Bottom-up formulations for the multi-criteria decision analysis of oil and gas pipeline decommissioning in the North Sea: Brent field case study.

Many Oil and Gas (O&G) fields in the North Sea have produced their economically recoverable reserves and have entered the decommissioning phase or are close to cessation of production. The subsequent O&G decommissioning process involves a range of stakeholders with specific interests and priorities. This range of inputs to the process highlights the necessity for the development of multi-criteria decision frameworks to help guide the decision-making process. This study presents bottom-up formulations for the economic, environmental, and safety risk criteria to support the multi-criteria decision analysis within the Comparative Assessment (CA) of O&G pipeline decommissioning projects in the North Sea. The approach adapts current guidelines in the O&G industry and considers a range of parameters to provide estimations for the costs, energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and safety risks. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed bottom-up formulations, the longest oil export pipeline in the Brent field, PL001/N0501 is selected as a case study. The numerical results revealed the consistency of the results obtained from the proposed approach with those reported in the technical documents by industry. In most cases, the formulations provide estimates with less than 10% differences for the costs, energy usage, emissions, and safety risks. Based on the proposed multi-criteria formulations, the study also presents the use of an immersive decision-making environment within a marine simulator system to help inform the decision-making process by stakeholders.

Quantitative prediction of AFB1 in various types of edible oil based on absorption, scattering and fluorescence signals at dual wavelengths.

This study aims to address the challenge of matrix interference of various types of edible oils on intrinsic fluorescence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by developing a novel solution. Considering the fluorescence internal filtering effect, the absorption (µa) and reduced scattering (µ's) coefficients at dual wavelengths (excitation: 375 nm, emission: 450 nm) were obtained by using integrating sphere technique, and were used to improve the quantitative prediction results for AFB1 contents in six different kinds of edible oils. A research process of "Monte Carlo (MC) simulation - phantom verification - actual sample validation" was conducted. The MC simulation was used to determine interference rule and correction parameters for fluorescence, the results indicated that the escaped fluorescence flux nonlinearly decreased with the µa, µ's at emission wavelength (µa,em, µ's,em) and µa at excitation wavelength (µa,ex), however increased with the µ's at excitation wavelength (µ's,ex). And the required optical parameters to eliminate the interference of matrix on fluorescence intensity are: effective attenuation coefficients at excitation and emission wavelengths (µeff,ex, µeff,em) and µ's,ex. Phantom verification was conducted to explore the feasibility of fluorescence correction based on the identified parameters by MC simulation, and determine the optimal machine learning method. The modelling results showed that least squares support vector regression (LSSVR) model could reach the best performance. Three kinds of edible oil (peanut, rapeseed, corn), each with two brands were used to prepare oil samples with different AFB1 contamination. The LSSVR model for AFB1 based on µeff,ex, µeff,em, µ's,ex and fluorescence intensity at 450 nm was calibrated, both correlation coefficients for calibration (Rc) and the validation (Rv) sets could reach 1.000, root mean square errors for calibration (RMSEC) and the validation (RMSEV) sets were as low as 0.038 and 0.099 respectively. This study proposed a novel method which is based solely on the absorption, scattering, and fluorescence characteristics at excitation and emission wavelengths to achieve accurate prediction of AFB1 content in different types of vegetable oils.

Bacaba, Pracaxi and Uxi Oils for Therapeutic Purposes: A Scoping Review.

Fruits such as bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba Mart), pracaxi (Pentaclethra macroloba Kuntze) and uxi (Endopleura uchi (Huber) Cuatrec), from the Amazon rainforest, are potentially interesting for studies of natural products. The current article aims at mapping and characterizing studies on the bacaba, pracaxi and uxi species. This review reports the main bioactive compounds identified in these species and discusses their therapeutic potential. Searches were performed in MEDLINE (Via Pubmed) and Web of Science. Thirty-one studies that described or evaluated the development of formulations aimed at the therapeutic use of the species were included. The findings suggest that species have the potential for the development of pharmaceutical formulations due to their therapeutic properties. However, further studies are required to assess safety and efficacy of these products. Therefore, it is suggested that new research studies propose strategies so that technological development is based on awareness and preservation of the biome.

