1. Effects of modified carbon black nanoparticles on plant-microbe remediation of petroleum and heavy metal co-contaminated soils
Little is known about the effect of modified carbon black nanoparticles (MNCB) on the availability of heavy metals and petroleum degradation in petroleum and heavy metals co-contaminated soils. The overall objective of this study was to investigate the simultaneous effect of MNCB on heavy metal immobilization and petroleum biodegradation in co-contaminated soil in plant and plant-microbe combined remediation.
2. Using nanomaterials to facilitate the phytoremediation of contaminated soil
Soil pollution has been an environmental problem drawing worldwide attention. Phytoremediation is a good and highly accepted method for treating contaminated soil. Numerous studies have been performed to enhance the phytoremediation efficiency by various approaches. The development of nanotechnology provides an effective alternative method.
3. Remedial Technology Fact
Sheet – Activated CarbonBased Technology for
In Situ RemediationThis fact sheet, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, concerns an emerging remedial technology that applies a combination of activated carbon (AC) and chemical and/or biological amendments for in situ remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated by organic contaminants, primarily petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents. The technology typically is designed to carry out two contaminant removal processes: adsorption by AC and destruction by chemical and/or biological amendments.
With the development of several commercially available AC-based products, this remedial technology has been applied with increasing frequency at contaminated sites across the country, including numerous leaking underground storage tank (LUST) and dry cleaner sites (Simon 2015). It also has been recently applied at several Superfund sites, and federal facility sites that are not on the National Priorities List.
This fact sheet provides information to practitioners and regulators for a better understanding of the science and current practice of AC-based remedial technologies for in situ applications. The uncertainties associated with the applications and performance of the technology also
are discussed.
4. SOIL RECLAMATION OF ABANDONED MINE LAND BY REVEGETATION: A REVIEW
Mining of mineral resources results in extensive soil damage, altering microbial communities and affecting vegetation leading to destruction of vast amounts of land. Reclamation is the process to restore the ecological integrity of these disturbed mine land areas. It includes the management of all types of physical, chemical and biological disturbances of soils such as soil pH, fertility, microbial community and various soil nutrient cycles that makes the degraded land soil productive. Productivity of soil can be increased by adding various natural amendments such as sawdust, wood residues, sewage sludge, animal manures, as these amendments stimulate the microbial activity which provides the nutrients (N, P) and organic carbon to the soil. The top soil gets seriously damaged during mineral extraction. The consequences of physical disturbance to the top soil during stripping, stockpiling, and reinstatement cause unusually large N transformations and movements with eventually substantial loss. Management of top soil is important for reclamation plan to reduce the N losses and to increase soil nutrients and microbes. Revegetation constitutes the most widely accepted and useful way to reduce erosion and protect soils against degradation during reclamation. Mine restoration efforts have focused on N-fixing species of legumes, grasses, herbs, and trees. Metal tolerant plants can be effective for acidic and heavy metals bearing soils. Reclamation of abandoned mine land is a very complex process. Once the reclamation plan is complete and vegetation has established, the assessment of the reclaimed site is necessary to evaluate the success of reclamation. Evaluation of reclamation success focuses on measuring the occurrence and distribution of soil microflora community which is regulated by interactions between C and nutrient availabilities. Reclamation success also measures the structure and functioning of mycorrhizal symbiosis and various enzymatic activities in soil. This paper includes physical, chemical and biological mine soil properties, their management to make soil productive, top soil management, vegetation of various species and assessment of effectiveness of reclamation.
5. Black Carbon Research | US EPA
Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It comprises a significant portion of particulate matter or PM, which is an air pollutant. Black carbon is a global environmental problem that has negative implications for both human health and our climate.
6. What Is Carbon Black?
Carbon black is composed of fine particles consisting mainly of carbon. Various features of carbon black are controlled in production by partially combusting oil or gases. Carbon black is widely used in various applications from black coloring pigment of newspaper inks to electric conductive agent of high-technology materials.
7. What is the environmental relevance of carbon black in the soil?
Firstly, I want to know the role of carbon black in soil restoration, perhaps it is effective in soil conditioning (fertility increase etc). Also, i would like to know if there is any empirical research on the role played by carbon black in the reduction of phytoavailability/bioavailability of metal contaminants in the soil to plants and reduction in soil mobility.
Lastly, I need experts opinions on the best methods of characterization of carbon black (detailed procedures). Thank you all.
