Concentrations Of Ions In Water Research Articles

Investigation on ion concentration of pore water in compacted bentonite after infiltrated by salt solutions

The behavior of salt solutions infiltrated into compacted bentonite was investigated in this study, with particular attention paid to the ion concentration in the pore water, in order to improve the understanding of the bentonite behavior in geological disposal projects. A Japanese bentonite, Kunigel V1 (K_V1), was used to prepare specimens with a thickness of 2 mm and an initial dry density of 1.4 to 1.7 Mg/m3. For each density case, salt solutions (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2) of different amounts (0 to 2 mol/L) were supplied to the specimens. After infiltration, the basal spacing (d001) and exchangeable cations of the montmorillonite in the bentonite and the leached cations from the bentonite were measured. Based on the test results, the ion concentration in the interlayer pore water of the montmorillonite or the interparticle pore water was discussed. The findings indicated that the infiltration capacities of the various salt solutions into the compacted K_V1 bentonite were in the order of KCl > CaCl2 > NaCl. The K_V1 specimen with the highest initial dry density exhibited the strongest resistance to salt solution infiltration. After the infiltration of the NaCl solution into the compacted K_V1 bentonite, the increased sodium ions mainly remained in the interparticle pores, leading to an increase in the sodium ion concentration in the interparticle pore water. During the infiltration of the KCl and CaCl2 solutions into the compacted K_V1 bentonite, the infiltrated potassium ions in the case of KC1 and the calcium ions in the case of CaCl2 tended to penetrate the interlayer pore preferentially, thereby displacing the exchangeable sodium ions. After most of the exchangeable sodium ions that had initially existed in the montmorillonite had been replaced, the infiltrated potassium or calcium ions remained in the interparticle pores.

Remove of fluoride using covalent organic framework supported aluminium oxide: An experimental and computational mechanism

Fluoride pollution is a problem of increasing concern to global public health, and it is important to reduce the concentration of fluoride ions in water. In this paper, the composite adsorbent (Al2O3-COF) of Al2O3 and melamine polymer network (MPN) was prepared by the solvothermal method, and the physicochemical properties of the material were characterized. The characterizations showed that Al2O3-COF had a porous and loosely packed morphology, and the adsorption behavior conformed to the pseudo-first-order kinetic and the Langmuir isotherm model. This study showed that Al2O3-COF exerted the synergistic effect of Al2O3 and COFs to adsorb fluoride, with an adsorption capacity superior to that of a single alumina at 66.2 mg/g. The adsorption performance test showed that the interfering anions (PO43-, Cl-, Br-, NO3-, SO42-) had little effect on the adsorption performance of Al2O3-COF while maintaining a fluoride removal rate of over 83 %. After 5 cycles of recycling, more than 75 % of fluoride ions could also be removed. In addition, insights into the adsorption mechanism of Al2O3-COF, mainly through ion exchange and chemisorption, were calculated by density functional theory. This experiment is to apply COFs in the field of F- adsorption, which can provide ideas and guidance for future research.

#3063 MRI assessment of skin and muscle sodium (23Na) and fluid volume in haemodialysis patients

