- Carmen Zaharia studied chemical engineering, which permits her to graduate some speciality courses in chemistry, chem... moreCarmen Zaharia studied chemical engineering, which permits her to graduate some speciality courses in chemistry, chemical processes and technological processes from chemical industry among others at „Gheorghe Asachi” Polytechnic Institute of Iaşi, Faculty of Industrial Chemistry, 1990 promotion (first of the group, specialization: Tehnology of Macromolecular Compounds - T.C.M.). It is teaching staff at the same faculty, and awarded the Ph.D. diploma in the field: Chemical Engineering, after the public presentation of Ph.D. thesis: „Optimization of some wastewaters treatment using polyelectrolytes” (2000). She had performed some abroad specialization stages during some international research contracts/university academic exchanges. Up to 2008, it is associate professor at department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, „Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iaşi. The principal interest fields in her didactic and research activity include among others: Technological treatment processes of wastewatersedit
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The removal of organic pollutants is nowadays a very challenging aspect of the environmental research. There are strong interests to develop novel semiconducting photocatalysts able to efficiently promote advanced oxidation reactions. The... more
The removal of organic pollutants is nowadays a very challenging aspect of the environmental research. There are strong interests to develop novel semiconducting photocatalysts able to efficiently promote advanced oxidation reactions. The development of photocatalysts based on the mixtures of mixed oxides derived from layered double hydroxides (LDHs) - a family of naturally occurring anionic clays - might offer novel environmental-friendly solutions for the cost effective removal of organic pollutants. This work presents ZnO/ZnAl2O4, ZnO/Zn2TiO4 and ZnO/ZnCr2O4 as novel photocatalytic formulations for phenol degradation under UV irradiation. They were obtained by the controlled thermal treatment of the layered double hydroxides matrices (LDHs), as precursors materials, type ZnM-LDH (M = Al3+, Cr3+ or Ti4+). The LDHs were synthesized by the co-precipitation method at a constant pH. Controlled calcination at 650°C gives rise to solutions of mixed metal oxides. The structural and nanoarchitectonics characteristics of the studied catalysts were described by: XRD, SEM/TEM and TG/DTG techniques. Results show that in the photocatalytic process of the phenol degradation from aqueous solutions, ZnO/ZnCr2O4 and ZnO/ZnAl2O4 showed the best performance degrading ~98% of phenol after 3.5 hs and 5 hs, respectively; while ZnO/Zn2TiO4 has degraded almost 80 % after 7.5 hs of UV irradiation. These results open new opportunities in the development of new cost effective photoresponsive formulations able to facilitate the photo-degradation of the organic pollution as "green" solution for removal of dangerous pollutants.
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... Dire warnings of overpopulation, dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, and increasing energy consumption are repeated often in the media. ... to support the world's population is greater than the total area of the planet, then the... more
... Dire warnings of overpopulation, dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, and increasing energy consumption are repeated often in the media. ... to support the world's population is greater than the total area of the planet, then the human population is in ecological overshoot, and the ...
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Nowadays, wastewater (WW) treatment facilities are considered significant exposure pathways for solid particles, and also significant concerns of any quality conscious manufacturer. Most solid particles have some forms of organic coating... more
Nowadays, wastewater (WW) treatment facilities are considered significant exposure pathways for solid particles, and also significant concerns of any quality conscious manufacturer. Most solid particles have some forms of organic coating either used as active material or to suspend and/or stabilize different present solid materials, having increase in toxicity that must be reduced, or sometimes even totally eliminated, especially if effluent is either discharged directly to surface water, or distributed through industrial water supplies. Representatives providing innovative technologies, comprehensive supports and expertise in wastewater and sludge treatment field are known, each one using modern treatment technology and facilities. Mechanical treatment is indispensable in primary treatment steps of both municipal and industrial WW applications, its main goal being separation of floating, settling and suspended materials (especially into a primary sedimentation-based treatment step). The aim of this work is to present comparatively the performance in solids removal of conventional mechanical WW treatment stages, especially those based on primary sedimentation, or sedimentation-like operations applied for Romanian urban WW treatment plants (serving two towns with ca 18,000 inhabitants), industrial WW treatment plants (deserving industries of vegetal food processing and organic chemicals' manufacturing) and additional information on valorisation of separated solid material and improvement possibilities.
