One hundred and twenty (120) fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus (mean weight: 0.96 ± 0.1g) were randomly exposed to 4 experimental treatments of petroleum, based on LC₅₀ values (6.4mg/L of crude oil, 8.7mg/L of petrol, 8.0mg/L of kerosene and 7.8mg/L of diesel oil) and replicated thrice, to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in exposed fish for 96 h. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in total (PAHs) between crude oil (97.1 ng/uL) and diesel (97.2 ng/uL) exposed fish and also between petrol (53.2 ng/uL) and kerosene (49.6 ng/uL) exposed fish, but there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in PAH levels of the crude oil/diesel exposed -groups of fish compared to petrol/kerosene exposed -groups of fish (97.1/97.2 and 53.2/49.6 ng/uL). Naphthalene correlated positively to benzo a anthracene (r=0.672, (P < 0.05), benzo b fluoranthene (r=0.681, P < 0.05) and chrysene (r=0.615, P < 0.05) but did not correlate to fluorene. Benzo a anthracene correlated positively to benzo a pyrene (r=0.578, P < 0.05), phenathrene (r=0.685, P < 0.05) but did not correlate to acenaphthene. Fluorene correlated positively to benzo a pyrene (r=0.695, P < 0.05) but did not correlate to chrysene. Chrysene correlated positively to dibenzo a,h, pyrene (r=0.658, P < 0.05) to phenathrene and benzo b fluoranthene (r=0.659, P< 0.05). Indeno 123 cd- pyrene and fluranthene however did not correlate to other PAHs except naphthanene, acenaphthene and acenaphthylene. The level of PAH in fish may translate to the toxicity effect since crude oil and diesel with lower LC₅₀ (6.4 and 7.8 mg/L) deposited greater PAH than kerosene and petrol with higher LC₅₀ (8.7 and 8.0 mg/L) in fingerlings of C. gariepinus. High risk to cancer disorders may occur in exposed fish to petroleum with high incidence of fluorene , anthracene, pyrene and benz a anthracene which correlated positively to benzo a pyrene which provide some basis for predicting impact of oil spills on fingerling population.

Contamination of the environment by petroleum products is a growing concern worldwide, and strategies to remove these contaminants have been evaluated. One of these strategies is biodegradation, which consists of the use of microorganisms. Biodegradation is significantly improved by increasing the temperature of the milieu, thus, the use of thermophiles, microbes that thrive in high-temperature environments, will render this process more efficient. For instance, various thermophilic enzymes have been used in industrial biotechnology because of their unique catalytic properties. Biodegradation has been extensively studied in the context of mesophilic microbes, and the mechanisms of biodegradation of aliphatic and aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons have been elucidated. However, in comparison, little work has been carried out on the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by thermophiles. In this paper, a detailed review of the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (both aliphatic and aromatic) by thermophiles has been carried out. This work has identified the characteristics of thermophiles, and unravelled specific catabolic pathways of petroleum products that are only found in thermophiles. Gaps that limit our understanding of the activity of these microbes have also been highlighted, and finally, different strategies that can be used to improve the efficiency of degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by thermophiles have been proposed.

This article illustrates a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted role of hydrocarbons in the field of material science, bridging the gap between theoretical understanding and practical applications, also providing acumens into future perceptions. Hydrocarbons, which consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms, play a critical role in numerous sectors due to their extensive presence in both natural and synthetic environments. The study categorizes hydrocarbons into diverse categories such as alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and aromatic hydrocarbons, each owning unique features that influence their physical properties and applications. This inclusive review comprehends the fundamental aspects of hydrocarbons, their indispensable compounds and elements, and their substantial contributions to material science, including their utilization in coatings, composites, and polymers. Besides, the article investigates into case studies that demonstrate the theoretical advancements and practical applications of hydrocarbons, as well as their latent in addressing future energy and environmental encounters. By investigative the role of hydrocarbons in the expansion of innovative materials and their implications for sustainability and technological progress, the article accentuates the significance of hydrocarbons in evolving the field of material science and technology.

Asian dust (AD) events and total suspended particle (TSP) was observed at Kanazawa University Wajima Air Monitoring Station (KUWAMS), a Japanese background site, during the East Asian winter monsoon periods (from November to May of the following year) from 2010 to 2021. Nine kinds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in each TSP sample. In this study, a total of 54 AD events were observed. According to the different pathways of long-range transportation, AD events were divided into AD-high (transported at higher altitude, around 4000 m) and AD-low (transported at lower altitude, around 2500 m). The TSP concentrations in-creased sharply in the AD and was higher in AD-high (39.8 ± 19.5 μg/m³) than that in AD-low (23.5 ± 10.5 μg/m³). While AD didn’t have significant effect on ΣPAHs characteristic variation, as ΣPAHs concentration in non-AD periods, AD-high, AD-low were 543 ± 374, 404 ± 221, 436 ± 265 pg/m³, respectively. PAHs compositions were also consistent. As a result, TSP concentration was affected by the input air mass transported at higher altitude from the desert region while PAHs concentration was under the impact of air mass at lower altitude which carried the PAHs emitted from fossil fuels and biomass combustion in northeastern China. Moreover, the health risks of PAHs were calculated by inhalation lifetime cancer risk which ranged from 10−6 to 10−5 ng/m3, in-dicating a potential carcinogenic risk at KUWAMS during the East Asian winter monsoon period.

This study explores the impact of temperature and molarity in the pyrolysis of Açaí seeds (Euterpe Oleraceae, Mart.) activated with KOH on the yield of bio-oil, hydrocarbon content of bio-oil, and chemical composition of aqueous phase. The experiments were carried out at 350, 400, and 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, with 2.0 M KOH, and at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, with 0.5 M, 1.0 M and 2.0 M KOH, in laboratory scale. The composition of bio-oils and aqueous phase determined by GC-MS, while the acid value, a physico-chemical property of fundamental importance in bio-fuels, of bio-oils and aqueous phases by AOCS methods. The solid phase (biochar) characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The diffractograms identified the presence of Kalicinite (KHCO3) in biochar, and those higher temperatures favor the formation peaks of Kalicinite (KHCO3). The pyrolysis of Açaí seeds activated with KOH show bio-oil yields from 3.19 to 6.79 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 20.34 and 25.57 (wt.%), solid phase yields (coke) between 33.40 and 43.37 (wt.%), and gas yields from 31.85 to 34.45 (wt.%). The yield of bio-oil shows a smooth exponential increase with temperature. The acidity of bio-oil varied between 12.3 and 257.6 mgKOH/g, decreasing exponentially with temperature, while that of aqueous phase between 17.9 and 118.9 mgKOH/g, showing and exponential decay behavior with temperature, demonstrating that higher temperatures favor not only the yield of bio-oil but also bio-oils with lower acidity. For the experiments with KOH activation, the GC-MS of bio-oil identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, phenols, ketones, and esters). The concentration of hydrocarbons varied between 10.19 to 25.71 (area.%), increasing with temperature, while that of oxygenates from 52.69 to 72.15 (area.%), decreasing with temperature. For the experiments with constant temperature, the concentrations of hydrocarbons in bio-oil increase exponentially with molarity, while those of oxygenates decrease exponentially, showing that higher molarities favor the formation of hydrocarbons in bio-oil. Finally, it can be concluded that chemical activation of Açaí seeds with KOH favors the not only the yield of bio-oil but also the content of hydrocarbons. The study of process variables is of utmost importance in order to clearly assess reaction mechanisms, economic viability and design goals that could be derived from chemically activated biomass pyrolysis processes.