Abstract Background and Aims Haemodialysis (HD) is life sustaining for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In healthy people, sodium balance is regulated by the kidneys; in ESKD this is achieved by sodium removal during HD. Recent evidence suggests non-osmotically stored sodium in the muscle and/or skin may be a critical factor impacting the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Sodium (23Na) MRI allows skin and muscle sodium storage assessment and may provide a valuable tool in evaluating sodium storage in dialysis patients. Here, 23Na MRI is used to measure muscle and skin tissue sodium concentration (TSC) in HD participants. HD participants are scanned before and after a single haemodialysis session using 23Na MRI as well as 1H T2 relaxometry to study changes in fluid status. Method Data were collected on HD patients who underwent a pre-HD 23Na MRI calf scan, then had their usual dialysis session with a dialysate sodium of 137 mmol/L, followed by a repeat post-HD 23Na MRI scan. Patient dialysis vintage, residual renal function, and ultrafiltration volume, and blood measures pre- and post-HD were collected. 1H scans were acquired for localisation and muscle segmentation (mDIXON) along with T1 and T2 mapping. 23Na images were acquired for (TSC) quantification. Reference bottles (10, 20, 30 and 40 mmol/L NaCl) were placed above the leg to calibrate TSC muscle and skin maps. Regions-of-interest (ROIs) of each muscle group and the skin were manually segmented on mDIXON scans. In each muscle group the voxel-wise mode (to avoid influence of signals from vessels) of TSC and T2 was estimated. A paired-sample t-test was performed between metrics pre-HD and post-HD. Absolute measures of ΔTSC and ΔT2 were correlated with clinical measures. Results Ten people receiving HD were recruited (age 55-73 yrs, 5 M:5F). Figure 1 shows TSC maps of the HD patients pre-HD and post-HD, with a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in TSC in the extensor, peroneus and gastrocnemius muscles post-HD but skin sodium showed no detectable change. Post-HD TSC significantly positively correlated with post-HD Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) (P < 0.004) but not with plasma sodium. 1H T2-maps (Fig. 2A) show a significant reduction (p < 0.01) in muscle T2 post-HD compared to pre-HD all muscle groups (Fig. 2B). There were no significant correlations between T2 and 23Na measures, or T2 and clinical measures. There was no significant detectable change in 1H T1. Conclusion Post-HD TSC values are consistent with published data from patients dialysed against a dialysate sodium of 137 mmol/L, and shows a significant correlation of post-HD TSC with post-HD SBP. 1H muscle T2 reduced post-HD, consistent with published data, as patients change from a pre-HD hypervolemia state closer to a post-HD to euvolemia state after fluid removal. There was no correlation of absolute or ΔTSC and 1H T2 and ΔT2 values, suggesting different mechanisms for equilibrium conditions of water and sodium ion concentrations. Future studies will study the effect of dialysate sodium on muscle TSC and mechanistic links to CVD, and include the use of a dedicated skin coil to study skin sodium alongside bioimpedance fluid measures.

Bark Morphology and Nutrient Flux in Urban Trees: Investigating Water Absorption and Ion Concentration Dynamics

Bark Morphology and Nutrient Flux in Urban Trees: Investigating Water Absorption and Ion Concentration Dynamics

Trends of Major Ions in a Carpathian River in Poland: The Influence of Flow and Damming

Flow influences major ion concentrations in river water, therefore, it seems that it can differentiate ion concentrations in mountain rivers in different hydrological years. This study aimed to determine the impact of flow on the major ion concentrations in the Carpathian Raba River above and below the Dobczyce Reservoir (southern Poland) in hydrologically dry (HD), average (HA), and wet (HW) years (period April–October) in the period 2010–2017. In the river above the reservoir, the flow negatively affected the concentrations of most major ions under all hydrological conditions, which resulted in their significant differences between (1) the studied hydrological years (except for SO42−)–higher in the HD years than in the HA or HW years–and (2) seasons–higher Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl−, and SO42− concentrations (mainly point sources of pollution) were identified in summer or autumn than in spring in the HD and HA years. The dam reservoir strongly modified the ion concentrations in the downstream river. It significantly decreased all major ion concentrations only in the HD years, when they were high in the upstream river, and Ca2+, Mg2+, or HCO3− concentrations in all the studied hydrological years. There, the ion concentrations were not related to the flow that resulted in their insignificant differences between the studied hydrological years (with the exception of HCO3−, Ca2+, and Cl−) and different seasonal changes to those in the river above the dam. The obtained results allow for predicting conditions favouring an increase in the salinity of mountain river waters; therefore, they are important for appropriate management and water use opportunities.

Microelectrode Voltammetric Analysis of Low Concentrations of Se(IV) Ions in Environmental Waters.