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This study aimed to develop polysaccharide-based emulsions incorporated with lavender essential oil and their application on cellulosic support for patches obtaining. The lavender essential oil has been added to emulsions as an active... more
This study aimed to develop polysaccharide-based emulsions incorporated with lavender essential oil and their application on cellulosic support for patches obtaining. The lavender essential oil has been added to emulsions as an active compound mainly due to its antimicrobial properties. In this study, emulsions were used to deliver active ingredients (lavender essential oil). The chemical composition of essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A total of seven emulsions (RiACL) were evaluated by determining rheological parameters and microbiological analysis. One of the emulsions (R7ACL) was applied to cellulosic support to obtain non-irritating textiles with controlled release of the active compound and moisturizing effects. Obtained cellulosic support was analyzed in terms of active compound controlled release, toxicity and antimicrobial testing, and skin analysis in healthy volunteers. It was found that the cellulosic supports treated with O/W emulsions are non-irritating, have softness and moisturizing effects, and can be used safely in topical applications for patches obtaining.
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The biomass-based soils are used in the ecological agriculture, being already proposed in sustainable organic production systems with reduced costs for assuring the good cropping productivity, and also high quality of the crops. For the... more
The biomass-based soils are used in the ecological agriculture, being already proposed in sustainable organic production systems with reduced costs for assuring the good cropping productivity, and also high quality of the crops. For the elimination of the synthetic inorganic fertilizers’ utilization on soil, the use of certain types of residual biomass in mixture with the reference soil was proposed as they have a positive impact on the adsorption and absorption of nutrients and water for the nutrition of plants. The aim of this paper is to present four mixtures of reference soil and residual biomass, considered as biosoil used as support for development of wheat seeds. These biosoils were characterized in terms of real density, actual and potential pH, content of total organic carbon, humus, exchangeable calcium, total and available nitrogen and phosphorus, and the trends of grain seeds germination and plants growth were registered in association with the evolution of soil pH for a...
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Natural polymers can themselves be efficient as materials with biosorptive properties but can also be used to transform microbial biomass into an easy-to-handle form, respectively, into biosorbents, through immobilization. The article... more
Natural polymers can themselves be efficient as materials with biosorptive properties but can also be used to transform microbial biomass into an easy-to-handle form, respectively, into biosorbents, through immobilization. The article aims to study biosorbents based on residual microbial biomass (Saccharomyces pastorianus yeast, separated after the brewing process by centrifugation and dried at 80 °C) immobilized in sodium alginate. The biosorptive properties of this type of biosorbent (spherical particles 2 and 4 mm in diameter) were studied for removal of reactive dye Brilliant Red HE-3B (with concentration in range of 16.88–174.08 mg/L) from aqueous media. The paper aims at three aspects: (i) the physico-chemical characterization of the biosorbent (Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra); (ii) the modeling of biosorption data in order to calculate the quantitative characteristic parameters using...
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Carmen Zaharia, Alexandra Cristina Blaga, Anisoara Catalina Peptu
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Using various techniques, natural polymers can be successfully used as a matrix to immobilize a residual microbial biomass in a form that is easy to handle, namely biosorbents, and which is capable of retaining chemical species from... more
Using various techniques, natural polymers can be successfully used as a matrix to immobilize a residual microbial biomass in a form that is easy to handle, namely biosorbents, and which is capable of retaining chemical species from polluted aqueous media. The biosorption process of reactive Brilliant Red HE-3B dye on a new type of biosorbent, based on a residual microbial biomass of Saccharomyces pastorianus immobilized in sodium alginate, was studied using mathematical modeling of experimental data obtained under certain conditions. Different methods, such as computer-assisted statistical analysis, were applied, considering all independent and dependent variables involved in the reactive dye biosorption process. The optimal values achieved were compared, and the experimental data supported the possibility of using the immobilized residual biomass as a biosorbent for the studied reference dye. The results were sufficient to perform dye removals higher than 70–85% in an aqueous solu...
