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- PM10-bound elements in Luanda's urban atmosphere: Concentrations, sources, and their environmental and health impactsPublication . Alves, Célia A.; Campa, Ana Sanchez de la; Cipoli, Yago; Furst, Leonardo; Higawa, Gustavo; Leitão, Anabela; Silva, Alan Victor da; Feliciano, ManuelAn unprecedented study was carried out in the megacity of Luanda, Angola, involving daily sampling of particulate matter (PM10) from June to November 2023. The analysis was focused on the detection of 56 metal(loid)s and complemented by the application of several contamination and health risk indices. PM10 levels ranged from 23.6 to 108 μg/m3, averaging 59.3 μg/m3, exceeding WHO’s 24-h guideline on 83% of days. In addition to crustal elements, the most abundant constituents were Zn (159 ng/m3), Ba (43.2 ng/m3), Pb (17.8 ng/m3), Cu (10.5 ng/m3), Sr (7.0 ng/m3), Ni (4.5 ng/m3), Sb (3.7 ng/m3) and Cr (3.5 ng/m3). Mineral dust, primarily from unpaved roads and local soils, accounted for 31 wt% of PM10, while sea salt contributed 6%. Geochemical markers (e.g., Ce-La-V relationships) suggest that vanadium originates predominantly from upper crust weathering. Elemental ratios such as Fe/Cu, Cu/Sb, and Zn/Sb indicate significant contributions from traffic-related emissions (e.g., brake and tyre wear) and industrial sources. Sulphur, an important PM10 component, likely stems from fossil fuel combustion and petroleum refining. Luanda experiences severe air pollution, with high inputs from Sb, Cd, Zn, and other elements linked to traffic, industrial emissions, and biomass burning. The extremely high ecological risk (RI = 4360 ± 2440) highlights critical contamination, driven primarily by Cd and Sb, while the Nemerow risk index (1990 ± 1530) underscores urgent public health concerns. Non-cancer hazard indices (HI) exceeded safe thresholds for children (2.29) and adults (2.18), with Fe, Mn, Be, Pb, Ni, Co, and Sb identified as key contributors. Carcinogenic risks from PM10 inhalation (2.34 × 10 3 for children and 1.36 ×10 3 for adults) also exceeded acceptable levels, emphasising the need for targeted pollution mitigation strategies.
- Ozone membrane contactor to intensify gas/liquid mass transfer and contaminants of emerging concern oxidationPublication . Presumido, Pedro Henrique; Montes, Rosa; Quintana, Jose B.; Rodil, Rosário; Feliciano, Manuel; Li Puma, Gianluca; Gomes, Ana I.; Vilar, Vítor J.P.A tubular porous borosilicate membrane contactor was investigated for ozone gas/water mass transfer and the removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water. Ozone gas/water contact occurs on the mem-brane shell-side, which is coated with a photocatalyst (TiO2-P25), as the ozone gas stream is fed from the lumen side and permeates through the pores generating micro-sized ozone bubbles uniformly delivered to the annular reaction zone where the contaminated water to be treated flows. Under continuous flow, water pH at 3.0 and temperature at 20 oC, the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (KLa) ranged from 3.5 to 9.0 min- 1 and improved with the increase of gas flow rate (QG, 1.5-fold from 0.15 to 1.0 Ndm3 min-1) and liquid flow rate (QL, 2.0-fold from 20 to 50 L h-1), due to enhanced turbulence on the membrane shell-side and annular zone. The mass transfer efficiency was more pronounced as the QG decreased and the QL increased, which is advantageous for large-scale applications. The main resistances to ozone transfer were in the water phase boundary layer (53-76%) and in the membrane (24-47%; kM = (1.14 +/- 0.01) x 10-4 m s-1). For an ozone dose of 12 g m- 3 and residence time of 3.9 s, removals >= 80% were achieved for 13 of 19 CECs spiked in demineralized water (each 10 mu g L-1), demonstrating the applicability of this membrane contactor for ozonation treatment. Photocatalytic ozonation (O3/UVC/TiO2) did not significantly improve the treatment performance due to the low residence time inside the contactor.