Unveiling the anticancer potentiality of single cell oils produced by marine oleaginous Paradendryphiella sp. under optimized economic growth conditions.

Bioprospecting about new marine oleaginous fungi that produce advantageous bioproducts in a green sustainable process is the key of blue bioeconomy. Herein, the marine Paradendryphiella sp. was utilized for single cell oils (SCOs) production economically, via central composite design, the lipid content enhanced 2.2-fold by 5.5 g/L lipid yeild on seawater-based media supplemented with molasses concentration 50 g/L, yeast extract, 2.25 g/L at initial pH value (5.3) and 8 days of static incubation. Subsequently, the fatty acid methyl esters profiles of SCOs produced on optimized media under different abiotic conditions were determined; signifying qualitative and quantitative variations. Interestingly, the psychrophilic-prolonged incubation increased the unsaturation level of fatty acids to 59.34%, while ω-6 and ω-3 contents representing 23.53% and 0.67% respectively. Remarkably, it exhibited the highest EC100 dose by 677.03 µg/mL on normal human lung fibroblast Wi-38 cells. Meanwhile, it showed the highest inhibiting proliferation potential on cancer cell lines of A549, MDA-MB 231 and HepG-2 cells by 372.37, 417.48 and 365.00 µg/mL, respectively. Besides, it elevated the oxidative stress, the expression of key apoptotic genes and suppressed the expression of key oncogenes (NF-κB, BCL2 and cyclin D); implying its promising efficacy in cancer treatment as adjuvant drug. This study denoted the lipogenesis capacity of Paradendryphiella sp. under acidic/alkaline and psychrophilic/mesophilic conditions. Hereby attaining efficient and economic process under seasonal variation with different Egyptian marine sources to fill the gap of freshwater crisis and simultaneously preserve energy.

Oil/Salt Use Assessment of Chinese-Style Canteens Based on Consumers' Perception of the Nutrition Environment.

Excess cooking oil and salt use in catering services contributes to obesity and cardiovascular disease, but the assessment of oil/salt use has been a challenge in nutrition environment measurement. We conducted a knowledge, attitude, and practice survey on 250 respondents in five university canteens at China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. Using on-site tools including a newly developed Likert scale and the previously tested Oil-Salt Visual Analogue Scale (OS-VAS), the respondents were asked to evaluate their personal taste, their impression of the oil/salt status of canteen dishes, and their attitude toward oil/salt reduction. Data analysis showed that gender and self-image of body shape had a significant impact on KAP scores and the impression of the oil/salt environment. The respondents' taste preferences correlated with their perception of oil and salt, but knowledge and attitude were not directly related to scores on oil and salt, while weight status was related to oil and salt scores. The Likert scale-based assessment could work but was not as effective as the OS-VAS in distinguishing the differences among the selected canteens. These results indicate that the quality of the nutrition environment in catering services needs to be comprehensively evaluated with an objective evaluation of raters and a subjective evaluation of consumers.

Oily wastewater treatment by a continuous flow electrocoagulation reactor with polarity switch: Assessment of the relation between process variables and the aluminum released to the environment.

Electrocoagulation with electrical polarity inversion was used to treat oil in water emulsions (145 ± 5 mg dm-3) using a cylindrical 4.8 dm3 reactor in continuous mode. The effects of spatial time and time between polarity inversion were explored using a three-level full factorial design (32), followed by Spearman correlation (ps), which has shown that the aluminum concentration in the treated effluent is not directly dependent on the mass of aluminum released by the electrodes. Nonetheless, the loss of mass of the electrodes is correlated (ps = 0.6970) to oil removal and to less electric power consumption (ps = -0.6909). Surface response analysis revealed that increasing the number of inversion cycles reduces electrode degradation. The treatment reduced the effluent's chemical oxygen demand by over 92.8%. Regarding environmental impact, there is an inverse statistical correlation between aluminum in the treated effluent and oil removal (ps = -0.7426), indicating that removing more oil with less environmental impact is possible. The better condition, considering oil removal and lower electrode consumption, was obtained with a spatial time of 36 min and a polarity inversion time of 10 s; for this condition, oil removal reached 87.0% with an energy expenditure of about 7.21 kW h.m-3.

