Photodegradation of malachite green under natural sunlight irradiation: kinetic and toxicity of the transformation products

This article describes the photolytic degradation of malachite green (MG), a cationic triphenylmethane dye used worldwide as a fungicide and antiseptic in the aquaculture industry. Photolysis experiments were performed by direct exposure of a solution of MG in water to natural sunlight. The main transformation products (TPs) generated during the process were identified by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–TOF-MS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The 28 TPs identified with this strategy indicate that MG undergoes three main reactions, N-demethylation, hydroxylation and cleavage of the conjugated structure forming benzophenone derivatives. These processes involve hydroxyl radical attack on the phenyl ring, the N,N-dimethylamine group and the central carbon atom. The Vibrio fischeri acute toxicity test showed that the solution remains toxic after MG has completely disappeared. This toxicity could be assigned, at least in part, to the formation of 4-(dimethylamine)benzophenone, which has an EC_50,30 min of 0.061 mg l⁻¹, and is considered “very toxic to aquatic organisms” by current EU legislation.     

工业废铁屑活化过硫酸盐降解水中环丙沙星的研究

为了有效降解水中的喹诺酮类抗生素环丙沙星(CPFX),降低处理成本,利用工业废铁屑(IWFe)活化过硫酸盐(PS)降解CPFX,探索了IWFe的粒径、反应体系初始pH、PS/CPFX(质量比)对CPFX降解效果的影响,并且研究了反应动力学、自由基的生成以及使用前后IWFe的变化。结果表明,IWFe+PS体系对CPFX的去除率超过90%,随着IWFe粒径的变小和PS/CPFX的增大,CPFX的去除率增加。在中性条件下,CPFX的去除率最大。IWFe的表面氧化物主要为Fe_3O_4和α-FeOOH,其中Fe~(2+)可活化PS产生·SO_4~-和·OH,·SO_4~-和·OH对CPFX的去除率的贡献分别为47.7%和21.9%。使用后,IWFe上Fe~(2+)的减少低于Fe~(3+)的增加,表明IWFe内核的Fe~0也参与了PS的活化。本研究提供了一种高效、低成本的有机废水处理方法,对实际工程具有一定的参考价值。     

缓释铁源耦合气体扩散电极强化电芬顿降解环丙沙星

气体扩散电极(GDE)气液固三相界面可高效产生H₂O₂,但对铁离子还原能力较弱。针对这一问题,本文构建了一种基于缓释铁源的电芬顿体系(SRIS-EF),通过引入柱状铁棒与GDE电极协同作用加强体系的氧化能力。该体系旨在改进Fe²⁺投加方式,通过电场与溶液酸碱度协同作用持续生成Fe²⁺,提高羟基自由基(·OH)的生成和利用率,加速污染物的降解与矿化。以100 mg·L⁻¹环丙沙星(CIP)为目标物,通过定量分析体系内生成的主要活性氧化物质(ROS)表征其氧化能力,结果表明SRIS-EF能够持续生成更高浓度的·OH。对比了不同体系对CIP的矿化能力,发现SRIS-EF的TOC矿化率与常规EF相比提高了12.1%。此外,考察了SRIS-EF体系中柱状铁棒面积、初始pH、电流密度等因素对降解效能的影响,得出了SRIS-EF体系的最佳条件为：铁棒面积2.89 cm²,初始pH 3.00,电流密度30 mA·cm⁻²,在此条件下反应60 min即可被完全去除CIP,处理360 min后TOC去除率可达47.3%。还对体系中无机离子和小分子有机酸的生成情况进行了测定,检测出CIP内的N和F主要以NH₄⁺、NO₃⁻和F⁻形式释放,降解过程中生成了草酸、甲酸、富马酸和丙二酸等四种短链羧酸,其中甲酸浓度较高。研究证实了SRIS-EF体系在降解水中难降解有机污染物方面优异的氧化性能。     