This work investigated the effect of temperature and acid or alkalis chemical activation by pyrolysis of Açaí seeds (Euterpe Oleraceae, Mart.) on the yield of bio-oil, hydrocarbon content of bio-oil, and chemical composition of aqueous phase. The experiments were carried out at 350, 400, and 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, KOH and HCl activation, in laboratory scale. The acidity of bio-oils and aqueous phases determined by AOCS methods, while the chemical composition of bio-oils and aqueous phase by GC-MS and FT-IR. The bio-char characterized by XRD. For the activation with KOH, the XRD analysis identified the presence of Kalicinite (KHCO3), the dominant crystalline phase in bio-char, while an amorphous phase was identified in bio-chars for the activation with HCl. The yield of bio-oil, for the pyrolysis of Açaí seeds activated with KOH, varied between 3.19 and 6.79 (wt.%), showing a smooth exponential increase with temperature. The acidity of bio-oil varied between 12.3 and 257.6 mgKOH/g, decreasing exponentially with temperature, while the acidity of aqueous phase lies between 17.9 and 118.9 mgKOH/g, showing and exponential decay behavior with temperature, demonstrating that higher temperatures favor not only the yield of bio-oil but also bio-oils with lower acidity. For the pyrolysis experiments activated with HCl, the yield of bio-oil varied between 2.13 and 3.37 (wt.%), decreasing linearly with temperature, while that of gas phase varied between 17.91 and 37.94 (wt.%), increasing linearly with temperature. The acidity of bio-oil varied between 127.1 and 218.5 mgKOH/g, increasing with temperature, showing that higher temperatures did not favor the yield of bio-oil and bio-oils acidity. For the chemical activation with KOH, the FT-IR analysis of bio-oils identified the presence of chemical groups characteristics of hydrocarbons and oxygenates, while that of aqueous phase only groups characteristics of oxygenates. For the chemical activation with HCl, the FT-IR analysis of bio-oil and aqueous phases identified only the presence of groups characteristics of oxygenates. For the experiments with KOH activation, the GC-MS of bio-oil identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, phenols, ketones, and esters). The concentration of hydrocarbons varied between 10.19 to 25.71 (area.%), increasing with temperature, while that of oxygenates from 52.69 to 72.15 (area.%), decreasing with temperature. For the experiments with HCl activation, the GC-MS of bio-oil identified only the presence of oxygenates. Finally, it can be concluded that chemical activation of Açaí seeds with KOH favors the not only the yield of bio-oil but also the content of hydrocarbons while activation with HCl produced bio-oils with only oxygen compounds.

In September 2021, the European Chemicals Agency evaluated a dossier for restricting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in infant diapers and concluded that risks were not demonstrat-ed because of inconclusive exposure data. To fill this gap, we measured the 16 priority PAHs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the diaper core of four brands and in the sheets and fastening tapes of six brands of commercially available diapers. Health risks were conservatively assessed by assuming that dermally absorbed PAHs can cause both local (skin cancer) and sys-temic critical effects (neurobehavioral changes). Total concentrations of PAHs in diaper core and top sheet, the only significant contributors to skin exposure, averaged 34.5 μg/kg and 66.8 μg/kg, respectively. Excess skin cancer risks and hazard quotients for neurobehavioral effects calculated with the daily dose of total PAHs from combined diaper core and top sheet averaged 1.4 x 10-7 and 1.19 x 10-2, respectively. The median daily dose of total PAHs and of its ben-zo[a]pyrene-equivalent from breast milk estimated worldwide are 171 and 30 times greater than that from combined diaper core and top sheet, respectively. Altogether these findings indicate that trace levels of PAHs found in infant diapers are unlikely to pose health risks.

This paper described a crystallization procedure of the “1-Octadecanol/n-Nonadecane” binary system, an accurate description of the phase change process and the associated analysis of the cooling and melting of this binary system between 20 and 70 degrees Celsius. The introduction section mainly describes the scientific background and principle of plant cuticle wax layer and the former studies on the crystallization of n-Alkanes and n-Alkanols. The experiment part introduces the experimental chemicals, instruments and specific experimental operating procedures required for the preparation of the “1-Octadecanol/n-Nonadecane” binary system. In the following sections, the thermal properties of this binary system are studied. According to the DSC diagram, phase diagrams and absorption spectrum, the specific phase transition and enthalpy of each phase transition were studied. The cooling and heating phase diagrams were plotted. The influence of the different compositions of these two chemicals was analyzed and discussed. The last part is the conclusion of this thesis, which summarizes the experimental research results of the complete text and points out the needed further research.

Bio-surfactants are surface-active molecules which are produced by the wide range of microbes including bacteria, fungi, and yeast. This study was conducted to identify bio-surfactants by Bacillus subtilis combined with use of cheap substrates and industrial wastes (Mustard cake, Whey and Soya cake) which are found locally in Nepal. Bacillus subtilis, one of the most potential bio-surfactants producer; was isolated from soil sample of hydrocarbon contaminated site. Isolates were grown in a Minimal Salt Media (MSM) with 10% (v/v) mustard oil cake, whey and soya cake separately. The presence and potential of surfactant was determined by the oil spreading technique, emulsification index (%E24) and surface tension measurement. It was revealed that the surface tensions of cell free extract were 54.41, 60.02 and 56.64 mN/m for from mustard cake, whey and soya cake respectively as compared to distilled water (72.09) at 25oC. The emulsification index values are was found to be highest in engine oil from the bio-surfactant extracted from mustard cake, soya cake and whey respectively. Similarly, mustard oil showed the lowest value of emulsification index. The highest emulsification activity was shown in mustard oil i.e. 1.13 from the cell free extract from mustard oil and lowest in engine oil i.e., 0.07, by the extract from soya cake medium, when measured in spectrophotometer at 540 nm. In conclusion, strain of Bacillus subtilis was found to be the potential surface active agent producers on the mustard oil cake, which can be useful medium for various environmental, food and industrial processes.

This study explores the impact of temperature and molarity on the pyrolysis of Açaí seeds (Euterpe Oleraceae, Mart.) activated with KOH on the yield of bio-oil, hydrocarbon content of bio-oil, antioxidant activity of bio-oil and chemical composition of aqueous phase. The experiments were carried out at 350, 400, and 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, with 2.0 M KOH, and at 450 °C and 1.0 at-mosphere, with 0.5 M, 1.0 M and 2.0 M KOH, in laboratory scale. The composition of bio-oils and aqueous phase determined by GC-MS, while the acid value, a physical-chemical property of fundamental importance in biofuels, of bio-oils and aqueous phases by AOCS methods. The antioxidant activity of bio-oils determined by the TEAC method. The solid phase (biochar) characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The diffractograms identified the presence of Kalicinite (KHCO3) in bio-char, and those higher temperatures favor the formation peaks of Kalicinite (KHCO3). The pyrolysis of Açaí seeds activated with KOH show bio-oil yields from 3.19 to 6.79 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 20.34 and 25.57 (wt.%), solid phase yields (coke) between 33.40 and 43.37 (wt.%), and gas yields from 31.85 to 34.45 (wt.%). The yield of bio-oil shows a smooth exponential increase with temperature. The acidity of bio-oil varied between 12.3 and 257.6 mgKOH/g, decreasing exponentially with temperature, while that of aqueous phase between 17.9 and 118.9 mgKOH/g, showing and exponential decay behavior with temperature, demonstrating that higher temperatures favor not only the yield of bio-oil but also bio-oils with lower acidity. For the experiments with KOH activation, the GC-MS of bio-oil identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, phenols, ketones, and esters). The concentration of hydrocarbons varied between 10.19 to 25.71 (area.%), increasing with temperature, while that of oxygenates from 52.69 to 72.15 (area.%), decreasing with temperature. For the experiments with constant temperature, the concentrations of hydrocarbons in bio-oil in-crease exponentially with molarity, while those of oxygenates decrease exponentially, showing that higher molarities favor the formation of hydrocarbons in bio-oil. The antioxidant activity of bio-oils decreases with increasing temperature, as the content of phenolic compounds decreases, and de-creases with increasing KOH molarity, as higher molarities favors the formation of hydrocarbons. Finally, it can be concluded that chemical activation of Açaí seeds with KOH favors the not only the yield of bio-oil but also the content of hydrocarbons. The study of process variables is of utmost importance in order to clearly assess reaction mechanisms, economic viability and design goals that could be derived from chemically activated biomass pyrolysis processes.

