4 Material und Umwelt
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Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 4 Material und Umwelt (109)
- 4.1 Biologische Materialschädigung und Referenzorganismen (29)
- 4.3 Schadstofftransfer und Umwelttechnologien (21)
- 4.5 Kunst- und Kulturgutanalyse (19)
- 4.4 Thermochemische Reststoffbehandlung und Wertstoffrückgewinnung (17)
- 4.0 Abteilungsleitung und andere (16)
- 4.2 Material-Mikrobiom Wechselwirkungen (13)
- 6 Materialchemie (9)
- 1 Analytische Chemie; Referenzmaterialien (5)
- 6.2 Material- und Oberflächentechnologien (4)
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Eingeladener Vortrag
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Fluorides are well-known as wood preservatives. One of the limitations of fluoride-based wood preservatives is their high leachability. Alternative to current fluoride salts such as NaF used in wood protection are low water-soluble fluorides. However, impregnation of low water-soluble fluorides into wood poses a challenge. To address this challenge, low water-soluble fluorides like calcium fluoride (CaF2) and magnesium fluoride (MgF2) were synthesized as nanoparticles via the fluorolytic sol−gel synthesis and then impregnated into wood specimens. In this study, the toxicity of nano metal fluorides was assessed by termite mortality, mass loss and visual analysis of treated specimens after eight weeks of exposure to termites, Coptotermes formosanus. Nano metal fluorides with sol concentrations of 0.5 M and higher were found to be effective against termites resulting in 100% termite mortality and significantly inhibited termite feeding. Among the formulations tested, the least damage was found for specimens treated with combinations of CaF2 and MgF2 with an average mass loss less than 1% and visual rating of “1”. These results demonstrate the efficacy of low water-soluble nano metal fluorides to protect Wood from termite attack.
Biofilms cause complications and high costs in both industry and medicine. Of particular interest are bacterial infections of prosthetic materials, which usually cannot be eliminated due to the high antibiotic resistance known for bacteria forming biofilms. The search for new materials and coatings with lower colonization potential and antibacterial activity is of great importance to reduce biofilm formation. However, there is no standardized procedure to examine the colonization characteristics of bacteria in the Biofilm state in situ. Here, we describe an automated epifluorescence microscopy system for the semi-quantitative analysis of three-dimensional (3D) biofilms on various surfaces. To analyze adherent bacteria, three materials (glass, steel and titanium) were incubated with bacteria in a flow chamber system. After fluorescence staining of the bacteria, automated image capturing, quantification of the bacteria, measurement of the colonized area and determination of the 3D biofilm height were carried out by using novel software.
Furthermore, the materials were examined for their surface topography using white light scanning interferometry. Titanium compared to glass showed a significantly higher number of adherent bacteria.
We argue that this was due to the higher microroughness of titanium. The colonized area was in accordance with the number of adherent bacteria and was also significantly larger on titanium coupons compared to glass. Maximum 3D biofilm height on glass coupons was significantly lower compared to the ones on steel and titanium. This novel method enables the standardized, automated investigation of the colonization with bacteria on different materials. This approach can considerably support the characterization of new material surfaces and their innovative coatings by analyzing the amount of attached Bacteria and thickness of biofilms in situ and eliminates the need of conventional cultivation.
Fungi that share light-flooded habitats with phototrophs may profit from their excess photosynthetic products. But to cope with sunlight-associated stresses [e.g. high temperatures, UV radiation with associated DNA damage, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), desiccation and osmotic stresses] it is important for fungi to accurately sense and respond to changes in light. To test the hypothesis that light is an environmental cue that Ascomycota use to coordinate growth, stress responses as well as to establish pathogenic or symbiotic relationships, the photoreceptor (PR) distribution in species from different ecological niches was analysed. The genomes of black [dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin-containing] fungi from phyllosphere and exposed solid surfaces contain multiple photoreceptors (PRs). The plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea (Leotiomycetes) has a highly sophisticated photosensory and signalling system that helps to avoid light and to locate susceptible hosts. Rock-inhabiting Dothideomycetes and Eurotiomycetes including Knufia petricola possess equal numbers ofPRs along with the same set of protective pigments. This similarity between black fungi from plant and rock surfaces suggests that photoperception and -regulation are important for fungi that receive nutrients through cooperation with phototrophs. Genetic tools for manipulating K. petricola exist and will be used to test this idea.
