Sustainable Materials and their Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Critical Review Based on an Italian Example.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been proposed to give a possible future to humankind. Due to the multidimensional characteristic of sustainability, SDGs need research activities with a multidisciplinary approach. This work aims to provide a critical review of the results concerning sustainable materials obtained by Italian researchers affiliated to the National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM) and their contribution to reaching specific indicators of the 17 SDGs. Data were exposed by using the Web of Science (WoS) database. In the investigated period (from 2016 to 2020), 333 works about sustainable materials are found and grouped in one of the following categories: chemicals (33%), composites (11%), novel materials for pollutants sequestration (8%), bio-based and food-based materials (10%), materials for green building (8%), and materials for energy (29%). This review contributes to increasing the awareness of several of the issues concerning sustainable materials but also to encouraging the researchers to focus on SDGs' interconnections. Indeed, the mapping of the achievements can be relevant to the decision-makers to identify the opportunities that materials can offer to achieve the final goals. In this frame, a "Sustainable Materials Partnership for SDGs" is envisaged for more suitable resource management in the future.

Stabilization of borate by hot isostatic pressing after co-precipitation with hydroxyapatite using MAP.

Boric acid is one of the most mobile inorganic contaminant species in nature due to its pKa of 9.23. Co-precipitation of borate with hydroxyapatite (HAp: Ca5(PO4)3OH) facilitates the simultaneous removal of borate with co-existing oxoanions in natural waters. The cost of phosphate is an impediment to industrialize the co-precipitation of borate with HAp for treatment of geothermal waters. In the present work, an inexpensive industrial by-product of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) derived from sewage sludge, was examined as a phosphate source. MAP includes 89% pure magnesium ammonium phosphate, resulting in better performance than the pure chemical form of NH4H2PO4, because Mg2+ and Al3+ (trace elements in MAP product) play roles in enhancing the removal rate of borate and lowering the equilibrium borate concentration. These ions have a good affinity with phosphate to nucleate crystal seeds independently of powdery Ca sources. To reduce the bulky volume of solid residues, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was applied. There is structural water in HAp; therefore, the greatest volume reduction was achieved with 78.3 ± 2.0% (n = 3). Additionally, a synergic effect to suppress the released borate, greater than the sequential combination of calcination and cold isostatic pressing was accomplished in the toxicity contents leaching procedure (TCLP) test. This is not due to larger crystal sizes alone, but it is derived from boron stabilization in HAp at an atomic level by the synergic effect of heating and pressing simultaneously.

Low-cost field production of biochars and their properties.

Biochar has been intensively investigated for carbon sequestration, soil fertility enhancement, and immobilization of heavy metals and organic pollutants. Large-scale use of biochar in agricultural production and environmental remediation, however, has been constrained by its high cost. Here, we demonstrated the production of low-cost biochar ($20/ton) in the field from Robinia pseudoacacia biowaste via a combined aerobic and oxygen-limited carbonization process and a fire-water-coupled method. It involved aerobic combustion at the outer side of biomass, oxygen-limited pyrolysis in the inner core of biomass, and the termination of the carbonization by water spray. The properties of biochar thus produced were greatly affected by exposure time (the gap between a burning char fell to the ground and being extinguished by water spray). Biochar formed by zero exposure time showed a larger specific surface area (155.77 m2/g), a higher carbon content (67.45%), a lower ash content (15.38%), and a higher content of carboxyl and phenolic-hydroxyl groups (1.74 and 0.86 mol/kg, respectively) than biochars formed with longer exposure times (5-30 min). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) spectra indicated that oxygen-containing functional groups of biochar played a role in Cd and oxytetracycline sorption though a quantitative relationship could not be established as the relative contribution of carbon and ash moieties of biochar to the sorption was unknown. Outcomes from this research provide an option for inexpensive production of biochar to support its use as a soil amendment in developing countries.

Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethyl starch-g-polyacrylic acids and their properties as adsorbents for ammonia and phenol.

