Electrochemical properties of powder-pressed Pb-Ag-PbO_(2) anodes

Pb?Ag?PbO2 composite anodes with different mass fractions(1%,2%,3%,4%and 5%)ofβ-PbO2 were prepared by powder-pressed(PP)method.The galvanostatic polarization curves,Tafel curves and anodic polarization curves were tested in sulfuric acid solution.The morphologies and phase compositions of the anodic layers formed after galvanostatic polarization were investigated by using scanning electron microscope(SEM)and X-ray diffractometer(XRD),respectively.The results showed thatβ-PbO2 can improve the electrocatalytic activity of anodic oxide.The anode containing 3%β-PbO2 had the lowest overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and the best corrosion resistance.The morphologies of the anode surfaces were gradually transformed from regular crystals to amorphous ones as the content ofβ-PbO2 increased in anodes.

Diversity change of microbial communities responding to zinc and arsenic pollution in a river of northeastern China

Pollution discharge disturbs the natural functions of water systems. The environmental microbial com-munity composition and diversity are sensitive key indicators to the impact of water pol utant on the microbial ecology system over time. It is meaningful to develop a way to identify the microbial diversity related to heavy metal effects in evaluating river pol ution. Water and sediment samples were col ected from eight sections along the Tiaozi River where wastewater and sewage were discharged from Siping City in northeastern China. The main pollutants contents and microbial communities were analyzed. As the primary metal pol utants, zinc （Zn） and arsenic （As） were recorded at the maximum concentrations of 420 and 5.72 μg/L in the water, and 1704 and 1.92 mg/kg in the sediment, re-spectively. These pollutants posed a threat to the microbial community diversity as only a few species of bacteria and eukaryotes with strong resistance were detected through denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）. Acineto-bacter johnsoni , Clostridium cel ulovorans, and Trichococcus pasteuri were the dominant bacteria in the severely pol uted areas. The massive reproduction of Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri almost depleted the dissolved oxygen （DO） and resulted in the decline of the aerobic bacteria. It was noted that the pollution reduced the microbial diversity but the L. hoffmeisteri mass increased as the dominant community, which led to the overconsuming of DO and anaerobic stinking water bodies. Water quality, concentrations of heavy metals, and the spatial distribution of microbial popula-tions have obvious consistencies, which mean that the heavy metals in the river pose a serious stress on the microorganisms.