Secondary Environmental Pollution Research Articles

Porous red mud ceramsite for aquatic phosphorus removal: Application in constructed wetlands

Red mud (RM) and spent oyster mushroom substrate (SOMS), by-products of industrial and agricultural production, can be recycled for polluted freshwater purification, bringing about a win-win situation. In this study, unacidified RM and RM acidified with oxalic acid (O-RM) and hydrochloric acid (H-RM), respectively, were mixed with SOMS to produce a porous ceramsite as a potential constructed wetlands (CWs) substrate. The results showed that the O-RM, H-RM, and RM ceramsites displayed fine compressive strengths of 7.75 ± 1.14, 8.40 ± 1.30, and 8.84 ± 0.69 MPa after calcining at 950 °C for 30 min, respectively. The phosphorus adsorption capacities of H-RM, O-RM, and RM ceramsite at a solid-liquid ratio of 25 g/L were 1.18 mg/g, 0.88 mg/g, and 1.06 mg/g, respectively. Toxicity release experiments showed that the ceramsites did not cause secondary environmental pollution, except for arsenic (ranging from 0.210 to 0.238 mg/L). The H-RM ceramsite was tested in a tidal flow-vertical flow CW (TF-VFCW) with Iris pseudacorus L. and Canna indica L plants. In the TF-VFCW, the average chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) removal rates were 81.01, 90.25, 66.90, and 77.32 %, respectively. Plant growth had less impact on COD and NH4-N removal but had greater limited TN and TP removal. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that acid pretreatment and the incorporation of SOMS significantly increased the surface and interior porous structures of the ceramsite and enhanced phosphate adsorption by the polyhydroxyl aluminum-iron complex ions. Bacteroides and Campylobacter used the energy produced during polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) catabolism to absorb phosphorus. Therefore, the synergistic effect of the substrate, plants, and microorganisms achieved the removal of phosphorus from CWs and offered effective and environmentally friendly recycling of RM and SOMS.

Efficient capture of particulate matter with composite air filters comprising bamboo-derived nanofiber and base paper

Particulate-matter (PM) air filters comprising chemically synthesized polymers and petroleum-based materials are not environmentally sustainable because they do not biodegrade, causing secondary environmental pollution. To overcome this problem, we synthesized and analyzed the PM-capturing performance of composite sandwich-structured air filters containing bamboo-derived lignocellulose nanofibers and lignocellulose base paper. Bamboo pulp was produced through an organosolv process, and lignocellulose nanofibers and lignocellulose base paper were manufactured via electrospinning and paper processes, respectively. The manufacturing process was not only optimized via a rheological analysis of the precursor solution with different mixed solvent composition (6:4, 5:5, and 4:6 of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate:dimethylformamide) and different lignocellulose weight percent (3.3, 4.0, and 4.6 wt%), but also via nanofiber characterization, including electrospinnability, diameter distribution, and basis weight. The base paper condition was optimized based on analyses of the air permeability, PM filtration efficiency, and strength according to the paper thickness of 0.38 ± 0.05 and 0.10 ± 0.05 mm. As the lignocellulose nanofibers and base paper effectively captured particles smaller and larger than 2.5 μm, respectively, the structure of their composite sandwich-structured air filter was optimized to improve its PM-capturing performance. The study results provide new insights into the manufacturing of highly efficient PM air filters suitable for practical applications with diverse PM size distributions.

“Three-dimensional environment-friendly” amino acid functionalized chitosan: Uranium adsorption performance and mechanism research

To achieve the goals of “carbon peak and carbon neutrality” and sustainable development, we propose “Three-Dimensional Environment-Friendly” materials to balance the urgent need for the development of clean energy and the reduction of secondary environmental pollution during adsorbent preparation. In this study, three novel chitosan adsorbents (CMNSC-Leu, CMNSC-Pro, CMNSC-Phe) for uranium adsorption were designed on the basis of molecular level and successfully synthesized with three different amino acids (leucine, proline, phenylalanine) through amidation reaction in an aqueous environment using a sustainable green chitosan material. The uranium adsorption capacity of the three adsorbents was evaluated by batch adsorption, selectivity and recyclability studies. The adsorption reaction conformed to the pseudo-second-order model and was a spontaneous endothermic reaction. In particular, the maximum adsorption capacity of CMNSC-Pro for uranium was 462.7 mg·g−1 at C0 = 100 ppm. In addition, CMNSC-Pro showed better selectivity and good reusability. DFT calculation and IRI diagram were applied in this work to analyze the unique structure and adsorption process of CMNSC-Pro from the perspective of structure. Uranium was adsorbed by CMNSC-Pro via coordination, electrostatic interaction, and intraparticle diffusion. This work provided a new idea for the structural design and construction of new high-efficiency biomass adsorbents.

