A comparative study of As(III) and As(V) in aqueous solutions and adsorbed on iron oxy-hydroxides by Raman spectroscopy.

The sorption of the arsenite (AsO(3)(3-)) and the arsenate (AsO(4)(3-)) ions and their conjugate acids onto iron oxides is one of main processes controlling the distribution of arsenic in the environment. The present work intends to provide a large vibrational spectroscopic database for comparison of As(III) and As(V) speciation in aqueous solutions and at the iron oxide - solution interface. With this purpose, ferrihydrite, feroxyhyte, goethite and hematite were firstly synthesized, characterized in detail and used for adsorption experiments.

Determination of 4-nonylphenol in water samples using 4-(2,6-dimethylhept-3-yl)phenol as new internal standard.

A new method for determining the endocrine disrupting substance 4-nonylphenol (technical grade=mixture of isomers, 4-NP) from water samples has been developed by using 4-(2,6-dimethylhept-3-yl)phenol (4-sec-NP) as model compound. This branched monoalkylphenol is shown to serve as internal standard (IS) for the determination of technical 4-nonylphenol. To the best of our knowledge, 4-(2,6-dimethylhept-3-yl)phenol (racemic mixture) is a newly synthesized 4-nonylphenol isomer and has not been described elsewhere.

Reduction of CO(2)-emissions by using biomass in combustion and digestion plants.

Climate protection is one of the main aims of environmental policy. One way to advance and push the progress is to reduce the use of fossil fuels for energy production through an increasing production of renewable and CO(2)-neutral energy for example through application of biomass. This paper sets the focus on biomass streams that can be used both thermal and biological for energy production like grass or energy crops.

Thermal treatment of harzardous waste for heavy metal recovery.

In this study, a new method for recovering heavy metals from hazardous waste is introduced. The process is characterized by a separation of heavy metals and residues during the thermal treatment under a sub-stoichiometric atmosphere in a rotary kiln. After leaving the rotary kiln the separated heavy metals are precipitated in a hot gas ceramic filter.

Biotic and abiotic transformations of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).

Background: Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is a fuel additive which is used all over the world. In recent years it has often been found in groundwater, mainly in the USA, but also in Europe. Although MTBE seems to be a minor toxic, it affects the taste and odour of water at concentrations of < 30 microg/L.

Biotic and abiotic degradation behaviour of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME).

Glycol ethers are widely used in many processes in the chemical industry. Their high water solubility means they are used as solvents for different purposes (e.g.

Determination of Henry's law constant for methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) at groundwater temperatures.

The dimensionless Henry's law constant was determined for methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) at six temperatures (3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 degrees C) by using a thermostatted flask (430 ml) containing an aqueous MTBE solution. The ratio between the gas phase and the water phase in the flask was approximately 1.7:1.