HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2015
The pine processionary moth is, by far, the most important insect defoliator of pine forests in S... more The pine processionary moth is, by far, the most important insect defoliator of pine forests in Southern Europe and North Africa, both in terms of its temporal occurrence, geographic range and socioeconomic impact. Monitoring and pest management actions are therefore required on a regular basis, to ensure the detection, evaluation and mitigation of potential risks to forest and public health. However, we still lack some of the basic knowledge required for relevant analyses of the risk posed by the pine processionary moth. Pest risk is defined as a combination of three components: (1) pest occurrence, which depends on the spatiotemporal dynamics of populations; (2) plant vulnerability to the pest, resulting in a certain amount of damage; and (3) the socioeconomic impact of damage, depending on the potential value of the plants damaged (Jactel et al. 2012). The population dynamics of the processionary moth has been extensively studied, in particular within the context of climate change (see Battisti et al. 2014, Chap. 2, this volume). Several studies have recently addressed the question of tree and forest vulnerability to pine processionary attacks but a comprehensive review of evidence was missing. This is the first objective of this chapter. In particular we were interested in a better understanding of the ecological mechanisms responsible for the host tree selection, at both the species and individual tree levels. In a second part we show that pine susceptibility to the pine processionary moth could be reduced by improving forest diversity at different spatial scales. In the last part of this chapter we provide quantitative estimate of the growth losses caused by defoliations of the pine processionary moth. Altogether this information paves the way for quantitative risk analyses on pine processionary moth infestations based on forest growth models
The use of GC × GC resulted in enhanced separation efficiency and increased signal to noise ratio... more The use of GC × GC resulted in enhanced separation efficiency and increased signal to noise ratio (sensitivity) of the analytes, maximizing mass spectra quality and improving compound detection and identification. Mass spectrometry with field ionization provided rapid information regarding the mass range, molecular weight diversity and evidence for differences due to various mass patterns in the composition of the different pine needles. By means of principal component analysis, pine species were differentiated according to their volatile components and resin acids contents. By partial least squares regression, β-pinene, terpinolene, limonene+β-phellandrene, myrcene, sabinene and the enantiomers (-)-β-pinene and (+)-limonene, when quiral chromatography was performed, were identified as main volatiles explaining differences in attack level among pine species. No significant relationship was found between the needles resin acid composition and T. pityocampa larval performance but cues for further work emerged. This work pioneered the use of 1D-GC/TOFMS for the analysis of pine needles volatiles, achieving the detection of 185 compounds, that is more than twice the number previously identified by standard 1D-GC/MS. The analysis by GC × GC for the same sample allowed the detection of 212 compounds. The enantio-GC × GC analysis performed for all the Pinus spp. under study achieved the detection of 422 diferent compounds. IX Abbreviations and Symbols 1D-GC-one-dimensional gas chromatography 1D-GC/FI-TOFMS-one-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry with field ionization 1D-GC/qMS-gas chromatography quadrupole mass spectrometry 1 t R-first dimension retention time (GC × GC) 2D-two-dimensional 2 t R-second dimension retention time (GC × GC) 3D-tri-dimensional AL-alcohol BGB 176-capillary column coated with a 25% 2,3-di-methyl-6-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-βcyclo-dextrin in SE-54 stationary phase (chiral) BPX-50-capillary column coated with a 50% phenyl polysilphenylenesiloxane stationary phase (mid polar) CAR-carboxen CCcarbonyl compound CI-chemical ionization CI-MS-chemical-ionization mass spectrometry DB-5, ZB-5; BPX-5 or SE-52-capillary columns with a 5 % phenyl-95% methylpolysiloxane stationary phase (non polar) DB-Wax-capillary column coated with a polyethylene glycol stationary phase (polar) DiMe-capillary column coated with 0.25 µm film of 15% heptakis (2,3-di-O-methyl-6-Oterc-butyldimethylsilyl
Highlights • Self-produced H2 from electrodialytic treatment of environmental matrices collected ... more Highlights • Self-produced H2 from electrodialytic treatment of environmental matrices collected • Collected H2 average purity (% mol/mol) of ≈ 98% • A fuel cell used to produce electricity from the self-produced H2 (~1 V) • Experimental self-generated energy promotes savings on electroremediation (≈ 7%