A rapid and efficient method using an alkyl functionalized magnetic nanoparticles-based extraction technique combined with Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography was developed for the detection of trace amounts of polycystic aromatic hydrocarbons in tea leaves. As a popular coating for chromatographic column packing materials, C18-alkyl has been demonstrated to be effective in separating polycystic aromatic hydrocarbons. And the magnetism of the nanomaterials accelerates the extraction process while their high surface ratio enables desirable dispersity in the sample matrix. Meanwhile, the adsorbents can be washed and reused 30 times without compromise on recovery, which greatly reduced the budget. The effects of various parameters were investigated and optimized, and the recoveries for five analytes were in the range of 84.8–103.7%. The reproducibility rate of intra-day and inter-day were below 7.1% and 11.3% respectively. The limits of detection and limits of quantification ranged from 1.69–9.97 ng g-1 and 5.12–30.21 ng g-1, indicating satisfactory sensitivity. Thus, the proposed methodology is rapid, highly efficient, and economical, and it expands the application of magnetic cleanup approaches in complex food matrices.

The catalytically active vanadium-containing system on γ-Al2O3 was studied using a wide range of physical and chemical methods depending on the synthesis conditions. It is shown that the vanadium-containing system includes several complexes with different thermal stability and catalytic activity. Low-active complexes are destroyed with the formation of more active ones based on V2O5 oxide as the temperature of heat treatment increases. It can be assumed that the V2O5 oxide has the decisive role in its catalytic activity. It was concluded that the vanadium-containing catalytic system on aluminum oxide, in the studied temperature range, is thermal stable and shows high activity not only in the reduction of nitrogen oxides but also in the oxidation of hydrocarbons (even of the most difficult ones, such as oxidizable methane). These properties of the system make it quite promising in the field of application for purification of exhaust gases of motor transport and industrial enterprises from environmentally harmful components as well as for understanding the mechanism of the action of catalysts in these processes, which is very important for solving the problems of decarbonization and achieving carbon neutrality.

There is a sustained rise in incidence of cancer and toxicity related to chemicals exerting enormous burden to public health and biodiversity. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are mong such contaminants, precisely the sixteen-priority characterized by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Therefore, this review is aimed at further elaboration about the 16 USEPA characterized PAHs and threat portend to public health and biodiversity. PAHs are a class of very stable organic pollutants produced most commonly, by incomplete combustion of fossil fuel and are formed when complex organic substances are exposed to heat. PAHs in great amount due to build up over time by bioaccumulation can be perilous: to human beings of all age and levels, aquatic organisms, amphibians and reptiles. The soil like the aquatic environment contains substantial quantity of PAHs since, atmospheric PAHs sediments on the soil due to dry and wet deposition, terrestrial organism are impacted if the soil is saturated with PAHs. Therefore, PAHs are a great source of trepidation for food safety, public health and biodiversity sustenance. Hence, tackling the spade of the menacing ubiquity of PAHs becomes necessary from its sources by encouragement of alternatives to petroleum fuels for machines and vehicles.

In January 2019, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) published an opinion on risks related to the presence of hazardous chemicals in infant diapers. ANSES found that health reference values were largely exceeded for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins (PCCD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (DL-PCBs). The levels of formaldehyde and of some fragrances were also considered potentially unsafe. Therefore, ANSES concluded that actions have to be taken to restrict levels of these contaminants in diapers. Under the exposure scenario deemed the most reliable by ANSES, estimates of cancer risks of the most potent PAHs detected in diapers exceeded 10-3 and hazard quotients for neurobehavioral effects attained values up to 66. Regarding dioxins and DL-PCBs, ANSES derived a hazard quotient of 12 for the risk of decreased sperm count at adult age. The aim of this critical review was to examine whether the exposure and risk assessment conducted by ANSES contained potential flaws that could explain such a high exceedance of health reference values. The review will also put into perspective the exposure from diapers with that from breast milk whose benefits for child’s health are undisputable despite contamination by PAHs, dioxins and DL-PCBS.

Mn-promoted bulk iron catalysts with high specific surface area (82-211 m2.g-1) were synthesized by coprecipitation followed by drying under supercritical conditions. The catalysts were tested in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. The Mn-promoted iron catalysts showed better textural properties than the bare Fe2O3 catalyst, allowing better dispersion of the active phase, easier reduction of iron oxide, better carburization of iron oxides and higher catalytic activity than the bare Fe2O3 catalyst. The best activity results were obtained by catalyst promotion with a very low amount of Mn (Mn/Fe ratio of 0.05). Upon steady-state conditions (T=340 ºC, total pressure of 20 bar and H2/CO2=3), this catalyst showed high CO2 conversion (44.2%) and selectivity to C2-C4 hydrocarbons (68%, olefin to paraffin ratio of 0.54), while the selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons, CH4 and CO was about 3.2, 38.5 and 5%, respectively. A close correlation was found between catalyst textural properties and CO2 conversion. The most active MnFe-0.05 catalyst shows high stability during 72 h of reaction related to low amount of soft coke formation and catalyst activation through the formation of χ-Fe5C2 phase during the on-stream reaction.

The output of non-ferrous metal smelters is 450,000 tons (3.1% of world output), and copper ranks 10th in the world for health impact evaluation. According to the latest information from smelters, the overall average concentration in 2020 was 8.2 ppb each of SO2, NO2, O3, PM10, and PM2.5. 7.5 ppb, 30.8 ppb, 21.3 μg/m3, and 13.2 μg/m3, and the maximum concentrations were 390 ppb, 50 ppb, 167 ppb, 148 μg/m3, and 107 μg/m3. Art Corporation, A2C (Atmosphere to CFD) model was used to investigate the resident health follow-up management (cohort study) study (SAS Enterprise Guide) as the basis for the source of diffuse pollution in the area. The average concentration of PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) among carcinogens in the air by survey site was the highest in Seokpo 4-ri (60.7 ng/m3), followed by Seokpo 1-ri (48.6 ng/m3) and Seokpo. Among the respiratory diseases, the disease (Acute upper respiratory tract disease(J00-J06), Other upper respiratory tract diseases (J32-J39), Acute lower respiratory tract infection (excluding pneumonia) (J20-J22), Chronic lower respiratory disease (persons) (excluding J40-J47, J45-J46), Asthma (J45-J46), Rhinitis (J30-J31), Respiratory disease (J00-J99), Cough (R05)) that has a correlation between the exposed area and the control area is as follows.