The current research is an attempt to analyze on-site selenium(IV) ions in environmental water samples using an eco-friendly miniaturized sensor developed by deposition of a very thin amount of metallic bismuth in a solid Bi electrode tightly closed in miniaturized housing. Numerous experimental variables are optimized, including the composition of the supporting electrolyte and its pH, as well as activation and accumulation conditions. Under optimized measurement conditions, the method shows high sensitivity, permitting a very low limit of detection equal to 7 × 10-10 mol L-1 to be achieved in a short accumulation time of 50 s. The performance of this microsensor was investigated against numerous interference factors and its good anti-interference capability was demonstrated. A series of voltammetric experiments by differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry (DPCSV) were carried out and they proved that the miniaturized sensor is characterized by very good accuracy and precision as well as long-term stability. The solid bismuth microelectrode displays a good voltammetric response in the analysis of diverse samples with a complex matrix and demonstrates a good recovery rate.

Influence of electrochemical descaling treatment in simulated cooling water on the corrosion behavior of stainless steel

The electrochemical descaling treatment of circulating cooling water can effectively reduce the content of scaling ions, chloride ions and produce strong oxidizing substances with bactericidal properties in the water, which is beneficial for operation at high concentration ratio (N) of circulating water, meets the goal of clean production and has a good prospect. However, changes in ion concentration and type in water can have an impact on the corrosion behavior of metals. Currently, there is limited understanding of the impact of electrochemical treatment on the corrosion behavior of stainless steel, a commonly used material in cooling water systems, which increases the application risk of this technology. In this study, the effects of electrochemical treatment of simulated cooling water on the corrosion behavior and the passive film properties of Type 304 stainless steel with different N values were investigated by analysis of water composition, polarization curve and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the pitting potential of stainless steel decreased with the raise of N in untreated simulated water, while the pitting potential increased with the raise of N in electrochemically treated simulated water, and the highest pitting potential was observed when N was 10. The electrochemical treatment effectively reduced the Cl− content in the simulated water. With the increase of N, the concentration ratio of [Cl−]/[SO42−] decreased, and the content of ClO− generated by Cl− oxidation in the water increased, which affected the corrosion behavior of stainless steel. Appropriate concentrations of the ClO− can effectively inhibit pitting corrosion of the stainless steel in simulated water, and the best inhibitory effect observed when ClO− concentration was 50 mg⋅L−1. The inhibition of pitting corrosion by ClO− was attributed to the effective improvement of the Cr/Fe ratio and the oxides/hydroxides ratio in the passive film on the surface of stainless steel, thus the compactness and the protection performance of the passive film was enhanced. The results can provide reference for the design of electrochemical treatment devices and processes.

Foam-stability enhancement in biochar-infused foam concrete: Analyzing ionic strength, interparticle distance, and water state

Foam concrete boasts widespread applications in backfill engineering, energy-efficient insulation components, and road infrastructure. However, the foam concrete with lower density tends to possess the lower stability. The unstable characteristics of foam concrete restricts its application. In this study, the feasibility of employing biochars to increase stability of foamed concrete is investigated. The rheological properties of base mix are carried out to analyze the foam concrete stability. The analysis of water state, interparticle distance and ion concentration are tested to analyze the stabilization mechanisms. Our findings demonstrate that the introduction of corn husk biochar (CHBC) within the base mix expedites flocculation formation, reducing interparticle distance and subsequently elevating the yield stress. Conversely, the inclusion of rice husk biochar (RHBC) diminishes ion concentration, heightening repulsion forces between particles and thereby reducing yield stress of base mix. Higher yield stress exert the higher constraining force and frictional force to the bubbles, thereby decreasing bubble size in fresh foamed concrete, bettering pore structure, compressive strength and foam stability of foamed concrete. Additionally, the increase in CHBC content enhances pore sphericity, potentially attributed to decreased bubble deformation parameters Caη.

