Resistance forces on an intruder penetrating partially fluidized granular media.

This paper analyzes the forces on a cylindrical straight rod penetrated into a granular bed in the partially fluidized state. As gas flow is blown from the bed bottom, the resistance force decreases linearly with increasing gas flow velocity. After the bed is fluidized, the resistance force is close to zero.

Arsenite oxidation and removal driven by a bio-electro-Fenton process under neutral pH conditions.

The iron-catalyzed oxidation of arsenite (As(III)) associated with Fenton or Fenton-like reactions is one of the most efficient arsenic removal methods. However, the conventional chemical or electro-Fenton systems for the oxidation of As(III) are only efficient under acid conditions. In the present study, a cost-effective and efficient bio-electro-Fenton process was performed for As(III) oxidation in a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) under neutral pH conditions.

Heavy metal accumulation in balsam pear and cowpea related to the geochemical factors of variable-charge soils in the Pearl River Delta, South China.

Variable-charge (v-c) soils in subtropical areas contain considerable amounts of iron/aluminum (Fe/Al) oxides that can strongly influence the fate of heavy metals in agricultural ecosystems. However, the relationship between heavy metal accumulation in vegetables and the geochemical factors associated with v-c soils in subtropical regions remains unknown. The present study investigated heavy metal accumulation under field conditions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) by measuring the content of 8 heavy metals (zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and cadmium (Cd)) in 43 pairs of v-c soil and vegetable (balsam pear and cowpea) samples.

Profiles, sources, and transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils affected by electronic waste recycling in Longtang, south China.

We studied the profiles, possible sources, and transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils from the Longtang area, which is an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling center in south China. The sum of 16 PAH concentrations ranged from 25 to 4,300 ng/g (dry weight basis) in the following order: pond sediment sites (77 ng/g), vegetable fields (129 ng/g), paddy fields (180 ng/g), wastelands (258 ng/g), dismantling sites (678 ng/g), and former open burning sites (2,340 ng/g). Naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene were the dominant PAHs and accounted for approximately 75 % of the total PAHs.

Characteristics, sources, and transport of tetrabromobisphenol A and bisphenol A in soils from a typical e-waste recycling area in South China.

We studied the tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and bisphenol A (BPA) patterns and their sources and transport in different land-use soils from Longtang, South China, a typical electronic waste recycling center. We also studied the reductive debromination of TBBPA in paddy soils. TBBPA and BPA concentrations (on a dry weight basis) were undetected-220 and 0.

Separation patterns between Brazilian nut and reversed Brazilian nut of a binary granular system.

This paper studies the segregation behavior of binary granular particles with diameters at approximately 10:1 in a vertically vibrated container. An array of transitional separation patterns between reversed Brazilian nut (RBN) and Brazilian nut (BN) separations are observed, with their geometrical features carefully measured. The binary particle system develops into either a stable separation pattern when f and Γ are relatively low or an oscillating pattern when f and Γ are relatively high.

Effects of calcium peroxide on arsenic uptake by celery (Apium graveolens L.) grown in arsenic contaminated soil.

The ability of calcium peroxide (CaO(2)) to immobilize As of contaminated soil was studied using pot and field experiments. In pot experiment, CaO(2) applied at 2.5 and 5 g kg(-1) significantly increased celery shoot weight and decreased shoot As accumulation, which was ascribed to the formation of stable crystalline Fe and Al oxides bound As and the reduction of labile As fractions in the soil.

The oxidative transformation of sodium arsenite at the interface of alpha-MnO2 and water.

Arsenite is acute contaminant to human health in soil and water environment. In this study, Pyrolusite (alpha-MnO(2)) was used to investigate the oxidative transformation of arsenite into arsenate with batch experiments under different reaction conditions. The results showed that arsenite transformation occurred and was accompanied by the adsorption and fixation of both As(III) and As(V) on alpha-MnO(2).