Bio-oil is chemically and thermally unstable during storage and transportation. For that reason, it is necessary to evaluate the changes in the properties (chemical and physical) of bio-oil during storage to understand its chemical instability, which will further assist researchers in stabilization strategies. This paper describes the evaluation of an accelerated aging process on the physical and chemical properties of bio-oil from fast pyrolysis of ash and birch woods using two different pyrolyzers, a pilot scale (auger) and lab scale (tube furnace), respectively. The produced oils (freshly made) were aged at 80 °C over different periods (1, 3, and 7 days) in sealed nitrogen-purged Nalgene vessels. Fresh oil was analyzed alongside aged oils. Bio-oils were characterized by viscometer, Karl Fischer titration (H2O), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), photo-microscopy, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The water content, viscosity, decomposition temperature (TGA) and ash content levels in bio-oil samples all increased as the aging period lengthened. GC/MS analysis showed a major reduction in GC-analyzable components. The mass of residue remaining after pyrolysis-GC/MS increased, and the structures of pyrolysis products of this non-volatile residue along with NMR and FTIR data suggest the following aging processes; some of the reactive compounds undergo polymerization or reaction with other compounds, including olefins, alcohols, and aldehydes. Some possible reaction mechanisms are given. The oils remained as a single phase throughout the initial study period; however, on day 7, a clear phase separation was observed by photo-microscopy

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers (BTEX) are known to affect environmental air and health quality. In this study, the levels of BTEX compounds were determined in indoor air environments during the winter generated by several different heaters: diesel pot-bellied heater with chimney (DH); electric heater (EH); unfluted gas heater (GH); kerosene heater (KH); and wood pot-bellied heater with chimney (WH). The samples were collected using a diffusion passive adsorbent (activated charcoal) and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the heaters differ in the quantity of BTEX released during operation. The KH was the most polluted heater based on BTEX measurement, followed by DH. The ∑BTEX for heaters were observed as follows: KH (290 μg m−3); DH (120 μg m−3); GH (84 μg m−3); WH (31 μg m−3); EH (16 μg m−3). Toluene was the predominant compound in all air samples. In KH and DH, the toluene to benzene ratios (T/B) were higher than 4 due to fuel evaporation, while GH had a T/B ratio of 3.9, indicating that the combustion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was the main source. Moreover, a risk assessment was performed to evaluate where the cancer risks (CR) for benzene and ethylbenzene exceeded the critical values (10−6). KH was found to be the most harmful heater for residents, followed by DH and GH. For non-carcinogenic compounds, hazard quotients (HQ) were found to be less than one and thus unlikely to cause health problems.

In this study, the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the street soil of Ma’an City, Jordan. The probable sources of PAHs in the soils were estimated by using diagnostic ratios. PAHs were extracted from soil samples via the ultrasonic extraction method using three portions of 20 mL of n-hexane/acetone mixture. The most priority environmental protection agency 13 PAHs were determined in the extract using gas chromatography–mass spectrometer. The results showed that average concentrations of ∑13PAHs ranged from 77.0 to 917.4 ng/g, and the 3- and 4-rings PAHs were the most abundant PAHs detected in the soil samples (~ 60% of the PAH total concentrations). The ratios showed that the PAHs in Ma’an’s street soil have both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis showed that the content of ∑13PAHs is directly correlated to the total organic matter (TOM) in the soil. Analysis of variance indicated that Ma’an city mostly had the same sources for ∑13PAHs.

Direct infusion-electrospray ionization (ESI)-Ion-Trap MS and ESI-Ion-Trap MS2 were used for direct analysis of bio-oil from forest residue and reference bio-oils from cellulose and hardwood lignin. It was found that the bio-oil concentration and mode of MS analysis are important parameters in obtaining reproducible and structurally informative data. In order to study sensitivity and selectivity with ESI-Ion-Trap MS, a selection of model compounds were studied with and without dopants. Dopants included NaCl, formic acid and NH4Cl in positive ion mode and NaOH and NH4Cl in negative ion mode. NH4Cl addition can be used to distinguish carbohydrate-derived products from other bio-oil components. NaOH and NaCl additives produced the highest peak intensities in negative ion mode as deprotonated adducts and in positive mode as sodiated adducts, respectively. ESI-MS2 was used successfully for confirmation of individual target ions such as levoglucosan and cellobiosan, as well for some structural products of lignin. Simple bio-oil fractionation into hydrophilic and hydrophobic components provided less complex and more interpretive ion spectra.

