Photocatalytic activity of Fe-doped CaTiO3 under UV-visible light

The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue（MB） over Fe-doped CaTiO3 under UV-visible light was investigated. The as-prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscope（SEM） equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer（EDS） system, Fourier transform infrared spectra（FT-IR）, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy（DRS）. The results show that the doping with Fe significantly promoted the light absorption ability of CaTiO3 in the visible light region. The Fe-doped CaTiO3 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than CaTiO3 for the degradation of MB.However, the photocatalytic activity of the Fe-doped CaTiO3 was greatly influenced by the calcination temperature during the preparation process. The Fe-doped CaTiO3 prepared at500°C exhibited the best photocatalytic activity, with degradation of almost 100% MB（10 ppm）under UV-visible light for 180 min.     

Determination of nitrogen reduction levels necessary to reach groundwater quality targets in Slovenia

Within a collaborative project between Slovenian Environment Agency （ARSO） and Research Center Jfilich （FZJ）, nitrogen reduction levels necessary to reach groundwater quality targets in Slovenia were assessed. For this purpose the hydrological model GROWA- DENUZ was coupled with agricultural N balances and applied consistently to the whole territory of Slovenia in a spatial resolution of 100 x 100 m. GROWA was used to determine the water balance in Slovenia for the hydrologic period 1971-2000. Simultaneously, the displaceable N load in soft was assessed from agricultural Slovenian N surpluses for 2011 and the atmospheric N deposition. Subsequently, the DENUZ model was used to assess the nitrate degradation in soil and, in combination with the percolation water rates from the GROWA model, to determine nitrate concentration in the leachate. The areas showing predicted nitrate concentrations in the leachate above the EU groundwater quality standard of 50 mg NO3/L have been identified as priority areas for implementing nitrogen reduction measures. For these ＂hot spot＂ areas DENUZ was used in a backward mode to quantify the maximal permissible nitrogen surplus levels in agriculture to guarantee a nitrate concentration in percolation water below 50 mg NO3/L. Model results indicate that additional N reduction measures should be implemented in priority areas rather than area-covering. Research work will directly support the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive in Slovenia, e.g., by using the maximal permissible nitrogen surplus levels as a framework for the derivation of regionally adapted and hence effective nitrogen reduction measures.     

Performance and microbial response during the fast reactivation of Anammox system by hydrodynamic stress control

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation （Anammox） has become a promising method for biological nitrogen removal. However, this biotechnology application is always limited due to the low growth rate and biomass yield of Anammox bacteria. This study investigated the process of fast reactivation of an Anammox consortium idled for 2 years uia hydrodynamic stress control. The results showed that the Anammox system was efficiently and quickly reactivated by shortening of the hydraulic retention time （I-IRT） of the reactor from 12 to 6 hr within 68 days of operation. Moreover, at a 4-hr HRT with an influent total nitrogen loading rate of 1.2 kg N/（m3.day）, the reactor maintained high biological performance with an ammonium removal loading rate of 0.52 kg N/（m3.day） and a nitrite removal rate of 0.59 kg N/（m3.day）. In the reactivated Anammox reaction, the stoichiometric coefficients of NH4-N to NOE-N and NH4-N to NO4-N were 1：1.04± 0.08 and 1：0.31 ± 0.03, respectively. The specific Anammox activity and hydrazine oxidoreductase activity, both of which represent the degree of Anammox bacteria present, increased as the hydrodynamic stress increased and were maximally （125.38 ± 3.01 mg N/（g VSS.day） and 339.42 ± 6.83 μmol/（min.g VSS）, respectively） at 4-hr HRT. Microbial response analysis showed that the dominant microbial community was obviously shifted and the dominance of Anammox bacteria was enhanced durinR the hydrodynamic selection.     

