Pollution characteristics and source apportionment of heavy metal(loid)s in soil and groundwater of a retired industrial park

Heavy metal(loid)s(HMs)pollution has become a common and complex problem in industrial parks due to rapid industrialization and urbanization.Here,soil and groundwater were sampled from a retired industrial park to investigate the pollution characteristics of HMs.Results show that Ni,Pb,Cr,Zn,Cd,and Cu were the typical HMs in the soil.Source analysis with the positive matrix factorization model indicates that HMs in the topsoil stemmed from industrial activities,traffic emission,and natural source,and the groundwater HMs originated from industrial activities,groundwater-soil interaction,groundwater-rock interaction,and atmosphere deposition.The sequential extraction of soil HMs reveals that As and Hg were mainly distributed in the residue fraction,while Ni,Pb,Cr,Zn,Cd,and Cu mainly existed in the mobile fraction.Most HMs either in the total concentration or in the bioavailable fraction preferred to retain in soil as indicated by their high soil-water partitioning coefficients(K_(d)),and the K_(d) values were correlated with soil pH,groundwater redox potential,and dissolved oxygen.The relative stable soil-groundwater circumstance and the low active fraction contents limited the vertical migration of soil HMs and their release to groundwater.These findings increase our knowledge about HMs pollution characteristics of traditional industrial parks and provide a protocol for HMs pollution scrutinizing in large zones.

Yangtze River Delta Aerosol liquid water in PM_(2.5)and its roles in secondary aerosol formation at a regional site of Yangtze River Delta

Aerosol liquid water content(ALWC)plays an important role in secondary aerosol formation.In this study,a whole year field campaign was conducted at Shanxi in north Zhejiang Province during 2021.ALWC estimated by ISORROPIA-Ⅱ was then investigated to explore its characteristics and relationship with secondary aerosols.ALWC exhibited a highest value in spring(66.38μg/m^(3)),followed by winter(45.08μg/m^(3)),summer(41.64μg/m^(3)),and autumn(35.01μg/m^(3)),respectively.It was supposed that the secondary inorganic aerosols(SIA)were facilitated under higher ALWC conditions(RH>80%),while the secondary organic species tended to form under lower ALWC levels.Higher RH(>80%)promoted the NO_(3)^(-)formation via gas-particle partitioning,while SO_(4)^(2-)was generated at a relative lower RH(>50%).The ALWC was more sensitive to NO_(3)^(-)(R=0.94)than SO_(4)^(2-)(R=0.90).Thus,the self-amplifying processes between the ALWC and SIA enhanced the particle mass growth.The sensitivity of ALWC and OX(NO_(2)+O_(3))to secondary organic carbon(SOC)varied in different seasons at Shanxi,more sensitive to aqueous-phase reactions(daytime R=0.84;nighttime R=0.54)than photochemical oxidation(daytime R=0.23;nighttime R=0.41)in wintertime with a high level of OX(daytime:130-140μg/m^(3);nighttime:100-140μg/m^(3)).The self-amplifying process of ALWC and SIA and the aqueous-phase formation of SOC will enhance aerosol formation,contributing to air pollution and reduction of visibility.

Controllable chemical redox reactions to couple microbial degradation for organic contaminated sites remediation:A review

Global environmental concern over organic contaminated sites has been progressively conspicuous during the process of urbanization and industrial restructuring.While traditional physical or chemical remediation technologies may significantly destroy the soil structure and function,coupling moderate chemical degradation with microbial remediation becomes a potential way for the green,economic,and efficient remediation of contaminated sites.Hence,this work systematically elucidates why and how to couple chemical technology with microbial remediation,mainly focused on the controllable redox reactions of organic contaminants.The rational design of materials structure,selective generation of reactive oxygen species,and estimation of degradation pathway are described for chemical oxidation.Meanwhile,current progress on efficient and selective reductions of organic contaminants(i.e.,dechlorination,defluorination,-NO_(2) reduction)is introduced.Combined with the microbial remediation of contaminated sites,several consideration factors of how to couple chemical and microbial remediation are proposed based on both fundamental and practical points of view.This review will advance the understanding and development of chemical-microbial coupled remediation for organic contaminated sites.

