Organic Pollutants Research Articles

PbO2 /graphite and graphene/carbon fiber as an electrochemical cell for oxidation of organic contaminants in refinery wastewater by electrofenton process; electrodes preparation, characterization and performance

The electro-Fenton oxidation process was used to treat organic pollutants in industrial wastewater as it is one of the most efficient advanced oxidation processes. The novel cell in this process consists of a prepared PbO2 electrode by electrodeposition on graphite substrate and carbon fiber modified with graphene as a cathode. X-ray diffraction, fluorescence, analysis system, atomic force microscopy, and scan electron microscopy were used to characterize the prepared anode and cathode. XRD patterns clearly show the characteristic reflection of the mixture of  - and β phases of PbO2 on graphite and carbon fiber, and AFM results for cathode and anode present that PbO2 on graphite substrate and graphene on carbon fiber surface are on a nanoscale. Contact angle measurement was determined for the carbon fiber cathode before and after modification. The anodic polarization curve showed a higher anodic current when utilizing the PbO2 anode than the graphite anode. Phenol in simulated wastewater was removed by electro-Fenton oxidation at 8 mA/cm2 current density, 0.4 mM of ferrous ion concentration at 35 °C up to 6 h of electrolysis. Chemical oxygen demand for the treated solution was removed by 94.02 % using the cell consisting of modified anode and cathode compared with 81.23% using modified anode and unmodified cathode and 79.87 % when using unmodified anode and modified cathode.

Biotemplated Fe/La-co-doped TiO2 for photocatalytic depth treatment of compressed leachate from refuse transfer station.

Compressed leachate is a contaminated liquid containing various organic and inorganic pollutants produced in municipal refuse transfer stations, which pollute soil and groundwater, posing serious risks to the environment and human health. The Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, South China) treated compressed leachate obtained from a refuse transfer station. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) (641.2mg/L) of treated compressed leachate did not meet the wastewater quality standards in China for discharge into municipal sewers (COD ≤ 500mg/L) and the company's design discharge requirements (COD ≤ 400mg/L). Therefore, their further in-depth treatment is necessary. To this end, waste tobacco leaves were used as the biotemplate herein, and Fe/La-co-doped TiO2 (xFe,yLa)-TTiO2(g) was synthesized using a solvothermal-assisted biotemplating method. The photocatalytic depth treatment of compressed leachate was performed under simulated solar light using the prepared catalysts. After (3Fe,3La)-TTiO2(g) treatment, the COD of the leachate decreased from 641.2 to 280.1mg/L, and the COD removal rate was 1.2, 1.1, and 1.6 times higher than that of pure Fe-doped, La-doped and non-biological template TiO2, respectively. Characterization confirmed that the biological template endowed the catalyst with a unique morphology and high specific surface area. Its rich activity sites are conducive to enhancing the adsorption capacity of pollutants and providing an ideal place for photocatalytic reactions. Co-doping with iron and lanthanum ions altered the band structure of TiO2 and promoted the interconversion of Fe3+/Fe2+ and La3+/La2+ during photocatalysis. First-principles density functional theory simulations demonstrated that co-doping Fe and La in TiO2 created impurity levels that facilitated the transfer of photogenerated electrons. This study provides a new purification pathway for the depth treatment of compressed leachate.

Advances in the Removal of Organic Pollutants from Water by Photocatalytic Activation of Persulfate: Photocatalyst Modification Strategy and Reaction Mechanism.

Environmental pollution caused by persistent organic pollutants has imposed big threats to the health of human and ecological systems. The development of efficient methods to effectively degrade and remove these persistent organic pollutants is therefore of paramount importance. Photocatalytic persulfate-based advanced oxidation technologies (PS-AOTs), which depend on the highly reactive SO4 - radicals generated by the activation of PS to degrade persistent organic pollutants, have shown great promise. This work discusses the application and modification strategies of common photocatalysts in photocatalytic PS-AOTs, and compares the degradation performance of different catalysts for pollutants. Furthermore, essential elements impacting photocatalytic PS-AOTs are discussed, including the water matrix, reaction process mechanism, pollutant degradation pathway, singlet oxygen generation, and potential PS hazards. Finally, the existing issues and future challenges of photocatalytic PS-AOTs are summarized and prospected to encourage their practical application. In particular, by providing new insights into the PS-AOTs, this review sheds light on the opportunities and challenges for the development of photocatalysts with advanced features for the PS-AOTs, which will be of great interests to promote better fundamental understanding of the PS-AOTs and their practical applications.

