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Applied Sciences
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Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement
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Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 9334

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Iván Sciscenko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ingeniería Textil y Papelera, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Plaza Ferrándiz y Carbonell s/n, 03801 Alcoy, Spain
Interests: advanced oxidation processes; chemometrics; electrochemistry; fluorescence; (nano)materials synthesis and characterization; photocatalysis; photo-Fenton process; water treatment; zerovalent iron
Prof. Dr. Ana María Amat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Grupo de Procesos de Oxidación Avanzada, Departamento de Ingeniería Textil y Papelera, Universitat Politècnica de València, Campus de Alcoy, Alcoy, Spain
Interests: catalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging contaminants (PFAS, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, etc.) are widely distributed in the environment due to being directly discharged from anthropogenic sources and/or their slow degradation in wastewater treatment plants. This Special Issue welcomes scientific articles focused on the use of physical and chemical processes able to remove pollutants from water, soil and air, as well as their analysis using innovative analytical methodologies and their continuous monitoring.

Dr. Iván Sciscenko
Prof. Dr. Ana María Amat
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced oxidation processes
  • catalysis
  • contaminant of emerging concern
  • chemometrics
  • environmental remediation
  • monitoring

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3272 KiB  
Article
Innovative Use of Wood Ash for Fluoride Removal from Water: Comprehensive Experiments and Mechanism Insight
by Jae-In Lee, Jin-Kyu Kang, Sanghyun Jeong, Chang-Gu Lee, Joon-Weon Choi and Seong-Jik Park
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15010245 - 30 Dec 2024
Viewed by 837
Abstract
This study investigates the potential of wood ash (WA), a by-product of wood-based energy production, as an eco-friendly alternative for removing fluoride from water. Kinetic analysis revealed that WA enables rapid fluoride removal, reaching equilibrium within 1 h (112.09 ± 3.9 mg/g). Equilibrium [...] Read more.
This study investigates the potential of wood ash (WA), a by-product of wood-based energy production, as an eco-friendly alternative for removing fluoride from water. Kinetic analysis revealed that WA enables rapid fluoride removal, reaching equilibrium within 1 h (112.09 ± 3.9 mg/g). Equilibrium analysis demonstrated that WA exhibits a Langmuir maximum capacity of 157.34 mg/g, indicating a high adsorption capacity that ranks within the top 10% of reported adsorbents (34th out of 328). According to thermodynamic analysis, the adsorption process appears to be both endothermic and spontaneous at elevated temperatures. pH dependence studies showed that while the fluoride adsorption capacity of WA peaked under acidic conditions, it remained relatively stable (116.01 ± 0.8 mg/g) over a wide range of pH levels (5 to 11). An optimal dosage of 6.67 g/L achieved a greater than 98% fluoride removal rate. Coexisting anions affected the fluoride adsorption capacity of WA, with the order of influence being PO43− > CO32− >> SO42− > NO3− ≈ Cl−. Mechanistic analyses confirmed the surface precipitation of CaF2 as the primary mechanism responsible for fluoride removal. With a Ca content of over 66 wt.%, WA facilitates enhanced fluoride removal. Overall, this study highlights the efficacy of WA as a sustainable adsorbent for the removal of fluoride from water, contributing to the valorization of WA in wastewater treatment applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement)
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13 pages, 2162 KiB  
Article
Less Is More: Influence of Cross-Linking Agent Concentration on PFOS Adsorption in Chitosan
by Philipp Wittwer, Philipp Roesch, Christian Vogel, Fabian Simon, Lennart Gehrenkemper, Ines Feldmann and Franz-Georg Simon
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(23), 11145; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311145 - 29 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1205
Abstract
As a result of the continuous use of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), e.g., in aviation firefighting foams, contamination with PFAS has been found in soil, groundwater, and surface water around thousands of industrial and military installations. Due to their harmful (environmental) [...] Read more.
