Arsenic stabilization by zero-valent iron,bauxite residue,and zeolite at a contaminated site planting Panax notoginseng

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen, a rare traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is a widely used phytomedicine used all over the world. In recent years, the arsenic contamination of the herb and its relative products becomes a serious problem due to elevated soil As concentration. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types and dosages of amendments on As stabilization in soil and its uptake by P. notoginseng. Results showed that comparing to control treatment, the As concentrations of P. notoginseng declined by 49–63%, 43–61% and 52–66% in 0.25% zero-valent iron (Fe(0)), 0.5% bauxite residue, and 1% zeolite treatment, respectively; whereas the biomasses were elevated by 62–116%, 45–152% and 114–265%, respectively. The As(III) proportions of P. notoginseng increased by 8%, 9%, and 8%, and the transfer factors of As from root to shoot increased by 37%, 42% and 84% in the optimal treatments of Fe(0), bauxite residue, and zeolite. For soil As, all the three amendments could transform the non-specifically adsorbed As fraction to hydrous oxides Fe/Al fractions (by Fe(0) and red mud) or specifically adsorbed As fraction (by zeolite), therefore reduced the bioavailability of soil As. With a comprehensive consideration of stabilization efficiency, plant growth, environmental influence, and cost, Fe(0) appeared to be the best amendment, and zeolite could also be a good choice. In conclusion, this study was of significance in developing As contamination control in P. notoginseng planting areas, and even other areas for medicinal herb growing.     

Penicillin fermentation residue biochar as a high-performance electrode for membrane capacitive deionization

● We have provided an activated method to remove the toxicity of antibiotic residue. ● PFRB can greatly improve the salt adsorption capacity of MCDI. ● The hierarchical porous and abundant O/N-doped played the key role for the high-capacity desalination. ● A new field of reuse of penicillin fermentation residue has been developed. Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is an efficient desalination technology for brine. Penicillin fermentation residue biochar (PFRB) possesses a hierarchical porous and O/N-doped structure which could serve as a high-capacity desalination electrode in the MCDI system. Under optimal conditions (electrode weight, voltage, and concentration) and a carbonization temperature of 700 °C, the maximum salt adsorption capacity of the electrode can reach 26.4 mg/g, which is higher than that of most carbon electrodes. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties of the PFRB electrode were characterized through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with a maximum specific capacitance of 212.18 F/g. Finally, biotoxicity tests have showed that PFRB was non-biotoxin against luminescent bacteria and the MCDI system with the PFRB electrode remained stable even after 27 adsorption–desorption cycles. This study provides a novel way to recycle penicillin residue and an electrode that can achieve excellent desalination.     

Development of an analytical method for analysis of flubendiamide,des-iodo flubendiamide and study of their residue persistence in tomato and soil

Flubendiamide is a new insecticide that has been found to give excellent control of lepidopterous pests of tomato. This study has been undertaken to develop an improved method for analysis of flubendiamide and its metabolite des-iodo flubendiamide and determine residue retention in tomato and soil. The analytical method developed involved extraction of flubendiamide and its metabolite des-iodo flubendiamide with acetonitrile, liquid-liquid partitioning into hexane-ethyl acetate mixture (6:4, v v^?1) and cleanup with activated neutral alumina. Finally the residues were dissolved in gradient high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade acetonitrile for analysis by HPLC. The mobile phase, acetonitrile-water at 60:40 (v v^?1) proportion and the wavelength of 235 nm gave maximum peak resolution. Using the above method and HPLC parameters described, nearly 100 % recovery of both insecticides were obtained. There was no matrix interference and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method was 0.01 mg kg^?1. Initial residue deposits of flubendiamide on field-treated tomato from treatments @ 48 and 96 g active ingredient hectare^?1 were 0.83 and 1.68 mg kg^?1,respectively. The residues of flubendiamide dissipated at the half-life of 3.9 and 4.4 days from treatments @ 48 and 96 g a.i. ha^?1, respectively and persisted for 15 days from both the treatments. Des-iodo flubendiamide was not detected in tomato fruits at any time during the study period. Residues of flubendiamide and des-iodo flubendiamide in soil from treatment @ 48 and 96 g a.i. ha^?1 were below detectable level (BDL, < 0.01 mg kg^?1) after 20 days. Flubendiamide completely dissipated from tomato within 20 days when the 480 SC formulation was applied at doses recommended for protection against lepidopterous pests.     

