2018, Volume 64(68), Issue 2 (June)
Contents
pages 1- 8 Download
Simple Functionalization Methods of PET Waste Using Phenolic Compounds
OANA IONELA UNGUREANU, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical 
	University of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical 
	Engineering and Environmental Protection 
ANCA MIHAELA MOCANU, 
	"Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor 
	Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection 
	LAURA BULGARIU, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of 
	Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and 
	Environmental Protection, 
	lbulg@ch.tuiasi.ro 
	
					pages 9 - 19 Download
Abstract
The adsorptive performances of PET waste are very low, for 
	most of metal ions and dyes from aqueous media, and from this reason their 
	use as adsorbent in the environmental remediation processes, is inefficient. 
	Increasing the adsorption capacity of PET waste involves improving of the 
	number of superficial functional groups, and this can be generally done by 
	the functionalization with certain chemical compounds. But most of 
	functionalization procedure also implies the dissolving of PET waste in a 
	suitable solvent, which is not so easy. In this study, two phenolic 
	compounds (phenol and p-chloride-phenol) have been used for the dissolution 
	and functionalization of PET waste, to obtain new adsorbent materials with 
	applications in the environmental remediation. The preparation of these two 
	adsorbent materials were detailed discusses to highlight the main advantages 
	and disadvantages of each. Also, their adsorptive performances have been 
	tested in case of Cu(II) ions removal from aqueous media. The experimental 
	results have shown that the functionalization of PET waste with these 
	organic compounds increase the adsorption efficiency of obtained materials 
	for Cu(II) ions with more than 200% in case of PET waste functionalized with 
	p-chloride-phenol and with more than 350% in case PET waste functionalized 
	with phenol. This significant increase in adsorption capacity opens up new 
	perspectives in the use of PET waste as adsorbent material for the removal 
	of heavy metal ions from aqueous media. 
Keywords: PET waste; absorbent 
	material; functionalization; phenolic compounds; Cu(II) ions; aqueous media. 
	Efficient Fenton-Like Catalysis for Ibuprofen Degradation Under Solar Light Using Iron and Manganese Supported on ZnAl/Layered Double Hydroxides
MIHAELA DARIE, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University 
	of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and 
	Environmental Protection 
GABRIELA CARJA, "Gheorghe 
	Asachi" Technical University of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" 
	Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection,
	gcarja@ch.tuiasi.ro
	
