Preparation of the Mn/Co mixed oxide catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation reaction

The Mn/Co mixed powders with various Mn/Co molar ratios were prepared by the coprecipitation method and used in low-temperature CO oxidation. The physicochemical characteristics of these powders were characterized using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The results demonstrated that the Mn/Co molar ratio significantly affected both the textural and catalytic properties and the sample with a Mn/Co = 1:1 possessed a BET area of 123.7 m²g⁻¹ with a small mean pore size of 6.44 nm. The catalytic results revealed that the pure cobalt and manganese catalysts possessed the low catalytic activity and the pure Co catalyst is not active at temperatures lower than 140 °C. The highest catalytic activity was observed for the catalyst with a Mn/Co = 1. The obtained results showed that the incorporation of Pd into the Mn/Co catalyst significantly enhanced the catalytic activity for oxidation of carbon monoxide and the highest CO conversion was observed for the catalyst with 1 wt.% Pd and this catalyst exhibited a CO conversion of 100% at 80 ^°C.

     

In vitro genotoxicity of extracellular extract from Nostoc piscinale

The extracellular extract obtained from 3 weeks incubation of the soil isolate cyanobacterium strain Nostoc piscinale GT-319 in BG-11 broth medium showed cytotoxic activity against Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. Based on comet assay, a concentration of 333 µg mL^?1 (IC₅₀) produced DNA breakages in CHO cells. The concentration of 481 mg kg^?1 (LD₅₀) produced acute toxicity in mice at 48 h.     

Emission utilization permission based on environmental efficiency analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Emission utilization permission is an interesting but complex issue regarding the environmental effect of pollution. This paper proposes a...     

Room temperature synthesis of 2H-1,4-benzoxazine derivatives using a recoverable ionic liquid medium

2H-1,4-Benzoxazines are major heterocyclic compounds with interesting biological and synthetic applications. Therefore, it would be very interesting to develop new efficient methods for their synthesis. Here, we synthesized 2H-1,4-benzoxazines in one pot using K₂CO₃/H₂O in the ionic liquid of choice, [omim][BF₄]. After reactions, products are extracted from [omim][BF₄] by Et₂O and the ionic liquid is recovered and successfully reused over several recycles. Results show that high yields of 3-aryl-2H-1,4-benzoxazine derivatives are obtained chemoselectively at room temperature from their corresponding o-aminophenols and phenacyl bromides. To our knowledge, our method represents the most efficient and straightforward route for the synthesis of 3-aryl-2H-1,4-benzoxazine derivatives in short times and under environmentally benign conditions.     

National and sub-national drinking water fluoride concentrations and prevalence of fluorosis and of decayed,missed, and filled teeth in Iran from 1990 to 2015: a systematic review

Fluoride intake, fluorosis, and dental caries could affect quality of life and disease burden worldwide. As a part of the National and Sub-national Burden of Disease Study (NASBOD) in Iran, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate province-year-specific mean drinking water fluoride concentrations and prevalence of fluorosis and of decayed, missed, and filled teeth (DMFT) in Iran from 1990 to December 2015. We did electronic searches of all English and Persian publications on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Iranian databases. Results revealed that the weighted mean drinking water fluoride concentration in Iran from 1990 to 2015 has been about 0.65?±?0.38 mg/l. However, based on the WHO guideline value (1.50 mg/l) and the maximum permissible Iranian national fluoride standard (1.40 to 2.40 mg/l depending on the region's climate), there have been some regions in Iran with non-optimum fluoride concentrations in their drinking water (up to 7.0 mg/l). Overall, concentrations have been higher in southern parts of Iran and in some areas of Azerbaijan-e-Gharbi Province in the northwest and lower in the rest of the northwest and central parts of Iran. In addition, some hotspots have been found in Bushehr Province, southwest of Iran. The highest prevalence of dental flourosis has been reported in normal index while the lowest prevalence has been expressed in severe index. The lowest DMFT (about 0.1) was in Arsanjan City in Fars Province, and the highest (about 6.7) was for Najaf Abad City in Isfahan Province. Prevalence of fluorosis has been rather high in studied areas of Iran (e.g. 100 % in Maku City in Azarbaijan-e-Gharbi Province), and there was discrepancy for DMFT, but a lack of studies renders the results inconclusive. Further studies, health education and promotion plans, and evidence-based nutrition programs are recommended.     

