Hydrothermal Synthesis of Heterostructured g-CN/Ag-TiO Nanocomposites for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants.

In this study, heterostructured g-CN/Ag-TiO nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using an easily accessible hydrothermal route. Various analytical tools were employed to investigate the surface morphology, crystal structure, specific surface area, and optical properties of as-synthesized samples. XRD and TEM characterization results provided evidence of the successful fabrication of the ternary g-CN/Ag-TiO heterostructured nanocomposite.

Fabrication of Enhanced UV Protective Cotton Fabric Using Activated Nano-Biocarbon Derived from Teff Hay Grafted by Polyaniline: RSM-Based Optimization and Characterization.

In the present study, a hybrid cotton fabric with an enhanced ultraviolet (UV) shielding property was developed by coating with functionally activated nanocarbon (FACN) which was grafted by polyaniline (PANI) using in situ polymerization. In light of this, Teff hay biomass was used to establish the activated nanocarbon (ANC), that was subsequently given a surface functionalization using a silane coupling agent. Using the response surface (RSM) statistical analysis, the study was optimized for the weight percent of ANC and PANI with respect to the cotton fabric that was found to offer remarkable UV protection, with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 64.

Linking transport pathways and phosphorus distribution in a loamy soil: a case study from a North-Eastern German Stagnosol.

Heterogeneous flow pathways through the soil determine the transport of dissolved and particle-bound nutritional elements like phosphorus (P) to ground and surface waters. This study was designed to understand the spatial patterns of P in agriculturally used soils and the mechanisms causing P accumulation and depletion at the centimetre scale. We conducted dye tracer experiments using Brilliant Blue on a loamy Stagnosol in North-Eastern-Germany.

Single-Step Synthesis of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanomaterials by Directly Calcining the Mixture of Urea and Thiourea: Application for Rhodamine B (RhB) Dye Degradation.

Recently, polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) has been explored as a potential catalytic material for the removal of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this work, graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) photocatalysts were synthesized using mixtures of low-cost, environment-friendly urea and thiourea as precursors by varying calcination temperatures ranging from 500 to 650 °C for 3 h in an air medium. Different analytical methods were used to characterize prepared g-CN samples.

Water pollution risks by smoldering fires in degraded peatlands.

Climate change may increase the overall susceptibility of peatlands to fire. Smoldering fires in peatlands can cause substantial emissions of greenhouse gases. It is, however, less clear how smoldering affects the soil pore water quality.

Loss of subsurface particulate and truly dissolved phosphorus during various flow conditions along a tile drain-ditch-brook continuum.

Subsurface losses of colloidal and truly dissolved phosphorus (P) from arable land can cause ecological damage to surface water. To gain deeper knowledge about subsurface particulate P transport from inland sources to brooks, we studied an artificially drained lowland catchment (1550 ha) in north-eastern Germany. We took daily samples during the winter discharge period 2019/2020 at different locations, i.

Fixed-Bed Adsorption: Comparisons of Virgin and Zirconium Oxide-Coated Scoria for the Removal of Fluoride from Water.

Many people worldwide are exposed to extreme levels of fluoride in drinking water. It is, therefore, critical to develop inexpensive, locally available, and environmentally friendly adsorbents for fluoride-laden water defluoridation. In the current study, virgin scoria (volcanic rock) from Ethiopia, was modified with zirconium oxide and used as an adsorbent in a fixed-bed column aiming at the removal of fluoride from water.

The nucleoporin Nup50 activates the Ran guanine nucleotide exchange factor RCC1 to promote NPC assembly at the end of mitosis.

During mitotic exit, thousands of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) assemble concomitant with the nuclear envelope to build a transport-competent nucleus. Here, we show that Nup50 plays a crucial role in NPC assembly independent of its well-established function in nuclear transport. RNAi-mediated downregulation in cells or immunodepletion of Nup50 protein in Xenopus egg extracts interferes with NPC assembly.

Enhanced Defluoridation of Water Using Zirconium-Coated Pumice in Fixed-Bed Adsorption Columns.

Millions of people across the globe suffer from health issues related to high fluoride levels in drinking water. The purpose of this study was to test modified pumice as an adsorbent for the purification of fluoride-containing waters. The adsorption of fluoride onto zirconium-coated pumice (Zr-Pu) adsorbent was examined in fixed-bed adsorption columns.

Fixed-Bed Column Technique for the Removal of Phosphate from Water Using Leftover Coal.

The excessive discharge of phosphate from anthropogenic activities is a primary cause for the eutrophication of aquatic habitats. Several methodologies have been tested for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions, and adsorption in a flow-through reactor is an effective mechanism to reduce the nutrient loading of water. This research aimed to investigate the adsorption potential of leftover coal material to remove phosphate from a solution by using continuous flow fixed-bed column, and analyzes the obtained breakthrough curves.

Rewetting does not return drained fen peatlands to their old selves.

Peatlands have been drained for land use for a long time and on a large scale, turning them from carbon and nutrient sinks into respective sources, diminishing water regulation capacity, causing surface height loss and destroying biodiversity. Over the last decades, drained peatlands have been rewetted for biodiversity restoration and, as it strongly decreases greenhouse gas emissions, also for climate protection. We quantify restoration success by comparing 320 rewetted fen peatland sites to 243 near-natural peatland sites of similar origin across temperate Europe, all set into perspective by 10k additional European fen vegetation plots.

Adsorptive Removal of Phosphate from Aqueous Solutions Using Low-Cost Volcanic Rocks: Kinetics and Equilibrium Approaches.

The contamination of surface and groundwater with phosphate originating from industrial and household wastewater remains a serious environmental issue in low-income countries. Herein, phosphate removal from aqueous solutions was studied using low-cost volcanic rocks such as pumice (VPum) and scoria (VSco), obtained from the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted using phosphate solutions with concentrations of 0.

