Degradation of antibiotic pollutants and simultaneous CO capture over hollow MnO/light/peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-CaO system.

Antibiotic organic pollutants not only pose a significant threat to human health but also generate a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO) during the treatment process of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Herein, the antibiotics aqueous solution was firstly degraded and mineralized by light-assisted peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation over hollow manganese dioxide (MnO) catalyst and then the corresponding released CO was effectively captured by calcium oxide (CaO) particles in the same sealed reactor, achieving wastewater treatment with zero carbon releasing. Under simulated light conditions, hollow MnO is excited to generate electron-hole pairs.

Interactions between iron mineral and low-molecular-weight organic acids accelerated nitrogen conversion and release in lake sediments.

Endogenous nitrogen (N) release from lake sediments is one of main causes affecting water quality, which can be affected by the presence of iron (Fe) minerals and organic matter, especially low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs). Although these substances always coexist in sediments, their interaction effect on N fate is not yet clear. In this study, the role and mechanisms of the coexistence of iron mineral (ferrihydrite, Fh) and LMWOAs, i.

Predicting land use and land cover changes for sustainable land management using CA-Markov modelling and GIS techniques.

This study addresses the significant issue of rapid land use and land cover (LULC) changes in Lahore District, which is critical for supporting ecological management and sustainable land-use planning. Understanding these changes is crucial for mitigating adverse environmental impacts and promoting sustainable development. The main goal is to evaluate historical LULC changes from 1994 to 2024 and forecast future trends for 2034 and 2044 utilizing the CA-Markov hybrid model combined with GIS methodologies.

FeS@BC prepared from natural pyrite and biomass as peroxydisulfate activator for sulfadiazine degradation.

The efficient degradation of SAs is a significant challenge for the treatment of wastewater. To address this, the FeS@BC was prepared by calcining a mixture of pyrite and biomass, and used to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade sulfadiazine (SDZ). The effect of carbon sources (wheat straw, rice husk, and corn cob) on catalytic activity of FeS@BC were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), total Fe dissolution and free radical quantification.

Impact of the Luding Earthquake on the Area of Potentially Suitable Habitat for Species in the Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve.

Members of the genus are endemic to China and include seven described species, five of which are nationally protected salamanders in China. The Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve (GGMNNR) is rich in animal and plant resources, including the species. On 5 September 2022, the GGMNNR experienced the Luding earthquake, and this provided an opportunity to quantify the impact of a catastrophic events on the area of potentially suitable habitat for a rare species in the GGMNNR.

Impact assessment of planned and unplanned urbanization on land surface temperature in Afghanistan using machine learning algorithms: a path toward sustainability.

The increasing trend in land surface temperature (LST) and the formation of urban heat islands (UHIs) has emerged as a persistent challenge for urban planners and decision-makers. The current research was carried out to study the land use and land cover (LULC) changes and associated LST patterns in the planned city (Kabul) and the unplanned city (Jalalabad), Afghanistan, using Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Landsat data from 1998 to 2018. Future changes in LULC and LST were predicted for 2028 and 2038 using Cellular Automata-Markov (CA-Markov) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models.

Contamination and ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of urban rivers in a typical economic development zone, southern China.

Urban rivers are one of the main water sources for local residents. However, the rapid industrialization and urbanization caused serious heavy metals pollution in urban rivers, which posed harmful impact on human health and ecosystem. In this study, 134 sediment samples were collected from urban rivers in a typical Economic and Technological Development Zone (ETDZ) to evaluate the contamination status, ecological risk, biotoxicity, and potential source of 8 heavy metals including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), plumbum (Pb), and zinc (Zn).

Influences of roughness and filling degree on the shear strength and damage evolution characteristics of cement-filled joints.

The shear resistance of filling joints is an important factor affecting the stability of rock joints. Pressure-shear tests of cement-filled joints were carried out. Combined with the acoustic emission (AE) technique, the effects of normal stress, roughness and filling degree on the shear strength, damage morphology and damage evolution of cement-filled joints were investigated.

Behavior and Mechanisms of Antimony Precipitation from Wastewater by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria .

The development of the non-ferrous metal industry is generating increasingly large quantities of wastewater containing heavy metals (e.g., Sb).

Novel Collector of a Dodecylpyridinium Chloride Ionic Liquid in the Reverse Flotation Separation of Muscovite from Apatite.

