Packaging. Requirements for measuring and verifying the four heavy metals and other dangerous substances present in packaging and their release into the environment

2015 ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 178-187
Author(s):  
Sussie Söderlundh Söderlundh ◽  
Britt-Marie Svensson ◽  
Lennart Mårtensson

This project investigates the treatment of wastewater from two car washes using a biofilter of peat and carbon-containing ash. An evaluation of the efficiency and waste handling of the filter material was done from an environmental perspective. The biofilters were used during 2 and 4 years respectively. The treatment included an oil separator and a peat/ash biofilter. The main function of the oil separator was to reduce the amount of oil in the wastewater. The peat/ash biofilter was used as a second step of the system to treat mainly heavy metals. A comparison with the guiding values for wastewater from car washes in the municipality of Kristianstad showed that this type of filter works well. Wastewater from car washes may contain many different unhealthy and environmentally dangerous substances such as surfactants and aromatic compounds. More tests are needed to investigate if the treatment method reduces such parameters from the wastewater as well. After usage the filter is considered solid waste and is to be classified and handled according to that. Classification of the filter as waste requires knowledge about the content of environmentally harmful substances in products used in the car washes. As the content of non-analyzed substances in the filters was unknown, combustion was regarded to be an environmentally good way of disposing the filter material as both energy and ashes are recycled.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Merima Toromanović ◽  
Vildana Jogić ◽  
Jasmina Ibrahimpašić ◽  
Aida Džaferović ◽  
Samira Dedić ◽  
...  

Phytoremediation has proven to be a suitable method for removing heavy metals from the soil with the help of plants. To examine the phytoremediation potential, the experimental study monitored the influence of high and low concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Zn) on Helianthus annuus L., as well as their accumulation in seeds, roots, stems and leaves. The experiment was carried out during one growing season in outdoor conditions, in pots with a volume of 5L in which Helianthus annuus L. was planted, and the soil was contaminated with these heavy metals in concentrations below and above the maximum allowable concentration prescribed by the Rulebook on Determining Permissible Quantities of Harmful and Dangerous Substances in Soil and Methods of Their Testing. After growth and development of the plant, the experimental research examined the accumulation potential of the plant, the growth of the plant itself and its ability to survive depending on different concentrations of heavy metals. By processing the obtained results, statistically significant differences of heavy metals were determined in individual parts of the plants, depending on the applied concentration. The highest concentration of Zn was recorded in the leaves of the plant in the amount of 18.21 mg/kg, and the lowest concentration in the stem, 3.92 mg/kg. The measured values of heavy metals Cd and Pb differ from the above because the lowest concentrations of these heavy metals were recorded in the seed, and were 12.02 mg/kg for Pb and 9.20 mg/kg for Cd, which is a statistically significantly lower determined value relative to other parts of the plant.


Author(s):  
Randall W. Smith ◽  
John Dash

The structure of the air-water interface forms a boundary layer that involves biological ,chemical geological and physical processes in its formation. Freshwater and sea surface microlayers form at the air-water interface and include a diverse assemblage of organic matter, detritus, microorganisms, plankton and heavy metals. The sampling of microlayers and the examination of components is presently a significant area of study because of the input of anthropogenic materials and their accumulation at the air-water interface. The neustonic organisms present in this environment may be sensitive to the toxic components of these inputs. Hardy reports that over 20 different methods have been developed for sampling of microlayers, primarily for bulk chemical analysis. We report here the examination of microlayer films for the documentation of structure and composition.Baier and Gucinski reported the use of Langmuir-Blogett films obtained on germanium prisms for infrared spectroscopic analysis (IR-ATR) of components. The sampling of microlayers has been done by collecting fi1ms on glass plates and teflon drums, We found that microlayers could be collected on 11 mm glass cover slips by pulling a Langmuir-Blogett film from a surface microlayer. Comparative collections were made on methylcel1ulose filter pads. The films could be air-dried or preserved in Lugol's Iodine Several slicks or surface films were sampled in September, 1987 in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and in August, 1988 in Sequim Bay, Washington, For glass coverslips the films were air-dried, mounted on SEM pegs, ringed with colloidal silver, and sputter coated with Au-Pd, The Langmuir-Blogett film technique maintained the structure of the microlayer intact for examination, SEM observation and EDS analysis were then used to determine organisms and relative concentrations of heavy metals, using a Link AN 10000 EDS system with an ISI SS40 SEM unit. Typical heavy microlayer films are shown in Figure 3.


1993 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo W. Stephan ◽  
Gunter Scholz
Keyword(s):  

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