Polyhydroxyl-aluminum pillaring improved adsorption capacities of Pb^(2+) and Cd^(2+) onto diatomite

In order to greatly improve adsorption capacity, the diatomite was pillared by polyhydroxyl-aluminum.A series of adsorption tests were conducted to obtain the optimum condition for pillared diatomite synthesis. The scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, surface area and porosity analyzer and micro-electrophoresis were used to determine pore structure and surface property.The pillared diatomite attaining the optimal adsorption densities （qe） of Pb^2＋ and Cd^2＋ was synthesized with the following conditions： Addition of pillaring solution containing Al3＋-oligomers with a concentration range of 0.1-0.2 mol/L to a suspension containing Na＋-diatomite to obtain the required Al/diatomite ratio of 10 mmol/g; synthesis temperature of 80 ℃ for 120 min; aging at a temperature of 105 ℃ for 16 h. The adsorption capacities of Pb^2＋ and Cd^2＋ on pillared diatomite increase by 23.79% and 27.36% compared with natural diatomite, respectively. The surface property of pillared diatomite is more favorable for ion adsorption than natural diatomite. The result suggests that diatomite can be modified by pillaring with polyhydroxyl-aluminum to improve its adsorption properties greatly.

Responses of germination and radicle growth of two Populus species to water potential and salinity

Abstract The effects of water potential, NaCl and Na2SO4 on germination and radicle growth of two riparian tree species, Populus euphratica Oliv. and P. pruinosa Schrenk （Salicaceae）, were tested. Growth chamber studies revealed an optimum temperature range for seed germination of both species between 15-35℃. The final germination percentage of both species decreases with decreasing water potential in all types of solution applied in the experiments. P. pruinosa was less tolerant to low ψw stress than P. euphratica, especially in salt solutions. Germination percentages fell below 20% for P. pruinosa at -0.6 MPa （NaCl） or -0.4 MPa （Na2SO4） and for P. euphratica at -1.2 MPa （NaCl） or -0.6 MPa （Na2SO4）. Radicle growth of both species was inhibited by high concentrations of PEG1 NaCl and Na2SO4. However, growth was enhanced at -0.13 and -0.29 MPa in PEG or at -0.13 MPa in NaCl solutions compared to distilled water. Radicle growth of P. euphratica was higher than that of P pruinosa. Germination and radicle growth of both species exhibited ion toxicity. Na2SO4 was more toxic than iso-osmotic solutions of NaCl. Radicle growth proved to be more sensitive than seed germination. Thus, flooding does not only yield the necessary soil moisture for germination but also favors seedling establishment of both species through leaching of salts from the soil surface. The different sensitivity of the species during their early growth stages might, moreover, contribute to the observed differences in their distribution in the Talim Basin （northwest China）.

Synthesis,Bioactivity and Crystal Structure Analysis of N-(2-ethoxyphenyl)-3-oxobenzo[d]isothiazole-2(3H)-carboxamide

The title compound N-（2-ethoxyphenyl）-3-oxobenzo[d]isothiazole-2（3H）-carboxa-mide（C16H14N2O3S,Mr = 314.35） has been synthesized and structurally characterized by IR,1H NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.The crystal belongs to triclinic,space group P with a = 4.6395（15）,b = 8.689（3）（A°）, c=17.917（7）（A°）α=87.763（9）,β = 84.625（9）,γ = 82.344（9）°,V = 712.4（4）（A°）^3,Z = 2,Dc = 1.465 Mg·m^-3,λ（MoKa） = 0.71073,F（000） = 328,μ（MoKa） = 0.242 mm-1,the final R = 0.038 and wR = 0.089.A total of 3702 unique reflections were collected,of which 2762 with I 〉 2σ（I） were observed.X-ray analysis revealed that the benzisothiazolone ring and benzene moieties were essentially planar,and three intramolecular hydrogen bonds N（2）-H（2N）…O（1）,N（2）-H（2N）…O（3） and C（10）-H（10）…O（2） were observed.The preliminary biologi-cal test showed that the title compound had antifungal and antibacteria activities against Bacillus subtilis（CMCC63003）,Aeromonas hydrophila（ATCC7966）,Staphylococcus aureus（ATCC6538）,Escherichia coli（JM103）,Blastomyces albicans,Gloeosporium papaya P.Henn,Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz and Botryodiplodia theobromae.