Research subjects of this study are four representative locations in the industrial complex, in the city of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (∑16PAHs), humus and pH were determined. The main objective of the paper is to determine the concentration levels, to assess the probable sources of PAHs contamination in soil and groundwater and to determine the ecological risk. The ∑16PAHs in soil (at depths of 30 cm, 100 cm, 200 cm, 300 cm and 400 cm) ranged from 0.99 to 2.24 mg/kg, from 0.34 to 0.46, from 0.24 to 0.32, from 0.13 to 0.27 and from 0.13 to 0.47, with mean values of 1.70 mg/kg, 0.40 mg/kg, 0.28 mg/kg, 0.20 mg/kg and 0.26 mg/kg, respectively. The ∑16PAHs in groundwater ranged from 0.23 to 4.50 mg/m³, with a mean value of 1.42 mg/m³. Surface soil and groundwater are heavily contaminated. All values of ∑PAHs in soil layers were lower in the depths of the soil. Factor analysis indicates three sources of contamination, i.e. principal component (PC) PC1 (pyrogenic), PC2 (petrogenic) and PC3 (biomass), with 52.39%, 26.14% and 8.46% of the total variance, respectively. ∑PAH and PAHs indicate high ecological risk for most PAHs, which decreases with soil depth.

Orogenic antimony-gold deposits contribute significantly to the global antimony resource base. China's orogenic antimony-gold deposits are primarily in southern Tibet. Investigations indicate that antimony combines and migrates with sulfur hydroxides in ore-forming fluids. Previous research on fluid inclusions in orogenic antimony-gold ores with sedimentary rock accommodation revealed the presence of organic inclusions, including liquid hydrocarbons, alongside common components such as CO2, H2O, CH4, and NaCl. However, the impact of liquid hydrocarbons on antimony migration and mineralization is still de-batable. To investigate the transportability of antimony by liquid hydrocarbons in orogenic antimony ores, we selected n-dodecanethiol and n-dodecane as the subjects. We measured the solubility and occurrence form of antimony in these compounds at various temperatures and durations. The results indicate that after 5 and 10 days of reaction at 100 °C, the antimony concentrations in the n-dodecanethiol and n-dodecane groups were 67.44±7.62 ppm, 75.15±16.74 ppm, 1.40±1.02 ppm, and 3.02±3.09 ppm, respectively. At 150 °C for 5 and 10 days, the respective concentrations were 50.58±5.39 ppm, 77.26±45.20 ppm, 2.66±3.08 ppm, and 2.41±2.03 ppm. At 200 °C for 5 and 10 days, the corresponding concentrations were 339.76±71.94 ppm, 218.97±25.03 ppm and 6.53±7.17 ppm, 2.27±0.82 ppm (n=3). The measured solubility of antimony in the n-dodecanethiol group increased gradually with rising temperature. The solubility of antimony in the n-dodecane group was low and notably inferior to that observed in the n-dodecanethiol group. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis demonstrated a distinct thiol (R-SH) peak at 163.31 eV and compound peaks of antimony reacting with thiols at 162.06 and 160.87 eV. This suggests that antimony predominantly forms complexes with thiols for migration. Our findings suggest that specific liquid hy-drocarbon components, predominantly thiols, can interact with antimony at metallogenic temperatures and persist in ore-forming fluids, facilitating migration and mineral enrichment. Earlier experimental studies on gold and crude oil have indicated that liquid hydrocarbons also play an essential role in the transportation and enrichment of gold during the formation of gold deposits, thus indicating that liquid hydrocarbons possess the considerable potential to act as an ore-forming fluid during orogenic antimony-gold deposit formation in southern Tibet.

Multiple sources influence air quality and regional climate in complicated atmospheric emission situations like urban agglomerations. To resolve pollution plumes and source influences in polluted areas, a comprehensive chemical fingerprinting of sources utilizing non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and the identification of acceptable tracer molecules and emission ratios is required, in contrast to pristine locations, where reliance on a single or a few chemical tracers is frequently sufficient. We have characterized the prevalence of NMHCs fingerprints in the urban areas and quantified the correlation of windspeed with the concentration of these pollutants. eNose sensors and Air quality management stations provide the data to identify the emission sources of such pollutants. Based on our analysis, the average NMHC concentration in 2021 has been recorded 0.424 ppm at point 1 AQMS whereas at point 2 AQMS it was 0.256 ppm. Such outcomes could be attributed to the proximity of emissions sources, the direction and speed of the wind, or both. Moreover, traffic can be a major contributor to pollution levels in any urban area. More research based on a larger dataset is required before definitive conclusions can be drawn, and viable solutions can be proposed.

This study will present a comprehensive review of the two-phase flow boiling heat transfer coefficient of hydrocarbons such propane (R-290), butane (R-600) and iso-butane (R-600a) and ethanol at various experimental conditions. Studying the multiphase flow heat transfer coefficient has a crucial importance for many heat transfer equipment to achieve higher efficiency for more compact design and cost reduction. One reason behind choosing hydrocarbons as refrigerants in this study is because hydrocarbons have zero ozone depletion potential (ODP=0) and insignificant direct global warming potential (GWP = 3). Moreover, thermodynamic and thermophysical characteristics of hydrocarbons qualify them to be a strong candidate for more heat transfer applications. Initially, by constructing a database for the working fluids from various experimental work available in the literature. The current data that this study has collected for the flow boiling of spans wide ranges of parameters, such as: mass flux, heat flux, operating pressure, and saturation temperature, etc. Furthermore, by comparing the experimental multiphase heat transfer coefficient database with the anticipated values of each correlation, the prediction performance of 26 correlations found in the literature was assessed. This study leads to the selection of the best prediction method based on the minimum deviation of predicted results from the experimental database provided by calculated mean absolute error (MAE) from the assessed correlations. The findings of this study can also be useful in the development of more accurate correlation methods for these fluids and improve the prediction of their flow boiling characteristics.

In this study, the use of recycled diatomaceous earth as the extraction phase in a the solid phase microextraction (SPME) technique for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in river water samples, with separation/detection performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), is proposed. The optimized extraction conditions are extraction time 70 min at 80 ºC with no addition of salt. The limits of quantification were close to 0.5 μg L-1 with RSD values lower than 25% (n = 3). The linear working range was 0.5 μg L-1 to 25 μg L-1 for all analytes. The method was applied to samples collected from the Itajaí River (Santa Catarina, Brazil) and the RSD values for repeatability and reproducibility were lower than 15% and 17%, respectively. The efficiency of the recycled diatomaceous earth fiber was compared with that of commercial fibers and good results were obtained, confirming that this is a promising option for use as the extraction phase in SPME.