Based on recently published research on leaching control mechanisms in electric arc furnace (EAF) slags, it is assumed that a FeO/SiO2 ratio of around one leads to low leached V and Cr concentrations. This ratio influences the mineral phase composition of the slag toward higher amounts of spinel and a lower solubility of calcium silicate phases by suppressing the formation of magnesiowuestite and highly soluble calcium silicate phases. To evaluate this hypothesis, laboratory and scaled up tests in an EAF pilot plant were performed on slag samples characterized by elevated V and Cr leaching and a high FeO/SiO2 ratio. Prior to the melting experiments, the optimum FeO/SiO2 ratio was calculated via FactSageTM. In the melting experiments, the ratio was adjusted by adding quartz sand, which also decreased the basicity (CaO/SiO2) of the slag. As a reference, remelting experiments without quartz sand addition were conducted and additionally, the influence of the cooling rate of the slag was examined. The remelted (without quartz sand) and the remelted modified slags (with quartz sand) were analyzed chemically and mineralogically and the leaching behavior was investigated. The modification of the slags yielded a minimized release of V and Cr, supporting the hypothesis that the FeO/SiO2 ratio influences the mineralogy and the leaching behavior.
Calcium alkali phosphates Ca(Na,K)PO4 are main constituents of bioceramics and thermochemically produced phosphorus fertilizers because of their bioavailability. Sparse thermodynamic data are available for the endmembers CaNaPO4 and CaKPO4. In this work, the missing data were determined for the low-temperature phase modifications of the endmembers CaNaPO4 and CaKPO4 and three intermediate Ca(Na,K)PO4 compositions. Standard enthalpy of formation ranges from - 2018.3 ± 2.2 kJ mol-1 to - 2030.5 ± 2.1 kJ mol-1 and standard entropy from 137.2 ± 1.0 J mol-1 K-1 to 148.6 ± 1.0 J mol-1 K-1 from sodium endmember b-CaNaPO4 to potassium endmember b0-CaKPO4.
Thermodynamic functions are calculated up to 1400 K for endmembers and the sodium-rich intermediate phase b-Ca(Na0.93K0.07)PO4. Functions above 640 K are extrapolated because of the phase transition from low- to high-temperature phase. Impurities in the synthesized intermediate phases c-Ca(Na0.4K0.6)PO4 and c-Ca Na0.35K0.65)PO4 and one additional phase transition around 500 K impeded the determination of high-temperature thermodynamic functions. In general, data for phase transition temperatures agree with the previously reported phase diagrams.
For osmoadaptation the halophilic bacterium Halomonas elongata synthesizes as its main compatible solute the aspartate derivative ectoine. H. elongata does not rely entirely on synthesis but can accumulate ectoine by uptake from the surrounding environment with the help of the osmoregulated transporter TeaABC. Disruption of the TeaABC-mediated ectoine uptake creates a strain that is constantly losing ectoine to the medium. However, the efflux mechanism of ectoine in H. elongata is not yet understood. H. elongata possesses four genes encoding mechanosensitive channels all of which belong to the small conductance type (MscS). Analysis by qRT-PCR revealed a reduction in transcription of the mscS genes with increasing salinity. The response of H. elongata to hypo- and hyperosmotic shock never resulted in up-regulation but rather in downregulation of mscS transcription. Deletion of all four mscS genes created a mutant that was unable to cope with hypoosmotic shock. However, the knockout mutant grew significantly faster than the wildtype at high salinity of 2 M NaCl, and most importantly, still exported 80% of the ectoine compared to the wildtype. We thus conclude that a yet unknown system, which is independent of mechanosensitive channels, is the major export route for ectoine in H. elongata.
Timber is constantly exposed to environmental influences under outdoor conditions which limits its Lifetime and usability. In order to counteract the damaging processes caused by insects, we have developed a novel and more environmentally friendly method to protect wood materials via covalent modification by organic insecticides. Starting with an important class of synthetic insecticides which are derived from the natural insecticide nicotine, various new carboxylic acid derivatives of imidacloprid were made accessible. These activated neonicotinoids were utilized for the chemical modification of wood hydroxy groups. In contrast to conventional wood preservation methods in which biocides are only physically bound to the surface for a limited time, the covalent fixation of the preservative guarantees a permanent effect against wood pests, demonstrated in standardized biological tests. Additionally, the environmental interaction caused by non-bound neonicotinoids is significantly reduced, since both, a smaller application rate is required and leaching of the active ingredient is prevented. By minimizing the pest infestation, the lifetime of the material increases while preserving the natural appearance of the material.
