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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Characterization and determination of organic compounds in the mutagenic XAD-2 extracts of drinking water.

Amberlite XAD-2 extracts, which exhibit mutagenicity in the Ames assays, of drinking water sampled each month during the period from April 1988 to March 1989 were studied in order to characterize and determine the organic pollutants. The major organic pollutants were phthalate ester plasticizers such as dibutyl and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Several polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the organocholorine pesticide oxadiazon were also identified to be present at low concentrations. The XAD-extractable and chromatographable organic pollutants were found to be composed of PAHs with a mean concentration of 0.136 micrograms/l(ca. 10% of the total amount of organic compounds detected), phthalates with a mean value of 0.405 micrograms/l(ca. 30%) and other compounds with a mean value of 0.845 micrograms/l(ca. 60%). The concentrations and compositions of these organic pollutants were correlated with the effective rainfall content of the river and with the water temperature.

Ion Exchange Resins↗
PubMed2003

Photocatalytic degradation of polystyrene plastic under fluorescent light.

Plastic is used widely all over the world, due to the fact that it is low cost, is easily processable, and has lightweight properties. However, the hazard of discarding waste plastic, so-called "white pollution", is becoming more and more severe. In this paper, solid-phase photocatalytic degradation of polystyrene (PS) plastic, one of the most common commercial plastics, over copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) sensitized TiO2 photocatalyst (TiO2/CuPc) has been investigated under fluorescent light irradiation in the air. UV-vis spectra show that TiO2/CuPc extends its photoresponse range to visible light, contrasting to only UV light absorption of pure TiO2. The PS photodegradation experiments exhibit that higher PS weight loss rate, lower PS average molecular weight, less amount of volatile organic compounds, and more CO2 can be obtained in the system of PS-(TiO2/CuPc), in comparison with the PS-TiO2 system. Therefore, PS photodegradation over TiO2 CuPc composite is more complete and efficient than over pure TiO2, suggesting the potential application of dye-sensitized TiO2 catalyst in the thorough photodegradation of PS plastic under fluorescent light. During the photodegradation of PS plastic, the reactive oxygen species generated on TiO2 or TiO2/CuPc particle surfaces play important roles in chain scission. The present study demonstrates that the combination of polymer plastic with dye-sensitized TiO2 catalyst in the form of thin film is a practical and useful way to photodegrade plastic contaminants in the sunlight.

Catalysis↗
PubMed2002

Effect and mechanism of inorganic carbon on the biodegradation of dimethyl phthalate by Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

The effect and mechanism of inorganic carbon (IC) on the biodegradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) by a green microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa was investigated. It was indicated that DMP could be used as the sole carbon source to support the slow heterotrophic growth of C. pyrenoidosa, but both the growth of C. pyrenoidosa and the biodegradation rate of DMP were obviously increased when initial inorganic carbon concentration (IC) was increased from 0.6 to 23.7 mg/l. Phthalic acid (PA) was found to be an intermediate product of DMP biodegradation and accumulated in the culture solution, which caused a sharp decrease in pH of medium and inhibited both the growth of alga and the biodegradation of DMP. The role of IC for improving the biodegradation of DMP was both to supply a favorite carbon source to support the rapid growth of alga and to mitigate the decrease of pH because of the production of PA. A suggested second-order kinetic equation of organic pollutant biodegradation by microalgae (-dC/dt = KNr) fitted well with the experimental data and the correlation coefficients were all above 0.9. The second-order constant (K) apparently declined with the increase of initial IC because lower ratio between organic carbon from DMP and IC was used to support the growth of alga when initial IC increased.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2005

[Environmental cost of rice production in Dongting Lake area of Hunan Province].

To evaluate the environmental cost of rice production is of significance for the sustainable development of agriculture and the set-up of green GDP accounting system. In this paper, the environmental cost of rice production in Dongting Lake area, one of the main bread baskets in China, was evaluated from the aspects of pesticide pollution, chemical fertilizer pollution, greenhouse gases emission, plastic film persistence, paddyfield gleyization, and polderization. The results showed that in 1999, the total environmental cost of rice production in this area was 41.91 billion yuan, equivalent to 26.8% of its total agricultural production value, or 28.5% of the gross output of its planting industry. For the sustainable production of rice, the strategies for decrease environmental cost intrinsically were put forward.

China↗
PubMed2004

Phenotypic plasticity in Scenedesmus incrassatulus (Chlorophyceae) in response to heavy metals stress.

The microalgae genus Scenedesmus is commonly found in freshwater bodies, wastewater facilities and water polluted with heavy metals. Phenotypic plasticity in Scenedesmus has been documented in response to a wide variety of conditions; however, heavy metals have not been comprehensively documented as phenotypic plasticity inducers. In this study, we report the phenotypic plasticity of Scenedesmus incrassatulus (a non-spiny, four-cell coenobium forming species) in response to EC(50) value of copper, cadmium and hexavalent chromium. S. incrassatulus was grown in batch cultures in the presence of each metal. Chlorophyll-a content, cell size, parameters derived from the schematic energy-flux model for photosystem II, and morphotype expressions were recorded. Divalent cation metals induced unicellular forms, and hexavalent chromium produced out-of-shape coenobia corresponding to various stages of autospore formation. The changes induced by divalent metals were interpreted as phenotypic plasticity, because they were always associated to population doublings and were reversible when toxicant pressure was removed (only for Cu). Copper was the best inductor of unicellular forms and also affected significantly all the photosynthetic parameters measured. The developed morphotypes could confer ecological advantages to S. incrassatulus in metal stressed environments.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Biodegradability of four phthalic acid esters under anaerobic condition assessed using natural sediment.