Assessment of the effect of short-term weathering on the molecular-level chemical composition of crude oils in contact with aquatic environments.

Multiple studies have focused on the effect of long-term weathering processes on oils after spill events, without considering the chemical compositional changes occurring shortly after the release of oil into the environment. Therefore, the present study provides a broad chemical characterization for understanding of the changes occurring in the chemical compositions of intermediate (°API = 27.0) and heavy (°API = 20.9) oils from the Sergipe-Alagoas basin submitted to two simulated situations, one under marine conditions and the other in a riverine environment. Samples of the oils were collected during the first 72 h of contact with the simulated environments, followed by evaluation of their chemical compositions. SARA fractionation was used to isolate the resins, which were characterized at the molecular level by UHRMS. The evaporation process was highlighted, with the GC-FID chromatographic profiles showing the disappearance of compounds from n-C10 until n-C16, as well as changes in the weathering indexes and pristane + n-C17/phytane + n-C18 ratios for the crude oils submitted to the riverine conditions. Analysis of the resins fraction showed that basic polar compounds underwent little or no alterations during the early stages of weathering. The marine environment was shown to be much less oxidative than the riverine environment. For both environments, a feature highlighted was an increase of acidic oxygenated compounds with the increase of weathering, especially for the crude oil with °API = 27.0.

An assessment of qualitative and quantitative cannabinoids analysis in selected commercially available cannabis oils in Argentina.

In recent years, the therapeutic use of cannabis products, especially cannabis oils, has increased significantly, due to the pharmacological potential of their cannabinoids, for the treatment of conditions, such as pain management, cancer, and epilepsy. In Argentina, patients with medical prescriptions can access to cannabis oil, through self-cultivation, a third-person (grower or importer), or a civil organization authorized for that purpose. However, these products remain largely unregulated in Argentina, and information available regarding labeling accuracy, especially cannabidiol (CBD)/ Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) concentrations are inconsistent or nonexistent, nor long-term product stability, and lot to lot variability. Understanding these properties is fundamental if these products are to be used in patients with a determinate pathology. Therefore, we analyzed commercially available cannabis oils (n: 500) in Argentina for qualitative and quantitative cannabinoids content. In order to provide a detailed overview of their cannabinoids profiles, and determine Δ9-THC, CBD, and cannabinol (CBN) concentrations, samples were diluted and analyzed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Most of the samples tested positive for cannabinoids (n: 469) with Δ9-THC and CBD as the predominant cannabinoids. Among products tested, only 29.8% (n: 149) gave specific CBD label claims, and testing indicated a CBD tested positive of 70.5% (n: 105). For products (n: 17) with a THC-free label claim, testing indicated 76.5% (n: 13) of Δ9-THC positive, and cannabinoids were not detected in four products. Δ9-THC concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 143.0 mg/mL, CBD concentrations from 0.1 to 125.3 mg/mL, and CBN concentrations from 0.04 to 60.10 mg/mL; CBN/ Δ9-THC ratios ranged from 0.0012 to 2.31, and CBD/ Δ9-THC ratios from 0.0008 to 178.87. Furthermore, the (Δ9-THC + CBN)/CBD ratio of most samples was greater than one. In summary, our results indicate that cannabis oil products show wide variability in cannabinoids content, purity, and labeling.

Toxicity assessment of common acaricides and mineral oils on Anagyrus vladimiri, an effective biocontrol agent of citrus mealybug.

Chemical pesticides, while playing an important role in the suppression of insect pests, should be used in a manner that minimizes negative effects on natural enemies. The parasitoid, Anagyrus vladimiri Triapitsyn (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), plays an important role in the management of mealybug pests of citrus groves in the Mediterranean region. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of commonly used acaricides (Spirodiclofen, Spirotetramat, Sulfur, Fenpyroximate, Abamectin) and mineral oils (Levanola, EOS, JMS, and Ultrapaz) on acute mortality of A. vladimiri. Toxicity was assessed in 4 cases: (i) direct spray application on adults, (ii) pesticide application on the mummified host, (iii) feeding with contaminated food, and (iv) contact with pesticide residue. The pesticide Abamectin, applied alone and with Levanola oil was highly toxic to adults in all bioassays, with the exception of direct spray application on the mummified host. Fenpyroximate was found to be highly toxic only when sprayed directly on adults, and sulfur was slightly harmful. Mineral oils were harmful when ingested with food; otherwise, they did not cause appreciable adult mortality. The findings of the present study suggest that all tested materials, with the exception of Abamectin and Fenpyroximate, are compatible with the survival of A. vladimiri. Direct ingestion of oils can, however, cause a degree of mortality. Given that indiscriminate use of these pesticides may affect the population ecology of A. vladimiri, they should be used with caution.