Assessing Potential of Biogas: Harnessing Sustainable Energy from Biomass for Renewable Solutions (Review)

This systematic review evaluates the potential of biogas as a sustainable energy source derived from biomass for renewable solutions. Biogas production involves the anaerobic digestion of organic materials, such as agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, and livestock manure, to generate methane-rich gas for electricity generation, heat production, and transportation fuel. The systematic review study comprehensively examines various aspects of biogas, including its production process, environmental benefits, economic viability, technical considerations, challenges, social impacts, circular economy principles, technological innovations, public perception, policy recommendations, and alignment with global climate goals and Sustainable Development Goals. Key findings indicate that biogas offers significant potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, reduce organic waste pollution, promote sustainable agriculture, and create economic opportunities. However, challenges such as technological limitations, financial constraints, and policy barriers impede the widespread adoption of biogas. Policy recommendations emphasize the importance of supportive regulatory frameworks, incentive programs, and international cooperation to facilitate biogas development. Overall, this systematic review provides understanding into the role of biogas in advancing renewable energy solutions and underscores the need for concerted efforts to realize its full potential in combating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

Assessment of biomass material as valuable electrode for high energy performance in microbial fuel cell with biodegradation of organic pollutant

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) have becomea more popular bio-electrochemical approach due to their environmental friendliness and sustainability. The anode is a vital component of the MFC, and its unstable material remains one of the primary causes of poor electron transportation throughout the reactor operations. This study seeks to improve MFC electron transport and naphthalene biodegradation by employing modified palm kernel shell (PKS)-based anode electrodes. These anode fabrications were successfully developed through the combination of PKS-based rGO hybridized into metal oxide modifiers (ZnO and TiO2). The anode electrodes were subsequently assigned PKS-rGO, PKS-rGO/TiO2, and PKS-rGO/ZnO. The power density displayed for PKS-rGO was 35.1 mW/m2, whereas the power density for the PKS-rGO/TiO2 composite anode was found to be 38.2 mW/m2. On the other hand, PKS-rGO/ZnO had a maximum power density of 45.4 mW/m2. The maximum current density (CD) in the anode PKS-rGO/ZnO was 114.0 mA/m2, indicating a comparable pattern of power output. Bacillus sp. and Niallia sp. were identified as exo-electrogens in the microbial study. In the MFC operation, the highest biodegradation efficiency was 85.50 % in the PKS-rGO settings, 92.80 % in PKS-rGO/TiO2, and94.30 % in PKS-rGO/ZnO. SEM and microbiological studies revealed that our anodes were highly biocompatible with microbes. Furthermore, this result proposes future research directions for the mortality ofanodic microbial communitiesin MFC.

Sustainable conversion of polyethylene plastic bottles into terephthalic acid, synthesis of coated MIL-101 metal–organic framework and catalytic degradation of pollutant dyes

Persistent environmental colored compounds, resistant to biodegradation, accumulate and harm eco-systems. Developing effective methods to break down these pollutants is crucial. This study introduces Ag-MIL-101 (Ag-MIL-101) as a composite and reusable catalyst that efficiently degrades specific colored organic pollutants (COPs) like Methylene blue (MB), 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP), and 4-Nitroaniline (4-NA) using sodium borohydride at room temperature. The MIL-101 was synthesized using Terephthalic acid (TPA) derived from the degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic waste, with the assistance of zinc chloride. To further investigation, the kinetics of degradation reaction was studied under optimized conditions in the presence of Ag-MIL-101 as catalyst. Our results demonstrated the remarkable efficiency of the degradation process, with over 93% degradation achieved within just 8 min. The catalyst was characterized using FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and TEM. In this study, the average particle size of Ag-MIL-101 was determined using SEM and XRD analysis. These methods allow us to accurately and precisely determine the particle size. We determined the reaction rate constants for the degradation of each COP using a pseudo first-order kinetic equation, with values of 0.585, 0.597 and 0.302 min−1 for MB, 4-NP, and 4-NA, respectively. We also evaluated the recyclability of the catalyst and found that it could be reused for up to three cycles with only a slight decrease in efficiency (10–15%). Overall, our findings highlight the promising application of Ag-MIL-101 as an effective catalyst for the degradation of COPs, emphasizing the importance of optimizing reaction conditions to achieve enhanced efficiency.

