Immobilization of lead and cadmium from aqueous solution and contaminated sediment using nano-hydroxyapatite

The effectiveness and mechanism of nano-hydroxyapatite particles (nHAp) in immobilizing Pb and Cd from aqueous solutions and contaminated sediment were investigated. The maximum sorption amount (Q_max) of Pb and Cd in aqueous solution was 1.17 and 0.57 mmol/g. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) surface and depth analysis indicated that dissolution-precipitation is the primary immobilization mechanism for Pb, while surface complexation and intraparticle diffusion account for Cd sequestration. Different amounts of nHAp (0-10% nHAp/dry weight) were added to the contaminated sediment. Sequential extraction showed that nHAp could effectively reduce the exchangeable fraction of Pb and Cd in the sediment and significantly reduce the concentration in porewater. The results in this study showed that nHAp can immobilize Pb and Cd in sediment effectively.     

Photodegradation of perfluorooctanoic acid by synthesized TiO2-MWCNT composites under 365nm UV irradiation

Degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is of great importance due to its global distribution, persistence and toxicity to bioorganisms. In present study, a composite TiO₂ with multiple wall carbon nano-tubes (MWCNTs) was synthesized using sol-gel method and it was used as photocatalyst to degrade PFOA in water. The prepared composite catalyst displayed significant absorption in UV to visible light region. The loading content of TiO₂ on MWCNTs could be adjusted by changing the ratio of precursor to MWCNTs. Due to the combined effect of the adsorption ability and e⁻ transport capacity of MWCNT, the composites displayed much higher photocatalytic ability to PFOA as compared to pure TiO₂ under UV irradiation. The photocatalyst prepared with 10:1 of tetrabutyl titanate/MWCNT was the most effective. With the optimal dosage at 1.6 g L⁻¹, almost 100% of PFOA was degraded in acid medium after irradiation for 8 h. It was proposed that PFOA were mainly degraded by stepwise losing a moiety of CF₂.     

Development of an on-line measurement system for water-soluble organic matter in PM2.5 and its application in China

Water-soluble organic matter(WSOM) represents a critical fraction of fine particles(PM_(2.5))in the air, but its changing behaviors and formation mechanisms are not well understood yet, partly due to the lack of fast techniques for the ambient measurements. In this study,a novel system for the on-line measurement of water-soluble components in PM_(2.5), the particle-into-liquid sampler(PILS)–Nebulizer–aerosol chemical speciation monitor(ACSM), was developed by combining a PILS, a nebulizer, and an ACSM. High time resolution concentrations of WSOM, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and chloride, as well as mass spectra, can be obtained with satisfied quality control results. The system was firstly applied in China for field measurement of WSOM. The mass spectrum of WSOM was found to resemble that of oxygenated organic aerosol, and WSOM agreed well with secondary inorganic ions. All evidence collected in the field campaign demonstrated that WSOM could be a good surrogate of secondary organic aerosol(SOA). The PILS–Nebulizer–ACSM system can thus be a useful tool for intensive study of WSOM and SOA in PM_(2.5).     

Intensified wintertime secondary inorganic aerosol formation during heavy haze pollution episodes (HPEs) in Beijing, China

Air pollution in China is complex, and the formation mechanism of chemical components in particulate matter is still unclear. This study selected three consecutive heavy haze pollution episodes (HPEs) during winter in Beijing for continuous field observation, including an episode with heavy air pollution under red alert. Clean days during the observation period were selected for comparison. The HPE characteristics of Beijing in winter were: under the influence of adverse meteorological conditions such as high relative humidity, temperature inversion and low wind speed; and strengthening of secondary transformation reactions, which further intensified the accumulation of secondary aerosols and other pollutants, promoting the explosive growth of PM_2.5. PM_2.5/CO values, as indicators of the contribution of secondary transformation in PM_2.5, were approximately 2 times higher in the HPEs than the average PM_2.5/CO during the clean period. The secondary inorganic aerosols (sulfate nitrate and ammonium salt) were significantly enhanced during the HPEs, and the conversion coefficients were remarkably improved. In addition, it is interesting to observe that the production of sulfate tended to exceed that of nitrate in the late stage of all three HPEs. The existence of aqueous phase reactions led to the explosive growth sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) and rapid generation of sulfate under high relative humidity (RH>70%).     

北京市大气PM2.5中四种水溶性阴离子的水平变化比较

了解北京市城区和郊区大气细颗粒物中的四种水溶性阴离子F-、Cl-、SO42-、NO3-的浓度水平,并分析影响其水平高低的因素。使用聚四氟乙烯滤膜分别采集北京市城区和郊区大气中的PM2.5,用纯水提取后采用离子色谱法测定水溶性阴离子质量浓度。采样期间北京市大气PM2.5、F-、Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度几何均数分别为55.36、0.02、0.46、6.72和1.09μg·m-3,四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度总和占PM2.5质量浓度的19.14%;同一季节(春季)郊区监测点大气PM2.5、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度显著高于城区监测点;城区大气PM2.5与四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度秋季高于春季,但差异无统计学意义;大气PM2.5与Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度均高度相关。Cl-、SO42-、NO3-是北京市大气PM2.5的重要组成成分。     

Occurrence and partition of perfluorinated compounds in water and sediment from Liao River and Taihu Lake, China

The concentrations of four perfluorinated sulfonate acids (PFSAs) and 10 perfluorinated carboxylate acids (PFCAs) were measured in water and sediment samples from Liao River and Taihu Lake, China. In the water samples from Taihu Lake, PFOA and PFOS were the most detected perfluorinated compounds (PFCs); in Liao River, PFHxS was the predominant PFC followed by PFOA, while PFOS was only detected in two of the samples. This suggests that different PFC products are used in the two regions. PFOS and PFOA in both watersheds are at similar level as in the rivers of Japan, but significantly lower than in Great Lakes. The contributions of PFOS and long chain PFCAs in sediments were much higher than in water samples of both watersheds, indicating preferential partition of these PFCs in sediment. The concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were three orders of magnitude of lower than that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the same sediments. The average sediment-water partition coefficients (log K_oc) of PFHxS, PFOS and PFOA were determined to be 2.16, 2.88 and 2.28 respectively.