- Ozone membrane contactor for tertiary treatment of urban wastewater: Chemical, microbial and toxicological assessmentPublication . Presumido, Pedro Henrique; Ribeirinho-Soares, Sara; Montes, Rosa; Quintana, Jose B.; Rodil, Rosário; Ribeiro, Marta; Neuparth, Teresa; Santos, Miguel M.; Feliciano, Manuel; Nunes, Olga C.; Gomes, Ana I.; Vilar, Vítor J.P.A membrane ozone contactor, operated under continuous mode, was applied to promote the tertiary treatment of urban wastewater (UWW), targeting the removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), bacterial disinfection, and toxicity reduction. This system relies on the homogeneous radial distribution of ozone (O3) in the reaction zone by "titration" through a microfiltration borosilicate tubular membrane, while the UWW swirls around the membrane and drags the O3 microbubbles generated in the membrane shell-side. The membrane is coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2-P25) and radiation can be externally supplied via four UV lamps. The ozonation tests were carried out with secondary-treated UWW collected in different seasons (winter and summer) and spiked with a mix of 19 CECs (10 & mu;g L-1 each). For an O3 dose of 18 g m-3, the best performance was obtained by increasing the O3 concentration (maximum [O3]G,inlet of 200 g Nm-3) and decreasing the gas flow rate (minimum QG of 0.15 Ndm3 min-1), providing the highest ozone transfer yield (88 %) and, thus higher specific ozone dose (g O3 per g dissolved organic carbon). Under these conditions, removals >80 % or concentrations below the limit of quantification were obtained for up to 13 of the 19 CECs and reductions up to 5 log units for total heterotrophs and below the limit of detection for enterobacteria and enterococci. Tests including a UVC dose of 0.10 kJ L-1 enhanced disinfection ability but had no impact on CECs oxidation. After ozonation, the abundance of antibiotic resistant bacteria was reduced but not elimi-nated , microbial regrowth after 3-day storage was observed. No toxic effect was detected on zebrafish embryos using a dilution factor of 4 for the ozonized UWW , when granular activated carbon adsorption was subsequently applied the dilution factor decreased to 2.
- Evaluating the environmental impact of two beef production systems using life cycle assessmentPublication . Belo, Sara; Dias, Ana Cláudia; Feliciano, Manuel; Sousa, Fernando Ruivo de; Almeida, José Carlos; Trindade, Henrique; Arroja, LuísBeef production has been identified as an important source of environmental impacts. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been applied worldwide to identify key processes/phases for environmental improvement in beef production. In this study, LCA is used to assess the environmental impacts of beef produced in two different production systems, namely extensive and intensive fattening. A “cradle-to-gate” approach is adopted and the functional unit is 1 kg of beef carcass weight at the farm gate. The results show that the environmental “hot spots” are related with feed production and on-farm related emissions in both systems. The results also suggest that the use of extensive production during the fattening stage has lower environmental impacts per kg of carcass. The largest differences between the two systems were found in marine eutrophication category.
- Indoor air quality in a home improvement store: Gaseous pollutants, bioburden and particle-bound chemical constituentsPublication . Furst, Leonardo; Cipoli, Yago; Yubero, Eduardo; Galindo, Nuria; Viegas, Carla; Dias, Marta; Nunes, Teresa; Igrejas, Getúlio; Feliciano, Manuel; Célia AlvesThis paper provides a comprehensive assessment of indoor and outdoor air quality within a home improvement and gardening store chain in northeastern Portugal. In December 2021 and January 2022, two multipollutant systems were installed in the store and outdoors to assess air quality. Continuous monitoring included particulate matter below 10 μm (PM10), CO2 and comfort parameters. PM10 samples were collected using gravimetric samplers during both occupied and vacant periods. These samples were then analysed for carbonaceous con- stituents and metal(loid)s. Additionally, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbonyls, bacteria, and fungi were passively sampled. Results showed higher indoor concentrations of PM10 during labour hours (45.4 ± 15.2 μg/ m3), while outdoor values of 27.1 ± 9.96 μg/m3 were recorded. The elemental characterisation of PM10 revealed a high abundance of soil-related elements indoors, suggesting that resuspension is one of the primary sources. The most abundant elements were Ca, Fe, and Zn, with concentrations of 658 ± 297, 273 ± 141, and 172 ± 67.4 ng/m³, respectively. Outdoors, elements related to tyre and brake wear and road dust were predominant, indicating emissions from non-exhaust traffic emissions as the main source. A prevalence of α-pinene, limonene, and hexanal was found indoors, most likely related to wood products. Fungi with clinical relevance and toxigenic potential, and higher bacterial loads were observed in the gardening and heating sectors of the store. This study underscores the importance of investigating less-studied stores, as they may exhibit pollutant levels that exceed health protection thresholds
- Diversidad bioconstructiva, edificación bioclimática, rehabilitación sostenible y su aplicación en los espacios naturales: diagnóstico biofísico, climático y paisajístico del entorno del edificio y propuestas de actuaciónPublication . Gonçalves, Artur; Feliciano, Manuel; Furst, Leonardo; Quevedo, Rafael; Lopes, Luiz Otávio de Oliveira; Passeiro, VanessaLas casas de interpretación tienen especial relevancia en la recepción y orientación de los visitantes en las áreas protegidas. Estas casas generalmente cuentan con contenido de educación medioambiental y concientización para los visitantes, además de albergar actividades administrativas. Estos edificios reciben diariamente visitantes, quienes preferentemente se desplazan a estos locales como punto de partida para obtener información y consejos , que pueden mejorar su experiencia al visitar espacios naturales. La calidad del entorno natural y de los propios edificios, pueden ser factores de gran atractivo, contribuyendo para generar más visitas. Este informe describe las actividades de análisis de contexto , a través del diagnóstico biofísico, socioeconómico y climático de varios edificios en las que ocurrieron intervención en el Proyecto POCTEP BIOURB NATUR, ubicados en áreas protegidas del espacio de cooperación transfronteriza entre Portugal y España, a saber : en España, la Casa del Parque de las Lagunas de Villafáfila; la Casa del parque das Arribas do Duero, en Fermoselle, la Casa del parque del Lago de Sanabria y el Pabellón Educativo del complejo PRAE, en Valladolid ; en Portugal, la escuela de Rio de Onor y el Centro Acuícola de Castrelos.