Toxicity and risk management of oil-spiked sediments by diluted bitumen for two freshwater benthic invertebrates.

Diluted bitumen (dilbit) is an unconventional oil produced by the oil sands industry in Canada. Despite the knowledge available on hydrocarbon toxicity, the effects of diluted bitumen on benthic organisms are still largely unknown. Moreover, in Quebec there are only provisional threshold values of 164 mg/kg C10-C50 for chronic effects and 832 mg/kg for acute effects. The protectiveness of these values for benthic invertebrates has not been tested for heavy unconventional oils such as dilbit. Two benthic organisms, the larvae of Chironomus riparius and Hyalella azteca, were exposed to these two concentrations and to an intermediate concentration (416 mg/kg) of two dilbits (DB1 and DB2) and a heavy conventional oil (CO). The aim of the study was to assess the sublethal and lethal effects of spiked sediment by dilbit. The oil was rapidly degraded in the sediment, especially in the presence of C. riparius. Amphipods were much more sensitive to oil than chironomids. LC50-14d values for H. azteca were 199 mg/kg C10-C50 for DB1, 299 mg/kg for DB2 and 8.42 mg/kg for CO compared to LC50-7d values for C. riparius of 492 mg/kg for DB1, 563 mg/kg for DB2 and 514 mg/kg for CO. The size of the organisms was reduced compared to controls for both species. The defense enzymes (GST, GPx, SOD and CAT) were not good biomarkers in these two organisms for this type of contamination. The current provisional sediment quality criteria seem too permissive for heavy oils and should be lowered.

Efficient Utilization of Tea Resources through Encapsulation: Dual Perspectives from Core Material to Wall Material.

With the high production and consumption of tea around the world, efficient utilization of tea byproducts (tea pruning, tea residues after production, and drinking) is the focus of improving the economy of the tea industry. This review comprehensively discusses the efficient utilization of tea resources by encapsulation from the dual perspectives of core material and wall material. The core material is mainly tea polyphenols, followed by tea oils. The encapsulation system for tea polyphenols includes microcapsules, nanoparticles, emulsions, gels, conjugates, metal-organic frameworks, liposomes, and nanofibers. In addition, it is also diversified for the encapsulation of tea oils. Tea resources as wall materials refer to tea saponins, tea polyphenols, tea proteins, and tea polysaccharides. The application of the tea-based delivery system widely involves functionally fortified food, meat preservation, film, medical treatment, wastewater treatment, and plant protection. In the future, the coencapsulation of tea resources as core materials and other functional ingredients, the precise targeting of these tea resources, and the wide application of tea resources in wall materials need to be focused on. In conclusion, the described technofunctional properties and future research challenges in this review should be followed.

[Aspects of sustainability of topical therapy]. / Aspekte der Nachhaltigkeit in der topischen Therapie.

BACKGROUND: Topical compounds are an important treatment option in dermatology. Many ingredients and packaging do not yet sufficiently fulfill sustainable criteria. OBJECTIVES: This article aims to provide a compact overview of sustainability criteria of topical compounds and packaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on a selective literature search and personal experience, common ingredients and packaging of topical preparations are summarized. RESULTS: Topical preparations often contain mineral oils, acrylates, silicones and polyethylene glycols (PEG), which show poor biodegradability and may accumulate in the environment. As an alternative to these non-renewable substances, plant-based fats, oils, and waxes can be used. Biopolymers such as plant-based gum, agar-agar, pectin, and biologically produced hyaluronic acid are an alternative to plastic polymers. The environmental footprint of glass as packaging material is overestimated. Currently, plastics and aluminum may be preferable when recycled correctly. CONCLUSION: The production of topical formulations without using mineral oils, silicones, acrylates, and PEGs is technically challenging. A sustainable packaging material that fulfills all relevant functionalities is not yet available. Packaging should meet high requirements regarding ecological, economic, and social factors. Better performance with respect to new opportunities in recycling and waste management should be incorporated. Overall, the legislative authorities should provide relevant incentives for more sustainable topical compounds and packaging.

