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Projeto de investigação
Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy
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Publicações
Antineoplastic drugs in urban wastewater
Publication . Gouveia, Teresa I. A.; Cristóvão, Maria B.; Pereira, Vanessa J.; Crespo, João G.; Alves, Arminda; Ribeiro, Ana R.; Silva, Adrián; Santos, Mónica S. F.; LAQV@REQUIMTE; DQ - Departamento de Química; Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB); Elsevier
Antineoplastic drugs are pharmaceuticals that have been raising concerns among the scientific community due to: (i) their increasing prescription in the fight against the disease of the twentieth century (cancer); (ii) their recalcitrance to conventional wastewater treatments; (iii) their poor environmental biodegradability; and (iv) their potential risk to any eukaryotic organism. This emerges the urgency in finding solutions to mitigate the entrance and accumulation of these hazardous chemicals in the environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been taken into consideration to improve the degradation of antineoplastic drugs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), but the formation of by-products that are more toxic or exhibit a different toxicity profile than the parent drug is frequently reported. This work evaluates the performance of a nanofiltration pilot unit, equipped with a Desal 5DK membrane, in the treatment of real WWTP effluents contaminated (without spiking) with eleven pharmaceuticals, five of which were never studied before. Average removals of 68 ± 23% were achieved for the eleven compounds, with decreasing risks from feed to permeate for aquatic organisms from receiving waterbodies (with the exception of cyclophosphamide, for which a high risk was estimated in the permeate). Aditionally, no significative impact on the growth and germination of three different seeds (Lepidium sativum, Sinapis alba, and Sorghum saccharatum) were determined for permeate matrix in comparison to the control.
Electrodialytic lithium extraction from secondary resources
Publication . Almeida, Joana; Gouveia, Joana R.; Ribeiro, Inês S.; Pires, Carolina; Mateus, Eduardo P.; Ribeiro, Alexandra B.; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Elsevier BV
In transportation, large-scale electrification, particularly through lithium-ion batteries, is expected to drive significant emissions reductions while simultaneously increasing global lithium demand. However, the limited availability of lithium, compounded by geopolitical constraints, poses risks to the energy transition, namely in the European Union. Adopting circular economy models offers a sustainable approach to increase resource recovery. The present research aims to assess the potential of the electrodialytic process for lithium recovery from wastewater generated during lithium-ion battery recycling and aluminium-lithium alloy dust processing, as well as related environmental and economic impacts. Bench-scale experiments were conducted using two-compartment electrodialytic reactors, operated at 50 mA, 100 mA and 200 mA with a cation-exchange membrane interposed. Tests were performed over 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. Lithium recovery reached 91.54 % from the aluminium-lithium alloy dust and 97.23 % from the wastewater of lithium-ion battery recycling. The cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment resulted in 0.26 kg of CO2 eq/g Li global warming impacts for wastewater of lithium-ion battery recycling, and 46.40 kg of CO2 eq/g Li for aluminium-lithium alloy dust. Material flow cost accounting showed lower recovery costs for wastewater (0.36 €/g Li versus 129.26 €/g Li). Energy consumption in the reactor is the primary hotspot, where optimizing energy and time efficiency could reduce environmental and economic impacts.
SARS-CoV-2 RNA Presence in Outdoor Air of Public Spaces in Valladolid During Winter, 2021
Publication . Silva, Priscilla Gomes da; Gonçalves, José; Rodriguéz, Elisa; García-Encina, Pedro A.; Nascimento, Maria São José; Sousa, Sofia I. V.; Mesquita, João R.; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente; Springer
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve and herd immunity establishes, an increasing number of asymptomatic infections have been reported, increasing the risk of airborne spread of the virus. Most of the studies regarding SARS-CoV-2 RNA presence in air refer to indoor environments, with few studies having reported SARS-CoV-2 RNA in outdoor air. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at two different settings, crowded outdoor versus empty outdoor environments in Valladolid, Spain, during winter 2021. Using a Coriolis® air sampler, samples were taken from nine different locations within the city center. RNA extraction and a one-step RT-qPCR were carried out. Six out of the 20 air samples were found to be positive, and they were all obtained from crowded outdoor environments. These results highlight that although in less quantity, SARS-CoV-2 RNA is still present in outdoor air, especially at moments of relaxed mitigation efforts and depending on the number of people present.
Multi-scale solar-to-hydrogen system design
Publication . Teixeira, Cristina; Alexandre, Miguel; Rodrigues, Leonardo; Vicente, António T.; Reis-Machado, Ana S.; Correia, Cristina B.; Ramos, Cristiano P.; Mendes, Adélio; Martins, Rodrigo; Mendes, Manuel J.; CENIMAT-i3N - Centro de Investigação de Materiais (Lab. Associado I3N); DCM - Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais; UNINOVA-Instituto de Desenvolvimento de Novas Tecnologias; LAQV@REQUIMTE; DQ - Departamento de Química; Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.
Hydrogen produced from renewable energy holds significant potential in providing sustainable solutions to achieve Net-Positive goals. However, one technical challenge hindering its widespread adoption is the absence of open-source precise modeling tools for sizing and simulating integrated system components under real-world conditions. In this work, we developed an adaptable, user-friendly and open-source Python® model that simulates grid-connected battery-assisted photovoltaic-electrolyzer systems for green hydrogen production and conversion into high-value chemicals and fuels. The code is publicly available on GitHub, enabling users to predict solar hydrogen system performance across various sizes and locations. The model was applied to three locations with distinct climatic patterns – Sines (Portugal), Edmonton (Canada), and Crystal Brook (Australia) – using commercial photovoltaic and electrolyzer systems, and empirical data from different meteorological databases. Sines emerged as the most productive site, with an annual photovoltaic energy yield 39 % higher than Edmonton and 9 % higher than Crystal Brook. When considering an electrolyzer load with 0.5 WEC/WpPV capacity solely powered by the photovoltaic park, the solar-to-hydrogen system in Sines can reach an annual green hydrogen production of 27 g/WpPV and export 283 Wh/WpPV of surplus electricity to the grid. Continuous 24/7 electrolyzer operation increased the annual hydrogen output to 33 g/WpPV, with a reduced Levelized Cost of Hydrogen of €6.42/kgH2. Overall, this work aims to advance green hydrogen production scale-up, fostering a more sustainable global economy.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Número da atribuição
UIDP/00511/2020