Release of PAHs from sediments to seawater under wave: Indoor microcosms and level IV fugacity models

Estuaries and coasts are located at the land-sea interface, where sediment liquefaction due to strong wave action results in significant material exchange at the sediment-seawater system. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as organic pollutants, are distributed across various media. Herein, the impact of wave was studied on the release of PAHs through indoor microcosmic experiments combined with a level IV fugacity model. Comparison revealed that the release amount and rate of PAHs during static consolidation stage were minimal, whereas wave action substantially enhanced the release. Particularly the sediments in a liquefied state, the PAHs release in Stage III was 1.55–1.86 times that in Stage II, reaching 84.73 μg/L. The loss of soil strength and strong hydrodynamic effects resulted in a substantial release of PAHs into seawater along with suspended solids. Due to volatility of 2-ring PAHs and difficult desorption of 6-ring PAHs, 3–5-ring PAHs are the main contributors to releases into seawater. The model results also indicated that the three PAHs had different fates in the sediment-seawater system, with sediment serving as an important "reservoir" for benzo[a]pyrene entering seawater, while functioning as both a "sink" and a "source" for pyrene.

Preparation of thiourea derivative incorporated Ag3PO4 core shell for enhancement of photocatalytic degradation performance of organic dye under visible radiation light

Photocatalysis is a promising technique to reduce hazardous organic pollutants using semiconductors under visible light. However, previous studies have been concerned with the behavior of silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) as n-type semiconductors, and the problem of their instability is still under investigation. Herein, 4,4′-(((oxalylbis(azanediyl)) bis(carbonothioyl)) bis(azanediyl)) dibenzoic acid is synthesized by green method and used to enhance the photocatalytic behavior for Ag3PO4. The incorporated Ag3PO4 core–shell is prepared and characterized via XRD, FT-IR, Raman, TEM and BET. Besides, the thermal stability of the prepared core shell was investigated via TGA and DSC measurements. The optical properties and the energy band gap are determined using photoluminescence and DRS measurements. The photodegradation of methylene blue in the presence of the synthesized Ag3PO4 core–shell under visible light is examined using UV/Vis measurements. The effect of initial dye concentration and contact time are studied. In addition, the kinetic behavior of the selected dye during the photodegradation process shows a pseudo-first order reaction with rate constant of 0.015 min−1 for ZAg. The reusability of the Ag3PO4 core shell is evaluated, and the efficiency changed from 96.76 to 94.02% after three cycles, indicating efficient photocatalytic behavior with excellent stability.

The enhanced photocatalytic peroxymonosulfate activation for 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid degradation over Z-scheme PTCDA/MIL-88A(Fe) under visible light

To attain significant synergy between adsorption and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for the 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) elimination, 3, 4, 9, 10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA)/MIL-88A(Fe) (PTxMy) composites were constructed by the facile ball-milling. The adsorption capacity of PT25M175 toward 2, 4-D was calculated as 76.0 mg/g at 308 K based on the Langmuir models. The decomposition of 2, 4-D in PT25M175/Vis/PMS system was investigated through a synergic action of adsorption and photocatalytic PMS activation, in which the optimum PT25M175 composite exhibited the 2, 4-D elimination efficiency up to 98.4 % within 10.0 min. The 2, 4-D degradation was mostly contributed by singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide radicals (O2•−), in which non-radical 1O2 accounts for a preponderant oxidation contribution (90.6 %). Based on LC-MS analysis, DFT computation, ecotoxicity analysis, and phytotoxicity evaluation, the 2, 4-D breakdown routes and the toxicity assessment of the degradation products were suggested. The elimination efficiency could be maintained at 97.9 % after five rounds of catalytic experiments. This study provided some guidance for compositing semiconductors with MOFs and utilizing a significant synergistic effect between adsorption and photocatalytic PMS activation to degrade organic pollutants.