Cement‐based solidification/stabilization of phenol‐contaminated soil by bentonite and organophilic clay

The performance of ordinary and organophilic clays in the solidification and stabilization process was investigated with respect to the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and leaching of phenol‐contaminated soil. The samples contained 2,000 mg/kg of phenol. White cement (15 and 30 percent by weight [wt%]) was used as binder, while ordinary and organophilic clays (8, 15, and 30 wt%) were applied as additives for reducing the harmful effects of phenol interference in cement hydration with a 28‐day curing time. The results revealed that the UCS is reduced by increasing the amount of clays. The values of UCS of all samples met the minimum standards specified for disposal in sanitary landfills determined by developed countries. The leaching test demonstrated that the degree of leaching diminished with increased clay content in all samples of both clay types. This reduction was observed to be greater in samples containing organophilic clay than in bentonite clay samples. Furthermore, the best composition of the materials tested was determined to be 30 wt% white cement plus 13.3 wt% organophilic clay with a compressive strength of 3,839 kPa, phenol removal percentage of 80 percent, and a cost of $67 per ton of contaminated soil.     

The high potential of Pelargonium roseum plant for phytoremediation of heavy metals

The major objective of this investigation was to evaluate the potential of scented geraniums, Pelargonium roseum, to uptake and accumulate heavy metals nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), or lead (Pb). For this, plants were grown in an artificial soil system and exposed to a range of metal concentrations over a 14-day treatment period. Then, metals from the entire biomass were extracted. The results showed that scented geranium plants accumulated in excess of 20,055 mg of Ni kg^?1 dry weight (DW) of root and 10,889 mg of Ni kg^?1 DW of shoot, and in excess of 86,566 mg of Pb kg^?1 DW for roots and 4,416 mg of Pb kg^?1 DW for shoots within 14 days. Also, the uptake and accumulation of cadmium in roots of scented geranium plants increased with the exposure at low (250, 500 mg?L^?1) and medium level (750 mg?L^?1) followed by a decline at the highest level (1,000 mg?L^?1). The highest accumulation in roots (31,267 mg?kg^?1 DW) was observed in 750 mg?L^?1 cadmium treatment. In the shoots of scented geraniums, the highest amount of metal accumulation (1,957 mg?kg^?1 DW) was detected at 750 and 1,000 mg?L^?1 of cadmium in the culture solution. Finally, since the high concentrations of Ni or Pb accumulated in shoots of scented geranium has far exceeded 0.1 % DW and for Cd has far exceeded 0.01 % DW, P. roseum is a new hyperaccumulator species for these metals and can be used in phytoremediation industry.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of a Fe3O4–AgCl nanocomposite against Escherichia coli

In this investigation, Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were prepared by the alkalinization of an aqueous medium containing ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride. In the next step, a Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposite was fabricated by the drop-by-drop addition of silver nitrate solution into a NaCl solution containing Fe₃O₄ MNPs. All prepared nanoparticles were characterized by transition electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Both particle types varied in size from 2.5 to 20?nm, with an average size of 7.5?nm for Fe₃O₄ MNPs and 12.5?nm for Fe₃O₄–AgCl nanocomposites. The antibacterial effect of the Fe₃O₄ MNPs and fabricated Fe₃O₄–AgCl nanocomposites against Escherichia coli (ATCC 35218) were investigated by conventional serial agar dilution method using the Müller–Hinton Agar medium. The minimum inhibitory concentration was 4?mg?mL^?1 for Fe₃O₄ MNPs and 2?mg?mL^?1 for the Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites. Time-kill course assays showed that the Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites successfully killed all inoculated bacterial cells during an exposure time of 60?min. The antibacterial activity of recycled Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites over four 60?min cycles of antibacterial treatment was further tested against E. coli by the colony-forming unit (CFU) method. The antibacterial efficiency of the nanocomposites was constant over two cycles of antibacterial testing.     

The Effect of Microwave Irradiation on the Flotation of the Selected Polymers as a Potential Solution for Plastic Recycling

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The separation of an individual plastic from a plastics mix is crucial in plastic recycling management. The selected plastics available in municipal and...