Review of the progress in preparing nano TiO2: An important environmental engineering material

TiO2 nanomaterial is promising with its high potential and outstanding performance in photocatalytic environmental applications, such as CO2 conversion, water treatment, and air quality control. For many of these applications, the particle size, crystal structure and phase,porosity, and surface area influence the activity of TiO2 dramatically. TiO2 nanomaterials with special structures and morphologies, such as nanospheres, nanowires, nanotubes, nanorods,and nanoflowers are thus synthesized due to their desired characteristics. With an emphasis on the different morphologies of TiO2 and the influence factors in the synthesis, this review summarizes fourteen TiO2 preparation methods, such as the sol–gel method, solvothermal method, and reverse micelle method. The TiO2 formation mechanisms, the advantages and disadvantages of the preparation methods, and the photocatalytic environmental application examples are proposed as well.     

Photocatalytic degradation of dye effluent by titanium dioxide pillar pellets in aqueous solution

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process is an effective way to deal with organic pollutants in wastewater which could be difficult to be degraded by conventional biological treatment methods. Normally the TiO2 powder in nanometre size range was directly used as photocatalyst for dye degradation in wastewater. However the titanium dioxide powder was arduous to be recovered from the solution after treatment. In this application, a new form of TiO2(i. e. pillar pellets ranging from 2.5 to 5.3 mm long and with a diameter of 3.7 mm) was used and investigated for photocatalytic degradation of textile dye effluent. A test system was built with a flat plate reactor(FPR) and UV light source(blacklight and solar simulator as light source respectively) for investigating the effectiveness of the new form of TiO2. It was found that the photocatalytic process under this configuration could efficiently remove colours from textile dyeing effluent. Comparing with the TiO2 powder, the pellet was very easy to recovered from the treated solution and can be reused in multiple times without the significant change on the photocatalytic property. The results also showed that to achieve the same photocatalytic performance, the FPR area by pellets was about 91% smaller than required by TiO2 powder. At least TiO2 pellet could be used as an alternative form of photocatalyst in applications for textile effluent treatment process, also other wastewater treatment processes.     

Preliminary study of the correlation between trace elementsin human hair, liver and kidney by protoninduced X-ray emission analysis

This paper deals with the determination of trace elements in normal human hair, liver and kidney by Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) analysis. Sampling, specimen preparation and experimental procedures are described in detail. The accuracy of our system has been checked up with the determination of standard reference materials. The preliminary results on correlations between trace elements in human tissues are discussed. Application of the method described in the paper gives evidence in favour of the PIXE as a good tool on environmental life elements and health studies.     

Photocatalytic degradation of PCP-Na with TiO2 photocatalysis loaded with platinum

Titanium dioxide(TiO2) samples of different crystal forms were prepared by hydrolysis tetrbutyl titanate in various water to alkoxide ratios and sintering the hydrolysis product at different temperatures.The photocatalysts coated on hollow glass beads and loaded with platinum varying from 0.2% to 2.4% by weight.The photocatalytic degradation rate of sodium pentachlorophenolate (PCP-Na) depends on the preparing conditions such as:sintering temperatures,water to alkoxide ratios(R),platinum content and the size.The proper conditions of preparation photocatalysts are as follows:the ratio of tiO2:sodium silicate:hollow glass beads:platinum is 10:5:20:0.15(w/w),R is 100,sintering temperature is 650℃,and the size of hollow glass is 0.5-1mm.Under these conditions,the ratio between acatase and rutile of the photocatalyst is 2:1,and the photocatalytic activity is high.     

Preparation and performance of photocatalytic regenerationable activated carbon prepared via sol-gel TiO2

Preparation of photocatalytic regenerationable activated carbon （AC） is the key step for the practical application of in situ regeneration of exhausted AC. A novel photocatalytic regenerationable AC was prepared by sol-gel TiO2 in this work. The adsorption and regeneration performance of TiO2/AC were evaluated using phenol as model compound. Scanning electron microscope （SEM） and nitrogen （77 K） adsorption isotherm were used to determine the surface area, pore structure and the distribution of TiO2. The results showed that with the increase of TiO2 loading, adsorption capacity of TiO2/AC decreased and the regeneration efficiency increased. The photocatalytic regenerationable AC with suitable TiO2 loading （2 wt%） exhibited suitable adsorption capacity and regeneration efficiency. TiO2 located mainly in the entrance of macro-pore of carbon. The prepared TiO2/AC exhibited similar surface structure and pore structure with material carbon.     