氯离子对过硫酸盐氧化苯胺的影响

在高级氧化工艺(AOPs)降解有机污染物过程中,卤代消毒副产物(DBPs)的形成已引起了广泛的关注。然而,氯离子(Cl⁻)在过硫酸盐(PS)降解污染物的过程中的作用机制仍存在争议。基于此,探究了在不同pH下Cl⁻对PS的作用机理,并对可能的反应途径进行了推断。结果表明：在酸性条件(pH=2.5)下,Cl⁻可以与PS反应生成HClO,从而可促进对苯胺(AN)的去除,但并不能对AN进行有效矿化,在PS溶液中加入10 mmol·L⁻¹的Cl⁻后,AN的去除率升高了47.82%,但TOC去除率仅提高了9.78%,且会生成2, 4, 6-三氯苯胺等有害的氯代副产物;相反,在中性(pH=7.5)或碱性条件(pH=11.5)下PS自身能够有效矿化AN,AN的去除率分别提高了57.90%和74.96%,此时TOC去除率分别升高了44.98%和67.15%,而Cl⁻的作用并不显著。通过加入不同淬灭剂对反应过程中的氧化物质进行了识别,发现PS在碱性条件下会生成羟基自由基(HO·)、硫酸根自由基(${\rm{SO}}_4^{ - \cdot}$)和超氧自由基(${\rm{O}}_2^{ - \cdot }$),且在反应过程中起主要作用的为HO·。在碱性条件下,当苯胺的去除率为74.96%时,HO·、${\rm{SO}}_4^{ - \cdot}$和${\rm{O}}_2^{ - \cdot }$对苯胺去除的贡献率分别为51.36%、11.25%和9.79%。对NaCl/PS体系中的产物进行鉴定,检测到7种中间产物,并在此基础上探讨了PS氧化降解AN的可能途径。以上研究结果有助于更好地理解和优化与PS相关的高级氧化技术在实际应用中的污染控制。     

Photolysis of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the marine environment under simulated sunlight conditions: irradiation and identification

The photochemical fate of 16 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) found in the environment has been studied under controlled laboratory conditions applying a sunlight simulator. Aqueous samples containing PPCPs at environmentally relevant concentrations were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) after irradiation. The exposed extracts were subsequently analysed by liquid chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for studying the kinetics of photolytic transformations. Almost all exposed PPCPs appeared to react with a half-life time (τ _1/2) of less than 30 min. For ranitidine, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, warfarin, sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin, τ_1/2 was found to be even less than 5 min. The structures of major photolysis products were determined using quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QToF) and spectroscopic data reported in the literature. For diclofenac, the transformation products carbazol-1-yl-acidic acid and 8-chloro-9H-carbazol-1-yl-acetic acid were identified based on the mass/charge ratio of protonated ions and their fragmentation pattern in negative electrospray ionization (ESI^?-QTOF). Irradiation of carbamazepine resulted in three known products: acridine, carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide, and 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxy-carbamazepine, whereas acetaminophen was photolytically transformed to 1-(2-amino-5 hydroxyphenyl) ethenone. These photochemical products were subsequently identified in seawater or fish samples collected at sites exposed to wastewater effluents on the Saudi Arabian coast of the Red Sea.     

Photolysis of Enrofloxacin in aqueous systems under simulated sunlight irradiation: Kinetics, mechanism and toxicity of photolysis products

Photolysis of Enro in water was investigated under simulated sunlight irradiation using a Xenon lamp. The results showed that Enro photolysis followed apparent first-order kinetics. Increasing Enro concentration from 5.0 to 40.0 mg L⁻¹ led to the decrease of the photolysis rate constant from 1.6 × 10⁻² to 3.0 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹. Compared with the acidic and basic conditions, the photolysis rate was faster at neutral condition. Both of nitrate and humic acid can markedly decrease the photolysis rate of Enro because they can competitively absorb photons with Enro. The electron spin resonance and reactive oxygen species scavenging experiments indicated that Enro underwent self-sensitized photooxidation via OH and ¹O₂. After irradiation for 90 min, only 13.1% reduction of TOC occurred in spite of fast photolysis of 58.9% of Enro, indicating that Enro was transformed into intermediates without complete mineralization. The photolysis of Enro involved three main pathways: decarboxylation, defluorination, and piperazinyl N⁴-dealkylation. The bioluminescence inhibition rate using Vibrio fischeri increased to 67.2% at 60 min and then decreased to 56.9% at 90 min, indicative of the generation of some more toxic intermediates than Enro and then the degradation of the intermediates. The results will help us understand fundamental mechanisms of Enro photolysis and provide insight into the potential fate and transformation of Enro in surface waters.     