Cigarette smoke contains a lot of harmful chemicals which cause different diseases like cancer, heart disease, bronchitis and ulcer etc. Ammonia and phenol are among those chemicals which cause cancer, fibrosis, respiratory disorder and pneumonia. So, to remove ammonia and phenol from cigarette smoke, five different types of carboxymethyl starch-g-polyacrylic acids (CMS-g-PAAs) were synthesized by using different initiators, different mole ratio of acrylic acid to CMS anhydroglucose unit (AGU) and different amount of water. Three types of modified CMSs, CMS-g-PAA1, CMS-g-PAA3 and CMS-g-PAA4 were selected for further characterization and application for ammonia and phenol adsorption. The 1H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the successful grafting of PAA on CMS. Crystallinity of CMS and three modified CMSs was checked by their XRD analysis. The XRD analysis showed that CMS had crystalline nature which was lost after modification. The thermal properties of CMS and the modified samples were checked by TGA and DTG which also gave information about the successful grafting on PAA on CMS. Finally the modified CMSs were further used for the adsorption applications of ammonia and phenol from the gaseous stream. It was found that CMS-g-PAA4 showed the highest adsorption efficiency towards ammonia (0.352 mmol/g) and phenol (0.18 mmol/g).

Characterization the level of a new low-cost adsorbent material prepared from date palm kernel pits via DP-LIBS and ICP-OES spectroscopic techniques.

We successfully developed a fast detection system based on orthogonal dual-pulsed laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS) to characterize the level of a new low-cost adsorbent material prepared from date palm kernel pits. The activated carbon (AC) was produced from different heated and chemically treated date palm kernel pit samples to be used as adsorbent material for the removal of some pollutants from wastewater. The quantitative, as well as qualitative analysis, was performed using the DP-LIBS analytical technique. Hence, the valuable elements like the carbon present in the date palm kernel pits was perfectly recognized. The registered spectra of the sample cover the spectral lines of carbon. The quantitative analysis of carbon, carried out in different samples of date palm kernel pits, using DP-LIBS revealed that the estimated limit of detection of carbon in these samples is about 225.19 mg/L. The precision of DP-LIBS data for determining the concentration of activated carbon element present in the date palm kernel pits was validated via the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) as a standard technique.

Cadmium and lead in cocoa powder and chocolate products in the US Market.

Cocoa powder and chocolate products are known to sometimes contain cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from environmental origins. A convenience sample of cocoa powder, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and cocoa nib products was purchased at retail in the US and analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to assess Cd and Pb concentrations. Cd and Pb were evaluated in relation to the percent cocoa solids and to the reported origin of the cocoa powder and chocolate products. Cd ranged from 0.004 to 3.15 mg/kg and Pb ranged from

Monitoring enzymatic degradation of emerging contaminants using a chip-based robotic nano-ESI-MS tool.

Up to now, knowledge of enzymes capable of degrading various contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) is limited, which is especially due to the lack of rapid screening methods. Thus, a miniaturized high-throughput setup using a chip-based robotic nanoelectrospray ionization system coupled to mass spectrometry has been developed to rapidly screen enzymatic reactions with environmentally relevant CECs. Three laccases, two tyrosinases, and two peroxidases were studied for their ability to transform ten pharmaceuticals and benzotriazole. Acetaminophen was most susceptible to enzymatic conversion by horseradish peroxidase (HRP), laccase from Trametes versicolor (LccTV), and a tyrosinase from Agaricus bisporus (TyrAB). Diclofenac and mefenamic acid were converted by HRP and LccTV, whereas sotalol was solely amenable to HRP conversion. Benzotriazole, carbamazepine, gabapentin, metoprolol, primidone, sulfamethoxazole, and venlafaxine remained persistent in this study. The results obtained here emphasize that enzymes are highly selective catalysts and more effort is required in the use of fast monitoring technologies to find suitable enzyme systems. Despite the methodological limitations discussed in detail, the automated tool provides a routine on-line screening of various enzymatic reactions to identify potential enzymes that degrade CECs. Graphical abstract A chip-based robotic nano-ESI-MS tool to rapidly monitor enzymatic degradation of environmentally relevant emerging contaminants.

Analysis of Recent Patenting Activities in the Field of Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollutants Present in the Environment.

BACKGROUND: In today's world one of the major environmental problems is the contamination of aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem due to spillage of hydrocarbon compounds produced due to various activities related to the petrochemical industry. In recent years, bioremediation has emerged as a promising technology for the restoration of these contaminated sites in an ecofriendly way. OBJECTIVE: The aim of present review literature is the compilation of patent documents on bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants to know technological advancements in this field. METHODS: This analysis was based on various criteria i.e. patenting trend over time, country-wise and assignee-wise comparisons and types of technology used in various patents. Some publicly available patent databases were used to retrieve the patent information from the year 2000 to 2016. RESULTS: Patent applications were retrieved and it was observed that different types of technological approaches were used in developing the patents. United States accounted for maximum patent publications, followed by China, Korea, Japan, Russia, Great Britain, Mexico, India and Canada in developing bioremediation technologies. US based organization DU PONT is the leading group as patent assignee followed by Biosaint Co. Ltd in Korea. CONCLUSION: Patenting activity in the field of bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon was not much commendable in the early 20th century. However, an increased trend was observed in the past few years. Further contribution in this aspect would help in stabilizing various global environmental as well as economic issues.