Photoacoustic spectroscopy allows the identification of specific molecules in gases. We evaluate the spectral resolution and detection limits for a PAS system in the broadband infrared wavelength region 3270 nm ≲ λ ≲ 3530 nm driven by a continuous wave optical parametric oscillator with P ≈ 1.26 W by measuring the absorption of diluted propane, ethane and methane test gases at low concentrations c ~ 100 ppm for ~1350 discrete wavelengths λ_i. The resulting spectra I_PAS(λ_i) were compared to the high resolution cross section data σ_FTIR obtained by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy from the HITRAN database. Deviations as little as 7.1(6)% for propane, 8.7(11)% for ethane and 15.0(14)% for methane with regard to the average uncertainty between I_PAS(λ_i) and the expected reference values based on σ_FTIR were recorded. The wavelengths λ_res of the characteristic absorption lines can be pinpointed with a high relative accuracy <5 × 10⁻⁵ corresponding to a resolution of λ_res ~ 0.16 nm. Detection limits range between 7.1 ppb (ethane) to 13.6 ppb (methane) coinciding with high experimental signal-to-noise ratios. Moreover, using EUREQA, an artificial intelligence program, simulated mixed gas samples at low limits of detection could be deconvoluted. These results justify a further development of PAS technology to support, e.g., biomedical research.

The paper presents the results of geological interpretation of the set of geophysical data with substantiation of geological-geophysical and structural geological criteria of oil and gas potential of the sedimentary cover deep levels and the upper part of the consolidated basement in the central West Siberian oil and gas basin. Gravity, magnetic and seismic data are used. The character of manifestation of the regional Pai-Khoi–Altai strike-slip zone covering an area up to 200 km wide is shown. The study provides a basis for assuming a spatial genetic relationship between the conditions for localizing hydrocarbon traps and the extensional and strike-slip and thrust structures of the zone that form so-called "flower structures". The substantiated structural geological criteria were applied to solve the problem of pattern recognition with training, highlighting the environments favourable for localization of hydrocarbon fields.

This work aims to investigate the effect of process temperature and catalyst content by pyrolysis and thermal catalytic cracking of (organic matter + paper) fraction from municipal household solid waste (MHSW) on the yields of reaction products (bio-oil, bio-char, H2O, and gas), acid value and chemical composition of bio-oils, and characterization of bio-chars, in laboratory scale. The collecting sectors of MHSW in the municipality of Belém-Pará-Brazil were chosen based on geographic and socio-economic database. The MHSW collected and transported to the segregation area. The gravimetric analysis of MHSW carried out and the fractions (Paper, Cardboard, Tetra Pack, Hard Plastic, Soft Plastic, Metal, Glass, Organic Matter, and Inert) separated. The selected organic matter and paper submitted to pre-treatment of crushing, drying, and sieving. The experiments carried out at 400, 450, and 475 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, and at 475 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using 5.0, 10.0, and 15.0% (wt.) Ca(OH)2, in batch mode. The bio-oil characterized for acid value. The chemical functions present in bio-oil identified by FT-IR and the composition by GC-MS. The bio-char characterized by SEM, FT-IR and XRD. The variance in mass (wt.%) for organic fraction of municipal household solid waste, between 56.21 and 67.45% (wt.), lies with the interval of 56% (wt.) and 64% (wt.) of OFMHSW for middle and low income countries. The pyrolysis of MHSW fraction (organic matter + paper) show bio-oil yields between 2.63 and 9.41% (wt.), aqueous phase yields between 28.58 and 35.08% (wt.), solid phase yields between 35.29 and 45.75% (wt.), and gas yields between 16.54 and 26.72% (wt.). The bio-oil yield increases with pyrolysis temperature. For the catalytic cracking, the bio-oil and gas yields increase slightly with CaO content, while that of bio-char decreases, and the H2O phase remains constant. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, phenols, and aldehydes), as well as compounds containing nitrogen, including amides and amines. The acidity of bio-oil decreases with increasing process temperature and with aid Ca(OH)2 as catalyst. The concentration of hydrocarbons in bio-oil increases with increasing Ca(OH)2-to-MHSW fraction ratio due to the catalytic deoxygenation of fatty acids molecules, by means of de-carboxylation/de-carbonylation, producing aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.

In Qinglong ore field, paleo-oil reservoir is found to be associated with antimony deposits, and they have close genetic relationship. In this study, aromatics geochemistry of paleo-oil reservoir bitumen was studied to further discuss the thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) reaction and the mechanism of antimony mineralization. A total of 124 aromatic compounds were identified by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis in bitumen samples, including abundant phenanthrene series, dibenzothiophene series, fluoranthene series, chrysene series, and a small number of fluorene series, naphthalene series, dibenzofuran series, biphenyl series, triaromatic steroid series. Aromatic parameters such as trimethylnaphthalene index (TMNr), methylphenanthrene index (MPI), methylphenanthrene distribution fraction (MPDF, F1 and F2), methyldibenzothiophene parameter (MDR), C28TAS-20S/(20R+20S), and benzofluoranthene/benzo[e]pyrene indicate Qinglong paleo-oil reservoir is in over maturity level. The abundance of phenanthrene and chrysene aromatic compounds and a small amount of naphthalene series, benzofluoranthene, fluoranthene, pyrene, anthracene, retene, perylene and biphenyl suggest that the parent material of the paleo-oil reservoir was mainly low aquatic organisms, mixed with a small amount of higher plant. The detected a certain number of compounds, such as retene, triaromatic steroid series and perylene, the ternary diagram of DBF–DBT–F and binary plot of Pr/Ph–DBT/P, DBT/(F+DBT)–DBF/(F+DBF) and Pr/Ph–DBT/DBF reveal that the source rock of the paleo-oil reservoir was formed in the marine environment of weak oxidation and weak reduction. The comprehensive analysis shows that the Qinglong paleo-oil reservoir originated from Devonian source rocks, just like other paleo-oil reservoirs and natural gas reservoirs in the Nanpanjiang basin. Abundant dibenzothiophene series were detected, indicating that the paleo-oil reservoir underwent a certain degree of TSR reaction. We believe that the paleo-gas reservoir formed by the evolution of paleo-oil reservoir participated in antimony mineralization, that is, hydrocarbon organic matter acted as reducing agent and transformed SO42− in oilfield brine into H2S through TSR, providing reduced sulfur and creating environmental conditions for mineralization.

This work aims to investigate the effect of catalyst content and reaction time by catalytic upgrading from pyrolysis vapors of residual fat at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, on the yields of reaction products, physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, refractive index, and acid value) and chemical composition of organic liquid products (OLP), over a catalyst fixed bed reactor, in semi pilot scale. Pellets of Red Mud chemically activated with 1.0 M HCl were used as catalysts. The experiments were carried out at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a process schema consisting of a thermal cracking reactor of 2.0 L coupled to a catalyst fixed bed reactor of 53 mL, without catalyst and using 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% (wt.) Red Mud pellets activated with 1.0 M HCl, in batch mode. Samples of liquid phase products were withdrawn during the course of reaction at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 min in order to analyze the process kinetics. The physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, acid value, and refractive index) of OLP were determined by official methods. The chemical functions present in OLP determined by FT-IR and the chemical composition by GC-MS. The thermal catalytic cracking of residual fat show OLP yields from 54.4 to 84.88 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 2.21 and 2.80 (wt.%), solid phase yields (coke) between 1.30 and 8.60 (wt.%), and gas yields from 11.61 to 34.22 (wt.%). The yields of OLP increases with increasing catalyst content while those of aqueous, gaseous and solid phase decreases. For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value of OLP decreases with increasing reaction time. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes). For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the hydrocarbon content within OLP increases with reaction time, while those of oxygenates decrease, reaching concentrations of hydrocarbons up to 95.35% (area.). The best results for the physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) and the maximum hydrocarbon content of OLP were obtained at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a catalyst fixed bed reactor, with 5.0% (wt.) Red Mud pellets activated with 1.0 M HCl as catalyst.

