The influence of the precursor and synthesis method on the CO2 capture capacity of carpet waste-based sorbents

Adsorption is one of the most promising technologies for reducing CO₂ emissions and at present several different types of sorbents are being investigated. The use of sorbents obtained from low-cost and abundant precursors (i.e. solid wastes) appears an attractive strategy to adopt because it will contribute to a reduction not only in operational costs but also in the amount of waste that is dumped and burned in landfills every year. Following on from previous studies by the authors, in this work several carbon-based adsorbents were developed from different carpet wastes (pre-consumer and post-consumer wastes) by chemical activation with KOH at various activation temperatures (600–900 °C) and KOH:char impregnation ratios (0.5:1 to 4:1). The prepared materials were characterised by chemical analysis and gas adsorption (N₂, −196 °C; CO₂, 0 °C), and tested for CO₂ adsorption at temperatures of 25 and 100 °C. It was found that both the type of precursor and the conditions of activation (i.e. impregnation ratios, and activation temperatures), had a huge influence on the microporosity of the resultant samples and their CO₂ capture capacities. The carbon-based adsorbent that presented the maximum CO₂ capture capacities at 25 and 100 °C (13.8 wt.% and 3.1 wt.%, respectively), was prepared from a pre-consumer carpet waste and was activated at 700 °C using a KOH:char impregnation ratio of 1:1. This sample showed the highest narrow microporosity volume (0.47 cm³ g⁻¹), thus confirming that only pores of less than 1 nm are effective for CO₂ adsorption at atmospheric pressure.     

Visualising the equilibrium distribution and mobility of organic contaminants in soil using the chemical partitioning space

Assessing the behaviour of organic chemicals in soil is a complex task as it is governed by the physical chemical properties of the chemicals, the characteristics of the soil as well as the ambient conditions of the environment. The chemical partitioning space, defined by the air-water partition coefficient (K(AW)) and the soil organic carbon-water partition coefficient (K(OC)), was employed to visualize the equilibrium distribution of organic contaminants between the air-filled pores, the pore water and the solid phases of the bulk soil and the relative importance of the three transport processes removing contaminants from soil (evaporation, leaching and particle erosion). The partitioning properties of twenty neutral organic chemicals (i.e. herbicides, pharmaceuticals, polychlorinated biphenyls and volatile chemicals) were estimated using poly-parameter linear free energy relationships and superimposed onto these maps. This allows instantaneous estimation of the equilibrium phase distribution and mobility of neutral organic chemicals in soil. Although there is a link between the major phase and the dominant transport process, such that chemicals found in air-filled pore space are subject to evaporation, those in water-filled pore space undergo leaching and those in the sorbed phase are associated with particle erosion, the partitioning coefficient thresholds for distribution and mobility can often deviate by many orders of magnitude. In particular, even a small fraction of chemical in pore water or pore air allows for evaporation and leaching to dominate over solid phase transport. Multiple maps that represent soils that differ in the amount and type of soil organic matter, water saturation, temperature, depth of surface soil horizon, and mineral matters were evaluated.     

Effect of pH on the growth and activity of heterotrophic sediment microorganisms

Low pH markedly reduced heterotrophic microbial activity in sediment-lake water systems. A marked reduction in both the rate and the total amount of oxygen consumed occurred as pH decreased. In addition, low pH and also low temperature (0°C) resulted in longer turnover times (Tn) and also smaller V_max values when the kinetics of ¹⁴C-glucose, ¹⁴C-glycine, and ¹⁴C-glutamic acid utilization were examined. When the response of the microorganisms to heavy metals was examined, mercury was generally more toxic than lead over the pH range of 4.5 to 7.5 but both metals were more toxic at pH 4.5 than at higher pH levels. Mercury also inhibited oxygen utilization and ¹⁴C-glucose mineralization more than lead at all pH levels. Bisulfite reduced microbial activity at all pH levels although it was always more toxic to the sediment microorganisms at pH values of 4 and 5 than at pH 7.     

The effects of 2,4-D herbicide and organophosphorus insecticides on growth, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll a synthesis of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (mt +)

The effects of the herbicide (2,4-D) and six organophosphorus insecticides (Diazinon, Dimethoate, Fenitrothion, Malathion, Phenthoate and Quinalphos) on growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll a synthesis of the fresh water green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (mt +) were studied. At low concentrations (1 and 5 ppm), the herbicide and all six orgnophosphorus insecticides stimulated photosynthesis of the alga. The stimulating effects on algal growth and chlorophyll a synthesis were only observed in the presence of low concentration (1 ppm) of 2,4-D and Fenitrothion, Growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll a synthesis of the alga were inhibited in the presence of high concentrations (10, 20 and 40 ppm) of the herbicide and all the six organophosphorus insecticides. Results also indicated that the toxicities of these organophosphorus insecticides on the tested alga were dependent on their chemical structures.     

