Publications by authors named "Debra H Phillips"

This study evaluated uranium sequestration performance in iron-rich (30 g/kg) sediment via bioreduction followed by reoxidation. Field tests (1383 days) at Oak Ridge, Tennessee demonstrated that uranium contents in sediments increased after bioreduced sediments were re-exposed to nitrate and oxygen in contaminated groundwater. Bioreduction of contaminated sediments (1200 mg/kg U) with ethanol in microcosm reduced aqueous U from 0.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers from 22 countries found that yellow mealworms can survive and break down polystyrene foam (PS), showing promise for plastic waste management.
  • The study indicated that when fed PS foam, mealworms exhibited a decrease in PS mass and significant chemical changes in the material, suggesting they can metabolize it effectively.
  • Introducing gentamycin hampered the mealworms' ability to degrade PS, highlighting the importance of their gut microbiome in this biodegradation process.
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The objective of the study was to carry-out batch tests to examine the effectiveness of Haix-Fe-Zr and Haix-Zr resin beads in the removal of As(III), As(V) and F from groundwater with a similar geochemistry to a site where a community-based drinking water plant has been installed in West Bengal, India. The groundwater was spiked separately with ∼200 μg/L As(III) and As(V) and 5 mg/L F. Haix-Zr resin beads were more effective than Haix-Fe-Zr resin beads in removing As(III) and As(V).

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The impact of mercury (Hg) on human and ecological health has been known for decades. Although a treaty signed in 2013 by 147 nations regulates future large-scale mercury emissions, legacy Hg contamination exists worldwide and small-scale releases will continue. The fate of elemental mercury, Hg(0), lost to the subsurface and its potential chemical transformation that can lead to changes in speciation and mobility are poorly understood.

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The advancement of telemetry control for the water industry has increased the difficulty of managing large volumes of nuisance alarms (i.e., alarms that do not require a response).

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The use of seaweed fertilisers in sports green maintenance has become a common practice across the globe due to its image as an "eco-friendly" alternative to chemical fertilisers. The aim of this study was to characterise the risk of human exposure to arsenic (As), via dermal absorption, from golfing activities on a private golf course in the UK, where As contaminated seaweed fertiliser (~100mg/kg d.wt.

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The objective of this study was to examine the oestrogen and androgen hormone removal efficiency of reactive (Connelly zero-valent iron (ZVI), Gotthart Maier ZVI) and sorptive (AquaSorb 101 granular activated carbon (GAC) and OrganoLoc PM-100 organoclay (OC)) materials from HPLC grade water and constructed wetland system (CWS) treated dairy farm wastewater. Batch test studies were performed and hormone concentration analysis carried out using highly sensitive reporter gene assays (RGAs). The results showed that hormonal interaction with these materials is selective for individual classes of hormones.

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Constructed wetland systems (CWS) have been used as a low cost bio-filtration system to treat farm wastewater. While studies have shown that CWS are efficient in removing organic compounds and pathogens, there is limited data on the presence of hormones in this type of treatment system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the CWS to reduce estrogenic and androgenic hormone concentration in dairy wastewater.

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Accelerated soil erosion is an aspect of dryland degradation that is affected by repeated intense drought events and land management activities such as commercial livestock grazing. A soil stability index (SSI) that detects the erosion status and susceptibility of a landscape at the pixel level, i.e.

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Chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microanalysis were carried out on cores of contaminated geological material collected around four closed waste disposal ponds to examine the extent of nitric acid extractable U (U(NA)) association with P, S, and extractable Fe, Al, and Mn oxides within deeply weathered fractured shale. The solid phase in many regimes on the site has been exposed to highly buffered acidic (< 3.5) groundwater and has been aggressively weathered.

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Site characterization is an essential initial step in determining the feasibility of remedial alternatives at hazardous waste sites. Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of U-contaminated soils in deeply weathered saprolite at Area 2 of the DOE Field Research Center (FRC) site, Oak Ridge, TN, was accomplished to examine the feasibility of bioremediation. Concentrations of U in soil-saprolite (up to 291 mg kg(-1) in oxalate-extractable U(o)) were closely related to low pH (ca.

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Zero-valent iron (Fe0)-based permeable reactive barrier treatment has been generating great interest for passive groundwater remediation, yet few studies have paid particular attention to the microbial activity and characteristics within and in the vicinity of the Fe0-barrier matrix. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the microbial population and community composition in the reducing zone of influence by Fe0 corrosion in the barrier at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant site. Both phospholipid fatty acids and DNA analyses were used to determine the total microbial population and microbial functional groups, including sulfate-reducing bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, and methanogens, in groundwater and soil/iron core samples.

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