Particle number concentration, size distribution and chemical composition during haze and photochemical smog episodes in Shanghai

The aerosol number concentration and size distribution as well as size-resolved particle chemical composition were measured during haze and photochemical smog episodes in Shanghai in 2009. The number of haze days accounted for 43%, of which 30% was severe （visibility 〈 2 km） and moderate （2 km 〈 visibility 〈 3 km） haze, mainly distributed in winter and spring. The mean particle number concentration was about 17,000/cm3 in haze, more than 2 times that in clean days. The greatest increase of particle number concentration was in 0.5-1μm and 1-10 μm size fractions during haze events, about 17.78 times and 8.78 times those of clean days. The largest increase of particle number concentration was within 50-100 nm and 100-200 nm fractions during photochemical smog episodes, about 5.89 times and 4.29 times those of clean days. The particle volume concentration and surface concentration in haze, photochemical smog and clean days were 102, 49, 15 μm3/cm3 and 949, 649, 206 μm2/cm3, respectively. As haze events got more severe, the number concentration of particles smaller than 50 nm decreased, but the particles of 50-200 nm and 0.5-1μm increased. The diurnal variation of particle number concentration showed a bimodal pattern in haze days. All soluble ions were increased during haze events, of which NH4, SO24- and NO3 increased great/y, followed by Na＋, IC, Ca2＋ and CI-. These ions were very different in size-resolved particles during haze and photochemical smog episodes.     

Perchlorate removal using granular activated carbon supported iron compounds: Synthesis, characterization and reactivity

Synthesis and use of the iron compounds supported on granular activated carbon (ICs/GAC) have shown significant environmental implications for perchlorate (ClO 4 ) removal. ICs/GAC was synthesized via hydrolyzing FeSO 4 ·7H 2 O on GAC, reduced by NaBH 4 solution in polyethylene glycol 6000 and ethanol solution, dried in vacuum condition and exposed to air. Synthesized ICs/GAC was characterized using transmission electron micrograph (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). ICs/GAC was determined to be containing a large amount of FeOHSO 4 , Fe 2 O 3 and a small amount of zero-valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles according to TEM and XPS measurements. Batch static kinetic tests showed that 97% of ClO 4 was removed within 10 hr at 90°C and 86% of ClO 4 was removed within 12 hr at 25°C, at ICs/GAC dosage of 20 g/L. The experimental results also showed that FeOHSO 4 and Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles have the function of perchlorate adsorption and play important roles in ClO 4 removal. The activation energy (E a ) was determined to be 9.56 kJ/mol.     

Chemical characteristics of size-resolved aerosols in winter in Beijing

Size-resolved aerosols were continuously collected by a Nano Sampler for 13 days at an urban site in Beijing during winter 2012 to measure the chemical composition of ambient aerosol particles. Data collected by the Nano Sampler and an ACSM(Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor) were compared. Between the data sets,similar trends and strong correlations were observed,demonstrating the validity of the Nano Sampler. PM10 and PM2.5concentrations during the measurement were 150.5 ± 96.0 μg/m3(mean ± standard variation)and 106.9 ± 71.6 μg/m3,respectively. The PM2.5/PM10 ratio was 0.70 ± 0.10,indicating that PM2.5dominated PM10. The aerosol size distributions showed that three size bins of 0.5–1,1–2.5 and 2.5–10 μm contributed 21.8%,23.3% and 26.0% to the total mass concentration(TMC),respectively. OM(organic matter) and SIA(secondary ionic aerosol,mainly SO42-,NO3-and NH4+) were major components of PM2.5. Secondary compounds(SIA and secondary organic carbon) accounted for half of TMC(about 49.8%) in PM2.5,and suggested that secondary aerosols significantly contributed to the serious particulate matter pollution observed in winter. Coal burning,biomass combustion,vehicle emissions and SIA were found to be the main sources of PM2.5. Mass concentrations of water-soluble ions and undetected materials,as well as their fractions in TMC,strikingly increased with deteriorating particle pollution conditions,while OM and EC(elemental carbon) exhibited different variations,with mass concentrations slightly increasing but fractions in TMC decreasing.     

