Influence of particle size on the aggregation behavior of nanoparticles: Role of structural hydration layer

More and more attention has been paid to the aggregation behavior of nanoparticles, but little research has been done on the effect of particle size. Therefore, this study systematically evaluated the aggregation behavior of nano-silica particles with diameter 130–480 nm at different initial particle concentration, pH, ionic strength, and ionic valence of electrolytes. The modified Smoluchowski theory failed to describe the aggregation kinetics for nano-silica particles with diameters less than 190 nm. Besides, ionic strength, cation species and pH all affected fast aggregation rate coefficients of 130 nm nanoparticles. Through incorporating structural hydration force into the modified Smoluchowski theory, it is found that the reason for all the anomalous aggregation behavior was the different structural hydration layer thickness of nanoparticles with various sizes. The thickness decreased with increasing of particle size, and remained basically unchanged for particles larger than 190 nm. Only when the distance at primary minimum was twice the thickness of structural hydration layer, the structural hydration force dominated, leading to the higher stability of nanoparticles. This study clearly clarified the unique aggregation mechanism of nanoparticles with smaller size, which provided reference for predicting transport and fate of nanoparticles and could help facilitate the evaluation of their environment risks.     

汽车用材料——PA66及其玻璃纤维复合材料在不同介质中的老化行为研究

在三种介质（二次水，汽油，乙二醇，50℃温度）条件下对PA66及PA66／GF进行95天左右的人工模拟材料在汽车使用环境下的加速试验，对不同老化时间的PA66及PA66／GF试样进行了宏观力学测试及吸湿性测试，并进一步利用示差扫描量热法（DSC），红外光谱及扫描电镜等手段分析老化前后试样的微观结构及组织差异。结合老化前后试样的力学性能变化，揭示了PA66及复合材料的老化规律和机理。实验表明，PA66及PA66／GF在三种介质中拉伸强度呈现下降趋势。其主要机理是介质溶液对试样渗入的结果影响，降低了分子间的相互作用力（范德华力）从而使材料机械性能下降；同时未发现化学作用对材料的力学性能有明显的变化。     

Functional flax fiber with UV-induced switchable wettability for multipurpose oil-water separation

● A PAA-ZnO-HDTMS flax fiber with UV-induced switchable wettability was developed. ● The property of flax fiber could be switched from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity. ● The mechanism of the acquired UV-induced switchable wettability was discussed. ● The developed flax fiber was successfully used for multipurpose oil-water separation. The large number of oily wastewater discharges and oil spills are bringing about severe threats to environment and human health. Corresponding to this challenge, a functional PAA-ZnO-HDTMS flax fiber with UV-induced switchable wettability was developed for efficient oil-water separation in this study. The developed flax fiber was obtained through PAA grafted polymerization and then ZnO-HDTMS nanocomposite immobilization. The as-prepared PAA-ZnO-HDTMS flax fiber was hydrophobic initially and could be switched to hydrophilic through UV irradiation. Its hydrophobicity could be easily recovered through being stored in dark environment for several days. To optimize the performance of the PAA-ZnO-HDTMS flax fiber, the effects of ZnO and HDTMS concentrations on its switchable wettability were investigated. The optimized PAA-ZnO-HDTMS flax fiber had a large water contact angle (~130°) in air and an extremely small oil contact angle (~0°) underwater initially. After UV treatment, the water contact angle was decreased to 30°, while the underwater oil contact angle was increased to more than 150°. Based on this UV-induced switchable wettability, the developed PAA-ZnO-HDTMS flax fiber was applied to remove oil from immiscible oil-water mixtures and oil-in-water emulsion with great reusability for multiple cycles. Thus, the developed flax fiber could be further fabricated into oil barrier or oil sorbent for oil-water separation, which could be an environmentally-friendly alternative in oil spill response and oily wastewater treatment.     

