Structural effect on photocatalytic degradation of metallised azo dyes in aqueous TiO2 suspension

Three metallised azo dyes were investigated under TiO₂‐photocatalytic and photosensitised conditions in aqueous buffering solutions. The degradation follows apparent first‐order kinetics. The size and strength of intramolecular conjugation determine the light‐fastness of the investigated dyes. Compared with ¹O₂ produced in photosensitised process, the more powerful *OH radicals in TiCO₂ photocatalytic process are highly reactive towards the investigated azo dyes. And as a result, the TiO₂‐photocatalysis makes little less distinction in the degradation kinetic data of the azo dyes compared with the photosensitised degradation of them.     

A GIS-based moving window analysis of landscape pattern in the Beijing metropolitan area,China

Quantifying landscape pattern and its change is essential for monitoring and assessment of ecological consequences of urbanization. Using the GIS-based land-use data for 2002, we combined moving window analysis along an urban-rural gradient and around the urban centre with landscape metrics to quantify the spatial pattern of urbanization in Beijing. The results of moving window analysis along the urban-rural gradient indicated that, for class-level metrics, the spatial pattern of urbanization could be quantified using landscape metrics, different land-use types exhibited distinctive spatial signatures, and, for landscape-level metrics, the increase in urbanization in the metropolitan Beijing region has resulted in dramatic increases in patch density (PD), edge density (ED), and patch and landscape shape complexity, and sharp decreases in the largest and mean patch size (MPS), agriculture land-use type, and landscape connectivity. The results of moving window analysis around the urban centre showed that the direction of urbanization could be quantified using the class-level metrics, and landscape-level metrics indicated similar results to gradient analysis. In general, moving window analysis showed that the increasingly urbanized landscape became compositionally more diverse, geometrically more complex, and ecologically more fragmented.     

人工湿地与土壤净化槽处理农村生活污水的对比

针对我国生活污水处理现状及要求,对比研究了普遍推广的人工湿地技术与新兴的土壤净化槽技术,发现在进水水质、环境条件均相同的情况下,上行流人工湿地处理效果优于下行流人工湿地;基质按照不同需氧层铺设不同粒径填料的土壤净化槽处理效果优于基质直接分层铺设填料的土壤净化槽;土壤净化槽和人工湿地出水水质都很好,出水CODCr、TN、TP、氨氮分别达到了二级、一级A、一级B、一级A标准;土壤净化槽装置占地面积小,为人工湿地的2/3.土壤净化槽技术是适合我国国情的有发展前景的生活污水处理技术.     

The abatement of major pollutants in air and water by environmental catalysis

This review reports the research progress in the abatement of major pollutants in air and water by environmental catalysis. For air pollution control, the selective catalytic reduction of NO _x (SCR) by ammonia and hydrocarbons on metal oxide and zeolite catalysts are reviewed and discussed, as is the removal of Hg from flue gas by catalysis. The oxidation of Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by photo- and thermal-catalysis for indoor air quality improvement is reviewed. For wastewater treatment, the catalytic elimination of inorganic and organic pollutants in wastewater is presented. In addition, the mechanism for the procedure of abatement of air and water pollutants by catalysis is discussed in this review. Finally, a research orientation on environment catalysis for the treatment of air pollutants and wastewater is proposed.     

The effect of preparation conditions of Pt/Al2O3 on its catalytic performance for the H2-SCR in the presence of oxygen

Selective catalytic reduction of NO _x by H₂ in the presence of oxygen has been investigated over Pt/ Al₂O₃ catalysts pre-treated under different conditions. Catalyst preparation conditions exert significant influence on the catalytic performance, and the catalyst pre-treated by H₂ or H₂ then followed by O₂ is much more active than that pre-treated by air. The higher surface area and the presence of metallic Pt over Pt/Al₂O₃ pre-treated by H₂ or pretreated by H₂ then followed by O₂ can contribute to the formation of NO₂, which then promotes the reaction to proceed at low temperatures.     

Removal of sulfadiazine from aqueous solution on kaolinite

The adsorption of sulfadiazine onto kaolinite clay as an alternative adsorbent was examined in aqueous solution, hnpacts of the contact time, pH, temperature, ionic strength and coexistent surfactants on the adsorption process were evaluated. The pH significantly influenced the adsorption process, with adsorption being promoted at lower pH due to the cation exchange mechanism. Decreasing ionic strength in the solution was favorable for adsorption, and the addition of cationic and anionic surfactants had negative effects on the adsorption capacity of sulfadiazine on kaolinite. Kinetic experiments showed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model. The equilibrium adsorption was well described by both Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich （DR） models. According to the DR model, the adsorption mechanism was determined by cationic exchange and weak physical forces. The thermodynamic study showed that sulfadiazine adsorption onto kaolinite was a sponta- neous and endothermic reaction.     

Factors influencing sexual cannibalism and its benefit to fecundity and offspring survival in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Sexual cannibalism is hypothesized to have evolved as a way to obtain a high-quality meal, as an extreme mate choice or as a consequence of female aggressive spillover. Here, we examined underlying factors likely to influence sexual cannibalism in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) from China, including mating status, female egg-laid status, female hunger level, female adult age and mate size dimorphism. The results showed that about 10 % of P. pseudoannulata virgin females cannibalized the approaching males before mating and that 28 % of P. pseudoannulata virgin females immediately cannibalized the males after mating. No incidents of sexual cannibalism during copulation were observed. Before mating, previously mated females and starved females tended to engage in significantly higher rates of attacks compared to virgin and well-fed females. Females that had laid egg sacs tended to engage in a significantly higher rate of attacks and sexual cannibalism than virgin females before mating. Regardless of pre- or post-mating, there was a strong positive relationship between mate size dimorphism and the occurrence of sexual cannibalism. We also tested the effects of sexual cannibalism on the fecundity of cannibalistic females and the survival of their offspring. Our results indicated that sexual cannibalism affected positively the offspring survival of cannibalistic females, but not fecundity. Our findings support the hypothesis that sexual cannibalism has evolved as an adaptive component of female foraging strategy and that it benefits offspring survival as a result of paternal investment.     

Efficient photoelectrochemical oxidation of rhodamine B on metal electrodes without photocatalyst or supporting electrolyte

We designed photoelectrochemical cells to achieve efficient oxidation of rhodamine B (RhB) without the need for photocatalyst or supporting electrolyte. RhB, the metal anode/cathode, and O₂ formed an energy-relay structure, enabling the efficient formation of O ₂ ^– species under ultraviolet illumination. In a single-compartment cell (S cell) containing a titanium (Ti) anode, Ti cathode, and 10 mg·mL^–1 RhB in water, the zero-order rate constant of the photoelectrochemical oxidation (k_PEC) of RhB was 0.049 mg·L^–1·min^–1, while those of the photochemical and electrochemical oxidations of RhB were nearly zero. k_PEC remained almost the same when 0.5 mol·L^–1 Na₂SO₄ was included in the reactive solution, regardless of the increase in the photocurrent of the S cell. The k_PEC of the illuminated anode compartment in the two-compartment cell, including a Ti anode, Ti cathode, and 10 mg·mL^–1 RhB in water, was higher than that of the S cell. These results support a simple, eco-friendly, and energysaving method to realize the efficient degradation of RhB.

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