The use of ultrasound-assisted anaerobic compost tea washing to remove poly-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzo-furans (PCDFs) from highly contaminated field soils

The remediation of dioxin-contaminated soil of a specific coastal area previously employed for the manufacture of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City has attracted much attention of researchers there. This work addresses the possibility of providing an effective and environmentally friendly option for removing PCDD/Fs from soil in that field. Soil screening/sieving was first conducted to assess particle distribution. Fine sand was observed to be the major component of the soil, accounting for more than 60% of the total mass. A combination of ultrasonification and mechanical double-blade agitation was used to facilitate the washing of the soil using the biosurfactant anaerobic compost tea. More than 85 and 95% of total removal efficiencies were achieved for moderately and highly contaminated soils after 6 and 10 washing cycles, respectively, under ambient temperature, a soil/liquid ratio 1:2.5, 700 rpm, and over a relatively short duration. These results were achieved through the collision and penetration effects of this combined treatment as well as PCDD/F partitioning between the particles and anaerobic compost tea. This study represents the first to report the use of anaerobic compost tea solvent to wash soil highly contaminated by dioxin. It was concluded that anaerobic compost tea, rich in non-toxic bio-surfactants (e.g., alcohols, humic acids), can be used to improve bioavailability and bioactivity of the soil making bio-attenuation and full remediation more efficient.     

Effects of fine particulate matter and its constituents on emergency room visits for asthma in southern Taiwan during 2008–2010: a population-based study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This population-based study evaluated the short-term association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and its constituents and...     

不同市场结构组合下稀土最优开采路径研究

本文从价格视角将我国稀土市场结构的变化历程划分为不同阶段,分别从理论和现实视角上探讨了在国际、国内都是完全竞争市场,国际市场垄断、国内市场完全竞争,国际市场完全竞争、国内市场垄断,国际、国内都是垄断市场条件下稀土最优开采路径及最优耗竭时间,并通过设定参数判断其相对大小关系。发现在一定的假设条件下,开采前期当国内和国际市场都是完全竞争时,稀土最优开采量是最大的;当国内和国际市场都是垄断时,稀土最优开采量是最小的;其他两种市场情况下稀土最优开采量居于中间,当国际市场是稀土的主要消费地时,国际竞争-国内垄断市场情况下稀土最优开采量大于国际垄断-国内竞争市场情况下稀土最优开采量,反之,国际垄断-国内竞争市场情况下稀土最优开采量大于国际竞争-国内垄断市场情况下稀土最优开采量。     

The toxicity of cadmium ion (Cd2+) to phycocyanin: an in vitro spectroscopic study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The pollution of heavy metals is a severer problem for the ecosystems in waters. The toxicity of Cd2+ on phycocyanin (PC) is studied in molecular...     

Effects of intercropping with floricultural accumulator plants on cadmium accumulation in grapevine

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) intercropping with floricultural cadmium (Cd) accumulator plants (Helianthus annuus L., Cosmos sulphureus Cav., Cosmos...     

制备ZnO/CdS/Au异质结用于可见光催化降解低浓度甲醛

采用水热法和化学浴沉积法制备了ZnO/CdS/Au异质结光催化剂,用于可见光下室温去除低浓度甲醛。通过XRD、SEM、TEM、XPS、UV、PL、PEC、EIS等手段对ZnO/CdS/Au异质结光催化剂的光学性能、光电性能进行表征。结果表明,Au负载的ZnO/CdS纳米棒组成的微米花状结构中,异质结和金属等离子体效应能拓宽光谱吸收范围,抑制半导体缺陷发光,促进光吸收以及光生电子空穴的分离和迁移;所制备的ZnO/CdS/Au异质结光催化剂对甲醛的去除具有优异性能,室温下2 h即可将反应舱内低质量浓度甲醛(1.25 mg·m⁻³)降至0.025 mg·m⁻³以下,且经过8次重复使用后催化剂活性没有明显下降。此外,影响甲醛去除的因素,如催化剂种类、光照波长、甲醛初始质量浓度、相对湿度也进行了研究和探讨。该研究结果对低浓度甲醛的室温去除具有理论指导意义。     

Fractionation of fulvic acids: characteristics and complexation with copper

Two fulvic acid samples isolated from Suwannee river (International Humic Substance Society) and Feeitsuey reservoir were subjected to gel filtration chromatography (GFC) for molecular size fractionation. The GFC-eluted samples were separated into three groups corresponding to the molecular weight ranges: < 220, 220-1000, and 1000-4000. Fluorescence quenching techniques were employed for determining the conditional stability coefficient and kinetic parameters of copper complexation with the three fractions of fulvic acids. Experimental conditions were pH 6, 5 x 10(-5)m total copper and 5 mg C litre(-1) of fulvic acids. The conditional stability coefficients of the fulvic acid fractions were in the order of 0.9-3.3 x 10(5)m(-1), and the forward and reverse rate constants were in the order of 6.9-12.4 x 10(3)m(-1) s(-1) and 3.5-8.0 x 10(-2) s(-1). Information could be useful in modelling copper transport in the hydrosphere.     

Adsorption characteristics of benzene on biosolid adsorbent and commercial activated carbons

This study selected biosolids from a petrochemical waste-water treatment plant as the raw material. The sludge was immersed in 0.5-5 M of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) solutions and pyrolyzed at different temperatures and times. Results indicated that the 1-M ZnCl2-immersed biosolids pyrolyzed at 500 degrees C for 30 min could be reused and were optimal biosolid adsorbents for benzene adsorption. Pore volume distribution analysis indicated that the mesopore contributed more than the macropore and micropore in the biosolid adsorbent. The benzene adsorption capacity of the biosolid adsorbent was 65 and 55% of the G206 (granular-activated carbon) and BPL (coal-based activated carbon; Calgon, Carbon Corp.) activated carbons, respectively. Data from the adsorption and desorption cycles indicated that the benzene adsorption capacity of the biosolid adsorbent was insignificantly reduced compared with the first-run capacity of the adsorbent; therefore, the biosolid adsorbent could be reused as a commercial adsorbent, although its production cost is high.