New Eco-Materials Derived from Waste for Emerging Pollutants Adsorption: The Case of Diclofenac

Green Synthesis of Hydrogel-Based Adsorbent Material for the Effective Removal of Diclofenac Sodium from Wastewater

The removal of pharmaceutical contaminants from wastewater has gained considerable attention in recent years, particularly in the advancements of hydrogel-based adsorbents as a green solution for their ease of use, ease of modification, biodegradability, non-toxicity, environmental friendliness, and cost-effectiveness. This study focuses on the design of an efficient adsorbent hydrogel based on 1% chitosan, 40% polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG4000), and 4% xanthan gum (referred to as CPX) for the removal of diclofenac sodium (DCF) from water. The interaction between positively charged chitosan and negatively charged xanthan gum and PEG4000 leads to strengthening of the hydrogel structure. The obtained CPX hydrogel, prepared by a green, simple, easy, low-cost, and ecological method, has a higher viscosity due to the three-dimensional polymer network and mechanical stability. The physical, chemical, rheological, and pharmacotechnical parameters of the synthesized hydrogel were determined. Swelling analysis demonstrated that the new synthetized hydrogel is not pH-dependent. The obtained adsorbent hydrogel reached the adsorption capacity (172.41 mg/g) at the highest adsorbent amount (200 mg) after 350 min. In addition, the adsorption kinetics were calculated using a pseudo first-order model and Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm parameters. The results demonstrate that CPX hydrogel can be used as an efficient option to remove DCF as a pharmaceutical contaminant from wastewater.

Accelerated and natural carbonation of a municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash mixture: Basic strategies for higher carbon dioxide sequestration and reliable mass quantification

The carbonation of alkaline wastes is an interesting research field that may offer opportunities for CO₂ reduction. However, the literature is mainly devoted to studying different waste sequestration capabilities, with lame attention to the reliability of the data about CO₂ reduction, or to the possibilities to increase the amount of absorbed CO₂. In this work, for the first time, the limitation of some methods used in literature to quantify the amount of sequestered CO₂ is presented, and the advantages of using suitable XRD strategies to evaluate the crystalline calcium carbonate phases are demonstrated. In addition, a zero-waste approach, aiming to stabilize the waste by coupling the use of by-products and the possibility to obtain CO₂ sequestration, was considered. In particular, for the first time, the paper investigates the differences in natural and accelerated carbonation (NC and AC) mechanisms, occurring when municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash is stabilized by using the bottom ash with the same origin, and other by-products. The stabilization mechanism was attributed to pozzolanic reactions with the formation of calcium silicate hydrates or calcium aluminate hydrate phases that can react with CO₂ to produce calcium carbonate phases. The work shows that during the AC, crystalline calcium carbonate was quickly formed by the reaction of Ca(OH)₂ and CaClOH with CO₂. On the contrary, in NC, carbonation occurred due to reactions also with the amorphous Ca. The sequestration capability of this technology, involving the mixing of waste and by-products, is up to 165 gCO₂/Kg MSWI FA, which is higher than the literature data.

Environmental challenges of COVID-19 pandemic: resilience and sustainability - A review

The emergence of novel respiratory disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a public health emergency worldwide and perturbed the global economy and ecosystem services. Many studies have reported the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental compartments, its transmission via environmental routes, and potential environmental challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. None of these studies have comprehensively reviewed the bidirectional relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the environment. For the first time, we explored the relationship between the environment and the SARS-CoV-2 virus/COVID-19 and how they affect each other. Supporting evidence presented here clearly demonstrates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in soil and water, denoting the role of the environment in the COVID-19 transmission process. However, most studies fail to determine if the viral genomes they have discovered are infectious, which could be affected by the environmental factors in which they are found.The potential environmental impact of the pandemic, including water pollution, chemical contamination, increased generation of non-biodegradable waste, and single-use plastics have received the most attention. For the most part, efficient measures have been used to address the current environmental challenges from COVID-19, including using environmentally friendly disinfection technologies and employing measures to reduce the production of plastic wastes, such as the reuse and recycling of plastics. Developing sustainable solutions to counter the environmental challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic should be included in national preparedness strategies. In conclusion, combating the pandemic and accomplishing public health goals should be balanced with environmentally sustainable measures, as the two are closely intertwined.

The Reuse of Municipal Solid Waste Fly Ash as Flame Retardant Filler: A Preliminary Study

The growing increase in the production of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ashes has led to the research of new possibilities to reuse these by-products. This work aims to use MSW fly ash (FA) as a flame retardant filler. The FA was stabilized according to a simple stabilization process involving the mixing of only different ashes: bottom ash (BA), flue gas desulphurization (FGD) residues and coal fly ash (CFA). Stabilized FA, calcite and commercial flame retardants were compared as additives in an epoxy resin or polypropylene (PP) matrix. The self-extinguish performance of fillers was evaluated by fire resistance tests: the vertical burning test (UL94-V) and glow wire test (GWT) at 750 °C and 850 °C. A life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluation was also performed to estimate the reduction in environmental impact related to the production of the flame retardant with stabilized FA. The results show that this new filler is a promising alternative to traditional flame retardant. The ignition time of composites with calcite was lower than the corresponding sample with FA. From an environmental point of view, the replacement of calcite in an epoxy resin matrix or commercial flame retardant in a PP matrix with stabilized FA allows for a reduction in the impact of about 24.1% and 49.5%, respectively.

Occurrence, transformation, bioaccumulation, risk and analysis of pharmaceutical and personal care products from wastewater: a review

Almost all aspects of society from food security to disease control and prevention have benefited from pharmaceutical and personal care products, yet these products are a major source of contamination that ends up in wastewater and ecosystems. This issue has been sharply accentuated during the coronavirus disease pandemic 2019 (COVID-19) due to the higher use of disinfectants and other products. Here we review pharmaceutical and personal care products with focus on their occurrence in the environment, detection, risk, and removal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10311-022-01498-7.

Sustainable Materials and their Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Critical Review Based on an Italian Example

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been proposed to give a possible future to humankind. Due to the multidimensional characteristic of sustainability, SDGs need research activities with a multidisciplinary approach. This work aims to provide a critical review of the results concerning sustainable materials obtained by Italian researchers affiliated to the National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM) and their contribution to reaching specific indicators of the 17 SDGs. Data were exposed by using the Web of Science (WoS) database. In the investigated period (from 2016 to 2020), 333 works about sustainable materials are found and grouped in one of the following categories: chemicals (33%), composites (11%), novel materials for pollutants sequestration (8%), bio-based and food-based materials (10%), materials for green building (8%), and materials for energy (29%). This review contributes to increasing the awareness of several of the issues concerning sustainable materials but also to encouraging the researchers to focus on SDGs’ interconnections. Indeed, the mapping of the achievements can be relevant to the decision-makers to identify the opportunities that materials can offer to achieve the final goals. In this frame, a “Sustainable Materials Partnership for SDGs” is envisaged for more suitable resource management in the future.