Co-adsorption of gaseous benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene (BTEX) and SO2 on recyclable Fe3O4 nanoparticles at 0-101% relative humidities

We herein used Fe3O4 nanoparticles(NPs) as an adsorption interface for the concurrent removal of gaseous benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene(BTEX) and sulfur dioxide(SO2), at different relative humidities(RH). X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, and transmission electron microscopy were deployed for nanoparticle surface characterization.Mono-dispersed Fe3O4(Fe2O3·Fe O) NPs synthesized with oleic acid(OA) as surfactant, and uncoated poly-dispersed Fe3O4 NPs demonstrated comparable removal efficiencies.Adsorption experiments of BTEX on NPs were measured using gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detection, which indicated high removal efficiencies(up to(95 ± 2)%) under dry conditions. The humidity effect and competitive adsorption were investigated using toluene as a model compound. It was observed that the removal efficiencies decreased as a function of the increase in RH, yet, under our experimental conditions, we observed(40 ± 4)% toluene removal at supersaturation for Fe3O4 NPs, and toluene removal of(83 ± 4)% to(59 ± 6)%, for OA-Fe3O4 NPs. In the presence of SO2, the toluene uptake was reduced under dry conditions to(89 ± 2)% and(75 ± 1)% for the uncoated and coated NPs, respectively, depicting competitive adsorption. At RH 100%,competitive adsorption reduced the removal efficiency to(27 ± 1)% for uncoated NPs whereas OA-Fe3O4 NPs exhibited moderate efficiency loss of(55 ± 2)% at supersaturation.Results point to heterogeneous water coverage on the NP surface. The magnetic property of magnetite facilitated the recovery of both types of NPs, without the loss in efficiency when recycled and reused.     

金属纳米材料在厌氧条件下对脱氮副球菌反硝化作用的影响

以脱氮副球菌YF1为实验菌株,研究纳米Fe0和纳米Fe/Ni 2种金属纳米材料对菌体生长及其反硝化作用的影响。实验结果表明:添加纳米材料到反应体系中会降低实验菌株的生长量和生物反硝化作用,纳米Fe/Ni对实验菌株的毒性比纳米Fe0大。在含硝态氮初始浓度为100 mg/L的反硝化培养基中接种脱氮副球菌,于30℃培养20 h,脱氮率为89.47%,而菌+1 000 mg/L纳米Fe/Ni的体系脱氮率仅为64.33%;菌+1 000 mg/L纳米Fe0体系的脱氮率为76.36%。不同体系的反硝化过程均可采用零级动力学模型进行拟合(相关系数R2>0.92)。这2种金属纳米材料对实验菌株的生长量及其反硝化作用的影响程度,与体系的pH和温度有较大关系。     

纳米银和银离子对2种微藻的急性毒性效应

为了探讨AgNPs对典型微藻的急性毒性效应及其机制,采用柠檬酸钠还原法制备AgNPs,以摇瓶实验法评估了不同浓度的AgNPs和Ag+对铜绿微囊藻和普通小球藻叶绿素a含量、形态结构和叶绿素荧光参数的影响。实验结果表明:AgNPs对普通小球藻和铜绿微囊藻的96 h-EC50分别为1.113 mg·L-1和0.697 mg·L-1,而Ag+对2种藻的96 h-EC50分别为0.106 mg·L-1和0.032 mg·L-1。扫描电镜结果表明:AgNPs处理使普通小球藻细胞表面出现褶皱,细胞变形甚至向内塌陷。对铜绿微囊藻部分细胞出现变形变得不规则,且出现某些胞外物质使细胞粘附在一起。透射电镜观察发现,高浓度Ag+处理使2种藻的细胞均发生质壁分离,部分细胞转变为孢子。而AgNPs处理使普通小球藻细胞蛋白核增大,蛋白核与类囊体区无明显连接通道。铜绿微囊藻拟核区膨大,类囊体和色素体被推向四周,部分类囊体断裂,同时,发现该藻可以分泌胞外物质在细胞周围吸附AgNPs颗粒。对于普通小球藻,0.6 mg·L-1AgNPs处理后细胞光系统Ⅱ的最大光化学量子产率ΦP0相对于CK没有显著差异,但0.09 mg·L-1Ag+处理使ΦP0显著增加。在高浓度AgNPs或Ag+处理时,ΦP0均显著降低。AgNPs未对普通小球藻光系统II性能参数PI_Abs造成影响,但不同浓度Ag+处理均使得该参数显著升高。对于铜绿微囊藻,2种毒物均使其ΦP0显著降低。而PI_Abs仅在2种毒物的最高浓度处理时显著降低。综上,AgNPs对2种藻的急性毒性远小于Ag+,而两者对铜绿微囊藻的毒性均大于普通小球藻。AgNPs胁迫使2种藻叶绿素a含量显著降低,并诱导2种藻在形态结构和光合生理方面发生了显著变化,造成不同程度的损伤,但与Ag+的毒性效应存在一定的差异。提高光吸收能通量补偿耗散能量和分泌胞外物质结合Ag+是微藻2种重要的解毒机制。     

Simultaneous adsorption and degradation of γ-HCH by nZVI/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles with activated carbon support

Cu amended zero valent iron bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized by doping Cu on the surface of iron. They were incorporated with granular activated carbon (AC) to prepare supported particles (AC-Fe⁰-Cu), which were used to remove γ-HCH. Cu on the surface of iron enhanced the dechlorination activity of Fe⁰. The dechlorination rate constant (k_obs) increased with the Cu loading on the surface of iron and the maximum was achieved with 6.073% Cu. AC as a support was effective for increasing the dispersion of the nanoparticles and avoiding the agglomeration of the metallic nanoparticles. The simultaneous adsorption of γ-HCH on AC accelerated the degradation rate of γ-HCH by the bimetals. After reaction for 165 min, around 99% of γ-HCH was removed by the solids of AC-Fe⁰-Cu. In addition, AC could adsorb the degradation products. The degradation of γ-HCH was mainly through dehydrochlorination and dichloroelmination based on the intermediate products detected by GC/MS.     

