Issue 2

The problem of air pollution is one of the most important problems faced by the world in the context of large urban agglomerations. Numerous activities are being undertaken all over the world to both counteract existing pollution and prevent the emergence of another one. Manufacturing is one of the activities that have a significant negative impact on the natural environment. Starting from the production itself, through the life of vehicles, and ending with the problems of storage and recycling of used means of transport, at every stage there are negative effects on the environment. There is no doubt that in all types of pro-ecological activities, it may be extremely important to predict the future state based on various determinants occurring in the analysed or preceding period of time. To this end, various types of mathematical and statistical tools are being used. Recently, you can also notice interest in all types of methods aided by artificial intelligence. Such methods include artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, or evolutionary algorithms. The article presents the problems of environmental pollution as a result of the development of motorization. The main components of exhaust gases from car engines are discussed, which are particularly harmful to the natural environment. Methods for reducing the emission of pollutants emitted from internal combustion engines are described, and the monitoring of hazards related to air pollution is discussed. The possibilities of using artificial neural networks as a tool for modelling the state of air pollution have also been discussed.

Laccase from Trametes versicolor was immobilized by covalent bonds formation on CPC silica carriers. Elimination of two floroqinolone (FQ); enrofloxacine (ENR) and flumequine (FLU) using laccase in both free and immobilized form in the absence and presence of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) and 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) as mediators was investigated. Temperature, pH and storage stability of immobilized laccase was significantly improved compare to free laccase. In the absence of a laccase mediator, the initial concentrations of 50 mg L–1 of ENR and FLU decreased by 19 % and 28 %, respectively, after 6 h treatment using the immobilized laccase, while, the removal percentages were increased to 98 % and 96 %, respectively, when the immobilized laccase was used in presence of HBT. Whereas, the removal percentages of ENR and FLU were increased to 97 % and 88 %, respectively, when the immobilized laccase was used in presence of HBA. After twenty runs of the enzymatic elimination (laccase-HBT system) of ENR and FLU, the immobilized laccase exhibited the relative removal of 17.63 % and 15.62 %, respectively. The results of microtoxicity test (growth inhabitation percentage of six bacterial strains) showed a significant decrease in toxicity of the laccase-treated ENR and FLU solution.

This study highlights the potential of steel slag, which is an industrial by-product of steel making industry as treatment media for metal-rich acid mine drainage (AMD). A series of batch adsorption studies has been done to demonstrate the effects of contact time, solution pH, initial concentration of metal, adsorbent dosage and size, and the effect of competing ions on the performance of steel slag. Results indicated that metal removal efficiencies were found to be >90% when pH of AMD has reached near-neutral state (6.8-7.5) that were mostly occurring within the first 14 hours of contact time. Optimum equilibrium time was found at 24 hours, i.e. 99-100% of metals were removed. An increased adsorption capacity with decreased removal efficiency was observed as initial metal concentration increased. In contrast, increasing adsorbent dosage leads to increased removal efficiency. Fe was not affected despite the presence of other metal ions (100% removal) compared to Mn (59.3% removal) in mixed AMD solution. Adsorption behavior of Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn fits appropriately with Langmuir isotherm model with adsorption capacity of 1.06, 1.03, 0.97 and 0.73 mg g-1, respectively. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and is supported by intra-particle diffusion process. Therefore, steel slag can be potentially used as an effective media for passive AMD remediation.