Modern Environmental Analysis Techniques for Pollutants

Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain, Rustem Kecili

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780128169353
• Topic: Ciencias físicas
• Subtopic: Química analítica

Modern Environmental Analysis Techniques for Pollutants presents established environmental analysis methods, rapidly emerging technologies, and potential future research directions. As methods of environmental analysis move toward lower impact, lower cost, miniaturization, automation, and simplicity, new methods emerge and ultimately improve the accuracy of their analytical results. This book gives in-depth, step-by-step descriptions of a variety of techniques, including methods used in sampling, field sample handling, sample preparation, quantification, and statistical evaluation.

Modern Environmental Analysis Techniques for Pollutants aims to deliver a comprehensive and easy-to-read text for students and researchers in the environmental analysis arena and to provide essential information to consultants and regulators about analytical and quality control procedures helpful in their evaluation and decision-making procedures.

• Bridges the gap in current literature on analytical chemistry techniques and their application to environmental analysis
• Covers the use of nanomaterials in environmental analysis, as well as the monitoring and analysis of nanomaterials in the environment
• Looks to the past, present and future of environmental analysis, with chapters on historical background, established and emerging techniques and instrumentation, and predictions

Chapter 1

Environmental pollution and environmental analysis

Abstract

The rapid technological progresses, growth of the population in the world, and the consumption of natural resources to meet the food, energy, and other needs have disturbed the balance of nature. Environmental pollution has become one of the most important problems in the world since the industrial revolution. Water pollution, soil pollution, and air pollution are the main types of environmental pollution, which are caused by various emerging pollutants.

This chapter provides the descriptions and environmental impacts of pollutants such as nanomaterials, heavy metals, radioactive elements, microplastics, persistent organic pollutants, and industrial dyes. The potential sources and releases of these pollutants into the environment are also described and discussed. The exposure of pollutants to the environment and risk assessment are presented and the role and importance of environmental analysis in environmental pollution are evaluated.

Keywords

Environmental pollution; environmental analysis; persistence organic pollutants (POPs); nanomaterials pollutants; radioactive pollutants; microplastics; exposure of pollutant; risk assessment

Chapter Outline

• 1.1 Introduction 1
• 1.2 Emerging pollutants 2
  • 1.2.1 Persistent organic pollutants 2
  • 1.2.2 Nanomaterials pollutants 7
  • 1.2.3 Microplastics 8
  • 1.2.4 Heavy metal pollutants 10
  • 1.2.5 Radioactive pollutants 14
  • 1.2.6 Dye pollutants 15
• 1.3 Sources and transport of pollutants 18
• 1.4 Risk assessment and exposure of pollutants 20
  • 1.4.1 The identification of potential hazard 21
  • 1.4.2 The assessment of dose–response 21
  • 1.4.3 The assessment of exposure 22
  • 1.4.4 The characterization of potential risk 22
• 1.5 Role of environmental analysis in environmental pollution 23
• 1.6 Conclusions 25
• References 25

1.1 Introduction

Environmental pollution is one of the significant international concerns today.^1–5 Various emerging pollutants in the environment such as persistence organic pollutants, nanomaterials pollutants, microplastics, radioactive pollutants, and heavy metals display harmful effects on the human body, animals, and plants. The main types of environmental pollution that lead to harmful effects today are water pollution, soil pollution, and air pollution.^6–12

Water pollution has a number of causes, such as release of contaminated effluents from various industries, sewage containing domestic wastes and pesticides from agricultural lands, the release of superheated water, and the release of waste and oil from refineries. The industrial water pollutants, such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, and lead, are poisonous. They are also capable of entering the food chain and causing diseases in the human body. Mercury is known to cause a disease called Minimata. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), such as dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), in agricultural wastes are nondegradable and can be released into the food chains. Some industrial effluents can also cause changes in color, odor, and taste of the natural water. The contamination of water also leads to the spread of waterborne diseases, such as cholera and amoebiasis.¹³

Soil pollution, also known as soil contamination, is defined as the presence of hazardous chemicals such as heavy metals, radioactive metals, nanomaterial pollutants, and toxic solvents in soil. These pollutants can easily penetrate soil affecting the organisms that live in soil. However, the effect of the presence of pollutants in soil or the lithosphere on both terrestrial animals and ecosystems is much more considerable as these substances accumulate in food chains. Fossil fuels may also lead to the pollution of soil and water. Some sources of fossil fuel–based soil pollution involve petrochemical plants, refineries, and motor vehicles. The indiscriminate use of various agricultural chemicals, such as herbicides and pesticides, and the improper disposal of industrial wastes are other causes of soil pollution.^14–16

Air pollution can be defined as the presence of any liquid, solid, or gas compounds in the atmosphere at such concentration values that can directly or indirectly affect humans, animals, and/or plants. Air pollution is caused by certain domestic and industrial and activities.^17–19 For example, the increasing use of fossil fuels in industry, mining, transportation, and construction of buildings are crucial factors, which have led to air pollution. One of the major types of air pollutants is suspended materials such as dust, smoke, and fumes. Gas pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide are the other type of air pollutants.²⁰ The careful and sensitive analysis of the environmental pollutants is needed.