Reverse flotation separation of muscovite from apatite using a dodecylpyridinium chloride (DPDC) ionic liquid as the collector was studied in this work. The microflotation results depicted that DPDC had a strong collecting for muscovite but had a slight collecting for apatite when using phosphoric acid as a depressant for apatite in a weakly acidic pH value pulp, artificial mixture mineral flotation showed that reverse flotation separation of muscovite from apatite can be effectively achieved in the reagent scheme of phosphoric acid/DPDC, and DPDC had a better separation performance in the muscovite/apatite system than DDA. The adsorption measurements indicated that the adsorption amount of DPDC on the apatite surface was less than that of DPDC on the muscovite surface, and the zeta potential results confirmed that a strong interaction occurred between DPDC and the muscovite surface, while an extremely weak interaction occurred between DPDC and the apatite surface in the presence of phosphoric acid at pH ∼ 5.

Composition and the predicted functions of fungal communities and the key drivers in acidic soils of Jiaodong Peninsula, China.

Introduction: Soil acidification imperils soil health and hinders the agricultural sustainability. As being more tolerant than bacteria to soil acidification, so it would be more meaningful for agricultural management and crop yield to characterize fungal community in acidic soils and manifest its key drivers.

Method: This study investigated the composition and diversity of fungal communities and its key driving factors by collecting 90 soil samples from the acidic region of Jiaodong Peninsula China, spanning 3 × 10 km.

Electrocatalytic reforming of polyethylene terephthalate waste plastics into high-value-added chemicals with green hydrogen generation.

Electrochemical reforming offers a sustainable strategy for converting plastic waste into high-value-added chemicals and hydrogen fuel. Herein, a cost-effective NiFe-filmed electrode with a Tremella-like nanostructure was developed using an ultrasonic immersion etching method. This electrode enabled the electro-reforming of ethylene glycol (EG, a monomer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) into valuable commodity chemicals, with coproduction of hydrogen fuel.

A robust and conductive hydrotalcite/nanocellulose/PVA hydrogel constructed based on the Hofmeister effect.

Conductive hydrogel is one of the basic materials for constructing flexible sensors, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel is commonly used. However, the current PVA hydrogels have apparent defects in strength and conductivity. The freeze-salting-out process based on the Hofmeister effect can effectively improve the strength of PVA.

Advancements in iron-based photocatalytic degradation for antibiotics and dyes.

The accelerated growth of the economy and advancements in medical technology have led to the discharge of a diverse range of organic pollutants into water sources. Recent investigations into water treatment have demonstrated the potential for integrating photocatalysis with techniques such as photocatalytic persulfate activation and the Photo-Fenton process for more efficient wastewater management. Iron-based photocatalysts responsive to visible light offer several advantages, including non-toxicity, safety, affordability, and excellent chemical and optical properties.

Warming accelerated phosphorus release from the sediment of Lake Chaohu during the decomposition of algal residues: A simulative study.

Algal decomposition plays an important role in affecting phosphorus (P) release from sediments in eutrophic lakes under global warming. Yet how rising air temperature affect endogenous P release from sediments during the algal decomposition is poorly understood. In this study, effect of increasing air temperature on endogenous P release was investigated.

Synergistic effects of clays and cyanobacteria on the accumulation dynamics of soil organic carbon in artificial biocrusts.

Biocrusts are the primary organic carbon reservoirs in desert areas, in which inorganic clays potentially playing significant roles; however, the specific details of these roles remain largely unclear. In this study, typical 1:1 type (kaolin) and 2:1 type (montmorillonite, MMT) clay minerals were added to artificial biocrusts to investigate their effect on the acquisition performance of soil organic carbon (SOC). After 84 days of cultivation, the enhancement effects of kaolin and MMT were significant, resulting in SOC increments that were 5.

Phanerochaete chrysosporium hyphae bio-crack, endocytose and metabolize plastic films.

Numerous studies have focused on the effect and mechanism of plastic degradation; due to their high persistence, petroleum-based plastics are difficult for microbes to mineralize. Although such plastics have been demonstrated to be mineralized by white rot fungus, the reactions at the molecular level remain unknown. Here, we show the whole mineralization model of polyethylene film, that can be summarized as follows: 1) white rot fungus colonizes on polyethylene film, using additives as dissimilated carbon sources; 2) the fungus secretes extracellular enzymes protein, combining with stearic acid as electron donor, causes oxidation and cracking of polyethylene film; and 3) partial dissociated sub-microplastic debris access to cells, further oxidizes in sequential actions of intracellular enzymes, and ultimately mineralize via β-oxidation.