Titanium nanoparticles attenuates arsenic toxicity by up-regulating expressions of defensive genes in Vigna radiata L

Arsenic(As)-toxicity is recognized as one of the major environmental problems,affecting productivity of crops worldwide,thereby threatening sustainable agriculture and food security.Progression in nanotechnology and its impacts have brought up concerns about the application of engineered nanoparticles(NPs) in various sectors of the economy,including the field of agronomy.Among various NPs,there has been a rising amount of interest regarding the effects of titanium NPs(TiNPs) on plants growth and development,and their fate of abiotic stress tolerance.Hence,the present study was aimed to assess the ameliorative potentialities of chemically and biologically/green synthesized TiNPs to alleviate As-induced toxic responses in Vigna radiata L.The results revealed that exposure to As hindered the growth indices(radicle length and biomass) and membrane integrity,while were improved with the application of chemical and green synthesized TiNPs.In addition,treatment of As provoked the accretion of reactive oxygen species(superoxide and hydrogen peroxide) and malondialdehyde(a lipid per oxidized product),but were diminished by the supplementation of chemical and green manufactured TiNPs.The experimental data also signified that exogenous application of chemical and green synthesized TiNPs conferred tolerance to As-induced oxidative injuries via perking-up the expressions of antioxidant genes and enzyme systems viz;superoxide dismutase and catalase.Therefore,the present study inferred that chemically and green synthesized TiNPs,particularly green manufactured,effectively mitigated the adverse impacts of As by augmenting antioxidant machinery,thereby proving its potentiality in the alleviation of As-toxicity,at least in Vignaradiata L.     

Fabrication of bimetallic Ag/Fe immobilized on modified biochar for removal of carbon tetrachloride

As an effective conventional absorbent, biochar exhibited limited adsorption ability toward small hydrophobic molecules. To enhance the adsorption capacity, a novel adsorbent was prepared by immobilizing nanoscale zero-valent iron onto modified biochar (MB) and then the elemental silver was attached to the surface of iron (Ag/Fe/MB). It''s noted that spherical Ag/Fe nanoparticles with diameter of 51 nm were highly dispersed on the surface of MB. As the typical hydrophobic contaminant, carbon tetrachloride was selected for examining the removal efficiency of the adsorbent. The removal efficiencies of carbon tetrachloride by original biochar (OB), Ag/Fe, Ag/Fe/OB and Ag/Fe/MB were fully investigated. It''s found that Ag/Fe/MB showed higher carbon tetrachloride removal efficiency, which is about 5.5 times higher than that of the OB sample due to utilizing the merits of high adsorption and reduction. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that the removal of carbon tetrachloride by Ag/Fe/MB was a spontaneous and exothermic process, which was affected by solution pH, initial carbon tetrachloride concentration and temperature. The novel Ag/Fe/MB composites provided a promising material for carbon tetrachloride removal from effluent.     

纳米氧化锌粒径对人工湿地性能及微生物群落的影响

纳米颗粒(nanoparticles,NPs)具有较小的粒径(1～100 nm),其生物毒性与粒径的大小紧密相关.在进水COD约200. 0 mg·L~(-1),NH_4~+-N约12. 5 mg·L~(-1)和溶解性总磷约4. 0 mg·L~(-1)的条件下连续运行28 d,研究了3种不同粒径的纳米氧化锌(ZnO NPs)对水平潜流人工湿地微生物群落结构和多样性的影响,同时结合湿地脱氮性能的变化,探讨了湿地中微生物群落结构和多样性与其处理性能的相互关系.结果表明,3种粒径(15、50和90 nm)的ZnO NPs(10 mg·L~(-1))对COD的去除无明显差异,而对脱氮则表现出明显的粒径效应.高通量测序发现,人工湿地系统中硝化菌属的丰度明显低于反硝化菌属,硝化过程是制约湿地脱氮性能的关键因素.暴露于不同粒径的ZnO NPs后,微生物群落结构发生不同程度的变化,与较大粒径(50 nm和90 nm)的ZnO NPs相比,15 nm的ZnO NPs对硝化菌属的抑制更为显著.     

Release of ZrO2 nanoparticles from ZrO2/Polymer nanocomposite in wastewater treatment processes

The widespread use of nano-enabled water treatment composites(NWTCs) can result in the release of nanoparticles(NPs) into environmental waters.Studying the release of NPs from NWTCs is of great significance for evaluating the material stability,and environment and biological safety.This work evaluated the amount and species of Zr released from a NWTC,a ZrO_2/polymer composite(HZO@D201),during the treatment of electroplating wastewater.About 5 g of the HZO@D201 particles,consisting of porous spheres(0.8 mm in diameter) loaded with ZrO_2 NPs,were packed into a glass column(130 mm in length and20 mm in diameter) and treated with wastewater at a flow rate of 25 mL/hr.The release of Zr occurred mainly in the initial stages of water treatment,decreased with the increase of treatment volume,and approached an equilibrium value of approximately 3.79 μg/L at the treatment volume of about 800 bed volumes.The total amount of Zr released in the effluent was in the range of 2.62-140 μg/L,which was mainly present in the form of ZrO_2 NPs.The amounts of Zr released under acidic and alkaline conditions were markedly higher than that under neutral conditions,while the presence of humic acid significantly inhibited the release of Zr.Our study implied that the NWTCs could be a source of engineered NPs in environmental waters,and should be considered in evaluating the safety of ZrO_2/polymer composites in water treatment.