Synthesis,Bioactivity and Crystal Structure Analysis of Novel Benzo[d]isothiazol-3(2H)-ones

Two compounds,3-oxo-N-o-tolylbenzo[d]isothiazole-2（3H）-carboxamide （1） and N-（2-methoxyphenyl）-3-oxobenzo[d]isothiazole-2（3H）-carboxamide （2）,were synthesized from the initial compound benzo[d]isothiazol-3（2H）-one （BIT） and characterized by 1 H NMR,IR and elemental analysis,respectively.The single crystals of compounds 1 and 2 were obtained and determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.The preliminary results of biological activity experiment show that some of the title compounds exhibited a favorable antimicrobial activity.

Application of in-plasma catalysis and post-plasma catalysis for methane partial oxidation to methanol over a Fe_2O_3-CuO/γ-Al_2O_3 catalyst

Methane partial oxidation to methanol （MPOM） using dielectric barrier discharge over a Fe2O3-CuO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was performed.The multicomponent catalyst was combined with plasma in two different configurations,i.e.,in-plasma catalysis （IPC） and post-plasma catalysis （PPC）.It was found that the catalytic performance of the catalysts for MPOM was strongly dependent on the hybrid configuration.A better synergistic performance of plasma and catalysis was achieved in the IPC configuration,but the catalysts packed in the discharge zone showed lower stability than those connected to the discharge zone in sequence.Active species,such as ozone,atomic oxygen and methyl radicals,were produced from the plasma-catalysis process,and made a major contribution to methanol synthesis.These active species were identified by the means of in situ optical emission spectra,ozone measurement and FT-IR spectra.It was confirmed that the amount of active species in the IPC system was greater than that in the PPC system.The results of TG,XRD,and N2 adsorption-desorption revealed that carbon deposition on the spent catalyst surface was responsible for the catalyst deactivation in the IPC configuration.

Comprehensive recovery of Fe,Zn,Ag and In from high iron-bearing zinc calcine

A beneficiation-metallurgy combination process is developed to recover Zn, Fe and to enrich In, Ag from high iron-bearing zinc calcine based on our former researches. In gaseous reductive roasting process, the roasting conditions were tested by magnetic separation of roasted product. It is found that the V_(CO)(P_(CO)/(P_(CO+CO_2)) in roasting atmosphere should be maintained below 30% to avoid the generation of zinc iron solid solution(Fe_(0.85-x)Zn_xO), which can bring a decrease of iron recovery in magnetic separation. After roasting, acid leaching and multistage magnetic separation are carried out for the recovery of Zn, Fe and enrichment of Ag and In. About 90% of zinc is extracted and 83% of iron is recovered in the whole process. The Ag mainly enters the tailings with a recovery of 76%, the Ag grade increases from 0.12 g/t in raw materials to 1.18 g/t in the tailings. However, the In mainly enters the iron concentrations and the recovery reaches 86%. This process was proved to be technically feasible and may be a favorable option in the treatment of high iron-bearing zinc material with high Ag or In content.

Removal of heavy metals through adsorption using sand

The removal of four heavy metals i.e. Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn from their aqueous solutions, using ordinary sand as an adsorbent, was studied at 20℃. The amount of metal adsorbed to form monolayer on sand(a_m), obtained from Langmuir isotherm, exhibited the preference of metals for sand in the order Pb>Cr>Cu>Zn. The heavy metal-sand adsorption phenomena can be illustrated on the basis of the interaction between surface functional group of silicates (sand) and the metal ions. It is deduced that sand can be used as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal from wastewater (containing low conc. of metals), especially in the developing countries.