Background The chemical composition of Handal (Citrullus colocynthis L.) seed oil cultivated in Jordan deserts was characterized, and its bioactivity was evaluated. Methods The oil was extracted from the grinded seeds in 500 ml Soxhlet extractor for 24 hr using n‐hexane, and the recovered fatty acids were methylated with methanolic‐HCL. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) composition was analyzed using GC‐MS and GC‐FID. The anticancer activity associated with the oil was assessed against colon cancer cell lines (Caco‐2 and HCT‐116) and compared to its cytotoxicity on the human skin fibroblast. Multivariate analysis was used to determine relationship of the fatty acid composition with that of the anticancer activity. Results The results demonstrated that fatty acid composition of Citrullus colocynthis seed oil chiefly contains Linoleic acid, denoted as C18:2n6 (75%), followed by Palmitic acid C16:0 (8%), Stearic acid C18:0 (5%), and Oleic acid C18:1n9 (9%). It is demonstrated as an excellent source of essential fatty acids omega‐6 (e.g., Linoleic acid), whereas omega‐3 (e.g., α‐Linolenic acid) and hydroxy polyunsaturated fatty acids are found at small level. Interestingly, the oil exhibited reasonable anticancer effects against colorectal cancer cell lines with IC50 values varying between 4 and 7 mg/ml. The correlation test revealed a relationship between the fatty acid composition and the effectiveness on treatments. Conclusions Handal plant from Jordan appears to have very high level of Linoleic acid compared to other oils measured in different geographic locations and that there appears to be some anticancer activities associated with the fatty acid content of Handal seed oil.

Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn were measured in the samples of street dust and surface roadside soil before Jordan switched to unleaded fuel usage. The samples were collected from Petra, the most tourist-attractive site in Jordan. The samples were analyzed for heavy metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Our results show that the distribution of metals in the soil samples is affected by wind direction in the investigated area. The highest level of metals was found in the eastern parts of the roads due to the westerly-dominant wind in the studied area. The contamination levels of metals decrease as the distance from the edge of the road increases. In the roadside soil samples, the means for the concentrations of the metals at 1 m from the east side of the main road are 1.0, 19.1, 3791.4, 177.0, and 129.0 mg kg−1 for Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn, respectively. In the samples of street dust, the means of the concentrations of the metals in the investigated area are 9.7, 11.8, 4694.4, 31.6, and 24.8 mg kg−1 for Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn, respectively. In conclusion, the lithogenic origins (traffic emissions) are responsible for the diffusion of these metals in the studied region.

Iron (II) and other heavy-metal tolerance in bacteria isolated from rock varnish in the arid region of Al-Jafer Basin, Jordan. Biodiversitas 18: 1250-1257. This study deals with enumeration, identification and molecular characterization of bacterial species tolerant of iron (II) and other heavy metals that isolated from rock varnish collected from the arid region of Al-Jafer Basin, Jordan. Based on conventional culture-dependent methods, six isolates exhibited a high degree of tolerance to iron (II) and other heavy metals with a minimum inhibitory concentration (550–600 mg/L) to iron, (500-550 mg/L) to lead, (350 mg/L) to copper, (400-450 mg/L) to chromium, (150-200 mg/L) to silver, and (150-200 mg/L) to mercury, in solid media. The results showed that all isolates could tolerate 2000 mg/L Fe2+ expressed as maximum tolerance concentration (MTC). The multiple metal resistances of these isolates were also associated with multiple antibiotic resistances. These iron tolerant isolates were shown to be capable of growth at temperatures ranging from 30 to 40°C and pH values ranging from 5 to 9 with some differences between the six isolates. On the basis of morphology and of 16S rDNA gene sequencing and phylogeny analysis, the iron-tolerant isolates were identified as Bacillus zhangzhouensis (DVCr1), Staphylococcus warneri (DVCr6), Bacillus cereus (DVCr7), Staphylococcus pasteuri (DVCu2), Brevibacterium frigoritolerans (DVPb) and Bacillus altitudinis (DVCr10). The 16S rDNA sequences from five of the six strains were submitted to GenBank and are available under the accession numbers KX781139, KX781140, KX781141, KX781145 and KX781148. The results highlight the high potential of a non-polluted habitat like rock varnish to provide new microbial communities that could be used for enhanced bioremediation of heavy metals from a contaminated site.