Removal of formaldehyde over MnxCe1-xO2 catalysts: Thermal catalytic oxidation versus ozone catalytic oxidation

MnxCe1- xO2（x： 0.3–0.9） prepared by Pechini method was used as a catalyst for the thermal catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde（HCHO）. At x = 0.3 and 0.5, most of the manganese was incorporated in the fluorite structure of Ce O2 to form a solid solution. The catalytic activity was best at x = 0.5, at which the temperature of 100% removal rate is the lowest（270°C）. The temperature for 100% removal of HCHO oxidation is reduced by approximately 40°C by loading 5 wt.% Cu Oxinto Mn0.5Ce0.5O2. With ozone catalytic oxidation, HCHO（61 ppm） in gas stream was completely oxidized by adding 506 ppm O3 over Mn0.5Ce0.5O2 catalyst with a GHSV（gas hourly space velocity） of 10,000 hr-1at 25°C. The effect of the molar ratio of O3 to HCHO was also investigated. As O3/HCHO ratio was increased from 3 to 8, the removal efficiency of HCHO was increased from 83.3% to 100%. With O3/HCHO ratio of 8, the mineralization efficiency of HCHO to CO2 was 86.1%. At 25°C, the p-type oxide semiconductor（Mn0.5Ce0.5O2） exhibited an excellent ozone decomposition efficiency of 99.2%,which significantly exceeded that of n-type oxide semiconductors such as Ti O2, which had a low ozone decomposition efficiency（9.81%）. At a GHSV of 10,000 hr-1, [O3]/[HCHO] = 3 and temperature of 25°C, a high HCHO removal efficiency（≥ 81.2%） was maintained throughout the durability test of 80 hr, indicating the long-term stability of the catalyst for HCHO removal.     

Effect of chromium oxide as active site over TiO2-PILC for selective catalytic oxidation of NO

This study introduced TiO2-pillared clays （TiO2-PILC） as a support for the catalytic oxidation of NO and analyzed the performance of chromium oxides as the active site of the oxidation process. Cr-based catalysts were prepared by a wet impregnation method. It was found that the 10 wt.% chromium doping on the support achieved the best catalytic activity. At 350℃, the NO conversion was 61% under conditions of GHSV = 23600 hr^-l. The BET data showed that the support particles had a mesoporous structure. Hz-TPR showed that Cr（10）TiP （10 wt.% Cr doping on TiO2-PILC） clearly exhibited a smooth single peak. EPR and XPS were used to elucidate the oxidation process. During the NO ＋ O2 adsorption, the intensity of evolution of superoxide ions （O2^-） increased. The content of Cr^3＋ on the surface of the used catalyst was 40.37%, but when the used catalyst continued adsorbing NO, the Cr^3＋ increased to 50.28%. Additionally, Oα/Oβ increased markedly through the oxidation process. The NO conversion decreased when SO2 was added into the system, but when the SO2 was removed, the catalytic activity recovered almost up to the initial level. FT-IR spectra did not show a distinct characteristic peak of SO4^2-.     

Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes from four tundra ecotopes in Ny-Ålesund of the High Arctic