Objective and quantitative evaluation of environmental quality of the land for agriculture purpose

An objective and quantitative evaluation method on land environmental quality for agricultural purpose in a county range is studied in this paper. The method takes into account the quantity of heat, precipitation, meteorological disaster and soil fertility, which have close relationship to the potential productivity of land and can be expressed conveniently and accurately by taking Kai County as an example. Besides comprehensive grading assessment, assessment with Hilbert Space distance coefficiency and comprehensive judgement by fuzzy sets theory, the assessment factors are expanded to 18 parameters, and fuzzy dominance matrix and fuzzy clustering methods are adopted for regional comprehensive identification of agriculture-use land. Among these methods, each benefits from association with the other. In this paper, an all-round and objective new way for understanding of land environmental quality is put forward.     

Pure and Mg-doped self-assembled ZnO nano-particles for the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol

A novel self-assembled pure and Mg doped ZnO nano-particles （NPs） were successfully synthesized by a simple low temperature co-precipitation method. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high resolution scanning electron mi- croscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence （PL） spectroscopy. The results indicated that the prepared photocatalysts showed high crystallinity with a uniform size distribution of the NPs. The degradation of cholorphenols is highly mandatory in today＇s scenario as they are affecting the environment adversely. Thus, the photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol （4-CP）, a potent endocrine disrupting chemical in aqueous medium was investigated by both pure and Mg-doped ZnO NPs under UV-light irradiation in the present study. The influence of the Mg content on the structure, morphology, PL character and photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs were investigated systematically. Furthermore,the effect of different parameters such as 4-CP concentration, photocatalyst amount, pH and UV-light wavelength on the resulting photocatalytic activity was investigated.     

Photocatalytic remediation of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane contaminated soils using TiO2 and montmorillonite composite photocatalyst

TiO2 and montmorillonite composite photocatalysts were prepared and applied in degrading γ-hexachlorocyclohexane （γ-HCH） in soils. After being spiked with γ-HCH, soil samples loaded with the composite photocatalysts were exposed to UV-light irradiation. The results indicated that the photocatalytic activities of the composite photocatalysts varied with the content of TiO2 in the order of 10%〈70%〈50% 〈30%, Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of the composite photocatalysts with TiO2 content 30% was higher than that of the pure P25 with the same mass of TiO2. The strong adsorption capacity of the composite photocatalysts and quantum size effect may contribute to its increased photocatalytic activities. In addition, effect of dosage of composite photocatalysts and soil pH on γ-HCH photodegradation was investigated. Pentachlorocyclohexene, trichlorocyclohexene, and dichlorobenzene were detected as photodegradation intermediates, which were gradually degraded with the photodegradation evolution.     

Biochar: A review of its impact on pesticide behavior in soil environments and its potential applications

Biochar is produced from the pyrolysis of carbon-rich plant- and animal-residues under low oxygen and high temperature conditions and has been increasingly used for its positive role in soil compartmentalization through activities such as carbon sequestration and improving soil quality. Biochar is also considered a unique adsorbent due to its high specific surface area and highly carbonaceous nature. Therefore, soil amendments with small amounts of biochar could result in higher adsorption and, consequently, decrease the bioavailability of contaminants to microbial communities, plants, earthworms, and other organisms in the soil. However, the mechanisms affecting the environmental fate and behavior of organic contaminants, especially pesticides in biochar-amended soil, are not well understood. The purpose of this work is to review the role of biochar in primary processes, such as adsorption–desorption and leaching of pesticides. Biochar has demonstrable effects on the fate and effects of pesticides and has been shown to affect the degradation and bioavailability of pesticides for living organisms. Moreover, some key aspects of agricultural and environmental applications of biochar are highlighted.     

Photocatalytic remediation of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane contaminated soils using TiO2 and montmorillonite composite photocatalyst

TiO2 and montmorillonite composite photocatalysts were prepared and applied in degrading γ-hexachlorocyclohexane(γ-HCH)in soils.After being spiked with γ-HCH,soil samples loaded with the composite photocatalysts were exposed to UV-light irradiation.The results indicated that the photocatalytic activities of the composite photocatalysts varied with the content of TiO2 in the order of 10%＜70%＜50%＜30%.Moreover,the photocatalytic activity of the composite photocatalysts with TiO2 content 30% was higher than that of the pure P25 with the same mass of TiO2.The strong adsorption capacity of the composite photocatalysts and quantum size effect may contribute to its increased photocatalytic activities.In addition,effect of dosage of composite photocatalysts and soil pH on γ-HCH photodegradation was investigated. Pentachlorocyclohexene,trichlorocyclohexene,and dichlorobenzene were detected as photodegradation intermediates,which were gradually degraded with tlle phOtOdegradation evolution.     

