A combined radical and non-radical oxidation processes for efficient degradation of Acid Orange 7 in the homogeneous Cu(II)/PMS system: important role of chloride

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Trace copper ion (Cu(II)) in water and wastewater can trigger peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to oxidize organic compounds, but it only works under...     

Conversion of waste plastics into value-added carbon materials

Plastic pollution is a major environmental issue worldwide, calling for advanced methods to recycle waste plastics in the context of the circular economy. Here we review methods and strategies to convert waste plastics into value-added carbon materials, with focus on sources, properties, pretreatment of waste plastics, and on preparation of carbon materials. Pretreatment techniques include mechanical crushing, plastic stabilization and electrospinning. Carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon nanosheets, carbon spheres and porous carbon are prepared by oxygen-limited carbonization, catalytic carbonization, the template-based method, and pressure carbonization. We emphasize the conversion of polyethene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, halogenated plastics, polyurethane and mixed plastics.

     

Lithium extraction from salt lake brines with high magnesium/lithium ratio: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The demand for lithium is growing rapidly with the increase in electric vehicles, batteries and electronic equipments. Lithium can be extracted from brines, yet...     

Exogenously applied oxalic acid assists in the phytoremediation of Mn by Polygonum pubescens Blume cultivated in three Mn-contaminated soils

• The OA supply significantly increased the water-extractable Mn in all soils. • All OA supply levels promoted plant growth in unexplored soil. • Low OA supply level promoted plant growth in explored and tailing soils. • OA amendment increased the Mn concentrations and total Mn in P. pubescens. • P. pubescens experienced less Mn stress in unexplored soil than in the other two soils. The current study evaluated the effects of oxalic acid (OA) application on the growth and Mn phytoremediation efficiency of Polygonum pubescens Blume cultivated in three different manganese (Mn)-contaminated soils sampled from an unexplored area (US), an explored area (ES) and a tailing area (TS) of the Ertang Mn mine, South China. The supplied levels of OA were 0 (control), 1 (low level), 3 (medium level), and 9 (high level) mmol/kg, referred to as CK, OA1, OA3 and OA9, respectively. The results revealed that the average water-extractable Mn concentrations US, ES and TS amended with OA increased by 214.13, 363.77 and 266.85%, respectively. All OA supply levels increased plant growth and Mn concentrations in US. The low OA supply level increased plant growth in ES and TS; however, contrasting results were found for the medium and high OA supply levels. Plant Mn concentrations and total Mn increased in ES and TS in response to all OA supply levels. Total Mn in the aerial parts increased by 81.18, 44.17 and 83.17% in US, ES and TS, respectively; the corresponding percentages for the whole plants were 81.53, 108.98 and 77.91%, respectively. The rate of ·O₂⁻ production and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations increased in response to OA amendment, especially the medium and high OA supply levels in ES and TS. In general, antioxidant enzymes might play a vital role in alleviating Mn stress in plants cultivated in US, while non-enzymatic antioxidants might be the main factor for plants cultivated in ES and TS.     

硫酸铜和马度米星铵联合暴露对鲫鱼的毒性和效应标记物研究

为探究硫酸铜和马度米星铵对水产动物的生态毒性,本研究以鲫鱼为模型,从急性毒性、亚急性毒性和遗传毒性3个方面研究硫酸铜和马度米星铵单一与联合暴露对鲫鱼的毒性效应.结果 表明,硫酸铜对鲫鱼96 h的半数致死浓度(50％ lethal concentration,LC50)为3.6 mg·L-1,硫酸铜和马度米星铵联合暴露时,硫酸铜对鲫鱼的96 h-LC50为1.4 mg· L-1,马度米星铵对鲫鱼的96 h-LC50为4.2 mg·L-1,硫酸铜对鲫鱼为高等毒性;硫酸铜和马度米星铵对鲫鱼的联合毒性表现为协同作用.染毒第7天,硫酸铜和马度米星铵均可影响过氧化氢酶(catalase,CAT)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(glutathione peroxidase,GPx)的活性,随着剂量和染毒时间的增加,CAT和GPx的活性逐渐下降.硫酸铜和马度米星铵单一或联合暴露7d或21 d显著下调cat基因表达,对sod和gpx基因表达无显著影响.染毒后期,染毒组谷丙转氨酶(alanine aminotransferase,ALT)、谷草转氨酶(aspartate transaminase,AST)和碱性磷酸酶(alkaline phosphatase,ALP)活性及丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)含量均高于对照组.硫酸铜和马度米星铵单一及联合染毒均能诱导鲫鱼红细胞产生微核,微核数与硫酸铜和马度米星铵的浓度呈正相关;随着硫酸铜和马度米星铵浓度的增加,肝细胞的脱氧核糖核酸(deoxyribonucleic acid,DNA)出现断裂,彗星尾部所占比例逐渐升高;高浓度联合染毒组红细胞微核率和肝细胞尾部DNA百分比显著高于单一染毒组.硫酸铜和马度米星铵联合暴露可导致鲫鱼血液毒性、肝细胞氧化损伤及遗传毒性的加和性,为评估Cu2+与马度米星铵复合污染对鲫鱼的生态毒性提供基础数据和理论依据.     

