On “China-measures related to the exportation of various raw materials” case in terms of DSB’s interpretations

The Appellate Body report in January 2012 had supported the decision of Panel in the “China-measures related to the exportation of various raw materials” case (WT/DS394,395,398) and affirmed that China’s restrictions (such as tariffs and quota measures) on the exportation of raw materials violated rules put forth by the WTO, which were required to be modified. In this case China’s right to invoke Article 20 of GATT1994 (“general exception”) to justify its exemption from the guidelines in Article 11.3 of the WTO Accession Protocol was denied by the Panel and the Appellate Body. This was due to the fact that the phrasing in Article 11.3 of Protocol failed to mention “GATT.” This was the consequence of the two interpretation approaches the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) adopted – a narrow textual interpretation and a subjective presumption of “legislative silence.” The inappropriate use of the two methods of interpretation lead to an imbalance between the right and obligation of China under the additional obligations that were imposed upon China by the WTO, which create a negative impact on China’s rare earth case and the protection of domestic natural resources.     

Adsorption of herring sperm DNA onto pine sawdust biochar: Thermodynamics and site energy distribution

● Adsorption of environmental deoxyribonucleic acid on biochar was studied. ● π−π interaction and electrostatic repulsion worked in the adsorption. ● Thermodynamics indicated the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. Environmental deoxyribonucleic acid (eDNA), which includes antibiotic resistance genes, is ubiquitous in the environment. The interactions between eDNA and biochar, a promising material widely used in soil amendment and water treatment, greatly affect the environmental behavior of eDNA. Hitherto few experimental evidences are available yet, especially on the information of thermodynamics and energy distribution to explains the interactions between biochar and eDNA. This study investigated the adsorption of herring sperm DNA (hsDNA) on pine sawdust biochar, with a specific emphasis on the adsorption thermodynamics and site energy distribution. The adsorption of hsDNA on biochar was enhanced by an increase in the pyrolysis and adsorption temperatures. The higher surface area, stronger π−π interaction, and weaker electrostatic repulsion between hsDNA and biochars prepared at high pyrolysis temperatures facilitated the adsorption of hsDNA. The thermodynamics indicated that the adsorption of hsDNA on biochar was spontaneous and endothermic. Therefore, higher temperature was beneficial for the adsorption of hsDNA on biochar; this was well explained by the increase in E^* and F(E^*) with the adsorption temperature. These results are useful for evaluating the migration and transformation of eDNA in the presence of biochar.     

The inactivation of bacteriophages MS2 and PhiX174 by nanoscale zero-valent iron: Resistance difference and mechanisms

• The resistance of phage PhiX174 to nZVI was much stronger than that of MS2. • The nZVI damaged the surface proteins of both bacteriophages. • The nZVI could destroy the nucleic acid of MS2, but not that of PhiX174. •The phage inactivation was mainly attributed to the damage of the nucleic acid. Pathogenic enteric viruses pose a significant risk to human health. Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), a novel material for environmental remediation, has been shown to be a promising tool for disinfection. However, the existing research has typically utilized MS2 or f2 bacteriophages to investigate the antimicrobial properties of nZVI, and the resistance difference between bacteriophages, which is important for the application of disinfection technologies, is not yet understood. Here, MS2 and PhiX174 containing RNA and DNA, respectively, were used as model viruses to investigate the resistances to nZVI. The bacteriophage inactivation mechanisms were also discussed using TEM images, protein, and nucleic acid analysis. The results showed that an initial concentration of 10⁶ PFU/mL of MS2 could be completely inactivated within 240 min by 40 mg/L nZVI at pH 7, whereas the complete inactivation of PhiX174 could not be achieved by extending the reaction time, increasing the nZVI dosage, or changing the dosing means. This indicates that the resistance of phage PhiX174 to nZVI was much stronger than that of MS2. TEM images indicated that the viral particle shape was distorted, and the capsid shell was ruptured by nZVI. The damage to viral surface proteins in both phages was examined by three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). However, the nucleic acid analysis demonstrated that the nucleic acid of MS2, but not PhiX174, was destroyed. It indicated that bacteriophage inactivation was mainly attributed to the damage of nucleic acids.     

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of highly stable RuPd bimetallic catalysts supported on MgAl-layered double hydroxide for N-ethylcarbazole hydrogenation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - N-Ethylcarbazole (NEC), as a promising liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), can store and release hydrogen through a reversible catalytic...     

Urinary concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and phthalate metabolite mixtures in relation to semen quality among men attending an infertility clinic

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Previous studies have reported that exposure to phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is individually associated with altered semen...     

Interactions between tannins allelochemicals and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of Microcystis aeruginosa

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The protective mechanism of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) secreted by a harmful cyanobacteria against tannins allelochemicals was explored...     

Preparing porous Cu/Pd electrode on nickel foam using hydrogen bubbles dynamic template for high-efficiency and high-stability removal of nitrate from water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Electrochemical reduction is a promising technology to remove nitrate from water. The metallic composition and geometry of electrodes usually dominate...     

Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Composite Membrane with Polyamidoamine Dendrimers for Efficient Separation of CO2/H2 and CO2/N2

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Although polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes are commonly used for CO2 separation, there is still large development space in mechanical properties and high...     

Thermally chargeable supercapacitor based on nickel-coated nanoporous carbon

Nanoporous carbon is coated by pure nickel via an electroless plating method. The nanoporous carbon provides a high-surface-area substrate, leading to a large capacitance; the nickel surface layer is of a high work function, resulting in a thermally sensitive electrode potential. Such a system is ideal for thermally chargeable supercapacitor (TCS) system, which converts low-grade heat (LGH) to electrical energy. The specific energy per thermal cycle per gram of electrode mass is ~1.8 mJ, with a temperature difference of 50°C.     

垃圾填埋场PBFC防渗浆材吸附性能试验研究∗

以水泥-膨润土为主要材料,以粉煤灰替代部分水泥,辅以碳酸钠,聚乙烯醇(PVA)等外掺剂制备一种低渗透性,对垃圾渗滤液具有较好吸附阻滞效果的防渗浆材(即PBFC防渗浆材)。通过该浆材的吸附阻滞试验及SEM微观分析探讨了其吸附阻滞作用机理。SEM图显示,掺入PVA可使水泥水化反应更充分,从而提高浆材吸附性能。PBFC防渗浆材的PVA掺量为1.5 g/L时,其渗透系数最低可达到0.7×10-8cm/s。通过PBFC防渗浆材吸附阻滞作用的有效发挥,垃圾场渗滤液中部分有害成分的浓度达到了《城市生活垃圾填埋场污染控制标准》的要求,且PVA掺量为1.5 g/L时,渗滤液有害成分的浓度值降到最低,这与PVA对防渗浆材渗透系数的影响是一致的。PBFC防渗浆材对铅、汞等重金属离子的吸附阻滞率接近100%,满足生活垃圾填埋场的使用要求。