Removal of chloroquine from the aqueous solution by adsorption onto açaí-based biochars: Kinetics, thermodynamics, and phytotoxicity

This study aimed at emerging contaminant chloroquine (CQN) removal, widely used in the COVID-19 pandemic through adsorption and employing a low-cost activated biochar from açai fruit endocarp. Two different adsorbents from the same precursor were applied. The first (CAA) was activated at a high temperature using ZnCl2, and the second (CA) was obtained by physical activation. The adsorbents were characterized through BET, FTIR, DRX, TG/DTG, and SEM. The results showed that zinc chloride activation furnished a material with a high specific surface area (SBET) and pore volume of 762 m2 g−1 and 0.098 cm3 g−1, respectively. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm were best adjusted through the pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Freundlich for both biochars. The process was thermodynamically favorable, occurring spontaneously without energy request. Additionally, the maximum adsorption capacity for CQN was 15.56 and 40.31 mg g−1 for CA and CAA, respectively, in pH 6.84, at a temperature of 25 °C, 50 mL solution and with 0.05 and 0.02 g of adsorbent. Those results are congruent with the literature showing the versatility of the material and the efficiency of the applied adsorption process.

Reuse of Sludge as Organic Soil Amendment: Insights into the Current Situation and Potential Challenges

Sludge generation as an organic by-product of wastewater treatment has seen a consistent increase worldwide due to population growth and industrial activities. This poses a chronic challenge regarding management options and environmental concerns. The agricultural valorization of unconventional organic materials has become inevitable, especially in semi-arid and arid countries that suffer from depleted soils and shortages in farm manure supply. High-income countries have also been interested in this recycling practice to mitigate landfilling or incineration issues. Sewage and some industrial sludges contain a complex mixture of beneficial and harmful substances, which varies with the origin of effluents. Therefore, sludge land application should be well managed in order to achieve sustainable agro-environmental goals. This review paper focuses on different aspects related to sludge reuse in agriculture, starting by investigating the diversity of sludge types and composition. In addition to the preponderant urban sewage sludge, the less-studied industrial sludges, such as those generated from pulp and paper mills or gas-to-liquid industries, are hereby addressed as well. Then, post-land application effects are discussed in relation to sludge quality, dose, and reuse conditions. The present paper also examines the disparities between guidelines that determine sludge conformity for land application in various countries or regions. Accordingly, special attention is given to increasing risks related to emerging pollutants in sludge such as pharmaceuticals, which have been overused since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. This exhaustive investigation will assist the establishment of sustainable strategies for the safe agricultural reuse of biosolids.

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the environment and aquatic organisms: a review

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are aminoquinolines used in the treatment of endemic diseases in Latin America such as malaria and non-endemic with wide prevalence such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus. Described as persistent, bioaccumulative, and dangerous for aquatic biota, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are considered emerging pollutants intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, occurring in low concentrations that are not totally removed in wastewater treatment plants and are not covered by legislation. This article presents a theoretical approach based on literature review following a semi-systematic methodology covering detection strategies of the chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine drugs in effluent and receiving water bodies;estimates of environmental concentrations during the pandemic;methods that use degradation and removal of compounds from water;and toxic effects on aquatic biota. Concentrations previously detected and estimated in the aquatic environment can lead to significant changes in animal physiology analyzed from biomarker changes, behavior and mortality in studies with native and non-native species. Studies are necessary to reproduce and understand possible environmental scenarios adopting the indiscriminate use of drugs to serve as standards for environmentally safe concentrations when there is no specific legislation. © 2023, Institute for Environmental Research in Hydrographic Basins (IPABHi). All rights reserved.

Presence Of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories In Brazilian Semiarid Waters.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) act as antipyretics, analgesics and anti-inflammatories. Among them, diclofenac and ibuprofen are the most consumed drugs worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some NSAIDs, such as dipyrone and paracetamol, have been used to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, causing an increase in the concentrations of these drugs in water. However, due to the low concentration of these compounds in drinking water and groundwater, few studies have been carried out on the subject, especially in Brazil. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the contamination of the surface water, groundwater, and water treated with diclofenac, dipyrone, ibuprofen, and paracetamol at 3 cities (Orocó, Santa Maria da Boa Vista and Petrolândia) in the Brazilian semiarid region, in addition to analyzing the removal of these drugs by conventional water treatment (coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection) in stations to each city. All drugs analyzed were detected in surface and treated waters. In groundwater, only dipyrone was not found. Dipyrone was seen in surface water with a maximum concentration of 1858.02 µg.L-1, followed by ibuprofen (785.28 µg.L-1), diclofenac (759.06 µg.L-1) and paracetamol (533.64 µg.L-1). The high concentrations derive from the increased consumption of these substances during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the conventional water treatment, the maximum removal of diclofenac, dipyrone, ibuprofen and paracetamol was 22.42%; 3.00%; 32.74%; and 1.58%, respectively, which confirms the inefficiency of this treatment in removing drugs. The variation in removal rate of the analyzed drugs is due to the difference in the hydrophobicity of the compounds.

Plastic microfibers as a risk factor for the health of aquatic organisms: A bibliometric and systematic review of plastic pandemic.