Multimedia distribution and health risk assessment of typical organic pollutants in a retired industrial park

The overall cross-media risk evaluation of organic pollutants in retired industrial parks is insufficiently recognized.In this study,11 semi-volatile organic compounds(SVOCs)and 27 volatile organic compounds(VOCs)were measured in 531 soil and groundwater samples taken from a retired industrial park by coast in Zhejiang Province,China.Total petroleum hydrocarbons(TPHs),Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP),benzene,and ethylbenzene were identified as the critical pollutants in the soil,while TPHs,1,2-dichloropropane(1,2-DCP),toluene,benzo[a]anthracene(BaA),and benzo[b]fluoranthene(BbF)were identified as critical pollutants in the groundwater for exceeding China national standards.The spatial correlation between the concentrations of organic pollutants in soil and groundwater was explored by employing the Geodetector model.Based on the results of spatial interpolation,high-risk hotspots regarding soil and groundwater pollution were identified.Moreover,the possible harm to human health of the critical pollutants were also under evaluation.Among various critical pollutants,benzene,ethylbenzene,and DEHP in soil,and 1,2-DCP in groundwater,were the main contributors to the overall health risk of multimedia pollution.This study developed a comprehensive approach to assess the risks posed by specific organic toxicants in various environmental media.The findings of this work can serve as a valuable reference for future management strategies in retired industrial parks.

Controlling microbiological interfacial behaviors of hydrophobic organic compounds by surfactants in biodegradation process

Bioremediation of hydrophobic organic compounds （HOCs） contanlinated soils involves several physicochemical and microbiological interracial processes among the soil-water-microorganism interfaces. The participation of surfactants facilitates the mass transport of HOCs in both the physicochemical and microbiological interfaces by reducing the interfacial tension. The effects and underlying mechanisms of surfactants on the physi-cochemical desorption of soil-sorbed HOCs have been widely studied. This paper reviewed the progress made in understanding the effects of surfactant on microbiological interlhcial transport of HOCs and the underlying mechanisms, which is vital for a better understanding and control of the mass transfer of HOCs in the biodegradation process. In summary, surfactants affect the microbiological interfacial behaviors of HOCs during three consecutive processes： the soil solution-microorganism sorption, the transmembrane process, and the intracellular metabolism. Surfactant could promote cell sorption of HOCs depending on the compatibility of surfactant hydrophile hydrophilic balance （HLB） with cell surface properties; while the dose ratio between surfactant and biologic mass （membrane lipids） determined the transmembrane processes. Although surfactants cannot easily directly affect the intracellular enzymatic metabolism of HOCs due to the steric hindrace, the presence of surfactants can indirectly enhanced the metabolism by increasing the substrate concentrations.

Pollution characteristics of 15 gas- and particle-phase phthalates in indoor and outdoor air in Hangzhou

Phthalate esters(PAEs),typical pollutants widely used as plasticizers,are ubiquitous in various indoor and outdoor environments.PAEs exist in both gas and particle phases,posing risks to human health.In the present study,we chose four typical kinds of indoor and outdoor environments with the longest average human residence times to assess the human exposure in Hangzhou,including newly decorated residences,ordinary residences,offices and outdoor air.In order to analyze the pollution levels and characteristics of 15 gasand particle-phase PAEs in indoor and outdoor environments,air and particulate samples were collected simultaneously.The total PAEs concentrations in the four types of environments were 25,396,25,466.8,15,388.8 and 3616.2 ng/m^3,respectively.DEHP and DEP were the most abundant,and DMPP was at the lowest level.Distinct variations in the distributions of indoor/outdoor,gas/particle-phase and different molecular weights of PAEs were observed,showing that indoor environments were the main sources of PAEs pollution.While most PAEs tended to exsit in indoor sites and gas-phase,the high-molecular-weight chemicals tended to exist in the particle-phase and were mainly found in PM2.5.PAEs were more likely adsorbed by small particles,especially for the indoor environments.There existed a good correlation between the particle matter concentrations and the PAEs levels.In addition,neither temperature nor humidity had obvious effects on the distributions of the PAEs concentrations.

Mechanism of the insecticidal effect of lambda-cyhalothrin loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles with different sizes and surface modifications on Ostrinia furnacalis(Guenee)larvae

1Introduction Due to the easy loss and decomposition of traditional chemical pesticides,their repeated application in agriculture results in serious environmental risks to the surrounding environment and organisms.Controlledrelease nanopesticides are attracting attention as a promising technology in agriculture due to their unique structure and effects(e.g.,nano-size scale,interfacial effects,and effective insecticidal time)(An et al.,2022).Their application could improve insecticidal efficacies,decrease usage amounts,and reduce the potential environmental impacts of chemical pesticides.