Hydrochemical Characteristics and Its Origin of Surface Water and Groundwater in Dianbu River Basin

Chaohu lake is a key water body for water pollution prevention and treatment in our country. However， it has been at a higher eutrophication level recently. Here， the surface water and groundwater in the Dianbu River Basin， a secondary tributary of Chaohu Lake， were taken as the research object. In order to test the hydrochemical composition and hydrogen and oxygen isotope values of different water bodies， 30 groups of surface water samples， 36 groups of groundwater samples， 16 groups of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope samples， and 18 groups of groundwater hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope samples were collected in August 2021 （wet season）， November 2021 （normal season）， and February 2022 （dry season）. The seasonal and spatial variation characteristics were analyzed to explore the hydrochemical characteristics and formation mechanism of water bodies by means of mathematical statistics， Piper triangular diagram， Gibbs figures， and ion ratios. The following results were obtained： ① precipitation was the main source of surface water and groundwater in Dianbu River Basin， and the evaporation fractionation effect of surface water was more significant than that of groundwater. At different periods， the surface water was more enriched with stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen than groundwater. The stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water showed seasonal variation， relative enrichment in the wet season， and depletion in the dry season. ② Both surface water and groundwater in the Dianbu River Basin were weakly alkaline， and the concentration of ions in surface water was significantly lower than that in groundwater. Ca2+ and Na+ were the main cations in surface water， Ca2+ was the main cation in groundwater， and the dominant anion in all water was HCO3-. The hydrochemical typology of surface water was mainly HCO3·Cl-Na·Ca， and that of groundwater was mainly HCO3-Na·Ca. ③ The concentrations of the main hydrochemical indexes of surface water and groundwater showed certain seasonal and spatial differences. From the wet season to the dry season， the concentrations of TDS， K+， Na+， Ca2+， Mg2+， Cl-， and SO42- in surface water showed an increasing trend on the whole. The concentrations of Na+， Ca2+， and Mg2+ in groundwater showed little change but increased slightly， whereas the concentrations of Cl-， SO42-， and NO3- showed an increasing trend on the whole. The concentrations of Cl-， SO42-， and NO3- in the water showed relatively large seasonal fluctuations. From upstream to downstream， the concentrations of the main hydrochemical indexes in surface water first decreased and then increased， among which the concentration of NO3- increased the most. The concentrations of the main hydrochemical indexes of groundwater in the direction of runoff changed little overall， but the concentration in the discharge area was higher than that in the recharge area. ④ The formation of hydrochemical characteristics of the water was mainly controlled by water-rock interaction but was also influenced by human factors. The water-rock action was mainly the weathering dissolution of silicate rock， salt rock， and carbonate rock. Man-made pollutants such as sewage from a sewage treatment plant， domestic sewage， and feces had obviously changed the hydrochemical characteristics of the local water. ⑤ Compared with that in 2016， the concentration of NO3- in surface water showed a certain degree of reduction. The nitrogen pollution control work carried out by the local government had achieved certain results， but it was still necessary to strengthen the pollution prevention and control of sewage and feces in the downstream of the Dianbu River， some tributaries （such as the Dingguang River and Maqiao River）， and some residential areas.

Effect of Physico-Chemical Parameters and Inorganic Nutrient Ions in Relation with Seasonal Algal Diversity of River Ichhamati, West Bengal, India.

The present study reflects seasonal algal diversity as a source of food for fishes in the river Ichhamati during October 2021 to August 2022. To understand the seasonal algal pattern in the river Ichhamati, physicochemical parameters of river water such as Hardness, Conductivity, pH, Total Dissolve Solids, Turbidity, Dissolve Oxygen, Salinity, Turbidity, Total Alkalinity, Salinity, Biological Oxygen Demand as well as biologically significant inorganic ion concentrations in river water namely sodium, potassium, calcium, carbonate, bicarbonate, nitrate, chloride were also evaluated during study period. It is found that physico-chemical parameters and inorganic ions in river water play an important and significant role in seasonal algal growth. Throughout the study period it was established that river Ichhamati is not very rich in floral diversity. During study time it was observed that dominant group of algae in this river are Chlophytes, Cyanophytes and Bacilariophyceae, including Species of Oscillatoria Nostoc, Klebsormidium, Spirogyra, Lyngbya, Chlorococcum, Chlorella, Diatoms in all seasons. During spring, summer and monsoon Conductivity, salinity, TDS and hardness of river water is high. Ichhamati contained adequate Na+, K+ and NO3- in summer and monsoon season. High rate of bio-mineralisation during winter was found due to presence of high calcium ion concentration and also high TDS along with high salinity as well as high hardness of river water.