Herein Handal oil extraction from waste biomass is investigated for biodiesel production via esterification and transesterification processes. Furthermore, the physicochemical characteristics of Handal biodiesel (density, kinematic viscosity, specific gravity, pour point, flash point, and cloud point) was performed along with testing the fuel quality used in internal combustion engines. The flash point of the obtained Handal biodiesel (49.5 °C) was lower than that of petroleum diesel (68.3 °C). While at 40 °C, the kinematic viscosity of used Handal oil (4.476 cSt), which was higher than that of diesel fuel (2.6 cSt) and fossil diesel (2.27 cSt). Pourpoint of the used Handal oil was −9 and lower than that of Handal biodiesel, which is +3. The sulfur content of Handal oils was 193 mg/kg, which was higher than the Handal biodiesel value of 62 mg/kg, but significantly lower than that of diesel fuels (≤100 ppm). Similar engine performance regarding thermal efficiency between pure diesel and biodiesel at different engine speeds and loads was detected. The utilisation of such waste stream (Handal wild plant) in the production of biodiesel fuel will aid upcycling an otherwise waste and problematic thermochemical conversion feedstock by adding value for the application in the energy sector.

A combination of pyrolysis-GC/MS and TLC-FID techniques were used for whole sample analysis of bio-oil samples obtained from different liginocellulosic biomasses, (i.e., birch wood, pine wood, barley straw and forest residue and thermal-cracking fractions). Both techniques showed the ability to analyze the whole sample without cleanup or fractionation and to distinguish among the bio-oils based on their feedstock sources. The TLC-FID is a chromatographic method whereby the oil solution is spotted on a TLC rod, developed by a two solvent system and the chromatographic bands measured by flame ionization detection (FID). The Py-GC/MS instrument uses a sample cup and a vertical microfurnace to analysis bio-oils. The non-volatiles fraction remaining in the cup were weighed after thermal evaporation-GC/MS. The hardwood birch bio-oil was shown to have syringol and its derivatives compared to pine wood and barley straw bio-oils that were shown to have methoxyphenolic and non-methoxy-phenolic compounds, respectively. TLC-FID shows clear differences in the peak areas and shapes for the bio-oils fractions by solvent development on chromarods and are in agreement with the results obtained by Py-GC/MS. Furthermore, forest residue bio-oil and its thermal cracking fractions could be effectively characterized by TLC-FID (and Py-GC/MS) whereby the light fraction was composed of a wide range of lower polarity compounds while middle and heavy fraction had higher polarity compounds.

Bio-oil is chemically and thermally unstable during storage and transportation. For that reason, it is necessary to evaluate the changes in the properties (chemical and physical) of bio-oil during storage to understand its chemical instability, which will further assist researchers in stabilization strategies. This paper describes the evaluation of an accelerated aging process on the physical and chemical properties of bio-oil from fast pyrolysis of ash and birch woods using two different pyrolyzers, a pilot scale (auger) and lab scale (tube furnace), respectively. The produced oils (freshly made) were aged at 80 °C over different periods (1, 3, and 7 days) in sealed nitrogen-purged Nalgene vessels. Fresh oil was analyzed alongside aged oils. Bio-oils were characterized by viscometer, Karl Fischer titration (H2O), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), photo-microscopy, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The water content, viscosity, decomposition temperature (TGA) and ash content levels in bio-oil samples all increased as the aging period lengthened. GC/MS analysis showed a major reduction in GC-analyzable components. The mass of residue remaining after pyrolysis-GC/MS increased, and the structures of pyrolysis products of this non-volatile residue along with NMR and FTIR data suggest the following aging processes; some of the reactive compounds undergo polymerization or reaction with other compounds, including olefins, alcohols, and aldehydes. Some possible reaction mechanisms are given. The oils remained as a single phase throughout the initial study period; however, on day 7, a clear phase separation was observed by photo-microscopy

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers (BTEX) are known to affect environmental air and health quality. In this study, the levels of BTEX compounds were determined in indoor air environments during the winter generated by several different heaters: diesel pot-bellied heater with chimney (DH); electric heater (EH); unfluted gas heater (GH); kerosene heater (KH); and wood pot-bellied heater with chimney (WH). The samples were collected using a diffusion passive adsorbent (activated charcoal) and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the heaters differ in the quantity of BTEX released during operation. The KH was the most polluted heater based on BTEX measurement, followed by DH. The ∑BTEX for heaters were observed as follows: KH (290 μg m−3); DH (120 μg m−3); GH (84 μg m−3); WH (31 μg m−3); EH (16 μg m−3). Toluene was the predominant compound in all air samples. In KH and DH, the toluene to benzene ratios (T/B) were higher than 4 due to fuel evaporation, while GH had a T/B ratio of 3.9, indicating that the combustion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was the main source. Moreover, a risk assessment was performed to evaluate where the cancer risks (CR) for benzene and ethylbenzene exceeded the critical values (10−6). KH was found to be the most harmful heater for residents, followed by DH and GH. For non-carcinogenic compounds, hazard quotients (HQ) were found to be less than one and thus unlikely to cause health problems.

