Issue 1 [March]

In this study, an analytical methods for determination of antidepressants including (diazepam (DZP), lorazepam (LZP), carbamazepine (CBZ), fluoxetine (FLU)) was developed. The concentration of antidepressants was monitored in Konya Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant influent and effluent samples for one years.  Environmental risk assessment was performed with detected concentration with treatment plant effluent wastewater by hazard quotient (HQ) methods. Oasis HLB cartridges with SPE system was used for extraction of wastewater samples. The effect of sample volume and pH, different analyte concentration, pretreatment and matrix on efficiency of cartridges were optimized. Quantitative analyses of the target compounds were performed by LC/MS-MS system. Recoveries of antidepressant compounds from fortified wastewater were over 87% for three different fortification levels. The limits of detection were determined between 0.006 and 0.118 ng l-1. CBZ, FLU and LZP concentration in influent varied from 6.3 to 135.6 ng l-1, <dl to 2.6 ng l-1, <dl to 4.8 ng l-1, respectively, while DZP was not detected. CBZ, DZP, FLU and LZP concentrations in the effluent was determined as <dl-245.1 ng l-1, <dl-0.21 ng l-1, <dl-2.7 ng l-1, <dl-2.2 ng l-1, respectively. Antidepressants were generally removed in January, February, and August. The high removal was determined for CBZ compounds as %100 at January. The low removal was determined for FLU compounds as %2.4 at January.

While the HQ values for DZP, LZP, CBZ were determined below 0.1 which means insignificant risk to aquatic organisms, HQ values for FLU determined above 0.1 which means low risk to aquatic organism

The decomposition of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), which is a dangerous and anionic surfactant, was investigated by the electro/Fe2+/persulfate process from aqueous solutions. The activation of persulfate anion and production of active radicals were performed by means of heat, UV and iron ions (released from iron electrodes). The finding illustrated that the pH value of the solution, initial concentration of persulfate anion, the amount of input voltage and iron dosage were entirely effective in SDBS removal. Nearly 100% of SDBS was removed under the optimum conditions: pH 3, voltage 10 V, anion persulfate concentration 25 mM/L, iron ion dosage 0.25 g/L and reaction time 25 min. Furthermore, the application of the persulfate anion process in concert with the electrochemical process, in order to generate electrical iron and persulfate activation, had a better performance compared to separate methods.

In the present study an attempt has been made to assess the seasonal ground water quality variations at Kancheepuram region, Tamil Nadu, India. In order to evaluate the seasonal ground water quality for drinking and irrigation purposes, 68 groundwater well data were collected and analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, HCO3- and F-. Nine parameters viz., pH, TDS, TH, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42- , HCO3- and F- were used to calculate the Water Quality Index (WQI) using weighted arithmetic index for drinking purpose. EC and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) were the two important indicators used to assess the irrigation water quality. Mapping was done to examine the spatial distribution of water quality parameters using Geographical Information System (GIS). From the analysis, more than half of the samples record good water quality whereas only 1% falls under unsuitable category for drinking purpose. Approximately 33% of samples falls under poor quality for drinking. In terms of irrigation, the salinity hazard occurs in 23 to 42% of sampling locations depicting the uncertainty towards agricultural production in the study region. From the study, it is observed that the water quality is highly degraded where Industrialization and urbanization took place when compared to areas where agriculture is being practiced. Hence, suitable measures to ameliorate the pollution effect of urbanization and industrializations are suggested.

V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts were fabricated by a simple impregnation method. Effects of V2O5 and WO3 loadings on the catalytic performance of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3 were investigated. Morphology and structure of the V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts were characterised by XRD, SEM, XPS, and N2 adsorption techniques. The XRD patterns of the V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst are indexed to anatase-TiO2. XPS spectra analysis confirms that V, Ti, W and O species exist on the surface of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst. V2O5 species are the main active sites in the process of SCR reaction. Increasing V2O5 loading in the V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts can improve their catalytic performance. Exceeding 2 wt%, the catalytic performance of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst begins to decline because high V2O5 loading on TiO2 speeds up the growth of anatase grains, which leads to the loss of catalytic activity. Appropriate WO3 species can significantly improve the catalytic performance of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts. However, as the WO3 loadings reaches 6 wt%, NO conversion decreases instead.