Degradation technologies applied to emerging organic contaminants from human activities are one o... more Degradation technologies applied to emerging organic contaminants from human activities are one of the major water challenges in the contamination legacy. Triclosan is an emerging contaminant, commonly used as antibacterial agent in personal care products. Triclosan is stable, lipophilic and it is proved to have ecotoxicology effects in organics. This induces great concern since its elimination in wastewater treatment plants is not efficient and its by-products (e.g. methyl-triclosan, 2,4dichlorophenol or 2,4,6-trichlorophenol) are even more hazardous to several environmental compartments. This work provides understanding of two different electrochemical reactors for the degradation of triclosan and its derivative by-products in effluent. A batch reactor and a flow reactor (mimicking a secondary settling tank in a wastewater treatment plant) were tested with two different working anodes: Ti/MMO and Nb/BDD. The degradation efficiency and kinetics were evaluated to find the best combination of current density, electrodes and setup design. For both reactors the best electrode combination was achieved with Ti/MMO as anode. The batch reactor at 7 mA/cm2 during 4 h attained degradation rates below the detection limit for triclosan and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and, 94% and 43% for 2,4-dichlorophenol and methyl triclosan, respectively. The flow reactor obtained, in approximately 1 h, degradation efficiencies between 41% and 87% for the four contaminants under study. This study suggests an alternative technology for emergent organic contaminants degradation, since the combination of a low current density with the flow and matrix induced disturbance increases and speeds up the compounds' elimination in a real environmental matrix.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Jul 20, 2021
Sediment contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons represents a major environmental con... more Sediment contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons represents a major environmental concern worldwide. The different remediation strategies proposed are mainly based on physico-chemical and biological approaches. Physico-chemical methods (also referred to as conventional methods), although more efficient in several cases, are considered as less sustainable as a result of their higher environmental and economic costs. Biotechnological methods on the other hand, which make use of microorganisms and/or their metabolic products, have received increased attention as a more environment friendly and less costly alternative, although usually more time consuming. The various biotechnological approaches developed and patented on bioremediation of sediments polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are presented in this review, as well as some soil bioremediation methods considered applicable to sediments. Patents on sediment microbial fuel cells and other electrokinetic approaches are also included as considerable advances have been made in this field. Over 150 patents dating from 1995 to 2019 were collected from Espacenet platform, a worldwide patent database and considered in the present review. Overall, this review highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the various biotechnological approaches developed and patented, so far, can be useful to address further studies to improve bioremediation performance and can represent a benchmark of information for bioremediation companies to identify and explore the most promising field applicable approaches.
Pine forests constitute some of the most important renewable resources supplying timber, paper an... more Pine forests constitute some of the most important renewable resources supplying timber, paper and chemical industries, among other functions. Characterization of the volatiles emitted by different Pinus species has proven to be an important tool to decode the process of host tree selection by herbivore insects, some of which cause serious economic damage to pines. Variations in the relative composition of the bouquet of semiochemicals are responsible for the outcome of different biological processes, such as mate finding, egg-laying site recognition and host selection. The volatiles present in phloem samples of four pine species, P. halepensis, P. sylvestris, P. pinaster and P. pinea, were identified and characterized with the aim of finding possible host-plant attractants for native pests, such as the bark beetle Tomicus piniperda. The volatile compounds emitted by phloem samples of pines were extracted by headspace solid-phase micro extraction, using a 2 cm 50/30 mm divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane table flex solid-phase microextraction fiber and its contents analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography, using flame ionization and a non polar and chiral column phases. The components of the volatile fraction emitted by the phloem samples were identified by mass spectrometry using time-of-flight and quadrupole mass analyzers. The estimated relative composition was used to perform a discriminant analysis among pine species, by means of cluster and principal component analysis. It can be concluded that it is possible to discriminate pine species based on the monoterpenes emissions of phloem samples.