Activation of Transition Metal(Fe,Co and Ni)-Oxide Nanoclusters by Nitrogen Defects in Carbon Nanotube for Selective CO_(2) Reduction Reaction

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),which can produce value-added chemical feedstocks,is a proton-coupled-electron process with sluggish kinetics.Thus,highly efficient,cheap catalysts are urgently required.Transition metal oxides such as CoO_(x),FeO_(x),and NiO_(x)are low-cost,low toxicity,and abundant materials for a wide range of electrochemical reactions,but are almost inert for CO_(2)RR.Here,we report for the first time that nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes(N-CNT)have a surprising activation effect on the activity and selectivity of transition metal-oxide(MO_(x)where M=Fe,Ni,and Co)nanoclusters for CO_(2)RR.MO_(x)supported on N-CNT,MO_(x)/N-CNT,achieves a CO yield of 2.6–2.8 mmol cm−2 min−1 at an overpotential of−0.55 V,which is two orders of magnitude higher than MO_(x)supported on acid treated CNTs(MO_(x)/O-CNT)and four times higher than pristine N-CNT.The faraday efficiency for electrochemical CO_(2)-to-CO conversion is as high as 90.3%at overpotential of 0.44 V.Both in-situ XAS measurements and DFT calculations disclose that MO_(x)nanoclusters can be hydrated in CO_(2)saturated KHCO_(3),and the N defects of N-CNT effectively stabilize these metal hydroxyl species under carbon dioxide reduction reaction conditions,which can split the water molecules and provide local protons to inhibit the poisoning of active sites under carbon dioxide reduction reaction conditions.

Litter decay in rangeland sites with varying history of human disturbance: a study with Hazargangi Chiltan mountain

Hazarganji Chiltan National Park in Balochistan, Pakistan was established in 1980 and the protected area was further extended in 1998. Large area of this mountain is still open for unmanaged human disturbances such as collection of wood for fuel purpose and livestock grazing. Removal of vegetation of rangelands has a significant negative impact on soil organic matter(SOM). This research evaluates litter decomposition in three sites of Hazarganji Chiltan mountain with varying history of human disturbances(unprotected site, young protected site and old protected site). Twigs of Pistacia khinjuk with approximately equal weight and length were placed in litter bags of mesh size 2 mm and were buried in 0-5 cm depth in three sites in January. Half of the twigs of each site received rain simulation in April, August, October, November and January while the other half of the twigs were subjected under natural conditions for 15 months. Twigs from each plot of each treatment of each site were collected from soil after every rain simulation in the previous month of experiment and were processed for weight loss assessment. Results showed that weight loss of twigs by decomposition was significantly higher in the soil of unprotected site as compared to other two sites and there was no difference between rain simulation and control treatments except that loss of weight of twigs of unprotected site was higher under control than rain simulation condition. To confirm that SOM was the major controlling factor for the decomposition of litter decay, soils of each site were collected and burned to remove SOM;thereafter, burned soil samples were mixed with homogenous powder of oven-dried native plants, incubated for 6 months and were provided with dissolved organic matter of the soils of each site. Results showed that there was no difference in the decomposition of litter between soils under controlled laboratory condition, which confirmed that SOM was a major controlling factor for the litter decay in soil under field conditions. The pyrosequencing analysis of the DNA of soils collected from three sites revealed the presence of bacterial species Thermovum composti.

Evaluation of the adsorption potential of titanium dioxide nanoparticles for arsenic removal

The adsorption potential of titanium dioxide （TiO2） nanoparticles for removing arsenic from drinking water was evaluated. Pure and iron-doped TiO2 particles are synthesized via sol-gel method. The synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles were then immobilized on ordinary sand for adsorption studies. Adsorption isotherms were conducted on the synthesized nanoparticles as well as the sand coated with TiO2 nanoparticles under varying conditions of air and light, namely, the air-sunlight （A-SL）, air-light （AL）, air-dark （AD） and nitrogen-dark （ND）. X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis showed that the pure and iron-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were in 100% anatase crystalline phase with crystai sizes of 108 and 65 nm, respectively. Adsorption of arsenic on the three adsorbents was non-linear that could be described by the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models. Iron doping enhanced the adsorption capacity of TiO2 nanoparticles by arresting the grain growth and making it visible light responsive resulting in a higher affinity for arsenic. Similarly, the arsenic removal by adsorption on the sand coated with TiO2 nanoparticles was the highest among the three types of sand used. In all cases, As（V） was adsorbed more compared with As（Ⅲ）. The solution pH appeared to be the most important factor in controlling the amount of arsenic adsorbed.