Efficient Nimesulide degradation via chlorination and sun-simulated radiation: Kinetic insights, reactive species formation, and application to real wastewater

Hypochlorite mediated oxidation had been established as an efficient process for degrading organic pollutants in water. In this research work, it was evaluated the synergistic potential of solar light irradiation combined with hypochlorite on a emerging contaminant model such as Nimesulide (NIM), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. These experiments shown that at pH 3.0, where only hypochlorous acid (HOCl) prevails, the degradation constant of NIM exhibited an increase from 2.50 × 10−4 s−1 (under dark conditions) to 1.53 × 10−3 s−1 (sun-simulated radiation), signifying an approximately six-fold acceleration in degradation. Moreover, under approximately neutral pH value (7.5) wherein both HOCl and hypochlorite ion (ClO−) coexist, the enhancement observed was approximately twofold, in particular a mineralization up to 32 % was observed. This investigation also included quenching experiments conducted at varying pH levels, shedding light on the role of specific reactive species and their contributions to the degradation mechanism. The impact of synergistic effect between solar-simulated irradiation and hypochlorite systems on NIM degradation showcases a remarkable kinetic enhancement, particularly evident at lower pH values. The degradation byproducts have been identified via high resolution HPLC-MS and the main ion formed during the reaction have been monitored by IC-MS. Experiments in real sewage treatment plant waters using sun radiation revealed the promising potential and efficiency of this alternative method, despite a comparatively lower degradation rates when compared with UV lamp application. This approach offers a sustainable and economically advantageous solution for wastewater treatment.

Persulphate assisted photoelectrochemical degradation of organic pollutants in water on a silver nanoparticle modified Cu2O photoanode

This work presents the photoelectrochemical production of sulphate radicals using fluorine-doped tine oxide – silver nanoparticles – copper(I) oxide (FTO-AgNPs-Cu2O) photoanode in the presence of peroxydisulphate salt for the enhanced degradation of selected organic pollutants in water. Firstly, Cu2O was prepared via a facile and template-free one-pot method, then AgNPs were photo-reduced on the surface of the Cu2O, and the resultant product was immobilised on an FTO conductive substrate to form FTO-AgNPs-Cu2O photoanode. When the electrode was applied for the abatement of tetracycline in the presence of 3 mM peroxydisulphate salt and 1.5 V external potential, the degree of tetracycline degradation and mineralisation after 90 min was 82 % and 78 % respectively. Furthermore, the same system was able to achieve degradation of 81 % sulfamethoxazole degradation within 90 min and 100 % orange II dye degradation within 30 min. The photoanode was efficient in the treatment of real wastewater containing tetracycline. Scavenger studies reveal that holes, hydroxyl, and sulphate radicals significantly participated in the degradation process. The electrode is stable and therefore applicable for the abatement of other organic pollutants in a persulphate-assisted photoelectrochemical degradation system.

Efficient microwave regeneration of iron-modified Na-based montmorillonite and Na-based attapulgite for enhanced adsorption of tetracycline in water

A novel iron-modified Na-based montmorillonite (Fe-MT) or iron-modified Na-based attapulgite (Fe-AT) adsorbent is successfully prepared using ion exchange method and applied to remove tetracycline (TC) in water, and the spent adsorbents saturated with organic pollutants are regenerated under microwave (MW) irradiation. The influences of the ratio of Fe3+ and cation exchange capacity, adsorption time, adsorbent dosage, MW power, and irradiation time are investigated. The possible adsorption and MW regeneration mechanism is also proposed. The results indicate that Fe-MT and Fe-AT have enhanced interlayer spacing and surface area after the Na-based montmorillonite (Na-MT) or Na-based attapulgite (Na-AT) are modified using Fe3+. 97.70 % and 95.04 % adsorption are obtained using Fe-MT and Fe-AT within 30.0 min at 298 K, respectively, while 78.54 % and 61.92 % adsorption are obtained using Na-MT and Na-AT, respectively. Also, the adsorption processes fit well with pseudo-second-order reaction kinetic and Freundlich model, signifying chemical and multilayered adsorption. The adsorption of TC using the above four adsorbents are spontaneous and endothermic. Moreover, MW regeneration can enhance the adsorption capacity of Fe-MT or Fe-AT, and the regeneration ratios can reach 98.82 % and 93.14 % under 800 W MW within 5.0 min, respectively. By comparison, the adsorption capacity, regeneration performance and reusability of Fe-MT with larger interlayer spacing and surface area are superior to that of Fe-AT. Therefore, this work provides new perspectives on the adsorption technique using modified clay minerals as adsorbents for dealing antibiotics in water and wastewater, and the MW regeneration technology for regenerating spent adsorbents saturated with organic pollutants.