During the summers of 2008 and 2009, net methane（CH4） and nitrous oxide（N2O） fluxes were investigated from 4 tundra ecotopes： normal lowland tundra（LT）, bird sanctuary tundra（BT）, the tundra in an abandoned coal mine（CT） and the tundra in scientific bases（ST） in Ny-Alesund of the High Arctic. Tundra soils in CT（184.5 ± 40.0 μg CH4/（m2·hr）） and ST（367.6 ± 92.3 μg CH4/（m2·hr）） showed high CH4 emissions due to the effects of human activities, whereas high CH4 uptake or low emission occurred in the soils of LT and BT.The lowland tundra soils（mean,-4.4-4.3 μg N2O/（m2·hr）） were weak N2 O sources and even sinks. Bird activity increased N2 O emissions from BT with the mean flux of7.9 μg N2O/（m2·hr）. The mean N2 O fluxes from CT（45.4 ± 10.2 μg N2O/（m2·hr）） and ST（78.8 ± 18.5 μg N2O/（m2·hr）） were one order of magnitude higher than those from LT and BT, indicating that human activities significantly increased N2 O emissions from tundra soils. Soil total carbon and water regime were important factors affecting CH4 fluxes from tundra soils. The N2 O fluxes showed a significant positive correlation with ammonia nitrogen（NH4＋-N） contents（r = 0.66, p 〈 0.001） at all the observation sites, indicating that ammonia nitrogen（NH4＋-N） content acted as a strong predictor for N2 O emissions from tundra soils. The CH4 and N2O fluxes did not correspond to the temperature variations of soil at 0-15 cm depths.Overall our results implied that human activities might have greater effects on soil CH4 and N2O emissions than current climate warming in Ny-Alesund, High Arctic.     

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations on the bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by Prorocentrum donghaiense

The growth, cellular total lipids, bioaccumulation amount, and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of 2,4,4 ′ -tribromodiphenyl ether (BDE28), 2,2 ′ ,4,4 ′ -tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47), and 2,2 ′ ,4,4 ′ ,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE99) in a semi-continuous culture of Prorocentrum donghaiense were studied in relation to nitrate (0, 128, and 512 μmol/L) and phosphate (0, 8, and 32 μmol/L) concentrations. The BDE28, BDE47, and BDE99 content per cell under 0 μmol N/L were 3.77 × 10 6 , 3.95 × 10 6 , and 4.32 × 10 6 ng/cell, respectively, which were significantly higher than those under 128 and 512 μmol N/L. A nearly 5-fold increase in polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) content per algal cell was found between 0 and 8 μmol P/L and between 8 and 32 μmol P/L. With increasing N and P concentrations, the PBDE content per volume of algal culture and the accumulation percentage of available PBDEs declined slightly. The BAFs for the PBDEs based on lipids showed that the logBAF lip under 0 μmol N/L was higher than those under 128 and 512 μmol N/L. The logBAF lip under 0 μmol P/L was higher than that under 8 μmol P/L but lower than that under 32 μmol P/L. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between nutrient concentration and cellular total lipids, as well as the PBDE content per cell. The results indicate that different N and P concentrations change the total lipids content of P. donghaiense, thereby resulting in varying PBDE accumulation.     

Kinetics and mechanisms of p-nitrophenol biodegradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa HS-D38

The kinetics and mecswithhanisms of p-nitrophenol (PNP) biodegradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa HS-D38 were investigated. PNP could be used by HS-D38 strain as the sole carbon, nitrogen and energy sources, and PNP was mineralized at the maximum concentration of 500 mg/L within 24 h in an mineral salt medium (MSM). The analytical results indicated that the biodegradation of PNP fit the first order kinetics model. The rate constant k_PNP is 2.039 × 10⁻²/h in MSM medium, K_PNP+N is 3.603 × 10⁻²/h with the addition of ammonium chloride and K_PNP+C is 9.74 × 10⁻³/h with additional glucose. The addition of ammonium chloride increased the degradation of PNP. On the contrary, the addition of glucose inhibited and delayed the biodegradation of PNP. Chemical analysis results by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), UV-Vis spectroscopy and gas chromatography (GC) techniques suggested that PNP was converted to hydroquinone (HQ) and further degraded via 1,2,4-benzenetriol (1,2,4-BT) pathway.     