Photocatlytic removal of three pharmaceutical and personal care products pollutants using novel T... more Photocatlytic removal of three pharmaceutical and personal care products pollutants using novel TiO 2-Coconut Shell Powder (TCNSP) composite was investigated. The photocatalytic degradation rate of PPCPs generally increased with increasing light intensity and dissolved oxygen concentration. The degradation rate decreased with increasing initial concentration of PPCPs. The PPCPs concentration decreased substantially under irradiation of UVC when used in conjunction with the TCNSP composite. A number of composite/radiation types and intensities were tested. The concentration rate decrease trend was as: UVC/TCNSP > UVA/TCNSP > UVC > UVA. Under the UVC/TCNP combination, 99% removal was achieved compared to 30% for TiO 2 .
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
The effluent reuse for soil irrigation is foreseen as a possible strategy to mitigate the pressur... more The effluent reuse for soil irrigation is foreseen as a possible strategy to mitigate the pressure on water resources. However, there is the risk of potential accumulation in soil of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs). In the present work the electrokinetic remediation (EKR) technology, use of direct current, was applied for the removal of EOCs from a soil irrigated with effluent. For this, a soil collected from a rice field (located in Portugal) was mixed with spiked effluent to simulate flood irrigation in one time-period. The experiments were carried out for 6 days applying a low current intensity of 2.5 mA. Different current strategies were tested: continuous mode, reversed electrode polarization (REP), On/Off time periods, and the combination of the last two. The target EOCs comprises a list of six pharmaceuticals and personal care products widely detected in treated wastewater. This study showed that once introduced in soil through effluent irrigation, 20-100% of the EOCs were still present in the soil after 6 days. EKR enhanced up to 20% of the EOCs removal when comparing with control (without current). The EOC removals showed to be related to the microcosm location (anode, central or cathode sections) and dependent of EOCs characteristics. Soil characteristics did not change when On/Off system was combined with REP as a current strategy, and a more homogenous removal of the studied EOCs was achieved in the tested conditions. EKR showed to be a promising technology to be applied in EOCs contaminated soils, not only for removal purposes, but also to avoid possible dispersion in the environment.
Abstract There is a need to develop viable techniques for removal and/or recovery of organic and ... more Abstract There is a need to develop viable techniques for removal and/or recovery of organic and inorganic compounds from environmental matrices, due to their eco-toxicity, regulatory obligations or potential supplies as secondary materials. Simultaneous phosphorus (P) recovery and removal of emerging organic contaminants (caffeine, bisphenol A, 17α-ethinylestradiol and oxybenzone) from sewage sludge (SS) was assessed using the electrodialytic (ED) process. The SS samples were collected at the secondary settling tank between May and July, 2015. Different current intensities were tested continuously or sequentially (between 50, 75 and 100 mA), in a 2 compartment cell, placing the SS in the cathode end, separated from the anode end through an anion exchange membrane. After 24 h, between 45 and 55% of P electromigrated to the anode end in all experiments and the application of higher current intensities did not promote significant improvements in its recovery. After 72 h, the best results were obtained when 100 mA (0.21 mA/cm 2 ) were applied: 70% of P were recovered in the anolyte and between 79 and 96% of organic compounds were degraded. Still, the obtained anolyte enriched in P was not completely free of organic contaminants.