- The Composting of Water Hyacinth: A Life Cycle Assessment PerspectivePublication . Serafini, Laís Fabiana; Arrobas, Margarida; Rodrigues, M.A.; Feliciano, Manuel; Miguens, Filomena; Oliveira, Verónica; Santos, Daniela; Díaz de Tuesta, Jose Luis; Gonçalves, ArturWater hyacinth is an invasive species that causes eutrophication in lentic waters. While mechanical removal is effective,it generates hazardous waste with biological contamination risk. Composting is a safe waste treatment option, inhibiting seeds and yielding agriculturally suitable compost. Life cycle assessment evaluated the environmental impacts of six composting piles using eight different by-products (potato peel, cattle manure, wood chip, rice straw, potato leftovers, olive pomace and biochar), all formulations containing water hyacinth. The worst environmental performances were the M2 pile (water hyacinth + olive pomace + cattle manure + potato leftovers) which achieved the highest AP (47.33 kg SO2 eq.) and EP (10.56 kg PO4³− eq.), while M3 (water hyacinth + olive pomace + rice straw + potato leftovers) had the highest GWP (816.51 kg CO2 eq.) and OLD (2.99E-11 kg R11 eq.). The biological composting process contributed the most to the overall increase in the impact categories for all piles due to air emissions (CH4 and N2O). M3 and M5 (water hyacinth + wood chip) had the worst performance in fossil fuel consumption due to distances travelled from by-products and energy use in the maintenance of composting piles. Concerning packaging, Big Bags with polypropylene had a greater impact than polyethylene bags (50 kg capacity). Evaluating the potential avoidance of mineral fertilisers, M3 compost showed potential for reducing TSP fertiliser production by 46%. Overall, M4, which incorporated a mixture of water hyacinth, olive pomace, wood chips and biochar, was the most favourable option from an environmental point of view.
- Comprehensive analysis of particulate matter, gaseous pollutants, and microbiological contamination in a clothing store from an international chain in EuropePublication . Furst, Leonardo; Cipoli, Yago; Galindo, Nuria; Yubero, Eduardo; Viegas, Carla; Gomes, Bianca; Cervantes, Renata; Nunes, Teresa; Feliciano, Manuel; Alves, CéliaIn this study, indoor air quality was assessed in a store belonging to one of Portugal’s largest commercial retail groups. A variety of methodologies was used, including gravimetric analysis for particulate matter (PM), optical monitors for real-time PM measurements, gas sensors and analysers for CO2 and other gaseous pollutants, diffusion tubes for VOCs, and passive deposition for microorganisms. The average PM10 concentration indoors was 16.5 ± 3.87 μg/m3, well below the exposure limits set by various international organisations. A significant portion of indoor PM10 – 69% - was originated from outdoor sources. Outdoor PM10 concentrations were sub- stantially higher, averaging 29.4 ± 14.6 μg/m3. Metal concentrations were also higher outdoors than indoors, and the associated cancer risk and hazard quotient were not exceeded, indicating favourable air quality con- ditions within the store. Among VOCs, α-pinene and tetrachloroethylene were detected in notable concentra- tions. α-Pinene likely originated from cleaning products and fragrances, while tetrachloroethylene was attributed to emissions from a dry-cleaning establishment located in the same building, but did not exceed protection thresholds. Microbial analysis showed low concentrations of both fungi and bacteria. However, fungal species with clinical and toxigenic potential were found. The most common fungal species were Trichoderma sp. and Penicillium sp., depending on the culture media. Overall, the clothing store demonstrated good air quality. However, to further reduce the impact of outdoor pollutants on indoor air quality, enhancements to the venti- lation system are recommended. These improvements can help create a healthier indoor environment by filtering and managing the intake of external contaminants more effectively.