Efficient optimization and development of two methods for the determination of acrylamide in deep-frying oil by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: Application of multifactor analysis assessment strategy.

A new multifactor analysis assessment strategy was developed for evaluating, optimizing, and comparing analytical techniques for acrylamide in frying oils. Based on five indices (absolute recovery, absolute matrix effect, the intensity of the full ion scan, and the precursor ion scan to m/z 184 and m/z 241), the proposed strategy was performed with radar analysis, relative contribution analysis, and the entropy-weighted technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution analysis. Two novel methods based on quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe extraction methodology and gel permeation chromatography-liquid-liquid extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry have been developed for the analysis of acrylamide in frying oils. Two methods were suitable for rapid and sensitive analysis of acrylamide in oils in different laboratories, with a limit of quantitation at 2 µg/kg, and the average recovery ranging from 92.5% to 107.8%, with relative standard deviations below 10%. When considering automation efficiency and matrix effects, gel permeation chromatography is the most efficient method, whereas the other method has an advantage when analyzing large samples. The developed methods were used in a pilot study to analyze frying oils with acrylamide content below 9.82 µg/kg, showing that the repeated frying process did not produce significant content of acrylamide in oils.

Photothermal technique-enabled ambient production of microalgae biodiesel: Mechanism and life cycle assessment.

Thermocatalytic (trans)esterification of oils/lipids to produce biodiesel is generally energy-consuming, reversible, and controlled by the equilibrium law. Herein, a light-induced photothermal process was illustrated to be highly efficient for biodiesel production (96.8 % yield) from microalgae lipids at room temperature enabled by a biomass-based SO3H-functionalized graphene-like heterogeneous catalyst (S-NGL-600), as optimized by response surface methodology. Infrared thermal imaging indicated that interfacial solar heating led to forming a local photothermal catalytic system, reaching 72.2 °C in 2 min. The local light heating was conducive to evaporation and removal of water from acid sites, resulting in local excess of microalgae lipids to facilitate the forward reaction. Notably, the photothermal catalyst was highly recyclable and exhibited a significantly higher conversion rate of microalgae lipids than industrially used catalyst H2SO4. Life cycle assessment suggested energy-saving advantage (0.87 MJ/MJ) and environmental protection (-89.42 CO2eq/MJ) of the photothermal-driven protocol for microalgae biodiesel production.

Pyrolytic conversion of waste plastics to energy products: A review on yields, properties, and production costs.

In recent years, about 370 million tonnes of waste plastic are generated annually with about 9 % recycled, 80 % landfilled and 11 % converted to energy. As recycling of waste plastics are quite expensive and labour-intensive, the focus has now been shifted towards converting waste plastics into energy products. Pyrolysis of waste plastic generates liquid oil (crude), gas, char and wax among which liquid oil is the most valuable product. In this review, emphasis has been given on the pyrolysis products yield from both thermal and catalytic pyrolysis and the factors that affect pyrolysis products yield. The use of homogenous catalysts, for example AlCl3, can significantly improve the quality of waste plastic pyrolytic oil (WPPO), reduce time and energy consumption of the process, and help remove the contaminants of waste plastic. This study also thoroughly reviewed physico-chemical properties of WPPO to understand their thermal stability, elemental composition, and functional groups. Although liquid oil exhibits comparable heating value with commercial fuel (diesel/petrol), for example higher heating value of Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE) are 50 and 42 MJ/kg which is between 42 and 46 MJ/kg for commercial diesel the other properties depend on several parameters such as plastic and pyrolysis reactor types, temperature, feed size, reaction time, heating rate and catalysts. A techno-economic analysis indicate that the liquid oil production cost could be about 0.6 USD/l if plant capacity is ≥175,000 million litres/year with a breakeven of 1 year. After-treatment of WPPO through distillation and hydrotreatment is recommended for improving the physio-chemical properties comparable to commercial fuel to use in automobile applications. This paper will be a valuable guide for stakeholders, and decision and policy makers for proper utilization of waste plastics.

