Enhanced adsorption of arsenate by spinel zinc ferrite nano particles: Effect of zinc content and site occupation

In this work, zinc ferrite spinel with different zinc contents (Zn_xFe_3-xO₄) was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and used for removing As(V) in aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that in the crystal structure of Zn_xFe_3-xO₄, the zinc atoms tended to occupy the octahedral sites for x?<?0.6 and diffused into the tetrahedral sites gradually with x?>?0.6. The size of Zn_xFe_3-xO₄ crystallites increased with the increasing zinc content. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption isotherms could be well described by the Langmuir model, while the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Zinc ferrite exhibited the highest adsorption capacity towards As(V) when x?=?0.6. Study of the mechanism indicated that doping with zinc increased the number of surface hydroxyl groups on ferrite spinel, and thus enhanced the adsorption capacity when x?=?0.6. This work revealed the effects of doping site and content of metal atoms on the adsorption ability of ferrite spinel towards As(V).     

Potential factors and mechanism of particulate matters explosive increase induced by free radicals oxidation

Atmospheric particulate pollution in China has attracted much public attention. Occasionally, the particle number concentration increases sharply in a short time period, which is defined as a “particulate matter explosive increase”. Heavy particulate matter pollution not only reduces visibility but also has an adverse effect on human health. Hence, there is an urgent need to discover the causes of particulate matter explosive increase. During this campaign, the particle number concentration and free radicals were measured at a tall building on the campus of Lanzhou University of Technology. Additionally, we examined a series of chemicals to reproduce the observed particulate matter explosive increase in a smog chamber to determine its potential factors. Then, we analyzed the mechanism of particulate matter explosive increase in the presence of free radicals. We found that, among the potential inorganic and organic sources analyzed, a mixture of organic and SO₂ in the research region had a major effect on particulate matter explosive increase. Moreover, free radical oxidation has a large effect, especially in the formation of organic particulates.     

长三角背景大气PM2.5中非极性有机化合物组成特征及来源

为了探究长三角区域大气细颗粒物中非极性有机化合物的组成及来源特征,于2019年12月至2020年11月在临安区域大气本底站采集了129个PM_2.5样品,对其有机碳(OC)、元素碳(EC)和非极性有机化合物(NPOCs,包括多环芳烃、正构烷烃和藿烷类)进行了分析,并用分子示踪物、特征比值和正定矩阵因子分析模型等方法探究了有机气溶胶的主要来源.结果表明,临安ρ(PM_2.5)的年平均值约为(32.36±20.44)μg·m^-3,ρ(NPOCs)年平均值约为(59.05±40.39)ng·m^-3,呈现出冬高夏低的季节变化特征.正构烷烃主要源于化石燃料和生物质(草和木材等)燃烧等人为源,其次为高等植物角质层蜡排放;多环芳烃主要源于燃煤燃烧、机动车排放和生物质燃烧等非化石源的混合贡献;藿烷类物质主要源于机动车排放,其中冬季还受到燃煤源的影响.后向轨迹聚类分析和潜在源区分析表明临安主要受到外来气团输送的影响.结合正定矩阵因子分析模型对采样期间观测到的NPOCs进行源解析,得到了燃煤燃烧源、交通排放源和生物质燃烧等...     

Cross-boundary transport and source apportionment for PM2.5 in a typical industrial city in the Hebei Province, China: A modeling study

Cross-boundary transport of air pollution is a difficult issue in pollution control for the North China Plain. In this study, an industrial district (Shahe City) with a large glass manufacturing sector was investigated to clarify the relative contribution of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) to the city's high levels of pollution. The Nest Air Quality Prediction Model System (NAQPMS), paired with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), was adopted and applied with a spatial resolution of 5 km. During the study period, the mean mass concentrations of PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO₂ were observed to be 132.0, 76.1, and 55.5 μg/m³, respectively. The model reproduced the variations in pollutant concentrations in Shahe at an acceptable level. The simulation of online source-tagging revealed that pollutants emitted within a 50-km radius of downtown Shahe contributed 63.4% of the city's total PM_2.5 concentration. This contribution increased to 73.9±21.2% when unfavorable meteorological conditions (high relative humidity, weak wind, and low planetary boundary layer height) were present; such conditions are more frequently associated with severe pollution (PM_2.5 ≥ 250 μg/m³). The contribution from Shahe was 52.3±21.6%. The source apportionment results showed that industry (47%), transportation (10%), power (17%), and residential (26%) sectors were the most important sources of PM_2.5 in Shahe. The glass factories (where chimney stack heights were normally < 70 m) in Shahe contributed 32.1% of the total PM_2.5 concentration in Shahe. With an increase in PM_2.5 concentration, the emissions from glass factories accumulated vertically and narrowed horizontally. At times when pollution levels were severe, the horizontally influenced area mainly covered Shahe. Furthermore, sensitivity tests indicated that reducing emissions by 20%, 40%, and 60% could lead to a decrease in the mass concentration of PM_2.5 of of 12.0%, 23.8%, and 35.5%, respectively.     