A recyclable and durable magnetic cobalt nanoparticle-embedded mesoporous graphene nanohybrid for removal of pollutants from aqueous media

Cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) embedded in mesoporous graphene (MG) were prepared via a hydrothermal reaction followed by carbothermal reduction in an argon atmosphere. This cobalt nanoparticle-embedded mesoporous graphene (CoMG) was systematically investigated for structural, morphological, and magnetic properties before and after 10 successive cycles of adsorption and regeneration, using methylene blue (MB) dye as a model pollutant. The CoMG nanohybrid has a superior specific surface area of 807 m2 g−1, with a significant mesopore volume of 1.63 cm3 g−1 that allows fast and high pollutant removal efficiency of ∼84 % within 30 min as well as the maximum adsorption capacity of 178.6 mg g−1 with MB solution of 100 mg L−1, which is well described with pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics. The consecutive adsorption−regeneration experiments revealed that the CoMG nanohybrid retained more than half of the initial dye removal efficiency even after being reused 10 times. After the tenth cycle, the regenerated CoMG maintained a high specific area of 688 m2 g−1 and a large mesopore volume of 1.51 cm3 g−1, indicating the long-lasting porous structure of the CoMG nanohybrid. The metallic cobalt phase and ferromagnetic nature of the Co NPs in the nanohybrid are retained because of the host MG, which prevents nanoparticle aggregation and serves as a protective environment for the embedded Co NPs in aqueous media during the adsorption−regeneration cycle tests of the adsorbent. The experimental results demonstrate that the CoMG nanohybrid has superior pollutant removal capacity and maintains more than half of the initial efficiency even after 10 cycles of use, making it a cost-efficient and energy-saving material for the removal of organic pollutants from aqueous media and in other environmental applications.

Preparation of ternary composite film TiO2/Fe2O3/Ti3C2 for photoelectrocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and bacterial inactivation in water

Global water pollution is a serious problem, and photoelectrocatalytic technology is expected to be a new path to solve it. In this study, a ternary composite TiO2/Fe2O3/Ti3C2 photoanode was synthesized by hydrothermal, water bath, and spin-coating methods for the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of pollutants and disinfection in water. The results showed that the composite film was capable of degrading 96.74 % of MB solution within 120 min and killing 99.43 % of E. coli and 100.00 % of S. aureus within 30 min. Furthermore, the MB degradation efficiency remained nearly constant throughout the 35th cyclic photoelectrocatalytic reaction, demonstrating the adequate stability of the photoanode. The outstanding performance of the film is attributed to (1) the large specific surface area due to the unique structure of composite, (2) low surface-interface resistance and improvement of photogenerated carrier separation and migration because of heterojunction structure and co-catalyst Ti3C2 with high conductivity. It is also proved that the four radicals ·O2-, ·OH, ∙Cl, ∙ClO play a role in the system. This study provides a practical direction for designing future photocatalytic materials and advancing the treatment of pollutants in water.

Occurrence of organic ultraviolet absorbers in the particle and gas samples from plastic greenhouses: Human inhalation intake risk assessment

The environmental pollution of organic ultraviolet absorbers (UVAs) has attracted global attention. However, the distribution, sources and risk assessment of UVAs in air from plastic greenhouses are rarely reported. This study was the first to investigate the concentrations of ten UVAs in the air samples from plastic greenhouses. The total concentrations of ten UVAs (∑10UVAs) in the air samples ranged from 5.7 × 103 ng/m3 to 6.3 × 103 ng/m3 (median 5.7 × 103 ng/m3) in greenhouses covered with biodegradable mulch film, 288.2 ng/m3 to 376.4 ng/m3 (median 333.9 ng/m3) in greenhouses covered with PE mulch film, and 97.9 ng/m3 to 142.6 ng/m3 (median 114.9 ng/m3) in greenhouses covered without mulch film. The concentrations of ten UVAs in 65 commercial agricultural films were simultaneously analyzed. Additionally, the potential health risks for greenhouse workers exposed to UVAs were estimated. And the migration simulations showed that the health risk in greenhouses may be higher even if only one UVA is added to the biodegradable mulch film. Therefore, the exposure risk of UVAs in plastic greenhouses needs to be highly prioritized.

