Differentiated effects and mechanisms of N-, P-, S-, and Fe-modified biochar materials for remediating Cd- and Pb-contaminated calcareous soil.

To investigate the remediation effects of various modified biochar materials derived from different impregnation agents on Cd- and Pb-contaminated calcareous soil, nitrogen (N-), phosphorus (P-), sulfur (S-), and iron (Fe-) modified biochar materials (NBC, PBC, SBC, FBC) were fabricated through the impregnation-pyrolysis method and employed to immobilize Pb and Cd in the calcareous soil. The characterization results showed that NBC exhibited an uneven pore size distribution and increased aromaticity, while PBC and SBC had increased pH and ash content. Pot experiments demonstrated significantly different effects of various modified biochar materials on soil immobilization and plant uptake of Cd and Pb.

Enhanced retention of hydrophobic pesticides in subsurface soils using organic amendments.

The rapid global population growth since the early 2000s has significantly increased the demand for agricultural products, leading to widespread pesticide use, particularly organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs). This extensive application poses severe environmental risks by contaminating air, soil, and water resources. To protect groundwater quality, it is crucial to understand the transport and fate of these pesticides in soil and sediment.

Comparing biochar and hydrochar for reducing the risk of organic contaminants in polluted river sediments used for growing energy crops.

In Europe alone, >200 million m of river sediments are dredged each year, part of which are contaminated to such an extent that they have to be landfilled. This study compares the use of biochar and hydrochar for the remediation of sediment contaminated with pentachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, lindane, trifluralin, alachlor, simazine, and atrazine with the motivation to make sediments contaminated by such priority substances usable as arable land for growing energy crops. Biochar and hydrochar originating from Miscanthus giganteus and Beta vulgaris shreds were compared for their potential to reduce contaminant associated risk in sediments.

Current State and Future Perspectives of Carbon-Based Materials in the Environment: Fate and Application.

Background: Environmental pollution has been a recognized problem for human health and the ecosystem. Remediation is usually costly and time-consuming, so researchers' attention has been drowning to develop and use new materials. This review aims to summarize the recent development of carbon-based materials used for environmental management.

Ex situ remediation of sediment from Serbia using a combination of electrokinetic and stabilization/solidification with accelerated carbonation treatments.

The application of three simple and cost-effective technologies for ex situ remediation of the sediment of Begej River in Serbia is presented in this paper. In the first step, conventional electrokinetic treatment (EK) was carried out to reduce the amount of contaminated sediment and enhance the accumulation of metals. Subsequently, stabilization/solidification (S/S) treatment was applied to the remaining portion of polluted sediment to immobilize the accumulated metals.

Lindane and hexachlorobenzene sequestration and detoxification in contaminated sediment amended with carbon-rich sorbents.

Sediment represents a sink for toxic and persistent chemicals such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and lindane (γ-HCH). This paper investigates the possibility of reducing the risks associated with the presence of these pollutants in sediments by amending the sediment with carbon-rich materials (activated carbon (AC) and humus (HC)) to sequester the contaminants and render them biologically unavailable. The effects of the dose and contact time between the sediment and the carbon-rich amendments on the effectiveness of the detoxification are estimated.

Growth, physiology, and phytoextraction potential of poplar and willow established in soils amended with heavy-metal contaminated, dredged river sediments.

Phytotechnologies have been used worldwide to remediate and restore damaged ecosystems, especially those caused by industrial byproducts leaching into rivers and other waterways. The objective of this study was to test the growth, physiology, and phytoextraction potential of poplar and willow established in soils amended with heavy-metal contaminated, dredged river sediments from the Great Bačka Canal near Vrbas City, Serbia. The sediments were applied to greenhouse-grown trees of Populus deltoides Bartr.

State of the art and future challenges for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is sediments: sources, fate, bioavailability and remediation techniques.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are amongst the most abundant contaminants found in the aquatic environment. Due to their toxicity and carcinogenicity, their sources, fate, behaviour, and cleanup techniques have been widely investigated in the last several decades. When entering the sediment-water system, PAH fate is determined by particular PAH and sediment physico-chemical properties.

Potential for anaerobic treatment of polluted sediment.

Due to the anaerobic nature of aquatic sediments, the anaerobic treatment of sediments utilizing already present microflora represents an interesting treatment option. Contaminated sediment can contain a variety of organic contaminants, with easily degradable organics usually present in the higher amounts, along with traces of specific organic pollutants (total petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). This study applies a comprehensive approach to contaminated sediment treatment which covers all the organic contaminants present in the sediment.