Product identification and toxicity change during oxidation of methotrexate by ferrate and permanganate in water

• Oxidation of methotrexate by high-valent metal-oxo species was first explored. • Fe(VI) presented a higher reactivity to MTX than Mn(VII) at pH 8.0. • Ketonization and cleavage of peptide bond were two initial reaction pathways. • Products of MTX were not genotoxic, neurotoxic, or endocrine-disrupting chemicals. • The less biodegradable products exhibited developmental and acute/chronic toxicity. Accompanying an annual increase in cancer incidence, the global use of anticancer drugs has remarkably increased with their worldwide environmental prevalence and ecological risks. In this study, the oxidation of methotrexate (MTX), a typical anticancer drug with ubiquitous occurrence and multi-endpoint toxicity, by ferrate(VI) (Fe(VI)) and permanganate (Mn(VII))) was investigated in water. Fe(VI) exhibited a higher reactivity with MTX (93.34 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) than Mn(VII) (3.01 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) at pH 8.0. The introduction of Cu(II) and Fe(III) at 1.0 mM improved the removal efficiency of 5.0 μM MTX by 100.0 μM Fe(VI) from 80% to 95% and 100% after 4 min, respectively. Seven oxidized products (OPs) were identified during oxidative treatments, while OP-191 and OP-205 were characterized as specific products for Fe(VI) oxidation. Initial ketonization of the L-glutamic acid moiety and cleavage of the peptide bond of MTX were proposed. Additionally, a multi-endpoint toxicity evaluation indicated no genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, or endocrine-disrupting effects of MTX and its OPs. Particularly, serious developmental toxicity in zebrafish larvae was observed in the treated MTX solutions. Based on the acute and chronic aquatic toxicity prediction, OP-190, OP-192, OP-206, and OP-208 were deemed toxic or very toxic compared to harmful MTX. Furthermore, the reduced biodegradability index from 0.15 (MTX) to −0.5 to −0.2 (OP-192, OP-206, and OP-468) indicated the formation of lower biodegradable OPs. Overall, this study suggests that Fe(VI) and Mn(VII) oxidation are promising treatments for remediating anticancer drug-contaminated water. However, the environmental risks associated with these treatments should be considered in the evaluation of water safety.     

Effects of ambient temperature on outpatient visits for dermatitis in Xinxiang,China: a time-series analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Previous studies have reported regional variations in the relationship between ambient temperature and dermatitis, which therefore remain...     

Construction,renovation, and demolition waste in landfill: a review of waste characteristics,environmental impacts,and mitigation measures

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the increase in global population, industrialization, and urbanization, waste from construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) activities has...     

Analysis of spatial and temporal changes of vegetation cover and its driving forces in the Huainan mining area

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Huainan mining area is rich in coal resources and has sparse vegetation and many collapsed waterways. Large-scale and long-term underground coal...     

What are the disease burden and its sensitivity analysis of workers exposing to Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol during warm and cold periods in a wastewater treatment plant?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Biological treatment in wastewater treatment plants releases high amounts of pathogenic bioaerosols. Quantitative microbial risk assessment is a...     

Green pharmaceutical supply chain coordination considering green investment,green logistics,and government intervention

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Despite their important role in the fight against global climate change, the coordination of green pharmaceutical supply chains (GPSC) has rarely been...     

50年来上海市台风灾害分析及预评估

依据1949~2005年中国气象局上海台风研究所的实测数据和前人的研究成果,筛选出对上海地区造成严重影响的84个台风,对这84个成灾台风的最大风速、过程雨量以及吴淞口、黄埔公园潮位站数据分析,结合收集到的其中57个台风的完整灾情数据计算灾情指数。综合研究得出:近50年来,成灾台风生成频数的年际变化比较明显;台风造成的人员伤亡、农田受淹面积和房屋倒损3个灾情参数在这50年里有一定的起伏变化,但综合灾情指数变化的幅度不大,从1980年代开始灾情指数有上升趋势。成灾台风灾情指数与上海市郊吕泗站最大风速和过程雨量成正相关。吴淞口、黄埔公园的潮位站数据与成灾台风直接经济损失对应性较好。