After their discovery on rock surfaces in cold and hot deserts, a polyphyletic group of ascomycetous black fungi was found to dominate a range of hostile environments – natural and man-made, from salterns to dishwashers, roofs and solar panels. Together with bacteria and algae they may establish subaerial biofilms and cause weathering of the surfaces they grow on. Their impressive survival abilities as well as their constitutive protective pigmentation and cluster-like microcolony organisation are similar in environmental isolates as well as in heat-tolerant opportunistic pathogens of animals and humans. We selected the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola (class Eurotiomycetes, order Chaetothyriales) that exhibits all the characteristics of microcolonial black fungi such as yeast-like cell growth, absence of reproductive structures and constitutive dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanogenesis (Nai et al. 2013, Fungal Genet Biol). We developed protocols to efficiently generate and transform protoplasts resulting in stable homokaryotic transformants by targeting genes involved in pigment synthesis. The differences between the wild-type fungus and its melanin-deficient mutants were tested in geomicrobiological experiments and measured are now discussed in detail, with special accent on the possible effects of the mutation on EPS and other exuded substances.
More sustainable waste management practices are an important element in the Transformation towards a circular economy (CE). Activities in this area should be dedicated to all groups of waste, including those generated in the water and sewage sector. This paper presents the characteristics of sewage sludge ash (SSA) coming from Polish municipal waste incineration plants. Due to the high content of nutrients such as phosphorus (8.01% P2O5), calcium (5.11% CaO) and magnesium (2.75% MgO), the analyzed SSA may constitute a valuable source of raw materials for the fertilizer industry.
Despite the good fertilizing properties of the SSA, in some cases the presence of heavy metals such as cadmium (0.74–1.4 mg/kg dry matter), lead (49.8–99 mg/kg dry matter), mercury (3.93 mg/kg dry matter) and arsenic (4.23–4.43 mg/kg dry matter) and poor bioavailability of P from SSA disqualifies this waste from direct use as a fertilizer. Therefore, it is necessary to look for methods that will allow the municipal SSA to be processed, for example, technologies for the extraction of phosphorus and the production of phosphate fertilizer. This way of SSA management is in the line with the CE assumptions, in which waste becomes a valuable source of secondary raw materials. Fertilizer produced from waste meeting quality, safety and labelling requirements and limits of organic, microbiological and physical contaminants will be able to be traded freely within the European Union (EU) and receive the CE marking. The idea of use of SSA for fertilizer purposes is consistent not only with the objectives of the CE but also with the Polish National Waste Management Plan 2022 and the Municipal Sewage Sludge Strategy 2019–2022, which emphasizes the necessity to maximize the use of biogenic substances contained in wastewater. Therefore, sustainable management of SSA, in particular its storage in a way enabling the recovery of phosphorus, should be promoted.
Currently, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is regarded as the main culprit of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), mainly due to the low reported corrosion rates of other microorganisms. For example, the highest reported corrosion rate for methanogens is 0.065 mm/yr. However, by investigating methanogen-induced microbiologically influenced corrosion (Mi-MIC) using an in-house developed versatile multiport flow test column, extremely high corrosion rates were observed. We analyzed a large set of carbon steel beads, which were sectionally embedded into the test columns as substrates for iron-utilizing methanogen Methanobacterium IM1. After 14 days of operation using glass beads as fillers for section separation, the highest average corrosion rate of Methanobacterium IM1 was 0.2 mm/yr, which doubled that of Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5 and Desulfovibrio alaskensis 16109 investigated at the same conditions. At the most corroded region, nearly 80% of the beads lost 1% of their initial weight (fast-corrosion), resulting in an average corrosion rate of 0.2 mm/yr for Methanobacterium IM1-treated columns. When sand was used as filler material to mimic sediment conditions, average corrosion rates for Methanobacterium IM1 increased to 0.3 mm/yr (maximum 0.52 mm/yr) with over 83% of the beads having corrosion rates above 0.3 mm/yr. Scanning electron images of metal coupons extracted from the column showed methanogenic cells were clustered close to the metal surface. Methanobacterium IM1 is a hydrogenotrophic methanogen with higher affinity to metal than H2. Unlike SRB, Methanobacterium IM1 is not restricted to the availability of sulfate concentration in the environment. Thus, the use of the multiport flow column provided a new insight on the corrosion potential of methanogens, particularly in dynamic conditions, that offers new opportunities for monitoring and development of mitigation strategies. Overall, this study shows under certain conditions methanogenic archaea can cause higher corrosion than SRB, specific quantifications, i.e., maximum, average, and minimum corrosion rates can be determined, and that spatial statistical evaluations of MIC can be carried out.
Dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin is produced by different Ascomycetes via slightly differing biosynthetic routes. The polyketide synthases (PKS) release the heptaketide YWA1, the hexaketide AT4HN or the pentaketide T4HN. The first two products are deacetylated by ‘yellowish-green’ hydrolases to T4HN, and T4HN is further converted by a core set of enzymes to DHN. Final polymerization steps are accomplished by multicopper oxidases. DHN melanogenesis is often regulated in a spatial and temporal fashion resulting e.g. in melanized reproduction, survival and/or infection structures. Remarkable is the regulation of the DHN melanogenesis in the foliar plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea: it involves two differently expressed PKSs providing the precursor in conidia and sclerotia, respectively (Schumacher 2016, Mol Microbiol). In contrast, a polyphyletic group of Ascomycetes (microcolonial fungi/ black yeast) dwelling in hostile habitats such as bare rock surfaces in hot and cold deserts, exhibits constitutive melanogenesis. Here, DHN melanin builds a protective layer around all vegetative cells thus contributing to the survival of diverse environmental stresses even without specialized reproduction structures. As part of our continuing research on microcolonial rock-inhabiting fungi, we chose the genetically amenable Knufia petricola strain A95 (Nai et al. 2013, Fungal Genet Biol; Noack-Schönmann et al. 2014, AMB Express) for detailed studies. DHN-deficient mutants generated by targeted mutation of biosynthetic genes were studied with regard to the architecture of the cell wall and the EPS (extracellular polymeric substances) matrix, attachment to and weathering of olivine, as well as the tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. We will discuss the critical role of the outer cell surface (DHN melanin and EPS) in adhesion to the substrate and subsequent damage of the colonized surface.
Microcolonial black fungi, a polyphyletic group of ascomycetes, exhibit constitutive melanin formation, yeast-like growth and high stress tolerances. They dominate – often together with bacteria and algae in sub-aerial biofilms – a range of hostile environments including natural and man-made ones, from salterns to dishwashers, roofs and solar panels. Because of lacking genetic tools and the slow growth of most isolates, the genetic bases for these specific properties are largely unknown. The rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola (Eurotiomycetes, Chaetothyriales) exhibits all characteristics of microcolonial black fungi and was selected as recipient for genetic engineering to study gene functions and genetic interactions. Different variants of green and red fluorescent proteins were successfully expressed indicating that fluorescence microscopy using genetically encoded fluorescent proteins and fluorescent dyes enables various cell biology approaches. Furthermore, genes of biosynthetic pathways (DHN melanin, carotenoids, uracil, adenine) were successfully mutated by applying traditional gene replacement and plasmid-based or ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based CRISPR/Cas9 or silenced by RNA interference (RNAi). The availability of this advanced and efficient genetic toolbox and the annotated genome sequence of strain A95 makes K. petricola an excellent model for exploring the secrets of microcolonial black fungi.
A genetic toolbox for exploring the life style of the rock-inhabiting black fungus Knufia petricola
(2020)
After their discovery on rock surfaces in cold and hot deserts, a polyphyletic group of ascomycetous black fungi was found to dominate a range of hostile environments – natural and man-made, from salterns to dishwashers, roofs and solar panels. Together with bacteria and algae they may establish subaerial biofilms and cause weathering of the surfaces they grow on. Their impressive survival abilities as well as their constitutive protective pigmentation and cluster-like microcolony organisation are similar in environmental isolates as well as in heat-tolerant opportunistic pathogens of animals and humans. The exact genetic properties that ensure their survival in extreme environments can be studied if some black fungi were amenable to genetic manipulations. We selected the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola (class Eurotiomycetes, order Chaetothyriales) that grows moderately in axenic culture and exhibits all the characteristics of microcolonial black fungi such as yeast-like cell growth, absence of reproductive structures and constitutive dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanogenesis (Nai et al. 2013, Fungal Genet Biol). We developed protocols to efficiently generate and transform protoplasts resulting in stable homokaryotic transformants by targeting genes involved in pigment synthesis and expressing fluorescent reporter genes. Hence, endogenous and foreign genes can be expressed from episomal AMA1-containing plasmids and genome-integrated DNA constructs. Moderate rates of homologous recombination allow for both ectopic and targeted integrations. CRISPR-Cas9 was further validated as a strategy for obtaining selection marker-free mutants and silencing via RNA interference as an approach to study essential genes. Availability of this genetic toolbox and an annotated genome sequence of the strain A95 is paving the way for studying interactions of K. petricola with environmental stressors, material surfaces, soil matrices and phototrophic symbionts.
