New method for measuring the pore sizes and pore size distributions of filter membranes-the fluorescence probe method.

A novel, simple, and rapid method is demonstrated for measuring the pore size and pore size distribution of filtration membranes (FMs) used in aqueous applications with fluorescence probes. Because the selected fluorescent probes are mixable and have strong signals, combined with the operation of dead-end filtration, this method only requires small amounts of reagents; additionally, it is time-efficient by avoiding multiple rounds of filtration. This method detects the size of a FM pore throat (i.

SiO Modification of Silicon Carbide Membrane via an Interfacial In Situ Sol-Gel Process for Improved Filtration Performance.

Silicon carbide (SiC) membrane has emerged as a promising class of inorganic ceramic membranes with many advantageous attributes and has been used for a variety of industrial microfiltration (MF) processes. The state-of-the-art industrial manufacturing of SiC membranes based on the particle sintering method can only achieve an average pore size that ranges from 40 nm to a few micrometers, which is still unsatisfactory for ultrafiltration (UF) applications. Thus, the pore size control of SiC membranes remains a focus of continuing study.

Ball-milled sulfide iron-copper bimetals based composite permeable materials for Cr (VI) removal: Effects of preparation parameters and kinetics study.

Zero-valent iron (ZVI) and modified ZVI have been investigated extensively for groundwater remediation. However, ZVI based powder was difficult to be applied directly as permeable reactive barrier (PRB) materials due to their low water permeability and usage rate. In this study, sulfide iron-copper bimetal was prepared by ball milling, which is environment-friendly without second contamination.

Spatiotemporal analysis of the future carbon footprint of solar electricity in the United States by a dynamic life cycle assessment.

Solar photovoltaics (PVs) installation would increase 20-fold by 2050; however, considerable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generated during the cradle-to-gate production, with spatiotemporal variances depending on the grid emission. Thus, a dynamic life cycle assessment (LCA) model was developed to assess the accumulated PV panels with a heterogeneous carbon footprint if manufactured and installed in the United States. The state-level carbon footprint of solar electricity ( ) from 2022 to 2050 was estimated using several cradle-to-gate production scenarios to account for emissions stemming from electricity generated from solar PVs.

A poly (glycerol-sebacate-acrylate) nanosphere enhanced injectable hydrogel for wound treatment.

Wound repair remains a huge clinical challenge, which can cause bleeding, infection, and patient death. In our current research, a bioactive, injectable, multifunctional composite hydrogel doped with nanospheres was prepared with antibacterial and angiogenesis-promoting functions for the treatment of wounds. Amino groups in ε-polylysine (ε-EPL) undergo dynamic Schiff base reaction cross-linking with oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA), and F127 exhibits unique temperature sensitivity to form an injectable thermosensitive hydrogel (FHE10), which can form a hydrogel to cover the wound at body temperature.

Facile synthesis of nanosized MnO powder anodes for high capacity Lithium-Ion battery flame spray pyrolysis.

MnO powders with nanometer size are successfully synthesized by a simple one-step method via flame spray pyrolysis. The precursor droplet is generated by heating under high temperature flame with fixed flow rate, and the exothermic reaction is induced to form nanosized MnO powders. When used as anode material for lithium-ion battery, the MnO exhibits good cycling capacity and rate performance.

WS significantly enhances the degradation of sulfachloropyridazine by Fe(III)/persulfate.

The use of antibiotics has become an indispensable part of the production and life of human society. Among them, sulfonamide antibiotics widely used in humans and animals are considered to be one of the most crucial antibiotics. However, antibiotics are difficult to degrade naturally, leading to an accumulation in the environment and a potential hazard to human health.

Factors Affecting the Detection of Hexavalent Chromium in Cr-Contaminated Soil.