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of environmental pollution. It starts with the descriptions and potential hazardous effects of emerging pollutants in the environment, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), nanomaterial pollutants, microplastics, heavy metal pollutants, radioactive pollutants, and dye pollutants. Then the sources and transport of these environmental pollutants are described and explained. In the fourth section there is an assessment of the potential risk of and exposure to environmental pollutants. The role and the importance of environmental analysis in environmental pollution are presented in the last section.

1.2 Emerging pollutants

1.2.1 Persistent organic pollutants

POPs are a type of toxic chemicals that are released into the environment and cannot be easily broken down. POPs remain in the environment for a long time (even several decades). These environmental pollutants can be intentionally generated and used in agriculture, disease and pest control, manufacturing, or industry. They can also be unintentionally generated from waste incineration, cigarette smoke, vehicle exhausts, and various industrial processes.

The Stockholm Convention on POPs is a global agreement signed by 152 countries in Sweden to protect environment and human health from the hazardous effects of POPs.²¹ The first purpose of this agreement was to stop immediately the industrial production and use of POPs. In 2001 it originally covered the 12 POPs of high concern which are also called the “dirty dozen.” These POPs are dieldrin, aldrin, dioxins, chlordane, furans, mirex, DDT, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, PCBs, and toxaphene. Another 16 new compounds (α-hexachlorocyclohexane, chlordecone, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, decabromo diphenyl ether, hexabromobiphenyl, hexabromodiphenyl ether/heptabromodiphenyl ether, hexachloro butadiene, hexabromocyclododecane, lindane, pentachlorobenzene, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters, perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride, polychlorinated naphthalenes, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, endosulfan and its related isomers, tetrabromodiphenyl ether, and pentabromodiphenyl ether) were added to this international agreement and accepted in 2017. These POPs exhibit high resistance to biological and chemical degradation in the environment. They also show great stability, bioaccumulative features, and persistence in the food chain and have potential hazardous effects on human health and environment.^22–27

POPs generally enter the human body through swallowing contaminated water or food, breathing indoor or outdoor air contaminated with POPs, vehicle exhaust or cigarette smoke, and touching products made with POPs, and may cause significant health problems such as birth defects, various cancers, and dysfunctional immune systems. When water is contaminated with POPs, these contaminants can potentially be accumulated in aquatic organisms.²⁸ As mentioned above, 12 POPs, the so-called “dirty dozen,” are extremely hazardous compounds and these contaminants were strictly regulated or banned by many international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Program,²¹ the European Union,²⁹ and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).³⁰ However, these POPs are still used in some developing countries and are present in the environment.

1.2.1.1 Main sources of persistent organic pollutants

Vegetation fires and volcanic eruptions are the main natural sources of various POPs, such as dibenzofurans and dioxins. These POPs are quite stable in the environment and easily enter the atmosphere via many sources, such as heating stations, incinerating plants, and power stations.³¹ On the other hand, other unintentional sources of POPs are bushfires, putrefactions, diverse combustions, and incinerations, etc. In addition to these sources, POPs can also be generated from various activities such as recycling processes, building demolition, obsolete oil usage, pesticide storage, and biological and medical wastes.³²

Disposable materials such as plastic injectors, cups, spoons, forks, and plates are among the main products of waste incineration pl...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Environmental pollution and environmental analysis
• Chapter 2. Historical backgrounds of environmental analysis
• Chapter 3. Dimensions and measurement of environmental analysis
• Chapter 4. Sampling and Sample preparation techniques for environmental analysis
• Chapter 5. Wet chemical techniques in environmental analysis
• Chapter 6. Spectroscopic techniques for environmental analysis
• Chapter 7. Separation techniques for environmental analysis
• Chapter 8. Electrochemical techniques for environmental analysis
• Chapter 9. Emerging techniques for environmental analysis
• Chapter 10. Analysis of environmental samples
• Chapter 11. Use of nanomaterials for environmental analysis
• Chapter 12. Quality assurance and control for environmental analysis
• Chapter 13. Sustainable development and environmental analysis
• Chapter 14. Future of environmental analysis
• Index