Synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes-FePO4 composite from phosphate residue and its application as effective Fenton-like catalyst for dye degradation

Phosphate residue is regarded as a hazardous waste, which could potentially create significant environmental and health problems if it is not properly treated and disposed of. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes-FePO_4(NCNTs-FePO_4) composite was successfully synthesized from phosphate residue, and its application as an effective catalyst was explored. Firstly, an effective method was developed to recover FePO_4 from phosphate residue, achieving an impressive FePO_4 mass recovery rate of 98.14%. Then, the NCNTsFePO_4 catalyst was synthesized from the recovered FePO_4 by two main reactions, including surface modification and chemical vapor deposition. Finally, the synthesized NCNTs-FePO_4 was applied to photo-degrade 15 mg/L Rhodamine B(RhB) in a Fenton-like system. The results showed that 98.9% of RhB could be degraded in 60 min, closely following the pseudofirst-order kinetics model. It was found that even after six consecutive cycles, NCNTs-FePO_4 still retained a high catalytic capacity(50%). Moreover, ·OH radicals participating in the RhB degradation process were evidenced using quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis, and a rational mechanism was proposed. It was demonstrated that the materials synthesized from hazardous phosphate residue can be used as an effective catalyst for dye removal.     

Functional relationship between ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and ammonia-oxidizing archaea populations in the secondary treatment system of a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant

The abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea and their amoA genes from the aerobic activated sludge tanks, recycled sludge and anaerobic digesters of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was determined. Polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were used to generate diversity profiles, which showed that each population had a consistent profile although the abundance of individual members varied. In the aerobic tanks, the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) population was more than 350 times more abundant than the ammonia-oxidizing archaeal (AOA) population, however in the digesters, the AOA population was more than 10 times more abundant. Measuring the activity of the amoA gene expression of the two populations using RT-PCR also showed that the AOA amoA gene was more active in the digesters than in the activated sludge tanks. Using batch reactors and ddPCR, amoA activity could be measured and it was found that when the AOB amoA activity was inhibited in the anoxic reactors, the expression of the AOA amoA gene increased fourfold. This suggests that these two populations may have a cooperative relationship for the oxidation of ammonia.     

TiO2/Schwertmannite nanocomposites as superior co-catalysts in heterogeneous photo-Fenton process

The heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction is an effective technique in combating organic contaminants for both soil and water remediation,and extensive studies have focused on enhancing its efficiency and reducing its costs.In this work,we developed novel photoFenton catalysts by simply milling commercially available TiO_2(P25)with Schwertmannite(Sh),a natural iron-oxyhydroxysulfate nanomineral.We expect that the photo-generated electrons from TiO_2could continuously migrate to Sh,which then could enhance the separation of electron-hole pairs on TiO_2and accelerate the reduction of Fe(III)to Fe(II)on Sh,leading to high degradation efficiency of the target organic contaminants.SEM and TEM results showed the distribution of TiO_2on Sh surface for the nanocomposites(TiO_2/Sh).Under simulated sunlight irradiation,the much higher content of Fe(II)was determined on TiO_2/Sh than on Sh via a common method in the iron ore,and the consumption of H_2O_2and the production of·OH were more significant in the TiO_2/Sh system than those in the TiO_2and Sh systems.These results well support our hypothesis that the photo-generated electrons could migrate from TiO_2to Sh on the composites,and can also explain the much higher degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B(RhB)in the TiO_2/Sh system.Besides,TiO_2/Sh had lower Fe dissolution as compared with Sh,and retained high catalytic stability after four repeated cycles.Above merits of the TiO_2/Sh composites,in combining with their simple synthesis method and low-cost property,indicated that they should have promising applications as heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalysts.     

Rapid removal of polyacrylamide from wastewater by plasma in the gas–liquid interface

Due to the severe restrictions imposed by legislative frameworks, the removal of polyacrylamide(PAM) rapidly and effectively from produced wastewater in offshore oilfields before discharge is becoming an urgent challenge. In this study, a novel advanced oxidation process based on plasma operated in the gas–liquid interface was used to rapidly decompose PAM, and multiple methods including viscometry, flow field-flow fractionation multi-angle light scattering, UV–visible spectroscopy, and attenuated total reflectanceFourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the changes of PAM.Under a discharge voltage of 25 kV and pH 7.0, the PAM concentration decreased from 100 to 0 mg/L within 20 min and the total organic carbon(TOC) decreased from 49.57 to1.23 mg/L within 240 min, following zero-order reaction kinetics. Even in the presence of background TOC as high as 152.2 mg/L, complete removal of PAM(100 mg/L) was also achieved within 30 min. The biodegradability of PAM improved following plasma treatment for 120 min. Active species(such as O_3 and H_2O_2) were produced in the plasma. Hydroxyl radical was demonstrated to play an important role in the degradation of PAM due to the inhibitory effect observed after the addition of an ·OH scavenger, Na_2CO_3. Meanwhile, the release of ammonia and nitrate nitrogen confirmed the cleavage of the acylamino group.The results of this study demonstrated that plasma, with its high efficiency and chemicalfree features, is a promising technology for the rapid removal of PAM.     

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.     