Analysis of the Formation Mechanism of Hydrogen Sulfide in the 13# Coal Seam of Shaping Coal Mine.

In order to accurately predict the law of occurrence and migration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the underground and effectively solve the problem of excessive concentration of H2S gas, laboratory experiments on the content of various forms of sulfur in coal, sulfur isotopes, thermal evolution history, and coal seam water samples were carried out by applying the theories of coal mine geology, microbiology, and analytical chemistry, and based on the experimental results, the cause of H2S gas was explored. Through the analysis of the geological conditions of the coal seam mined, it can be seen that the coal mine experienced the alternation of marine and continental phases in the process of coal formation and that there was no magma intrusion. The experimental results showed that iron sulfide in coal accounts for 73.25% of the total sulfur, indicating that the coal seam was rich in pyrite. The results of the isotope test showed that the sulfur isotopes in coal samples were all negative, indicating that the sulfur isotope fractionation in coal was large, the loss was serious, and the coal seam was greatly affected by seawater. According to the experimental results of vitrinite reflectance, it can be concluded that the highest temperature during the thermal evolution of the coal seam is 108.12 °C, which has not reached the temperature condition of sulfate thermochemical reduction. Comparing the concentration of acid ions in coal seam water and tap water, it was found that the concentration of SO42- in coal seam water is low, while the concentration of HCO3- is high. According to the experimental results and theoretical analysis, the H2S gas in the high-sulfur coal mine was caused by microbial sulfate reduction. Finally, the transformation path of sulfur in the coal seam was deduced and analyzed. The results showed that sulfur in coal is positively correlated with H2S gas concentration.

Energy harvesting from water flow through porous reduced graphene oxide networks

AbstractUsing a syringe pump setup, the authors conducted water flow experiments through porous reduced graphene oxide (rGO). A variety of anions and cations were added to the water to study its effect on energy harvesting. More specifically, the authors performed tests to study effect of: (1) ion concentration in water, (2) type of anion used, (3) type of cation used, and (4) effect of flow rate. The test data indicates that water flow through rGO networks can directly induce drift of charge carriers in graphene and thus generate electricity. Graphene is ideally suited for this application, since it possesses high mobility charge carriers that are ready to be coupled to moving ions present in the flowing fluid. The proposed rGO material could enable harvesting of the ubiquitous, abundant, and renewable mechanical energy of moving water directly to electrical energy. Unlike traditional schemes, the graphene material directly converts the flow energy into electrical energy without the need for moving parts. Such graphene coatings could potentially replace conventional batteries (which are environmentally hazardous) in low‐power, low‐voltage, and long service‐life applications. Once scaled up, this concept offers a potentially transformative approach to energy harvesting, as opposed to incremental advances in current technologies.

Determination of iron in water by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with sorption preconcentration