Uninvited and welcomed guests in museums – biological management of clothes moths and woodworms
(2020)
In museums and historic houses clothes, moths (Tineola bisselliella, Tinea pellionella) and the furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum) are the most economically important pests on textiles or wooden artifacts, respectively. Their management is essential to protect cultural ethnological heritage and natural history collections for future generations.
Pest management strategies have changed over time. Today, intensive knowledge on pest biology and overall material science are key cornerstones in IPM concepts - also for the Museum environment. The important first steps for sustainable pest management are risk assessment, early pest detection and identification of pathways of infestation. These steps are followed by physical and biological means of control, which have lately gained more importance than applying biocides. Several potentially effective biological enemies of clothes moths and woodworm have been known for a long time, but their promotion for pest control in Museums and historic houses is just beginning.
This short review summarizes current concepts of pest life cycle interruption by applying good quarantine and very specific biological measures. The lessons learned from recent faunistic surveys, life-history studies as well as behavioral observations of parasitoids and predators of clothes moths and woodworm may supplement the pest management tool box. The need for further research in this field is addressed.
Terrestrial mud volcanoes are unique structures driven by tectonic pressure and fluids from the deep subsurface. These structures are mainly found in active tectonic zones, such as the area near the Los Bajos Fault in Trinidad. Here we report a chemical and microbiological characterization of three mud volcanoes, which included analyses of multiple liquid and solid samples from the mud volcanoes. Our study confirms previous suggestions that at least some of the mud volcano fluids are a mixture of deeper salt-rich water and surficial/precipitation water. No apparent water quality differences were found between sampling sites north and south of a major geological fault line. Microbiological analyses revealed diverse communities, both aerobic and anaerobic, including sulfate reducers, methanogens, carbon dioxide fixing and denitrifying bacteria. Several identified species were halophilic and likely derived from the deeper salt-rich subsurface water, while we also cultivated pathogenic species from the Vibrionaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Shewanellaceae, and Clostridiaceae. These microorganisms were likely introduced into the mud volcano fluids both from surface water or shallow ground-water, and perhaps to a more minor degree by rain water. The identified pathogens are a major health concern that needs to be addressed.
Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) is one of the leading technologies for municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment in Europe. Incineration bottom ash (IBA) is the main solid residue from MSWI, and its annual European production is about 20 million tons. The composition of IBA depends on the composition of the incinerated waste; therefore, it may contain significant amounts of ferrous and non-ferrous (NFe) metals as well as glass that can be recovered. Technologies for NFe metals recovery have emerged in IBA treatment since the 1990s and became common practice in many developed countries. Although the principles and used apparatus are nearly the same in all treatment trains, the differences in technological approaches to recovery of valuable components from IBA – with a special focus on NFe metals recovery – are summarized in this paper.
Phosphorus (P) resource availability is declining and the efficiency of applied nutrients in agricultural soils is becoming increasingly important. This is especially true for P fertilizers from recycled materials, which often have low plant availability. Specific co-fertilization with ammoniumcan enhance P plant availability in soils amended with these P fertilizers, and thus the yield of plants. To investigate this effect, we performed a pot experiment with maize in slightly acidic soil (pH 6.9) with one water-soluble (triple superphosphate [TSP]) and two water-insoluble (sewage sludge-based and hyperphosphate [Hyp]) P fertilizers and anammoniumsulfate nitrate with or without a nitrification inhibitor (NI). The dry matter yield of maize was significantly increased by the NI with the Hyp (from 14.7 to 21.5 g/pot) and TSP (from 40.0 to 45.4 g/pot) treatments. Furthermore, P uptake was slightly increased in all three P treatments with the NI, but not significantly. Olsen-P extraction and P K-edge micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy showed that apatite-P of the water insoluble P fertilizers mobilized during the plant growth period. In addition, novel nitrogen (N) K-edge micro-XANES spectroscopy and the Mogilevkina method showed that the application of an NI increased the fixation of ammonium in detectable hot spots in the soil. Thus, the delay in the nitrification process by the NI and the possible slow-release of temporarily fixed ammoniumin the soil resulted in a high amount of plant available Ammonium in the soil solution. This development probably decreases the rhizosphere pH due to release of H+ by plants during ammoniumuptake, whichmobilizes phosphorus in the amended soil and increases the dry matter yield of maize. This is especially important for water-insoluble apatite-based P fertilizers (conventional and recycled), which tend to have poor plant availability.