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In this study, spinning disc (SD) technology was successfully applied to a synthetic water to remove its color. The preliminary data performed in a regular mixing system using a potential adsorptive material, i.e., double-layered... more
In this study, spinning disc (SD) technology was successfully applied to a synthetic water to remove its color. The preliminary data performed in a regular mixing system using a potential adsorptive material, i.e., double-layered hydroxide of a ZnAlLDH type, did not provide a significant decrease (no more than 10–15%) in the water color content. Thus, ZnAlLDH (2 g/L) was added to the synthetic water containing 50 mg/L Rosso Remazol RB dye that was subsequently fed onto the spinning disc. The SD efficiency was investigated at four different water-supplying flow rates (5.76, 6.00, 7.44 and 8.16 L/h) and four different disc rotational speeds (100, 250, 500 and 800 rpm). The best color removals of 44.39%, 41.14% and 42.70% were obtained at 6 L/h and 250 rpm, 6 L/h and 500 rpm and 5.76 L/min and 800 rpm, respectively, in only a 50 min working time period. In addition, for a relatively low color concentration in water (~30 mg/L dye) and at the lowest electric power consumption, Fenton oxi...
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A laboratory set-up scale application of a simple worms' composting technology is presented together with the waste and biohumus characterization, description of technological process and operational conditions. The laboratory... more
A laboratory set-up scale application of a simple worms' composting technology is presented together with the waste and biohumus characterization, description of technological process and operational conditions. The laboratory application is not a complicated one, when the optimum conditions necessary for the digestion process are accomplished and is recommended in the farms where the biodegradable wastes are produced and accumulated in moderate quantities. The main product, biohumus, can be used as fertilizer for the soil, in agriculture or flower cropping.
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One of the most important and actual problems which mankind is confronted with is related to the environment pollution and sustainable development. For an acceptable and legal industrial management is necessary the assessment of... more
One of the most important and actual problems which mankind is confronted with is related to the environment pollution and sustainable development. For an acceptable and legal industrial management is necessary the assessment of environmental impact generated by all industrial activities or companies and, after that, improvements of technologies, raw materials (i.e. use of environment-friendly materials and technologies when is possible), application of the best available techniques (BAT), implementation of European Environmental Management System (EMAS), etc. Thus, following the monitoring, sample collecting and physicochemical analysis of some environment quality indicators into and around the area of studied industrial unit that produces food aromas and essences, it can be evaluated the level of environment pollution and also the impact against different life forms. The environmental impact (EIA) is assessed using the Romanian assessment method of global pollution index (IPG) con...
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Two classical methods were applied for preparation of four plant extracts, i.e. heat reflux extraction and maceration, exactly for wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), oregano (Origanum vulgare) and primrose... more
Two classical methods were applied for preparation of four plant extracts, i.e. heat reflux extraction and maceration, exactly for wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), oregano (Origanum vulgare) and primrose (Primula veris), plants from the spontaneous flora of Moldova area (Romania). The prepared extracts were preliminarily characterized by some known physical-chemical analytical methods used to evaluate various quality indicators of plant extracts (e.g. total polyphenols and flavonoids concentrations, density, viscosity) as well as comparative analysis of their UV-Vis and FTIR spectra. These vegetal extracts are non-toxic, and may have insecticide effect on the field of agricultural culture and storage pests.
