Indirect photodegradation of pharmaceutical and personal care products in dissolved black carbon solution: The role of microheterogeneous distribution of hydroxyl radical and sorption.

Dissolved black carbon (DBC) with a hyperconjugated structure is ubiquitous in nature, and plays a crucial role in the migration and transformation of environmental contaminants due to its prominent properties of accepting electrons and sorption. However, little is known about the DBC-induced phototransformation of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in natural waters. Herein, the photodegradation kinetics of PPCPs were investigated in DBC solution under simulated solar irradiation and compared with those in Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM) solution.

Excellent Mercury Removal in High Sulfur Atmosphere Using a Novel CuS-BDC-2D Derived by Metal-Organic Frame.

To effectively remove high concentrations of mercury in a high sulfur atmosphere of nonferrous smelting flue gas, a novel two-dimensional CuS-MOF (CuS-BDC-2D) material is synthesized by anchoring S to Cu sites in the Cu-BDC MOF. The highly dispersed CuS active sites and MOF framework structural properties in CuS-BDC-2D enable efficiently collaborate in capturing mercury. CuS-BDC-2D exhibits a layered floral structure with high specific surface area and thermal stability, with poor crystallinity.

Efficient removal of Hg in flue gas using a novel Sn-based porphyrin polymer.

A Sn-based porphyrin polymer (TAPP(Sn)-FAC) synthesized in a mild condition was introduced for the Hg removal in flue gas. The properties characterization of materials revealed the two-dimensional sheet structure, an amorphous structure and high stability of TAPP(Sn)-FAC, and Sn was successfully incorporated into TAPP-FAC in the form of SnN. The removal performance of Hg under different conditions was investigated using a lab-scale fixed-bed reactor.

[Aqueous-phase Oxidation of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) from Extracts of Ambient Aerosols].

Recently, a large number of laboratory studies have focused on the aqueous-phase photochemistry of single organic compound in atmospheric condensed phases, yet few studies have been conducted on the aqueous-phase photochemical oxidation of real-world complex dissolved organic matter (DOM). Therefore, in this work, we report experimental results for the photochemical oxidation of DOM extracts from ambient fine aerosol samples upon direct photolysis or against OH oxidation, under both simulated sunlight and ultraviolet irradiation conditions. The products at different stages of photolysis were analyzed via UV-vis and spectroscopy and soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SP-AMS) to investigate their optical and chemical characteristics.

FeO-Loaded g-CN/C-Layered Composite as a Ternary Photocatalyst for Tetracycline Degradation.

A ternary photocatalyst, FeO-loaded g-CN/C-layered composite (g-CN/C/FeO) was fabricated by a facile sonication and in situ precipitation technique. Carbon nanosheets were prepared using the remaining non-metallic components of waste printed circuit boards as carbon sources. In this hybrid structure, g-CN was immobilized on the surfaces of carbon nanosheets to form a layered composite, and 10-15 nm FeO nanoparticles are uniformly deposited on the surface of the composite material.

Microwave Solvothermal Synthesis of Three-Dimensional BiMoO Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity.

In this study, three-dimensional (3D) BiMoO microspheres were successfully fabricated by a facile, rapid, and mild microwave solvothermal strategy for the first time. The resultant 3D BiMoO microspheres exhibited superior adsorption capacity and photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of the representative antibiotic ciprofloxacin under visible light, for which the reaction kinetic rate constant is 7.5 times as high as that of the as-synthesized zero-dimensional BiMoO nanoparticles.

[Analysis of Water Soluble Organic Aerosol in Spring PM with Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (SP-AMS)].

To investigate the chemical composition and pollution characteristics of spring fine particles (PM) in Changzhou, a total of 84 PM samples were collected from March 1st to May 30th, 2017. We measured and analyzed conventional components, such as water-soluble ions (WSIIs) and carbonaceous components (OC and EC). The water-soluble organic aerosol (WSOA) was also analyzed by an aerodyne soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS).

Secondary organic aerosol formation from C-initiated oxidation of 4-ethylguaiacol in atmospheric aqueous-phase.