Pretreatment of coking wastewater using anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR)

A laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) was used to pretreat coking wastewater. Inoculated anaerobic granular biomass was acclimated for 225 d to the coking wastewater, and then the biochemical methane potential (BMP)of the coking wastewater in the acclimated granular biomass was measured. At the same time, some fundamental technological factors, such as the filling time and the reacting time ratio (tf/tr), the mixing intensity and the intermittent mixing mode, that affect anaerobic pretreatment of coking wastewater with ASBR, were evaluated through orthogonal tests. The COD removal efficiency reached 38％～50％ in the stable operation period with the organic loading rate of 0.37～0.54 kg COD/(m3.d) at the optimum conditions of tf/tr, the mixing intensity and the intermittent mixing mode. In addition, the biodegradability of coking wastewater distinctly increased after the pretreatment using ASBR. At the end of the experiment, the microorganism forms on the granulated sludge in the ASBR were observed using SEM (scanning electron microscope) and fluoroscope. The results showed that the dominant microorganism on the granular sludge was Methanosaeta instead of Methanosarcina dominated on the inoculated sludge.

Influence of biosurfactant on the diesel oil remediation in soil-water system

There were six high diesel oil degrading bacteria strains isolated from the oil contaminated soil that collected from Linzi City. The strain YI was able to produce biosurfactant rhanmolipid when cultivated on diesel oil as carbon source. The critical micelle concentrations （CMC） of rhanmolipid in water and in the soil were measured respectively according to the correlation between the surface tension of the medium and the added rhamnolipid concentration. The results showed that the CMC of rhanmolipid in water was 65 mg/L, and was 185 mg/L in soil. The tests on diesel oil biodegradation were conducted with the addition of different concentrations of rhamnolipid in water and in soil respectively. When 0.01% rhanmolipid was added to water, the diesel oil degradation was enhanced. On the contrary, when the same concentration of rhanmolipid was added to the soil, the degradation of diesel oil was inhibited. The results suggested that the rhamnolipid could enhance the diesel oil biodegradation, indicating that the concentration of rhamnolipid was higher than the corresponding CMC in the medium. Kinetics parameters for the diesel oil biodegradation parameters such as biodegradation constant （λ）, coefficient of correlation （r） and half life （t1/2） in both tests were numerically analyzed in this paper, indicating that the moderate concentration of rhamnolipid in the medium could not only enhance the extent of diesel oil biodegradation but also shorten the time for oil remediation.

Empirical model for estimating vertical concentration profiles of re-suspended, sediment-associated contaminants

Vertical distribution processes of sediment contaminants in water were studied by flume experiments. Experimental results show that settling velocity of sediment particles and turbulence characteristics are the major hydrodynamic factors impacting distribution of pollutants, especially near the bottom where particle diameter is similar in size to vortex structure. Sediment distribution was uniform along the distance, while contaminant distribution slightly lagged behind the sediment. The smaller the initial sediment concentration was, the more time it took to achieve a uniform concentration distribution for suspended sediment. A contaminants transportation equation was established depending on mass conservation equations. Two mathematical estimation models of pollutant distribution in the overlying water considering adsorption and desorption were devised based on vertical distribution of suspended sediment: equilibrium partition model and dynamic micro-diffusion model. The ratio of time scale between the sediment movement and sorption can be used as the index of the models. When this ratio was large, the equilibrium assumption was reasonable, but when it was small, it might require dynamic micro-diffusion model.