Photo-catalytic decolourisation of toxic dye with N-doped titania: A case study with Acid Blue 25

Dyes are one of the hazardous water pollutants.Toxic Acid Blue 25,an anthraquinonic dye,has been decolourised by photo-catalysing it with nitrogen doped titania in aqueous medium.The photo catalyst was prepared from 15% TiCl 3 and 25% aqueous NH 3 solution as precursor.XRD and TEM revealed the formation of well crystalline anatase phase having particle size in the nano-range.BET surface area of the sample was higher than that of pure anatase TiO 2.DRS showed higher absorption of radiation in visible range compared to pure anatase TiO 2.XPS revealed the presence of nitrogen in N-Ti-O environment.The experimental parameters,namely,photocatalyst dose,initial dye concentration as well as solution pH influence the decolourisation process.At pH 3.0,the N-TiO 2 could decolourise almost 100% Acid Blue 25 within one hour.The influence of N-TiO 2 dose,initial concentration of Acid Blue 25 and solution pH on adsorption-desorption equilibrium is also studied.The adsorption process follows Lagergren first order kinetics while the modified Langmuir-Hinselwood model is suitably fitted for photocatalytic decolourisation of Acid Blue 25.     

TiO2/beads as a photocatalyst for the degradation of X3B azo dye

The feasibility of photocatalytic degradation of X3B azo dye by TiO2/beads photocatalyst was studied.The effects of parameters such as the amount of TiO2/beads,airflow ,as well as the concentrations of H2O2,Fe^3 ,Mg^2 and Na^ on the photocatalytic degradation of X3B azo dye were also studied.The results showed that 25mg/dm^3 X3B azo dye can be photocatalytically degraded completely by 30 min illumination with a 375W medium pressure mercury lamp.Adding a small amount of H2O2 or Fe^3 ,the efficiencies of photocatalytic degradation of X3B azo dye were increased rapidly.The mechanisms of the reaction and the role of the additives were also investigated.After 120 hours TiO2/beads showed no significant loss of the photocatalytic activity.     

Synthesis and characterisation of potassium polytitanate for photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet

Potassium titanate nanostructures were synthesised by hydrothermal treatment of TiO2 （P25） in KOH and H2O2. As-produced powders were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption methods. Longitudinally-oriented-wire-like structures with a length up to several micrometres and diameters ranging from 10 to 30 nm were obtained. Larger size fibrous nanowires resulting from the hydrotherrnal treatment showed high affinity in adsorbing crystal violet （CV）, which was mainly due to their high surface area. The photocatalytic bleaching of CV solution revealed that the wires are photoactive under ultraviolet light irradiation. Macroporous nanowires are considered as effective adsorbents of CV, capable of photocatalvtic degradation, and they can be easily separated from the solution by settling.     

Recent advances based on the synergetic effect of adsorption for removal of dyes from waste water using photocatalytic process

The problem of textile dye pollution has been addressed by various methods,mainly physical,chemical,biological,and acoustical.These methods mainly separate and/or remove the dye present in water.Recently,advanced oxidation processes(AOP)have been focused for removal of dye from waste water due to their advantages such as ecofriendly,economic and capable to degrade many dyes or organic pollutant present in water.Photocatalysis is one of the advance oxidation processes,mainly carried out under irradiation of light and suitable photocatalytic materials.The photocatalytic activity of the photocatalytic materials mainly depends on the band gap,surface area,and generation of electron–hole pair for degradation dyes present in water.It has been observed that the surface area plays a major role in photocatalytic degradation of dyes,by providing higher surface area,which leads to the higher adsorption of dye molecule on the surface of photocatalyst and enhances the photocatalytic activity.This present review discusses the synergic effect of adsorption of dyes on the photocatalytic efficiency of various nanostructured high surface area photocatalysts.In addition,it also provides the properties of the water polluting dyes,their mechanism and various photocatalytic materials;and their morphology used for the dye degradation under irradiation of light along with the future prospects of highly adsorptive photocatalytic material and their application in photocatalytic removal of dye from waste water.     

Preface

Anthropogenic emissions impact significantly the atmospheric environment which human being relies on, e.g., global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, photochemical smog, acid rain, haze and so on. Although clean air actions have been legislated by many nations to mitigate pollutants＇ emission with the aim of protecting the atmospheric environment, serious air pollution events are frequently observed in different regions, especially in developing countries. To best evaluate the effect of various control measures as well as the influence of various pollutants on the atmospheric environment, the levels, sources and sinks of the pollutants are needed to be comprehensively investigated. Since atmospheric environment involves multidisciplinary approach, scientists with different disciplines together can provide profound understandings about the atmospheric environmental problems. Sino-French Workshop on Atmospheric Environment is just one of such platforms to join scientists together for collaboration, exchange of experience and ideas.     

