Oxidation of Methanol and Dichloromethane on TiO2-CeO2-CuO, TiO2-CeO2 and TiO2-CuO@VUKOPOR®A Ceramic Foams.

The application-attractive form of TiO2, CeO2 and CuO-based open-cell foam supported catalysts was designed to investigate their catalytic performance in oxidation of two model volatile organic compounds-methanol and dichloromethane. TiO2-CeO2, TiO2-CuO and TiO2-CeO2-CuO catalysts as thin films were deposited on VUKOPOR®A ceramic foam using a reverse micelles-controlled sol-gel method, dip-coating and calcination. Three prepared catalytic foams were investigated via light-off tests in methanol and dichloromethane oxidation in the temperature range of 45-400 °C and 100-500 °C, respectively, at GHSV of 11, 600 h-1, which fits to semi-pilot/industrial conditions. TiO2-CuO@VUKOPOR®A foam showed the best catalytic activity and CO2 yield in methanol oxidation due to its low weak Lewis acidity, high weak basicity and easily reducible CuO species and proved good catalytic stability within 20 h test. TiO2-CeO2-CuO@VUKOPOR®A foam was the best in dichloromethane oxidation. Despite of its lower catalytic activity compared to TiO2-CeO2@VUKOPOR®A foam, its highly-reducible -O-Cu-Ce-O- active surface sites led to the highest CO2 yield and the highest weak Lewis acidity contributed to the highest HCl yield. This foam also showed the lowest amount of chlorine deposits.

Leaching of metals from red mud and toxicity in human cells in vitro.

Toxicity of red mud, a waste from alumina production, was studied using human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Culture medium was prepared by mixing water for 3 days with the red mud and removing solid particles afterwards (red mud water). Culture for 48 h of the cells in this medium in neutral pH decreased the cell viability, as analyzed by the MTT-test, and increased the formation of reactive oxygen species. Thus, neutralization does not eliminate the toxicity of red mud. In preliminary experiments, a combined effect of five metals (Cr, Li, V, Al, As) increased the formation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) statistically significantly. Each element separately did not have a similar effect. In environmental applications, red mud is likely to be used after activation. In this work, the red mud was activated using hydrochloric acid to study the physical and chemical properties before and after the treatment. Activation increased the specific surface area of red mud from 16 m2 g-1 to 148 m2 g-1, which is beneficial in many environmental applications such as in the adsorptive removal of pollutants. After activation, leaching of some elements from the red mud decreased (e.g. Al from 38.0 to 0.56 mg L-1, As from 21.0 to 2.1 µg L-1, V from 172.0 to 29.8 µg L-1) while some increased (e.g. Li from 0.04 to 2.81 mg L-1, Cr from 0.35 to 3.23 mg L-1).

Evaluation of Nanofiltration Membranes for the Purification of Monosaccharides: Influence of pH, Temperature, and Sulfates on the Solute Retention and Fouling.

Furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates are found in the hemicellulose (HMC) fraction of lignocellulosic biomass. Separation of furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates from monosaccharides by four nanofiltration (NF) membranes was evaluated with a model solution of glucose, xylose, furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates. Results showed that Alfa Laval NF99HF is the most promising membrane to purify monosaccharides, with the retentions of xylose (85%), glucose (95%), and with the minimum sulfate retention. pH has the highest impact on the retention of all solutes and there is no significant effect of temperature on the retentions of sulphates and acetic acid. Lower pH and temperature are favored to maximize the monosaccharide retention and to remove acetic acid while retaining more furfural with the monosaccharides. Moreover, fouling tendency is maximized at lower pH and higher temperatures. According to the statistical analysis, the retentions of glucose, xylose, furfural, sulfates, and acetic acid are 95%, 90%, 20%, 88%, and 0%, respectively at pH 3 and 25 °C. The presence of sulfates favors the separation of acetic acid and furfural from monosaccharides.

Investigation of Sulfonated Graphene Oxide as the Base Material for Novel Proton Exchange Membranes.

