Chemical Loading Research Articles

Mercury occurrence and speciation in sediments from hard coal mining in Czechia

This study examines Hg distribution in stream sediments impacted by hard coal mining in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB), Czechia. By means of a comparative analysis, geological samples and samples from stream sediments were used to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the effects of anthropogenic activities on Hg distribution and speciation. Total Hg (THg), total organic and inorganic carbons (TOC and TIC), and total sulphur (TS) were measured in the samples to reveal a potential relationship. In addition, THg and TS species were discussed in order to elucidate their mobility pattern in the environment. The results have shown that there are no correlations between THg, TS, and TOC indicating overlapping Hg sources attributed to industrial processes. Geological samples, particularly coal and associated sedimentary rocks, contained lower Hg concentrations compared to a variety of stream sediments. The main Hg species identified in the samples was a stable β-HgS, which decreases its mobility in the riverine environment. It follows that Hg enrichment and speciation is linked to industrial processes, which are the main origin/cause for Hg enrichment and transformation. Minor proportions of HgO in some samples show Hg oxidation upon diagenesis, while HgCl2 is attributed to the chemical loads from the former coking plant.

АНАЛІЗ ЗАГРОЗ ЕВТРОФІКАЦІЇ ВОДИ СЕРЕДИННОЇ ДІЛЯНКИ БАСЕЙНУ РІЧКИ ПІВДЕННИЙ БУГ

This paper analyzes the problem of eutrophication of water bodies in the middle part of the Southern Bug basin, which is becoming more and more relevant in recent years. An increase in the level and concentration of photosynthesizing organisms in water bodies has been established. In the middle part of the South Bug River basin, which is mainly located within the Vinnytsia region, this problem is particularly relevant due to a number of factors, which include regulation, chemical anthropogenic load, chemical agriculture, use of phosphate detergents, high natural content of nutrients in soils of Podillia,etc.

Role of potassium, magnesium, sulphur and copper nutrients on groundnut late leaf spot disease dynamics

Plant protection strategies need an effective alternative mode that reduces chemical load on environment and financial burden on farmers. Mineral nutrition, an integral part of crop production has long since proven to be a promising management strategy. Due to high specificity of host-pathogen-nutrient relationship, precise investigation has to be taken before recommendation. Among the various methods to screen infection frequency and disease tolerance with respect to applied treatments, components of resistance (incubation period, latent period, number of leaf spots, and lesion diameter) studied in hydroponically grown plants under greenhouse conditions are more appropriate than detached leaf assay as disease development of late leaf spot caused by the hemibiotroph., Phaeoisariopsis personata is more akin to the disease development under field conditions. Role of four nutrients i.e., Potassium, Magnesium, Sulphur and Copper deficient conditions as well as supplementation alone and in combination on groundnut late leaf spot disease incidence was compared with fungicidal check (Tebuconazole seed treatment) in terms of components of resistance and anti-oxidant enzyme activities using sand culture. Deficiency of nutrients showed higher disease incidence than control suggesting the role of nutrients in offering resistance to infection. Further it is revealed that CuSO4 and combination of four nutrients were effective in delaying incubation (11.67 days, 12.33days) and latent period (16.67 days, 17.00 days) while MgSO4 followed by combination of four nutrients were effective in reducing lesion number (17.65/leaf, 22.15/leaf) and diameter (0.20 and 0.27 mm) thus lowered AUDPC which showed similar antioxidant enzyme activity as fungicidal check. Nutrient supplementation though inferior to fungicidal check (14 days incubation period, 18.33 dayslatent period, 1.95 lesions/leaf with 0.22mm diameter), wassignificantlysuperior to control (10.33 daysincubation period, 13.67 days latent period, 70.15lesions/leaf with 0.33mm diameter). Hence, application of adequate amount of nutrients improves plants growth as well as resistance to LLS infection.

Development of Membrane Reactor Coupling Hydrogen and Syngas Production.

