Camelia Smaranda

Efficient removal of Pb(II) ions from accidental polluted waters by adsorption onto thermal activated lignin

Adsorption of Pb(II) ions onto thermal activated lignin was studied in batch system in order to analyze the potential use of this material as low cost adsorbent for rapid and efficient removal of Pb(II) ions from accidentally polluted waters. The experiments were performed as a function of initial Pb(II) concentration and contact time under optimal experimental conditions (initial solution pH of 6.0, adsorbent dose of 5.0 g/L). The obtained results have indicate that thermal activated lignin can remove more than 99 % of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions and the adsorption process occurs in a very short time (lower than 5 min). These characteristics recommend the thermal activated lignin as potential adsorbent for Pb(II) ions removal in such situations.

Evaluation of pentachlorophenol leaching potential in natural soils

In industrialized countries, soil and groundwater contamination with pesticides continues to be a contemporary problem. In this framework, the investigation of soil ability to immobilize these contaminants is of major concern, as a prerequisite for environmental remediation. In our study, the importance of sorption and persistence of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in three categories of Romanian soils was evaluated by analyzing the leaching potential into groundwater based on Groundwater Ubiquity Score (GUS). The results showed that PCP has a very high leaching potential according to GUS index, which induces an important risk for groundwater contamination. The results show that leaching and migration potential is strongly correlated with the sorption capacity of soils, determined in a high degree by the physico-chemical properties of soil. For minimizing environmental and health risks and to prevent the groundwater pollution by organochlorine pesticides, such as PCP, it is recommended to implement a comprehensive environmental monitoring and management system; also the application of the appropriated remediation techniques are required.