Práticas de cuidado em saúde com crianças quilombolas: percepção dos cuidadores / Prácticas de cuidado de salud con niños quilombolas: percepción de los cuidadores / Health care practices with Quilombola children: caregivers' perception

Resumo Objetivo analisar, na percepção dos cuidadores, as práticas de cuidado em saúde prestadas às crianças quilombolas. Método estudo exploratório-descritivo, qualitativo, realizado na comunidade quilombola Santa Rita de Barreira, São Miguel do Guamá, Pará, Brasil. Os dados foram produzidos entre julho e setembro de 2021, com cuidadores de crianças de zero a cinco anos, por meio de entrevistas individuais guiadas com instrumento semiestruturado. Para análise, utilizou-se o Microsoft Office Excel 2019 e o software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires 0.7, alpha 2, por meio da Classificação Hierárquica Descendente. Resultados participaram 18 cuidadores do sexo feminino, com idade entre 20 e 67 anos. Relacionaram o cuidado à prevenção e ao tratamento de doenças, aos hábitos de vida, ao acesso aos serviços de saúde e às práticas populares que valorizam a medicina tradicional. Conclusões e implicações para a prática os saberes e as ações das mulheres expressaram influências de sua cultura, suas crenças e seus modos de interpretar e simbolizar a realidade. Reconhecer e problematizar as práticas quilombolas no cuidado às crianças é um desafio que ultrapassa o discurso biomédico, reducionista e estigmatizante, contexto no qual é preciso ampliar o debate interdisciplinar sobre o tema.

Resumen Objetivo analizar, en la percepción de los cuidadores, las prácticas de atención a la salud que se brindan a niños quilombolas. Método estudio exploratorio-descriptivo, cualitativo, realizado en la comunidad quilombola Santa Rita de Barreira, São Miguel do Guamá, Pará, Brasil. Los datos fueron recolectados entre julio y septiembre de 2021, con cuidadores de niños de cero a cinco años, a través de entrevistas individuales guiadas con instrumento semiestructurado. Para el análisis, se utilizó el programa Microsoft Office Excel 2019 y el software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires 0.7, alpha 2, a través de la Clasificación Jerárquica Descendente. Resultados participaron 18 cuidadoras, con edades entre 20 y 67 años. Relacionaron el cuidado con la prevención y tratamiento de enfermedades, hábitos de vida, acceso a los servicios de salud y prácticas populares que valoran la medicina tradicional. Conclusiones e implicaciones para la práctica los saberes y acciones de las mujeres expresaron la influencia de su cultura, sus creencias y sus formas de interpretar y simbolizar la realidad. Reconocer y cuestionar las prácticas quilombolas en el cuidado de los niños es un desafío que va más allá del discurso biomédico, reduccionista y estigmatizador, contexto en el que es necesario ampliar el debate interdisciplinario sobre el tema.

Abstract Objective to analyze, in caregivers' perception, the health care practices provided to Quilombola children. Method an exploratory-descriptive, qualitative study carried out in the Quilombola community Santa Rita de Barreira, São Miguel do Guamá, Pará, Brazil. Data were produced between July and September 2021, with caregivers of children aged zero to five years, through individual interviews guided with a semi-structured instrument. For analysis, Microsoft Office Excel 2019 and the Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires 0.7, alpha 2 were used, through Descending Hierarchical Classification. Results eighteen female caregivers participated, aged between 20 and 67 years. They related care to disease prevention and treatment, life habits, health services access and popular practices that value traditional medicine. Conclusions and implications for practice women's knowledge and actions expressed influences from their culture, their beliefs and their ways of interpreting and symbolizing reality. Recognizing and questioning Quilombola practices in child care is a challenge that goes beyond the biomedical, reductionist and stigmatizing discourse, a context in which it is necessary to expand the interdisciplinary debate on the subject.

