Upgrading from batch to continuous flow process for the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse: Structural characterization of the biochars produced.

The waste from agriculture can be used for biochar production by the pyrolysis process. The present work aimed was to produce sugarcane bagasse biochars using different temperatures and processes (batch and pilot-scale continuous flow). The samples were characterized by FTIR, functional group pKa, elemental analysis, zeta potential, Raman spectroscopy, EPR, and SEM.

Toxicity of the sawdust used for phosphorus recovery in a eutrophic reservoir: experiments with Lactuca sativa and Allium cepa.

Eutrophication is one of the environmental problems arising from the increase of essential nutrient concentrations, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen. In contrast to excess phosphorus, the depletion of phosphate rock deposits used for the production of fertilizers compromises the food supply. Therefore, the development of technologies that propose the recovery of the phosphorus contained in eutrophic environments for its later use for agricultural fertilization purposes is very important to ensure global food security.

Remediation of Eutrophic Aquatic Ecosystems: Evaluation of Phosphorus Adsorption by Sawdust.

A wide range of anthropogenic activities have caused various problems to the aquatic environment, leading to economic, social, and environmental losses. The use of materials for the recovery of water quality is very important due to the water scarcity scenario present in different parts of the world. The use of sawdust as an organic adsorbent for P removal in eutrophic environments attempts to address both water quality preservation and possible application of the organic adsorbent as fertilizer for agricultural practices.

Multivariate analyses of the effect of an urban wastewater treatment plant on spatial and temporal variation of water quality and nutrient distribution of a tropical mid-order river.

Freshwater resources are increasingly scarce due to human activities, and the understanding of water quality variations at different spatial and temporal scales is necessary for adequate management. Here, we analyze the hypotheses that (1) the presence of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and (2) a polluted tributary that drains downstream from the WWTP change the spatial patterns of physicochemical variables (pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity) and nutrient concentrations (reactive soluble phosphorus, total phosphorus, nitrogen series, total nitrogen, and total dissolved carbon) along a mid-order river in SE Brazil and that these effects depend on rainfall regime. Six study sites were sampled along almost 4 years to evaluate the impacts of human activities, including sites upstream (1-3) and downstream (5-6) from the WWTP.

Biosorbent, a promising material for remediation of eutrophic environments: studies in microcosm.

Eutrophication is considered a global environmental problem that causes economic and biodiversity loss. Together with excess phosphorus in some aquatic environments, there is the depletion of phosphate rock deposits, which can directly affect fertilizer production and therefore global food security. Thus, the present work aimed to study a new remediation technique for eutrophic environments that enables the recovery of these environments through phosphorus adsorption in sawdust, creating the possibility to apply the phosphorus-enriched material as an agricultural fertilizer.

Off-line TMAH-GC/MS and NMR characterization of humic substances extracted from river sediments of northwestern São Paulo under different soil uses.

Humic substances (HS) vary according to the physical and chemical factors present in the environment. Thus, the characterization of HS is very important because it improves the understanding of the groups that comprise the chemical structure. Sediment HS were extracted from four locations representative of sugar cane cultivation, pasture, urban area and the impoundment of the Água Vermelha Hydroelectric Power Plant.