This work deals with the development of graphene oxide (GO)-based self-assembling membranes as possible innovative proton conductors to be used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Nowadays, the most adopted electrolyte is Chemours' Nafion; however, it reveals significant deficiencies such as strong dehydration at high temperature and low humidity, which drastically reduces its proton conductivity. The presence of oxygenated moieties in the GO framework makes it suitable for functionalization, which is required to enhance the promising, but insufficient, proton-carrying features of GO. In this study, sulfonic acid groups (-SO3H) that should favor proton transport were introduced in the membrane structure via a reaction between GO and concentrated sulfuric acid. Six acid-to-GO molar ratios were adopted in the synthesis procedure, giving rise to final products with different sulfonation degrees. All the prepared samples were characterized by means of TGA, ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, temperature-dependent XRD, SEM and EDX, which pointed out morphological and microstructural changes resulting from the functionalization stage, confirming its effectiveness. Regarding functional features, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as well as measurements of ion exchange capacity (IEC) were carried out to describe the behavior of the various samples, with pristine GO and commercial Nafion® 212 used as reference. EIS tests were performed at five different temperatures (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 °C) under high (95%) and medium (42%) relative humidity conditions. Compared to both GO and Nafion® 212, the sulfonated specimens demonstrate an increase in the number of ion-carrying groups, as proved by both IEC and EIS tests, which reveal the enhanced proton conductivity of these novel membranes. Specifically, an acid-to-GO molar ratio of 10 produces a six-fold improvement of IEC (4.23 meq g-1) with respect to pure GO (0.76 meq g-1), while a maximum eight-fold improvement (5.72 meq g-1) is achieved in SGO-15.

Risk management for arsenic in agricultural soil-water systems: lessons learned from case studies in Europe.

Chronic exposure to arsenic may be detrimental to health. We investigated the behaviour, remediation and risk management of arsenic in Freiberg, Germany, characterized by past mining activities, and near Verdun in France, where World War I ammunition was destroyed. The main results included: (1) pot experiments using a biologically synthesized adsorbent (sorpP) with spring barley reduced the mobility of arsenic, (2) the Omega-3 Index ecotoxicological tests verified that sorpP reduced the uptake and toxicity of arsenic in plants, (3) reverse osmosis membrane systems provided 99.5% removal efficiency of arsenic from surface water, (4) the sustainability assessment revealed that adsorption and coagulation-filtration processes were the most feasible options for the treatment of surface waters with significant arsenic concentrations, and (5) a model was developed for assessing health risk due to arsenic exposure. Risk management is the main option for extensive areas, while remediation options that directly treat the soil can only be considered in small areas subject to sensitive use. We recommend the risk management procedure developed in Germany for other parts of the world where both geogenic and anthropogenic arsenic is present in agricultural soil and water. Risk management measures have been successful both in Freiberg and in Verdun.

Vanadia-Zirconia and Vanadia-Hafnia Catalysts for Utilization of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions.

Utilization is a sustainable and interesting alternative for the destructive treatment of volatile organic compounds due to avoided CO2 emission. This work concentrates on the development of active and sulfur-tolerant catalysts for the utilization of contaminated methanol. Impregnated and sol-gel prepared vanadia-zirconia and vanadia-hafnia catalysts were thoroughly characterized by N2 sorption, analytical (S)TEM, elemental analysis, XRD and Raman spectroscopy, and their performances were evaluated in formaldehyde production from methanol and methanethiol mixture. The results showed higher activity of the sol-gel prepared catalysts due to formation of mono- and polymeric vanadia species. Unfortunately, the most active vanadia sites were deactivated more easily than the metal-mixed oxide HfV2O7 and ZrV2O7 phases, as well as crystalline V2O5 observed in the impregnated catalysts. Metal-mixed oxide phases were formed in impregnated catalysts through formation of defects in HfO2 and ZrO2 structure during calcination at 600 °C, which was evidenced by Raman spectroscopy. The sol-gel prepared vanadia-zirconia and vanadia-hafnia catalysts were able to produce formaldehyde from contaminated methanol with high selectivity at temperature around 400 °C, while impregnated catalysts required 50-100 °C higher temperatures.

Ceramic hydroxyapatite foam as a new material for Bisphenol A removal from contaminated water.