Interesting Discussion follows!
8. Carbon black vs. black carbon and other airborne materials containingelemental carbon: Physical and chemical distinctions
Abstract: Airborne particles containing elemental carbon (EC) are currently at the forefront of scientific and regulatory scrutiny, including black carbon, carbon black, and engineered carbon-based nanomaterials, e.g., carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and graphene. Scientists and regulators sometimes group these EC-containing particles together, for example, interchangeably using the terms carbon black and black carbon despite one being a manufactured product with well-controlled properties and the other being an undesired, incomplete-combustion byproduct with diverse properties. In this critical review, we synthesize information on the contrasting properties of EC-containing particles in order to highlight significant differences that can affect hazard potential. We demonstrate why carbon black should not be considered a model particle representative of either combustion soots or engineered carbon-based nanomaterials. Overall, scientific studies need to distinguish these highly different EC-containing particles with care and precision so as to forestall unwarranted extrapolation of properties, hazard potential, and study conclusions from one material to another
9. CLEARING UP THE TIRE PYROLYSIS CARBON BLACK ‘FINANCIAL ILLUSION’
Recent changes in legislative policy throughout the European Union (including the UK Government’s legislation) now stipulates that waste recyclers are legally responsible for ensuring that the best method of processing waste must be adopted, in terms of the Waste Hierarchy.
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11. Chemically treated carbon black waste and its potential applications
In this work, carbon black waste − a hazardous solid residue generated from gasification of crude oil bottom in refineries − was successfully used for making an absorbent material. However, since the carbon black waste also contains significant amounts of heavy metals (especially nickel and vanadium), chemical leaching was first used to remove these hazardous impurities from the carbon black waste. Acid leaching with nitric acid was found to be the most effective method for removal of both nickel and vanadium from the carbon black waste (i.e. up to 95% nickel and 98% vanadium were removed via treatment with 2 M nitric acid for 1 h at 20 °C), whereas alkali leaching by using NaOH under the same condition was not effective for removal of nickel (less than 10% nickel was removed). Human lung cells (MRC-5) were then used to investigate the toxicity of the carbon black waste before and after leaching. Cell viability analysis showed that the leachate from the original carbon black waste has very high toxicity, whereas the leachate from the treated samples has no significant toxicity. Finally, the efficacy of the carbon black waste treated with HNO3 as an absorbent for dye removal was investigated. This treated carbon black waste has high adsorption capacity (∼356.4 mg dye/g carbon black), which can be attributed to its high specific surface area (∼558 m²/g). The treated carbon black waste with its high adsorption capacity and lack of cytotoxicity is a promising adsorbent material. Moreover, the carbon black waste was found to show high electrical conductivity (ca. 10 S/cm), making it a potentially valuable source of conductive material.
12. The vacuum pyrolysis of used tires: End-uses for oil and carbon black products
By vacuum pyrolysis, the rubber portion of used tires is transformed into oil and gas and the carbon black filler is recovered as pyrolytic carbon black (CBP). Several commercial applications for the different products have been investigated and are reported in this article. CBP surface chemistry and activity are similar to those of commercial carbon blacks. Therefore, CBP has the potential to replace commercial carbon black grades in certain rubber applications. CBP was successfully tested as a filler in road pavement. The total pyrolytic oil can be used as a liquid fuel. The oil can also be distilled into different fractions: a light, a middle distillate and a heavy fraction. The light fraction was positively tested as a gasoline additive. Furthermore, this fraction contains valuable chemicals such as d,l-limonene. The middle fraction was successfully tested as a plasticizer in rubbers. The heavy fraction represents a good-quality feedstock for the production of coke and can also be used in road pavements. The pyrolytic gas can be used as a make-up heat source for the pyrolysis process.
13. Ancient Method, ‘Black Gold Agriculture’ May Revolutionize Farming, Curb Global Warming
Fifteen hundred years ago, tribes people from the central Amazon basin mixed their soil with charcoal derived from animal bone and tree bark. Today, at the site of this charcoal deposit, scientists have found some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world.
’14. Black gold agriculture’ may revolutionize farming, curb global warming
Fifteen hundred years ago, tribes people from the central Amazon basin mixed their soil with charcoal derived from animal bone and tree bark. Today, at the site of this charcoal deposit, scientists have found some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world.
richness of soils
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16. Low black carbon concentration in agricultural soils of central and northern Ethiopia.