Microwave-enhanced reduction of manganese from a low-grade pyrolusite ore using pyrite: process optimization and kinetic studies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The inefficient leaching of manganese is the main factor hindering the commercialization of the reduction process during manganese recovery using...     

Further studies of oxidation processes on filter surfaces: Evidence for oxidation products and the influence of time in service

The sensory pollutants emitted by loaded ventilation filters are assumed to include products formed via oxidation of organics associated with captured particles. In this study, experiments were performed that used either particle production or ozone removal as probes to further improve our understanding of such processes. The measured ratio of downstream to upstream submicron particle concentrations increased when ozone was added to air passing through samples from loaded particle filters. Such an observation is consistent with low volatility oxidation products desorbing from the filter and subsequently partitioning between the gas phase and the surface of particles that have passed through the filter, including particles that were previously too small (<20 nm) to be detected by the instrument used in these studies. A related set of experiments conducted with unused filters and filters that had been in service from 2 to 16 weeks found that ozone removal efficiencies changed in a manner that indicated at least two different removal mechanisms—reactions with compounds present on the filter media following manufacturing and reactions with compounds associated with captured particles. The contribution from the former varies with the type and manufacturer of the filter, while that of the latter varies with the duration of service and nature of the captured particles. In complimentary experiments, a filter sample protected from ozone during its 9 weeks of service had higher ozone removal efficiencies than an identical filter not protected from ozone during the same 9 weeks of service filtering the same air. This result indicates that a filter's exposure history subsequently influences the quantity of oxidation products generated when ozone-containing air flows through it.     

Influence of pH on the sonolysis of ciprofloxacin: Biodegradability, ecotoxicity and antibiotic activity of its degradation products

The presence of antibiotics in the aquatic environment has raised concerns due to the potential risk for the emergence or persistence of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are often poorly degraded in conventional wastewater treatment plants. In this study, sonolysis at 520 kHz and 92 W L⁻¹ was used for the degradation of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin. In a first experiment at pH 7, 57% of the ciprofloxacin (15 mg L⁻¹) was degraded after 120 min of ultrasonic irradiation at 25 °C. pH proved to be an important parameter determining the degradation rate, since the pseudo first order degradation constant increased almost fourfold when comparing treatment at pH 7 (0.0058 min⁻¹) and pH 10 (0.0069 min⁻¹) with that at pH 3 (0.021 min⁻¹). This effect can be attributed to the degree of protonation of the ciprofloxacin molecule. The BOD/COD ratio of the solutions, which is a measure for their biodegradability, increased from 0.06 to 0.60, 0.17, and 0.18 after 120 min of irradiation depending on the pH (3, 7, and 10, respectively). The solution treated at pH 3 can even be considered readily biodegradable (BOD/COD > 0.4). The antibiotic activity against Escherichia coli (G−) and Bacillus coagulans (G+) of the treated solutions also reduced after sonolysis. The highest decrease was again found when irradiated at pH 3. In contrast, ecotoxicity of the solutions to the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata increased 3- to 10-fold after 20 min of treatment, suggesting the formation of toxic degradation products. The toxicity slowly diminished during further treatment.     

Phototransformation products of tamoxifen by sunlight in water. Toxicity of the drug and its derivatives on aquatic organisms

Transformation of tamoxifen has been observed in water by prolonged sunlight irradiation. The main photoproducts, isolated by chromatographic techniques, have been identified by spectroscopic means. Photoisomerization, photocyclization and, to a lesser extent, photooxygenation appear to be involved in the degradation of the drug. The acute and chronic toxicity of the parent drug and its photoproducts were tested on non-target aquatic organisms (Brachionus calyciflorus, Thamnocephalus platyurus, Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia dubia). Exposure to all the compounds induced mainly chronic effects without significant differences among the parental and derivative compounds.     