Determination and monitoring of pollutants in the natural environment is an urgent task because of their impact on living organisms as a result of numerous anthropogenic impacts. For this reason, a large number of publications are devoted to the development, modification or optimization of analytical methods that can solve these problems. When determining trace elements present in various samples, such as natural and waste water, biological samples and alloy samples, direct determination by various instrumental methods is often impossible due to the matrix effect and rather low concentration of metal ions in the sample. The atomic absorption method is one of the methods widely used for the determination of iron ions, which has such advantages as simplified sample preparation, low probability of contamination and loss of elements, increased analytical productivity, the detection limit of components in the analyzed mixture reduced by several orders of magnitude, and the ability to determine trace amounts of elements in small samples. The aim of the study was to develop a technique for the preliminary concentration of Fe (III) ions in waters of various origins using a sorbent immobilized with sulfosalicylic acid and their further determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Sorbents obtained on the basis of polyacrylonitrile modified with polyethylene polyamine (PPF-1 and PPA-1) with sulfosalicylic acid immobilized on their surface were used for selective sorption of Fe (III) ions. Optimal conditions for the immobilization of sulfosalicylic acid on sorbents and the formation of complexes with Fe (III) ions were studied. The developed sorption-atomic absorption technique provided determination of low concentrations of Fe (III) ions in various waters. The use of PPF-1 as a sorbent with immobilized sulfosalicylic acid for pre-concentration of iron has a number of advantages compared to traditional atomic absorption procedure, i.e., the simplicity, high degree of iron extraction, high sensitivity and selectivity of iron determination, as well as a low cost. The detection limit of iron ions is 0.01 μg/L, Sr does not exceed 0.033.

Synthesis and application of EDTA grafed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and graphene composite for the electrochemical detection of lead(II)

ABSTRACTThe rapid and sensitive detection of heavy metal ion concentrations in water holds significant importance for water resource quality control and protection. In this study, we developed a novel electrochemical sensor utilising a composite material consisting of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) grafted metal-organic frameworks (MOFs NH2-UiO-66) and graphene to detect Pb2+ in water. The NH2-UiO-66 material exhibited a large specific surface area and porous structure, which was advantageous for the pre-enrichment of the heavy meatal ions. EDTA contained abundant – COOH groups, enabling it to chelate metal ions and increase the reaction sites of redox reactions. The introduction of graphene improved the conductivity of the composite, facilitating electron transfer and enhancing the sensitivity of the electrochemical sensor. Under optimal conditions, the linear range for Pb2+ detection was 0.1 μM–50 μM, and the limit of detection was achieved at 0.052 μM. Furthermore, simultaneous detection of Pb2+ and Cd2+ was successfully accomplished. The fabricated sensor also exhibited excellent selectivity, reproducibility and stability.

The hydrogeochemical characteristics and formation mechanism of high-fluoride mine water

Excessive fluoride ion (F−) concentrations in mine water affected by the geologic processes and coal mine activity prevent the reusage of it as domestic and production water resources. There are few researches on the accumulation mechanism of fluoride in mine water. In this study, 71 water samples and 39 rock samples were collected from 9 mines of the Inner Shaanxi-Mongolia Contiguous area for chemical analyses and laboratory experiments. Results indicate that the concentration of F− in mine water increased with the gradual increase of the coal mining depth. The average concentration of F− in no.3-1 coal mine water is higher than that in no.2-2 coal mine water. And concentrations of F− exceed the China national standard for drinking water quality (upper limit of 1 mg/L), which is closely related to fluoride in the no.3-1 coal roof groundwater and water-rock interaction in the goaf. The main hydrogeochemical processes include mineral dissolution (fluorapatite and hornblende), desorption of exchangeable F− from clay minerals (mica, illite, kaolinite and chlorite) and cation exchange between Ca2+ and Na+. Furthermore, long-term further water–rock interactions result in F− accumulation in mine water. Alkaline environments, decreased particle size of rock, and increased temperature all favor release of F− from clay mineral surface into mine water. Finally, conceptual model of high-fluoride mine water was first proposed, and the formation of high-fluoride mine water can be summed as two stages including water-rock interaction in groundwater and secondary water-rock interaction in goaf. This study helps to improve our understanding of genesis of high-fluoride mine water and our capability of predicting the future concentration, which may provide foundation for manage and utilization of mine water.