Assessment of the exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in users of various tobacco/nicotine products by suitable urinary biomarkers.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occur naturally (bitumen and oils) and are formed during all incomplete combustions of organic materials. PAH exposure sources are manifold and include specific workplaces, ambient air, various foodstuffs, tobacco smoke and some medications. At least four members of this class of chemicals have been classified as proven or probable human carcinogens. Assessment of the exposure to PAHs with suitable methods is of importance, particularly in users of new-generation tobacco/nicotine products, which are intended to replace combustible cigarettes (CCs), a major source of non-occupational exposure to PAHs. In a clinical study comprising a period of 74 h under confinement, we investigated the exposure to naphthalene (Nap), fluorene (Flu), phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) by measuring urinary monohydroxy-PAH (OH-PAH) derived from these parent compounds in habitual users of CCs, electronic cigarettes (ECs), heated tobacco products (HTPs), oral tobacco (OT), and nicotine replacement therapy products (NRTs). Non-users (NU) of any tobacco/nicotine products served as (negative) control group. Smokers exhibited the highest levels for all PAH biomarkers measured, almost all of which were significantly different from the NU and user groups of all other products investigated. CC smokers were the only group which showed a significant relationship between almost all PAH biomarkers and dose markers such as daily consumption, urinary nicotine equivalents (Nequ) and plasma cotinine (CotP). The ratios in urinary OH-PAH between CC and all other groups were dependent on the biomarker and range from < 2 to > 10. These ratios could at least partly be explained by the enzymes involved, their region-selectivity and inducibility by smoking. In conclusion, cigarette smokers (CC) were the only group, which showed product use dependent exposure to PAHs, whereas users of EC, HTP, NRT and OT were not distinguishable from NU of any tobacco/nicotine products.

Compound reutilization of waste cooking oil and waste engine oil as asphalt rejuvenator: performance evaluation and application.

The comprehensive utilization of waste cooking oil (WCO) and waste engine oil (WEO) is of great significance to build a sustainable society because recycling WCO and WEO to develop a rejuvenator for asphalt pavement not only aids the reduction of environmental pollution, but also brings about significant benefits to the Earth's sustainable development. With a clear aim to contribute to a more efficient reuse of the waste oils and recycled asphalt mixtures, this paper develops a high-efficiency compound rejuvenator and determines the optimal combination of its main constituents (WCO and WEO) through orthogonal tests. Furthermore, the performance of the rejuvenator is verified by means of the four-fraction test and the traditional asphalt performance tests (penetration, ductility, softening point). These tests confirm the regeneration efficiency of the compound rejuvenator, and the optimum dosage of the compound rejuvenator is found of 7%. Subsequently, the mechanism of the compound rejuvenator in aged asphalt is examined, and following the application of the compound rejuvenator, it was concluded that the reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) could be maximized by 45%. Consequentially, the results of this research promote the recycling of WEO, WCO, and waste asphalt pavement materials, ultimately advocating the sustainability of pavement construction.

Best available technique for the recovery of marine benthic communities in a gravel shore after the oil spill: A mesocosm-based sediment triad assessment.

Ecotoxicological effects of spilled oils are well documented, but study of recovery of marine benthic communities is limited. Long-term recovery of hard bottom communities during physical and biological remediations after a spill was monitored. A 60-day experiment was conducted using a mesocosm with monitoring of eight endpoints by use of the sediment quality triad (SQT). First, physical treatment of hot water + high pressure flushing maximally removed residual oils (max=93%), showing the greatest recovery among SQT variables (mean=72%). Physical cleanup generally involved adverse effects such as depression of the microphytobenthic community during the initial period. Next, biological treatments, such as fertilizer, emulsifier, enzyme and augmentation of the microbes, all facilitated removal of oil (max=66%) enhancing ecological recovery. Analysis of the microbiome confirmed that oil-degrading bacteria, such as Dietzia sp. and Rosevarius sp. were present. A mixed bioremediation, including fertilizer + multi-enzyme + microbes (FMeM) maximized efficacy of remediation as indicated by SQT parameters (mean=47%). Natural attenuation with "no treatment" showed comparable recovery to other remediations. Considering economic availability, environmental performance, and technical applicability, of currently available techniques, combined treatments of physical removal via hand wiping followed by FMeM could be most effective for recovery of the rocky shore benthic community.