Assessment of oxytetracycline and tetracycline antibiotics in manure samples in different cities of Khuzestan Province, Iran.

Tetracyclines (TCs), a class of antibiotics with a broad spectrum, are the most frequently used antibiotics in animal production. The major concern is that the widespread use of the antibiotics may lead to the emergence of new strains of bacteria that are resistant to these antibiotics. The objective of this study was to determine the residual levels of oxytetracycline and tetracycline in 80 animal manure samples that were collected from the livestock and poultry feedlots in Khuzestan Province. The residual levels of the antibiotics in the samples were extracted by using solid-phase extraction (SPE) method and subsequently were measured by liquid chromatography. Recoveries from the spiked poultry manure samples ranged from 65 to 113% for tetracycline and 86 to 132% for oxytetracycline. Relative standard deviations of the recoveries were less than 5.7% within the same day. Method detection limit (MDL) measured for oxytetracycline and tetracycline in the manure were 0.011 and 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. Analysis of the collected 50 chickens and 30 cow manure samples showed that the highest concentration of tetracycline was related to Behbahan City (5.36 mg/kg) and the lowest concentration was detected for Ramhormoz (0.05 mg/kg). The highest and lowest concentrations of oxytetracycline were respectively observed for Behbahan (13.77 mg/kg) and Ramhormoz (0.047 mg/kg). Based on the results, in chicken manure, there was significant statistical difference between the residual TC concentrations among five cities (p(value) < 0.05). However, no significant relationship was observed between oxytetracyclin (OTC) residual concentrations among five cities (p(value) > 0.05).

Degradation and toxicity assessment of the nonionic surfactant Triton™ X-45 by the peroxymonosulfate/UV-C process.

The degradation and mineralization of the nonionic surfactant octylphenol ethoxylate (OPEO), commercially known as Triton™ X-45, by the peroxymonosulfate (PMS)/UV-C process were investigated. Three different toxicity tests (Daphnia magna, Vibrio fischeri and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) as well as the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) bioassay were undertaken to evaluate the potential toxic and estrogenic effects of OPEO and its oxidation products. OPEO removal was very fast and complete after 7 min via PMS/UV-C treatment under the investigated reaction conditions (OPEO = 20 mg L(-1) (47 µM); TOC = 12 mg L(-1); PMS = 2.5 mM; initial reaction pH = 6.5; applied UV-C dose = 21 Wh L(-1)). TOC removal also proceeded rapidly; a gradual decrease was observed resulting in an overall TOC removal of 84%. The toxic responses of PMS/UV-C treated OPEO solutions varied according to the test organism used in the bioassay. Daphnia magna was found to be most sensitive to aqueous OPEO, whereas Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata appeared to be the least sensitive one. Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri tests revealed that the inhibitory effect of OPEO decreased significantly during the course of treatment. On the other hand, PMS/UV-C oxidation products exhibited a high toxic effect towards Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (around 60%). YES test results underlined the need for improving the PMS/UV-C treatment performance to remove the estrogenic activity of OPEO and its oxidation products.

Recent advances in sample preparation methods for analysis of endocrine disruptors from various matrices.

Due to the high toxicity of endocrine disruptors (EDs), studies are being undertaken to design effective techniques for separation and detection of EDs in various matrices. Recently, research activities in this area have shown that a diverse range of chromatographic techniques are available for the quantification and analysis of EDs. Therefore, on the basis of significant, recent original publications, we aimed at providing an overview of different separation and detection methods for the determination of trace-level concentrations of selected EDs. The biological effects of EDs and current pretreatment techniques applied to EDs are also discussed. Various types of chromatographic techniques are presented for quantification, highlighting time- and cost-effective techniques that separate and quantify trace levels of multiple EDs from various environmental matrices. Reports related to methods for the quantification of EDs from various matrices primarily published since 2008 have been cited.

Assessment of acrylamide degradation potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa BAC-6 isolated from industrial effluent.