Environmental Behaviors and Biological Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials:Important Roles of Interfacial Interactions and Dissolved Organic Matter

With the fast development of nanotechnology,reactive engineered nanomaterials(ENMs)are increasingly discharged into the environment,where they interact with environmental components and organisms and thus pose potential risks.The interactions-derived formation of nano-environmental and nano-bio interfaces determines environmental behaviors and biological effects of ENMs,and ubiquitous dissolved organic matter(DOM)is bound to impact the interfacial interactions and the resulted environmental risks.Herein,we systematically investigated adsorptive interactions between ENMs and various DOM representatives,and thereby demonstrated the effects of DOM on the aqueous suspension/aggregation,mobility in porous media,adsorption of contaminants,transformation,and biological accumulation and toxicity of ENMs.Overall,we conclude that natural DOM can in general expand environmental distribution of ENMs while limit their toxicity to organisms.

Enhancing plant-microbe associated bioremediation of phenanthrene and pyrene contaminated soil by SDBS-Tween 80 mixed surfactants

The use of surfactants to enhance plant-microbe associated dissipation in soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） is a promising bioremediation technology. This comparative study was conducted on the effects of plant-microbe treatment on the removal of phenanthrene and pyrene from contaminated soil, in the presence of low concentration single anionic, nonionic and anionic-nonionic mixed surfactants. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate （SDBS） and Tween 80 were chosen as representative anionic and nonionic surfactants, respectively. We found that mixed surfactants with concentrations less than 150 mg/kg were more effective in promoting plant-microbe associated bioremediation than the same amount of single surfactants. Only about （m/m） of mixed surfactants was needed to remove the same amount of phenanthrene and pyrene from either the planted or unplanted soils, when compared to Tween 80. Mixed surfactants （〈 150 mg/kg） better enhanced the degradation efficiency of phenanthrene and pyrene via microbe or plant-microbe routes in the soils. In the concentration range of 60-150 mg/kg, both ryegrass roots and shoots could accumulate 2-3 times the phenanthrene and pyrene with mixed surfactants than with Tween 80. These results may be explained by the lower sorption loss and reduced inteffacial tension of mixed surfactants relative to Tween 80, which enhanced the bioavailability of PAHs in soil and the microbial degradation efficiency. The higher remediation efficiency of low dosage SDBS-Tween 80 mixed surfactants thus advanced the technology of surfactant-enhanced plant-microbe associated bioremediation.

Biosorption and biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Phanerochaete chrysosporium in aqueous solution

Biosorption and biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene by live and heat-killed Phanerochaete chrysosporium are investigated to elucidate the bio-dissipation mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in aqueous solution and its regulating factors.The effects of nutrient conditions(carbon source and nitrogen source concentrations),the co-existing Cu 2+,and repeated-batch feed of PAHs on the biosorption and biodegradation are systematically studied.The removal of PAHs by dead bodies of P.chrysosporium is attributed to biosorption only,and the respective partition coefficients of phenanthrene and pyrene are 4040 and 17500 L/kg.Both biosorption and biodegradation contribute to the dissipation of PAHs by live P.chrysosporium in water.After a 3-d incubation,the removal percentage via biosorption are 19.71% and 52.21% for phenanthrene and pyrene,respectively.With the increase of the incubation time(3 40 d),biodegradation gradually increases from 20.40% to 60.62% for phenanthrene,and from 15.55% to 49.21% for pyrene.Correspondingly,the stored-PAHs in the fungal bodies decrease.Under the carbon-rich and nitrogen-limit nutrient conditions,the removal efficiency and biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene are significantly promoted,i.e.99.55% and 92.77% for phenanthrene,and 99.47% and 83.97% for pyrene after a 60-d incubation.This phenomenon is ascribed to enhanced-biosorption due to the increase of fungal biomass under carbon-rich condition,and to stimulated-biodegradation under nitrogen-limit condition.For the repeated-batch feed of phenanthrene,the pollutant is continuously removed by live P.chrysosporium,and the contribution of biodegradation is enhanced with the repeated cycles.After 3 cycles,the biodegradation percentage is up to 90% with each cycle of a 6-d incubation.

