Spectrophotometry determination of Congo red in river water samples using nanosilver

A spectrophotometric procedure for the anionic diazo dye Congo red was proposed based on nanosilver catalyzed oxidation by potassium iodate in a hydrochloric acid medium. The calibration graph is linear for 0.8–240?mg?L^?1, and the detection limit is 0.6?mg?L^?1. Most foreign ions do not interfere with the determination, except for Cu(II), Fe(III), and Cr(VI). The interferences of Cu(II) and Fe(III) could be eliminated by masking with ethylene diamine tetraacetate, and that of Cr(VI) by reducing to Cr(III) with ascorbic acid. The typical features of this procedure are that it is sensitive for Congo red, and the determination could be carried out at room temperature. It had been used for the determination of Congo red in the Ganjnameh river water sample.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of a Fe3O4–AgCl nanocomposite against Escherichia coli

In this investigation, Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were prepared by the alkalinization of an aqueous medium containing ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride. In the next step, a Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposite was fabricated by the drop-by-drop addition of silver nitrate solution into a NaCl solution containing Fe₃O₄ MNPs. All prepared nanoparticles were characterized by transition electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Both particle types varied in size from 2.5 to 20?nm, with an average size of 7.5?nm for Fe₃O₄ MNPs and 12.5?nm for Fe₃O₄–AgCl nanocomposites. The antibacterial effect of the Fe₃O₄ MNPs and fabricated Fe₃O₄–AgCl nanocomposites against Escherichia coli (ATCC 35218) were investigated by conventional serial agar dilution method using the Müller–Hinton Agar medium. The minimum inhibitory concentration was 4?mg?mL^?1 for Fe₃O₄ MNPs and 2?mg?mL^?1 for the Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites. Time-kill course assays showed that the Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites successfully killed all inoculated bacterial cells during an exposure time of 60?min. The antibacterial activity of recycled Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites over four 60?min cycles of antibacterial treatment was further tested against E. coli by the colony-forming unit (CFU) method. The antibacterial efficiency of the nanocomposites was constant over two cycles of antibacterial testing.     

Evaluation of environmental stress by comet assay on freshwater snail Lymnea luteola L. exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles

The use of aquatic organisms to monitor for contamination is well-established. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the adverse effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NP) in freshwater snail Lymnea luteola L. (L. luteola). For TiO₂NPs ecotoxicity tests, snails were exposed for seven days. A dose and time-response relationship was observed for TiO₂NP-induced genotoxicity. Induction of oxidative stress in digestive gland was observed by a decrease in glutathione and gluthathions-S-transferase levels accompanied by elevated malondialdehyde levels at TiO₂NP (9 and 28 µg/mL). Superoxide dismutase activities were markedly reduced at TiO₂NP (9 and 28 µg/mL) at days 1 and 3, but not at day 7. Catalase activities were decreased at days 1 and 3 but increased at higher concentration of TiO₂NP at day 7. DNA fragmentation occurring in L. luteola due to ecotoxic impact TiO₂NP was further substantiated by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay and expressed in terms of percent tail DNA and olive tail moment. The results indicate that the interaction of these TiO₂NP with snail influences the toxicity, which is mediated by oxidative stress in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The measurement of DNA integrity in L. luteola thus provides an early warning signal of contamination of the aquatic ecosystem by TiO₂NP. Data suggest the freshwater snail L. luteola is a potential biomonitor organism.     

氧化锌纳米颗粒对膜-生物反应器运行性能的影响

考察了城市污水中典型浓度的氧化锌(ZnO)纳米颗粒对膜-生物反应器(MBR)运行、活性污泥性质以及膜污染的影响.结果表明,ZnO纳米颗粒不利于微生物对有机物的去除,但是不会影响微生物对氨氮的去除.由于微滤膜的截留作用,ZnO纳米颗粒对MBR的出水没有影响.ZnO纳米颗粒的投加导致溶解性微生物产物(SMP)浓度从17.9mg/gVSS上升到35.0mg/gVSS左右,污泥粒径由162.9μm下降到105.2μm,引起了外部阻力的上升,造成了膜污染的加剧.ZnO纳米颗粒会抑制微生物活性和改变活性污泥中微生物的种群结构,这主要与ZnO纳米颗粒释放的Zn2+有关.     

腐殖酸作用下沉积物中纳米氧化铜对铜锈环棱螺生态毒性的影响

为了探讨不同水平腐殖酸作用下沉积物中纳米氧化铜(CuO-NPs)对底栖生物生态毒理学效应的影响,以铜锈环棱螺(Bellamya aeruginosa)为受试生物,通过腐殖酸和CuO-NPs加标沉积物的慢性(28 d)生物测试,研究了肝胰脏中Cu的生物积累、Na+K+-ATP酶(ATPase)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)以及过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性的变化规律.结果表明,在低浓度CuO-NPs处理组(60 μg·g1),沉积物中腐殖酸水平对Cu的生物积累以及ATPase、SOD和CAT活性均没有显著影响.在中、高浓度CuO-NPs处理组(≥180 μg·g-1),Cu的生物积累均随腐殖酸水平的增加而显著升高;肝胰脏ATPase活性随腐殖酸水平的增加而显著下降;当腐殖酸水平为0.05 g·g-1时,SOD活性显著高于未添加腐殖酸组,表现为显著诱导,当腐殖酸水平≥0.1g·g-1时,SOD活性开始下降,并具有浓度依赖性;随腐殖酸水平的增加,肝胰脏CAT活性总体上表现为浓度依赖性显著下降.由于沉积物中腐殖酸的存在,显著增加CuO-NPs在沉积物中的分散稳定性,更容易被铜锈环棱螺摄取,从而通过增加CuO-NPs的生物积累而增强对铜锈环棱螺的生态毒性.     