Enhanced Fenton,photo-Fenton and peroxidase-like activity and stability over Fe_3O_4/g-C_3N_4 nanocomposites

We prepared the Fe3O4/g‐C3N4nanoparticles(NPs)through a simple electrostatic self‐assembly method with a3:97weight ratio to investigate their Fenton,photo‐Fenton and oxidative functionalities besides photocatalytic functionality.We observed an improvement of the Fenton and photo‐Fenton activities of the Fe3O4/g‐C3N4nanocomposites.This improvement was attributed to efficient charge transfer between Fe3O4and g‐C3N4at the heterojunctions,inhibition of electron‐hole recombination,a high surface area,and stabilization of Fe3O4against leaching by the hydrophobic g‐C3N4.The obtained NPs showed a higher degradation potential for rhodamine B(RhB)dye than those of Fe3O4and g‐C3N4.As compared to photocatalysis,the efficiency of RhB degradation in the Fenton and photo‐Fenton reactions was increased by20%and90%,respectively.Additionally,the horseradish peroxidase(HRP)activity of the prepared nanomaterials was studied with3,3,5,5‐tetramethylbenzidinedihydrochloride(TMB)as a substrate.Dopamine oxidation was also examined.Results indicate that Fe3O4/g‐C3N4nanocomposites offers more efficient degradation of RhB dye in a photo‐Fenton system compared with regular photocatalytic degradation,which requires a long time.Our study also confirmed that Fe3O4/g‐C3N4nanocomposites can be used as a potential material for mimicking HRP owing to its high affinity for TMB.These findings suggest good potential for applications in biosensing and as a catalyst in oxidation reactions.

Degradation of malathion by Pseudomonas during activated sludge treatment system using principal component analysis (PCA)

Popular descriptive multivariate statistical method currently employed is the principal component analyses （PCA） method. PCA is used to develop linear combinations that successively maximize the total variance of a sample where there is no known group structure. This study aimed at demonstrating the performance evaluation of pilot activated sludge treatment system by inoculating a strain of Pseudomonas capable of degrading malathion which was isolated by enrichment technique. An intensive analytical program was followed for evaluating the efficiency of biosimulator by maintaining the dissolved oxygen （DO） concentration at 4.0 mg/L. Analyses by high performance liquid chromatographic technique revealed that 90% of malathion removal was achieved within 29 h of treatment whereas COD got reduced considerably during the treatment process and mean removal efficiency was found to be 78%. The mean pH values increased gradually during the treatment process ranging from 7.36-8.54. Similarly the mean ammonia-nitrogen （NH3-N） values were found to be fluctuating between 19.425-28.488 mg/L, mean nitrite-nitrogen （NO3-N） ranging between 1.301- 2.940 mg/L and mean nitrate-nitrogen （NO3-N） ranging between 0.0071-0.0711 mg/L. The study revealed that inoculation of bacterial culture under laboratory conditions could be used in bioremediation of environmental pollution caused by xenobiotics. The PCA analyses showed that pH, COD, organic load and total malathion concentration were highly correlated and emerged as the variables controlling the first component, whereas dissolved oxygen, NO3-N and NH3-N governed the second component. The third component repeated the trend exhibited by the first two components.

Biodegradation of ferulic acid by a newly isolated strain of Cupriavidus sp. B-8

As a major component of lignin and abundantly existing in softwood and hardwood, ferulic acid has been used as a lignin-related compound for lignin biodegradation study. Biodegradation of ferulic acid by Cupriavidus sp. B-8, a newly isolated strain, was studied. This strain is able to utilize a wide range of lignin-related aromatic compounds as the sole carbon and energy source, including guaiacol, veratric acid, vanillic acid, cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid. In addition, the effects of different concentrations of ferulic acid on growth of Cupriavidus sp. B-8 were studied. The growth of Cupriavidus sp. B-8 is better under the condition of lower concentration. High-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） analysis reveals that above 95% of ferulic acid is degraded within 12 h by Cupriavidus sp. B-8. Based on identification of biodegradation intermediates and further metabolites, the biodegradation pathway of ferulic acid by Cupriavidus sp. B-8 was proposed. Ferulic acid is initially converted to 4-vinylguaiacol, and further oxidized to vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid.

