Analyses of colloidal, truly dissolved, and DGT-labile metal species and phosphorus in mining area surrounded by tailing dams using self-organising maps.

The knowledge of size-distribution and lability of metals and nutrients in freshwater systems is important for estimation of the ecological effects of mining. However, it is still limited in several mining areas such as the Quadrilátero Ferrífero (Brazil) which was severely polluted by the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam in November 2015. In this study, results of an investigation from 2014 using a neural network named self-organising map (SO-Map) into the conditions of selected trace metals that are of particular importance to mining areas (Cr, Cu, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) are presented.

Characterization of biosurfactant from yeast using residual soybean oil under acidic conditions and their use in metal removal processes.

This study aimed at the production of biosurfactants from yeasts under acidic conditions using residual soybean oil as a carbon source, as well as the biosurfactant produced in the solubilization of metals in sewage sludge. The yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii was considered the best producer in both pH 4.0 and 2.

Bioleaching of toxic metals from sewage sludge by co-inoculation of Acidithiobacillus and the biosurfactant-producing yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii.

The aim of this research is to evaluate the influence of co-inoculation of Acidithiobacillus bacteria and the biosurfactant-producing yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii in bioleaching processes. The tests were carried out using sewage sludge from UASB reactors co-inoculated with cultures of Acidithiobacillus and M. guilliermondii to promote the solubilization of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn which were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP- OES).

Paraquat-loaded alginate/chitosan nanoparticles: preparation, characterization and soil sorption studies.

Agrochemicals are amongst the contaminants most widely encountered in surface and subterranean hydrological systems. They comprise a variety of molecules, with properties that confer differing degrees of persistence and mobility in the environment, as well as different toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic potentials, which can affect non-target organisms including man. In this work, alginate/chitosan nanoparticles were prepared as a carrier system for the herbicide paraquat.

Determination of labile inorganic and organic species of Al and Cu in river waters using the diffusive gradients in thin films technique.

The diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique, using a diffusive gel or a restrictive gel, was evaluated for the determination of labile inorganic and organic species of Al and Cu in model synthetic solutions and river water samples. Experiments were performed both in situ and in the laboratory. In the solutions containing Al ions, the major labile fraction consisted of inorganic species.

Controlled release system for ametryn using polymer microspheres: preparation, characterization and release kinetics in water.

The purpose of this work was to develop a modified release system for the herbicide ametryn by encapsulating the active substance in biodegradable polymer microparticles produced using the polymers poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) or poly(hydroxybutyrate-valerate) (PHBV), in order to both improve the herbicidal action and reduce environmental toxicity. PHB or PHBV microparticles containing ametryn were prepared and the efficiencies of herbicide association and loading were evaluated, presenting similar values of approximately 40%. The microparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed that the average sizes of the PHB and PHBV microparticles were 5.