As a result of the continuous use of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), e.g., in aviation firefighting foams, contamination with PFAS has been found in soil, groundwater, and surface water around thousands of industrial and military installations. Due to their harmful (environmental) potential, further dispersion in the environment needs to be stopped, which can be achieved by appropriate absorption materials. In this work, the influence of the cross-linking agent epichlorohydrin (ECH) concentration on the perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) adsorption capacity of chitosan gel was investigated. It was found that higher ECH concentration during the cross-linking step decreases the PFOS adsorption capacity of the cross-linked chitosan gel from 0% to 4% ECH solution by about 15%. Using a concentration of 1%, ECH resulted still in an acid-stable material, and a maximum PFOS loading capacity of 4.04 mmol/g was obtained, one of the highest described in the literature. Furthermore, we used a rapid small-scale column test to compare the PFOS adsorption capacity of chitosan and activated carbon, each in both milled and unmilled form. Unmilled chitosan showed the highest PFOS adsorption capacity considering adsorption material dry masses (>0.9 and <0.4 mmol/g for both types of chitosan and activated carbon, respectively). Milled activated carbon proved to be the better adsorption material, considering the fixed volume of the adsorber (>99.9% PFOS adsorbed). Overall, the cross-linking agent concentration in chitosan is a crucial factor influencing its PFOS absorption potential. Our results feature cross-linked chitosan as an effective economic and ecologic alternative for PFOS adsorption in aqueous solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement)
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13 pages, 17876 KiB  
Article
Accumulation of Spherical Microplastics in Earthworms Tissues-Mapping Using Raman Microscopy
by Marek Klimasz and Anna Grobelak
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10117; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210117 - 5 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1168
Abstract
The presence of microplastics in the environment is now becoming a challenge for many scientific disciplines. Molecular diversity and spatial migration make it difficult to find plastic-free areas. Their negative, often toxic, effects affect plants and animals to varying degrees, causing many biochemical [...] Read more.
The presence of microplastics in the environment is now becoming a challenge for many scientific disciplines. Molecular diversity and spatial migration make it difficult to find plastic-free areas. Their negative, often toxic, effects affect plants and animals to varying degrees, causing many biochemical disorders, species degradation, and population changes. This study aimed to determine the possibility of accumulation of spherical low-density polyethylene particles of 38–63 µm (38–45 µm 1.00 g/cm3, and 53–63 µm 1.00 g/cm3) with fluorescent properties in muscle tissues of the cosmopolitan earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris, exposed to plastic contained in the soil at a concentration of 0.1% dry weight for 3 months. Analysis of the tissues by Raman microscopy included the estimation of mapping area size, sampling density, accumulation time, spectra, laser line, and laser power to detect plastic in the samples effectively. Our results demonstrate the ability of low-density polyethylene microparticles to accumulate in earthworm tissues and are presented graphically for the mapping area and images with plastic detection sites marked. In addition, this article highlights the potential of using Raman microscopy for research in the field of tissue analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement)
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12 pages, 35533 KiB  
Article
Dissolved Organic Matter Behaviour by Conventional Treatments of a Drinking Water Plant: Controlling Its Changes with EEM-PARAFAC
by Iván Sciscenko, Rita Binetti, Carlos Escudero-Oñate, Isabel Oller and Antonio Arques
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 2462; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14062462 - 14 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1443
Abstract
In the last 20 years, several articles related to the use of fluorescence excitation–emission matrices—parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) to monitor dissolved organic matter (DOM) in drinking- and wastewater treatment plants were published. Noteworthy, its use in respective quality control laboratories remains scarce. To [...] Read more.
