Photodegradation of 4-tert octylphenol in aqueous solution promoted by Fe(III)

4-Tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), a kind of endocrine-disrupting compounds, is widely distributed in natural water surroundings but can hardly be biodegraded. The advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been proved to be an efficient method to degrade 4-t-OP. In this study, the photodegradation of 4-t-OP in aqueous solution promoted by Fe(III) and the photooxidation mechanism were investigated. The ferric perchlorate was added into the aqueous solution for the production of hydroxyl radical. The efficiency of mineralization was monitored by total organic carbon analyzer, and photooxidation products were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer. 4-t-OP (2.4?×?10^?5 M) in aqueous solution was completely degraded after 45 min in the presence of Fe(III) (1.2?×?10^?3 M) under UV irradiation (λ?=?365 nm). The optimal pH was 3.5. Higher Fe(III) concentration or lower initial 4-t-OP concentration led to increased photodegradation efficiency of 4-t-OP. The reaction was almost completely inhibited in the presence of 2-propanol. About 70 % mineralization of the solution was obtained after 50 h. The photooxidation product was supposed to be 4-tert-octyl catechol. 4-t-OP in aqueous solution can be degraded in the presence of Fe(III) under the solar irradiation. The photoinduced degradation is due to the reaction with hydroxyl radicals. It shows that the 4-t-OP is mineralized by the inducement of Fe(III) aquacomplexes, which exposes to solar light. Therefore, the results would provide useful information for the potential application of the AOPs to remove 4-t-OP in water surroundings.     

TiO2光催化复合分离膜对水中天然有机物的去除

在水源污染越来越严重、水质标准日益严格的背景下,超滤（UF）已逐渐成为替代饮用水常规处理技术的最佳选择之一。本研究中采用相转化法,将聚偏氟乙烯（PVDF）、聚乙二醇（PEG）和二氧化钛（TiO2）共混制得光催化复合分离膜并对其进行扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、原子力显微镜（AFM）和X射线能谱仪（EDS）等相应的表征。比较了有无光照条件下,PVDF-PEG和PVDF—PEG—TiO2膜对腐殖酸（HA）的截留和超滤过程中的膜污染情况。研究结果表明,TiO2光催化复合分离膜能提高对水中天然有机物的去除并同时降低膜污染。紫外光照强度越强,PVDF-PEG—TiO2膜的抗污染性能越好。另外,光催化能更有效地减少超滤初始浓度较低的腐殖酸溶液过程中的膜通量衰减。     

Assessment and regulation of odour impacts

Decades of experience support the inclusion of odours in the list of contaminant types that must be regulated by government. In many jurisdictions, odour impacts are regulated under the nuisance provisions of common law. However, the explicit conditions that establish whether a nuisance condition exists are not easily defined. Due to this shortcoming, there is a need to introduce objectivity into odour impact assessments and odour limits. While individual responses to odours are highly variable and can result in a variety of effects, generally the impacts of odours arise from a variety of interacting factors, collectively known as FIDOL: frequency, intensity, duration, offensiveness, and location. In view of the need to prevent or mitigate such impacts, an approach to odour regulation is proposed in which the protection of the public from odour impacts is accomplished based on the FIDOL approach. This involves the introduction of an objective odour limit, as follows: “Facilities that are identified as sources of potentially offensive odours shall ensure that the 10-min average concentration of odour resulting from all sources at the facility and determined in accordance with accepted procedures, shall be less than 1 odour unit 99.5% of the time at the most impacted sensitive receptor”. It is argued that the proposed limit would provide the public with an understanding of the degree of protection from odours that is to be provided through regulations and would provide industries with a basis for designing their facilities to minimize impact at the design stage. Such limits would also provide industries with benchmarks against which they can gauge their success at preventing or mitigating odour impacts and for evaluating the effectiveness of odour control technologies.     