Urinary concentrations of phenols, oxidative stress biomarkers and thyroid cancer: Exploring associations and mediation effects

Phenols have been shown to influence the cellular proliferation and function of thyroid in experimental models. However, few human studies have investigated the association between phenol exposure and thyroid cancer, and the underlying mechanisms are also poorly understood. We conducted a case-control study by age- and sex-matching 143 thyroid cancer and 224 controls to investigate the associations between phenol exposures and the risk of thyroid cancer, and further to explore the mediating role of oxidative stress. We found that elevated urinary triclosan (TCS), bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) levels were associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer (all P for trends < 0.05), and the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) comparing the extreme exposure groups were 3.52 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.08, 5.95), 2.06 (95% CI: 1.06, 3.97) and 7.15 (95% CI: 3.12, 16.40), respectively. Positive associations were also observed between urinary TCS, BPA and BPS and three oxidative stress biomarkers measured by 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-iso-prostaglandin F_2α (8-isoPGF_2α) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-mercapturic acid (HNE-MA), as well as between urinary 8-isoPGF_2α and HNE-MA and the risk of thyroid cancer. Mediation analysis showed that urinary 8-isoPGF_2α mediated 28.95%, 47.06% and 31.08% of the associations between TCS, BPA and BPS exposures and the risk of thyroid cancer, respectively (all P < 0.05). Our results suggest that exposure to TCS, BPA and BPS may be associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer and lipid peroxidation may be an intermediate mechanism. Further studies are warranted to confirm the findings.     

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5/PM1.0) in Beijing, China: Variations and chemical compositions as well as sources

Particulate matter (i.e., PM_1.0 and PM_2.5), considered as the key atmospheric pollutants, exerts negative effects on visibility, global climate, and human health by associated chemical compositions. However, our understanding of PM and its chemical compositions in Beijing under the current atmospheric environment is still not complete after witnessing marked alleviation during 2013–2017. Continuous measurements can be crucial for further air quality improvement by better characterizing PM pollution and chemical compositions in Beijing. Here, we conducted simultaneous measurements on PM in Beijing during 2018–2019. Results indicate that annual mean PM_1.0 and PM_2.5 concentrations were 35.49 ± 18.61 µg/m³ and 66.58 ± 60.17 µg/m³, showing a positive response to emission controls. The contribution of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA) played an enhanced role with elevated PM loading and acted as the main contributors to pollution episodes. Discrepancies observed among chemical species between PM_1.0 and PM_2.5 in spring suggest that sand particles trend to accumulate in the range of 1–2.5 µm. Pollution episodes occurred accompanied with southerly clusters and high formation of SNA by heterogeneous reactions in summer and winter, respectively. Results from positive matrix factorization (PMF) combined with potential source contribution function (PSCF) models showed that potential areas were seasonal dependent, secondary and vehicular sources became much more important compared with previous studies in Beijing. Our study presented a continuous investigation on PM and sources origins in Beijing, which provides a better understanding for further emission control as well as a reference for other cities in developing countries.     

AP9/AE9/SPM辐射环境模型研究

对辐射环境模型AP9/AE9/SPM进行了系统研究,重点分析了AP9/AE9/SPM辐射环境模型的发展历程、建模数据、模型能力、模型使用方法、模型特点和局限性以及发展趋势。总结了AP9/AE9/SPM辐射环境模型“螺旋式上升”研发途径中所发布的11个版本的特点、数据覆盖时间范围和能量范围。指出AP9/AE9/SPM辐射环境模型在研发过程中是通过不断地将最新的观测数据和理论知识进行整合,达到扩展模型能量覆盖范围、增加空间粒子分布的目的。最新的AP9/AE9/SPM辐射环境模型具备了命令行和图形用户接口应用程序2种灵活便捷的使用方式,能覆盖完整的辐射带空间,基本实现了电子和质子能量范围的全覆盖。但目前最新版本的AP9/AE9/SPM仍然存在一些局限,这些局限会随着辐射带探测数据的积累和人类对辐射带机理的进一步认知而逐渐得到改善。该研究可帮助用户快速了解并正确使用AP9/AE9/SPM辐射环境模型,为我国自主辐射环境模型研发提供重要参考。     

Highly Oriented Thermoplastic Poly (vinyl alcohol) Films by Uniaxial Drawing: Effect of Stretching Temperature and Draw Ratio

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - With the advantages of excellent processability and biodegradability, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) becomes an environmentally friendly and biocompatible...     

An antifouling catechol/chitosan-modified polyvinylidene fluoride membrane for sustainable oil-in-water emulsions separation

• Underwater superoleophobic membrane was fabricated by deposition of catechol/chitosan. • The membrane had ultrahigh pure water flux and was stable under harsh pH conditions. • The membrane exhibited remarkable antifouling property in O/W emulsion separation. • The hydration layer on the membrane surface prevented oil droplets adhesion. Low-pressure membrane filtrations are considered as effective technologies for sustainable oil/water separation. However, conventional membranes usually suffer from severe pore clogging and surface fouling, and thus, novel membranes with superior wettability and antifouling features are urgently required. Herein, we report a facile green approach for the development of an underwater superoleophobic microfiltration membrane via one-step oxidant-induced ultrafast co-deposition of naturally available catechol/chitosan on a porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) substrate. Membrane morphology and surface chemistry were studied using a series of characterization techniques. The as-prepared membrane retained the original pore structure due to the ultrathin and uniform catechol/chitosan coating. It exhibited ultrahigh pure water permeability and robust chemical stability under harsh pH conditions. Moreover, the catechol/chitosan hydrophilic coating on the membrane surface acting as an energetic barrier for oil droplets could minimize oil adhesion on the surface, which endowed the membrane with remarkable antifouling property and reusability in a cyclic oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion separation. The modified membrane exhibited a competitive flux of ~428 L/(m²·h·bar) after three filtration cycles, which was 70% higher than that of the pristine PVDF membrane. These results suggest that the novel underwater superoleophobic membrane can potentially be used for sustainable O/W emulsions separation, and the proposed green facile modification approach can also be applied to other water-remediation materials considering its low cost and simplicity.