Plastic microfibers (PMFs) are emerging pollutants widely distributed in the environment. In the early 2020s, the need for personal protection due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased consumption of plastic materials (e.g., facemasks and gloves) and ultimately to increased plastic pollution, especially by PMFs. The PMFs present in the environment may be released in this form (primary particles) or in larger materials, that will release them as a result of environmental conditions. Although a considerable number of studies have been addressing the effects of microplastics, most of them studied round particles, with fewer studies focusing on PMFs. Thus, the current study aimed to summarize and critically discuss the available data concerning the ecotoxicological impact of PMFs on aquatic organisms. Aquatic organisms exposed to PMFs showed accumulation, mainly in the digestive tract, and several toxic effects, such as DNA damage, physiological alterations, digestive damage and even mortality, suggesting that PMFs can pose a risk for the health of aquatic organisms. The PMFs induced toxicity to aquatic invertebrate and vertebrate organisms depends on size, shape, chemical association and composition of fibers. Regarding other size range (nm) of plastic fibers, the literature review highlighted a knowledge gap in terms of the effects of plastic nanofibers on aquatic organisms. There is a knowledge gap in terms of the interaction and modes of action of PMFs associated with other pollutants. In addition, studies addressing effects at different trophic levels as well as the use of other biological models should be considered. Overall, research gaps and recommendations for future research and trends considering the environmental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are presented.

Adsorption of Covid-19-related drug from contaminated water using activated carbon

Chloroquine has been adopted in some countries such as Brazil as a Covid-19 prevention proto-col;consequently, chloroquine has contaminated water resources in large quantities. In response to this menace, an adsorbent material from animal bone was used to remove chloroquine from contaminated water. Notably, no drug adsorption studies have been conducted in the past. The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and zeta potential measurements that exhibited favorable characteristics for the adsorbent. In this study, it was determined that the optimal mass of the adsorbent was 0.02 g at pH 7. The kinetic study demonstrated that 300 min was sufficient to reach equilibrium, and the best fit was pseudo-second-order. The adsorption isotherms were fitted in the Langmuir model, obtaining a maximum adsorp-tion capacity of 77.60 mg–1 at a temperature of 298 K. The thermodynamic parameters demonstrated a spontaneous, exothermic, and reversible process. Briefly, the adsorbent used had the potential to remove emerging pollutants from the environment. © 2022 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Emerging Pollutants in Wastewater, Advanced Oxidation Processes as an Alternative Treatment and Perspectives

Emerging pollutants are present in wastewaters treated by conventional processes. Due to water cycle interactions, these contaminants have been reported in groundwater, surface water, and drinking waters. Since conventional processes cannot guarantee their removal or biotransformation, it is necessary to study processes that comply with complete elimination. The current literature review was conducted to describe and provide an overview of the available information about the most significant groups of emerging pollutants that could potentially be found in the wastewater and the environment. In addition, it describes the main entry and distribution pathways of emerging contaminants into the environment through the water and wastewater cycle, as well as some of the potential effects they may cause to flora, fauna, and humans. Relevant information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its potential spread through wastewater is included. Furthermore, it also outlines some of the Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) used for the total or partial emerging pollutants removal, emphasizing the reaction mechanisms and process parameters that need to be considered. As well, some biological processes that, although slow, are effective for the biotransformation of some emerging contaminants and can be used in combination with advanced oxidation processes. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

New research on water, waste and energy management, with special focus on antibiotics and priority pollutants.

The Editors of the Virtual Special Issue (VSI) "New Research on Water, Waste and Energy Management, with Special Focus on Antibiotics and Priority Pollutants" (VSI WWEM-20) here present details corresponding to papers that have been accepted, as well as further comments on the matter. It should be noted that the VSI should be associated to a Conference that had been initially programmed to be held in Rome during the summer of 2020, Unfortunately, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That conference was one of those within the series called "International Congress on Water, Waste and Energy Management". Although the Conference was postponed, the Call for Papers for the VSI was maintained by this journal. As a result, a set of very interesting papers were accepted after a careful peer-review process. We hope that it will be complemented with additional VSIs associated to future conferences corresponding to the series, increasing the knowledge on the topic.

Pharmaceuticals Market, Consumption Trends and Disease Incidence Are Not Driving the Pharmaceutical Research on Water and Wastewater.

Pharmaceuticals enhance our quality of life; consequently, their consumption is growing as a result of the need to treat ageing-related and chronic diseases and changes in the clinical practice. The market revenues also show an historic growth worldwide motivated by the increase on the drug demand. However, this positivism on the market is fogged because the discharge of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites into the environment, including water, also increases due to their inappropriate management, treatment and disposal; now, worldwide, this fact is recognized as an environmental concern and human health risk. Intriguingly, researchers have studied the most effective methods for pharmaceutical removal in wastewater; however, the types of pharmaceuticals investigated in most of these studies do not reflect the most produced and consumed pharmaceuticals on the market. Hence, an attempt was done to analyze the pharmaceutical market, drugs consumption trends and the pharmaceutical research interests worldwide. Notwithstanding, the intensive research work done in different pharmaceutical research fronts such as disposal and fate, environmental impacts and concerns, human health risks, removal, degradation and development of treatment technologies, found that such research is not totally aligned with the market trends and consumption patterns. There are other drivers and interests that promote the pharmaceutical research. Thus, this review is an important contribution to those that are interested not only on the pharmaceutical market and drugs consumption, but also on the links, the drivers and interests that motivate and determine the research work on certain groups of pharmaceuticals on water and wastewater.