Phosphorus (P) is essential to all life being and a key ingredient in fertilizers to sustain high... more Phosphorus (P) is essential to all life being and a key ingredient in fertilizers to sustain high crop yields. It is an indispensable nutrient for food production and in a world of 9 billion people by 2050, securing sufficient P will be critical for future food security. Phosphorus has no substitute, but can be continually reused, being an example of a critical resource that could be utilized more efficiently in a circular economy to support sustainable growth and decrease pollution sources. Electrokinetically based technologies can be effective and viable options for P recovery from sewage sludge. In this work, chemometrics was used to develop a multivariate model based on 13 previously reported electrodialytic experiments (ED) of sewage sludge. The model predicted P recovery based on the experimental variable: cell design, time, current density and sewage sludge properties. The model showed that the cell design, current density and time highly influenced P recovery. Accounting the best recovery percentage achieved in the studies used for the model, 70% in 3 days using 0.21 mA/cm2, ED technology has the potential to recover 280,000 tP/y of the total P in the sewage sludge. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of EK technology for P recovery was also performed and several advantages were identified. For example, depending of the reactor design, the installation of whole electrokinetic treatment system may be adapted to the current wastewater treatment plants reactors decreasing the installation costs. One of the main identified threats to P recovery technologies is the lack of EU-level phosphorus legislation. But the presence of cost-effective alternatives to increase its recovery could be a driver towards an effective political/socio-economical implementation.
Triclosan (TCS), a bacteriostatic detected in water bodies, have inauspicious effects in human an... more Triclosan (TCS), a bacteriostatic detected in water bodies, have inauspicious effects in human and biota. Consequently, there is a critical need of monitoring these type of compounds in aqueous matrices. In this sense, sensors, based on polyethyleneimine and polysodium 4-styrenesulfonate layer-by-layer thin-films adsorbed on supports with gold interdigitated electrodes deposited, were developed. The aim was analyze the sensitivity of discrimination of TCS (10 −15 M to 10 −5 M) in deionized water, Luso ® and in an effluent, by measuring the impedance spectra. LbL films can distinguish TCS concentrations in EF, while in LW was achieved an acceptable sensibility when interdigitated electrodes without films were used.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2015
The pine processionary moth is, by far, the most important insect defoliator of pine forests in S... more The pine processionary moth is, by far, the most important insect defoliator of pine forests in Southern Europe and North Africa, both in terms of its temporal occurrence, geographic range and socioeconomic impact. Monitoring and pest management actions are therefore required on a regular basis, to ensure the detection, evaluation and mitigation of potential risks to forest and public health. However, we still lack some of the basic knowledge required for relevant analyses of the risk posed by the pine processionary moth. Pest risk is defined as a combination of three components: (1) pest occurrence, which depends on the spatiotemporal dynamics of populations; (2) plant vulnerability to the pest, resulting in a certain amount of damage; and (3) the socioeconomic impact of damage, depending on the potential value of the plants damaged (Jactel et al. 2012). The population dynamics of the processionary moth has been extensively studied, in particular within the context of climate change (see Battisti et al. 2014, Chap. 2, this volume). Several studies have recently addressed the question of tree and forest vulnerability to pine processionary attacks but a comprehensive review of evidence was missing. This is the first objective of this chapter. In particular we were interested in a better understanding of the ecological mechanisms responsible for the host tree selection, at both the species and individual tree levels. In a second part we show that pine susceptibility to the pine processionary moth could be reduced by improving forest diversity at different spatial scales. In the last part of this chapter we provide quantitative estimate of the growth losses caused by defoliations of the pine processionary moth. Altogether this information paves the way for quantitative risk analyses on pine processionary moth infestations based on forest growth models
The use of GC × GC resulted in enhanced separation efficiency and increased signal to noise ratio... more The use of GC × GC resulted in enhanced separation efficiency and increased signal to noise ratio (sensitivity) of the analytes, maximizing mass spectra quality and improving compound detection and identification. Mass spectrometry with field ionization provided rapid information regarding the mass range, molecular weight diversity and evidence for differences due to various mass patterns in the composition of the different pine needles. By means of principal component analysis, pine species were differentiated according to their volatile components and resin acids contents. By partial least squares regression, β-pinene, terpinolene, limonene+β-phellandrene, myrcene, sabinene and the enantiomers (-)-β-pinene and (+)-limonene, when quiral chromatography was performed, were identified as main volatiles explaining differences in