Residential dust is recognized as a major source of environmental contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs). To characterize the thoracic dust fraction (PM10), a sampling campaign was carried out with an in-situ resuspension chamber in three rooms (kitchen, living room and bedroom) of four Spanish houses. Two samples per room were collected with, at least, a one-week interval. The PM₁₀ samples were analyzed for their carbonaceous content by a thermo-optical technique and, after solvent extraction, for 20 PAHs, 8 phthalate plasticizers (PAEs) and one non-phthalate plasticizer (DEHA) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In general, higher dust loads were observed for parquet flooring compared with tile. The highest dust loads were obtained for rugs. Total carbon accounted for 9.3 to 51%wt of the PM₁₀ mass. Plasticizer mass fractions varied from 5 µg g-1 to 17 mg g^-1 PM₁₀, whereas lower contributions were registered for PAHs (0.98–116 µg g^-1). The plasticizer and PAH daily intakes for children and adults via dust ingestion were estimated to be 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than those via inhalation and dermal contact. Potential carcinogenic and negligible non-carcinogenic risks arising from exposure to PAHs were found.

A universally applicable method for the prediction of the isobaric heat capacities of the liquid and solid phase of molecules at 298.15 K is presented, derived from their “true” volume. The molecules’ “true” volume in A³ is calculated on the basis of their geometry-optimized structure and the Van-der-Waals radii of their constituting atoms by means of a fast numerical algorithm. Good linear correlations of the “true” volume of a large number of compounds encompassing all classes and sizes with their experimental liquid and solid heat capacities over a large range have been found, although noticeably distorted by intermolecular hydrogen-bond effects. To take account of these effects, the total amount of 1303 compounds with known experimental liquid heat capacities has been subdivided into three subsets consisting of 1102 hydroxy-group-free compounds, 164 monoalcohols/monoacids, and 36 polyalcohols/polyacids. The standard deviations for Cp(liq,298) were 20.7 J/mol/K for the OH-free compunds, 22.91 J/mol/K for the monoalcohols/monoacids and 16.03 J/mol/K for the polyols/polyacids. Analogously, 797 compounds with known solid heat capacities have been separated into a subset of 555 OH-free compounds, 123 monoalcohols/monoacids and 119 polyols/polyacids. The standard deviations for Cp(sol,298) were calculated to 23.14 J/mol/K for the first, 21.62 J/mol/K for the second, and 19.75 J/mol/K for the last subset. A discussion of structural and intermolecular effects influencing the heat capacities as well as of some special classes, in particular hydrocarbons, ionic liquids, siloxanes and metallocenes, has been given. In addition, the present method has successfully been extended to enable the prediction of the temperature dependence of the solid and liquid heat capacities in the range between 250 and 350 K.

This work aims to investigate the influence of reaction time and catalyst-to-residual fat ratio by catalytic upgrading from pyrolysis vapors of residual fat at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, on the yields of reaction products, physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) and chemical composition of bio-oils, over a catalyst fixed bed reactor of activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH, in semi pilot scale. The experiments were carried out at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a process schema consisting of a thermal cracking reactor of 2.0 L coupled to a catalyst fixed bed reactor of 53 mL, without catalyst and using 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% (wt.) activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH, in batch mode. Samples of liquid phase products were withdrawn during the course of reaction at 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 120 minutes in order to investigate the process kinetics. The physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) of bio-oils were determined by official methods. The chemical composition of bio-oils determined by GC-MS. The thermal catalytic cracking of residual fat show bio-oils yields from 55.55 to 30.22 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 2.83 and 3.19 (wt.%), solid phase yields between 13.56 and 9.75 (wt.%), and gas yields from 27.89 to 55.60 (wt.%). The yields of bio-oil decreases from 74.41 to 30.22% (wt.) with increasing catalyst-to-Tallow kernel oil ratio, while that of gaseous phase increases from 12.87 to 55.60% (wt.). For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value of bio-oils decreases as the reaction time increases varying from 0.9266 to 0.8220 g/cm³, 8.10 to 2.24 mm²/s, and 144.14 to 2.37 mg KOH/g. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, ring-containing alkanes, ring-containing alkenes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes). For all the pyrolysis and catalytic cracking experiments, the hydrocarbon selectivity in bio-oil increases with increasing reaction time, while those of oxygenates decrease, reaching concentrations of hydrocarbons up to 95.35% (area.). The best results for the physicochemical properties density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value were 0.8220 g/cm³, 3.03 mm2/s, and 2.37 mg KOH/g, respectively, with a maximum hydrocarbon concentration of 97.194% (area.) and 2.806% ketones (area.) were obtained at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, 80 minutes, without catalyst. For the catalytic cracking experiments, the maximum hydrocarbon content of 75.763% (area.) and 17.041% (area.) carboxylic acids, 4.702% (area.) ketones (area.), and 2.494% (area.) non-identified oxygenates was obtained at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, 90 minutes, using a catalyst fixed bed reactor, with 10.0% (wt.) activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH as catalyst.

Phytoremediation, a method of phytomanagement using the plant holobiont to clean up polluted soils, is particularly effective for degrading organic pollutants, such as alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS). However, the respective contributions of host plants and their associated microbiota within the holobiont to the efficiency of phytoremediation is poorly understood. Identification of plant-associated bacteria capable of efficiently utilizing these compounds as carbon source while stimulating plant-growth, is a keystone for phytomanagement engineering in order to improve the efficiency of pollutant removal. In this study, we sampled the rhizosphere and the surrounding bulk soil of Salix purpurea and Eleocharis obusta from the site of a former petrochemical plant in Varennes, QC, Canada. Our objectives were to: (i) isolate and identify indigenous bacteria inhabiting these biotopes; (ii) assess the ability of isolated bacteria to utilize alkanes (dodecane and hexadecane) and PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene) as the sole carbon source, and (iii) determine the plant growth-promoting (PGP) potential of the isolates using five key traits. A total of 438 morphologically different bacterial isolates were obtained, purified, preserved and identified through PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Identified isolates represent 62 genera, including taxa such as Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Nocardia, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces and Variovorax. Approximately, 32% of bacterial isolates, including Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, Enterobacter, Nocardia, Acinetobacter and Microbacterium, were able to utilize all five different hydrocarbons compounds. Additionally, 5% of tested isolates belonging to genera Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Serratia, Klebsiella, Microbacterium, Bacillus and Stenotrophomonas possessed all five of the tested PGP functional traits. This culture collection of diverse, petroleum-hydrocarbon degrading bacteria, with multiple PGP traits, represents a valuable resource for future use in environmental bio- and phyto-technology applications, including phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soils and phytomanagement of anthropized areas.