Study on the Interaction Mechanism between Residual Coal and Mine Water in Goaf of Coal Mine Underground Reservoir

In this paper, the coal pillar dam body of the underground reservoir in Daliuta coal mine, along with the residual coal and the mine water present in the goaf, were taken as research subjects, and a dynamic simulation experiment device was constructed to simulate the actual process of a coal mine underground reservoir (CMUR). The composition and structure of middling coal during the experiment were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), while changes in ion content in the mine water were assessed through ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Based on both the composition and structure of coal as well as variations in ion concentrations in water, the interaction mechanism between coal and mine water was explored. The results showed that the water–coal interaction primarily arose from the dissolution of minerals, such as rock salt and gypsum, within coal. Additionally, coal samples in mine water exhibited adsorption and precipitation of metal ions, along with cation exchange reaction. Na+ in mine water predominantly originated from the dissolution of rock salt (sodium chloride) in coal, while Ca2+ and SO42− were released through the dissolution of gypsum and other minerals in coal. In the process of the water–coal interaction, Ca2+ in the water body was adsorbed and immobilized by the coal sample, leading to the formation and deposition of CaCO3 on the surface of the coal, thereby increasing the calcite content. These processes collectively contributed to a decrease in the concentration of Ca2+ in the water body. Moreover, the cation exchange reaction occurred between Ca2+ and Mg2+ in mine water and Na+ in the coal sample. The presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ resulted in their displacement of Na+ within the coal matrix, consequently elevating Na+ concentration in the mine water while reducing both the Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations. On this basis, combined with insights from the water–rock interaction, it can be inferred that the adsorption mechanisms involving rocks played a dominant role in the decrease of Ca2+ concentration during the water–rock interactions. Meanwhile, the dissolution processes of minerals both in the water–rock and water–coal interactions predominantly contributed to the increase of Na+ and Cl− concentrations.

Cu-Based Nanoneedle Array for Electrochemical Detection of Nitrate

The extensive usage of nitrogen-based fertilizers, food preservatives and explosive chemicals in various industries has led to the accumulation of nitrate in the ecosystems, especially in soil and water bodies. Several severe environmental and human health issues, including eutrophication, diseases related to N-nitroso compounds (such as Cancer, Parkinson and Gastritis) and blue-baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia), have arisen from the excessive nitrate concentration in the environment. Consequently, various government and regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have established the maximum nitrate ion concentration in drinkable water at 44 mg/L (0.71 mM). In this context, an accurate monitoring of the level of nitrate becomes important in environmental pollution control, food, clinical analysis, and other industries. While the spectroscopy techniques are of the most use due to its high precision and low limit of detection (LOD), these methods frequently require skilled workforces and specific instrumentations to operate. The electrochemical sensors benefit from recent developments of new nanomaterials to detect nitrate with a quick response, ability of continuously monitoring, small and simple instrumentation as well as easy to use. Several studies have utilized different strategies to fabricate Cu-based nanostructures (such as nanoparticles, nanoclusters, nanowires, and single-crystals) to achieve a low LOD. However, the sensitivity that has been achieved so far is still relatively low compared to the requirements for the real sampling applications.In this work, we utilized a one-step electrodeposition method to prepare Cu-based nano-array electrodes with high active surface sites, aiming for a fast and sensitive electrochemical detection of nitrate. The morphology of the array can be fine-tuned between nanoneedle and nanowire structures (Figure 1a and 1b). The x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicate that the Cu-based nanoneedle array exhibited an abundant Cu(220) facet than the nanowire systems, which is usually associated with the active edge sites on copper (Figure 1c). The nanoneedle array was used for nitrate sensing via Cyclic Voltammetry methods which showed a sensitivity of 2.8 μA/μM*cm2, about 5-fold higher than the Cu foil control electrode (Figure 1d). The main reason of the sensitivity enhancement is that the nanoneedle structure resulted in a 30 times enrichment in the surface area compared to the Cu foil as shown in the electrochemical surface area (ECSA) measurement. Overall, our study provides a novel and convenient design of highly ordered Cu nanoneedle array structure for the sensitive electrochemical detection of nitrate. Figure 1