Direct radiative forcing of urban aerosols over Pretoria (25.75°S, 28.28°E) using AERONET Sunphotometer data: First scientific results and environmental impact

The present study uses the data collected from Cimel Sunphotometer of Aerosol Robotic Network（AERONET） for the period from January to December, 2012 over an urban site,Pretoria（PTR; 25.75°S, 28.28°E, 1449 m above sea level）, South Africa. We found that monthly mean aerosol optical depth（AOD, τa） exhibits two maxima that occurred in summer（February） and winter（August） having values of 0.36 ± 0.19 and 0.25 ± 0.14,respectively, high-to-moderate values in spring and thereafter, decreases from autumn with a minima in early winter（June） 0.12 ± 0.07. The Angstrom exponents（α440–870） likewise,have its peak in summer（January） 1.70 ± 0.21 and lowest in early winter（June） 1.38 ± 0.26,while the columnar water vapor（CWV） followed AOD pattern with high values（summer） at the beginning of the year（February, 2.10 ± 0.37 cm） and low values（winter） in the middle of the year（July, 0.66 ± 0.21 cm）. The volume size distribution（VSD） in the fine-mode is higher in the summer and spring seasons, whereas in the coarse mode the VSD is higher in the winter and lower in the summer due to the hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles.The single scattering albedo（SSA） ranged from 0.85 to 0.96 at 440 nm over PTR for the entire study period. The averaged aerosol radiative forcing（ARF） computed using SBDART model at the top of the atmosphere（TOA） was- 8.78 ± 3.1 W/m2, while at the surface it was- 25.69 ± 8.1 W/m2 leading to an atmospheric forcing of ＋ 16.91 ± 6.8 W/m2, indicating significant heating of the atmosphere with a mean of 0.47 K/day.     

Efficient visible light photo-Fenton-like degradation of organic pollutants using in situ surface-modified BiFeO3 as a catalyst

The visible light photo-Fenton-like catalytic performance of BiFeO₃ nanoparticles was investigated using Methyl Violet (MV), Rhodamine B (RhB) and phenol as probes. Under optimum conditions, the pseudo first-order rate constant (k) was determined to be 2.21×10^-2, 5.56×10^-2 and 2.01×10^-2 min^-1 for the degradation of MV (30 μmol/L), RhB (10 μmol/L) and phenol (3 mmol/L), respectively, in the BiFeO₃-H₂O₂-visible light (Vis) system. The introduction of visible light irradiation increased the k values of MV, RhB and phenol degradation 3.47, 1.95 and 2.07 times in comparison with those in dark. Generally, the k values in the BiFeO₃-H₂O₂-Vis system were accelerated by increasing BiFeO₃ load and H₂O₂ concentration, but decreased with increasing initial pollutant concentration. To further enhance the degradation of pollutants at high concentrations, BiFeO₃ was modified with the addition of surface modifiers. The addition of ethylenediamineteraacetic acid (EDTA, 0.4 mmol/L) increased the k value of MV degradation (60 μmol/L) from 1.01×10^-2 min^-1 in the BiFeO₃-H₂O₂-Vis system to 1.30 min^-1 in the EDTA-BiFeO₃-H₂O₂-Vis system by a factor of 128. This suggests that in situ surface modification can enable BiFeO₃ nano-particles to be a promising visible light photo-Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants.     

Occurrence and infection risk of waterborne pathogens in Wanzhou watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), formed by China’s Yangtze Three Gorges Project, is the largest lake in the world, but there is too little information available about fecal contamination and waterborne pathogen impacts on this aquatic ecosystem. During two successive 1-year study periods (July 2009 to July 2011), the water quality in Wanzhou watershed of the TGR was tested with regard to the presence of fecal indicators and pathogens. According to Chinese and World Health Organization water quality standards, water quality in the mainstream was good but poor in backwater areas. Salmonella, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected in the watershed. Prevalence and concentrations of the pathogens in the mainstream were lower than those in backwater areas. The estimated risk of infection with Salmonella, EHEC, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia per exposure event ranged from 2.9 × 10 -7 to 1.68 × 10-5 , 7.04 × 10-10 to 2.36 × 10-7 , 5.39 × 10-6 to 1.25 × 10-4 and 0 to 1.2 × 10-3 , respectively, for occupational divers and recreational swimmers exposed to the waters. The estimated risk of infection at exposure to the 95% upper confidence limit concentrations of Salmonella, Cryptosporidium and Giardia may be up to 2.62 × 10-5 , 2.55 × 10-4 and 2.86 × 10-3 , respectively. This study provides useful information for the residents, health care workers and managers to improve the safety of surface water and reduce the risk of fecal contamination in the TGR.     