Simultaneous syngas and pure hydrogen production through partial oxidation of methane and water splitting, respectively, were demonstrated by using mixed ionic-electronic conductors. Tubular ceramic membranes prepared from La0.5Sr0.5FeO3 perovskite were successfully utilized in a 10 M lab scale reactor by applying a radial arrangement. The supply of methane to the middle area of the reaction zone was shown to provide a uniform distribution of the chemical load along the tubes' length. A steady flow of steam feeding the inner part of the membranes was used as oxidative media. A described configuration was found to be favorable to maintaining oxygen permeability values exceeding 1.1 mL∙cm-2∙min-1 and long-term stability of related functional characteristics. Methane's partial oxidation reaction assisted by 10%Ni@Al2O3 catalyst proceeded with selectivity values above 90% and conversion of almost 100%. The transition from a laboratory model of a reactor operating on one tubular membrane to a ten-tube one resulted in no losses in the specific performance. The optimized supply of gaseous fuel opens up the possibility of scaling up the reaction zone and creating a promising prototype of a multitubular reaction zone with a simplified sealing procedure.

The main mechanisms of environmentalization of the agricultural production

Solving the issues of environmentalization of agricultural production is an extremely important task in a scientific and applied sense, namely: providing the population with food, preventing crop losses from harmful objects, and protecting the environment from excessive chemical loading. Accordingly, an alternative solution in overcoming the negative consequences of chemicalization of agricultural production and improving the quality of seed products is the use of environmentally safe plant protection measures. An important component of technologies for growing various crops is their protection against phytopathogenic microorganisms. After all, in the agrocenoses of agricultural crops, there is an accumulation of an infectious background of phytopathogenic micromycetes, among which species of the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Alternaria, and Fusarium predominate, which can cause outbreaks of many plant diseases (root rot, Alternaria, Fusarium, Phytophthora, Anthracnose, Cercosporosis). Phytotoxic metabolites of necrotrophic phytopathogenic fungi, which are able to accumulate in soil, seeds and plant residues, deserve special attention. Mycotoxins lead to a decrease in the yield and quality of grain, as well as the quality of food products, which negatively affects their ecological safety, and can cause poisoning of humans and animals.

Lubricated Interfaces Enabling Simultaneous Pulsatile and Continuous Chemical Release Modes.

The release of chemicals following either pulsatile or continuous release modes is important for various potential applications, including programmed chemical reactions, mechanical actuation, and treatments of various diseases. However, the simultaneous application of both modes in a single material system has been challenging. Here, two chemical loading methods are reported in a liquid-crystal-infused porous surface (LCIPS) that enables both a pulsatile and continuous release of chemicals simultaneously. Specifically, chemicals loaded in the porous substrate exhibit a liquid crystal (LC) mesophase-dependent continuous release, whereas the chemicals dissolved in micrometer-sized aqueous droplets dispersed in the LC surface follow a pulsatile release activated by a phase transition. Moreover, the loading method of distinct molecules can be controlled to program their release mode. Finally, the pulsatile and continuous release of two distinct bioactive small molecules, tetracycline and dexamethasone, are demonstrated which display antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities for applications such as chronic wound healing and biomedical implant coating.