Isothermal reduction kinetics of zinc calcine under carbon monoxide

The reduction kinetics of zinc calcine under a CO atmosphere was evaluated by isothermal reductive roasting in a temperature range of 600-800℃.The extent of reaction of zinc calcine was measured using thermogravimetry(TG),and the decomposition mechanism of zinc ferrite in zinc calcine was analyzed based on variations in the soluble zinc and ferrous contents.The results indicate that the reaction was controlled by the nucleation of the products,with an apparent activation energy of 65.28 k J/mol.The partial pressure of CO affected the reaction rate more strongly than the CO intensity(defined as PCO/(PCO+PCO2)).The generation rate of zinc oxide was higher than that of ferrous oxide;therefore,the nucleation of ferrous oxide is the rate-determining step of the reaction.

Development of thermochromic strips as a water pasteurization indicator

Boiling of water, for purification, commonly practiced in the world, has many problems associated with it like danger of scalding, scaling in the vessels, removal of useful minerals and blandness of taste etc. Water can be made safe for drinking simply by heating at 65℃ for 6 minutes. A colour indicating strip was developed which changes colour from red to purple at 67℃. Use of this strip can help in pasteurizing water without the above problems and with considerable energy saving.

STUDY ON THE DETERMINATION OF TRACE BISMUTH(III) BY THIN-LAYER RESIN PHASE SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

In this paper, a new thin-layer ion-exchange resin phase analytical method is introduced. It is based on that, the bismuthous cation can associate with iodic anions, so as to formed an anion complex [BiI4-] in a strong acidic environments. This anion complex can also exchanges with a weaker anions on the surface active site of anion exchange resin, so that a [R+] [BiI4-] solid phase binary associational system is produced. Owing to the solid system is a great many dispersive particulates, it can be pressed to a thin-layer by press tools of the so called 搕hin-layer resin phase?or 搑esin phase? and using this solid association system spectrophotometry for the determination of trace metals. So it can increase the analytical sensitivity. This association system exhibits maximum absorbance at 460nm, and obeys Beer抯 law over the concentration range 0.01ug/ml^1.20ug/ml of bismuthous(III). It has a molar absorptivity of 7.1×105 [L/mol穋m]. It indicated the resin phase spectrophotometry is a sensitive analytical method for trace bismuthous. It is 18 times higher than routine aqueous spectrophotometry. The relative standard deviations is 1.82% (n=6) for the measurements of 0.5ug/ml Bi(III). The detection limit of Bismuthous(III) is 1.4×10-8mol/L. The method has applied to the analysis Bi(III) in environmental water samples.

A novel application of the SAWD-Sabatier-SPE integrated system for CO_2 removal and O_2 regeneration in submarine cabins during prolonged voyages

To improve the working and living environment of submarine crews, an integrated system of CO2 removal and O2 regeneration was designed to work under experimental conditions for 50 people in a submarine cabin during prolonged voyages. The integrated system comprises a solid amine water desorption （SAWD） unit for CO2 collection and concentration, a Sabatier reactor for CO2 reduction and a solid polymer electrolyte （SPE） unit for O2 regeneration by electrolysis. The performances of the SAWD-Sabatier-SPE integrated system were investigated. The experimental results from the SAWD unit showed that the average CO2 concentration in the CO2 storage tank was more than 96% and the outlet CO2 concentration was nearly zero in the first 45 min, and less than 1/10 of inlet CO2 after 60 min when input CO2 was 0.5% （1000 L）. About 950 L of CO2 was recovered with a recovery rate of 92%-97%. The output CO2 concentration was less than 0.2%, which showed that the adsorption-desorption performance of this unit was excellent. In the CO2 reduction unit we investigated mainly the start-up and reaction performance of the Sabatier reactor. The start-up time of the Sabatier reactor was 6, 8 and 10 rain when the start-up temperature was 187.3, 179.5 and 168 ℃, respectively. The product water was colorless, transparent, and had a pH of 6.9-7.5, and an electrical conductivity of 80μs/cm. The sum of the concentration of metal ions （Ru^3＋, Al^3＋, Pb^2＋） was 0.028% and that of nonmetal ions （Cl^-, SO4^2-） was 0.05%. In the O2 regeneration unit, the O2 generation rate was 0.48 m^3/d and the quantity was 2400 L, sufficient to meet the submariners＇ basic oxygen demands. These results may be useful as a basis for establishing CO2-1evel limits and O2 regeneration systems in submarines or similar enclosed compartments during prolonged voyages.