Remarkable promotion effect of trace sulfation on OMS-2 nanorod catalysts for the catalytic combustion of ethanol

OMS-2 nanorod catalysts were synthesized by a hydrothermal redox reaction method using MnSO₄ (OMS-2-SO₄) and Mn(CH₃COO)₂ (OMS-2-AC) as precursors. SO₄^2 −-doped OMS-2-AC catalysts with different SO₄^2 − concentrations were prepared next by adding (NH₄)₂SO₄ solution into OMS-2-AC samples to investigate the effect of the anion SO₄^2 − on the OMS-2-AC catalyst. All catalysts were then tested for the catalytic oxidation of ethanol. The OMS-2-SO₄ catalyst synthesized demonstrated much better activity than OMS-2-AC. The SO₄^2 − doping greatly influenced the activity of the OMS-2-AC catalyst, with a dramatic promotion of activity for suitable concentration of SO₄^2 − (SO₄/catalyst = 0.5% W/W). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), NH₃-TPD and H₂-TPR techniques. The results showed that the presence of a suitable amount of SO₄^2 − species in the OMS-2-AC catalyst could decrease the Mn–O bond strength and also enhance the lattice oxygen and acid site concentrations, which then effectively promoted the catalytic activity of OMS-2-AC toward ethanol oxidation. Thus it was confirmed that the better catalytic performance of OMS-2-SO₄ compared to OMS-2-AC is due to the presence of some residual SO₄^2 − species in OMS-2-SO₄ samples.     

PM2.5, PM10 and health risk assessment of heavy metals in a typical printed circuit noards manufacturing workshop

A typical Printed Circuit Board（PCB） manufacturer was chosen as the object of this study.During PCB processing, fine particulate matter and heavy metals（Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd and Ni）will be released into the air and dust, which then impact workers＇ health and the environment. The concentrations of total suspended particle（TSP）, PM10 and PM2.5in the off-site were 106.3, 90.0 and 50.2 μg/m3, respectively, while the concentrations of TSP, PM10 and PM2.5in the workshops ranged from 36.1 to 365.3, from 27.1 to 289.8 and from 22.1 to212.3 μg/m3, respectively. Almost all six of the heavy metals were detected in all of the particle samples except Cd. For each workshop, it was obvious that Zn was the most enriched metal in TSP, followed by Cu 〉 Pb（Cr） 〉 Ni 〉 Cd, and the same trend was found for PM10 and PM2.5. In the dust samples, Cu（which ranged from 4.02 to 56.31 mg/g） was the most enriched metal, followed by Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni and Cd, and the corresponding concentrations ranged from 0.77 to 4.47, 0.37 to 1.59, 0.26 to 0.84, 0.13 to 0.44 and nd to0.078 mg/g, respectively. The health risk assessment showed that noncancerous effects are unlikely for Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd and Ni. The carcinogenic risks for Cd and Ni were all lower than 10-6, except for Cr. This result indicates that carcinogenic risks for workers are relatively possible in the workshops. These findings suggest that this technology is advanced from the perspective of environmental protection in the waste PCB＇s recycling industry.     

Environmental chamber study of the photochemical reaction of ethyl methyl sulfide and Nox

A series of experiments were conducted in a self-made smog chamber at 300 ± 1 K and 1.01×105 Pa to simulate the photochemical reaction of ethyl methyl sulfide (EMS) and NOx. The results show that the higher the initial concentration of EMS, the more ozone is generated in the simulative reactions. It is found that the light intensity plays a very important role in the evaluation of ozone formation potential for EMS. The parameters of d(O3-NO) and IR (incremental reactivity) were used to quantify the potential of EMS on ozone formation. The obtained maximum IR values in this paper for the five simulative reactions were 1.55×10-2, 0.99×10-2, 1.36×10-2, 2.47×10-2, and 1.65×10-2, respectively. Comparison between the results we obtained here and the results we obtained before for di-tert-butyl peroxide and acetylene was made and it showed that the potential reactivity of EMS on ozone formation is at a relatively low level.     