Species and reproductive status influence element concentrations in bat fur

To assess the impact of increasing pollutant levels on wildlife, we measured chemical contaminant loads in bats with different habitat and dietary preferences. Samples were taken from the fur of bats (Eptesicus nilssonii, Myotis brandtii, Myotis mystacinus and Plecotus auritus) to measure concentrations of 55 elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Variations in element concentrations between different bat groups (species, sex, reproductive status) were analysed with a focus on arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) as these are known to cause specific health concerns in wildlife. For M. brandtii we found the highest As concentrations, especially in lactating bats, with a maximum exceeding those from other studies where bats had compromised health. Whereas for M. mystacinus there was a negative correlation between body condition index (BCI) and As concentration, indicating a potential danger for bats in the study area. In M. mystacinus and M. brandtii Hg concentrations were higher for sixteen individuals than in other studies where bats suffered genotoxic effects, although median levels were still below this threshold. Lactating bats from P. auritus and M. brandtii had higher Hg concentrations than bats of other reproductive status, which could endanger offspring as Hg can be transferred through lactation. In females from M. mystacinus Pb concentrations were more than three times higher compared to males. There was also a negative correlation between Pb concentration and BCI, which could mean that Pb has an adverse effect on health. Although many other biotic and abiotic factors should be considered, some of the variations in element concentrations could be due to different behaviours (foraging, roosting, etc.) in the studied species. The high levels of chemical contamination in some of the bats in our study, particularly reproductive individuals, is of conservation concern as bats are important agents for insect control.

Psychrotolerant Strains of Phoma herbarum with Herbicidal Activity

The search for stress-tolerant producer strains is a key factor in the development of biological mycoherbicides. The aim of the study was to assess the herbicidal potential of phoma-like fungi. Morphological and physiological features of two Antarctic psychrotolerant strains 20-A7-1.M19 and 20-A7-1.M29 were studied. Multilocus sequence analysis was used to identify these strains. They happened to belong to Phoma herbarum Westend. The psychrotolerant properties of these strains were suggested not only by ecology, but also by their capability to grow in a wide temperature range from 5 °C to 35 °C, being resistant to high insolation, UV radiation, aridity, and other extreme conditions. It was shown that treatment with their cell-free cultural fugate, crude mycelium extract, and culture liquid significantly reduced the seed germination of troublesome weeds such as dandelion and goldenrod. Cell-free cultural fugate and culture liquid also led to the formation of chlorosis and necrotic spots on leaves. Thus, psychrotolerant strains P. herbarum 20-A7-1.M19 and 20-A7-1.M29 demonstrate high biotechnological potential. Our next step is to determine the structures of biologically active substances and to increase their biosynthesis, as well as the development of biological and biorational mycoherbicides. New mycoherbicides can reduce the chemical load on agroecosystems and increase the effectiveness of applied chemicals.

Basin-Scale Geochemical Assessment of Water Quality in the Ganges River during the Dry Season

Identification of sources and transport pathways of heavy metals and major ions is crucial for effective water quality monitoring, particularly in large river systems. The Ganges river basin, the largest and the most populous river basin in India, remains poorly studied in this regard. We conducted a basin-level analysis of major ions, heavy metals, and stable isotopes of nitrate in the Ganges during the pre-monsoon season to constrain the sources and quantify the inorganic chemical composition of the river during its lean flow. Bedrock weathering, anthropogenic interferences, water contribution through tributaries, and surface water-groundwater interaction were identified as the major driver of metal and ion variability in the river. Heavy metals showed the highest concentrations in the upper section of the river, whereas ionic loads were the most variable in the middle. We find a significant impact of tributaries on the metal and ion concentrations of the Ganges in its lower reaches. Isotopic analysis of dissolved nitrate suggested synthetic fertilizers and industrial wastes as the main sources. We find that the otherwise clean waters of the Ganges can show high ionic/metallic concentrations at isolated stretches (As: up to 36 µg/L), suggesting frequent monitoring in the source region to maintain water quality. Except for water collected from the Yamuna and Kannauj in the middle stretch and the Alaknanda and Rishikesh in the upper stretch, the WQI showed acceptable water quality for the sampled stations. These findings provide an insight into the modifications of dissolved inorganic chemical loads and their sources in different sections of the basin, needed for mitigating site-specific pollution in the river, and a roadmap for evaluating chemical loads in other rivers of the world.