Sugarcane vinasse: Environmental implications of its use

The inadequate and indiscriminate disposal of sugarcane vinasse in soils and water bodies has received much attention since decades ago, due to environmental problems associated to this practice. Vinasse is the final by-product of the biomass distillation, mainly for the production of ethanol, from sugar crops (beet and sugarcane), starch crops (corn, wheat, rice, and cassava), or cellulosic material (harvesting crop residues, sugarcane bagasse, and wood). Because of the large quantities of vinasse produced, alternative treatments and uses have been developed, such as recycling of vinasse in fermentation, fertirrigation, concentration by evaporation, and yeast and energy production. This review was aimed at examining the available data on the subject as a contribution to update the information on sugarcane vinasse, from its characteristics and chemical composition to alternatives uses in Brazil: fertirrigation, concentration by evaporation, energy production; the effects on soil physical, chemical and biological properties; its influence on seed germination, its use as biostimulant and environmental contaminant. The low pH, electric conductivity, and chemical elements present in sugarcane vinasse may cause changes in the chemical and physical–chemical properties of soils, rivers, and lakes with frequent discharges over a long period of time, and also have adverse effects on agricultural soils and biota in general. Thus, new studies and green methods need to be developed aiming at sugarcane vinasse recycling and disposal.     

Sublethal impact of paraquat on the life span and parasitic behavior of Diaeretiella rapae M’Intosh

This study focuses on assessing the impact of sublethal doses of paraquat on the survival, the emergence, the life span and the parasitic behavior of Diaeretiella rapae M’Intosh (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). The impact of sublethal doses was measured at room temperature using different densities of the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae. The results reveal that the field dose of paraquat caused 100% mortality in D. rapae. The percentage emergence of D. rapae decreased from 80.5% in the control group to 71.5% when treated with the lowest concentration of paraquat. Similarly, the life span of parasitoids that emerged from the mummy treated with paraquat also decreased significantly. Oviposition capability and ovipositor thrusting frequency of D. rapae also treated with sublethal dose paraquat decreased significantly along with a shortened patch residence time in the foraging area.     

Phototransformation of herbicide metsulfuron methyl

Phototransformation of the herbicide metsulfuron methyl was investigated on glass surface under sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) light and compared with dark condition. The half-lives of metsulfuron methyl under UV light and sunlight were found to be 0.5 and 7.8 days respectively. Rate of phototransformation followed first order kinetics with significant correlation coefficient. The major photoproducts were identified as methyl-2-sulfonyl-amino-benzoate, 2-amino-6-methoxy-4-methyltriazine and saccharin (O-sulfobenzoimide). Various metabolites from this study were identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Authentic samples required for HPLC comparison were prepared in laboratory and characterized on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infra red (IR) spectral data. These metabolites were also identified from metsulfuron methyl treated wheat field soil.     

Limitations in the determination of maximum residue limits and highest residues of pesticides: Part I

The pesticide usages are controlled by comparing residue concentrations in treated commodities to legally permitted maximum levels (MRLs) determined based on supervised trials designed to reflect likely maximum residues occurring in practice following authorised use. The number of trials available may significantly affect the accuracy of estimated maximum residues. We conducted a study with synthetic lognormal distributions with mean of 1 and standard deviations of 0.8 and 1.0, which reflect the residue distributions observed in practice. The likely residues in samples were modelled by drawing random samples of size 3, 5, 10 and 25 from the synthetic populations. The results indicate that the estimations of highest residues (HR), used for calculation of short-term intake, and the MRLs, serving as legal limits, are very uncertain based on 3–5 trials indicated by the calculated HR_0.975/HR_0.025 and MRL_0.975/MRL_0.025 ratios of 12 and 9, and 13 and 10, respectively, which question the suitability of such trials for the intended purpose. As the 95% range of HR and MRL rapidly decreases with number of trials, ideally ≥15 but minimum 6–8 trials should be used for estimation of HR and MRL according to the current typical practice of Codex Alimentarius.     

生物有机除草剂防除水田杂草试验研究

采用田间试验方法,进行了生物稻壳粉、生物稻草粉2种生物有机除草剂对水田杂草的防效试验。结果表明,2种生物有机除草剂对水田杂草均有不同程度的防效,其中生物稻壳粉防效最好、经济效益最高,生物稻草粉防效和经济效益次之。该试验研究为生产有机水稻提供了新的除草方法。     

酸法锂渣制取白炭黑研究

本文对用硫法锂渣制取白炭黑的基本原理及工艺流程作了较为详细的阐述，对该工艺的各种影响因素进行了探讨，并制得了合格的白炭黑，为锂渣的综合利用开辟了新的途径。