Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska

Copper flotation waste from KGHM as potential sorbent for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions

ABSTRACT Sorption affinity of copper flotation waste from KGHM toward Cd(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), and Pb(II) ions was investigated in this work. Batch sorption studies, using single-element synthetic aqueous solutions at various pH (2–12), contact time (10–300 min), initial concentration (100–5000 mg dm−3; 1–100 mg dm−3 for Cd(II)) and adsorbent dose (25–200 g dm−3), were performed. Bonding strength of adsorbed metals was tested from the degree of desorption. The maximum metal removal was observed at pH 5–8, ≥120 min reaction time, and 25 g dm−3 adsorbent dose. Maximum sorption capacities of studied material were 41.6, 58.8, and 83.8 mg g−1 for Cr(III), Cu(II), and Pb(II), respectively, for 5000 mg dm−3 initial concentration, and 0.86 mg g−1 for Cd(II) for initial concentration of 50 mg dm−3. Sorption isotherms were very well fitted to Langmuir (Cd, Cr, Pb) and Freundlich (Cu) models. Sorption kinetics was nearly ideally fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Desorption studies showed that most of Cr(III) (98.5%) and Pb(II) (67.3%) ions remained bound to the surface, indicating that the chemisorption dominated as a controlling process. On the other hand, mostly desorbed were Cd(II) (98.5%) and Cu(II) (90.3%) ions, which indicated that processes like physisorption or precipitation were prevailing.

Mineral and chemical characteristics, textural parameters, and the mobility of the selected elements of flotation waste, originating from the Polish copper-mining industry

ABSTRACT This article discusses the mineralogy and geochemical characteristics of the fresh copper-flotation waste samples. The mobility of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Tl, Zn was investigated by leaching tests. The main mineral phases identified concerned dolomite, quartz, clay minerals, feldspars, and copper-bearing minerals. Chemically, CaO and silica were dominating, along with a significant concentration of precious (Cu), refractory (Cr, Ti, V, Zr), and toxic (As, Cd, Pb) metals. Elements were bound mainly to the residual fraction and sulphides in the following order: Pb > Cu ≈ Tl > As ≈ Zn > Ni ≈ Cr > Cd. The metal mobility patterns expressed as a percentage of total concentrations, were as follows: Cd (42%) > Cr (26%)> Ni (24%) > Zn (23%) > As (22%) > Tl (20%) > Cu (18%) > Pb (2%). Those constituents were released earlier in lower pH values, although Cu, Cr, and Pb were also released in higher alkaline pH values. However, Zn release was not dependent on pH. When L/S values decreased, elements like As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Tl were released. That process caused decrease of Cd, Ni, and Zn release.

Potential health risk of selected metals for Polish consumers of oolong tea from the Fujian Province, China

ABSTRACT The influence of environmental pollution on the heavy metal content in oolong teas from the Fujian Province, China, and the health risk for the Polish consumers were studied. Average contents of the metals in made oolong tea leaves were (mg kg−1): Al 1452, Cd 0.08, Co 0.23, Cr 1.59, Cu 10.5, Fe 140, Hg 0.10, Mn 1465, Mo 0.63, Ni 3.45, Pb 1.99, Sb 0.78, Se 5.15, Sn 3.16, Tl 0.28, and Zn 26.9. The metals easily released from leaves to infusions were: Tl, Se, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ni, Al, and Pb. No concentration of As, Hg, Mo, or Pb was found in the first infusion and no As, Co, Hg, or Mo was found in the second one. The hazard quotient values for particular metals found in the infusions and tea leaves and the appraised combined hazard index (HI) amounted to <1. The highest HI values, resulting from the consumption of both infusions, did not exceed 5.88E-03, or 6.94E-04a in the case of tea leaves. No health hazard for the Polish consumers of oolong teas was identified at any of the examined stages of consumption. However, we recommend discarding the first tea infusion to reduce the metal concentrations before consumption.