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 containing anatase nanoparticles and rutile nanoflower structure consisting of nanorods

A series of TiO2 with different crystal phases and morphologies was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process using titanium nbutoxide and concentrated hydrochloric acid as raw materials. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by degradation of Methyl Orange in aqueous solution under UV-Visible light irradiation. On the basis of detailed analysis of the characterizing results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement, it was concluded that the photo-activity of the catalyst is related directly to the 3D morphology and the crystal phase composition. An excellent catalyst should have both a futile 3D flower-like structure and anatase granulous particles. The 3D flower-like structure could enhance light harvesting, as well as the transfer of reactant molecules from bulk solution to the reactive sites on TiO2. In addition, the optimum anatase/rutile phase ratio was found to be 80：20, which is beneficial to the effective separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs.     

Interannual variability of carbon cycle implied by a 2-d atmospheric transport model

A 2-dimensional atmospheric transport model is deployed in asimplified CO2 inverse study. Calculated carbon flux distribution for the interval from 1981 to 1997 confirms the existence of a terrestrial carbon sink in mid-high latitude area of North Hemisphere. Strong interannual variability exists in carbon flux patterns, implying a possible link with ENSO and other natural episodes such as Pinatubo volcano eruption in 1991. Mechanism of this possible link was investigated with statistic method. Correlation analysis indicated that in North Hemisphere, climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation, to some extend, could influence the carbon cycle process of land and ocean, thus cause considerable change in carbon flux distribution. In addition, correlation study also demonstrated the possible important role of Asian terrestrial ecosystems in carbon cycle.     

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of silver nanoparticles in water using ionic liquid 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate

Using the ionic liquid(IL)1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as the extractant and methanol as the dispersion solvent,a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method was developed to extract silver nanoparticles(AgN Ps)from environmental water samples.Parameters that influenced the extraction efficiency such as IL concentration,pH and extraction time were optimized.Under the optimized conditions,the highest extraction efficiency for AgN Ps was above 90% with an enrichment factor of 90.The extracted AgN Ps in the IL phase were identified by transmission electron microscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy,and quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after microwave digestion,with a detection limit of 0.01 μg/L.The spiked recovery of AgN Ps was 84.4% with a relative standard deviation(RSD)of 3.8%(n = 6)at a spiked level of 5 μg/L,and 89.7% with a RSD of 2.2%(n = 6)at a spiked level of 300 μg/L,respectively.Commonly existed environmental ions had a very limited influence on the extraction efficiency.The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of Ag NPs in river water,lake water,and the influent and effluent of a wastewater treatment plant,with recoveries in the range of 71.0%–90.9% at spiking levels of 0.11–4.7 μg/L.     

Determination of arsenic in air particulates and diesel exhaust particulates by spectrophotometry

A method was developed for the determination of trace arsenic by spectrophotometry. The proposed method is rapid, simple,and inexpensive. This method can be used for sensitive determination of trace arsenic in environmental samples and especially in air particulates. The results obtained by this method as a proposed method were compared with those obtained by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry as a popular reported method for the determination of arsenic and an excellent agreement was found between them. The method was also used for determination of arsenic associated with airborne particulate matter and diesel exhaust particulates.The results showed that considerable amount of arsenic are associated with diesel engine particulates. The variation in concentration of arsenic was also investigated. The atmospheric concentration of arsenic was different in different sampling stations was dependent to the traffic density.     

Isolation of a salt tolerant laccase secreting strain of Trichoderma sp. NFCCI-2745 and optimization of culture conditions and assessing its effectiveness in treating saline phenolic effluents

Most of the hazardous pollutants are phenolic in nature and persists in the environment. The ability of laccases to oxidize phenolic compounds and reduce molecular oxygen to water has led to intensive studies of these enzymes. Therefore the fungal strains with high laccase activity and substrate affinity that can tolerate harsh environmental conditions have a potential for biotechnological applications. Salt tolerant laccase secreting fungi can be utilized in treatment of saline and phenolic rich industrial effluents such as coir effluent and textile effluent that needed to be diluted several fold before microbial treatment. This is the first study describing the isolation and optimization of a salt tolerant strain of Trichoderma sp. potential for industrial applications. The fungus was identified based on morphological characteristics and was subsequently confirmed with molecular techniques and deposited at National Fungal Culture Collections of India （NFCCI） under the Accession No. Trichoderma viride NFCCI 2745. In contrast to other laccase secreting fungi, light conditions did not exert much influence on laccase production of this strain and salinity enhanced its laccase secretion. The fungus effectively removed the phenolic content of the textile effluent, coir-ret liquor and wood processing effluent within 96 hr of incubation. The tolerance of the fungus to high salinity and phenolic compounds makes this strain ideal for treating saline and phenolic rich industrial effluents.