Volcanic Rock Materials for Defluoridation of Water in Fixed-Bed Column Systems.

Consumption of drinking water with a high concentration of fluoride (>1.5 mg/L) causes detrimental health problems and is a challenging issue in various regions around the globe. In this study, a continuous fixed-bed column adsorption system was employed for defluoridation of water using volcanic rocks, virgin pumice (VPum) and virgin scoria (VSco), as adsorbents.

Long-term rewetting of degraded peatlands restores hydrological buffer function.

Precipitation is a key factor affecting shallow water table fluctuations. Although the literature on shallow aquifers is vast, groundwater response to precipitation in peatlands has received little attention so far. Characterizing groundwater response to precipitation events in differently managed peatlands can give insight into ecohydrological processes.

Handling the phosphorus paradox in agriculture and natural ecosystems: Scarcity, necessity, and burden of P.

This special issue of Ambio compiles a series of contributions made at the 8th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW8), held in September 2016 in Rostock, Germany. The introducing overview article summarizes major published scientific findings in the time period from IPW7 (2015) until recently, including presentations from IPW8. The P issue was subdivided into four themes along the logical sequence of P utilization in production, environmental, and societal systems: (1) Sufficiency and efficiency of P utilization, especially in animal husbandry and crop production; (2) P recycling: technologies and product applications; (3) P fluxes and cycling in the environment; and (4) P governance.

Solute Transport Properties of Fen Peat Differing in Organic Matter Content.

There is a limited understanding of solute transport properties of degraded peat soils as compared to mineral substrates. A lower organic matter (OM) content is often the result of peat degradation and mineralization following artificial drainage. In this study, we aimed at deducing changes in solute transport properties of peat soils differing in OM content.

Land use change impacts on floods at the catchment scale: Challenges and opportunities for future research.

Research gaps in understanding flood changes at the catchment scale caused by changes in forest management, agricultural practices, artificial drainage, and terracing are identified. Potential strategies in addressing these gaps are proposed, such as complex systems approaches to link processes across time scales, long-term experiments on physical-chemical-biological process interactions, and a focus on connectivity and patterns across spatial scales. It is suggested that these strategies will stimulate new research that coherently addresses the issues across hydrology, soil and agricultural sciences, forest engineering, forest ecology, and geomorphology.

Visualization of Colloid Transport Pathways in Mineral Soils Using Titanium(IV) Oxide as a Tracer.

In soils, colloidal transport has been identified as the most important pathway for strong adsorbing, environmental contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and phosphorus. We conducted a comparative dye tracer experiment using a Brilliant Blue (BB) solution and a Titanium(IV) oxide (TiO) colloid suspension (average particle size 0.3 μm), aiming to visualize and quantify colloid pathways in soils.

Farmers' perception and adaptation practice to climate variability and change: a case study of the Vea catchment in Ghana.

Background: Rain-fed agriculture remains the source of employment for a majority of Ghana's population, particularly in northern Ghana where annual rainfall is low. The purpose of this study is to examine farmers' perceptions and adaptation practices to climate change and variability in accordance with actual recorded weather data of the Vea catchment in Upper East Region of northern Ghana during the time interval from 1972 to 2012.

Methods: Climatic data over 41-years (1972-2012) from four stations in vicinity of the catchment was evaluated to identify actual weather outcomes.

Sorptive removal of arsenate using termite mound.

Long-term consumption of arsenic results in severe and permanent health damages. The aim of the study was to investigate arsenate (As(V)) sorption capacity of termite mound (TM), containing mainly silicon, aluminum, iron and titanium oxides, under batch adsorption setup. The pattern of As(V) removal with varying contact time, solution pH, adsorbent dose, As(V) concentration and competing anions was investigated.

MIF-chemokine receptor interactions in atherogenesis are dependent on an N-loop-based 2-site binding mechanism.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a cytokine that mediates inflammatory diseases. MIF promotes atherogenic leukocyte recruitment through a promiscuous, yet highly affine, interaction with CXCR2 and CXCR4. Binding to CXCR2 is dependent on a pseudo-(E)LR motif in MIF, but a second interaction site has been elusive.

Assessment of the predictive quality of simple indicator approaches for nitrate leaching from agricultural fields.

Diffuse N losses from agriculture are a major cause of excessive nitrate concentrations in surface and groundwaters. Leaching through the soil is the main pathway of nitrate loss. For environmental management, an anticipatory assessment and monitoring of nitrate leaching risk by indicator (index) approaches is increasingly being used.

Dual role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in human breast cancer.

Background: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine and mediator of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. MIF is overexpressed in various tumours and has been suggested as a molecular link between chronic inflammation and cancer. MIF overexpression is observed in breast cancer but its causal role in the development of this tumour entity is unclear.

Virgin volcanic rocks: kinetics and equilibrium studies for the adsorption of cadmium from water.

This study was initiated to investigate the adsorption of cadmium from aqueous solution by two different rock types-Pumice (VPum) and Scoria (VSco), which are readily available in Ethiopia and other countries. The influence of operational conditions, such as particle size, adsorbent/solution ratio, contact time, cadmium initial concentration, and pH was analyzed. The competition between metals was also evaluated.

Water regime of mechanical-biological pretreated waste materials under fast-growing trees.

In this study mechanical-biological pre-treated waste material (MBP) was tested for suitability to serve as an alternative surface layer in combination with fast-growing and water-consumptive trees for final covers at landfill sites. The aim was to quantify evapotranspiration and seepage losses by numerical model simulations for two sites in Germany. In addition, the leaf area index (LAI) of six tree species over the growing season as the driving parameter for transpiration calculations was determined experimentally.