Cr(VI) Reduction and Sequestration by FeS Nanoparticles Formed in situ as Aquifer Material Coating to Create a Regenerable Reactive Zone.

Remediation of large and dilute plumes of groundwater contaminated by oxidized pollutants such as chromate is a common and difficult challenge. Herein, we show that in situ formation of FeS nanoparticles (using dissolved Fe(II), S(-II), and natural organic matter as a nucleating template) results in uniform coating of aquifer material to create a regenerable reactive zone that mitigates Cr(VI) migration. Flow-through columns packed with quartz sand are amended first with an Fe solution and then with a HS solution to form a nano-FeS coating on the sand, which does not hinder permeability.

Exploring the interplay between particulate matter capture, wash-off, and leaf traits in green wall species.

The study investigated inter-species variation in particulate matter (PM) accumulation, wash-off, and retention on green wall plants, with a focus on leaf characteristics. Ten broadleaf plant species were studied in an experimental green wall. Ambient PM concentrations remained relatively stable throughout the measurement period: PM: 16.

Battery metal recycling by flash Joule heating.

The staggering accumulation of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and the growing scarcity of battery metal sources have triggered an urgent call for an effective recycling strategy. However, it is challenging to reclaim these metals with both high efficiency and low environmental footprint. We use here a pulsed dc flash Joule heating (FJH) strategy that heats the black mass, the combined anode and cathode, to >2100 kelvin within seconds, leading to ~1000-fold increase in subsequent leaching kinetics.

Gypsum scale formation and inhibition kinetics with implications in membrane system.

Water desalination using membrane technology is one of the main technologies to resolve water pollution and scarcity issues. In the membrane treatment process, mineral scale deposition and fouling is a severe challenge that can lead to filtration efficiency decrease, permeate quality compromise, and even membrane damage. Multiple methods have been developed to resolve this problem, such as scale inhibitor addition, product recovery ratio adjustment, periodic membrane surface flushing.

Rare earth elements from waste.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical materials in electronics and clean technologies. With the diminishing of easily accessible minerals for mining, the REE recovery from waste is an alternative toward a circular economy. Present methods for REE recovery suffer from lengthy purifications, low extractability, and high wastewater streams.

Understanding the effects of roadside hedges on the horizontal and vertical distributions of air pollutants in street canyons.

Built-up environments limit air pollution dispersion in street canyons and lead to complex trade-offs between green infrastructure (GI) usage and its potential to reduce near-road exposure. This study evaluated the effects of an evergreen hedge on the distribution of particulate matter (PM, PM, PM), black carbon (BC) and particle number concentrations (PNCs) in a street canyon in West London. Instrumentation was deployed around the hedge at 13 fixed locations to assess the impact of the hedge on vertical and horizontal concentration distributions.

Green infrastructure for air quality improvement in street canyons.

Street canyons are generally highly polluted urban environments due to high traffic emissions and impeded dispersion. Green infrastructure (GI) is one potential passive control system for air pollution in street canyons, yet optimum GI design is currently unclear. This review consolidates findings from previous research on GI in street canyons and assesses the suitability of different GI forms in terms of local air quality improvement.

A rapid experimental protocol to determine the desorption resistant fraction of sediment-sorbed hydrophobic organic contaminants.

Desorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) from sedimentary materials plays a vital role in dictating the fate and transport of HOCs in the environment. Desorption irreversibility is a commonly observed phenomenon in laboratory sorption/desorption studies of HOCs. A desorption-resistant fraction (DRF) typically exists during the desorption process.

Sorption and desorption characteristics of anionic surfactants to soil sediments.

Surfactants are important environmental chemicals due to their extensive domestic and industrial applications, such as subsurface organic pollution remediation and enhanced oil recovery. However, the interaction of surfactants with subsurface material particularly the desorption behavior of surfactants is less understood. Surfactant desorption is essential to control the fate and transport of surfactants as well as organic pollutants.

Identification of a new high-molecular-weight Fe-citrate species at low citrate-to-Fe molar ratios: Impact on arsenic removal with ferric hydroxide.

Ferric hydroxide precipitation and flocculation is the most commonly used method for the removal of arsenic in water treatment. However, citrate often interrupts the precipitation of ferric hydroxides and thus affects arsenic removal. To date, the mechanisms controlling the effects of citrate on arsenic removal with ferric hydroxide flocculation and precipitation at very low citrate-to-Fe molar ratios are not well understood.

Mass rearing and augmentative biological control evaluation of Rhynocoris fuscipes (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) against multiple pests of cotton.

Background: Rhynocoris fuscipes (Fab.) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is a generalist predator of cotton pests and is commonly found inhabiting cotton-growing regions in southern India. With the goal of integrating this predator in standard management practices used against cotton pests on a commercial scale, (1) we developed a protocol for adult group rearing of this predator inside micro-environmental cages (MECs), and (2) we evaluated the biocontrol potential of mass-produced predators against cotton pests under potted and field conditions.

Critical Uncertainties and Gaps in the Environmental- and Social-Impact Assessment of the Proposed Interoceanic Canal through Nicaragua.

The proposed interoceanic canal will connect the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, traversing Lake Nicaragua, the major freshwater reservoir in Central America. If completed, the canal would be the largest infrastructure-related excavation project on Earth. In November 2015, the Nicaraguan government approved an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the canal.

Mechanistic understanding of calcium-phosphonate solid dissolution and scale inhibitor return behavior in oilfield reservoir: formation of middle phase.

Phosphonates are an important class of mineral scale inhibitors used for oilfield scale control. By injecting the phosphonate into an oilfield reservoir, calcium-phosphonate precipitate will form and subsequently release the phosphonate into produced water for scale control. In this study, a systematic procedure is developed to mechanistically characterize an acidic calcium-phosphonate amorphous material that is later developed into a middle phase and eventually a crystalline phase.

West Midlands Care Home Dental Survey 2011: part 2. Results of clinical survey of care home residents.

Aim: To determine the oral health status of a sample of care home residents and provide data to inform local needs assessments and commissioning decisions.

Methods: A stratified sampling methodology was used to sample care homes; residents were then selected at random and invited to participate. The survey consisted of a short questionnaire and a clinical examination; it attempted to capture data relating to current oral health status, treatment need and suitability for treatment.

West Midlands Care Home Dental Survey 2011: part 1. Results of questionnaire to care home managers.

Aim: To provide baseline data on dental issues affecting residents from the perspective of care home managers to inform oral health local needs assessments and commissioning decisions.

Methods: A pre-piloted postal questionnaire was sent to all identified managers of adult care homes (1,832) in the West Midlands between February and April 2011. Quantitative analysis was complemented by seeking the views of care home managers regarding training and experience of, and access to, dental services.

Carbon-based nanoreporters designed for subsurface hydrogen sulfide detection.

Polyvinyl alcohol functionalized carbon black with H2S-sensor moieties can be pumped through oil and water in porous rock and the H2S content can be determined based on the fluorescent enhancement of the H2S-sensor addends.

Contaminant-mobilizing capability of fullerene nanoparticles (nC60): Effect of solvent-exchange process in nC60 formation.

Fullerene nanoparticles (nC(60)) in aqueous environments can significantly enhance the transport of hydrophobic organic contaminants by serving as a contaminant carrier. In the present study, the authors examine the effect of the solvent-exchange process on nC(60) aggregate formation and, subsequently, on nC(60) 's contaminant-mobilizing capability. A series of nC(60) samples were prepared using a modified toluene-water solvent-exchange method through the inclusion of a secondary organic solvent in the phase transfer of molecular C(60) in toluene to nC(60) in water.