An Effective Hybrid Fungicide Containing Tea Tree Oil and Difenoconazole for Grape Powdery Mildew Management

Grape powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe necator (Schw.) Burr. is a destructive disease in vineyards. Synthetic fungicides are the main tool to combat this disease. The search for new alternatives to reduce pesticide usage and tactical approaches for resistance management encouraged us to develop the novel strategy that we report here. We evaluated the efficacy of a new premixed hybrid fungicide containing the demethylation inhibitor (DMI) difenoconazole and essential tea tree oil (TTO), derived from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant, against grape powdery mildew in seven field trials and two large-scale demonstration trials conducted in two different regions in the world, including Chile and Israel. Foliar sprays of difenoconazole-TTO were applied as a preventive treatment in field trials at 40–80 up to 80–160 gr/ha active ingredient, and they were highly effective in controlling powdery mildew on the fruit clusters of both wine and table grapes in experimental and large-scale demonstration trials and provided up to 99% efficacy in disease incidence and severity compared with the untreated control. Difenoconazole-TTO was as or more effective than other DMI fungicides, including difenoconazole, a pre-mixed fungicide boscalid-pyraclostrobin, or treatments that included various fungicides applied in rotation or mixtures of fungicides. The results suggest that a combination of difenoconazole-TTO with a reduced synthetic chemical load can be included in powdery mildew control programs for grapevine as a strategic approach in fungicide resistance management in vineyards.

АНАЛІЗ ЗАГРОЗ ЕВТРОФІКАЦІЇ ВОДИ СЕРЕДИННОЇ ДІЛЯНКИ БАСЕЙНУ РІЧКИ ПІВДЕННИЙ БУГ

This paper analyzes the problem of eutrophication of water bodies in the middle part of the Southern Bug basin, which is becoming more and more relevant in recent years. An increase in the level and concentration of photosynthesizing organisms in water bodies has been established. In the middle part of the South Bug River basin, which is mainly located within the Vinnytsia region, this problem is particularly relevant due to a number of factors, which include regulation, chemical anthropogenic load, chemical agriculture, use of phosphate detergents, high natural content of nutrients in soils of Podillia, etc

Hybrid Fungicides – An Easy Bridge to Trial of Biological Component for Improved Resistance Management and Better Crop Protection

The global search for plant-protection solutions that are both environmentally safe and effective is driven by the need to supply food to the ever-growing world population. The call for chemical load reduction is an important aspect for sustainable agriculture. Toxicity to non-target organisms and negative effects on human health by synthetic agrochemicals have led to a resurgence of interest in 'natural' means of pest and pathogen control, including new sources of biopesticides and botanical pesticides. In addition, there has been increasing pressure concerning the main challenges in crop protection, including better resistance management, regulatory demands, and consumer concerns. The control of plant diseases has depended increasingly on the extensive use of toxic pesticides. Inappropriate and prolonged applications of traditional chemical pesticides lead to environmental damage and adverse health effects. Furthermore, the extensive use of chemical pesticides led to the development of resistance to various plant pathogens. Therefore, improving resistance management is important. Also, consumers, including retail food chains, today demand healthier foods and more sustainable products with less chemical residue. Furthermore, an increasing number of governments and retail food chains have established strictly enforced chemical residue limits. If crops exceed these limits, they will not be allowed to enter these countries and retail food chains. However, there are several barriers to trial of biological products by growers, including the following: a). Biological products have a reputation for not working very effectively. Today there are many biological products that are as effective as synthetic chemicals, but the early impression from years ago remains among many growers, b) growers are very busy with current demands on their time, with most not having the time to learn new biology, reformulate their treatment regime, mixing and testing, and c) general resistance to change. Therefore, a new concept of 'hybrid products', as an easy bridge to trial biological component is suggested. Hybrid fungicides i.e., a combination of a natural product such as Tea Tree Oil (TTO) with broad-spectrum activity and a traditional site-specific chemical can be the 'bridge' between conventional agrochemical farming and sustainable farming. That is because it is a 'pre-mix' and is used in the same way as the grower's current chemical pesticide. Unlike other combinations based on two synthetic chemicals which in most cases have limited mechanisms of action, a premix with a botanical product provides multiple modes of action with an advantage for resistance management.