Preparation and evaluation of aminopropyl-functionalized manganese-loaded SBA-15 for copper removal from aqueous solution

A novel material, aminopropyl-functionalized manganese-loaded SBA-15 (NH₂-Mn-SBA-15), was synthesized by bonding 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) onto manganese-loaded SBA-15 (Mn-SBA-15) and used as a Cu^2 + adsorbent in aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD), N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms, high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the NH₂-Mn-SBA-15. The ordered mesoporous structure of SBA-15 was remained after modification. The manganese oxides were mainly loaded on the internal surface of the pore channels while the aminopropyl groups were mainly anchored on the external surface of SBA-15. The adsorption of Cu^2 + on NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 was fitted well by the Langmuir equation and the maximum adsorption capacity of NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 for Cu^2 + was over two times higher than that of Mn-SBA-15 under the same conditions. The Elovich equation gave a good fit for the adsorption process of Cu^2 + by NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 and Mn-SBA-15. Both the loaded manganese oxides and the anchored aminopropyl groups were found to contribute to the uptake of Cu^2 +. The NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 showed high selectivity for copper ions. Consecutive adsorption–desorption experiments showed that the NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 could be regenerated by acid treatment without altering its properties.     

Synthesis of novel CeO2-BiVO4/FAC composites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic properties

To utilize visible light more effectively in photocatalytic reactions, a fly ash cenosphere （FAC）-supported CeO2-BiV04 （CeO2-BiVO4/FAC） composite photocatalyst was prepared by modified metalorganic decomposition and impregnation methods. The physical and photophysical properties of the composite have been characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDX）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectra. The XRD patterns exhibited characteristic diffraction peaks of both BiVO4 and Ce02 crystalline phases. The XPS results showed that Ce was present as both Ce4＋ and Ce3＋ oxidation states in Ce02 and dispersed on the surface of BiV04 to constitute a p-n heterojunction composite. The absorption threshold of the CeO2-BiVO4/FAC composite shifted to a longer wavelength in the UV-Vis absorption spectrum compared to the pure Ce02 and pure BiV04. The composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for Methylene Blue （MB） degradation under visible light irradiation. It was found that the 7.5 wt.% CeO2-BiVO4/FAC composite showed the highest photocatalytic activity for MB dye wastewater treatment.     

Effects of Al doping on the structure and properties of goethite and its adsorption behavior towards phosphate

Al substitution in goethite is common in soils, and has strong influence on the structure and physicochemical properties of goethite. In this research, a series of Al-doped goethites were synthesized, and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The adsorption behavior of these samples towards PO₄^3 − was also investigated. Characterization results demonstrated that increasing Al content in goethite led to a reduction in crystallinity, increase in specific surface area (SSA), and morphology change from needle-like to granular. Rietveld structure refinement revealed that the lattice parameter a remained almost constant and b slightly decreased, but c was significantly reduced, and the calculated crystal density increased. EXAFS analysis demonstrated that the Fe(Al)–O distance in the structure of the doped goethites was almost the same, but the Fe–Fe(Al) distance decreased with increasing Al content. Surface analysis showed that, with increasing Al content, the content of OH groups on the mineral surface increased. The adsorption of phosphate per unit mass of Al-doped goethite increased, while adsorption per unit area decreased owing to the decrease of the relative proportion of (110) facets in the total surface area of the minerals. The results of this research facilitate better understanding of the effect of Al substitution on the structure and properties of goethite and the cycling of phosphate in the environment.