In this study, we investigated aqueous-phase triplet excited states (C)-induced photo-degradation of 4-ethylguaiacol (EG) under both simulated sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) light irradiations. Through quencher experiments, the relative contributions of reactive oxygen species (ROS, such as O/O/·OH) and C were calculated and results showed three reactive species, e.g.

Facile Fabrication of C-TiO Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Tetracycline.

Visible-lightdriven C-TiO nanocomposites were prepared via a simple calcination and acid etching process. The C-TiO nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution TEM. The results showed that TiO nanoparticles were combined with a porous carbon layer through surface C-O groups, which facilitates the strong interface interaction.

[Secondary Organic Aerosol Mass Yield and Characteristics from 4-ethylguaiacol Aqueous·OH Oxidation: Effects of Initial Concentration].

Aqueous-phase chemical processing, as an essential formation pathway of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), has attracted widespread attention from within atmospheric chemistry fields. Due to the complicated reaction nature, reaction mechanisms, and product characteristics of aqueous-phase chemical processing, its contribution to the SOA budget is still not fully understood. In this work, we investigate how the initial concentration (0.

Characteristics, sources and health risks of toxic species (PCDD/Fs, PAHs and heavy metals) in PM during fall and winter in an industrial area.

Particulate toxic species, such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals may have significant health risks. This study investigated characteristics, sources and health risks of all three classes of toxic species in PM (particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm) samples collected at an industrial area in Changzhou, a big city in the Yangtze Delta region of China.

Development of a Novel Terpolymer as a Green and Efficient Decalcifying Agent for Crude Petroleum.

A novel environmental decalcifying agent was prepared with allylpolyethoxy amino carboxylate (APEAA), hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), and maleic anhydride (MA) by means of free-radical polymerization in an aqueous solution. The morphology and structure of the samples were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and H nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) spectra. The molecular-weight distribution of APEAA-HEA-MA was determined by the gel permeation chromatography method.

A comprehensive investigation of aqueous-phase photochemical oxidation of 4-ethylphenol.

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) species formed in atmospheric aqueous phases is recently recognized as an important contributor to fine aerosols, which is known to be a prominent human health risk factor internationally. This work, for the first time, systematically investigated aqueous-phase photochemical oxidation of 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) - a model compound from biomass burning and a surrogate of intermediate volatility organic compounds, under both ultraviolet (UV) (Hg lamp) and simulated sunlight (Xe lamp). We found that 4-EP could degrade upon hydroxal radical (OH) oxidation under UV light nearly 15 times faster than that under simulated sunlight, but large aqueous SOA (aqSOA) yields (108%-122%) were observed under both situations.

Decomposition efficiency and aerosol by-products of toluene, ethyl acetate and acetone using dielectric barrier discharge technique.

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) has been widely used as end-of-pipe technology to degrade low-concentration volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. In this work, the influence of DBD conditions including discharge voltage, VOC residence time in DBD plasma, VOC initial concentration and synergistic effect of multiple VOC mixing on the decomposition efficiency of three VOCs (toluene, ethyl acetate and acetone) were investigated systematically. One focus of this work was to investigate size distribution and chemical composition of aerosol by-products.

[Day-night Characteristics of Humic-like Substances in PM During Winter in Changzhou].

To investigate the characteristics of diurnal variation of humic-like substances (HULIS) in atmospheric aerosols during winter in Changzhou, a total of 64 fine particle (PM) samples were collected from January 1 to February 28, 2017. In this study, the concentration as well as light absorption parameters of humic-like substances of carbon (HULIS-C) were examined. The results showed that the average day PM and HULIS-C concentrations were 122.

[Characteristics and Sources of Water-soluble Organic Carbon/Nitrogen in PM During Spring in Changzhou].

To understand the characteristics and sources of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and organic nitrogen (WSON) in atmospheric aerosols during spring in Changzhou, 84 fine particle (PM) samples were collected from March 1 to May 30, 2017, in Changzhou. The water-soluble components, including water-soluble organic carbon, water-soluble total nitrogen (WSTN), water-soluble ions, and carbonaceous components (OC and EC), were analyzed. The levels of WSOC and WSON and their source characteristics were discussed.

[Secondary Organic Aerosols from Aqueous Reaction of Aerosol Water].