The source and fate of sediment and mercury in the Tapajós River, Pará, Brazilian Amazon: Ground- and space-based evidence

We present results of mercury (Hg) in surface waters and soils and an analysis of satellite imagery from the Tapajós River basin, Brazilian Amazon, and the Reserva Garimpeira do Tapajós, the legal gold mining district of the basin. Hg bound to suspended sediment was roughly 600 and 200 times the concentration of dissolved Hg per litre of water, in impacted and pristine areas, respectively. Suspended sediments thus represent the major pathway of river-borne Hg. Median concentrations of Hg in suspended load from both impacted and pristine waters were 134 ppb, and 80% of samples were below 300ppb-in the range of naturally occurring surficial materials in the tropics. Regionally, riverine Hg fluxes were proportional to the concentration of total suspended solids. This shows that the dominant source of Hg is the sediment itself rather than anthropogenic mercury discharge from the small-scale mines. To independently test this conclusion, a mass balance was performed. A conservative calculation of the annual export of mercury (Hg) from the Creporí River (a minimum) was 1.6 tonnes for the year 1998-it could be significantly larger. This amount of Hg is difficult to account for by anthropogenic discharge alone, confirming that enhanced physical erosion caused by sluicing and dredging operations is the dominant source of Hg. We therefore conclude that gold mining operations are primarily responsible for elevated Hg concentrations. The dominant source of contamination is not, however, the loss of Hg in the gold amalgamation process. Rather, the disturbance and mobilization of large quantities of Hg-rich sediment and floodplain soil into the water column during mining operations is the source of contamination. These findings shift the focus of remediation and prevention efforts away from Hg control toward soil and sediment erosion control. The minimization or elimination of Hg losses in the mining process remains important for the health of local peoples and environments, but keeping basin soils and sediments in place would be a much more effective means of minimizing Hg fluxes to the region's rivers. To gain a spatial and historical perspective on the source and extent of emissions, satellite imagery was used. We were able to reconstruct historical mining activity, locate impacted areas, and estimate historical Hg fluxes with the imagery. To do so, the spectral characteristics of satellite images were calibrated to the concentration of suspended sediment in the rivers, which, in turn, is proportional to the Hg concentration. This analysis shows that mining-induced sediment plumes have been a dominant source of sediment to the Tapajós River system for decades. As well, the intensity and location of these emissions has varied through time. For example, sediment discharge from the Creporí River was greater in 1985 than in 1998; and the tributaries on the west bank of the Tapajós were actively being mined in 1985 but had been abandoned in 1998. This type of information should greatly assist in understanding original and ongoing sources of emissions, and in managing prevention and remediation efforts.     

TiO_2晶体的微波水热法制备及光催化性能研究

以TiSO4和尿素为主要原料,EDTA为控制剂,采用微波水热法制备纳米TiO2光催化剂,并分析了纳米TiO2晶粒的最佳形成条件。利用XRD、TEM等技术对制备产物进行表征。结果表明,TiSO4和尿素混合物在微波水热条件下晶化150 min后,产物为锐钛矿型TiO2,且产物粒径小、大小均匀。在紫外光照射下,以自制的锐钛矿型纳米TiO2为催化剂,酸性橙为降解目标物,进一步研究了其光催化性能。结果表明,该TiO2在紫外光照射下表现出稳定的光催化活性。     

纳米Fe_3O_4磁性粒子的制备及吸附性能研究

采用共沉淀法制备了纳米Fe3O4磁性粒子。应用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X-射线衍射仪(XRD)和振动样品磁强计(VSM)等对纳米磁性粒子的粒径、结构、形貌、磁性能进行了表征,进行了磁分离沉降性能和腐殖酸吸附去除实验研究。结果表明:在未添加任何分散剂的条件下,制得的纳米Fe3O4磁性粒子主要呈球状,平均粒径约11 nm,为典型的反尖晶石结构;饱和磁化强度、矫顽力和剩余磁化强度分别为73.10 emu/g、159.2 A/m和0.41 emu/g;磁分离沉降速度为重力场的50倍;纳米Fe3O4磁性粒子对腐殖酸的吸附符合Langmuir型吸附等温线。     

Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒对全氟辛烷磺酸盐的吸附

采用共沉淀法合成Fe3O4纳米磁性颗粒,用透射电子显微镜（TEM）、X射线衍射仪（XRD）以及振动样品磁强计（VSM）对Fe3O4纳米磁性颗粒的粒径、形貌和磁性进行表征并研究Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒对全氟辛磺酸盐的吸附。结果表明：在PFOS初始浓度4 mg/L,pH为3,反应时间24 h,Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒投加量1.25 g/L,对全氟辛磺酸盐去除率达到90%。Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒对PFOS的吸附符合Freundlich吸附方程。