A high activity of Ti/SnO2-Sb electrode in the electrochemical degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol in aqueous solution

Electrochemical degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solution was investigated over Ti/SnO₂-Sb anode. The factors influencing the degradation rate, such as applied current density (2-40 mA/cm²), pH (3-11) and initial concentration (5-200 mg/L) were evaluated. The degradation of 2,4-DCP followed apparent pseudo first-order kinetics. The degradation ratio on Ti/SnO₂-Sb anode attained > 99.9% after 20 min of electrolysis at initial 5-200 mg/L concentrations at a constant current density of 30 mA/cm² with a 10 mmol/L sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) supporting electrolyte solution. The results showed that 2,4-DCP (100 mg/L) degradation and total organic carbon (TOC) removal ratio achieved 99.9% and 92.8%, respectively, at the optimal conditions after 30 min electrolysis. Under this condition, the degradation rate constant (k) and the degradation half-life (t_1/2) were 0.21 min^-1 and (2.8±0.2) min, respectively. Mainly carboxylic acids (propanoic acid, maleic acid, propanedioic acid, acetic acid and oxalic acid) were detected as intermediates. The energy efficiencies for 2,4-DCP degradation (5-200 mg/L) with Ti/SnO₂-Sb anode ranged from 0.672 to 1.602 g/kWh. The Ti/SnO₂-Sb anode with a high activity to rapid organic oxidation could be employed to degrade chlorophenols, particularly 2,4-DCP in wastewater.     

Synthesis and characterisation of transition metal sulphide-loaded fly ash–based mesoporous EU-12 photocatalysts for degradation of rhodamine B

Transition metal sulphide-loaded fly ash–based EU-12 photocatalysts were synthesized by sono-hydrothermal method followed by ion exchange. The composites were characterized by XRD, FESEM, DSC-TGA, Raman spectroscopy, and BET surface area analysis. The XRD results imply 76.39% crystallinity of EU-12 and morphological studies by FESEM, and TEM revealed the shape and size of EU-12, i.e. rod-shaped with size ranging from 5 to 200 nm. Band gap of all synthesized photocatalysts were found to be?≤?3.44 eV. The photoactivities of the photocatalysts were examined by degrading rhodamine B (RhB). The results indicated that metal sulphide/EU-12 composite had the strong photoactivity under visible light compared to dark environment. Furthermore, the efficiency of photocatalysts was determined in terms of degradation efficiency towards RhB which was found to be maximum of 98.62% for 0.2 M CdS/EU-12 at 2 gL^?1 of catalyst dosage and 10 ppm of dye concentration within 3 h under visible light source of 200 W.

     

Assessment of oxidative stress indices in a marine macro brown alga Padina tetrastromatica (Hauck) from comparable polluted coastal regions of the Arabian Sea, west coast of India

Oxidative stress and antioxidant defence systems were assessed in a marine brown alga Padina tetrastromatica, commonly occurring from the tropics. Lipid peroxidation (LPX) and H2O2 were measured as oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant defences were measured as catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and ascorbic acid (AsA), in order to understand their dissimilarity with respect to pollution levels from selective locations along the central west coast of India. A significant increased levels of LPX, H2O2, CAT and GST were observed in samples from relatively polluted localities (Colaba and Karwar) when compared to less polluted locality (Anjuna), while AsA concentration was higher in algal samples from worst polluted region of Colaba. Heavy metals such as Cd and Pb were also higher in the vicinity of polluted areas compared to reference area. Variation of oxidative stress indices in response to accumulation of heavy metals within P. tetrastromatica could be used as molecular biomarkers in assessment and monitoring environmental quality of ecologically sensitive marine habitats.