Comparative assessment of compost and zeolite utilisation for the simultaneous removal of BTEX, Cd and Zn from the aqueous phase: Batch and continuous flow study.

The present study focuses on the comparison of two materials, compost from municipal solid waste and natural zeolite for the simultaneous removal of petroleum hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes - BTEX) and toxic metals from groundwater. First, batch experiments were conducted to identify the optimal removal conditions. All of the kinetic experiments were fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model; equilibrium was reached within approximately 8 h for the zeolite and 12 h for the compost. An increase in the adsorbent dose and the pH value as well as a decrease in the initial concentration enhanced the pollutants' removal. The removal selectivity of both materials with slight differences follows the order Cd > Zn & toluene > ethylbenzene > m- & p-xylene > o-xylene > benzene. According, to the results derived from the continuous flow experiments the maximum adsorption capacity of the compost (90%) referred to Cd (0.88 mmol/g) whereas the minimum refers to benzene (65%) with a capacity up to 0.065 mmol/g. Zeolite had lower efficiencies for the studied pollutants with a higher performance corresponding to Cd (0.26 mmol/g), whereas the minimum zeolite capacity (63%) corresponds to toluene (0.045 mmol/g). Thus, this paper provides evidence that compost, a low cost material produced from waste, is capable for the simultaneous removal of both organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater, and its performance is superior to zeolite.

Developments toward a low-cost approach for long-term, unattended vapor intrusion monitoring.

There are over 450 000 sites contaminated by chemicals in the US. This large number of contaminated sites and the speed of subsurface migration of chemicals pose considerable risk to nearby residences and commercial buildings. The high costs for monitoring around these sites stem from the labor involved in placing and replacing the passive sorbent vapor samplers and the resultant laboratory analysis. This monitoring produces sparse data sets that do not track temporal changes well. To substantially reduce costs and better track exposures, less costly, unattended systems for monitoring soil gases and vapor intrusion into homes and businesses are desirable to aid in the remediation of contaminated sites. This paper describes progress toward the development of an inexpensive system specifically for monitoring vapor intrusion; the system can operate repeatedly without user intervention with low detection limits (1 × 10(-9), or 1 part-per-billion). Targeted analytes include chlorinated hydrocarbons (dichloroethylene, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene) and benzene. The system consists of a trap-and-purge preconcentrator for vapor collection in conjunction with a compact gas chromatography instrument to separate individual compounds. Chemical detection is accomplished with an array of chemicapacitors and a metal-oxide semiconductor combustibles sensor. Both the preconcentrator and the chromatography column are resistively heated. All components are compatible with ambient air, which serves as the carrier gas for the gas chromatography and detectors.

occupational exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons at a coke plant: Part II. Exposure assessment of volatile organic compounds.

The objective of the study is to assess the external and internal exposures to aromatic hydrocarbons in the tar and oil naphthalene distillation processes at a coke plant. 69 workers engaged as operators in tar and oil naphthalene distillation processes and 25 non-exposed subjects were examined. Personal analyses of the benzene, toluene, xylene isomers, ethylbenzene, naphthalene, indan, indene and acenaphthene in the breathing zone air allowed us to determine the time weighted average exposure levels to the aromatic hydrocarbons listed above. The internal exposure was investigated by measurement of the urinary excretion of naphthols, 2-methylphenol and dimethylphenol isomers by means of gas chromatography with a flame ionization detection (GC/FID). Urine metabolites were extracted after enzymatic hydrolysis by solid-phase extraction with styrene-divinylbenzene resin. The time-weighted average concentrations of the hydrocarbons detected in the breathing zone air shows that the exposure levels of the workers are relatively low in comparison to the exposure limits. Statistically significant differences between average concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene isomers) determined at the workplaces in the tar distillation department have been found. Concentrations of the naphthalene and acenaphthene detected in workers from the oil distillation department are higher that those from the tar distillation department. Concentrations of naphthols, 2-methoxyphenol and dimethylphenol isomers in the urine of occupationally exposed workers were significantly higher than those of non-exposed subjects. Concentrations of the 2-methoxyphenol and dimethylphenol isomers in urine were significantly higher for the tar distillation workers, whereas concentrations of naphthols were higher for the oil naphthalene distillation workers. Operators at the tar and naphthalene oil distillation processes are simultaneously exposed to a mixture of different hydrocarbons, mainly benzene and naphthalene homologues.