Liquid water (cloud/fog droplets and aerosols) is ubiquitous in the atmosphere and can provide an important reaction media for aqueous-phase chemical reactions. Gaseous precursors (mainly VOCs) or their gas-phase initial or first-generation oxidation products (including intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds; I/SVOCs) can undergo chemical reactions in the atmospheric condensed phase (aqueous phase) to form low-volatility, highly oxidized organic matter[e.g.

[Day-Night Differences and Source Apportionment of Inorganic Components of PM During Summer-Winter in Changzhou City].

To investigate the day-night variation characteristics of inorganic components in atmospheric aerosol, PM samples were continuously collected for one month in Changzhou during summer and winter. Eleven water-soluble ions (WSⅡs) and 13 metal elements were compared in terms of their day-night character and sources. The results indicated that the day time average PM mass concentration was higher than the night time, while the percentage of the total WSⅡs in PM during the night was higher.

[Characteristics and Source Identification of Carbonaceous Aerosols in PM Measurements During Summer and Fall in Changzhou].

To better understand the characterization and sources of carbonaceous components, a total of 60 fine particle (PM) samples were collected in Changzhou during summer (July to August) and fall (October to November) of 2016. The average mass concentrations of PM, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) during this study period were observed to be 73.0, 14.

[Pollution Characteristics and Source Identification of PAHs in Atmospheric PM in Changzhou City].

A total of 55 ambient fine particle (PM) samples were collected in Changzhou City from January to August 2016. The concentrations of 17 PM-bound PAHs in the samples were analyzed by GC-MS. Results showed that seasonal average mass concentrations of PAHs in winter, spring, and summer were 140.

Template-Assisted Hydrothermal Growth of One-Dimensional Zinc Oxide Nanowires for Photocatalytic Application.

One-dimensional (1D) semiconductor ZnO nanowires have been successfully synthesized by a novel soft-chemical hydrothermal method with allylpolyethoxy amino carboxylate (AA-APEA) at low temperature. Their structure and properties have been characterized by a series of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that ZnO nanowires with diameters around 50 nm and lengths up to about several micrometers are well-distributed.

Investigation of submicron aerosol characteristics in Changzhou, China: Composition, source, and comparison with co-collected PM.

Mass concentrations and chemical compositions of submicron particles (PM) collected during July 2015 to April 2016 in Changzhou, a city in the Yangtze River Delta region, were systematically investigated for the first time. Specifically, an Aerodyne soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) was employed to characterize the water-soluble organic matter (WSOM). The average concentration of PM was 63.

Aerosol characteristics and sources in Yangzhou, China resolved by offline aerosol mass spectrometry and other techniques.

Detailed chemical characterization of fine aerosols (PM) is important for reducing air pollution in densely populated areas, such as the Yangtze River Delta region in China. This study systematically analyzed PM samples collected during November 2015 to April 2016 in urban Yangzhou using a suite of techniques, in particular, an Aerodyne soot particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SP-AMS). The techniques used here reconstructed the majority of total PM measured where extracted species comprised on average 91.

[Photonic Efficiency of Ethyl Acetate Photolysis in Gas Phase: Dependence on Wavelength and Catalyst].

Four kinds of excilamps with different wavelengths (XeCl*, KrCl*, XeBr* and KrBr*) were used for removing ethyl acetate in gas phase. The removal efficiencies of ethyl acetate by three loaded catalysts (TiO2 loaded on organic film, graphene loaded on organic film, and TiO2 loaded on mesh) were compared, and the effects of lamp sources, irradiation power and initial concentration on the removal efficiency were also investigated. Moreover, irradiation spectra and power of light sources were determined, and photonic efficiencies under different reaction conditions were calculated.

[Kinetics of alkylphenols degradation in aqueous phase with excilamp irradiation].

The 206 nm irradiation from excilamp was able to directly photo-degrade 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) and 4-octylphenol (4-OP), but it could not oxidize them completely into CO2. Under the same irradiation condition, the removal efficiency of 4-OP was higher than that of 4-NP. Pseudo-first order kinetic model and modified kinetic model were used to fit the kinetics of photo-degradation process, and the direct photolysis rate constants under 206 nm UV irradiation were obtained.