Enhanced oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene by crude enzyme extracts produced during interspecific fungal interaction of Trametes versicolor and Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The effects of interspecific fungal interactions between Trametes versicolor and Phanerochaete chrysosporium on laccase activity and enzymatic oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） were investigated. A deadlock between the two mycelia rather than replacement of one fungus by another was observed on an agar medium. The laccase activity in crude enzyme extracts from interaction zones reached a maximum after a 5-day incubation, which was significantly higher than that from regions of T. versicolor or P. chrysosporium alone. The enhanced induction of laccase activity lasted longer in half nutrition than in normal nutrition. A higher potential to oxidize benzo[a]pyrene by a crude enzyme preparation extracted from the interaction zones was demonstrated. After a 48 hr incubation period, the oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene by crude enzyme extracts from interaction zones reached 26.2%, while only 9.5% of benzo[a]pyrene was oxidized by crude extracts from T. versicolor. The oxidation was promoted by the co-oxidant 2,2＇-azinobis-3- ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate diammonium salt （ABTS）. These findings indicate that the application of co-culturing of white-rot fungi in bioremediation is a potential ameliorating technique for the restoration of PAH-contaminated soil.

Total volatile organic compound concentration and its influencing factors in urban indoor air after decoration

The indoor total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations and their relationship to potential influencing factors were evaluated. Samples (n = 2302) were collected from 2007 to 2009 both in old structures and new construction in the city of Hangzhou from bedrooms, sitting rooms and studies that had been decorated within the previous year. The average TVOC concentration in all the newly decorated rooms was 0.65±0.69 mg/m 3 . 35.8% of samples exceeded the China standard. Over the past 3 years, the TVOC concentration decreased and then increased (P < 0.05). The percentage of samples exceeding the China standard in the three rooms decreased in the following order: sitting room>study>bedroom. The characteristics of the TVOC source were a key factor influencing the TVOC concentration. In addition, the TVOC concentration was also (P < 0.05) related to the temperature, humidity, time from the end of decoration to sampling (DR), and the amount of time windows and doors were closed before sampling (DC). The temperature and humidity were less important than the DR and DC. A model to relate the TVOC concentration to the five factors (temperature, humidity, source, DR, and DC) was established based on 288 samples (R 2 = 0.83). The model illustrated that the time for the TVOC concentration to meet the China standard was different for the various rooms, and when the other factors were fixed, the impact of DC (t 1 ) on the TVOC concentration could be quantified as (((t 1 +1)/2) 0.212 1)×100%.

Occupational exposure assessment of phthalate esters in indoor and outdoor microenvironments

Phthalate esters（PAEs） are widely used as plasticizers in consumer products. PAEs are a group of environmental hormone which disrupts human and animals＇ endocrine systems. Different occupational groups are exposed to various levels of PAEs. In the present study, four typical occupational groups were chosen, including doctors, college teachers, college students, and drivers who worked in public traffic system. In order to understand the exposure levels to PAEs via inhalation, air samples were collected from multiple microenvironments including indoor and outdoor in Hangzhou to measure the gas and particle concentrations of six PAEs, together with time spent in different microenvironments of these four groups. A comprehensive PAEs exposure model was built to estimate the daily PAEs exposure through inhalation, oral and dermal pathways. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that doctors were exposed to the highest level of PAEs, and consequently had the highest health risk among these four occupational groups. In contrast, college students had the lowest health risk. By setting the exposure level of staying in residences as the baseline, doctors and drivers were two occupations exposed to high PAEs health risk. Di-（2-ethylhexyl） phthalate（DEHP） was the largest contributor among the six phthalates, posing moderate health risk（10-5–10-6） to every occupation. For traffic microenvironments alone, the total exposure levels for different transportation modes were in the descending order of busses, cars, cabs, tubes, motor bikes, and walking.