The alkali digestion pretreatment method in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 3060A could underestimate the content of Cr(VI) in Cr-contaminated soils, especially for soils mixed with chromite ore processing residue (COPR), which leads to a misjudgment of the Cr(VI) level in soils after remediation, causing secondary pollution to the environment. In this study, a new pretreatment method to analyze Cr(VI) concentration in contaminated soils was established. The impacts of soil quality, particle size, alkali digestion time and the rounds of alkali digestion on Cr(VI) detection in contaminated soils was explored and the alkali digestion method was optimized.

A High-Performance Alginate Hydrogel Binder for Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries.

The binder is an indispensable battery component that maintains the integrity of the electrode. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is most commonly used as a binder in rechargeable batteries; however, it is associated with the toxic and expensive N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone organic solvent. Here, through the cross-linking of sodium alginate (SA) with metal cations, a high-performance hydrogel binder is developed that maintains the stability of MnO cathodes in an aqueous electrolyte.

Arsenite (III) removal via manganese-decoration on cellulose nanocrystal -grafted polyethyleneimine nanocomposite.

The manganese is successfully induced as a "bridge joint" to fabricate a new adsorbent (CNC-Mn-PEI) connecting cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) respectively. It was used to remove As (III) from waste water. It has been proved that the incompact CNC and PEI were successfully connected by Mn ions, which induced the formation of O-Mn-O bonds and the removal efficiency is maintained in the broad pH range of 4-8, even with the influence of NO and CO.

COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on air quality and economy before, during and after lockdown in China in 2020.

This paper comprehensively evaluates the dynamic effects on China's environment and economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a temporary improvement in air quality. Furthermore, nitrogen dioxide (NO) levels in the atmosphere in China were 36% lower than in the week after last year's Lunar New Year holiday, but this also led to an economic downturn.

Breaking through the "3.0 eV wall" of energy band gap in mid-infrared nonlinear optical rare earth chalcogenides by charge-transfer engineering.

Increasing the energy band gap under the premise to maintain a large nonlinear optical (NLO) response is a challenging issue for the exploration and molecular design of mid-infrared nonlinear optical crystals. Utilizing a charge-transfer engineering method, we designed and synthesized a rare earth chalcogenide, KYGeS. With an NLO effect as large as that in AgGaS, KYGeS breaks through the limitation of energy band gap, i.

Z-scheme heterojunction based on NiWO/WO microspheres with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light.

The green treatment of dye wastewater has always been a research hotspot in the environmental field. The photocatalytic technology is considered to be a simple and effective strategy to remove dyes in wastewater. A new type of NiWO/WO Z-scheme heterojunction microspheres were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method and impregnation-calcination process.

Recyclable nitrogen-doped biochar via low-temperature pyrolysis for enhanced lead(II) removal.

Facile and low-cost preparation are essential in the conversation of agricultural waste into biochar. In this work, nitrogen-doped biochar (NBC-350-0.1) was prepared by thermal decomposition of urea (urea/biochar = 0.

Development of pattern recognition based on nanosheet-DNA probes and an extendable DNA library.

Pattern recognition, also called "array sensing," is a recognition strategy with a wide and expandable analysis range, based on high-throughput analysis data. In this work, we constructed a sensor array for the identification of targets including bacterial pathogens and proteins by using FAM-labeled DNA probes and 2D nanosheet materials. We designed an ordered and extendible DNA library for the collection of recognition probes.

Intermediate volatile organic compounds emissions from vehicles under real world conditions.

Real-world vehicle emission factors (EFs) for the total intermediate volatile organic compounds (total-IVOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from mixed fleets of vehicles were quantified in the Yangtze tunnel in Shanghai. Relationships of EFs of IVOCs with fleet compositions and vehicle speed as well as secondary organic formation potentials (SOAFPs) from IVOCs and VOCs were studied. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to estimate EFs of total-IVOCs for gasoline and diesel vehicles.

Study on preparation and application of a multifunctional microspheric soil conditioner based on Arabic gum, gelatin, chitosan and β-cyclodextrin.