Ceramic hydroxyapatite foam (CF-HAP) was prepared by combining slip-casting and foaming methods. The prepared CF-HAP was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), physisorption of N2, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of the specific surface area and SEM analyses revealed that the used shaping method provides CF-HAP with a wide range of porosity including macro and mesopores. Based on FTIR and XRD analyses, the CF-HAP is similar to pure well-crystallized hydroxyapatite. The adsorption results revealed that 94% of the BPA with a concentration of (40 mg/L) was effectively removed from the water and that the maximum adsorption capacity was higher in acidic than in basic medium. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption reaction was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The adsorption capacity increased with the temperature and the BPA is chemisorbed on the ceramic foam. The isotherm data fitted slightly better with the Liu than with the Freundlich and Langmuir models suggesting that the adsorption was homogeneous and occurred only in the monolayer. The adsorption process depends largely on the BPA concentration and the results fitted well with the pseudo-first-order model. This confirms that the interaction between the BPA and the CF-HAP was mainly chemical in nature. The FTIR analysis of the used and fresh CF-HAP showed that all the hydroxyl and phosphorus bands characteristic of the hydroxyapatite shifted after adsorption of Bisphenol A. This suggests that the adsorption of Bisphenol A occurred in the sites of the hydroxyapatite. Therefore, it can be concluded that the CF-HAP has the potential to be used as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment and purification processes.

Effect of Nanoparticle Size in Pt/SiO2 Catalyzed Nitrate Reduction in Liquid Phase.

Effect of platinum nanoparticle size on catalytic reduction of nitrate in liquid phase was examined under ambient conditions by using hydrogen as a reducing agent. For the size effect study, Pt nanoparticles with sizes of 2, 4 and 8 nm were loaded silica support. TEM images of Pt nanoparticles showed that homogeneous morphologies as well as narrow size distributions were achieved during the preparation. All three catalysts showed high activity and were able to reduce nitrate below the recommended limit of 50 mg/L in drinking water. The highest catalytic activity was seen with 8 nm platinum; however, the product selectivity for N2 was highest with 4 nm platinum. In addition, the possibility of PVP capping agent acting as a promoter in the reaction is highlighted.

Oxidation of Dichloromethane over Au, Pt, and Pt-Au Containing Catalysts Supported on γ-Al2O3 and CeO2-Al2O3.

Au, Pt, and Pt-Au catalysts supported on Al2O3 and CeO2-Al2O3 were studied in the oxidation of dichloromethane (DCM, CH2Cl2). High DCM oxidation activities and HCl selectivities were seen with all the catalysts. With the addition of Au, remarkably lower light-off temperatures were observed as they were reduced by 70 and 85 degrees with the Al2O3-supported and by 35 and 40 degrees with the CeO2-Al2O3-supported catalysts. Excellent HCl selectivities close to 100% were achieved with the Au/Al2O3 and Pt-Au/Al2O3 catalysts. The addition of ceria on alumina decreased the total acidity of these catalysts, resulting in lower performance. The 100-h stability test showed that the Pt-Au/Al2O3 catalyst was active and durable, but the selectivity towards the total oxidation products needs improvement. The results suggest that, with the Au-containing Al2O3-supported catalysts, DCM decomposition mainly occurs via direct DCM hydrolysis into formaldehyde and HCl followed by the oxidation of formaldehyde into CO and CO2.

Photocatalysis and catalytic wet air oxidation: Degradation and toxicity of bisphenol A containing wastewaters.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a commonly used chemical in consumer products. It is an endocrine disrupter that has potentially significant negative effects on human health. The use and chemical stability of BPA have resulted in the appearance of the chemical in wastewaters. Since the current wastewater treatment technologies are not effective enough to remove BPA, new methods to degrade BPA are required. In this paper, we report the efforts made towards developing a bi-functional catalyst for consecutive catalytic wet air oxidation-photocatalytic water treatment. It was found that 2.5% Pt/Ti0.8Ce0.2O2 is a potential bi-functional catalyst for the consecutive treatment. Concentration and toxicity of BPA were successfully reduced by catalytic wet air oxidation. Although BPA was further reduced by photocatalysis, it was not reflected in further decrease of cell toxicity. Thus wet-air oxidation combined with photocatalysis is a promising approach for the reduction of BPA.

Structured carbon foam derived from waste biomass: application to endocrine disruptor adsorption.

In this paper, a novel structured carbon foam has been prepared from argan nut shell (ANS) was developed and applied in bisphenol A (BPA) removal from water. The results showed that the prepared carbon foam remove 93% of BPA (60 mg/L). The BPA equilibrium data obeyed the Liu isotherm, displaying a maximum uptake capacity of 323.0 mg/g at 20 °C. The calculated free enthalpy change (∆H° = - 4.8 kJ/mol) indicated the existence of physical adsorption between BPA and carbon foam. Avrami kinetic model was able to explain the experimental results. From the regeneration tests, we conclude that the prepared carbon foam has a good potential to be used as an economic and efficient adsorbent for BPA removal from contaminated water. Based on these results and the fact that the developed structured carbon foam is very easy to separate from treated water, it can serve as an interesting material for real water treatment applications.

