Advances in Water, Air and Soil Pollution Monitoring, Modeling and Restoration.

Global pollution demands continuous attention and concerted efforts to reduce its effects [...

Assessing Benzene and TVOC Pollution and the Carcinogenic and Noncarcinogenic Risks to Workers in an Industrial Plant in Southeastern Romania.

The article aims to analyze the pollution with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emitted from the biggest refinery in Romania, using the daily and monthly series registered for two years in two sites on the industrial platform, and the carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks for workers at the industrial plant. Since the values of the basic statistics (minimum, maximum, and average) and outliers indicate that most recorded values exceed the maximum admissible limits established by law, the Peaks Over Threshold (POT) method was utilized to model the maximum values of the series and determine the return levels for benzene and total VOC (TVOC). Given the high values obtained for relatively short return periods, indicating potential danger for the workers, we assessed the noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to benzene and TVOC exposure by computing the hazard index (HI) and lifetime cancer risk (LCR).

Assessing the Efficiency of a Drinking Water Treatment Plant Using Statistical Methods and Quality Indices.

This study presents the efficiency of a drinking water treatment plant from Constanța, Romania. Individual and aggregated indices are proposed and built using nine water parameters for this aim. The analysis of individual indices permits the detection of the period of malfunctioning of the water treatment plant with respect to various parameters at various sampling points.

Modeling the Chlorine Series from the Treatment Plant of Drinking Water in Constanta, Romania.

Ensuring good drinking water quality, which does not damage the population's health, should be a priority of decision factors. Therefore, water treatment must be carried out to remove the contaminants. Chlorination is one of the most used treatment procedures.

Human Health Risk Assessment to the Consumption of Medicinal Plants with Melliferous Potential from the Romanian South-Eastern Region.

This study presents the impact on human health by consuming medicinal herbs with high melliferous potential (HMPs) from botanical areas with different pollution levels. First, the bioaccumulation of the plants' parts has been determined. The study assessed the potential health risks associated with the ingestion of various mineral species (macroelements-K, Ca, Mg, Na; microelements-Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and one trace element Cd) from three types of HMPs ( (), (), and ()).

Statistical Assessment, Modeling, and Mitigation of Water and Soil Pollution.

Nowadays, ambient air pollution levels and trends have become a topic of interest worldwide because primary atmospheric pollutants (APPs) are risk factors for the population and ecosystems [...

Impact of Soil Pollution on Melliferous Plants.

This study aims at providing bee products and derivatives of medicinal plant consumers with a multifaceted perspective on mineral elements occurring in the soils of two forest zones in the vicinity of North Dobrogea (Romania) by (1) analyzing the pollution levels of the soils at three sites (denoted by DS, PH, and ST) in the study region, using different indicators; (2) providing the results of the transfer of metals from the soil to L. (), (), and (). The statistical analysis of the series collected at these locations shows no difference between the elements' concentrations (as a whole).

A Real-Life Reproducibility Assessment for NMR Metabolomics.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics is currently popular enough to attract both specialized and non-specialized NMR groups involving both analytical trained personnel and newcomers, including undergraduate students. Recent interlaboratory studies performed by established NMR metabolomics groups demonstrated high reproducibility of the state-of-the-art NMR equipment and SOPs. There is, however, no assessment of NMR reproducibility when mixing both analytical experts and newcomers.

Assessing the Water Pollution of the Brahmaputra River Using Water Quality Indexes.

Water quality is continuously affected by anthropogenic and environmental conditions. A significant issue of the Indian rivers is the massive water pollution, leading to the spreading of different diseases due to its daily use. Therefore, this study investigates three aspects.

Statistical methods for assessing water quality after treatment on a sequencing batch reactor.

Given that water scarcity is a big issue nowadays, wastewater treatment is necessary for the future water use and the prevention of environmental contamination. In this context, this study presents the results of the statistical analysis of ten water parameters before and after the water cleaning in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The influent biodegradability is assessed by computing the BOD/COD ratio.

Mathematical modeling of sulfur dioxide concentration in the western part of Romania.

Nowadays air pollution is a major issue, due to its effect on the human health and environment. Therefore, in this article, we analyze the evolution of sulfur dioxide (SO) concentration for eight months (November 2015-June 2016) at three monitoring stations in Timisoara, Romania. The results indicate that the legal limits have been exceeded only a few times and the pollutants' distribution is strongly influenced by the relative atmospheric calm in the County.

Modeling the carbon monoxide dissipation in Timisoara, Romania.

Modeling the evolution of pollutants' concentration is important for predicting their impact on the human health and implementing measures for a sustainable development and environmental protection. Since the carbon dioxide (CO) is one of the main pollutants that affect the urban environment, the present study aimed at building a model for the evolution of the mean daily and monthly concentration in Timisoara, Romania. We found a non-linear direct dependence of CO concentration on the temperature and humidity and an inverse proportional relationship with the wind speed.

Bioengineering of stainless steel surface by covalent immobilization of enzymes. Physical characterization and interfacial enzymatic activity.

Two hydrolytic enzymes, namely lysozyme and trypsin, were covalently immobilized onto stainless steel surfaces using wet chemistry processes. The immobilization strategy took advantage of the spontaneous physisorption of the polymer poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) onto stainless steel to yield a firmly attached, thin organic layer containing a high density of primary amine functions. Both enzymes were then covalently grafted to the surface via a glutaraldehyde cross-linker.

Physico-chemical characterisation of lipids from Mytilus galloprovincialis (L.) and Rapana venosa and their healing properties on skin burns.

Black Sea molluscs and gastropods are the most studied organisms from the Romanian littoral zone. In particular, those from the Mytilidae species are of great interest because biochemical investigations have shown that they can be sources of biological active substances which can have different applications (e.g.

Covalent immobilization of lysozyme on stainless steel. Interface spectroscopic characterization and measurement of enzymatic activity.

A new strategy aiming at the protection of metallic surfaces against the growth of biofilms is presented here. This work reports the grafting of primary amines by aminosilanization of oxidized stainless steel followed by chemical coupling of the glycosidase lysozyme from hen egg white using glutaraldehyde as homobifunctional cross-linking agent. Controlled characterization of a stainless steel surface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy at each step enabled the mode of binding, coverage, and orientation of the grafted molecules to be addressed.