Biodegradability of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) under an anaerobic condition was evaluated using three natural sediment microcosms obtained from ponds in Osaka, which had not been significantly polluted by the chemicals. The degradabilities of the four phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were analyzed by a first-order kinetic model with a lag phase and ranked as DBP>BBP>>DEHP>DINP. The PAEs with shorter alkyl-chains, DBP and BBP, were degraded with quite short lag phases near to zero and short half-lives of a few days. The PAEs with longer alkyl-chains, DEHP and DINP, were degraded with lag phases of 5-30 d and the quite long half-lives of a couple of hundred days. Although no data was available on the anaerobic biodegradability of DINP before this study, it was clarified that DINP can be degraded with slow degradation rates. The fact that all the three intact sediments were capable of biodegradation of the PAEs suggests that potential of anaerobic biodegradation of PAEs is widespread in the aquatic environment.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗
PubMed2004

Management of packaging waste in Poland--development agenda and accession to the EU.

In recent years the issue of the municipal waste in Poland has become increasingly topical, with a considerable rise in the waste generation, much of which can be attributed to a boom in product packaging (mainly plastic). The annual production of plastics packaging has been constantly increasing over the last 20 to 30 years, and now exceeds 3.7 million tons. Due to a lack of processing technologies and poorly developed selective segregation system, packaging waste is still treated as a part of the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream, most of which is landfilled. As a result of Poland's access to the European Union, previous legal regulations governing municipal waste management have been harmonized with those binding on the member countries. One of the main changes, the most revolutionary one, is to make entrepreneurs liable for environmental risks resulting from the introduction of packaging to the market, and for its recycling. In practice, all entrepreneurs are to ensure recovery, and recycling, of used packaging from products introduced to the market at the required level. In recent year, the required recycling levels were fulfilled for all types of materials but mainly by large institutions using grouped and transport packaging waste for that matter. Household packaging gathered in the selective segregation system at the municipalities was practically left alone. This paper is an attempt to describe the system and assess the first year of functioning of the new, revamped system of packaging waste management in Poland. Recommendations are made relating to those features that need to be included in packaging waste management systems in order to maximize their sustainability and harmonization with the EU legal system.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2005

Production and applications of esterases.

Esterase plays a major role in the degradation of natural materials and industrial pollutants, viz., cereal wastes, plastics, and other toxic chemicals. It is useful in the synthesis of optically pure compounds, perfumes, and antioxidants. The potential applications of esterase with reference to agriculture, food, and pharmaceutical industries, are discussed in this review. Promising applications in this avenue can be supported by appropriate production strategies.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2026

Health bill beneath the plastic feast: A phthalate contamination alert from takeout food containers.

The rapid growth of takeout food consumption in China has raised concerns regarding exposure to phthalic acid esters (PAEs) from food packaging. This study investigated the presence, source, contribution, and health risk of PAEs in commonly used takeout containers. Widespread contamination was observed, with total PAE concentrations ranging from below the limit of detection to 222,000 ng/g. Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were identified as the predominant compounds, accounting for 7.50 %, 14.7 %, and 18.7 % of the total concentration, respectively. These PAEs may originated from additives during manufacturing and potential contamination of raw materials. Human exposure assessment showed that daily exposure doses of DIBP, DBP, and DEHP via container ranged from 0.00 to 2340 ng/(kg·day) among frequent takeout consumers, contributing substantially to overall PAE body burdens. To further assess exposure and associated risks, a nationwide online questionnaire survey was conducted across China. Based on this national-scale behavioral dataset, the health risks among Chinese residents were evaluated. Although the modeled non-carcinogenic risks of DIBP, DBP, and DEHP remained within acceptable limits, the simulation suggested that approximately 70 % of participants may experience potential exceedance of the carcinogenic risk threshold for DEHP. The frequency of takeout food consumption was identified as the most important factor affecting PAE exposure. These findings underscore the importance of limiting takeout frequency and reducing reliance on plastic containers to mitigate health risks. This study provides scientific evidence to support the development of safer packaging materials and informs public health strategies.

Phthalic Acids↗
PubMed2006

A kinetic study of biological Cr(VI) reduction in trickling filters with different filter media types.

Two pilot-scale trickling filters were used in order to estimate Cr(VI) reduction through biological mechanisms in biofilm reactors operated in SBR mode with recirculation using different filter media types, i.e. plastic media and calcitic gravel. The feed concentrations of Cr(VI) examined were about 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 and 100mg/l, while the concentration of the organic carbon was constant at 400mg/l, in order to avoid carbon limitations in the bulk liquid. Maximum reduction rates of 4.8 and 4.7gCr(VI)/d were observed for feed Cr(VI) concentration of about 5mgCr(VI)/l, for the filters with the plastic support material and the gravel media, respectively. The reduction rates were significantly affected by the feed Cr(VI) concentration in both bioreactors. A dual-enzyme kinetic model was used in order to describe Cr(VI) reduction by aerobically grown mixed cultures. Model predictions were found to correspond very closely to experimental quantitative observations of Cr(VI) reduction at both pilot-scale trickling filters used.

Bacteria, Aerobic↗
PubMed2002

Seabirds and floating plastic debris.

80% of floating plastic debris freshly washed ashore on a Dutch coast showed peckmarks made by birds at sea. They either mistake these debris for cuttlebones or simply test all floating objects. Ingestion of plastic is deleterious for marine organisms. It is urgent to set measures to plastic litter production.

Animals↗