Legacy contributions to diffuse water pollution: Data-driven multi-catchment quantification for nutrients and carbon

Legacy pollutants are increasingly proposed as possible reasons for widespread failures to improve water quality, despite the implementation of stricter regulations and mitigation measures. This study investigates this possibility, using multi-catchment data and relatively simple, yet mechanistically-based, source distinction relationships between water discharges and chemical concentrations and loads. The relationships are tested and supported by the available catchment data. They show dominant legacy contributions for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC) across catchment locations and scales, from local to country-wide around Sweden. Consistently across the study catchments, close relationships are found between the legacy concentrations of TN and TOC and the land shares of agriculture and of the sum of agriculture and forests, respectively. The legacy distinction and quantification capabilities provided by the data-driven approach of this study could guide more effective pollution mitigation and should be tested in further research for other chemicals and various sites around the world.

Developing Sustainable Methods for Softener and Fixing Agent Application in HT Dyeing Machines

Global warming, which is one of the problems brought by the increasing population day by day, and the rapid depletion of water resources have increased the restrictions on water use. Thus, more environmentally friendly and sustainable production processes are developed by producers and consumers. The number of studies carried out to minimize the use of raw materials in textile dyehouses is increasing day by day. The high chemical load, waste water usage rate and energy cost resulting from pretreatment, dyeing and other processes vary according to the processes used in textile factories.
 Our company aims to support environmentally friendly studies that contribute to the economy in production processes. While producing in the paint shop, energy, water, chemicals, etc. It also aims to use raw material resources sparingly. In this study, the efficiency studies carried out in HT dyeing and finishing processes in the dyehouse of our company were examined. By optimizing the post-processing performed in HT machines after dyeing, softener and fixator chemicals applied in HT machines were carried out by using double pads before drying in stenter machines after trials. Obtained results were compared with old methods. A sustainable new method has been developed without any color, fastness or touch difference between the old system and the new system.
 With this new process study, our company's water, energy and chemical savings and the company's impact on the environment have been reduced, while time savings have been achieved by shortening the process time. In the test results, there was no problem in washing, color and rubbing fastness efficiency. No change was observed in the touch of the products after the application of the softener step with the impregnation method instead of shrinking. As a result of the study, while the water consumption was reduced by 20%, the process time was also reduced by 19%.

Analysis of Tribodegradation Factors Limiting the Life of the Molds

The paper presents the results of research focused on the analysis of mold wear for high-pressure casting of aluminum alloys. The functional parts of the molds were taken out of operation. Molded parts for aluminum alloy casting molds and cores are made of tool chrome and chromium-molybdenum steels. In the die-casting process, the mold parts and cores are exposed to intense thermal, mechanical, and chemical loads. High melt flow rates of aluminum alloys (up to 120 m.s-1), high pressures (up to 120 MPa) and high maximum surface temperatures of mold parts (up to 550 °C) lead to erosion, abrasion, corrosion, and thermal fatigue of molds. The thermal load of the foundry cores is even higher (up to 600 °C) because they are not connected to the mold cooling system. Thermal cyclic loading from 80 °C to 550 °C leads to high tensile stresses on the surface of the molded parts / cores and consequently to the formation and propagation of thermal cracks. Frequent contact of the surface of the mold part with the melt causes the formation of growths (die soldering) due to corrosion caused by molten metals and consequently shortens the life of the mold parts and cores. Light and electron microscopy was used for mold analysis. Every degrading change in the shape of molds and cores will also affect the quality and dimensions of the castings.