Bottom ash (BA) from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) contains harmful substances such as heavy metals, chloride and sulfate which are mobilized in contact with water. Standardized leaching tests are used to measure the extent of mobilization. It is known that fresh bottom ash displays elevated concentrations of various heavy metals such as lead or zinc due to the formation of hydroxo complexes as a result of high pH values of 12 and above. Storage of BA is accompanied by ageing processes, mainly the reaction of CaO and Ca(OH)2 with CO2 leading to lower pH values in contact with water around 11. Usually heavy metals concentrations are minimum at these conditions. Knowledge of the long-term leaching behavior of potentially harmful substances is crucial for the assessment of the environmental compatibility of reusing municipal solid-waste incineration bottom ash (MSWI BA) in construction, i.e., as a road base layer. BA fractions obtained from wet-processing aiming at the improvement of environmental quality were used to investigate the mobility of relevant substances. Eluates from laboratory-scaled leaching procedures (column percolation and lysimeters) were analyzed to learn about the long-term release of substances. Unsaturated conditions and artificial rainwater were used in the lysimeter tests to simulate field conditions. In addition, batch test eluates were generated at usual liquid-to-solid ratios (L/S) for compliance testing purposes. A variety of cations and anions was measured in the eluates. The wet treatment reduces the leaching of chloride and particularly sulfate by more than 60%. The release of typical contaminants for the treated MSWI BA such as the heavy metals Cu and Cr was well below 1% in the conducted leaching tests. An increase in the Sb concentration was observed in the lysimeter experiments starting at L/S 0.75 L/kg and in the column experiment at L/S 4 L/kg is assumed to be related to decreasing concentrations of Ca and thus to the dissolution of sparingly soluble calcium antimonate. The same leaching mechanism applies with V, but the concentration levels observed are less critical regarding relevant limit values. However, on the long term the behavior of Sb could be problematic for the application of MSWI BA as secondary building material.
Scientific analysis based on spectroscopic methods provide essential information on the composition of colourants and binders in paintings. These results can be set in a historical context and help to confirm art historical interpretations. Proofs of certain pigments can be used for dating purposes and may reveal if the artist used not only local but also imported materials. A pilot study of two Chinese reverse glass paintings from the late 19th (Yingying and Hongniang) and early 20th centuries (The Archer) was performed using a multi-analytical approach including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and Raman spectroscopy. This approach allowed the identification of the pigments and the classification of the binding media. The results reveal a combined use of traditional Chinese and imported European materials. Several pigments like cinnabar, lead white, orpiment, carbon black and copper-arsenic green (probably emerald green) were found in both paintings; red lead, artificial ultramarine blue, Prussian blue and ochre appear in at least one of the paintings. The proof of limewash (calcite and small amounts of portlandite) as a backing layer in “Yingying and Hongniang” indicates that clamshell white was also used for reverse glass paintings. Drying oil was classified as a binding media in most areas of both paintings. However, the orange background of The Archer yielded prominent bands of both proteinaceous and fatty binder.
One of the key elements in the transformation towards a circular economy (CE) is providing more sustainable practices for resources and waste management. Improvement actions focused on transformation towards a CE should be targeted at all groups of materials and waste. As water is essential for human survival and well-being and plays a significant role in sustainable development (SD), the actions related to the reuse of water and the recovery of raw materials from wastewater and other water-based waste should be taken. The paper presents a proposition for a new CE model framework in the water and wastewater sector, which includes the six following actions: reduction—prevent wastewater generation in the first place by the reduction of water usage and pollution reduction at source; reclamation (removal)—an application of effective Technologies for the removal of pollutants from water and wastewater; reuse—reuse of wastewater as an alternative source of water supply (non-potable usage), recycling—recovery of water from wastewater for potable usage; recovery—recovery of resources such as nutrients and energy from water-based waste, and rethink—rethinking how to use resources to create a sustainable economy, which is `free` of waste and emissions. The novelty of the proposed CE model framework is that it presents possible ways of implementing CE principles in the water and wastewater sector, with a strong emphasis not only technological but also organisational and societal changes. Application of the proposed model may help to further transform the European economy to the CE model. Moreover, the indicated model can be significant tool supporting an assessment of local or regional progress towards CE in the water and wastewater sector and further environmental management and planning.