Formation and cytotoxicity of a new disinfection by-product (DBP) phenazine by chloramination of water containing diphenylamine

Disinfection by-products （DBPs） in drinking water have caused worldwide concern due to their potential carcinogenic effects. The formation of phenazine from diphenylamine （DPhA） chloramination was studied and its cytotoxicities for two human cancer cells were also investigated. Phenazine was detected synchronously with the consumption of DPhA by chloramination, which further confirmed that the new DBP phenazine can be produced along with N-nitrosodiphenylamine （NDPhA） from DPhA chloramination. The formation of phenazine had a maximum molar yield with solution pH increasing from 5.0 to 9.0, with phenazine as the main product for DPhA chloramination at lower pH, but higher pH favored the formation of NDPhA. Thus, solution pH is the key factor in controlling the formation of phenazine and NDPhA. Both the initial DPhA and chloramine concentrations did not show a significant effect on the molar yields of phenazine, although increasing the chloramine concentration could speed up the reaction rate of DPhA with chloramines. The cytotoxicity assays showed that phenazine had significant cell-specific toxicity towards T24 （bladder cancer cell lines） and HepG2 （hepatic tumor cell lines） cells with IC50 values of 0.50 and 2.04 mmol/L, respectively, and T24 cells being more sensitive to phenazine than HepG2 cells. The ICs0 values of phenazine, DPhA, and NDPhA for T24 cells were of the same order of magnitude and the cytotoxicity of phenazine for T24 cells was slightly lower than that of NDPhA （IC50, 0.16 mmol/L）, suggesting that phenazine in drinking water may have an adverse effect on human health.

“Waste”-ing away:Presence of Cu ions influences microbial degradation kinetics and metabolite formation of the prevalent brominated flame retardant BDE-47

Have you ever wondered what happened to that old cell phone you threw out last month?How about the 150 million other cell phones that were also disposed of in the past year?Although the world population has doubled in the past 50 years,global consumption of electronic devices has increased six fold(Belkhir and Elmeligi,2018)with nearly 45 million tonnes of electronic waste(e-waste)being produced in 2016 alone(Balde et al.,2017).That equates to 6.1 kg of e-waste per person across the globe and is equivalent in weight to over four thousand Eiffel towers(Balde et al.,2017)!

Sorption of chlorophenols onto fruit cuticles and potato periderm

To better understand the interaction mechanisms of plant surfaces with polar organic compounds, sorption of 4-chlorophenol, 2,4- dichlorophenol, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by fruit cuticles （i.e., tomato, apple, and pepper）, and potato tuber periderm were investigated. The roles of cuticular components （waxes, cutin, cutan and sugar） on sorption of chlorophenols are quantitatively compared. Cutin and waxes govern the sorption capacity of bulk apple cuticle by hydrophobic interactions. Potato periderm with highest sugar content exhibits the lowest sorption capability for the chlorophenols. With the increase of hydrophobicity （i.e., Kow ） of sorbate, the relative contribution of lipophilic components （wax, cutin and cutan） on total sorption increases, however, the ratios of Koc to Kow decreases due to increasing ionization degree of sorbates.

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from aqueous solution by raw and modified plant residue materials as biosorbents

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs）, e.g., naphthalene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene and pyrene, from aqueous solution by raw and modified plant residues was investigated to develop low cost biosorbents for organic pollutant abatement. Bamboo wood, pine wood, pine needles and pine bark were selected as plant residues, and acid hydrolysis was used as an easily modification method. The raw and modified biosorbents were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The sorption isotherms of PAHs to raw biosorbents were apparently linear, and were dominated by a partitioning process. In comparison, the isotherms of the hydrolyzed biosorbents displayed nonlinearity, which was controlled by partitioning and the specific interaction mechanism. The sorpfion kinetic curves of PAHs to the raw and modified plant residues fit well with the pseudo second-order kinetics model. The sorption rates were faster for the raw biosorbents than the corresponding hydrolyzed biosorbents, which was attributed to the latter having more condensed domains （i.e., exposed aromatic core）. By the consumption of the amorphous cellulose component under acid hydrolysis, the sorption capability of the hydrolyzed biosorbents was notably enhanced, i.e., 6-18 fold for phenanthrene, 6-8 fold for naphthalene and pyrene and 5-8 fold for acenaphthene. The sorpfion coefficients （Kd） were negatively correlated with the polarity index [（O＋N）/C], and positively correlated with the aromaticity of the biosorbents. For a given biosorbent, a positive linear correlation between logKoc and logKow for different PAHs was observed. Interestingly, the linear plots of logKoc-logKow were parallel for different biosorbents. These observations suggest that the raw and modified plant residues have great potential as biosorbents to remove PAHs from wastewater.