The impact of recirculation,ventilation and filters on secondary organic aerosols generated by indoor chemistry

This study examined the impact of recirculation rates (7 and 14 h^?1), ventilation rates (1 and 2 h^?1), and filtration on secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) generated by ozone of outdoor origin reacting with limonene of indoor origin. Experiments were conducted within a recirculating air handling system that serviced an unoccupied, 236 m³ environmental chamber configured to simulate an office; either no filter, a new filter or a used filter was located downstream of where outdoor air mixed with return air. For otherwise comparable conditions, the SOA number and mass concentrations at a recirculation rate of 14 h^?1 were significantly smaller than at a recirculation rate of 7 h^?1. This was due primarily to lower ozone concentrations, resulting from increased surface removal, at the higher recirculation rate. Increased ventilation increased outdoor-to-indoor transport of ozone, but this was more than offset by the increased dilution of SOA derived from ozone-initiated chemistry. The presence of a particle filter (new or used) strikingly lowered SOA number and mass concentrations compared with conditions when no filter was present. Even though the particle filter in this study had only 35% single-pass removal efficiency for 100 nm particles, filtration efficiency was greatly amplified by recirculation. SOA particle levels were reduced to an even greater extent when an activated carbon filter was in the system, due to ozone removal by the carbon filter. These findings improve our understanding of the influence of commonly employed energy saving procedures on occupant exposures to ozone and ozone-derived SOA.     

一株异养脱氮菌的脱氮性能及其影响因素研究

研究异养硝化过程中分离得到一株具有异养脱氮性能的菌株,经16S rRNA鉴定后为Providencia rettgeri菌属,命名为Providencia rettgeri strain YL。在实验室条件下,初步探讨了不同碳氮源、温度、pH值、摇床转速和微量元素对Providencia rettgeri strain YL菌株脱氮作用的影响,研究结果显示,Providencia rettgeri strain YL菌株在葡萄糖和氯化铵为碳氮源的培养基中生长最好,温度为30℃、pH值为7、摇床转速为120 r/min时具有最佳的脱氮效果,微量元素Mg²⁺最有利于Providencia rettgeri strain YL菌株的生长和脱氮。     

具有可见光活性的氮掺杂TiO_2光催化剂的制备及光催化性能

采用浓氨水处理Ti(SO4)2溶液,然后经过滤、干燥、煅烧制备了一种氮掺杂TiO2光催化剂TiO2-XNX,其最佳煅烧温度为400℃。对该光催化剂的XRD谱图进行分析,结果表明,TiO2-XNX的晶型为锐钛矿相。紫外—可见吸收光谱表明,该光催化剂在可见光区具有明显的吸收。甲基橙溶液的降解实验结果表明,制备的TiO2-XNX光催化剂具有可见光(波长λ400nm)活性。     

Influence of the presence of heavy metals and surface-active compounds on the sorption of bisphenol A to sediment

The effects of different heavy metals (Cd, Pb), cationic surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), anionic surfactant sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) and the chemistry of the solution (pH and ionic strength) on the sorption of bisphenol A (BPA) to sediment were studied. Results showed that the presence of Cd and Pb caused a significant increase on the sorption of BPA to sediment and the sorption isotherms were in good agreement with Freundlich equation. The effect of surfactants on the adsorption of BPA onto sediment was found to strongly depend on the type of the surfactants. The presence of CTAB promoted BPA sorption and the amount of BPA adsorbed onto sediment increased linearly with concentration of CTAB. In contrast, the presence of anionic surfactant (SDBS) caused a slight reduction on the sorption of BPA. It was also found that the sorption behavior of BPA was affected by solution pH and ionic strength. The larger amount of BPA was absorbed with higher ionic strength and lower pH. This study may provide important insights into the understanding of the transport and fate of BPA in the environment.     

Assessment of dissolved heavy metal in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent sea, China

The purpose of this paper is to determine the concentrations of dissolved heavy metals namely mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) and to investigate the relationships between nutrients (nitrate-nitrogen and phosphate) and dissolved heavy metals. For this purpose, the concentrations of dissolved heavy metals were measured through 51 voyages form 1984 to 2006 in the Yangtze river estuary and its adjacent sea. Results analysis showed that dissolved heavy metals were not the main pollutants in the Yangtze river estuary, and the main source of heavy metal contamination was industrial wastewater from terrestrial pollution during the past 20 years. Heavy metal values showed significant abundance in the south branch of the Yangtze River estuary and Hangzhou Bay. In addition, Pb showed negative correlation with nutrients, while the positive correlations between Hg, Cd, and nutrients were shown. The obtained molar ratios, $\Delta \mbox{Cd}/\Delta \mbox{N} = 1.68 \times 10^{-5}$ and $\Delta \mbox{Cd}/\Delta \mbox{P} = 1.66 \times 10^{-4}$ , are close to those in plankton, showing the biogeochemical behavior and process of dissolved cadmium.