Air pollution includes particle-bound Polycyclic Aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which eventually reach the placenta triggering adverse perinatal outcomes by long-term exposure. Late-ly, air pollution has increased over the Metropolitan Area of Medellin-Colombia (MAMC) but its effects on pregnancy are still unknown. In this research, we made a real-time analysis of airborne total PAHs using a photoelectric sensor for residential places influenced by industrial and traffic sources contrasting southern and northern MAMC during the second peak of the bimodal ten-dency for PM2.5 emissions in this region. Additionally, we analyzed individual PAHs by GC/MS coupled to pressurized hot water extraction methodology. Data was applied in an Inhalation In-take Model to assess pregnancy exposure. The average concentration of PAHs over southern MAMC was three times higher than over northern MAMC where the abortion rate has been 1.4 times higher presented in database. Previous research found that PAHs act as an Endo-crine-Disrupting Chemical (EDC) during pregnancy and even heavy congeners could reside in umbilical cord blood. Finally, the annual series of abortion rates in the MAMC showed a signifi-cant correlation with the annual average levels of PM2.5 which are associate to PAHs. Although this significant correlation does not imply causality, our results suggest an important connection between both variables. This latter finding opens a gap in deeply understanding how regions with high PAHs-convergence influences abortion rates in MAMC.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been reported to cause oxidative stress in metabolic processes. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between exposure to PAHs, including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), in the atmosphere and oxidative stress levels in the human body. This study included 44 Korean adults who lived in Cheongju, South Korea. Atmospheric BaP and 1-NP concentrations and urinary 6-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene (6-OHNP), N-acetyl-1-aminopyrene (1-NAAP), and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) concentrations were measured. The oxidative stress level was assessed by measuring urinary thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentrations. Urinary TBARS and 6-OHNP concentrations significantly differed between winter and summer. BaP exposure was significantly associated with urinary 8-OHdG concentrations in summer. However, atmospheric 1-NP did not show a significant correlation with oxidative stress marker concentrations. Urinary 1-NAAP concentration was a significant determinant for urinary 8-OHdG concentration in summer. Oxidative stress in the body increases in proportion to inhalation exposure to BaP, and more 8-OHdG is produced in the body as the amount of 1-NP, which is metabolized to 1-AP or 1-NAAP, increases.

Background and objectives: The impact of prenatal exposure to polycyclicaromatic 17 hydrocarbons (PAHs) on birth outcomes as weight, length, head circumference, placenta 18 weight, and Apgar. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of children born in the years 2013 and 19 2014 in Karvina (Northern Moravia, N=144) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia, 20 N=198), were studied for the relationship between the prenatal exposure to PAHs and growth 21 parameters up to two years of age. PAHs exposure was evaluated according to the concentration 22 of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in polluted air and monohydroxylated PAH metabolites (OH-PAHs) 23 in urine of newborns as well as their mothers. Data of growth parameters were obtained from 24 pediatric questionnaires up to 24 months. 25 Results: Concentrations of B[a]P were significantly higher in Karvina (p<0.001). OH-26 PAH metabolites were significantly higher in the mothers´ as well as in the newborns´ urine in 27 Karvina. The length was shorter in newborns in Karvina at birth (p<0.001), but this difference 28 was straightened out during next 3 to 24 months. Birth weight at the delivery did not differ 29 between newborns in Karvina and Ceske Budejovice. Newborns in both locations significantly 30 decreased their weight gain between birth and 3 months after delivery. OH-PAHs metabolites 31 in mother’s or newborn’s urine did not affect birth weight. Top 25% values of concentrations 32 of 2-OH-FLUO, 1-OH-NAP, 2-OH-NAP, 1-OH-PHEN, 2-OH-PHEN, 3-OH-PHEN, 4-OH-33 PHEN, and the sum of all-OH-PAHs higher than median in the newborns´ urine decreased their 34 length. 2-OH-PHEN top 25% of concentrations in the newborns´ urine decreased their head 35 circumference, 2-OH-FLUO, 1-OH-NAP, 2-OH-NAP, 1-OH-PHEN, 2-OH-PHEN, 3-OH-36 PHEN, 4-OH-PHEN, 9-OH-PHEN, 1-OH-PYR, and all-OH-PAHs decreased placenta weight; 37 2-OH-FLUO, 1-OH-NAP, 2-OH-NAP, 1-OH-PHEN, 2-OH-PHEN, 3-OH-PHEN, 4-OH-38 PHEN, and all-OH-PAHs decreased Apgar 5´. Conclusions: We observed that higher 39 concentration of PAHs determined as OH-PAHs metabolites in newborns´ urine decreased their 40 length, head circumference, placenta weight, and Apgar 5´, but did not affect birth weight.

Soil contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) has become a global concern in the word due to intensification of industrial activities. This creates a serious environmental issue, therefore there is a need to find solutions, including application of efficient remediation technologies, or to improve current techniques. Rhizoremediation is a sub-category of the phytoremediation which refers to Phytomanagement that uses plants and their associated microbiota. These green technologies have received a global attention as a cost-effective and possible efficient remediation technique that can be applied to cleanup PHCs-polluted soils. The mechanism of rhizoremediation process is that plant roots stimulate soil microbes to mineralize organic contaminants to H2O and CO2. However, this multipartite interaction is much complex because many biotic and abiotic factors can influence microbial processes in the soil, making the efficiency of rhizoremediation unpredictable. This review reports the progress made on rhizoremediation approaches that can overcome the limitations and improve the efficiency of PHCs-contaminated soils. The addressed approaches in this review include: 1) selecting plants with desired characteristics suitable for rhizoremediation, 2) the exploitation and manipulation of plant microbiome by using inoculant containing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) or hydrocarbon-degrading microbes, or a combination of both types of organisms, and 3) enhancement of the understanding of how host-plant assembles a beneficial microbiome, and how it functions, under pollutant stress.

Studies on the characteristics of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in the emissions of medium-duty diesel trucks are significantly insufficient compared to that on heavy-duty trucks. This study investigates the characteristics of regulated pollutants and HAPs such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and estimates non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) speciation in the emissions of medium-duty diesel trucks. Ten medium-duty diesel trucks conforming to Euros 5 and 6 were tested for worldwide harmonized light duty driving test cycle (WLTC), new European driving cycle (NEDC), constant volume sampler (CVS)-75, and National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER)-9 using a chassis dynamometer. CO and NMHC emissions were the highest in the NEDC because of its longer low-speed driving time. NOx emissions were the highest in WLTC owing to the influence of thermal NOx in the high-speed phase. Alkanes dominated non-methane volatile compound (NMVOC) emissions owing to the low reaction of the diesel oxidation catalyst. After-treatment system, driving, and engine conditions influenced the individual components of NMVOC emissions. Formaldehyde emissions were the highest among aldehydes irrespective of driving cycles. By sampling the particle-phase of PAHs, we detected benzo(k)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene and estimated the concentrations of the gas-phase PAHs with models to obtain the total PAH concentrations. The toxic equivalency quantities of benzo(k)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene from NIER-9 (cold) for both Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles were more than five times higher than that of NIER (hot) and NEDC. In the case of NMHC speciation, formaldehyde emissions were the highest in all the driving cycles. Formaldehyde and benzene must be controlled in the emissions of medium-duty diesel trucks to reduce their health threats. The results of this study will aid in establishing a national emission inventory system for HAPs of mobile sources in Korea.

1,3,5-Tris-(α-naphthyl)benzene is an organic non-electrolyte with notable stability of an amorphous phase. Its glassy and supercooled liquid states were previously studied by spectroscopic and calorimetric methods. However, the thermodynamic parameters of phase transitions available from the literature are inconsistent. In this work, the heat capacities of crystalline and liquid phases, the temperature dependence of the saturated vapor pressures, fusion and vaporization enthalpies were determined using differential and fast scanning calorimetry and verified using the estimates based on solution calorimetry. The structural features of 1,3,5-tris-(α-naphthyl)benzene are discussed based on the computations performed and the data on the molecular refractivity. The consistency between the values obtained by independent techniques was demonstrated. The deviations in the previously published data were attributed to possible polymorphism.