In this study, the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the street soil of Ma’an City, Jordan. The probable sources of PAHs in the soils were estimated by using diagnostic ratios. PAHs were extracted from soil samples via the ultrasonic extraction method using three portions of 20 mL of n-hexane/acetone mixture. The most priority environmental protection agency 13 PAHs were determined in the extract using gas chromatography–mass spectrometer. The results showed that average concentrations of ∑13PAHs ranged from 77.0 to 917.4 ng/g, and the 3- and 4-rings PAHs were the most abundant PAHs detected in the soil samples (~ 60% of the PAH total concentrations). The ratios showed that the PAHs in Ma’an’s street soil have both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis showed that the content of ∑13PAHs is directly correlated to the total organic matter (TOM) in the soil. Analysis of variance indicated that Ma’an city mostly had the same sources for ∑13PAHs.

Direct infusion-electrospray ionization (ESI)-Ion-Trap MS and ESI-Ion-Trap MS2 were used for direct analysis of bio-oil from forest residue and reference bio-oils from cellulose and hardwood lignin. It was found that the bio-oil concentration and mode of MS analysis are important parameters in obtaining reproducible and structurally informative data. In order to study sensitivity and selectivity with ESI-Ion-Trap MS, a selection of model compounds were studied with and without dopants. Dopants included NaCl, formic acid and NH4Cl in positive ion mode and NaOH and NH4Cl in negative ion mode. NH4Cl addition can be used to distinguish carbohydrate-derived products from other bio-oil components. NaOH and NaCl additives produced the highest peak intensities in negative ion mode as deprotonated adducts and in positive mode as sodiated adducts, respectively. ESI-MS2 was used successfully for confirmation of individual target ions such as levoglucosan and cellobiosan, as well for some structural products of lignin. Simple bio-oil fractionation into hydrophilic and hydrophobic components provided less complex and more interpretive ion spectra.

Background The chemical composition of Handal (Citrullus colocynthis L.) seed oil cultivated in Jordan deserts was characterized, and its bioactivity was evaluated. Methods The oil was extracted from the grinded seeds in 500 ml Soxhlet extractor for 24 hr using n‐hexane, and the recovered fatty acids were methylated with methanolic‐HCL. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) composition was analyzed using GC‐MS and GC‐FID. The anticancer activity associated with the oil was assessed against colon cancer cell lines (Caco‐2 and HCT‐116) and compared to its cytotoxicity on the human skin fibroblast. Multivariate analysis was used to determine relationship of the fatty acid composition with that of the anticancer activity. Results The results demonstrated that fatty acid composition of Citrullus colocynthis seed oil chiefly contains Linoleic acid, denoted as C18:2n6 (75%), followed by Palmitic acid C16:0 (8%), Stearic acid C18:0 (5%), and Oleic acid C18:1n9 (9%). It is demonstrated as an excellent source of essential fatty acids omega‐6 (e.g., Linoleic acid), whereas omega‐3 (e.g., α‐Linolenic acid) and hydroxy polyunsaturated fatty acids are found at small level. Interestingly, the oil exhibited reasonable anticancer effects against colorectal cancer cell lines with IC50 values varying between 4 and 7 mg/ml. The correlation test revealed a relationship between the fatty acid composition and the effectiveness on treatments. Conclusions Handal plant from Jordan appears to have very high level of Linoleic acid compared to other oils measured in different geographic locations and that there appears to be some anticancer activities associated with the fatty acid content of Handal seed oil.

Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn were measured in the samples of street dust and surface roadside soil before Jordan switched to unleaded fuel usage. The samples were collected from Petra, the most tourist-attractive site in Jordan. The samples were analyzed for heavy metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Our results show that the distribution of metals in the soil samples is affected by wind direction in the investigated area. The highest level of metals was found in the eastern parts of the roads due to the westerly-dominant wind in the studied area. The contamination levels of metals decrease as the distance from the edge of the road increases. In the roadside soil samples, the means for the concentrations of the metals at 1 m from the east side of the main road are 1.0, 19.1, 3791.4, 177.0, and 129.0 mg kg−1 for Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn, respectively. In the samples of street dust, the means of the concentrations of the metals in the investigated area are 9.7, 11.8, 4694.4, 31.6, and 24.8 mg kg−1 for Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn, respectively. In conclusion, the lithogenic origins (traffic emissions) are responsible for the diffusion of these metals in the studied region.