Steam activation of waste biomass: highly microporous carbon, optimization of bisphenol A, and diuron adsorption by response surface methodology.

Highly microporous carbons were prepared from argan nut shell (ANS) using steam activation method. The carbons prepared (ANS@H2O-30, ANS@H2O-90, and ANS@H2O-120) were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, nitrogen adsorption, total X-ray fluorescence, and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). The ANS@H2O-120 was found to have a high surface area of 2853 m2/g. The adsorption of bisphenol A and diuron on ANS@H2O-120 was investigated. The isotherm data were fitted using Langmuir and Freundlich models. Langmuir isotherm model presented the best fit to the experimental data suggesting micropore filling of ANS@H2O-120. The ANS@H2O-120 adsorbent demonstrated high monolayer adsorption capacity of 1408 and 1087 mg/g for bisphenol A and diuron, respectively. The efficiency of the adsorption was linked to the porous structure and to the availability of the surface adsorption sites on ANS@H2O-120. Response surface method was used to optimize the removal efficiency of bisphenol A and diuron on ANS@H2O-120 from aqueous solution. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Toward new benchmark adsorbents: preparation and characterization of activated carbon from argan nut shell for bisphenol A removal.

The use of argan nut shell as a precursor for producing activated carbon was investigated in this work. Two activated carbons AC-HP and AC-Na were prepared from argan nut shell by chemical activation method using phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), respectively. Textural, morphological, and surface chemistry characteristics were studied by nitrogen physisorption, TGA, SEM, TXRF, FTIR, XRD, and by determining the pHPZC of the AC-HP. The adsorption experiments revealed that AC-HP was more efficient in adsorption of BPA due to high specific surface area (1372 m2/g) compared to AC-Na (798 m2/g). The obtained adsorption data of BPA on AC-HP correlated well with the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm (Qmax = 1250 mg/g at 293 K). The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG° < 0, ΔH° < 0, and ΔS° < 0) indicate that adsorption of BPA on AC-HP was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The regeneration of AC-HP showed excellent results after 5 cycles (95-93%). This work does not only provide a potential way to use argan nut shell but also represents a sustainable approach to synthesize AC-HP, which might be an ideal material for various applications (energy storage, catalysis, and environmental remediation).

Caracterización de filtros comerciales para agua a base de carbón activado para el tratamiento de agua del río Tumbes - Perú / Characterization of water commercial filters based on activated carbon for water treatment of the Tumbes river - Peru / Caracterização de carvão ativado de filtros comerciais para tratamento da água do rio Tumbes -Perú

Resumen Se caracterizaron y se evaluaron carbones activados comerciales (A, B, C y D) utilizados en filtros para el tratamiento de agua en la descontaminación de metales pesados presentes en agua de río y en la eliminacion de microorganismos coliformes; los carbones comerciales resultaron tener estructuras microporosas y mesoporosas. Se determinaron areas superficiales entre 705 y 906 m2/g. Los carbones fueron amorfos y se detectó la presencia de agentes antibacterianos, tales como Ag, Cl, Cu y Si. Se determinó que para el As y Pb, cuyas concentraciones iniciales en el agua contaminada (agua del Río Tumbes-Perú) fueron 56,7 y 224,0 μg/L, respectivamente, el porcentaje de adsorción fue cercano al 100%. También se encontró que la relación entre el pH de carga cero de los carbones y pH del agua del río durante los experimentos juega un rol determinante en la adsorción de los elementos analizados. Por otro lado, la capacidad antibacteriana fue evaluada satisfactoriamente frente a las siguientes cepas de bacterias gram negativas fecales: Escherichia coli (ATCC® 25922™), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC® 14028™) y Shigella flexneri (ATCC® 12022™). Esta capacidad se basa en la presencia superficial en los carbones de los agentes antibacterianos mencionados.

Abstract Comercial activated carbon samples (A, B, C, and D) used in filters for the treatment of water were characterized and evaluated in the decontamination of heavy metals present in river water and in the elimination of coliform microorganisms. The carbon samples had microporous and mesoporous structures. Surface areas of between 705 and 906 m2/g were found. The carbon samples were amorphous and the presence of antibacterial agents such as Ag, Cl, Cu, and Si was detected. It was determined that for As and Pb, whose initial concentrations in contaminated water (water of the Tumbes river-Peru) were 56.7 and 224.0 μg/L, respectively, the percentage of adsorption was close to 100%. The relationship between point of zero charge pH of the activated carbons and pH of the river water during the experiments plays a determinant role in the adsorption of the analyzed elements. The antibacterial capacity was evaluated satisfactorily against the following strains of fecal gram negative bacteria: Escherichia coli (ATCC® 25922™), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC® 14028™), and Shigella flexneri (ATCC® 12022™). This ability is based on the surface presence in the carbons ofthe mentioned antibacterial agents.