Histopathological findings of the nose of Down syndrome abortuses

Recent reports of absent nasal bone in fetuses with Down syndrome have sparked much interest in the use of this finding for the screening of Down syndrome. We describe the histopathological findings of nasal bones of two fetuses with Down syndrome, one with absence and the other with normal ossification of the nasal bone. We propose that histopathological examination of the nasal bone could improve the accuracy of diagnosis of nasal hypoplasia among Down syndrome abortuses. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wastewater nutrient removal by Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus sp

Two different species of photosynthetic microalgae, Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus sp., were grown in settled and activated sewage filtrates at two different inoculum sizes, aimed to reduce nutrient load from wastewater. Higher growth rates were recorded in cultures with higher inoculum size, and algal cells usually grew better in settled sewage than in activated sewage. As algae started to grow and multiply, both nitrogen and phosphorus content in wastewater decreased significantly. The removal rate was rapid during the first week of growth and more than 2/3 of wastewater N and P was reduced. After the initial period, the removal rate slowed down. At the end of this study, more than 80% of total-P and inorganic N present in settled sewage were reduced but such removal efficiency was lower in activated sewage. In general, high inoculum size of algal cells provided more N and P removal than low inoculum, and Chlorella cells performed better than Scenedesmus. These results suggest that cultivation of Chlorella seems to be one of the feasible methods to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the nearby coastal water, thus preventing the eutrophication problem. It is also clear that algal ponds with high inoculum size might be more suitable to be installed as a secondary rather than a tertiary treatment process.     

Assessing cypermethrin-contaminated soil with three di erent earthworm test methods

A series of tests (lethal, sublethal, and behavioral) on earthworms were conducted as an eco-assessment of pesticides. In this study, the toxicity of cypermethrin-contaminating soil on adult and juvenile earthworms was assessed. Beside the acute and chronic tests, an avoidance response test was carried out. It was shown that the all-round toxicity from cypermethrin was weak on adult earthworms. Compared with adult earthworms, the toxicity of juvenile earthworms from cypermethrin especially chronic toxicity increased significantly. Growth and reproduction of earthworms appeared to be more severely a ected by cypermethrin at juvenile stage than at adult stage. Applied at 10 mg/kg, cypermethrin had obvious adverse impact on the growth of juvenile earthworms, while 20 mg/kg, cypermethrin caused significant toxic e ects in reproduction. The results also indicated that ecotoxicological risk assessment using only adult specimens may underestimate the e ects of cypermethrin on soil invertebrate populations.     

Comprehensive characterization of indoor airborne bacterial profile

This is the first detailed characterization of the airborne bacterial profiles in indoor environments. Two restaurants were selected for this study. Fifteen genera of bacteria were isolated from each restaurant and identified by three different bacterial identification systems including MIDI, Biolog and Riboprinter®. The dominant bacteria of both restaurants were Gram-positive bacteria in which Micrococcus and Bacillus species were the most abundant. Most bacteria identified were representative species of skin and respiratory tract of human, and soil. Although the bacterial levels in these two restaurants were below the limit of the Hong Kong Indoor Air Quality Objective (HKIAQO) Level 1 standard (i.e., < 500 cfu/m³), the majority of these bacteria were opportunistic pathogens. These results suggested that the identity of airborne bacteria should also be included in the IAQ to ensure there is a safety guideline for the public.     

Distribution patterns of octylphenol and nonylphenol in the aquatic system at Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve, a subtropical estuarine wetland in Hong Kong

Spatial and temporal distribution of octylphenol （OP） and nonylphenol （NP） in Mai Po Marshes, a subtropical estuarine wetland in Hong Kong, were investigated. Surface water samples were collected every month from 11 sites during the period of September- December 2004. Concentrations of OP and NP ranged from 11.3 to 348 ng/L and from 29 to 2591 ng/L, respectively. The high levels of NP and OP were found in November and December than in September and October. The levels of OP and NP have no significant spatial differences except September. Total organic matter in the sediments appeared to be an important factor in controlling the fate of these compounds in the aquatic environment.     

Distribution of PBDEs in air particles from an electronic waste recycling site compared with Guangzhou and Hong Kong, South China

Air samples of total suspended particles (TSP, particles less than 30-60 microm), and particles with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 microm (PM(2.5)) were collected simultaneously at Guiyu (an electronic waste recycling site), three urban sites in Hong Kong and two urban sites in Guangzhou, South China from 16 August to 17 September 2004. Twenty-two PBDE congeners (BDE-3, -7, -15, -17, -28, -49, -71, -47, -66, -77, -100, -119, -99, -85, -126, -154, -153, -138, -156, -184, -183, -191) in TSP and PM(2.5) were measured. The results showed that the overall average concentrations of TSP and PM(2.5) collected at Guiyu were 124 and 62.1 microg m(-3), respectively. The monthly concentrations of the sum of 22 BDE congeners contained in TSP and PM(2.5) at Guiyu were 21.5 and 16.6 ng m(-3), with 74.5 and 84.3%, contributed by nine congeners (BDE-28, -47, -66, -100, -99, -154, -153, -183 and -191 respectively). This pattern was similar to Tsuen Wan site of Hong Kong. Two urban sites of Guangzhou had the same congener pattern, but were different from Yuen Long and Hok Tsui sites of Hong Kong. The results also showed that the amount of mono to penta brominated congeners, which are more toxic, accounted for 79.4-95.6% of Sigma(22)PBDEs from all sites. All congeners tested in Guiyu were up to 58-691 times higher than the other urban sites and more than 100 times higher than other studies reported elsewhere. The higher concentration in the air was due to heating or opening burning of electronic waste since PBDEs are formed when plastics containing brominated flame retardants are heated.