The role of organic matter and clay content in sediments for bioavailability of pyrene.

Evaluation of the bioavailable fractions of organic contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is extremely important for assessing their risk to the environment. This available fraction, which can be solubilised and/or easily extracted, is believed to be the most accessible for bioaccumulation, biosorption and/or transformation. Sediment organic matter (OM) and clay play an important role in the biodegradation and bioavailability of PAHs.

A chemical and microbiological characterization and toxicity assessment of the Pančevo industrial complex wastewater canal sediments, Serbia.

The wastewater canal Vojlovica of the Pančevo industrial area, Serbia, is the main collector of the effluents from the local industrial complex. The canal is directly connected to the Europe's second largest river, the Danube. Here, we present a chemical and microbiological analysis of the sediment in order to determine the fate of pollutants over the years, as well as its current condition.

Assessment of the bioavailability and phytotoxicity of sediment spiked with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Large amounts of sediment are dredged globally every year. This sediment is often contaminated with low concentrations of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides and other organic pollutants. Some of this sediment is disposed of on land, creating a need for risk assessment of the sediment disposal method, to minimize the degradation of environmental quality and prevent risks to human health.

Trace level voltammetric determination of lead and cadmium in sediment pore water by a bismuth-oxychloride particle-multiwalled carbon nanotube composite modified glassy carbon electrode.

Two multiwalled carbon nanotubes-based composites modified with bismuth and bismuth-oxychloride particles were synthesized and attached to the glassy carbon electrode substrate. The resultant configurations, Bi/MWCNT-GCE and BiOCl/MWNT-GCE, were then characterized with respect to their physicochemical properties and electroanalytical performance in combination with square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Further, some key experimental conditions and instrumental parameters were optimized; namely: the supporting electrolyte composition, accumulation potential and time, together with the parameters of the SWV-ramp.

Using chemical desorption of PAHs from sediment to model biodegradation during bioavailability assessment.

This work compares the biodegradation potential of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene, chosen as representatives of the 3, 4 and 5 ring PAHs) with their desorption from sediment by XAD4 resin and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD). The biodegradation study was conducted under various conditions (biostimulation, bioaugmentation and their combination). The results show that total PAH removal in all treatments except biostimulation gave similar results, whereby the total amount of PAHs was decreased by about 30-35%.

Electrokinetic Treatment of Cr-, Cu-, and Zn-Contaminated Sediment: Cathode Modification.

Enhanced electrokinetic (EK) removal of Cr, Cu, and Zn from sediment by using original and modified integrated ion exchange (IIX™) cathodes was investigated. IIX cathode design and EK device process modifications were made to improve performance: separation of IIX cathode components (IIXS), combination of modified IIX cathode with pulsed electric field (IIXSP), and separation of IIX cathode components with addition of an anion exchange resin compartment (IIXA). After using the IIXSP, overall Cr, Cu, and Zn removal efficacies were significantly improved compared with the other treatments investigated.

Influence of pH and ozone dose on the content and structure of haloacetic acid precursors in groundwater.

This study investigated the effects of pH (6-10) and ozone dose [0.4-3.0 mg O(3)/mg dissolved organic carbon (DOC)] on the content and structure of haloacetic acid (HAA) precursors in groundwater rich in natural organic matter (NOM; DOC 9.

Impact of hydrocarbon type, concentration and weathering on its biodegradability in soil.

The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of the hydrocarbon type and concentration, as well as the total effect of the natural weathering process to hydrocarbon biodegradability in sandy soil and the environment. In this experiment, sandy soil was separately contaminated with 0.5%, 1.

Correlation between the results of sequential extraction and effectiveness of immobilization treatment of lead- and cadmium-contaminated sediment.

The assessment of the quality of sediment from the Great Backi Canal (Serbia), based on the pseudo-total lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) content according to the corresponding Dutch standards and Canadian guidelines, showed its severe contamination with these two metals. A microwave-assisted BCR (Community Bureau of Reference of the Commission of the European Union) sequential extraction procedure was employed to assess their potential mobility and risk to the aquatic environment. Comparison of the results of sequential extraction and different criteria for sediment quality assessment has led to somewhat contradictory conclusions.