Resumo Carvões ativados comerciais (A, B, C e D) usado em filtros para o tratamento de água foram caracterizados e avaliados na descontaminação de metais pesados da água do rio e para a remoção de microrganismos coliformes. Os carvões comerciais mostraram estruturas microporosas e mesoporosas. Foram determinadas as áreas superficiais entre 705 e 906 m2/g. As amostras de carvão foram amorfas e foi detectada a presença de agentes antibacterianos, tais como Ag, Cl, Cu e Si. Determinou-se que, no caso de As e Pb, cujas concentrações iniciais na água contaminada (água do rio Tumbes-Peru) foram de 56,7 e 224,0 μg/L respectivamente, a taxa de adsorção foi de quase 100%. Também foi econtrado que e a relação entre o pH de carga zero dos carvões e o pH da água do rio durante as experiências desempenha um papel decisivo na adsorção dos elementos analisados. Além disso, a capacidade antibacteriana foi avaliada com sucesso contra as seguintes variedades de bactérias gram negativas de origem fecal: Escherichia coli (ATCC® 25922™), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC® 14028™) e Shigella flexneri (ATCC® 12022™). Esta capacidade esta baseada na presença de agentes bacterianos na superfície dos carvões.

Electronic waste recovery in Finland: Consumers' perceptions towards recycling and re-use of mobile phones.

This paper examines consumers' awareness and perceptions towards mobile phone recycling and re-use. The results are based on a survey conducted in the city of Oulu, Finland, and analysed in the theoretical framework based on the theories of planned behaviour (TPB) and value-belief-norm (VBN). The findings indicate that consumers' awareness of the importance and existence of waste recovery system is high; however, awareness has not translated to recycling behaviour. The survey reveals that 55% of respondents have two or more unused mobile phones at homes. The more phones stored at homes, the more often reasons 'I don't know where to return' and/or 'have not got to do it yet' were mentioned. This indicates that proximity and the convenience of current waste management system are inadequate in promoting the return of small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). To facilitate re-use, and the highest level of recovery, consumers will need to be committed to return end-of-use electronics to WEEE collection centres without delays. Further, the supply and demand of refurbished mobile phones do not meet at this moment in Finland due to consumer's storing habits versus expectations of recent features under guarantee and unrealistic low prizes. The study also points out that, in order to change current storing habits of consumers, there is an explicit need for more information and awareness on mobile phone collection in Finland, especially on regarding retailers' take-back.

Titania nanofibers in gypsum composites: an antibacterial and cytotoxicology study.

Further developments of antibacterial coatings based on photocatalytic nanomaterials could be a promising route towards potential environmentally friendly applications in households, public buildings and health care facilities. Hereby we describe a simple chemical approach to synthesize photocatalytic nanomaterial-embedded coatings using gypsum as a binder. Various types of TiO2 nanofiber-based photocatalytic materials (nitrogen-doped and/or palladium nanoparticle decorated) and their composites with gypsum were characterized by means of scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy as well as electron and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) techniques. These gypsum-based composites can be directly applied as commercially available paints on indoor walls. Herein we report that surfaces coated with photocatalytic composites exhibit excellent antimicrobial properties by killing both methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) under blue light. In the case of MSSA cells, the palladium nanoparticle-decorated and nitrogen-doped TiO2 composites demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity. For the MRSA strain even pure gypsum samples were proven to be efficient in eradicating Gram-positive human pathogens. The cytotoxicity of freestanding TiO2 nanofibers was revealed by analyzing the viability of HeLa cells using MTT and fluorescent cell assays.

Human hair in the identification of cocaine abuse with cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy and principal component analysis.

In this study, a novel approach combining different techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) with an interferometric cantilever microphone, and principal component analysis (PCA) along with a proper data preprocessing procedure, have been used in the investigation of hair samples for cocaine abuse. Hair fibers from cocaine-overdose patients have been measured using a simple procedure involving cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, a reference group of hair samples from subjects with no cocaine abuse has been measured. We present a first approach to discriminate the cocaine users from the reference group with the photoacoustic method and PCA. With proper data preprocessing methods, the two groups were successfully separated according to their spectra. The results were confirmed with two different classification methods independent of the principal component data analysis.