Acrylamide finds diverse industrial applications but is considered an environmental threat because of its neurotoxic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic effects. Certain bacteria enzymatically degrade acrylamide to acrylic acid and ammonia. The present investigation was carried out to isolate and identify an acrylamide-degrading bacterium from industrial effluent. Bacterial growth and extent of acrylamide degradation in the presence of different acrylamide concentrations, nutrients, varied range of pH, and temperature were analyzed. Among the eight acrylamide-degrading isolates, isolate BAC-6 demonstrated the highest degradation, and based upon the partial 16S rDNA sequencing, it was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa BAC-6 grew over a wide range of acrylamide concentrations, but the highest degradation was recorded at 500 mg/L concentration with concomitant cell growth. Among the carbon supplements, mannitol supported the highest growth and degradation. Maximum degradation was reported at neutral pH. A mesophilic temperature range (25-40 °C) facilitated conducive bacterial growth followed by degradation. The highest degradation and bacterial growth were observed at 30 and 35 °C, respectively. Thus, it could be inferred from the present investigation that cultural conditions strongly affected the degradation potential of P. aeruginosa BAC-6 and advocated the utilization of the isolate in bioremediation of sites polluted with acrylamide.

[Methods for the assessment of organic compounds biodegradability: A review].

There are plenty of methods used for the assessment of organic compounds biodegradability, but lack of comprehensive literatures in systematically introducing the assessment methods and guiding the choice of the methods. This paper briefly introduced the indicative parameters in assessing organic compounds biodegradability and the assessment methods of aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation, with the focus on the principles and criteria in the choice of the assessment methods, and analyzed in detail the reasons for the differences in the biodegradation rates of organic compounds when different test methods were adopted. Taking the standards established by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as an example, the process of choosing and applying the assessment methods was introduced, the systematic method-choosing route was integrated, and the advantages of the OECD standard methods were pointed out.

Application of pyrolysis process to remove and recover liquid crystal and films from waste liquid crystal display glass.

Liquid crystal display (LCD) glass mainly consists of polarizing film, liquid crystal and glass substrate. Removing and recovering the liquid crystal and films from the LCD glass effectively has important significance for recovering the other parts. This study proposed a pyrolysis process to recover the organic parts from LCD glass. Through thermal gravimetric analysis, the pyrolysis temperature of the LCD glass could be chosen at 850 K. The removal rate of organic parts from LCD glass reached 87.87 wt%. Pyrolysis products consisted of 66.82 wt% oils, 21.01 wt% gaseous and 12.13 wt% residues. In addition, the oils contained 46.27 wt% acetic acid and 32.94 wt% triphenyl phosphate. Then, the pyrolysis mechanisms and products sources of the liquid crystal glass have been analyzed based on the information of bonds energy. The pyrolysis mechanism analysis proved that the products mainly consisted of acetic acid, triphenyl phosphate and C, which is consistent to the results of GC-MS analysis. A reasonable way has been put forward to recycle the pyrolysis products: acetic acid and triphenyl phosphate can be collected by distillation, the rest oils and gases can be used as fuel and the remained glass can be used to extract indium and to produce building materials.

Assessment on pollution of Ochratoxin A in grain in China and its apoptosis effect on vitro-cultured human tubular kidney cells.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is nephrotoxic, immunosuppressive, and teratogenic in many species and is a possible human carcinogen. In this study, we investigated the OTA pollution situations of grains in northern China and the signaling pathway that mediated OTA-induced apoptosis in human tubular kidney cells (HKCs). Samples of grains collected from three representative areas were determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence method. The effects of OTA on cell apoptosis, caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 expression, and phosphorylation of c-Jun NH(2) terminal kinase (JNK) were detected in cultured HKCs via flow cytometry (FCM), Hoechst 33258 staining, and Western blot. It showed that OTA pollution of edible grains was very common in north China. OTA could affect caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 expression and increased cell apoptosis in cultured HKCs. The JNK signalling pathway might play an important role during these cellular events.

Application of QuEChERS method for extraction of selected persistent organic pollutants in fish tissue and analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

