Aerosol Generation by Bubble Collapse at Ocean Surfaces

Sea salt particles are part ofmarine aerosols in the troposphere. A fraction ofthese particles is released by droplets generatedduring the bursting of bubbles at the ocean surface.Droplets result from fragmentation of film caps (filmdroplets) and the disintegration of water jets formedsubsequent to the bubble collapse (jet droplets).This release process is also of importance fortechnical applications and, consequently, simulationtools have been developed, which now may be used toquantify the contribution of these effects to marineaerosol generation. To calculate the amount of filmdroplets generated, it is necessary to determine thevolume of the film cap, which is a function of itsthickness and surface area. While surface areas ofsmall bubbles can be determined by an analyticalsolution of a simplified balance of forces, shapes oflarge non-spherical bubbles are calculatednumerically. The determination of the film thicknessis based on a resonance model for bubbleoscillations. For a detailed analysis of the jetdroplet generation, the bubble burst induced jetformation and disintegration is simulated numericallyusing a SOLA-MAC algorithm.     

Remediation and toxicity of endocrine disruptors: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Endocrine disruptors are hazardous chemicals with chronic health effects for most living organisms, inducing homeostasis, hormonal imbalances, cancer, reproductive...     

Inactivation effect of pressurized carbon dioxide on bacteriophage Qβ and ΦX174 as a novel disinfectant for water treatment

The inactivation effects of pressurized CO2 against bacteriophage Qβ and ΦX174 were investigated under the pressure of 0.3–0.9 MPa, initial concentration of 107–109PFU/mL, and temperature of17.8°C–27.2°C. The optimum conditions were found to be 0.7 MPa and an exposure time of 25 min. Under identical treatment conditions, a greater than 3.3-log reduction in bacteriophage Qβ was achieved by CO2, while a nearly 3.0 log reduction was observed for phage ΦX174. The viricidal effects of N2O(an inactivation gas with similar characteristics to CO2), normal acid(HCl), and CO2 treatment with phosphate buffered saline affirmed the chemical nature of CO2 treatment. The pumping cycle, depressurization rate, and release of intracellular substances caused by CO2 were its viricidal mechanisms. The results indicate that CO2 has the potential for use as a disinfectant without forming disinfection by-products.     

Thermochemical conversion of municipal solid waste into energy and hydrogen: a review

The rising global population is inducing a fast increase in the amount of municipal waste and, in turn, issues of rising cost and environmental pollution. Therefore, alternative treatments such as waste-to-energy should be developed in the context of the circular economy. Here, we review the conversion of municipal solid waste into energy using thermochemical methods such as gasification, combustion, pyrolysis and torrefaction. Energy yield depends on operating conditions and feedstock composition. For instance, torrefaction of municipal waste at 200 °C generates a heating value of 33.01 MJ/kg, while the co-pyrolysis of cereals and peanut waste yields a heating value of 31.44 MJ/kg at 540 °C. Gasification at 800 °C shows higher carbon conversion for plastics, of 94.48%, than for waste wood and grass pellets, of 70–75%. Integrating two or more thermochemical treatments is actually gaining high momentum due to higher energy yield. We also review reforming catalysts to enhance dihydrogen production, such as nickel on support materials such as CaTiO₃, SrTiO₃, BaTiO₃, Al₂O₃, TiO₃, MgO, ZrO₂. Techno-economic analysis, sensitivity analysis and life cycle assessment are discussed.

     

Effects of Natura 2000 on nontarget bird and butterfly species based on citizen science data

The European Union's Natura 2000 (N2000) is among the largest international networks of protected areas. One of its aims is to secure the status of a predetermined set of (targeted) bird and butterfly species. However, nontarget species may also benefit from N2000. We evaluated how the terrestrial component of this network affects the abundance of nontargeted, more common bird and butterfly species based on data from long-term volunteer-based monitoring programs in 9602 sites for birds and 2001 sites for butterflies. In almost half of the 155 bird species assessed, and particularly among woodland specialists, abundance increased (slope estimates ranged from 0.101 [SD 0.042] to 3.51 [SD 1.30]) as the proportion of landscape covered by N2000 sites increased. This positive relationship existed for 27 of the 104 butterfly species (estimates ranged from 0.382 [SD 0.163] to 4.28 [SD 0.768]), although most butterflies were generalists. For most species, when land-cover covariates were accounted for these positive relationships were not evident, meaning land cover may be a determinant of positive effects of the N2000 network. The increase in abundance as N2000 coverage increased correlated with the specialization index for birds, but not for butterflies. Although the N2000 network supports high abundance of a large spectrum of species, the low number of specialist butterflies with a positive association with the N2000 network shows the need to improve the habitat quality of N2000 sites that could harbor open-land butterfly specialists. For a better understanding of the processes involved, we advocate for standardized collection of data at N2000 sites.     

Lab-on-a-chip technologies for food safety,processing, and packaging applications: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The advent of microfluidic systems has led to significant developments in lab-on-a-chip devices integrating several functions onto a single platform. Over the...     

Photocatalytic degradation of triclocarban in aqueous solution using a modified zeolite/TiO2 composite: kinetic,mechanism study and toxicity assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The current work aimed to investigate the degradation of the triclocarban (TCC) in aqueous solution using a modified zeolite/TiO2 composite (MZTC)...     

Regulation of soil enzyme activities in constructed wetlands under a short-term drying period

The activities of extracellular enzymes are important in understanding decomposition of soil organic matter in wetlands subjecting to drying. The activity of soil extracellular enzymes (β-glucosidase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, and phosphatase), and related physicochemical parameters were monitored in constructed freshwater wetlands during a one-month drying manipulation. Drying increased redox potential and decreased soil water content significantly (P<0.05). Higher content of soil organic matter (P<0.05) and higher concentrations of inorganic N (nitrate, P<0.01; and ammonia, P<0.001) were also observed significantly under drying condition. Soil hydrolase enzyme activities were stimulated significantly (β-glucosidase, P<0.05; N-acetylglucosaminidase, P<0.01; and phosphatase, P<0.001), and a two-phase pattern of enzyme activities was revealed under drying condition. The increase of soil enzyme activities under drying condition was significantly related to soil redox potential (P<0.001). Drying strongly affected soil enzyme activities only when soil water content remained above an optimal level for enzymatic catalysis (higher than 23% w/w), corresponding to redox potentials below 250–300 mV. Our results suggest that, under drying condition, potential enzyme activities may be regulated by redox potential, in respect to soil moisture, and consequently alter nutrient availability in wetlands.     

Determination of alkylamine permeation through protective gloves using aliphatic amine pads

A quantitative study of alkylamine permeation through a glove material using Permea-Tec aliphatic amine pads, used for the detection of chemical breakthrough of protective clothing, was performed for triethylamine following a microwave-extraction process and gas chromatographic analysis. Triethylamine exhibited > 99% adsorption on the pads at a spiking level of 729 ng (1.0 ml). Triethylamine showed recoveries from 63 to 90% (RSD < or = 5%) over the range 0.2-1.0 ml (146-729 ng) applied to pads. The ASTM F739 standard and direct permeability testing procedures were used to determine breakthrough times for five protective glove materials using triethylamine as a challenge chemical. Breakthrough times for six protective gloves were determined ranging from 40 s to > 4 h. The quantitative concentration of triethylamine on the pads following permeation through the gloves was also determined, ranging from 101 to 103 ng cm-2 (382-386 ng per pad).     

Electrocatalytic conversion of nitrate waste into ammonia: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate waste into ammonia allows both the removal of nitrate contaminants and an alternative production of ammonia compared to...