Content and health risk assessment of selected elements in commercially available fish and fish products

ABSTRACT Selected elements (Na, K, P, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Pb, Hg) in fish and fish products bought in supermarkets in Krakow were investigated. Contents of elements were analyzed using AMA 254 apparatus for Hg, and ICP-AES method on JY238 ULTRACE apparatus after samples digestion (HNO3+HClO4 3:1) for other elements. Elements’ concentrations in six fish species and fish products were within the range of (mg/kg w.m.): 2151–6239 for Na; 855–2500 for K; 49.3–183 for P; 353–531 for Mg; 32.6–61.3 for Fe; 4.01–17.6 for Zn; 7.04–12.9 for Cr; 4.25–7.98 for Ni; 1.30–2.27 for Cu; 0.99–1.51 for Mn; 0.09–0.21 for Pb; and 0.01–0.13 for Hg. Human health risk assessment revealed that total non-carcinogenic risk was low to medium with general decreasing order: tuna > salmon > herring> pollock > crab sticks > iridescent shark-catfish. The carcinogenic risk was acceptable for adults and unacceptable for children. Carcinogenic risk values for all subpopulations for Pb were decreasingly ordered as follows: tuna > salmon > herring > pollock > iridescent shark-catfish > crab sticks; and for Cr(VI): tuna > salmon > herring > pollock > crab sticks > iridescent shark-catfish.

Content and health risk assessment of selected elements in the Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis, St. hillaire)

ABSTRACT Element contents and radical scavenging activity in commercial Yerba mate tea blends from Paraguay and Argentina were determined. The potential health risk for the consumers was also calculated. Element contents in Yerba mate was arranged as follows: K > Ca > Mg > Mn > Fe > Zn > Na > Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb > Cd (leaves and stalks) and K > Mg > Mn > Ca > Zn > Na > Fe > Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb > Cd (infusion). In total 73% of K, 69% of Mn, 15% of Ni and Cu, 9% of Cr, 8% of Zn, 7% of Mg, 6% of Pb, 3% of Na, 2% of Cd, 0.34% of Ca, and 0.13% of Fe were extracted from leaves and stalks to the brew. Yerba mate tea was characterized by very high antioxidant activity. Argentinean Yerba mate had slightly higher antioxidant activity than Paraguayan. The combined non-carcinogenic effect (HI values) for each infusion and for all three infusion were below 1, which indicated that daily consumption of Yerba mate tea infusions did not cause essential non-carcinogenic health risk. The daily consumption of Yerba mate infusions provided necessary elements in the amounts significantly below 1% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) daily intake. The exception was amount of Mn in I infusion from the despalada kind of Yerba mate, which was equal to 1.43% of RDA for men and 1.82% of RDA for women.

Concentration and health risk assessment of nitrates in vegetables from conventional and organic farming

ABSTRACT The aims of the study were to determine: (1) nitrates concentrations in vegetables from conventional and organic farming and (2) potential health risk assessment relating to vegetables containing nitrates. The analyses were made on the 27 types of vegetables. The nitrates concentrations were determined by the potentiometric method with the CyberScan ION 510 ionometer. The highest nitrates concentrations were found for lettuce, both from conventional and organic farming. The root and bulb vegetables (potato, carrot, parsley root, radish, celery root) from conventional farming had higher nitrates concentrations than those from organic farming. For leafy vegetables (beet leaves, broccoli, chive from onion, kale, dill, lettuce, celery leaves, chive, spinach), nitrates concentrations were higher in case of organic than conventional farming. Total daily nitrates intake in vegetables from conventional farming was equal to 1.45 mg NO3 kg−1 bw day−1, which is 39.2% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI), and for organic farming, it was equal to 1.91 mg NO3 kg−1 bw day−1 (28.5% ADI). Health risk from vegetables containing nitrates consumption was low, both for organic (HIO = 0.66) and conventional (HIC = 0.86) farming. However, in case of the organic farming, this value was approaching the limit of the acceptable risk value.