Photosynthesis and related metabolic mechanism of promoted rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth by TiO2 nanoparticles

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle(nano-TiO2),as an excellent UV absorbent and photo-catalyst,has been widely applied in modem industry,thus inevitably discharged into environment.We proposed that nano-TiO2 in soil can promote crop yield through photosynthetic and metabolic disturbance,therefore,we investigated the effects of nano-TiO2 exposure on related physiologic-biochemical properties of rice(Oryza sativa L.).Results showed that rice biomass was increased>30%at every applied dosage(0.1-100 mg/L)of nano-TiO2.The actual photosynthetic rate(Y(II))significantly increased by 10.0%and 17.2%in the treatments of 10 and 100 mg/L respectively,indicating an increased energy production from photosynthesis.Besides,non-photochemical quenching(Y(NPQ))significantly decreased by 19.8%-26.0%of the control in all treatments respectively,representing a decline in heat dissipation.Detailed metabolism fingerprinting further revealed that a fortified transformation of monosaccharides(D-fructose,D-galactose,and D-talose)to disaccharides(D-cellobiose,and Dlactose)was accompanied with a weakened citric acid cycle,confirming the decrease of energy consumption in metabolism.All these results elucidated that nano-TiO2 promoted rice growth through the upregulation of energy storage in photosynthesis and the downregulation of energy consumption in metabolism.This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the stress-response hormesis of rice after exposure to nano-TiO2,and provides worthy information on the potential application and risk of nanomaterials in agricultural production.

Tricrystalline TiO_2 with enhanced photocatalytic activity and durability for removing volatile organic compounds from indoor air

It is important to develop efficient and economic techniques for removing volatile organic compounds（VOCs） in indoor air. Heterogeneous Ti O2-based semiconductors are a promising technology for achieving this goal. Anatase/brookite/rutile tricrystalline Ti O2 with mesoporous structure was synthesized by a low-temperature hydrothermal route in the presence of HNO3.The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic decomposition of toluene in air under UV light illumination. The results show that tricrystalline Ti O2 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity and durability toward gaseous toluene than bicrystalline Ti O2,due to the synergistic effects of high surface area, uniform mesoporous structure and junctions among mixed phases. The tricrystalline Ti O2 prepared at R HNO3= 0.8, containing80.7% anatase, 15.6% brookite and 3.7% rutile, exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity,about 3.85-fold higher than that of P25. The high activity did not significantly degrade even after five reuse cycles. In conclusion, it is expected that our study regarding gas-phase degradation of toluene over tricrystalline Ti O2 will enrich the chemistry of the Ti O2-based materials as photocatalysts for environmental remediation and stimulate further research interest on this intriguing topic.

The effect of oxidation on physicochemical properties and aqueous stabilization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes：comparison of multiple analysis methods

Surface oxidation can alter physicochemical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) and influence their aqueous stabilization.Many techniques have been used to characterize the physicochemical properties and aqueous stabilization of MWCNTs.However,the relationship between the change in physicochemical property and the aqueous stabilization of MWCNTs merits more studies,and the multiple characterization techniques have not been well compared.This study systematically and comparatively investigated the effect of oxidation on the physicochemical properties and aqueous stabilization of MWCNTs using multiple analysis methods.Increased surface area,disclosed tube ends,defects on the sidewalls,disruption of the electronic structure,and removal of metal catalysts and amorphous carbon were observed for the oxidized MWCNTs(o-MWCNTs) using the multipoint Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) method,transmission electron microscope observation,Raman spectroscopy,UV-Vis spectroscopy,and thermogravimetric analysis.An oxidation-time-dependent increase in oxygen content of the MWCNTs was verified by the methods of elemental analysis,mass difference calculation,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,XPS,and the Boehm titration were employed to study the functionalities on the MWCNT surfaces.Despite the limitations of these techniques,the results indicated that the dramatic increase in carboxyl groups was mainly responsible for the significant increase in oxygen content after the oxidation.The dissociation of the grafted functional groups increased electronegativity of the o-MWCNTs and facilitated the aqueous stabilization of o-MWCNTs through electrostatic repulsions.The oxidation affected the UV-Vis absorbance of MWCNT suspensions.The absorbances at 800 nm of the stabilized MWCNT suspensions had a good correlation with the MWCNT concentrations and could be used to quantify the MWCNT suspensions.The findings of this work are expected to boost the research on carbon nanotubes and their environmental behaviors.