Disappearance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons sorbed on surfaces of pine [Pinua thunbergii] needles under irradiation of sunlight: Volatilization and photolysis

The solar photodegradation of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), sorbed on surfaces of pine [Pinua thunbergii] needles was investigated. The PAHs were produced by combustion of polystyrene and exposed onto the surfaces of pine needles. The disappearance of PAHs sorbed on the pine needle surfaces is mainly caused by volatilization and photolysis, with photolysis playing a major role. The volatilization rates correlate with PAH molecular weight significantly. The photolysis of the 16 PAHs follows first-order kinetics and their photolysis half-lives (t_1/2,P) range from 12.9 h for naphthalene to 65.4 h for fluorene. The PAHs have similar half-lives whether they are sorbed on spruce or pine needles. Compared with water, the cuticular waxes of pine needles can stabilize photolysis of PAHs and facilitate accumulation of PAHs. t_1/2,P for selected PAHs correlate with semi-empirically calculated energy of the highest occupied orbital (E_HOMO). Photochemical behaviors of PAHs are dependent not only on their molecular structures but also the physical–chemical properties of the substrate on which they are adsorbed.     

Amorphous and condensed organic matter domains: the effect of persulfate oxidation on the composition of soil/sediment organic matter

The composition of amorphous and condensed soil/sediment organic matter (SOM) domains was investigated for one soil sample and four sediment samples. These samples were oxidized with persulfate to remove amorphous SOM, before and after which the composition of SOM was studied by thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis-GC/MS, and cross polarization magic angle spinning 13C-NMR. Comparison of the SOM composition before and after oxidation showed that condensed SOM was more thermostable and less polar than amorphous SOM. Condensed SOM was relatively low in O-alkyl C and carboxyl C and it was likely to contain only small amounts of labile organic components (carbohydrates, peptides, fatty acids). Apart from these general characteristics, the composition of the condensed and amorphous domains appeared to be highly dependent on the origin and nature of the SOM investigated. Condensed domains in relatively undecomposed SOM were enriched in aliphatic C, whereas condensed domains in relatively weathered SOM were enriched in aromatic C. Altogether, the compositional changes upon persulfate oxidation were similar to the compositional changes upon humification, which supports the idea that weathered SOM is more condensed than the original material.     

Treatment of dairy manure using the microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process under a continuous mode operation

The microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW/H(2)O(2)-AOP) was used to treat dairy manure for solubilization of nutrients and organic matters. This study investigated the effectiveness of the MW/H(2)O(2)-AOP under a continuous mode of operation, and compared the results to those of batch operations. The main factors affecting solubilization by the MW/H(2)O(2)-AOP were heating temperature and hydrogen peroxide dosage. Soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) increased with an increase of microwave (MW) heating temperature; very high concentrations were obtained at 90°C. Insignificant amounts of ammonia and reducing sugars were released in all runs. An acidic pH condition was required for phosphorus solubilisation from dairy manure. The best yield was obtained at 90°C with an acid dosage of 1.0 %; about 92 % of total phosphorus and 90 % of total chemical oxygen demand were in the soluble forms. The MW/H(2)O(2)-AOP operated in a continuous operation mode showed pronounced synergistic effects between hydrogen peroxide and microwave irradiation when compared to a batch system under similar operating conditions, resulting in much better yields.     

Treatment of dairy manure using the microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process under a continuous mode operation

The microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW/H₂O₂-AOP) was used to treat dairy manure for solubilization of nutrients and organic matters. This study investigated the effectiveness of the MW/H₂O₂-AOP under a continuous mode of operation, and compared the results to those of batch operations. The main factors affecting solubilization by the MW/H₂O₂-AOP were heating temperature and hydrogen peroxide dosage. Soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) increased with an increase of microwave (MW) heating temperature; very high concentrations were obtained at 90°C. Insignificant amounts of ammonia and reducing sugars were released in all runs. An acidic pH condition was required for phosphorus solubilisation from dairy manure. The best yield was obtained at 90°C with an acid dosage of 1.0 %; about 92 % of total phosphorus and 90 % of total chemical oxygen demand were in the soluble forms. The MW/H₂O₂-AOP operated in a continuous operation mode showed pronounced synergistic effects between hydrogen peroxide and microwave irradiation when compared to a batch system under similar operating conditions, resulting in much better yields.     