In the last 20 years, several articles related to the use of fluorescence excitation–emission matrices—parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) to monitor dissolved organic matter (DOM) in drinking- and wastewater treatment plants were published. Noteworthy, its use in respective quality control laboratories remains scarce. To extend its popularisation, in this work, EEM-PARAFAC was employed to analyse the DOM composition changes along the different stages of the drinking water treatment plant administrated by Società Metropolitana Acque Torino. The best PARAFAC model was the one of three components, indicating that the Po River is constituted, mainly, by humic acid-like (HA-L) and tryptophan-like (Try-L) substances, the tyrosine-like ones being negligible (Tyr-L). Results indicated that physical treatments (sedimentation) did not produce a reduction in the PARAFAC scores; however, a 50% decay in 254 nm absorbance was observed. Fluorescent DOM was only removed with chemical treatments, obtaining ca. 70% HA-L scores decay with ozonation and 40% with chlorination. Furthermore, although ozonation degraded HA-L substances, the Try-L scores increased by 25%, indicating the transformation of HA-L into smaller molecules. On the contrary, total organic carbon measurements only exhibited a significant change when comparing the treatment plant’s inlet and outlet (approximately a 45% decrease), but not within intermediate processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement)
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14 pages, 1154 KiB  
Article
Antibiotic Resistance in Seawater Samples from East Coast of Spain
by Diego Dasí, María Luisa Camaró-Sala, Ana González, Miguel García-Ferrús, Ana Isabel Jiménez-Belenguer and María Ángeles Castillo
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(5), 1965; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14051965 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1912
Abstract
Seawater has been proposed as a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes, thus representing a risk to public health. In this study, we evaluated the presence of antibiotic resistance determinants (bacteria and genes) in 77 seawater samples collected at different points [...] Read more.
Seawater has been proposed as a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes, thus representing a risk to public health. In this study, we evaluated the presence of antibiotic resistance determinants (bacteria and genes) in 77 seawater samples collected at different points along the coast of the Gulf of Valencia (Spain). Specifically, indicators of fecal contamination bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp., were isolated, and their antibiotic resistance profiles were analyzed through the use of the Sensititre® system, followed by the detection of the main antibiotic resistance genes (blaTEM, qnrS, tetW, sulI, and ermB). The highest frequencies of resistance in the E. coli isolates were detected for ampicillin (35.1%) and ciprofloxacin (17.5%), followed by sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (15.7%), while 23% of enterococci isolates showed resistance to a single antibiotic, 20% against tetracycline and 3% against daptomycin. Through PCR analysis, 93% of the E. coli strains showed the blaTEM and sulI resistance genes. Among the enterococci, the presence of the blaTEM gene was detected in 40% of the isolates, while the rest of the genes were present at very low rates. Among the water samples, 57% were positive for at least one of the tested genes, italic format with blaTEM being the most commonly found gene (47%), followed by the qnrS (33%) and sulI (23%) genes. These results show that seawater, in addition to being subjected to a high rate of fecal contamination, can contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement)
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Review

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22 pages, 5387 KiB  
Review
Layered Double Hydroxides as Next-Generation Adsorbents for the Removal of Selenium from Water
by Lucia Nemček, Ingrid Hagarová and Peter Matúš
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(18), 8513; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14188513 - 21 Sep 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1854
Abstract
This research paper provides a comprehensive overview of the use of layered double hydroxides (LDH) in the removal of selenium species from contaminated water sources. Key studies on sorption mechanisms and the impact of competing ions on selenium removal are presented, and the [...] Read more.
This research paper provides a comprehensive overview of the use of layered double hydroxides (LDH) in the removal of selenium species from contaminated water sources. Key studies on sorption mechanisms and the impact of competing ions on selenium removal are presented, and the effectiveness of LDH is compared across different structures and compositions. Scholarly sources extensively document the application of conventional LDH for effective selenium removal, with notable advancements achieved through innovative synthesis approaches. Comparative studies between LDH synthesized through various methods reveal the potential of tailored LDH for enhanced selenium adsorption. The paper further explores the influence of competing anions on LDH efficacy, emphasizing the impact of sulfate on selenium removal. Additionally, investigations into calcined LDH and commercially available variants underscore the potential for industrial applications. Beyond conventional LDH, the paper delves into iron-based LDH, LDH with intercalated thiomolybdate anions, and layered rare earth hydroxides, exploring their effectiveness in separating different selenium species. The role of pH in the removal of selenium species and the impact of three-metal cation LDH are also discussed. The study extends to nanocomposites, combining LDH with zero-valent iron, carbon-based materials, and organic compounds, illustrating their potential for selenium species immobilization. The presented findings offer valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in environmental science, addressing the growing demand for efficient selenium remediation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollutant: Analysis, Monitoring and Emerging Processes for Abatement)
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