Feasibility of using low-cost, byproduct materials as sorbents to remove heavy metals from aqueous solutions.

This work investigates the sorption of heavy metals by low-cost, byproducts such as charcoal fines (CF), waste green sand, and rice husk ash, in order to examine the feasibility of their use as alternative filter materials for metal-contaminated waters. The sorption of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn was investigated in batch experiments and sorption isotherms were constructed. The three byproducts showed high metal removal efficiencies (>95%, regardless of the metal concentration tested). The highest metal sorption distribution coefficients were obtained for CF, with maximum values within the 105-106 L kg-1 range for all the target metals. The sorption isotherms were satisfactorily fitted using the Freundlich equation and a linear model, the latter only being valid for initial metal concentrations lower than 0.4 mmol L-1. Sorption reversibility was very low, with desorption yields lower than 2% and desorption distribution coefficients often higher than 106 L kg-1. The values of the sorption and desorption parameters indicated that the use of these materials, especially CF, could constitute a low-cost alternative for the remediation of contaminated waters.

Evaluation of the interactions between chitosan and humics in media for the controlled release of nitrogen fertilizer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the interactions of peat, humic acids, and humin with urea dispersed in chitosan, in systems intended for the controlled release of urea. Spheres of chitosan with humic material and urea intentionally added to the media were prepared and characterized by means of elemental analysis (CHN), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The spheres possessed functional groups related to humic substances that interacted with the chitosan, and the presence of urea in the media was also confirmed after it has been added. Release experiments demonstrated that the samples released urea in a controlled manner that was dependent on pH, increasing in the order: pH 2.5 < pH 4.0 < pH 9.0. In soil experiments, the degree of release of urea (α) increased over time, with values of 0.44 for chitosan-humic acids-urea (CHAU), 0.48 for chitosan-peat-urea (CPTU), and 0.67 for chitosan-humin-urea (CHMU) obtained in the first day of the experiment. The release of urea did not exceed 70% after 7 days. The results demonstrated the potential of using peat, humic acids, and humin, in combination with chitosan, in order to manufacture controlled release urea fertilizers and contribute to reducing adverse environmental and economic impacts.

Coupling spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques for evaluation of the depositional history of hydrocarbons in a subtropical estuary.

Spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques can be used together to evaluate hydrocarbon inputs to coastal environments such as the Paranaguá estuarine system (PES), located in the SW Atlantic, Brazil. Historical inputs of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed using two sediment cores from the PES. The AHs were related to the presence of biogenic organic matter and degraded oil residues. The PAHs were associated with mixed sources. The highest hydrocarbon concentrations were related to oil spills, while relatively low levels could be attributed to the decrease in oil usage during the global oil crisis. The results of electron paramagnetic resonance were in agreement with the absolute AHs and PAHs concentrations measured by chromatographic techniques, while near-infrared spectroscopy results were consistent with unresolved complex mixture (UCM)/total n-alkanes ratios. These findings suggest that the use of a combination of techniques can increase the accuracy of assessment of contamination in sediments.