Mechanical properties and damage constitutive model of phosphogypsum-based cemented backfill under hydrochemical action

In order to analyze the early mechanical properties and damage characteristics of phosphogypsum-based cemented backfill (PCB) under hydrochemical action, hydrochemical erosion and uniaxial compression strength (UCS) tests were carried out with HCl solution, NaOH solution, and water respectively. The damage degree is defined by taking the effective bearing area of the soluble cements of PCB under hydrochemistry action as the chemical damage variable, and the modified damage parameter α, which reflects the damage development characteristics, is introduced to construct the damage constitutive model of PCB considering chemical damage and load damage, and the theoretical model is verified with the experimental results. The results show that the damage constitutive model curves of PCB under different hydrochemical action are in good agreement with the experimental results, which verifies the correctness of the theoretical model. When the modified damage parameter α decreases from 1.0 to 0.8, the residual load-bearing capacity of PCB gradually increases, with the damage values of PCB samples in HCl solution and water gradually increasing before the peak and decreasing after the peak, while the damage values of PCB samples in NaOH solution show an overall increasing trend before and after the peak. The slope of the post peak curve of PCB decreases with increasing model parameter n. The results of the study can provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the strength design, long-term erosion deformation, and prediction of PCB in hydrochemical environment.

Flexible Ultrathin Chip-Film Patch for Electronic Component Integration and Encapsulation using Atomic Layer-Deposited Al2O3-TiO2 Nanolaminates.

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) is utilized to improve the barrier properties of an organic chip-film patch (CFP) when it is used as an implant to prevent moisture and ions from migrating into the embedded electronic circuits. For this purpose, surface condition and material properties of eight modifications of Al2O3-TiO2 nanolaminates sequentially deposited on polyimide PI-2611 films are evaluated in detail. The effect of stress-induced warpage of the deposited Al2O3-TiO2 on the wafer level is calculated with the Stoney equation and reveals higher tensile stress values while increasing the thickness of Al2O3-TiO2 nanolaminates from 20 up to 80 nm. Contact angle measurement and atomic force microscopy are used to investigate the surface energy and wettability, as well as the surface morphology of polyimide-Al2O3-TiO2 interfaces. We show that plasma treatment of pristine polyimide leads to an enhanced adhesion force of the PEAL-deposited layer by a factor of 1.3. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is determined by exposing the coated polyimide films to 85% humidity and 23 °C and yields down to 1.58 × 10-3 g(H2O)/(m2 d). The data obtained are compared with alternative coating processes using the polymers parylene-C and benzocyclobutene (BCB). The latter shows higher WVTR values of 1.2 × 10-1 and 1.7 × 10-1 g(H2O)/(m2 d) compared to the PEALD-PI-2611 systems, indicating lower barrier properties. Two Al2O3-TiO2 modifications with low WVTR values have been chosen for encapsulating the CFP substrates and exposing them in a long-time experiment to chemical and mechanical loads in a chamber filled with phosphate-buffered saline at 37 °C, pH 7.3, and a cyclically applied pressure of 160 mbar (∼120 mm Hg). The electrical leakage behavior of the CFP systems is measured and reveals reliable electrical long-term stability far beyond 11 months, highlighting the great potential of PEALD-encapsulated CFPs.

Modeling of crashworthy foam mounted braced unreinforced brick masonry wall and prediction of anti-blast performance