attack level among pine species. No significant relationship was found between the needles resin acid composition and T. pityocampa larval performance but cues for further work emerged. This work pioneered the use of 1D-GC/TOFMS for the analysis of pine needles volatiles, achieving the detection of 185 compounds, that is more than twice the number previously identified by standard 1D-GC/MS. The analysis by GC × GC for the same sample allowed the detection of 212 compounds. The enantio-GC × GC analysis performed for all the Pinus spp. under study achieved the detection of 422 diferent compounds. IX Abbreviations and Symbols 1D-GC-one-dimensional gas chromatography 1D-GC/FI-TOFMS-one-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry with field ionization 1D-GC/qMS-gas chromatography quadrupole mass spectrometry 1 t R-first dimension retention time (GC × GC) 2D-two-dimensional 2 t R-second dimension retention time (GC × GC) 3D-tri-dimensional AL-alcohol BGB 176-capillary column coated with a 25% 2,3-di-methyl-6-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-βcyclo-dextrin in SE-54 stationary phase (chiral) BPX-50-capillary column coated with a 50% phenyl polysilphenylenesiloxane stationary phase (mid polar) CAR-carboxen CCcarbonyl compound CI-chemical ionization CI-MS-chemical-ionization mass spectrometry DB-5, ZB-5; BPX-5 or SE-52-capillary columns with a 5 % phenyl-95% methylpolysiloxane stationary phase (non polar) DB-Wax-capillary column coated with a polyethylene glycol stationary phase (polar) DiMe-capillary column coated with 0.25 µm film of 15% heptakis (2,3-di-O-methyl-6-Oterc-butyldimethylsilyl
Highlights • Self-produced H2 from electrodialytic treatment of environmental matrices collected ... more Highlights • Self-produced H2 from electrodialytic treatment of environmental matrices collected • Collected H2 average purity (% mol/mol) of ≈ 98% • A fuel cell used to produce electricity from the self-produced H2 (~1 V) • Experimental self-generated energy promotes savings on electroremediation (≈ 7%
Degradation technologies applied to emerging organic contaminants from human activities are one o... more Degradation technologies applied to emerging organic contaminants from human activities are one of the major water challenges in the contamination legacy. Triclosan is an emerging contaminant, commonly used as antibacterial agent in personal care products. Triclosan is stable, lipophilic and it is proved to have ecotoxicology effects in organics. This induces great concern since its elimination in wastewater treatment plants is not efficient and its by-products (e.g. methyl-triclosan, 2,4dichlorophenol or 2,4,6-trichlorophenol) are even more hazardous to several environmental compartments. This work provides understanding of two different electrochemical reactors for the degradation of triclosan and its derivative by-products in effluent. A batch reactor and a flow reactor (mimicking a secondary settling tank in a wastewater treatment plant) were tested with two different working anodes: Ti/MMO and Nb/BDD. The degradation efficiency and kinetics were evaluated to find the best combination of current density, electrodes and setup design. For both reactors the best electrode combination was achieved with Ti/MMO as anode. The batch reactor at 7 mA/cm2 during 4 h attained degradation rates below the detection limit for triclosan and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and, 94% and 43% for 2,4-dichlorophenol and methyl triclosan, respectively. The flow reactor obtained, in approximately 1 h, degradation efficiencies between 41% and 87% for the four contaminants under study. This study suggests an alternative technology for emergent organic contaminants degradation, since the combination of a low current density with the flow and matrix induced disturbance increases and speeds up the compounds' elimination in a real environmental matrix.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Jul 20, 2021
Sediment contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons represents a major environmental con... more Sediment contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons represents a major environmental concern worldwide. The different remediation strategies proposed are mainly based on physico-chemical and biological approaches. Physico-chemical methods (also referred to as conventional methods), although more efficient in several cases, are considered as less sustainable as a result of their higher environmental and economic costs. Biotechnological methods on the other hand, which make use of microorganisms and/or their metabolic products, have received increased attention as a more environment friendly and less costly alternative, although usually more time consuming. The various biotechnological approaches developed and patented on bioremediation of sediments polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are presented in this review, as well as some soil bioremediation methods considered applicable to sediments. Patents on sediment microbial fuel cells and other electrokinetic approaches are also included as considerable advances have been made in this field. Over 150 patents dating from 1995 to 2019 were collected from Espacenet platform, a worldwide patent database and considered in the present review. Overall, this review highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the various biotechnological approaches developed and patented, so far, can be useful to address further studies to improve bioremediation performance and can represent a benchmark of information for bioremediation companies to identify and explore the most promising field applicable approaches.
