Calcined Oil Shale Semi-coke for Significantly Improved Performance Alginate-Based Film by Crosslinking with Ca2+

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Oil shale semi-coke (OSSC) is the residual solid waste after refining of oil shale, which principally contains organic matter and minerals. The common...     

ZnO-based heterostructures as photocatalysts for hydrogen generation and depollution: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Energy shortage and escalating pollution are major challenges globally. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is one of the most cost-effective methods for producing...     

Enhanced organic phosphorus detection in sediments by foam separation and 31P-NMR

Phosphorus (P) is both a nutrient and a pollutant. For instance, excess P induces water eutrophication followed by death of fishes and other water life. Determination of organic P content in sediments is therefore important to study P cycling and environmental pollution. The most widely used method to determine organic P in sediments is NaOH–EDTA extraction followed by ³¹P-NMR detection. However, some organic P compounds are difficult to extract using NaOH–EDTA due to the low solubility, thus can not be detected by ³¹P NMR. Here, we used foam separation to determine organic P in sediment of North Canal of Tianjin City, China. Organic P was first enriched using foam separation coupled with NaOH extraction. The enriched organic P was then analyzed with ³¹P NMR. The results showed that, compared with the traditional extraction method, foam separation coupled with NaOH extraction enriched more P compound because ³¹P NMR detected an extra signal of teichoic acid at chemical shift 1.14. This teichoic acid signal was not detected in the extract prepared using only NaOH–EDTA. Our finding demonstrates that determination using foam separation followed by ³¹P NMR is feasible.     

Enhancement of the CO(2) retention capacity of X zeolites by Na- and Cs-treatments

Adsorption of carbon dioxide on alkaline modified X zeolites was investigated by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) analysis of these materials previously saturated with CO(2) at 50, 100 and 200 degrees C. Parent X zeolite (in its sodium form) was treated with different sodium and cesium aqueous solutions, using both carbonates and hydroxides as precursors. The resulting materials were characterised by nitrogen physisorption, XRD, and NH(3)-TPD, in order to determine their morphological, crystallographic and chemical properties. Slight desilication phenomena were observed using hydroxides as precursors, whereas the treatment with Cs salts lead to higher crystallinity losses. Several successive adsorption-desorption cycles were carried out in order to check the regenerability of the adsorbents. Cesium-treated zeolites present higher carbon dioxide retention capacities than the sodium treated and than the parent material. When working with these Cs-modified materials, the desorption takes place mainly at temperatures between 250 and 400 degrees C, results of great practical interest, since it allows the use these kinds of materials for adsorption-desorption cycles. The evolution of the retention capacity with temperature is also markedly more positive for Cs-treated zeolite, especially when carbonate is used as the precursor. These materials maintain high retention capacities at 100 degrees C (10mg g(-1)) and even at 200 degrees C (3mg g(-1)), temperatures at which the most of the adsorbents are inactive.     

Mercury biomethylation assessment in the estuary of Bilbao (North of Spain)

The relationship between the microbial methylation of mercury and the microbial activities in sediments and water collected from the estuary of Bilbao (North of Spain) was studied in three different sampling points and in two different seasons. Three different cultures were prepared with a sediment slurry to distinguish between biotic and abiotic methylation pathways and the variations of the methylmercury concentration and the variations of the population of total number of bacteria (TDC), anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria (AHB), sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and Desulfovibrio were measured. From this work, it can be concluded that the variation of MeHg concentrations is a result of the methylation/demethylation processes in the sediments, and that the abiotic processes have a negligible contribution to those processes. According to the statistical analysis of the results (partial least squares analysis) a significant statistical correlation was established between methylmercury and the SRB counts.     

Eier der Flußseeschwalbe (Sterna hirundo) als Indikator für die aktuelle Belastung von Rhein, Weser und Elbe mit Umweltchemikalien

In 1995, common tern (Sterna hirundo) eggs from the big German rivers, the Rhine, Weser and Elbe were collected to study the contamination with organochlorines and mercury. We found distinct differences between the rivers: common tern eggs from the Rhine had higher concentrations of PCBs and HCHs, while eggs from the Elbe had higher residues of DDT, HCB and mercury. Also toxic PCB congeners had higher residue levels in the Rhine. Considering all organochlorines, samples from the Rhine also had the highest concentrations, while those from the Elbe were the lowest. With 5.7 μg×g^?1 fresh weight, the ΖCBs had a level endangering breeding success. Fish eating birds should be used as indicators of the contamination of the rivers with environmental chemicals and should be included in monitoring programmes.     

臭氧氧化法深度处理生活垃圾焚烧厂沥滤液

采用臭氧氧化法对生活垃圾焚烧厂沥滤液经生化处理后的废水(称沥滤液生化处理水)进行深度处理。实验结果表明,COD降解速率随废水pH的提高明显增加,其中pH=10.5时的COD降解速率常数约为pH=4时的5.8倍。在臭氧投量为52.92 mg/min、pH=10.5的条件下反应70 min后,UV254和COD去除率分别达到84.7%和59.3%。向反应体系投加叔丁醇后COD去除率下降了约15%,由羟自由基氧化去除的COD占总COD去除量的26.7%。毒性实验结果表明,沥滤液生化处理水的96 h-EC50为38%,经臭氧氧化进一步处理后出水的96 h-EC50为77%,表明经臭氧深度处理后沥滤液生化处理水的毒性明显降低。     

有机物降解产气率模型研究

根据重庆市生活垃圾的组成特点,自配垃圾试样进行有机物降解实验,根据实验期间试样的质量变化,结合降解反应方程式,计算试样的产气量,并建立产气率模型.实验结果表明,试样质量随时间逐渐降低,呈指数型衰减规律.试样在实验初期产气率增加较快,达到产气高峰后逐渐降低.用建立的产气率模型进行计算,计算结果与实测数据比较接近,说明该产...     

弃置平台与管线对海洋环境的影响

海洋平台及海底管线会随着海上油气田的开采完成而结束其使命,并置于废弃状态。文章论述了废弃平台管线结构由于废弃失效、清洗及拆除对海洋环境所造成的不良影响及其对海洋环境的持续性影响,并从完善规章制度、严格执行环评管理程序、加强海洋环境监测、合理选择弃置方案、再利用等五方面,对海洋环境的可持续发展,有针对性地提出了科学、可行的建议。     

Ambient levels of atmospheric carbonyls in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games

The measurements of atmospheric carbonyls concentrations in Beijing were conducted from 12 July to 8 October, 2008, covering the periods of the 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Six carbonyls, including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, butyraldehyde, valeraldehyde, and hexaldehyde, were identified in all air samples. The total average concentrations of these carbonyls before, during, and after traffic restriction were (48.1 ± 15.2), (36.6 ± 14.5) and (23.4 ± 12.3) μg/m3, respectively. Compared with the period after traffic restriction, the distinct high concentrations of the carbonyls before and during traffic restriction were primarily ascribed to the remarkable contribution of photochemical reactions. With respect to our previous investigation in the summer of 2005, the reductions of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone during traffic restriction period were about 64%, 47% and 27%, respectively, indicating that the air cleaning actions adopted by the Chinese government for the two games were efficient. The lowest levels of atmospheric carbonyls and the extremely high composition proportion of acetone after the traffic restriction were mainly attributed to the long-term effect of the control measures for the two games.