Magnetically separable Z-scheme ZnFe2O4/MoS2 photocatalyst for boosting photo-Fenton degradation activity by a hole-mediated mechanism

The development of high-efficiency and robust photocatalysts is imperative and challenging in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Herein, magnetically separable ZnFe2O4/MoS2 photocatalyst was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The degradation characteristics of several organic pollutants (rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange, methylene blue, and antibiotic tetracycline) were investigated with/without the addition of H2O2 under visible light irradiation. It is found that the synergistic effect of Z-scheme ZnFe2O4/MoS2 photocatalyst and photo-fenton-like reaction promotes the decomposition of H2O2, accelerates the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, and thus improves the photocatalytic activity. The RhB photo-degradation of the constructed Z-scheme ZnFe2O4/MoS2 (96.3%) photocatalyst in the absence of H2O2 for 100min is better than that of MoS2 (74.8%) and ZnFe2O4 (6.2%), with a rate constant of 0.0332min-1. The slight amount of H2O2 boosts the photocatalytic performance significantly. Its degradation rate is 98.6% within 8min with the rate constant of 0.396min-1, 12 times higher than that of ZnFe2O4/MoS2 photocatalyst without H2O2. The magnetic separation, recycling stability and neutral solution process are also confirmed in ZnFe2O4/MoS2 system, indicating the enormous potential of this photocatalyst in environmental remediation and waste water treatment. The hole-mediated oxidation mechanism has been proposed instead of conventional active radicals of •OH based on the free radicals capture and electron spin resonance experiments. MoS2 plays a crucial role in facilitating the H2O2 decomposition and realizing the conversion circulation from Fe3+ to Fe2+ by the redox cycling as a co-catalyst. This study provides insights into the photocatalytic mechanism of Z-scheme photo-Fenton heterojunction photocatalysts, conducive to the development of high-efficient and stable photocatalysts in AOPs.

Photocatalytic Performance of the BaSn-based Nanoscale Materials for the Organic Pollutants Enhanced by Sm (Er) Doping

Background: Sm (Er) doping is an effective strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. BaSnbased nanorods possess wide band gap energy, which limits the photocatalytic application. It is important to research the feasibility of the improved photocatalytic performance of the BaSnbased nanorods by doping with Sm (Er). Objective: The aim is to synthesize Sm (Er)-doped BaSn-based nanoscale materials through a simple hydrothermal process and research the photocatalytic performance of the Sm (Er)-doped BaSn-based nanoscale materials for the gentian violet degradation. Methods: Sm (Er)-doped BaSn-based nanoscale materials with a polycrystalline structure were synthesized through a simple hydrothermal process. The Sm (Er)-doped composites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, solid diffuse reflectance spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results: Sm (Er) doping induces the morphological evolution of the BaSn-based nanoscale materials from the nanorods to irregular nanoscale particles. Sm (Er) in the doped BaSn-based nanoscale materials exists in the form of the cubic Sm2Sn2O7 and orthorhombic ErF3 phases. The band gap value is decreased with increasing the Sm (Er) dopant contents. Sm (Er)-doped BnSnbased nanoscale materials with the Sm (Er) content of 8wt.% have the lowest band gap and show the strongest light absorption ability. Compared with the un-doped BaSn-based nanoscale materials, the Sm (Er)-doped BnSn-based nanoscale materials exhibit higher photocatalytic activity for the gentian violet degradation. 8wt.% Sm-doped BnSn-based nanoscale materials show the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the gentian violet. 20 mL gentian violet solution (concentration of 10 mg·L-1) can be totally degraded using 20 mg 8wt.% Sm-doped BnSnbased nanoscale materials under UV light illumination for 150 min. Conclusion: The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Sm (Er)-doped BnSn-based nanoscale materials can be attributed to the decreased band gap, enhanced light absorption ability, and decreased recombination of the photo-generated electron-hole pairs.