FT-IR-cPAS--new photoacoustic measurement technique for analysis of hot gases: a case study on VOCs.

This article describes a new photoacoustic FT-IR system capable of operating at elevated temperatures. The key hardware component is an optical-readout cantilever microphone that can work up to 200 °C. All parts in contact with the sample gas were put into a heated oven, incl. the photoacoustic cell. The sensitivity of the built photoacoustic system was tested by measuring 18 different VOCs. At 100 ppm gas concentration, the univariate signal to noise ratios (1σ, measurement time 25.5 min, at highest peak, optical resolution 8 cm(-1)) of the spectra varied from minimally 19 for o-xylene up to 329 for butyl acetate. The sensitivity can be improved by multivariate analyses over broad wavelength ranges, which effectively co-adds the univariate sensitivities achievable at individual wavelengths. The multivariate limit of detection (3σ, 8.5 min, full useful wavelength range), i.e., the best possible inverse analytical sensitivity achievable at optimum calibration, was calculated using the SBC method and varied from 2.60 ppm for dichloromethane to 0.33 ppm for butyl acetate. Depending on the shape of the spectra, which often only contain a few sharp peaks, the multivariate analysis improved the analytical sensitivity by 2.2 to 9.2 times compared to the univariate case. Selectivity and multi component ability were tested by a SBC calibration including 5 VOCs and water. The average cross selectivities turned out to be less than 2% and the resulting inverse analytical sensitivities of the 5 interfering VOCs was increased by maximum factor of 2.2 compared to the single component sensitivities. Water subtraction using SBC gave the true analyte concentration with a variation coefficient of 3%, although the sample spectra (methyl ethyl ketone, 200 ppm) contained water from 1,400 to 100k ppm and for subtraction only one water spectra (10k ppm) was used. The developed device shows significant improvement to the current state-of-the-art measurement methods used in industrial VOC measurements.

Alkaline modified oil shale fly ash: optimal synthesis conditions and preliminary tests on CO2 adsorption.

Environmentally friendly product, calcium-silica-aluminum hydrate, was synthesized from oil shale fly ash, which is rendered so far partly as an industrial waste. Reaction conditions were: temperature 130 and 160°C, NaOH concentrations 1, 3, 5 and 8M and synthesis time 24h. Optimal conditions were found to be 5M at 130°C at given parameter range. Original and activated ash samples were characterized by XRD, XRF, SEM, EFTEM, (29)Si MAS-NMR, BET and TGA. Semi-quantitative XRD and MAS-NMR showed that mainly tobermorites and katoite are formed during alkaline hydrothermal treatment. Physical adsorption of CO(2) on the surface of the original and activated ash samples was measured with thermo-gravimetric analysis. TGA showed that the physical adsorption of CO(2) on the oil shale fly ash sample increases from 0.06 to 3-4 mass% after alkaline hydrothermal activation with NaOH. The activated product has a potential to be used in industrial processes for physical adsorption of CO(2) emissions.

Effects of physical activity on the deposition of traffic-related particles into the human lungs in silico.

Traffic-related particle emissions have been a great concern over a number of years due to their adverse health effects. In this research project, traffic-related particle deposition in the human lungs is studied using lung deposition estimates based on the ICRP 66 model. This study covers four human groups, i.e. adult males, adult females and two groups of children aged 5 and 10 years. The study examines particle deposition in the human lungs in relation to four different physical exercise levels, i.e. sleeping, sitting, light exercise and heavy exercise. To conduct the study, the particle size distributions of diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) busses were monitored in field laboratory conditions. The study indicates that the total number of diesel particles measured is greater than the total number of CNG particles. The results further display that most of the diesel particles measured are smaller than 0.2 µm, whereas the CNG particles are smaller than 0.05 µm in aerodynamic diameter. The level of physical exercise, as well as the age and gender of a person affects the deposition of particles in the lungs. An increase in the physical activity results in larger amounts of small-size particles penetrating deeper into the respiratory system. The lung deposition of particles in males was substantially different compared to that of females and children. The deposited dose of particles was generally lower for females than for males and further lower for children than for females. This article argues that these groups should be discussed separately when conducting exposure assessments and that the level of physical activity should be taken into account when assessing potential health consequences.