Explosions are continually occurring in many parts of the world endangering human lives and seriously affecting the health of infrastructures and facilities. Low-rise buildings having a height of fewer than 13 m are load-bearing structures generally made of unreinforced masonry (URM), particularly in semi-urban areas, villages, and war-prone border areas. Many structures of importance including buildings constructed in the pre- and post-independence era of courts, monuments, etc., are masonry load-bearing structures. URM is also used as non–load-bearing partition walls and compound/boundary walls. Such walls are susceptible to out-of-plane blast loading. Under such loadings, these walls fail to survive and thus either get severely damaged or collapsed, jeopardizing the stability of the entire structure. Resistance of masonry walls against blast loading is vital for the safety of the building and its users as injuries sustained and casualties are generally not caused due to explosion, but by the brittle dynamic fracture and fragments of masonry walls, window glass panes shattering, and other secondary objects propelled as missiles by the blasts. In general, buildings are not designed for blast loading. For the safety of the building users, it is imperative that the walls must withstand such short-duration high-magnitude extreme loadings without not only undergoing catastrophic collapse but also not producing deadly fragments which could cause grievous injuries to the users. To protect URM walls from high-intensity blast waves, an out-of-box wall protecting technique using foams of polymer (e.g., polyurethane) and metals namely; aluminum and titanium, is considered on the face of the wall exposed to the blast pressure. This study describes a numerical technique implemented in ABAQUS/Explicit software to predict the overall anti-blast performance of URM wall strengthened externally with the above three different crashworthy foams. For this purpose, a braced URM wall made of clay bricks, with two transverse bracing walls one at each end on the same side, tested experimentally by Badshah et al. in the year 2021 under the chemical explosive loads of 4.34 kg and 7.39 kg-TNT, respectively, at scaled distances 2.19 m/kg1/3 and 1.83 m/kg1/3 is considered as the reference model and is validated against the test observations. Explosion load is modeled with ABAQUS built-in ConWep simulation program to simulate the wall-explosion wave interactions in the free field. Material nonlinearities of the brickwork have been attributed to bricks, joint-mortar, and brick-mortar interfaces through constitutive laws considering strain-rate effects. The foams are modeled using ABAQUS’s inbuilt Crushable Foam Plasticity Hardening model considering foam hardening and rate-dependent schemes. Results show that the higher Young’s modulus and inelastic stiffness of the foams contribute to dissipating more explosion energy and improve the resistance of the walls from savage explosions.

Greenhouse gas reduction of co-benefit-type wastewater treatment system for fish-processing industry: A real-scale case study in Indonesia

This study examined the application of co-benefit-type wastewater treatment technology in the fish-processing industry. Given that there was a dearth of information on fish-processing industrial wastewater in Indonesia, site surveys were conducted. For the entire fish-processing industry throughout the country, the dissemination rate of wastewater treatment facilities was less than 50%. Using a co-benefit approach, a real-scale swim-bed technology (SBT) and a system combining an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) with SBT (ABR–SBT) were installed in a fishmeal processing factory in Bali, Indonesia, and the wastewater system process performance was evaluated. In a business-as-usual scenario, the estimated chemical oxygen demand load and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wastewater from the Indonesian fish-processing industry were 33 000 tons per year and 220 000 tons of equivalent CO2 per year, respectively. On the other hand, the GHG emissions in the co-benefit scenarios of the SBT system and ABR–SBT system were 98 149 and 26 720 tons per year, respectively. Therefore, introducing co-benefit-type wastewater treatment to Indonesia’s fish-processing industry would significantly reduce pollution loads and GHG emissions.

Glucose oxidase-loaded colloidal stable WS2 nanobowls for combined starvation/photothermal therapy of colorectal tumors

Glucose is used as an important nutrient to support cell growth. The glucose oxidase (GOx) can transform glucose into gluconic acid and toxic H2O2, which can be used for tumor starvation therapy. However, the leakage of GOx may cause severe side effects to the normal tissue. To prevent the accidental leakage of GOx, this study proposes the chemical modification of GOx on the photothermal transducing agent surface, to realize the safe and combined starvation and photothermal therapy of colorectal tumors. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-modified WS2 nanobowls (WS2-PVP) as a photothermal transducing agent were produced using a one-pot preparation method. Then, α-lipoic acid (LA) molecules were immobilized at the sulfur-deficient sites on the surface of WS2 nanobowls to afford the chemical loading of GOx through amide bonds. Under the irradiation of a near-infrared laser (808 nm), thermal energy is generated by WS2 to kill colorectal cancer cells locally. The photothermal conversion efficiency of WS2-PVP-LA was 27.2%. This study is anticipated to open up an alternative avenue for the rational design of multifunctional nanotherapeutics for tumor therapy.