Pine forests constitute some of the most important renewable resources supplying timber, paper an... more Pine forests constitute some of the most important renewable resources supplying timber, paper and chemical industries, among other functions. Characterization of the volatiles emitted by different Pinus species has proven to be an important tool to decode the process of host tree selection by herbivore insects, some of which cause serious economic damage to pines. Variations in the relative composition of the bouquet of semiochemicals are responsible for the outcome of different biological processes, such as mate finding, egg-laying site recognition and host selection. The volatiles present in phloem samples of four pine species, P. halepensis, P. sylvestris, P. pinaster and P. pinea, were identified and characterized with the aim of finding possible host-plant attractants for native pests, such as the bark beetle Tomicus piniperda. The volatile compounds emitted by phloem samples of pines were extracted by headspace solid-phase micro extraction, using a 2 cm 50/30 mm divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane table flex solid-phase microextraction fiber and its contents analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography, using flame ionization and a non polar and chiral column phases. The components of the volatile fraction emitted by the phloem samples were identified by mass spectrometry using time-of-flight and quadrupole mass analyzers. The estimated relative composition was used to perform a discriminant analysis among pine species, by means of cluster and principal component analysis. It can be concluded that it is possible to discriminate pine species based on the monoterpenes emissions of phloem samples.
Photocatlytic removal of three pharmaceutical and personal care products pollutants using novel T... more Photocatlytic removal of three pharmaceutical and personal care products pollutants using novel TiO 2-Coconut Shell Powder (TCNSP) composite was investigated. The photocatalytic degradation rate of PPCPs generally increased with increasing light intensity and dissolved oxygen concentration. The degradation rate decreased with increasing initial concentration of PPCPs. The PPCPs concentration decreased substantially under irradiation of UVC when used in conjunction with the TCNSP composite. A number of composite/radiation types and intensities were tested. The concentration rate decrease trend was as: UVC/TCNSP > UVA/TCNSP > UVC > UVA. Under the UVC/TCNP combination, 99% removal was achieved compared to 30% for TiO 2 .
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
The effluent reuse for soil irrigation is foreseen as a possible strategy to mitigate the pressur... more The effluent reuse for soil irrigation is foreseen as a possible strategy to mitigate the pressure on water resources. However, there is the risk of potential accumulation in soil of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs). In the present work the electrokinetic remediation (EKR) technology, use of direct current, was applied for the removal of EOCs from a soil irrigated with effluent. For this, a soil collected from a rice field (located in Portugal) was mixed with spiked effluent to simulate flood irrigation in one time-period. The experiments were carried out for 6 days applying a low current intensity of 2.5 mA. Different current strategies were tested: continuous mode, reversed electrode polarization (REP), On/Off time periods, and the combination of the last two. The target EOCs comprises a list of six pharmaceuticals and personal care products widely detected in treated wastewater. This study showed that once introduced in soil through effluent irrigation, 20-100% of the EOCs were still present in the soil after 6 days. EKR enhanced up to 20% of the EOCs removal when comparing with control (without current). The EOC removals showed to be related to the microcosm location (anode, central or cathode sections) and dependent of EOCs characteristics. Soil characteristics did not change when On/Off system was combined with REP as a current strategy, and a more homogenous removal of the studied EOCs was achieved in the tested conditions. EKR showed to be a promising technology to be applied in EOCs contaminated soils, not only for removal purposes, but also to avoid possible dispersion in the environment.
