Suppressing Oxygen Adsorption on Bulk Arsenic and 2D Arsenic Nanoflake Surfaces: The Role of Sb Doping.

The susceptibility of bulk and exfoliated nanolayered arsenic to oxidation has been a significant obstacle limiting their widespread application and safe disposal. Here we report a controllable antimony-doped (Sb-doped) method via chemical vapor transport (CVT) with SnI as a transport agent to prepare the bulk arsenic. After 96 h of exposure to air, the oxygen content on the surface of Sb-doped arsenic with SnI is 67% lower compared to the undoped arsenic with SnI, and 89% lower than the control group (undoped arsenic without SnI).

Novel Strategy for Efficient Recovery of CuO-Based Multiple-Metals from Copper Smelter Dust toward CO Electrocatalytic Reduction.

Copper smelter dust, a typical hazardous waste that is abundant in valuable heavy metals, holds the potential to be regarded as a promising resource. This study introduces a new approach that integrates chlorination roasting and cascade condensation to efficiently recover heavy metals from copper smelter dust. The findings demonstrate the successful separation of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) as chlorides at nearly 100% efficiency while also effectively converting trivalent arsenic (As(III)) into pentavalent arsenic (As(V)) and immobilizing it in the roasting residues, thereby reducing environmental risk.

Selectively recovering rare earth elements with carboxyl immobilized metal-organic framework from ammonium-rich wastewater.

The material with high adsorption capacity and selectivity is essential for recovering rare earth elements (REE) from ammonium (NH-N)-rich wastewater. Although the emerging metal-organic framework (MOF) has gained intensive attention in REE recovery, there are scientific difficulties unsolved regarding restricted adsorption capacity and selectivity, hindering its extensive engineering applications. In this work, a diethylenetriamine pentaacetic (DTPA)-modified MOF material (MIL-101(Cr)-NH-DTPA) was prepared through an amidation reaction.

Anionic surfactant-activated remediation of Pb, Cd, As contaminated soil by electrochemical technology.

Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) contamination in soils show a growing environmental concern. However, owing to the significant differences in chemical characteristics, remediating heavy metal(loid)s of Pb, Cd and As is challenging. Herein, anionic surfactant-activated electrochemical approach was proposed to realize efficient immobilization of As, Cd and Pb heavy metal(loid)s from contaminated soils.

Inhibition of jarosite heterogeneous crystallization on anglesite via in-situ formation of competitive substrate.

Heterogeneous crystallization is a common occurrence during the formation of solid wastes. It leads to the encapsulation of valuable/hazardous metals within the primary phase, presenting significant challenges for waste treatment and metal recovery. Herein, we proposed a novel method involving the in-situ formation of a competitive substrate during the precipitation of jarosite waste, which is an essential process for removing iron in zinc hydrometallurgy.

Surface engineering of multifunctional nanostructured adsorbents for enhanced wastewater treatment: A review.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have significantly contributed to the contamination of the environment through the discharge of wastewater containing various pollutants. The development of high-performance surface functional nanostructured adsorbents is of wide interest for researchers. Therefore, we explore the significant advancements in this field, focusing on the efficiency of nanostructured materials, as well as their nanocomposites, for wastewater treatment applications.

Ammonia removal and simultaneous immobilization of manganese and magnesium from electrolytic manganese residue by a low-temperature CaO roasting process.

A large amount of open-dumped electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) has posed a severe threat to the ecosystem and public health due to the leaching of ammonia (NH) and manganese (Mn). In this study, CaO addition coupled with low-temperature roasting was applied for the treatment of EMR. The effects of roasting temperature, roasting time, CaO-EMR mass ratio and solid-liquid ratio were investigated.

Ferrihydrite transformation impacted by coprecipitation of lignin: Inhibition or facilitation?

Lignin is a common soil organic matter that is present in soils, but its effect on the transformation of ferrihydrite (Fh) remains unclear. Organic matter is generally assumed to inhibit Fh transformation. However, lignin can reduce Fh to Fe(II), in which Fe(II)-catalyzed Fh transformation occurs.

Migration of spent grain-modified colloidal ferrihydrite: Implications for the in situ stabilization of arsenic, lead, and cadmium in co-contaminated soil.

The increase of metal mining, processing, and smelting activities has precipitated a substantial escalation in the contamination of soil by heavy metals. Ferrihydrite (FH) has been commonly used as an amendment for the immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soil. However, FH suffers from drawbacks such as agglomeration and nonmigratory characteristics, which limit its practical application in soil remediation.