- Desempenho ambiental de uma empresa do sector vinícolaPublication . Lopes, Andreia; Gonçalves, Artur; Feliciano, ManuelO setor vinícola apresenta grande relevância para a economia nacional, devido à sua elevada capacidade exportadora, contribuindo de forma positiva para o saldo da balança comercial. As preocupações de carácter ambiental e o desenvolvimento sustentável do negócio assumem-se crescentemente como áreas fulcrais para a competitividade das organizações do sector. E neste contexto que surge este estudo, que contempla a avaliação do desempenho ambiental de uma organização de produção de vinhos, com o objetivo de identificar os aspetos ambientais significativos e delinear estratégias e ações que permitam uma melhoria do seu desempenho. No âmbito desta análise aplicaram-se igualmente indicadores de ecoeficiência, contribuindo para o delineamento de objetivos e metas de redução dos consumos de energía, água e matérias-primas e, cumulativamente, reduzir a produção de resíduos, efluentes e ruído. Após a identificação dos aspetos e impactes ambientais e a aplicação de um método para o cálculo do índice de significância, foi possível avaliar os aspetos ambientais significativos da organização, nomeadamente o consumo de energia elétrica, o consumo de água, a utilização de embalagens de vidro e cartão, os efluentes líquidos e a utilização de gases fluorados nos sistemas de refrigeração. Finalmente foram propostas diversas ações integradas num Programa de Gestão Ambiental.
- Modelo de evaluación de edificaciones industrialesPublication . Vaz, António Jorge Ferreira; Romero, Felipe; Ruedas Pérez, Laura; Sánchez Carrera, Óscar; Ferreira, Débora; Fernandes, Sílvia; Luso, Eduarda; Minhoto, Manuel; Barreira, Luísa; Soares, Orlando; Gonçalves, Artur; Feliciano, ManuelLa experiencia reciente ha demostrado que la Inspección Técnica de Edificios y el Informe de Evaluación de Edificios han sido instrUnentos eficaces para mejorar el entorno urbano, revitalizar las ciudades e impulsar la actividad y la industria de la rehabilitación. Su implantación limitada al ámbito de la edificación residencial y a algunos equipamientos ha dejado al mar- gen las áreas industriales que ocupan superficies muy significativas en la trama urbana de las ciudades. En España los éxitos conseguidos han venido marcados por 2 factores clave: El desarrollo de modelos de ITE – IEE específicos de uso universal y la existencia de una normativa que regula e impulsa su aplicación. La ausencia de modelos específicos que aborden la problemática de las Áreas Industriales con un enfoque claro de sostenibilidad y de referencias normativas que puedan ser aplicadas por los ayuntamientos son las que hacen que esta actividad sea necesaria e innovadora. Es necesario, por tanto: - Desarrollar modelos que permitan evaluar la aptitud por un lado de las infraestructuras y por otro de las edi- ficaciones de las áreas industriales para que las actividades que albergan se desarrollen de manera eficiente, sostenible, segura e interconectada con las ciudades en las que se ubican. De la aplicación de estos modelos resultarán las actuaciones de rehabilitación adecuadas para cada área de intervención. - Poner a disposición de los Ayuntamientos herramientas que les permitan controlar las actuaciones y tomar decisiones en base a la información facilitada por la aplicación de los modelos. - Facilitar un marco normativo de referencia que pueda ser adoptado por los Ayuntamientos para coordinar e impulsar la rehabilitación de estas áreas en colaboración con propietarios e industriales. Para el desarrollo de este modelo se consideró necesario tener en cuenta los siguientes factores: - Estado de conservación: Verificación del proyecto e inspección visual del estado superficial del sistema es- tructural de las naves industriales. Estado de los materiales y elementos constructivos - Accesibilidad y espacios exteriores: Modelos de acceso a los espacios industriales y espacios exteriores, incluyendo aspectos de accesibilidad universal - Desempeño medioambiental: Modelo de gestión medioambiental. Evaluación de las prácticas de consumo de materiales, agua, residuos, emisiones. Indicadores de eco-eficiencia - Eficiencia Energética: Opciones de mejora de la eficiencia energética centradas en las componentes trans- versales, considerando aspectos como ilUninación, calefacción o equipamientos electrónicos Valoración de oportunidades de producción local de energía - Seguridad frente a incendios: Soluciones y medidas existentes referentes a la seguridad contra incendios. Propuesta de medidas de autoprotección - Acústica: Condiciones acústicas en el contexto laboral - Valoración económica: Metodologías de Evaluación del valor económico de los inmuebles y factores de depreciación.