Sci Total Environ. 2018 Aug 1;631-632:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.284. Epub 2018 Mar 5.
Source and Impacts
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18. The social value of carbon black
Carbon black is a fine, black powder contained in thousands of different products, playing a key role in our lives. Find out how it makes life better.
19. Progresses in restoration of post-mining landscape in Africa
Emma Sandell Festin Mulualem Tigabu Mutale N. Chileshe Stephen Syampungani Per Christer Odén Review Article Mining alters the natural landscape and discharges large volumes of wastes that pose serious pollution hazards to the environment, to human health and to agriculture.
20. Bioremediation of Mined Waste Land
Wastelands are synonymous with drastically disturb lands where the native vegetation and animal communities have been removed and the top soil has been lost, altered, or buried. Such lands will not become naturally rehabilitated within the life time of man through normal succession process. In India 14.91% of total geographic area are wastelands under different categories.
21. Environmental Aspects – What is Carbon Black?
The International Carbon Black Association (ICBA) is a scientific, non-profit corporation originally founded in 1977. The purpose of the ICBA is to sponsor, conduct, and participate in investigations, research, and analyses relating to the health, safety, and environmental aspects of the production and use of carbon black.
22. Upgrading pyrolytic residue from waste tires to commercial carbon black – Xue Zhang, Hengxiang Li, Qing Cao, Li’e Jin, Fumeng Wang, 2018
Abstract The managing and recycling of waste tires has become a worldwide environmental challenge. Among the different disposal methods for waste tires, pyrolysis is regarded as a promising route. How to effectively enhance the added value of pyrolytic residue (PR) from waste tires is a matter of great concern.
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Redirecting
Abstract:
Field experiment was conducted on mine spoil dump on an area of 10 ha, to restore the fertility and productivity of the coal mine spoil dump using integrated biotechnological approach. The approach involves use of effluent treatment plant sludge (ETP sludge), as an organic amendment, biofertilizers and mycorrihzal fungi along with suitable plant species. The results of the study indicated that amendment with effluent treatment plant sludge (ETP sludge), @ 50 ton/ha improved the physico-chemical properties of coal mine spoil. Due to biofertilizer inoculation different microbial groups such as Rhizobium, Azotobacter and VAM spores, which were practically absent in mine spoil improved greatly. Inoculation of biofertilizer and application of ETP sludge helped in reducing the toxicity of heavy metals such as chromium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese lead, nickel and cadmium, which were significantly reduced to 41%, 43%, 37%, 37%, 34%, 39%, 37% and 40%, respectively, due to the increased organic matter content in the ETP sludge and its alkaline pH (8.10–8.28), at which the metals gets immobilized and translocation of metals is arrested. Thus, amendment and biofertilizer application provided better supportive material for anchorage and growth of the plant on coal mine spoil dump.
27. Microbe-assisted phytoremediation approach for ecological restoration of zinc mine spoil dump
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Abstract:
Mining is one of the sectors that impacts air, water and soil pollution. The various environmental problems that are associated with mining activities are deforestation, removal of fertile topsoil, unstable slopes prone to sliding and erosion, siltation of water bodies due to wash off of mineral overburden dumps, air pollution due to discharge of dust and noise pollution. The most effective means of reducing the impact of such potential hazards is rapid revegetation. Revegetation accelerates soil formation, leading to establishment of a stable ecosystem and combats the different problems. The reclamation of mine overburden is intimately associated with the recovery of a stable microbial processes and communities resembling that of a natural soil. To revegetate such eco-vulnerable system, an eco-friendly and cost-effective ‘microbe-assisted phytoremediation approach’ adopted to restore the nature’s pattern of stable and diverse ecosystem on zinc mine spoil dumps. The approach involves isolation and inoculation of site-specific specialised nitrogen-fixing strains of Bradyrhizobium and Azotobacter species, nutrient mobilising vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal spores of Glomus and Gigaspora sp., selection of suitable plant species (preferable multispecies) and suitable organic amendments. The results indicate that the approach restored the productivity, fertility and stability of zinc mine spoil leading to the development of sustainable ecosystem thereby mitigating the environmental hazards and improving the environmental health of the nearby contaminated sites. Microbe-assisted phytoremediation approach stabilises the negative effects of zinc mine spoil dumps rapidly within a short span of time (2?3 years) in a cost-effective way.