AN EVALUATION OF THE GANGA RIVER’S CARBON FLOW AND ITS IMPACT ON INDIA’S NUTRITIONAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE

<p>Changes in weather patterns and the global climate are a result of global warming, which has been linked to rising carbon dioxide concentrations. Understanding the mechanisms on earth that have an impact on atmospheric carbon concentrations and its cycling—collectively referred to as the "Carbon cycle"—is essential for estimating carbon budgets. Studies on carbon budgets have largely ignored the role of inland waterways in the carbon cycle, yet rivers play an active role by absorbing/releasing carbon into the atmosphere and transferring dissolved carbon into oceans. In tropical parts of the planet, it is anticipated that water bodies, like as rivers, would contribute to carbon emissions to a greater extent newline Although there are many studies on the impact of human activity on the Ganga River, there are very few that take an ecological viewpoint. In light of these facts, the following was designed as the study's hypothesis: newline The Ganga River has positive feedbacks as a result of human activity, which alters the environment at a level significantly greater than what has previously been projected.The current investigation was conducted in a significant tropical, non-perennial river of the Ganga. In order to calculate the carbon flow of the Ganga river newline, it is important to understand the interaction between geological processes and the concentration of different ions in groundwater and surface water.</p>

Fog and rain water chemistry in a tea plantation of northern Taiwan.

Tea plantations are expanding globally and many are in mountainous areas with frequent fog but few studies have examined fog chemistry in these areas. We examined chemical composition of fog and rain water at a tea plantation in northern Taiwan. Fog water was collected using a Kroneis passive cylindrical fog-water collector and rain water was collected using a 20-cm-diameter funnel. The most abundant ions were Cl- and Na+ in both fog and rain waters due to the proximity of the site to the coast. The order of abundance of other ions was NO3- > Mg2+ > SO42- > Ca2+ > NH4+ > K+ > H+ in fog water and SO42- > K+ > NO3- > NH4+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > H+ in rain water. The concentration enrichment ratio (fog to rain) ranged between 2.2 (K+) and 22 (Mg2+) lying between sites near major emission sources and sites in remote areas, possibly because the immediate surrounding landscape is covered with secondary forests although it is near large cities. Factor analysis highlights the influences of sea-salt aerosols on the variation of fog and rain water chemistry. Sea-salt corrections using Na+ as the sea salt tracer led to negative concentrations of Cl- and Mg2+ suggesting that assumptions involved in sea-salt corrections were not satisfied. Agriculture influence is identified as a unique factor for explaining variance of K+, NH4+, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations in fog water but not rain water. Ion concentrations in fog and rain water were generally higher in the weekly samples associated with air trajectories passing through the continental East Asia than those associated with oceanic trajectories pointing to the role of regional pollution sources in affecting local fog and rain water chemistry. Our study highlights greater effects of tea agriculture on fog than rain water chemistry.

Janus MXene-based photothermal membrane for efficient and durable water evaporation

The interfacial solar steam generation for seawater desalination has attracted attentions of many researchers because of its excellent photothermal performance and efficiency. However, relatively high cost, complex equipment, and poor salt resistance limit its further practicability. Therefore, a solar evaporator with low cost, easily prepared and certain salt resistance is desideration. For this purpose, MXene was chosen as a light absorber, and filterable deposited on filter paper easily to obtain MXene-based flexible Janus membranes. Due to the introduction of ethyl cellulose, the membrane has Janus characteristics of hydrophobic upper layer, hydrophilic lower layer. Besides, the elasticity, multiple folding skill means it can be used for a long time, efficient desalination of seawater. Under one solar intensity of light, the light absorption rate of the MXene flexible Janus membrane can reach 90.81 %, the average evaporation rate is 1.34 kg m−2 h−1 in nearly 120 h of evaporation experiments, the average evaporation efficiency ≈ 81.5 %, and the main ion concentration of fresh water obtained after the experiments was also far below the World Health Organization standard. In summary, it was demonstrated that the device is suitable for long-term and efficient solar seawater desalination.