Biochar is a carbon-rich material that recently received attention due to its increasing agronomical potential. The agricultural utilization of biochar relates to its potential to act in the soil as a soil conditioner, nevertheless, the complex information on the direct dependence of biochar physical properties (texture, particle size) and corresponding leaching and availability of organic molecules (e.g. the polycyclic and heterocyclic organic compounds) and inorganic mineral salts (based on micro– and macroelements) are still not consistent. These aspects were addressed in our study. A multi-elemental analysis (ICP-OES) was used to access the information on the aqueous-extractable and total contents of inorganic macro- and macroelements in used commercial biochar samples (purchased from Sonnenerde GmbH, Novoterrra Sonnenerde GmbH, Biouhel.cz, s.r.o.). Potassium (K) was identified as the major macroelement, responsible for alkaline pH and the conductivity of biochar extract. Our results indicate an indirect relation between the size fraction of biochar and the content of extractable K, sodium (Na), and calcium (Ca) and a direct relation with the contents of phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg). As the total determined amounts of inorganic elements were significantly higher compared to aqueous-extractable amounts, we believe it could indicate the potential for repeated release to the surrounding soil. These findings were also confirmed by the analysis of biochar samples obtained after the cultivation (duration of 2 years) in selected representative soil samples from the Czech Republic (Cambisol, Fluvisol, Regosol, Chernozem). Moreover, gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectroscopy (MS) was further used to reveal the concentrations of available polycyclic aromatic and heterocyclic compounds in biochar samples. The detected concentration of these types of organic compounds were far below the certified limits. We believe our in-depth analysis could provide the necessary insight into the description of biochar mineral content, its connection to biochar texture, corresponding physicochemical properties and potential availability to leach nutrients to the soil. These findings could help in further assessment of the potential applications of biochar in modern agriculture as a soil conditioner.

This review documents an emerging body of evidence concerning the neurological effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure, with regard to cognitive function and increased risk of neurodegeneration. Two electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science were systematically searched. The 37/428 studies selected included outcomes measuring cognitive function, neurobehavioral symptoms of impaired cognition, and pathologies associated with neurodegeneration from prenatal (21/37 studies), childhood (14/37 studies), and adult (8/37 studies) PAH exposure. Sufficient evidence surrounding prenatal exposure negatively impacting child intelligence, mental development, average overall development, verbal IQ, memory impairment, externalizing, internalizing, anxious, depressed behaviours, behavioural development and child attentiveness was found. Evidence concerning exposure during childhood and as an adult was scarce and highly heterogeneous, however presence of neurodegenerative biomarkers and increased concentrations of cryptic “self” antigens in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples suggest a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease. Associations with lowered cognitive ability, and impaired attentiveness were found in children and memory disturbances, specifically auditory memory, verbal learning and general memory in adults. Although evidence is not yet conclusive and further research is needed the studies included supported the hypothesis that PAH exposure negatively impacts cognitive function and increases the risk of neurodegeneration in humans, and recommends considering the introduction of a variable “rural vs. urban” as covariate for adjusting analyses where the neurological functions affected (as result of our review) are outcome variables.

Human-Computer Interaction, including technology-aided instruction, is beginning to focus on virtual reality (VR) technology due to its ability to support immersive learning, teaching through simulation, and gamification of learning. These systems can deliver high-level multisensory learning experiences that are important in the teaching of many subjects, especially those involving abstract concepts or requiring spatial skills, such as organic chemistry. Haptic experiences with VR, however, remain a challenge. In addition, development have focused on general entertainment/gaming; VR systems in chemistry implement simulations of the chemistry laboratory and other advanced systems whereas those that support safe, game-like, immersive and multisensory learning of organic chemistry with haptics at pre-university education levels are scarce. We developed the VR Multisensory Classroom (VRMC) as an immersive learning environment within a VR head-mounted display, where learners employ hand movements to build hydrocarbon molecules and experience haptic feedback through gloves with built-in sensors and hand-tracking with the Leap Motion system. We report here the evaluation of the first prototype by learners from diverse backgrounds who reported on the ability of the VRMC to support high engagement, motivation, interest and organic chemistry learning as well as diverse learning styles. The VRMC is a novel VR classroom that supports immersive learning in molecular organic chemistry with haptics for multisensory learning.

Fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) combines the advanced material properties of sol–gel derived microextraction sorbents and the flexible and permeable fabric support to create a robust, simple and green sample preparation device. It simultaneously improves the extraction sensitivity, and the speed of the extraction by incorporating high volume of sponge-like porous sol–gel hybrid inorganic–organic sorbents into permeable fabric substrates that is capable of extracting target analytes directly from simple to complex aqueous sample matrices. For the first time, this technique was applied to the trace level determination of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental water samples using a non-polar sol–gel C18 coated FPSE media. Several extraction parameters were optimized to improve extraction efficiency and to achieve high detection sensitivity. Validation tests of spiked samples showed good linearity for four selected PAHs (R² = 0.9983–0.9997) over a wide range of concentrations (0.010-10 ng/mL). Limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were measured at pg/mL levels, 0.1–1 pg/mL and 0.3–3 pg/mL, respectively. Inter- and intra-day precision tests showed variations of 1.1–4.1% for four selected PAHs. Average absolute recovery values were in the range of 88.1–90.5% surpassed the recovery prediction model, with relative standard deviations below 5%. The developed FPSE-HPLC-FLD protocol was finally applied to analyze 8 environmental water samples. Out of four selected PAHs, fluoranthene (Flu) and phenanthrene (Phen) were the most frequently detected in four samples, at concentration levels of 5.6–7.7 ng/mL and 4.1-11 ng/mL, respectively followed by anthracene (Anth) and pyrene (Pyr) in two samples. The newly developed FPSE-HPLC-FLD protocol is simple, green, fast and economical, with adequate sensitivity for trace levels of four selected PAHs and seems to be promising in routine monitoring of water quality and safety.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have emerged as promising materials for organic electronics, including organic photovoltaics (OPVs), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Particularly, non-hexagonal ring-fused PAHs are highly desirable due to their unique optoelectronic properties. Herein, a new redox-active azulene-perylene diimide triad 1 and its ring-fused counterpart, diazulenocoronene diimide 2, were synthesized and fully characterized by a combination of NMR, cyclic voltammetry, spectroelectrochemistry, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were performed to gain further insight into various electronic transitions. Interestingly, we found that the adaptive response to acids and bases manifests itself in a reversible two-color-change that can be attributed to changes in the chemical structures.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread in the interstellar medium (ISM). The abundance and relevance of PAHs call for a clear understanding of their formation mechanisms, which, to date, have not been completely deciphered. Of particular interest is the formation of benzene, the basic building block of PAHs. It has been shown that ionization of neutral clusters can lead to an intra-cluster ionic polymerization process that results in molecular growth. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) studies in clusters consisting of 3–6 units of acetylene modeling ionization events under ISM conditions have shown maximum aggregation of three acetylene molecules forming bonded C6H6+ species: the larger the number of acetylene molecules, the higher the production of C6H6+. These results lead to the question of whether clusters bigger than those studied thus far promote aggregation beyond three acetylene units, and whether larger clusters can result in higher C6H6+ production. In this study, we report results from AIMD simulations modeling the ionization of 10 and 20 acetylene clusters. The simulations show aggregation of up to four acetylene units producing bonded C8H8+. Interestingly, C8H8+ bicyclic species were identified, setting precedent for their astrochemical identification. Comparable reactivity rates were shown with 10 and 20 acetylene clusters.