Feasibility of honeycomb monolith supported sugar catalyst to produce biodiesel from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD)

Carbon coated monolith was prepared by sucrose solution 65 wt.% via dip-coating method. Sulfonation of incomplete carbonized carbon coated monolith was carried out in order to synthesize solid acid catalyst. The textural structure characteristics of the solid acid catalyst demonstrated a low surface area and pore volume. Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a by-product of palm oil refineries, was utilized as oil source in biodiesel production. The esterification reaction subjected to different reaction conditions was performed by using the sulfonated carbon coated monolith as heterogeneous catalyst. The sulfonation process had been performed by using vapour of concentrated H₂SO₄ that was much easier and efficient than liquid phase sulfonation. Total acidity value of carbon coated monolith was measured for unsulfonated sample (0.5 mmol/g) and sulfonated sample (4.2 mmol/g). The effect of methanol/oil ratio, catalyst amount and reaction time were examined. The maximum methyl ester content was 89% at the optimum condition, i.e. methanol/oil molar ratio (15:1), catalyst amount (2.5 wt.% with respect to PFAD), reaction time (240 min) and temperature 80 °C. The sugar catalyst supported on the honeycomb monolith showed comparable reactivity compared with the sugar catalyst powder. However, the catalyst reusability studies showed decrease in FFA% conversion from 95.3% to 68.8% after four cycles as well as the total acidity of catalyst dropped from the value 4.2 to 3.1 mmol/g during these cycles. This might be likely due to the leaching out of SO₃H group from the sulfonated carbon coated monolith surface. The leaching of active species reached a plateau state after fourth cycle.     

A first trimester trisomy 13/trisomy 18 risk algorithm combining fetal nuchal translucency thickness,maternal serum free β-hCG and PAPP-A

This study examines 45 cases of trisomy 13 and 59 cases of trisomy 18 and reports an algorithm to identify pregnancies with a fetus affected by trisomy 13 or 18 by a combination of maternal age fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness, and maternal serum free β-hCG and PAPP-A at 11–14 weeks of gestation. In this mixed trisomy group the median MoM NT was increased at 2.819, whilst the median MoMs for free β-hCG and PAPP-A were reduced at 0.375 and 0.201 respectively. We predict that with the use of the combined trisomy 13 and 18 algorithm and a risk cut-off of 1 in 150 will for a 0.3% false positive rate allow 95% of these chromosomal defects to be identified at 11–14 weeks. Such algorithms will enhance existing first trimester screening algorithms for trisomy 21. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

氨基改性生物炭负载纳米零价铁去除水中Cr(VI)

以聚乙烯亚胺（PEI）为功能单体,玉米秸秆生物炭为载体,制备了氨基改性生物炭负载型纳米零价铁（nZVI@PEI-HBC）,并利用扫描电镜（SEM）、红外光谱（FTIR）和X射线光电子能谱（XPS）等手段对材料进行了表征,分析了溶液pH、温度、材料投加量等因素对其去除Cr（VI）的影响及其去除机理.结果表明：在投加量为0.5 g·L^-1,温度为20℃,pH值为5,Cr（VI）初始浓度为20 mg·L^-1条件下,各材料对Cr（VI）的去除率大小为nZVI@PEI-HBC > nZVI > PEI-HBC > HBC.SEM显示nZVI颗粒较均匀地分散在生物炭表面,FTIR分析表明PEI改性后材料表面增加了氨基等重金属配位基团,这可能是nZVI@PEI-HBC去除Cr（VI）效果更好的原因.影响因素研究表明,材料具有较好稳定性,老化28 d后其Cr（VI）去除性能变化不大;酸性环境、升温、增大材料投加量均有利于nZVI@PEI-HBC对Cr（VI）的去除.机理研究发现,水中溶解氧加速了nZVI的腐蚀和Fe（II）的释放,促进Cr（VI）还原为Cr（III）,然后通过共沉淀作用和氨基等基团的吸附作用被去除.     

模拟土壤淋洗废液中重金属的选择性去除与淋洗液的回收研究

土壤淋洗废液中污染物的选择性去除是实现淋洗液回收的关键.本文以硫化钠（Na₂S）、乙基黄原酸钾（PEX）、二甲基二硫代氨基甲酸钠（DTC）作为重金属沉淀剂处理电子垃圾污染土壤模拟淋洗废液,在筛选出Na₂S作为理想重金属沉淀剂的基础上,研究初始pH值、反应温度、沉淀剂浓度等因素对Na₂S分离络合态重金属的影响,并通过软件模拟和产物表征等方式推测反应机理.结果表明：Na₂S对柠檬酸络合态重金属的分离顺序依次为Cu、Pb、Cd,符合硫化物溶度积原则;反应温度、初始pH值对Na₂S处理络合态重金属无显著影响,重金属去除率均保持在90%以上,柠檬酸的回收率约为95%;Visual MINTEQ模拟结果显示,S^2-投加前液相中重金属主要以H₂CA^-、HCA^2-和CA^3-结合形式存在,S^2-投加后液相中重金属则以HS^-和S^2-结合形式存在;扫描电镜及能谱（SEM-EDS）表明,S^2-与金属阳离子按物质的量比1：1生成硫化物沉淀物,沉淀主要呈团聚、成簇和圆片状存在;X射线衍射（XRD）分析结果表明,沉淀产物中存在CuS、CdS、PbS和CuPbS₂.本研究结果可为化学沉淀法处理重金属污染土壤淋洗废液提供技术参考.     

The study of biological activity of transformation products of diclofenac and its interaction with chlorogenic acid

In the present work we compared the biological activity of DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF as molecules of most biodegradation pathways of DCF and selected transformation products (2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid; 2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 2,6-dichloroaniline) which are produced during AOPs, such as ozonation and UV/H₂O₂. We also examined the interaction of DCF with chlorogenic acid (CGA). CGA is commonly used in human diet and entering the environment along with waste mainly from the processing and brewing of coffee and it can be toxic for microorganisms included in activated sludge. In the present experiment the evaluation of following parameters was performed: E. coli K-12 cells viability, growth inhibition of E. coli K-12 culture, LC₅₀ and mortality of Chironomus aprilinus, genotoxicity, sodA promoter induction and ROS generation. In addition the reactivity of E. coli SM recA:luxCDABE biosensor strain in wastewater matrices was measured. The results showed the influence of DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF on E. coli K-12 cells viability and bacteria growth, comparable to AOPs by-products. The highest toxicity was observed for selected, tested AOPs by-products, in comparison to the DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF. Genotoxicity assay indicated that 2,6-dichloroaniline (AOPs by-product) had the highest toxic effect. The oxidative stress assays revealed that the highest level of ROS generation and sodA promoter induction were obtained for DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF, compared to other tested compounds. We have also found that there is an interaction between chlorogenic acid and DCF, which resulted in increased toxicity of the mixture of the both compounds to E. coli K-12, comparable to parent chemicals. The strongest response of E. coli SM biosensor strain with recA:luxCDABE genetic construct in filtered treated wastewaters, comparable to control sample was noticed. It indicates, that E. coli SM recA:luxCDABE biosensor strains is a good tool for bacteria monitoring in wastewater environment. Due to toxicity and biological activity of tested DCF transformation products, there is a need to use additional wastewater treatment systems for wastewater contaminated with pharmaceutical residues.