in developing countries are discussed. Methods for removal of pharmaceuticals and future research directions are also highlighted.
Chapter 3 focuses on the latest developments in the methods for the oil/water separation through filtration of the membrane using distinct materials with surface properties that are super wetting.
Chapter 4 presents the fundamental studies on the interdisciplinary issue of microplastic-based pollution of water environments; the scientific approach and roadmap to this complex problem are discussed.
Chapter 5 summarizes the routes of formation of organic and inorganic chloramines upon chlorination disinfection. Chloramine’s possible health risks to humans including mutagenicity and hemolytic anemia are discussed. Further, the analytical methods for their control in aqueous environments are summarized. Selective methods including chromatographic and pH-controlled colorimetric techniques are highlighted.
Chapter 6 highlights the removal of industrial dyes using different approaches such as clay-based adsorbents, membrane filtration, and chemical treatment with special focus on clay-based low-cost adsorbents. The results of dyes’ adsorption study are discussed and compared with other reported wastewater treatment technologies.
Chapter 7 provides a general description of biochar material from the preparation (synthetic methods) to its application as a powerful adsorbent in the wastewater treatment field. Recent advancements of biochar-supported materials with a focus on their applications for different contaminants’ removal and the underlying mechanisms are also discussed.
Chapter 8 focuses on biological processes for swine wastewater treatment. Therefore, it details the swine wastewater characteristics, microorganisms, metabolic pathways involved, and biological processes in swine wastewater treatment. Besides, challenges and prospects in this research field are also presented.
Chapter 9 discusses various imperative techniques to detect hazardous metal ions in various water reservoirs. The toxicological effects of various metal ions on living beings and atmosphere along with their detection limits, in addition to future perspectives of these procedures, are highlighted.
Chapter 10 discusses the production of hydrogen-rich water and its role in medical applications. Firstly, a concise discussion of two of the production methods of hydrogen-rich water is provided. Lastly, the medical benefits, medical applications, and the safety of hydrogen-rich water are discussed in detail.
Chapter 11 focuses on the application of hydrosulfide treatment in medicine, agriculture, and industry fields. Hydrosulfide anion is considered as an innovative gaseous signaling molecule and plays significant biological roles in the organisms. Its performance is discussed in detail for the improvement of biotic/abiotic stress tolerance of cells.
Chapter 12 discusses the properties of available radionuclides including uranium, lead, polonium, cesium, strontium, thorium, radon, and radium. Moreover, the health problem caused due to these radionuclides contaminated water is also highlighted. Techniques involved in the removal of radionuclides including ion exchange, aeration, filtration, nanofiltration, and flocculation are summarized.
Chapter 13 reviews the developing applications of membrane contactors in water treatment and desalination demonstrating their ability to substitute or supplement the conventional separation processes. The advantages and limitations of membrane contactors are discussed and their potential for value recovery from spent streams of small and medium industries are highlighted.
Chapter 14 comprehensively reviews all the sulfate remediation technologies and also lists various methods involved in tackling the sulfate problem from wastewater. Both conventional methods and modern-day technologies are covered in this chapter for sulfate removal.
Chapter 15 discusses the various sources and pathways of heavy metals’ movement and accumulation in the environment. The toxicity effects of these heavy metals on human health are also presented. Various bio-indicators and biomarkers generally used for the assessment of heavy metal-based pollution about intake, hazard, toxicity, and transfer factor are discussed. Also, details of various indices associated with health risk, carcinogenic risk, and exposure assessment are focused and recommended.
Chapter 16 emphasizes that the analysis of water is an important multistep process and vital for surveillance and management. The monitoring should be a dynamic procedure with the adoption of techno-economic and state-of-art techniques. We need to improve water quality, minimize pollutants, conserve for the generations, and upgrade awareness levels. Every drop of water counts and has the hidden story of life.
Chapter 17 deals with chemical standards for water quality and explains the philosophy of establishing these standards. In addition to the effect of inorganic substances on water quality, it takes into account the future development of water analysis to make water clean and suitable for human use.
Chapter 18 describes the different approaches used to measure water both quantitatively and qualitatively. The dischargeable and acceptable limits are also tabulated in this chapter as per WHO and BIS guidelines. The simulation equations for estimating the water quality index are presented. Additionally, wastewater treatment techniques are also explained in three stages.
Chapter 19 discusses the application of nanofluids as one of the sustainable bioremediation techniques for the treatment and purification of heavily contaminated water. Different types of nanofluids used in the treatment of water such as zero-valent metal nanoparticles, metal oxides nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and nanocomposites are also highlighted.
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Sorbent-Based Microextraction Techniques for the Analysis of Phthalic Acid Esters in Water Samples
Miguel Ángel González-Curbelo1, Javier González-Sálamo2,3, Diana A. Varela-Martínez1,2 and Javier Hernández-Borges2,3*
1Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad EAN, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
2Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, España
3Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, España
