placed in many local snow depots.
|
|
| 9. |
- Duttagupta, Srimanti, et al.
(författare)
-
Role of aquifer media in determining the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the natural water and sediments along the lower Ganges river basin
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 55:4, s. 354-373
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Groundwater-sourced drinking water quality in South Asia, specifically India, is extremely stressed, mostly from the presence of many pervasive and geogenic pollutants. The presence and behavior of anthropogenic pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are poorly investigated on a regional or basin-wide scale. The present study provides one of the first documentation of the presence and behavior of PAH in the aquifer sediments in the Ganges river basin. Lower and medium molecular weight PAHs, e.g., naphthalene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene were detected in 79, 36, and 13% of samples (n = 25). The PAH level in groundwater was approximately five times lower than river water. The sorption behavior of PAHs were studied in experiments in presence/absence of organic carbon and by simulating advective transport of low to medium molecular weight PAHs, e.g., naphthalene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene in aquifer sediments collected from agricultural, peri-urban, and urban areas. Naphthalene and phenanthrene adsorbed on quartz and kaolinite, but not on clay minerals like kaolinite. Fluoranthene adsorbed more favorably on kaolinite. Numerical modeling of the advective transport of PAHs in aquifers suggest up to 25 times faster movement of pollutants from irrigation-induced pumping, indicating the strong control of hydraulics on the spatial distribution of PAHs in subsurface.
|
|
| 10. |
- Hedberg, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
-
Sorption and dissolution of bare and coated silver nanoparticles in soil suspensions-Influence of soil and particle characteristics
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 50:9, s. 891-900
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The increasing use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in consumer products triggers the need for investigations that improve the understanding of their chemical transformations upon environmental entry. Such knowledge provides crucial information for toxicological studies and risk assessments. Interactions with the soil compartment need to be explored as there are evident risks of the dispersion of both AgNPs and of released Ag ions/complexes present in wastewater-treated sludge that is distributed onto agricultural land. The dissolution and fractionation in solution of bare (AgNP-bare, noncoated) and coated AgNPs (AgNP-coat, stabilized with two nonionic surfactants, polyoxyethylene glycerol trioleate and Tween 20) were investigated after 4 and 48h in suspensions of one sandy and one clayey soil of different pHs (3.3, 5.2). Parallel experiments were performed with soil suspensions spiked with easily soluble AgNO3. Silver in the water phase was separated in a dissolved fraction (mainly Ag ions/complexes) and a particle fraction (mainly AgNP/agglomerates/Ag adsorbed on organic matter) by means of ultracentrifugation. Bare AgNPs were nonstable and dissolved to a significantly larger extent in the sandy soil mixture compared to coated AgNPs. The concentration of dissolved Ag (ions/complexes) in the water phase was similar in the case of bare AgNPs and AgNO3 (at pH 3 and 5.2) after 24h in sandy soil, which implies a high degree of dissolution of bare AgNPs (50-100%). In contrast, approximately 50% of the coated AgNPs remained in the water phase after 48h of equilibration in the sandy soil at pH 5.2. The clayey soil had a significantly higher sorption capacity of Ag compared with the sandy soil, as Ag in the case of coated AgNPs was only detected in the water phase of pH 5.2 (<1 % of added Ag). Ultracentrifugation was proven more efficient compared with microfiltration to separate the dissolved Ag fraction (ions/complexes) and the particle fraction (AgNPs/agglomerates) of the water phase. This fractionation is not a measure of any potential toxicity.
|
|