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Natural plant protection products (known as biopesticides), derived from natural materials (plants, bacterial strains, and certain minerals) that can be used to control pests, are an alternative to plant protection chemicals (known as... more
Natural plant protection products (known as biopesticides), derived from natural materials (plants, bacterial strains, and certain minerals) that can be used to control pests, are an alternative to plant protection chemicals (known as pesticides) due to certain advantages: less toxic to humans and the environment, no release/leaching of harmful residues, and usually much specific to the target pests. This review focuses on the systematization of information highlighting the main advantages related to the natural plant protection products used, the extractive methods of obtaining them, their physical-chemical analysis methodology, the specific constituents responsible for their pesticide effects, the mechanisms of action, and methods for direct application on vegetable crops or on seeds stored in warehouses, in order to eliminate the adverse effects occurred in the case of plant protection chemicals use. Special attention has been accorded to natural plant protection products from th...
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Residual biomass from various industries represents an important source of valuable compounds, used as raw materials for the production of a wide range of new products and also in various treatment and valorization processes or/and... more
Residual biomass from various industries represents an important source of valuable compounds, used as raw materials for the production of a wide range of new products and also in various treatment and valorization processes or/and sanitation services, thus responding to the principles of sustainable development, waste recovery, and a green and circular economy. The aim of this work is to make use of residual Bacillus sp. biomass (resulting from a process of removing fatty acids from municipal wastewater) immobilized in alginate that, although it results in large quantities from biotechnological processes, is not reported to be valorized in dye biosorption processes, except in few specific applications. The biosorption potential of residual Bacillus sp. biomass in the reactive Brilliant Red HE-3B textile dye removal from aqueous systems was studied in a fixed-bed column. The effects of various experimental operating parameters, such as bed depth (h), flow rate (Fv), were investigate...
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Wastewater from textile industry contains various contaminants, among them dyes being considered to be highly toxic to the aquatic biota. The aim of this paper was to investigate in batch experiments the decolorization of synthetic... more
Wastewater from textile industry contains various contaminants, among them dyes being considered to be highly toxic to the aquatic biota. The aim of this paper was to investigate in batch experiments the decolorization of synthetic aqueous solutions containing some cationic and anionic dyes by sorption on ligno-cellulosic solid wastes, such as softwood sawdust. Operating variables studied were: pH, sorbent dose and particle size, dye concentration, temperature and contact time. The sawdust- dye sorption systems were described using Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. The obtained results allow to estimate that the sawdust can
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The paper presents an experimental study regarding the treatment of a real textile wastewater using the spinning disc (SD) technology, either individually or associated with an advanced Fenton oxidation step. The SD efficiency was... more
The paper presents an experimental study regarding the treatment of a real textile wastewater using the spinning disc (SD) technology, either individually or associated with an advanced Fenton oxidation step. The SD efficiency was investigated by studying the color, suspended solids, or turbidity removals, at distinctive feeding flowrates (10–30 L/h) and disc rotating speeds (100–1500 rpm). The data revealed increasing removal trends and allowed to establish the highest removal values. Based on obtained experimental results, the wastewater treatment efficiency by SD technology was reasonably good and thus, the WW indicators can be improved within relatively short periods of time. Additionally, based on supervised learning algorithms, the study includes treatment modeling for turbidity and color removal, followed by turbidity removal optimization relying on the best learned models. Satisfactory results obtained with the modeling and optimization procedures provide useful predictions ...