The QuEChERS method developed for 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 7-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish tissue involves a simple and efficient freezing technique for removal of lipids. The equipment developed consists of disposable syringes and a freezing block constructed from simple materials found in most laboratories. The freezing block keeps the temperature in the extract at -20.5°C up to 10 min after being exposed to room temperature. After the freezing step 69% of the lipids in tilapia and 61% in salmon are removed. Further reduction of co-extractives up to 96% in tilapia and 87% in salmon can be made by treatment with CaCl(2) and primary secondary amino sorbent (PSA) which removes the fatty acids. Spiking experiments in tilapia at 5 and 50 ng/g and extracted with acetonitrile show recovery range from 70 to 115% for all compounds. In salmon the recoveries are in the range 43-118% for the OCPs and 26-65% for the PCBs. Analysis of a standard reference material shows acceptable results for most of the pesticides but low results for the PCBs. The estimated LOQs were in the range 1-5 ng/g for tilapia and 2-10 ng/g for salmon. The method has been applied to analyse fish samples from Lake Koka in Ethiopia. It was investigated if addition of a less polar water miscible solvent than acetonitrile could increase the recovery of OCPs and PCBs. The results show that a mixture of 75% acetonitrile and 25% tetrahydrofurane (ACN/THF 75/25) clearly enhances the recoveries for most OCPs (47-101%) and PCBs (42-79%) from salmon. The recovery of aldrin increases significantly from 55% to over 80%. The method using ACN/THF 75/25 is applicable to the extraction of OCPs and PCBs from fish tissue having a lipid content of up to about 11% (salmon) with recoveries ≥70% for most of the OCPs and ≥42% for the PCBs.

Assessment of risks to ground-feeding songbirds from lead in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, Idaho, USA.

Previous assessment of ecological risks within the Coeur d'Alene River Basin identified Pb as a key risk driver for ground-feeding songbirds. Because this conclusion was based almost exclusively on literature data, its strength was determined to range from low to moderate. With the support of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the US Fish and Wildlife Service collected site-specific data to address the uncertainty associated with Pb risks to songbirds. These data, plus those from the previous Coeur d'Alene Basin ecological risk assessment, were integrated, and risks to ground-feeding songbirds were reevaluated. These site-specific data were also used to develop updated preliminary remedial goals (PRGs) for Pb in soils that would be protective of songbirds. Available data included site-specific Pb concentrations in blood, liver, and ingesta from 3 songbird species (American robin, song sparrow, and Swainson's thrush), colocated soil data, and soil data from other locations in the basin. Semi-log regression models based on the association between soil Pb and tissue Pb concentrations were applied to measured soil concentrations from the previous risk assessment to estimate Pb exposures in riparian and adjacent upland habitats throughout the Coeur d'Alene Basin. Measured and estimated tissue or dietary exposure was tabulated for 3 areas plus the reference, and then compared to multiple effects measures. As many as 6 exposure-effect metrics were available for assessing risk in any one area. Analyses of site-specific tissue- and diet-based exposure data indicate that exposure of ground-feeding songbirds to Pb in the Coeur d'Alene Basin is sufficient to result in adverse effects. Because this conclusion is based on multiple exposure-effect metrics that include site-specific data, the strength of this conclusion is high. Ecological PRGs were developed by integrating the site-specific regression models with tissue and dietary effect levels to create exposure models, which were solved for the soil concentration that produced an exposure estimate equal to the effect level (i.e., the ecological PRG). The lowest PRG obtained for any species' exposure-effect measure combination was 490 mg/kg for subclinical effects due to Pb in the blood of American robins; the highest was 7200 mg/kg for severe clinical effects due to Pb in the blood of song sparrows. Because the lowest ground-feeding songbird PRG was comparable to multiple cleanup goals developed for the basin (i.e., soil invertebrates, wildlife populations, and human health), in addition to the site-specific cleanup level of 530 mg Pb/kg sediment for the protection of waterfowl (USEPA 2002) the USEPA has made a risk-management determination that a site-specific Pb cleanup level of 530 mg/kg in soil would be protective of songbirds in the Coeur d'Alene Basin.

Low-cost and effective phenol and basic dyes trapper derived from the porous silica coated with hydrotalcite gel.

Novel low-cost and effective adsorbents of phenol and basic dyes were made by coating amorphous silica with hydrotalcite (HT) gel followed by soaking in alkaline solution, and the surface basic-acidic properties of resulting composites were evaluated by CO(2)-TPD, Hammett indicator method and NH(3)-TPD, respectively. Both BET surface area and microporous surface area of the composites were increased after they were soaked with alkaline solution; meanwhile the center of pore size distribution was changed from 9 to 3-4 nm. These composites efficiently captured phenol in gaseous and liquid phases, superior to mesoporous silica such as MCM-48 or SBA-15 and zeolite NaY, and the equilibrium data of gaseous adsorption could be well fitted to Freundlich model. These modified silicas also exhibited high adsorption capacity forward basic dyes such as crystal violet (CV) and leuco-crystal violet (LCV), reaching the adsorption equilibrium within 1 h and offering a new material for environment protection.