Thermodynamics of NaHCO3 decomposition during Na2CO3-based CO2 capture

Amine-basedcarbon-capture technologies have been shown to be energetically expensive and to cause significant environmental and epidemiological impacts due to their volatility.Bicarbonate formation from carbon dioxide's reaction with water has been suggested as an effective alternative for capturing CO_2;however,the thermodynamics of this reaction are not well understood.This study experimentally determined the equilibrium constant of sodium bicarbonate(Na HCO_3)decomposition to sodium,water,and carbon dioxide;the study also compared the equilibrium constant to theoretical calculations.Using a combination of experimentation and thermodynamic relationships,the unitless equilibrium constants of the forward and reverse reactions were calculated accurately(error±9%and±4%,respectively).Equilibrium data were calculated using enthalpy and entropy values of each component of Na HCO_3decomposition at temperatures ranging from 25 to 155°C respectively.These results offer more data essential to optimizing Na HCO_3use in environmentally friendly nextgeneration CO_2-capture technologies.     

双向掘进隧道游离SiO2粉尘扩散规律模拟与分析

为研究双掘进面施工隧道内游离SiO_2粉尘浓度演化特征与扩散规律,获取通风系统的合理设计参数,以斗篷山隧道为研究背景,利用Ansys-CFD有限元计算流体力学软件离散项模型对双向掘进隧道安装除尘设备前、后粉尘扩散轨迹及不同时间周期内粉尘浓度分布特点进行数值模拟,并对模拟结果与现场实测数据进行对比分析.结果表明:(1)衬砌台车对粉尘的扩散具有明显的阻碍效应,台车两侧游离SiO_2粉尘浓度值出现了明显的分界.(2)单纯压入式通风条件下,部分高浓度游离SiO_2粉尘在非爆破端循环停留时间较长,通风一段时间后少量高浓度的游离SiO_2粉尘穿过台车在非爆破端循环停留形成簇团效应,未进入斜井进行排放.(3)压入式通风设备和除尘系统联合作业后,非爆破端游离SiO_2粉尘浓度趋于0,联合作业900 s后,隧道正洞与斜井内游离SiO_2粉尘浓度基本降至8 mgm~3以下,达到规范要求.研究显示,采用离散项模型对双工作面施工隧道内游离SiO_2粉尘浓度演化特征与扩散规律的模拟是可行的.压入式通风设备与除尘系统联合作业条件下游离SiO_2粉尘快速进入斜井进行排放,隧道施工作业区内游离SiO_2粉尘浓度在短时间内大幅下降,通风过程中粉尘运行轨迹几乎不涉及隧道非爆破端,减少了对非爆破端的污染.     

高原城市室内灰尘对人角膜上皮细胞损伤研究

收集高海拔城市昆明不同功能区室内灰尘,利用等离子发射光谱仪分析不同粒径（F1~F4：100~2000,75~100,63~75,45~63μm）灰尘中Pb,Cu,Cd,Zn,Cr,Ni,Co,As和Mn的含量,借助人工泪液提取的方法,测定目标重金属的可溶出率（生物可给性）,并分析室内灰尘人工泪提取液对人角膜上皮细胞的毒性效应.结果表明,办公室灰尘中Ni,Mn,Zn显著高于家庭及学生宿舍（P<0.01）,且Cd,Ni,Zn的含量高于昆明市土壤背景值的39.3、9.5、12.3倍.居民住宅Co（10.6%）、办公室As（16.1%）及学生宿舍Mn（36.0%）溶出率最高.重金属元素在粒径分布规律上表现出不同特征,办公室及宿舍灰尘重金属易在63~100μm粒径范围内富集.人角膜上皮细胞经室内灰尘人工泪提取液暴露24h后,低浓度（20μg/mL）、高浓度（1280μg/mL）分别促进和抑制细胞增殖,与对照组相比较均具有统计学意义（P<0.05）.细胞炎症因子IL-1β和TNF-α相对表达量显著增加,提示昆明室内灰尘暴露有诱发角膜炎症疾病发生的风险.     

微介复合固体酸β分子筛催化芳烃硝化合成研究

研究了多级孔道β分子筛催化剂对芳烃(氯苯)的硝化反应,显示具有优异的催化作用。在以硝酸为硝化剂,氯苯∶催化剂=3∶1,60℃反应2 h条件下,对比传统β分子筛,自制多级孔道β分子筛的催化活性较高,且氯苯的对位选择性均有所提高,对位/邻位比分别从0.5提高到1.2。多级孔道β分子筛催化剂重复使用5次,催化活性保持稳定,且随着孔道比表面积增加,催化剂稳定性更好。     

弹药殉爆试验与反应等级评估探讨

目的获取弹药在殉爆情况下发生反应的特征行为,为不敏感弹药的评定以及弹药安全性的评估提供技术支撑。方法参照北约STANAG4396标准,开展某型弹药殉爆试验。采用超压测量、见证板变形破坏情况观测、破片速度测量等传统测试方法,结合先进的激光干涉测速技术(Photonic Doppler Velocimetry—PDV)测量被发弹药及主发弹药反应后壳体膨胀速度。结果被发弹药侧见证板比主发弹药侧见证板产生了更严重的变形。11 m和14 m处超压测量结果分别达到306 kPa和177 kPa,与两枚弹药爆轰后产生的超压相当。被发弹药和主发弹药的壳体膨胀速度相当,达到约3500 m/s。结论在试验条件下,被发弹药发生了爆轰反应,该弹药不属于不敏感弹药。在殉爆试验中,主发弹药和被发弹药的壳体膨胀速度可作为判断被发弹药反应等级的关键参量。