Iron (II) and other heavy-metal tolerance in bacteria isolated from rock varnish in the arid region of Al-Jafer Basin, Jordan. Biodiversitas 18: 1250-1257. This study deals with enumeration, identification and molecular characterization of bacterial species tolerant of iron (II) and other heavy metals that isolated from rock varnish collected from the arid region of Al-Jafer Basin, Jordan. Based on conventional culture-dependent methods, six isolates exhibited a high degree of tolerance to iron (II) and other heavy metals with a minimum inhibitory concentration (550–600 mg/L) to iron, (500-550 mg/L) to lead, (350 mg/L) to copper, (400-450 mg/L) to chromium, (150-200 mg/L) to silver, and (150-200 mg/L) to mercury, in solid media. The results showed that all isolates could tolerate 2000 mg/L Fe2+ expressed as maximum tolerance concentration (MTC). The multiple metal resistances of these isolates were also associated with multiple antibiotic resistances. These iron tolerant isolates were shown to be capable of growth at temperatures ranging from 30 to 40°C and pH values ranging from 5 to 9 with some differences between the six isolates. On the basis of morphology and of 16S rDNA gene sequencing and phylogeny analysis, the iron-tolerant isolates were identified as Bacillus zhangzhouensis (DVCr1), Staphylococcus warneri (DVCr6), Bacillus cereus (DVCr7), Staphylococcus pasteuri (DVCu2), Brevibacterium frigoritolerans (DVPb) and Bacillus altitudinis (DVCr10). The 16S rDNA sequences from five of the six strains were submitted to GenBank and are available under the accession numbers KX781139, KX781140, KX781141, KX781145 and KX781148. The results highlight the high potential of a non-polluted habitat like rock varnish to provide new microbial communities that could be used for enhanced bioremediation of heavy metals from a contaminated site.

Herein Handal oil extraction from waste biomass is investigated for biodiesel production via esterification and transesterification processes. Furthermore, the physicochemical characteristics of Handal biodiesel (density, kinematic viscosity, specific gravity, pour point, flash point, and cloud point) was performed along with testing the fuel quality used in internal combustion engines. The flash point of the obtained Handal biodiesel (49.5 °C) was lower than that of petroleum diesel (68.3 °C). While at 40 °C, the kinematic viscosity of used Handal oil (4.476 cSt), which was higher than that of diesel fuel (2.6 cSt) and fossil diesel (2.27 cSt). Pourpoint of the used Handal oil was −9 and lower than that of Handal biodiesel, which is +3. The sulfur content of Handal oils was 193 mg/kg, which was higher than the Handal biodiesel value of 62 mg/kg, but significantly lower than that of diesel fuels (≤100 ppm). Similar engine performance regarding thermal efficiency between pure diesel and biodiesel at different engine speeds and loads was detected. The utilisation of such waste stream (Handal wild plant) in the production of biodiesel fuel will aid upcycling an otherwise waste and problematic thermochemical conversion feedstock by adding value for the application in the energy sector.

A combination of pyrolysis-GC/MS and TLC-FID techniques were used for whole sample analysis of bio-oil samples obtained from different liginocellulosic biomasses, (i.e., birch wood, pine wood, barley straw and forest residue and thermal-cracking fractions). Both techniques showed the ability to analyze the whole sample without cleanup or fractionation and to distinguish among the bio-oils based on their feedstock sources. The TLC-FID is a chromatographic method whereby the oil solution is spotted on a TLC rod, developed by a two solvent system and the chromatographic bands measured by flame ionization detection (FID). The Py-GC/MS instrument uses a sample cup and a vertical microfurnace to analysis bio-oils. The non-volatiles fraction remaining in the cup were weighed after thermal evaporation-GC/MS. The hardwood birch bio-oil was shown to have syringol and its derivatives compared to pine wood and barley straw bio-oils that were shown to have methoxyphenolic and non-methoxy-phenolic compounds, respectively. TLC-FID shows clear differences in the peak areas and shapes for the bio-oils fractions by solvent development on chromarods and are in agreement with the results obtained by Py-GC/MS. Furthermore, forest residue bio-oil and its thermal cracking fractions could be effectively characterized by TLC-FID (and Py-GC/MS) whereby the light fraction was composed of a wide range of lower polarity compounds while middle and heavy fraction had higher polarity compounds.