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Abstract In the last period, aromatic plants and their extracts have gained more and more attention due to their extraordinary properties. Unfortunately, their stand-alone uses are limited due to oxidative deterioration and therefore they... more
Abstract In the last period, aromatic plants and their extracts have gained more and more attention due to their extraordinary properties. Unfortunately, their stand-alone uses are limited due to oxidative deterioration and therefore they are mostly used as oil/water (O/W) emulsions. The objective of this study was to develop and analyze the O/W lavender emulsions with potential applications in skin care products. The emulsions were prepared using matrix formers (xanthan gum and xanthan gum/gelatin), water, and glycerol as water phase and lavender essential oil as oil phase in the presence of nonionic surfactant polysorbate 80 (Tween 80®) under proper homogenization. Microscopic analysis, physicochemical properties (pH, conductivity, density, and acidity index), physical stability (turbidity, stability index, and emulsifier activity index), oxidative stability (peroxide index), rheological properties, and sensory analysis of the emulsions were investigated. Rotational (flow curve) and oscillatory rheological tests (amplitude, frequency, and time/temperature sweeps) were used for the characterization of each formulation. The results from each test are presented and discussed in detail. The experimental data confirmed that the method used was suitable for preparing O/W lavender emulsions based on xanthan gum and xanthan gum/gelatin suggesting that these emulsions are appropriate for application in skincare products.
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In all management practices two important elements are considered: 1) wastewater management; 2) integrated waste management, among others. These elements can be simultaneously linked treating wastewater by sorption onto 'low cost'... more
In all management practices two important elements are considered: 1) wastewater management; 2) integrated waste management, among others. These elements can be simultaneously linked treating wastewater by sorption onto 'low cost' waste materials. Thus, sorption becomes an attractive alternative as single–stage treatment of industrial effluents (usually as pre–treatment or final treatment stage). The main objective of this paper is to describe the 'low cost' sorbents (natural and industrial ones) and also sorption characteristics used for industrial–scale applications, especially of three categories of waste materials: peat, sawdust, and coal ash/coal ash modified with lime, for colour and organics removal from industrial effluents produced in manufacturing of textile fabrics. Special attention is focused on influencing factors of sorption process (operating regime, pH, sorbent dose, temperature, and sorption time) for high removal with low cost and no supplementary environmental protection needs. The aforementioned aspects are presented for treated effluent discharged in natural receptor and/or sewerage system.
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Spinning disc (SD) technology has been successfully applied, for the first time, in real textile wastewater treatment with no other additional processing. The SD efficiency was investigated using real textile effluents to study the color... more
Spinning disc (SD) technology has been successfully applied, for the first time, in real textile wastewater treatment with no other additional processing. The SD efficiency was investigated using real textile effluents to study the color and suspended solids removals at different effluent-supplying flowrates (10–30 L/h) and different disc rotational speeds (100–1500 rpm) with good experimental results; thus, it can minimize the polluting loads within a short time period. Furthermore, within this study, process modeling and its classical optimization were applied to SD technology for wastewater treatment. The experiments were organized according to an active central composite rotatable 23 order design, considering as independent variables the wastewater flowrate, rotational speed, and operating time and, as optimization criteria, the suspended solids removal and discoloration degree. Overall, this novel study proved that the SD technology applied in textile effluent treatment is a su...
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Abstract The paper proposes discussions of some concrete datasets resulted for three solutions of wastewaters management systems applied in case of a Romanian petroleum chemical company. These management options, differing especially in... more
Abstract The paper proposes discussions of some concrete datasets resulted for three solutions of wastewaters management systems applied in case of a Romanian petroleum chemical company. These management options, differing especially in type (centralized or decentralized system) and wastewaters treatment system, were emphasized, mainly by real datasets on treatment performance, polluting species removals, risk of some residuals in treated effluents and natural watercourse nearby, but also environmental impact assessment, using the alternative methodology of global pollution index (I*GP). Interpreting datasets based on in-time analyzed physical-chemical quality indicators and river characteristics, it was estimated the standard quality classification of receiving watercourse as ‘medium’ (water quality indices, WQI = 55.58 − 67.47), affected more or less by treated effluents discharged in it. The environmental risks of some selected residuals in treated effluents and natural aquatic receptor were assessed by the risk quotient (RQ) which appreciated the risk of residuals toward aquatic life as no to low-medium level, with few exceptions. The impact assessment results conclude an admissible pollution status of natural water receptor due to company wastewaters mechanical–chemical–biological treatment plant activities, in decentralized (I*GP = 1.73) and centralized (I*GP = 1.83) system, but generating discomfort effects to aquatic life due to only mechanical–chemical treatment plant operating in decentralized system (I*GP = 2.205). Direct discharge of un-treated industrial wastewaters had been interdicted. These real results underline that decentralized systems are reliable, qualitatively efficient and costly effective, offering long-term solution, and that all wastewaters management strategies of petroleum chemical company had been adapted to specific on-site functioning situations.
