Fate of Toxic Pollutants in the Environment

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2017) | Viewed by 22386

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering, Science and the Built Environment, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, UK
Interests: environmental modelling; remediation of toxic organic pollutants; wastewater treatment; industrial wastes; process design
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Co-Guest Editor
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Interests: environmental engineering, environmental modelling, biotechnology and bioprocess engineering, and environmental management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on the “Fate of Toxic Pollutants in the Environment” focuses on persistence, transport, chemical, bio-chemical and ecological impacts, and technologies for treatment and management. This Special Issue presents a vehicle for integrated analyses of the fate of toxic chemical pollutants.

Of the over 80,000 chemicals in use today, only a small fraction has been studied in detail for their fate in the environment and impacts on human and ecological health. There has been increasing research into the fate of anthropogenic chemicals in the natural environment, their impacts on the eco system, and technologies for mitigation.

The scope of the Special Issue will include chemical and biochemical characteristics of toxic pollutants, accumulation and toxicity in plants and animals, impacts on human health, chemical and biochemical mechanisms for detoxification and degradation, process development and scale up, and modelling of degradation processes.

The Special Issue is intended to promote multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing what are difficult to deal with problems. I invite original research-based submissions to share research findings and innovations to help understand and address toxic pollution problems.

Prof. Dr. Rao Bhamidiammarri
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Toxic and inhibitory pollutants
  • Degradation mechanisms
  • Process development and modelling
  • Anthropogenic chemicals
  • Detoxification and degradation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2851 KiB  
Article
Contamination of Plants from Amazonia by Environmental Pollution
by Bartolomeo Sebastiani and Stefano Falcinelli
Environments 2018, 5(3), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5030033 - 26 Feb 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6833
Abstract
Analytical data concerning the contamination on three officinal plants due to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), as organochlorine pesticides, are reported and discussed. Analyzed vegetation—“Graviola” (Annona muricata), “Mullaca” (Physalis angulata) and “Balsamina” (Impatiens balsamina)—comes from the Peruvian Amazonian [...] Read more.
Analytical data concerning the contamination on three officinal plants due to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), as organochlorine pesticides, are reported and discussed. Analyzed vegetation—“Graviola” (Annona muricata), “Mullaca” (Physalis angulata) and “Balsamina” (Impatiens balsamina)—comes from the Peruvian Amazonian forest, and are well known for their numerous therapeutic properties. A portion of each vegetable sample (leaves) was submitted to extraction procedure with hexane-acetone (1:1, v/v) solution by using a continuous solid-liquid extraction. The extracts were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and Multi Reaction Monitoring (MRM) techniques. Obtained results show the presence of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and its breakdown products, as DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) and DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene), while the hexachlorobenzene was found only in the “Graviola” (0.041 ng/g of dry weight (d.w.) net matter). The total POPs quantities were detected in the concentration range of ppb, varying from 0.349 and 0.614 ng/g d.w. for “Mullaca” and “Graviola”, respectively, up to 1.329 ng/g d.w. in the case of “Balsamina”. Recorded concentration trace values in the case of hexachlorobenzene could be an indication of a contamination of plants due to a probable short-range atmospheric transport pollution. The DDT contamination could be due to the use of DDT against malaria during the years 1992–1997 or to a probable usage of dicoflos and rothane insecticide in the harvesting area. Our analytical determinations exclude the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in all three investigated plant materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate of Toxic Pollutants in the Environment)
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Review

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912 KiB  
Review
Biodesulfurization of Petroleum Distillates—Current Status, Opportunities and Future Challenges
by Olawumi O. Sadare, Franklin Obazu and Michael Olawale Daramola
Environments 2017, 4(4), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments4040085 - 25 Nov 2017
Cited by 62 | Viewed by 14045
Abstract
Sulfur oxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are considered as one of the major air pollutants in the world today. In addition, high sulfur levels in petroleum distillates can promote the deactivation of catalysts through poisoning in fluidized catalytic [...] Read more.
Sulfur oxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are considered as one of the major air pollutants in the world today. In addition, high sulfur levels in petroleum distillates can promote the deactivation of catalysts through poisoning in fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) during hydrocracking of the heavy distillates to lighter ones. The presence of high sulfur-containing compounds in the process streams could cause corrosion of piping and fittings and equipment, thereby damaging the pipelines and leading to air emissions of sulfur-containing compounds, which are undesirable for mankind and his environment. In many cases, a large quantity of SOx is released into the atmosphere when petroleum distillates that contain substantial amount of sulphur-containing compounds are used as fuel and combust. In this article, a short overview of different desulfurization methods that are employed to remove sulfur from petroleum distillates is provided. In particular, the review concentrates on biodesulfurization technique. In addition, this article intends to provide its readers current status of biodesulfurization (BDS). It critically analyses the trend in the development of the technology to showcase its strength and weakness that could pave a way for future opportunities. Approaches that are suitable to remediate sulfur-contaminated environment are discussed as well. Lastly, speculations on future directions or opportunities that require exploration are provided as a way of provoking the thoughts of researchers in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate of Toxic Pollutants in the Environment)
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