					pages 21 - 31 Download
Abstract
Herein we report the fabrication of efficient photocatalysts 
	for degrading ibuprofen from aqueous solutions by solar light by 
	photocatalysis and photo-Fenton catalysis processes. Heterostructures 
	composites of iron or iron-manganese (Fe = 10 wt%; Mn = 4 wt%) 
	self-supported on the surface of zinc-based layered double hydroxides (LDHs) 
	were synthesized by exploiting the manifestation of the LDHs "structural 
	memory" effect in aqueous solutions of iron and manganese salts and further 
	tested as catalysts. ZnAl anionic clay (as Zn2+/Al3+ molar ratio = 3) was 
	obtained by coprecipitation method. The characteristics of Fe-Mn/ZnAl and 
	Fe/ZnAl heterostructures were described by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, 
	Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and solid-phase UV-Vis spectrophotometric 
	analyses. Photocatalytic and photo-Fenton studies were performed in batch 
	mode using appropriate amounts of catalysts and H2O2 as Fenton reagent. The 
	UNNASOL (US800, 250 W) solar simulator was used as an irradiation source and 
	an UV-Vis spectrophotometer to monitor the ibuprofen concentration. The 
	present study indicate that ibuprofen degradation for photo-Fenton process 
	reached a high efficiency in the presence of Fe-Mn/ZnAl and Fe/ZnAl 
	photocatalysts. 
Keywords: nanocomposite; ibuprofen; Fenton; solar light; 
	photodegradation. 
	Researches on the Biopesticides Obtained by Extraction with Non-Toxic Solvents and the Insecticide Effect on Deposit Pests
GABRIEL DARABAN, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University 
	of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and 
	Environmental Protection 
MARINELA BADEANU, "Ion Ionescu de 
	la Brazi" University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of 
	Iași, Romania, Faculty of Horticulture 
LĂCRĂMIOARA RUSU, 
	"Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, Romania, Faculty of Engineering 
	DANIELA 
	ȘUTEU, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iași, Romania, 
	"Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental 
	Protection, dsuteu@ch.tuiasi.ro 
					pages 33 - 41 Download
Abstract
Ensuring food quality is a requirement of our days, because 
	people have become self-aware with their own bodies, especially ensuring and 
	maintaining the health and the quality of their life. In this context, is 
	increasing tendency towards the consumption of products containing as small 
	quantities of chemicals as possible, especially from the pesticide class. 
	Recent data show that a growing number of essential plant oils have been 
	tested against a wide range of arthropod pests with promising results. 
	Vegetal extracts have shown high efficacy, multiple mechanisms of action and 
	low toxicity on vertebrates. Making an overview of the scientific 
	achievements in the field of biopesticides it were created the premises of 
	the experimental study approach to find alternative solutions for the 
	replacement of chemical pesticides which are used in agriculture and the 
	food industry with biopesticides obtained from plants from the spontaneous 
	flora of Moldavia and Bucovina areas. In this context it was being 
	investigated the extraction of some chemical compounds with repellent and/or 
	germicidal effect on pests deposit (insect beans - Acanthoscelides 
	obsoletus). 
Keywords: biopesticides; extraction; insecticide effect; 
	vegetal extract. 
	Remediation of Aqueous Solutions Containing Zn(II) Ions by Using Wastes of Abies Alba Bark
LAVINIA TOFAN, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University 
	of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and 
	Environmental Protection 
CARMEN PĂDURARU, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical 
	University of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical 
	Engineering and Environmental Protection ,
	cpadur2005@yahoo.com 
ION BUNIA, 
	"Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iași, Romania 
	ROXANA LAURA 
	MIHĂILESCU AMĂLINEI, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and 
	Pharmacy, Iași, Romania, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy 
	ANCA MIRON, "Grigore T. Popa" 
	University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania, Department of 
	Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy 
					pages 43 - 57 Download
Abstract
Batch sorption capability of Romanian Abies alba 
	bark wastes for the removal of Zn(II) ions from diluted aqueous solutions 
	has been investigated as function of initial pH, sorbent dose, metal ion 
	concentration, temperature, and contact time. The ability of the bark waste 
	for Zn(II) sorption exhibited a maximum at pH 4.5-5. The percent removal of 
	Zn(II) from solution with an initial concentration of 71.4 mg/L varied from 
	15% to 87.9% for an increase of bark waste dose to 2 at 30 g/L. The 
	equilibrium data are best explained by both Langmuir and Freundlich sorption 
	isotherm. Thermodynamic parameters also favor the sorption of heavy metal 
	ions under study on Abies alba bark. Kinetics of sorption follows 
	pseudo – first order rate equation. This valuable use of Abies alba bark may 
	not only convert this waste material into low- cost effective sorbent, but 
	also provide a viable solution to its disposal. 
Keywords: Abies alba;; 
	bark; zinc; removal; waste. 
	Anthropogenic Pollution Due to Emission of Heavy Metals Generated from a Lignite Thermal Power Plant in Romania
DELIA NICA-BADEA, "Constantin Brâncuși" University of 
	Târgu-Jiu, Romania, Faculty of Technical, Medical and Behavioral Sciences
	
LILIANA LAZĂR, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University 
	of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and 
	Environmental Protection 
BRÎNDUȘA MIHAELA SLUȘER, 
	"Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iași, Romania, "Cristofor 
	Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, brobu@ch.tuiasi.ro 
	IGOR CREȚESCU, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iași, Romania, 
	"Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, 
	icre@ch.tuiasi.ro
	
					pages 59 - 73 Download
Abstract
This experimental study addresses to the distribution of 
	heavy metals in the area of Turceni, as a result of anthropogenic pollution 
	produced by one of the biggest Romanian coal combustion thermal power plant. 
	The concentrations of various heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ni, Co, Cd, and 
	Hg) in soil, vegetation and agricultural products was carried out by using a 
	high resolution analytical technique (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy). The 
	monitoring area was located around the anthropogenic pollution sources i.e. 
	inside the power plant, around the ash deposit, and in some rural 
	communities located in the direction of current propagation where particles 
	generated by the exhaust stacks combustion are predominant distributed. The 
	concentration of heavy metals in plants is dependent on metal type, plant 
	genotype, soil and environmental conditions, decreasing as a result of 
	measures for limitation of emissions. The annual average concentrations do 
	not exceed the maximum allowed concentration, but the enclosure of power 
	plant and the deposit of slag and ash, which was not proved to affect the 
	human health.
Keywords: heavy metals; atomic absorption spectrometry; 
	anthropogenic pollution; thermal power plant.