All kinds of soil conditioners have been used to improve soil quality. The application of many traditional soil conditioners was limited by single performance. In this study, a novel multifunctional microspheric soil conditioner was prepared based on Arabic gum, gelatin, chitosan and β-cyclodextrin.

A polyA DNA probe-based ultra-sensitive and structure-distinguishable electrochemical biosensor for the analysis of RNAi transgenic maize.

Since the application of RNA interference (RNAi) is rapidly developing in GMO technology, accurate and sensitive detection of functional RNA molecules was urgently needed, for the safety and functional assessment of RNAi crops. In this work, we developed an electrochemical biosensor for transgene-derived long RNA based on a poly-adenine (polyA) DNA capture probe. The polyA self-assembling monolayer (SAM) provided enhanced interface stability and optimized surface density for the subsequent hybridization of the long RNA molecule.

Electrolyte Design for In Situ Construction of Highly Zn -Conductive Solid Electrolyte Interphase to Enable High-Performance Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries under Practical Conditions.

Rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries promise high capacity, low cost, high safety, and sustainability for large-scale energy storage. The Zn metal anode, however, suffers from the dendrite growth and side reactions that are mainly due to the absence of an appropriate solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. Herein, the in situ formation of a dense, stable, and highly Zn -conductive SEI layer (hopeite) in aqueous Zn chemistry is demonstrated, by introducing Zn(H PO ) salt into the electrolyte.

Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using sp. SCYY-5 Isolated from Contaminated Oil Sludge: Strategy and Effectiveness Study.

Biodegradation has been considered as an ideal technique for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) contamination, but its efficiency is limited by its application in the field. Herein, an original TPH-degrading strain, SCYY-5, was isolated from contaminated oil sludge and identified as sp. by 16S rDNA sequence analysis.

Flocculent Cu Caused by the Jahn-Teller Effect Improved the Performance of Mg-MOF-74 as an Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Mg-MOF-74/Cu was synthesized by a one-step method and then using the product as a lithium-ion anode material. The flocculent Cu caused by the Jahn-Teller effect conspicuously improves the electrochemical performance of Mg-MOF-74 by enhancing the conductivity of electrode materials. The as-prepared materials exhibited superior rate performance (298.

Air-pollutant mass concentration changes during COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai, China.

To curb the spread of the coronavirus, China implemented lockdown policies on January 23, 2020. The resulting extreme changes in human behavior may have influenced the air pollutants concentration. However, despite these changes, hazy weather persisted in Shanghai and became a public issue.

Microencapsulated soil conditioner with a water-soluble core: improving soil nutrition of crop root.

Traditional level of fertilisers was used by most farmers in China with the risks about resources wasting, environmental pollution together with soil structure deterioration. It is practicable to tackle the challenges about over-fertilisation and low efficiency with microencapsulated soil conditioner (MSC), which clads the water soluble core with natural polymer. Fulvic acid (FA) can be used as core material, because it possesses the characteristics of water-soluble, fertiliser maintenance and expedient monitoring.

1,3-Dichloropropene and chloropicrin emission reduction using a flexible CuInS/ZnS:Al-TiO photocatalytic film.

Soil fumigation using 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) is an important strategy for agriculture production; however, excessive emissions can cause air pollution and possible human exposure. In this study, solar light-driven CuInS/ZnS:Al-TiO photocatalytic film was prepared through spin-coating on the flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate of 0.1 mm.

Novel Controlled Release Microspheric Soil Conditioner Based on the Temperature and pH Dual-Stimuli Response.

A novel type of temperature and pH dual-stimuli-responsive microspheric soil conditioner was prepared for the controlled release of urea. First, poly(-isopropylacrylamide--methacrylic acid) [P(NIPAM--MAA)] was synthesized, and the microspheric soil conditioner was prepared on the basis of chitosan-coated P(NIPAM--MAA) via the emulsion cross-linking method. The structure and morphology of the microsphere were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance, polarization optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.