含氮生物降解促进剂对土壤吸附正十六烷的影响

选用正十六烷模拟润滑油,通过振荡平衡实验,考察了两种含氮脂肪酸型生物降解促进剂（甲基二乙醇胺油酸酯（MDEAO）和油酸二乙醇酰胺（ODEA））对水土体系中正十六烷吸附行为的影响。实验结果表明：正十六烷在水土体系中的有机质标化分配系数与土壤种类无关,与生物降解促进剂种类有关;土壤对正十六烷的吸附过程更符合Freundlich等温吸附模型;MDEAO的临界胶束浓度为2.0 mg/L,对土壤吸附正十六烷有一定的促进作用,ODEA的临界胶束浓度为0.7 mg/L,形成的胶束对正十六烷的增溶效果明显,促进了正十六烷在土壤中的解吸。     

Probabilistic health risk assessment of nitrosamines in drinking water of Shaoxing,Zhejiang, China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nitrosamines (NAms) are potent genotoxic and carcinogenic but widely detected in drinking water. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of...     

Aerosol transmission,an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread: case study of a department-store cluster

• Aerosol transmission is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread. • Different outbreak sites have different epidemiologic feature. • SRAS-CoV-2 can exist for a long time in aerosol. • SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in diverse places. • Some environmental factors can impact SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol. Patients with COVID-19 have revealed a massive outbreak around the world, leading to widespread concerns in global scope. Figuring out the transmission route of COVID-19 is necessary to control further spread. We analyzed the data of 43 patients in Baodi Department Store (China) to supplement the transmission route and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in a cluster outbreak. Incubation median was estimated to endure 5.95 days (2–13 days). Almost 76.3% of patients sought medical attention immediately upon illness onset. The median period of illness onset to hospitalization and confirmation were 3.96 days (0–14) and 5.58 days (1–21), respectively. Patients with different cluster case could demonstrate unique epidemiological characteristics due to the particularity of outbreak sites. SRAS-CoV-2 can be released into the surrounding air through patient’s respiratory tract activities, and can exist for a long time for long-distance transportation. SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in different sites, including isolation ward, general ward, outdoor, toilet, hallway, and crowded public area. Environmental factors influencing were analyzed and indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol was dependent on temperature, air humidity, ventilation rate and inactivating chemicals (ozone) content. As for the infection route of case numbers 2 to 6, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 23, we believe that aerosol transmission played a significant role in analyzing their exposure history and environmental conditions in Baodi Department Store. Aerosol transmission could occur in some cluster cases when the environmental factors are suitable, and it is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread.     

Comparison on surface properties and desulfurization of MnO2 and pyrolusite blended activated carbon by steam activation

In this study, MnO₂ and pyrolusite were used as the catalysts to prepare modified activated carbon, that is, AC-Mn and AC-P, respectively, from coals by blending method and steam activation. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) results indicated that the AC-P had higher surface areas and micropore volumes than the AC-Mn with the same blending ratio. The relative contents of basic functional groups (i.e., C = O, π-π*) on AC-P were slightly lower than those on AC-Mn, while both contained the same main metal species, namely, MnO. The desulfurization results showed that with 3 wt% of blending ratio, AC-Mn3 and AC-P3 had higher sulfur capacities at 220 and 205 mg/g, respectively, which were much higher than for the blank one (149.6 mg/g). Moreover, the AC-P had relatively higher sulfur capacity than the AC-Mn with the same contents of Mn, which might be attributed to the existence of other metals in pyrolusite. After the desulfurization process, MnO were gradually transferred into MnSO₄, and the relative contents of basic functional groups decreased evidently for both AC-Mn3 and AC-P3. The results demonstrated that pyrolusite could be one good alternative to MnO₂ to prepare modified activated carbon for desulfurization.

Implications: MnO₂ and pyrolusite were used as the additives to prepare modified activated carbon from coals by a blending method and by steam activation, that is, AC-Mn and AC-P, respectively. The AC-P had higher surface areas and micropore volumes than the AC-Mn with the same blending ratio. The AC-Mn and AC-P had higher sulfur capacities than a blank one. Moreover, the AC-P had relatively higher sulfur capacity than the AC-Mn with the same contents of Mn. The results demonstrated that pyrolusite could be one good alternative to MnO₂ to prepare modified activated carbon for desulfurizatio.     

雌激素受体作为壬基酚的主要作用靶点导致机体免疫毒性

雌激素作为一类重要的性腺类固醇化学信使,已经被证实能够直接调节机体免疫反应,因此,一些具有拟雌激素特性的环境内分泌干扰物(endocrine disruptors,EDs),会通过影响雌激素相关信号通路对免疫系统产生干扰作用。壬基酚(nonylphenol,NP)作为典型的环境内分泌干扰物,已有大量的文献报道其通过拟雌激素特性或干扰雌激素的合成、分泌、转运以及与靶点的结合,破坏机体生殖功能以及神经-免疫-内分泌系统,影响整体生理平衡与稳定。近年来,NP对免疫系统的干扰作用逐渐引起重视,研究发现,NP暴露会引起小鼠免疫器官及免疫细胞的发育异常,并且会导致新生小鼠肝毒性,肝脏细胞内炎性因子TNF-α、IL-1β分泌增加。除NP作为配体干扰雌激素信号通路外,尚未发现其他明确的分子机制解释NP造成的免疫毒性。本综述主要结合近年来相关的实验结果,总结了NP对免疫系统的潜在影响及其可能的分子机制。