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This study reports a novel application of four emulsions based on thyme essential oil-beeswax matrix with beneficial antimicrobial and induced well-being effects (e.g., aromatherapeutic patches and socks, decorative pillows) that can be... more
This study reports a novel application of four emulsions based on thyme essential oil-beeswax matrix with beneficial antimicrobial and induced well-being effects (e.g., aromatherapeutic patches and socks, decorative pillows) that can be used in textile materials manufacturing (e.g. bandages, dressings, patches). These emulsions were properly prepared by varying the beeswax (2–4% w/v) and essential oil (2–4% v/v) concentrations, and characterized based on several physical–chemical quality indicators (pH, density, acidity and peroxide indexes, total polyphenols, flavonoids and fatty acids). The stability of emulsions and creaming index were highlighted by optical microscopy. The release of thyme essential oil incorporated in beeswax matrix was estimated through UV/Visible spectrophotometry. The bioactive compounds (total polyphenols and flavonoids) from emulsions, applied on cotton support, are the principal responsible constituents for textile antibacterial activity, which was evalua...
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A biomaterial based on poly(vinyl alcohol) reticulated with tricarboxi-cellulose obtained by TEMPO oxidation (OxC25) was used as a new biosorbent for Co(II) ions retention from aqueous solutions. The biosorption process of Co(II) ions was... more
A biomaterial based on poly(vinyl alcohol) reticulated with tricarboxi-cellulose obtained by TEMPO oxidation (OxC25) was used as a new biosorbent for Co(II) ions retention from aqueous solutions. The biosorption process of Co(II) ions was studied while mainly considering the operational factors that can influence it (i.e., biosorbent concentration, pH of the aqueous media, temperature and contact time of the phases). The maximum adsorption capacity was 181.82 mg/g, with the biosorption well fitted by the Langmuir model. The kinetic modeling of the biosorption process was based on certain models: Lagergreen (pseudo first order model), Ho (pseudo second order model), Elovich (heterogeneous biosorbent model), Webber–Morris (intraparticle diffusion model) and McKay (film diffusion model). The corresponding kinetic model suggests that this biosorption process followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model and was developed in two controlled steps beginning with film diffusion and followed ...
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Together with the introduction of sustainable development concept, the problems of wastes are clearly emphasized, because it can not be applied a sustainable development, in economic, social and environment protection terms, without... more
Together with the introduction of sustainable development concept, the problems of wastes are clearly emphasized, because it can not be applied a sustainable development, in economic, social and environment protection terms, without implementation of a sustainable wastes management. When is speaking of sustainable wastes management it must be considered the following: reduction of wastes quantity, waste use as secondary raw matter, non-recovering wastes deposition into controlled landfills, wastes use as alternative fuels.
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It is a book chapter (Chapter 3), Part 1 High Concern Sources of Organic Pollutants, 55-88, in the book edited by Tomasz Puzyn and Aleksandra Mostrag-Szlichtyng - Organic Pollutants - Ten Years After the Stockholm Convention -... more
It is a book chapter (Chapter 3), Part 1 High Concern Sources of Organic Pollutants, 55-88, in the book edited by Tomasz Puzyn and Aleksandra Mostrag-Szlichtyng - Organic Pollutants - Ten Years After the Stockholm Convention - Environmental and Analytical Update, Intech Open Science / Open Minds, Rijeka, Croatia, ISBN 978-953-307-917-2