Molecular level insight of thiocyanate degradation by Pseudomonas putida TDB-1 under a high arsenic and alkaline condition.

It is a big challenge to bioremediate thiocyanate pollution in the gold extraction heap leaching tailings and surrounding soils with high contents of arsenic and alkali. Here, a novel thiocyanate-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas putida TDB-1 was successfully applied to completely degrade 1000 mg/L thiocyanate under a high arsenic (400 mg/L) and alkaline condition (pH = 10). It also leached the contents of thiocyanate from 1302.

Synchronous stabilization of As, Cd, and Pb in soil by sustained-release of iron-phosphate.

Anionic arsenic (As) exhibits geochemical behavior opposite to those of cationic cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), which makes the synchronous remediation of As, Cd, and Pb challenging. The synchronous stabilization of As, Cd, and Pb to form Cd/Pb-phosphate and iron‑arsenic precipitates is a promising strategy. However, the effectiveness of soluble phosphate or iron-based materials is limited by the activation of Cd, Pb, or As, while low mobility hinders insoluble particles.

Organic acid, phosphate, sulfate and ammonium co-metabolism releasing insoluble phosphate by Klebsiella aerogenes to simultaneously stabilize lead and cadmium.

Here, a novel phosphate-solubilizing bacterium (PSB), Klebsiella aerogenes Wn was applied to develop an environmental-friendly method to simultaneously stabilize Pb and Cd. The maximum dissolved phosphate was up to 701.36 mg/L by the strain Wn.

Ferrate modified carbon felt as excellent heterogeneous electro-Fenton cathode for chloramphenicol degradation.

In this study, a novel and efficient heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) process with a potassium ferrate (KFeO) modified carbon felt (Fe-CF) cathode was developed for chloramphenicol (CAP) removal. The catalytic activity was assessed by the comparison of different systems and the effects of multiple operating parameters (KFeO dosage, initial solution pH, applied current) and co-existing constituents. Results indicated that the Fe-CF cathode exhibited excellent performance for CAP degradation (almost 100% removal efficiency within 60 min) over a wide range of pH (pH 3-9) during heterogeneous EF ascribed to the synergistic effect of embedded iron species and porous graphitic carbon structure and effective utilization of the in-situ generated HO.

Dual functional sites strategies toward enhanced heavy metal remediation: Interlayer expanded Mg-Al layered double hydroxide by intercalation with L-cysteine.

The discharge of toxic heavy metals poses a serious threat to human health and environment. The existing water purification systems are lack of promising materials for rapid, efficient, and cost-efficient remediation of numerous toxic heavy metals. Herein, we report on the development of L-cysteine (Cys) intercalated Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (MgAl-LDH/Cys) with a loose lamellar porous architecture as an efficient and economically viable adsorbent for Pb(II) and Cd(II) removal.

Iron-doped hydroxyapatite for the simultaneous remediation of lead-, cadmium- and arsenic-co-contaminated soil.

Since lead, cadmium and arsenic have completely opposite chemical behaviors, it is very difficult to stabilize all these three heavy metals simultaneously. Herein, a novel iron-doped hydroxyapatite composite (Fe-HAP) was developed via an ultrasonic-assisted microwave hydrothermal method for the simultaneous remediation of lead-, cadmium-, and arsenic-co-contaminated soil in Hunan Province, South China. Using DTPA/sodium bicarbonate extractant to extract bioavailable Pb, Cd and As in soil after Fe-HAP remediation for 60 days, the immobilization efficiencies were 79.

Enhancing the anti-oxidation stability of vapor-crystallized arsenic crystals via introducing iodine.

The oxidation of arsenic restricts its application in high-performance electronic devices and functional materials. Herein, a removable iodine-regulation method was proposed for the first time to enhance the anti-oxidation behavior of arsenic. In a gradient of 500-650 ℃, the introduction of 0.

Selenium-sulfur functionalized biochar as amendment for mercury-contaminated soil: High effective immobilization and inhibition of mercury re-activation.

The contamination of soils by mercury (Hg) seriously threatens the local ecological environment and public health. S-functionalized amendments are common remediation technology, yet, Hg re-activation often occurs in the commonly used immobilization remediation by S-functionalized amendments, resulting in an unsatisfactory remediation effect. In this study, a novel FeS-Se functionalized biochar composite (FeS-Se-BC) amendment was prepared and applied for the efficient remediation of Hg-polluted soil.