Adsorption behavior of triazine pesticides on polystyrene microplastics aging with different processes in natural environment

The presence of microplastics in the ecological environment, serving as carriers for other organic pollutants, has garnered widespread attention. These microplastics exposed in the environment may undergo various aging processes. However, there is still a lack of information regarding how these aged microplastics impact the environmental behavior and ecological toxicity of pollutants. In this study, we modified polystyrene microplastics by simulating the aging behavior that may occur under environmental exposure, and then explored the adsorption behavior and adsorption mechanism of microplastics before and after aging for typical triazine herbicides. It was shown that all aging treatments of polystyrene increased the adsorption of herbicides, the composite aged microplastics had the strongest adsorption capacity and the fastest adsorption rate, and of the three herbicides, metribuzin was adsorbed the most by microplastics. The interactions between microplastics and herbicides involved mechanisms such as hydrophobic interactions, surface adsorption, the effect of π-π interactions, and the formation of hydrogen bonds. Further studies confirmed that microplastics adsorbed with herbicides cause greater biotoxicity to E. coli. These findings elucidate the interactions between microplastics before and after aging and triazine herbicides. Acting as carriers, they alter the environmental behavior and ecological toxicity of organic pollutants, providing theoretical support for assessing the ecological risk of microplastics in water environments.

Cultivation of yeasts on liquid digestate to remove organic pollutants and nutrients and for potential application as co-culture with microalgae

In this study, the growth of yeast and yeast-like fungi in the liquid digestate from vegetable wastes was investigated in order to remove nutrients and organic pollutants, and for their application as co-culture members with green microalgae. The studied yeast strains were characterized for their assimilative and enzymatic profiles as well as temperature requirements. In the first experimental stage, the growth dynamics of each strain were determined, allowing to select the best yeasts for further studies. In the subsequent stage, the ability of selectants to remove organic pollutants was assessed. Different cultivation media containing respectively 1:3, 1:1, 3:1 vol ratio of liquid digestate and the basal minimal medium were used. Among all tested yeast strains, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa DSM 70825 showed the most promising results, demonstrating the highest potential for removing organic substrates and nutrients. Depending on the medium, this strain achieved 50–80% sCOD, 45–60% tVFAs, 21–45% TN, 33–52% PO43− reduction rates. Similar results were obtained for the strain Candida sp. OR687571. The high nutrient and organics removal efficiency by these yeasts could likely be linked to their ability to assimilate xylose (being the main source of carbon in the liquid digestate). In culture media containing liquid digestate, both yeast strains achieved good viability and proliferation potential. In the liquid digestate medium, R. mucilaginosa and Candida sp. showed vitality at the level of 51.5% and 45.0%, respectively. These strains seem to be a good starting material for developing effective digestate treatment strategies involving monocultures and/or consortia with other yeasts or green microalgae.

β-Lactoglobulin-based aerogels: Facile preparation and sustainable removal of organic contaminants from water

Economically and efficiently removing organic pollutants from water is still a challenge in wastewater treatment. Utilizing environmentally friendly and readily available protein-based natural polymers to develop aerogels with effective removal performance and sustainable regeneration capability is a promising strategy for adsorbent design. Here, a robust and cost-effective method using inexpensive β-lactoglobulin (BLG) as raw material was proposed to fabricate BLG-based aerogels. Firstly, photocurable BLG-based polymers were synthesized by grafting glycidyl methacrylate. Then, a cross-linking reaction, including photo-crosslinking and salting-out treatment, was applied to prepared BLG-based hydrogels. Finally, the BLG-based aerogels with high porosity and ultralight weight were obtained after freeze-drying. The outcomes revealed that the biocompatible BLG-based aerogels exhibited effective removal performance for a variety of organic pollutants under perfectly quiescent conditions, and could be regenerated and reused many times via a simple and rapid process of acid washing and centrifugation. Overall, this work not only demonstrates that BLG-based aerogels are promising adsorbents for water purification but also provides a potential way for the sustainable utilization of BLG.