Preparation and characterization of boron-doped corn straw biochar: Fe (Ⅱ) removal equilibrium and kinetics

Nowadays, iron ions as a ubiquitous heavy metal pollutant are gradually concerned and the convenient and quick removal of excessive iron ions in groundwater has become a major challenge for the safety of drinking water. In this study, boron-doped biochar (B-BC) was successfully prepared at various preparation conditions with the addition of boric acid. The as-prepared material has a more developed pore structure and a larger specific surface area (up to 897.97 m²/g). A series of characterization results shows that boric acid effectively activates biochar, and boron atoms are successfully doped on biochar. Compared with the ratio of raw materials, the pyrolysis temperature has a greater influence on the amount of boron doping. Based on Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity of 800B-BC_1:2 at 25 °C, 40 °C, 55 °C are 50.02 mg/g, 95.09 mg/g, 132.78 mg/g, respectively. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model can better describe the adsorption process, the adsorption process is mainly chemical adsorption. Chemical complexation, ions exchange, and co-precipitation may be the main mechanisms for Fe²⁺ removal.     

How does anti-corruption affect enterprise green innovation in China’s energy-intensive industries?

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Rampant corruption exists in China’s energy-intensive industries. However, we know little about the nexus of corruption and enterprise green innovation...     

Quantity and activity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria and their contribution to ammonia oxidation in farmland soil of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau北大核心CSCD

Ammonia oxidation, the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, is mainly performed by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, the activities of AOA and AOB in soil and their relative contribution to ammonia oxidation are unclear, and whether there is a significant correlation between the quantity of AOA and AOB and the ammonia oxidation rate is also controversial. In this study, quantitative PCR combined with acetylene (C2H2) and 1-octyne inhibition methods were used to determine the quantity and activity of AOA and AOB in wheat, highland barley, and oilseed rape soils in Nyingchi, Lhatse, Sangzhuzi, and Sangri counties on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that the quantity of AOB ((2.34 ± 0.84) ×105 - (2.65 ± 1.07) ×106 copies g-1 dry soil) was significantly higher than that of AOA ((0.20 ± 0.10) ×104 - (4.02 ± 0.39) ×104 copies g-1 dry soil) in all the soil samples. Soil pH was the key factor affecting the quantity of AOB, and the total phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen in soil were the key factors affecting the quantity of AOA. The rates of ammonia oxidation in the farmland soils of Lhatse (2.42 ± 0.73 mg kg-1 d-1) and Sangzhuzi (3.24 ± 1.15 mg kg-1 d-1) were significantly higher than those in the soils of Nyingchi (1.17 ± 0.43 mg kg-1 d-1) and Sangri counties (0.88 ± 0.57 mg kg-1 d-1). The rates of ammonia oxidation in the farmland soils of Lhatse and Sangzhuzi were dominated by AOB, while those in the farmland soils of Nyingchi and Sangri counties were dominated by AOA. For crops, the ammonia oxidation rates of wheat and oilseed rape soils in all four regions were significantly higher than those of highland barley soil, whereas the activity of AOA and AOB was not influenced by crops. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus was the key factor influencing AOA activity, whereas soil pH and total carbon were the main factors influencing AOB activity. Additionally, the quantities of AOA and AOB were not significantly correlated with the total ammonia oxidation rates and AOA and AOB activity. Overall, our study suggests that both AOA and AOB play important roles in ammonia oxidation in farmland soils of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Moreover, it is unreliable to predict the activity of AOA and AOB and their relative contribution to ammonia oxidation directly based on their number of amoA genes, and the activity of AOA and AOB should be directly and accurately measured. These results are important for understanding ammonia nitrogen removal processes, slowing nitrate loss, and reducing the emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide in the farmland ecosystem of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Environmental risks and the potential benefits of nanopesticides: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - With the escalating food demand of the ever-increasing global population and the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanopesticides are being proposed as...     

Degradation of the typical herbicide atrazine by UV/persulfate: kinetics and mechanisms

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Atrazine (ATZ), a widely used herbicide, had received a significant amount of attention due to its widespread detection in aquatic environments as...     

Forty years studies on polychlorinated biphenyls pollution,food safety,health risk,and human health in an e-waste recycling area from Taizhou city,China: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - E-waste generation has become a serious environmental challenge worldwide. Taizhou of Zhejiang Province, situated on the southeast coastline of China,...     

Spatial and seasonal variation and sources of deposition fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Shanghai

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Spatial and temporal variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) deposition fluxes and sources may significantly facilitate risk evaluation...     

Vitamin D mediates the association between acrylamide hemoglobin biomarkers and obesity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mediation analysis aims to discover the role of intermediate variables from exposure to disease. The current study was performed to evaluate how...     

Wet wipes and disposable surgical masks are becoming new sources of fiber microplastic pollution during global COVID-19

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The demand of wet wipes and masks has been rising worldwide since the outbreak of global COVID-19; however, with more reports about improper handling...     

Global trends and prospects of blue carbon sinks: a bibliometric analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Blue carbon sinks (mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrasses) are considered an effective nature-based approach for climate change mitigation. Despite...