Abstract There is a need to develop viable techniques for removal and/or recovery of organic and ... more Abstract There is a need to develop viable techniques for removal and/or recovery of organic and inorganic compounds from environmental matrices, due to their eco-toxicity, regulatory obligations or potential supplies as secondary materials. Simultaneous phosphorus (P) recovery and removal of emerging organic contaminants (caffeine, bisphenol A, 17α-ethinylestradiol and oxybenzone) from sewage sludge (SS) was assessed using the electrodialytic (ED) process. The SS samples were collected at the secondary settling tank between May and July, 2015. Different current intensities were tested continuously or sequentially (between 50, 75 and 100 mA), in a 2 compartment cell, placing the SS in the cathode end, separated from the anode end through an anion exchange membrane. After 24 h, between 45 and 55% of P electromigrated to the anode end in all experiments and the application of higher current intensities did not promote significant improvements in its recovery. After 72 h, the best results were obtained when 100 mA (0.21 mA/cm 2 ) were applied: 70% of P were recovered in the anolyte and between 79 and 96% of organic compounds were degraded. Still, the obtained anolyte enriched in P was not completely free of organic contaminants.
Phosphorus (P) is essential to all life being and a key ingredient in fertilizers to sustain high... more Phosphorus (P) is essential to all life being and a key ingredient in fertilizers to sustain high crop yields. It is an indispensable nutrient for food production and in a world of 9 billion people by 2050, securing sufficient P will be critical for future food security. Phosphorus has no substitute, but can be continually reused, being an example of a critical resource that could be utilized more efficiently in a circular economy to support sustainable growth and decrease pollution sources. Electrokinetically based technologies can be effective and viable options for P recovery from sewage sludge. In this work, chemometrics was used to develop a multivariate model based on 13 previously reported electrodialytic experiments (ED) of sewage sludge. The model predicted P recovery based on the experimental variable: cell design, time, current density and sewage sludge properties. The model showed that the cell design, current density and time highly influenced P recovery. Accounting the best recovery percentage achieved in the studies used for the model, 70% in 3 days using 0.21 mA/cm2, ED technology has the potential to recover 280,000 tP/y of the total P in the sewage sludge. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of EK technology for P recovery was also performed and several advantages were identified. For example, depending of the reactor design, the installation of whole electrokinetic treatment system may be adapted to the current wastewater treatment plants reactors decreasing the installation costs. One of the main identified threats to P recovery technologies is the lack of EU-level phosphorus legislation. But the presence of cost-effective alternatives to increase its recovery could be a driver towards an effective political/socio-economical implementation.
Triclosan (TCS), a bacteriostatic detected in water bodies, have inauspicious effects in human an... more Triclosan (TCS), a bacteriostatic detected in water bodies, have inauspicious effects in human and biota. Consequently, there is a critical need of monitoring these type of compounds in aqueous matrices. In this sense, sensors, based on polyethyleneimine and polysodium 4-styrenesulfonate layer-by-layer thin-films adsorbed on supports with gold interdigitated electrodes deposited, were developed. The aim was analyze the sensitivity of discrimination of TCS (10 −15 M to 10 −5 M) in deionized water, Luso ® and in an effluent, by measuring the impedance spectra. LbL films can distinguish TCS concentrations in EF, while in LW was achieved an acceptable sensibility when interdigitated electrodes without films were used.
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