Highly efficient removal of arsenic (III/V) from groundwater using nZVI functionalized cellulose nanocrystals fabricated via a bioinspired strategy.

Utilizing nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) to purify groundwater contaminated by arsenic species [As(III/V)] is an efficient technology, but the fast and severe aggregation of nZVI limits its practical applications. Herein, nZVI was anchored onto the mussel-inspired polydopamine-coated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs-PDA-nZVI) as an efficient material for As groundwater remediation. In this set, the introduction of nZVI was expected to significantly enhance the arsenic removal property, while cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) endowed nZVI with ultrahigh dispersibility.

Co-CoO encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes for capacitive desalination: Effects of nano-confinement and cobalt speciation.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) has gained increasing attention as an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient technology for brackish water desalination. However, traditional CDI electrodes still suffer from low salt adsorption capacity and unsatisfactory reusability, which inhibit its application for long-term operations. Herein, we present a facile and effective approach to prepare Co and CoO nanoparticles co-incorporating nitrogen-doped (N-doped) carbon nanotubes (Co-CoO/N-CNTs) via a pyrolysis route.

Performance and mechanisms of microwave-assisted zerovalent iron/pyrite for advance remediation of strongly alkaline high Cr(VI) contaminated soil.

Strongly alkaline high Cr(VI) contaminated (SAHCR) soil poses a high risk to the environment and public health, yet lacks rapid and efficient remediation technology. In this study, a novel approach combining microwave irradiation with zerovalent iron/pyrite (FeS/ZVI) was developed for the remediation of SAHCR soil. The results indicated that fast and efficient remediation of the SAHCR soil was achieved by microwave irradiation-assisted FeS/ZVI, with 99.

Application of biochars in the remediation of chromium contamination: Fabrication, mechanisms, and interfering species.

Chromium (Cr) is one of the most toxic pollutants that has accumulated in terrestrial and aqueous systems, posing serious risks towards living beings on a worldwide scale. The immobilization, removal, and detoxification of active Cr from natural environment can be accomplished using multiple advanced materials. Biochar, a carbonaceous pyrolytic product made from biomass waste, is considered as a promising material for the elimination of Cr contamination.

Oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenol in saline water by unactivated peroxymonosulfate: Mechanism, kinetics and implication for in situ chemical oxidation.

Inorganic and organic pollutants present a hazard to surface and groundwater resources. Peroxymonosulfate (PMS, HSO) has received increasing attention for in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) capable of remediating contaminated sites. Considering that saline waters occur widely in natural environments, it is desirable to evaluate the effect of Cl on the PMS oxidation of organic compounds.

Enhanced adsorption of antimonate by ball-milled microscale zero valent iron/pyrite composite: adsorption properties and mechanism insight.

Ball-milling is considered as an economical and simple technology to produce novel engineered materials. The ball-milled microscale zero valent iron/pyrite composite (BM-ZVI/FeS) had been synthesized through ball-milling technology and applied for highly efficient sequestration of antimonate (Sb(V)) in aqueous solution. BM-ZVI/FeS exhibited good Sb(V) removal efficiency (≥ 99.

An experimental and theoretical study on the degradation of clonidine by hydroxyl and sulfate radicals.

Emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals that cannot be completely removed by traditional biological treatments are ubiquitously present in water bodies with detected concentrations ranging from ng L to mg L. Advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) are promising, efficient, and environmentally friendly for the removal of these pharmaceuticals. In this study, we investigated the degradation kinetics of a model pharmaceutical, clonidine (CLD), via hydroxyl radical (OH) in UV/HO and sulfate radical (SO) in UV/peroxydisulfate (PS) systems for the first time.

Compressible cellulose nanofibril (CNF) based aerogels produced via a bio-inspired strategy for heavy metal ion and dye removal.

A sustainable nanomaterial, cellulose nanofibril (CNF) was used to prepare aerogel sorbents to remove various contaminants in wastewater. A mussel-inspired coating strategy was used to introduce polydopamine onto the surface of CNFs, which were cross-linked with polyethylenimine (PEI) to form the aerogels. The synthetic procedure was optimized to achieve a minimal consumption of raw materials to produce a robust porous structure.