Mobility of radionuclides in soil/groundwater system: Comparing the influence of EDTA and four of its degradation products

The adsorption behavior of ²⁴¹Am, ⁶⁰Co, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁸⁵Sr in the presence and absence of chelating ligands (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ethylenediaminediacetic acid, hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid, iminodiaceiticacid and methyliminodiacetic acid) was investigated. Sorption affinity in the absence of chelating ligands followed: Am(III) > Co(II) > Cs(I) > Sr(II). The presence of chelating ligands generally had little effect on sorption of ⁸⁵Sr and ¹³⁷Cs with K_d values 110 and 690 mL g⁻¹, respectively. But at 0.02 M of ethylenediaminetetraacetic or hydroxyethyliminodiacetic, the K_d decreased to 5 or 63 mL g⁻¹, respectively, where thermochemical modeling indicated almost all ⁸⁵Sr is complexed with these ligands. The K_d values for ²⁴¹Am and ⁶⁰Co generally decreased with increasing chelating agent concentrations. In notable cases, the K_d values for Am increased at specific concentrations of 10⁻³ M for IDA, MIDA and 10⁻⁴ M for EDDA. This is proposed to be due to formation of a ternary surface complex.     

底物流加-间歇运行方式下氨氧化细菌富集培养的效果及影响因素分析

富集培养氨氧化细菌(AOB)可为污水处理工艺提高氨氮氧化速率、促进亚硝酸盐积累提供物质基础。在(20±2) ℃下,采用底物流加-间歇运行方式进行氨氧化细菌富集培养,重点考察了游离氨(FA)、游离亚硝酸(FNA)、溶解氧(DO)等因素的影响,并对富集前后活性污泥样品中的AOB进行了定性定量分析。结果表明：第15天左右AOB增殖进入稳定生长期,比氨氮氧化速率由接种时的4.45 mg·(g·h)⁻¹升高至57.22 mg·(g·h)⁻¹;通过pH、底物流加速率和实际反应速率关系的联合控制,可以实现整个反应过程中FA和FNA在预期范围内波动;即使在极低的DO条件下,高纯度的AOB也可进行氨氮氧化。高通量测序结果表明,体系内Nitrosomonas属的AOB大幅度增长,可由0.23%上升至54.18%,亚硝酸盐氧化细菌(NOB)的生长得到了有效抑制,培养结束时仅为0.12%。荧光定量PCR对AOB功能基因amoA的绝对含量结果表明,富集前后平均拷贝数由2.67×10⁵ copies·g⁻¹升至最大,可达9.67×10⁹ copies·g⁻¹,AOB成为活性污泥中的优势菌。本研究结果可为常温条件下快速富集AOB提供参考。     

The effect of heavy metals on the activated sludgeprocess and its microbial community analysis using16S ribosomal DNA

The effect of heavy metal shock loading on biological treatment systems was studied by traditional methods and molecular biological techniques. Two kinds of SBR (sequence batch reactor) operation units, unacclimated and acclimated activated sludge systems, were studied. The addition of special nutrients and powdered activated carbon (PAC) to stimulate heavy metal uptake and recovery were studied. The kinetic constants could be used to describe the effect of the inhibition of substance utilisation. The results showed that heavy metal shock loading had a greater effect on the unacclimated activated sludge system than on the acclimated one. The special nutrients greatly enhanced the uptake of copper, and the PAC improved sludge settling and decreased the turbidity of the effluent. The variation of dominant species and the diversity of the bacterial community were analysed using 16S ribosomal DNA. Compared with the slight change of dominant species during acclimation by copper, there was a great change in the acclimated system shocked by a high concentration of copper. The results confirmed that the acclimation could improve the resistance of microorganisms to heavy metal toxicity.     

The proliferation rule of Microcystis aeruginosa under different initial pH conditions and its influence on the pH value of the environment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study investigated the characteristics of the proliferation process of Microcystis aeruginosa and its changes to environmental pH values under...