Nanobubbles Adsorption and Its Role in Enhancing Fine Argentite Flotation.

The efficient recovery of fine argentite from polymetallic lead-zinc (Pb-Zn) sulfide ore is challenging. This study investigated nanobubble (NB) adsorption on the argentite surface and its role in enhancing fine argentite flotation using various analytical techniques, including contact angle measurements, adsorption capacity analysis, infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements, turbidity tests, microscopic imaging, scanning electron microscopy, and flotation experiments. Results indicated that the NBs exhibited long-term stability and were adsorbed onto the argentite surface, thereby enhancing surface hydrophobicity, reducing electrostatic repulsion between fine argentite particles, and promoting particle agglomeration.

Distribution of microbial taxa and genes degrading halogenated organic pollutants in the mangroves.

Anthropogenic activities have led to serious contamination of halogenated organic pollutants (HOPs), such as PCBs, PBDEs, and HBCDs, in the mangrove wetland. Biodegradation of HOPs is generally driven by environmental microorganisms harboring dehalogenase genes. However, little is known if HOPs can affect the distributions of HOPs-degrading bacteria and dehalogenase genes in the mangrove wetlands.

Oxidative degradation of sulfamethazine by manganese oxide supported biochar activated periodate: Effect and mechanism.

In this study, manganese oxide supported biochar (MBC) was used as a catalyst of periodate (PI) for the oxidative degradation of sulfonamide antibiotic sulfamethazine (SMZ). The degradation rate of 10 mg/L SMZ reached 99 % in 60 min in the MBC/PI system, and the optimal condition was pH 3.5, 0.

Infrared spectroscopic study on residual chitosan-based composite seed coating in kaolin.

The decomposition of residual chitosan-based composite seed coating in kaolin under different temperatures and salinities is analyzed with a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The degradation cycle is 28 days. The results show that a residue of the chitosan-based composite seed coating still exists in the kaolin on Day 7.

Hydroxyl-induced structural defects in metal-organic frameworks for improved photocatalytic decontamination: Accelerated exciton dissociation and hydrogen bonding interaction.

The introduction of structural defects can improve the charge separation efficiency of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based photocatalysts, which however come with suboptimal decontamination performance, due to steric hindrance and limited binding capacity of the involved modulators. In this work, hydroxyl group capturing the advantages of both worlds was utilized as new modulator to improve the photocatalytic performance of Fe-based defective MOFs. Benefited from its low steric effect and strong coordination bonding capability, hydroxyl-induced defects in Fe-MOF contributed to a nearly 8-fold increase of rate constant for the photocatalytic removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) compared to that of pristine one, which also exceeded the defective one induced by acetic acid as modulator.

Fabrication of nanocellulose-based high-mechanical and super-hydrophobic xerogels for speedy oil absorbents.

Cellulose-based porous materials are promising for various fields and preferred for sustainable development. However, the low mechanical properties and high hydrophilicity of cellulose-based xerogels had a direct influence on their application in oil absorption. To address the challenge, an environmentally friendly and economical method for synthesizing MTMS/C0.

Increased Mineral-Associated Organic Carbon and Persistent Molecules in Allochthonous Blue Carbon Ecosystems.

Coastal wetlands contain very large carbon (C) stocks-termed as blue C-and their management has emerged as a promising nature-based solution for climate adaptation and mitigation. The interactions among sources, pools, and molecular compositions of soil organic C (SOC) within blue C ecosystems (BCEs) remain elusive. Here, we explore these interactions along an 18,000 km long coastal line of salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses in China.

Effect of Warming on Soil Fungal Community Along Altitude Gradients in a Subalpine Meadow.

The subalpine grassland ecosystem is sensitive to climatic changes. Previous studies investigated the effects of warming on grassland ecosystems at a single altitude, with little information about the response of subalpine meadows to warming along altitude gradients. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of warming on aboveground grass, belowground soil properties, and fungal community along altitude gradients in the subalpine meadow of Mount Wutai using the high-throughput sequencing method.