Trinitrotoluene (TNT), a commonly used explosive for military and industrial applications, can cause serious environmental pollution. 28-day laboratory pot experiment was carried out applying bioaugmentation using laboratory selected bacterial strains as inoculum, biostimulation with molasses and cabbage leaf extract, and phytoremediation using rye and blue fenugreek to study the effect of these treatments on TNT removal and changes in soil microbial community responsible for contaminant degradation. Chemical analyses revealed significant decreases in TNT concentrations, including reduction of some of the TNT to its amino derivates during the 28-day tests. The combination of bioaugmentation-biostimulation approach coupled with rye cultivation had the most profound effect on TNT degradation. Although plants enhanced the total microbial community abundance, blue fenugreek cultivation did not significantly affect the TNT degradation rate. The results from molecular analyses suggested the survival and elevation of the introduced bacterial strains throughout the experiment. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Nõ lvak, H.; Truu, J.; Limane, B.; Truu, M.; Cepurnieks, G.; Bartkevičs, V.; Juhanson, J.; Muter, O. 2013. Microbial community changes in TNT spiked soil bioremediation trial using biostimulation, phytoremediation and bioaugmentation, Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management 21(3): 153Á162. http://dx. abstract.Construction and demolition wastes (C&DW) are usually recognized as not dangerous, but their accumulation can generate serious environmental problems. In spite of C&DW high potential to be reused/recycled, the practical procedures need to be assessed in terms of environmental consequences. The objective of this study is to quantify the environmental impacts of C&DW recycling/reuse, specifically in the production of aggregate 0/30 mm, comparative to those generated during the natural inert processing, in terms of global impacts addressing the whole process and for each technological phase. The analysis was carried out using Life Cycle Assessment methodology, assisted by SimaPro software, and based on primary data collected directly from the Italian Emilia Romagna region. Three methods were used for impact quantification: Eco-Indicator 99, EDIP/UMIP and Cumulative Energy Demand. The analysis revealed that the environmental impacts generated by C&DW recycling/reuse accounting for about 40% of the impacts induced by natural inert processing. reference to this paper should be made as follows: Simion, I. M.; Fortuna, M. E.; Bonoli, A.; Gavrilescu, M. 2013. Comparing environmental impacts of natural inert and recycled construction and demolition waste processing using LCA, Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management 21(4): 273-287. http://dx.
Persistent toxic substances including persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals have been released in high quantities in surface waters by industrial activities. Their presence in environmental compartments is causing harmful effects both on the environment and human health. It was shown that their removal from wastewaters using conventional methods and adsorbents is not always a sustainable process. In this circumstance, the use of microorganisms for pollutants uptake can be seen as being an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective strategy for the treatment of industrial effluents. However, in spite of their confirmed potential in the remediation of persistent pollutants, microorganisms are not yet applied at industrial scale. Thus, the current paper aims to synthesize and analyze the available data from literature to support the upscaling of microbial-based biosorption and bioaccumulation processes. The industrial sources of persistent pollutants, the microbial mechanisms for pollutant uptake and the significant results revealed so far in the scientific literature are identified and covered in this review. Moreover, the influence of different parameters affecting the performance of the discussed systems and also very important in designing of treatment processes are highly considered. The analysis performed in the paper offers an important perspective in making decisions for scaling-up and efficient operation, from the life cycle assessment point of view of wastewater microbial bioremediation. This is significant since the sustainability of the microbial-based remediation processes through standardized methodologies such as life cycle analysis (LCA), hasn’t been analyzed yet in the scientific literature.
Accelerating heavy metal pollution is a hot issue due to a continuous growth in consumerism and increased activities in various global industries. Soil contamination with heavy metals has resulted in their incorporation into the human food web via plant components. Accumulation and amplification of heavy metals in human tissues through the consumption of medicinal plants can have hazardous health outcomes. Therefore, in this critical review we aim to bring together published information on this subject, with a special highlight on the knowledge gaps related to heavy metal stress in medicinal plants, their responses, and human health related risks. In this respect, this review outlines the key contamination sources of heavy metals in plants, as well as the absorption, mobilization and translocation of metal ions in plant compartments, while considering their respective mechanisms of detoxification. In addition, this literature review attempts to highlight how stress and defensive strategies operate in plants, pointing out the main stressors, either biotic or abiotic (e.g., heavy metals), and the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in stress answers. Finally, in our research, we further aim to capture the risks caused by heavy metals in medicinal plants to human health through the assessment of both a hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI).
Bioplastics are biobased materials, usually easy biodegradable, derived from renewable resources. Evolution of bioplastics production is related to: bio starch and starch mixtures (74.5%); bioplastic products from fermentation (13%), bioplastic from petrochemicals materials (12.5%). They are seen as a viable solution to avoid some environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil-based conventional plastics. In this context, the general objectives of this study entail the analysis and selection of the optimal alternative of bioplastics able to be used for packaging production, considering social, economic and environmental criteria. In order to accomplish these objectives, we applied the ELECTRE method (ELimination Et Choix TRaduisant la RealitÉ), a multi-criteria analysis method. Application of this method enables the use of qualitative and quantitative discrete criteria, making also possible alternatives ranking. The application of ELECTRE method in our study consisted in selecting different types of bioplastics which were compared considering some consistent criteria so as to assess their economic and environmental performances. Based on the application of multiple criteria evaluation we concluded that bioplastics, in particular polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are suitable from economic and environmental points of views for manufacturing and utilization of packaging.
This paper describes the scientific framework established within doctoral and postdoctoral programs designed to contribute to a thorough understanding of the specific processes involved in environmental engineering and protection, as to improve the environmental management and performance in an efficient and sustainable way. A coherent conceptual framework is developed for the analysis and management of some specific approaches in engineering and environmental protection (pollution phenomena, decontamination processes/remediation, reactive and proactive advances), evaluated by applying a set of sustainable development indicators, able to compare, evaluate and develop a set of methods and approaches based on concepts and scientific methods, which will make process analysis solid. The study includes some groups of activities such as: selection and processes analysis considering pollution/remediation based on the behaviour of environmental contaminants, considering the source-pathwayreceptor chain, starting with process baseline, target and projection; selection of the most relevant sustainability indicators for the evaluation of prevention, control and remediation of environmental components processes; performance evaluation, thresholds, causal loops, model construction and scenario analysis. Various approaches are applied to provide a systematic categorization of socioeconomic , environmental and natural resource information under four headings: pressure (stresses or agents of environmental change), state (resources assets, environmental quality), impact and societal response. Indicator integration is also addressed as a means by which individual and quite different indicators in a framework can somehow be viewed together to provide a global view of sustainable development. Sustainability diagrams, as well as indices would ensure clarity for users offering a high level of prominence.
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