A review of direct recycling methods for spent lithium-ion batteries

The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in new energy storage systems and electric vehicles implies a surge in both the shipment and scrapping of LIBs. LIBs contain a lot of harmful substances, and improper disposal can cause severe environment damage. Developing efficient recycling technology has become the key to the sustainable growth of the LIBs industry. At present, the extraction of high-value materials from spent LIBs using pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes is most usual. However, they consume a lot of energy and lead to secondary environmental pollution, which is not consistent with the idea of creating a green circular economy. Direct recycling has been suggested as a possible alternative method of dealing with the spent LIBs under non-destructive conditions in the further. Compared with traditional metallurgical technologies, direct regeneration significantly reduces the consumption of energy and chemical reagents, and has a high selectivity for certain metal ions, which is environmentally friendly. However, direct cycling is still in its infancy with many scientific and technological barriers. In this review, we first consider the necessity of recycling spent LIBs, and then summarize the failure mechanisms of degraded cathode materials in order to choose a corresponding regeneration method. The direct cycling technologies, including hydrothermal, solid-state, eutectic medium and electrochemical regeneration are introduced separately from the perspective of the experimental process, operating parameters, regeneration principles, advantages, and effects. Furthermore, the current problems and potential future research on the direct cycling of spent LIBs are also discussed.

Insights into Aerosol Emission Control in the Postcombustion CO2 Capture Process: From Cluster Formation to Aerosol Growth.

Aerosols produced in the amine carbon capture process can lead to secondary environmental pollution. This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate cluster formation, amine behavior, and aerosol growth of amines, essential for reducing amine aerosol emissions. Results showed that the cluster evolution process can be divided into cluster formation and growth in terms of molecular content, and the nucleation rate for the present systems was estimated in the order of 1028 cm-3 s-1. CO2 absorption was observed alongside successful nucleation, with CO2 predominantly localizing in the cluster's outer layer postabsorption. Monoethanolamine (MEA) exhibited robust electrostatic interactions with other components via hydrogen bonding, leading to its migration toward regions where CO2 and H2O coexisted within the cluster. While MEA presence markedly spurred cluster formation, its concentration had a marginal effect on the final cluster size. Elevating water content can augment the aerosol growth rate. However, altering the gas saturation is possible only within narrow confines by introducing vapor. Contrarily, gas cooling introduced dual, opposing effects on aerosol growth. These findings, including diffusion coefficients and growth rates, enhance theoretical frameworks for predicting aerosol formation in absorbers, aiding in mitigating environmental impacts of amine-based carbon capture.

Effect of zero-valent iron (ZVI) and biogas slurry reflux on methane production by anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

This study aimed to improve anaerobic digestion (AD) efficiency through the addition of zero-valent iron (ZVI) and biogas slurry. This paper demonstrated that methane production was most effectively promoted at a biogas slurry reflux ratio of 60%. The introduction of ZVI into anaerobic systems does not enhance its bioavailability. However, both biogas slurry reflux and the combination of ZVI with biogas slurry reflux increase the relative abundance of microorganisms involved in the direct interspecific electron transfer (DIET) process. Among them, the dominant microorganisms Methanosaeta, Methanobacterium, Methanobrevibacter, and Methanolinea accounted for over 60% of the total methanogenic archaea. The Tax4Fun function prediction results indicate that biogas slurry reflux and the combination of ZVI with biogas slurry reflux can increase the content of key enzymes in the acetotrophic and hydrotrophic methanogenesis pathways, thereby strengthening these pathways. The corrosion of ZVI promotes hydrogen production, and the biogas slurry reflux provided additional alkaline and anaerobic microorganisms for the anaerobic system. Their synergistic effect promoted the growth of hydrotrophic methanogens and improved the activities of various enzymes in the hydrolysis and acidification phases, enhanced the system's buffer capacity, and prevented secondary environmental pollution. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Optimal methane production was achieved at a biogas slurry reflux ratio of 60%. Biogas slurry reflux in anaerobic digestion substantially reduced discharge. ZVI addition in combination with biogas slurry reflux facilitates the DIET process.

High-performance low-profile green electromagnetic interference shielding material for 5G mm-wave using characteristic mode theory

With the rapid development of 5G communication technology, high-frequency electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding plays a vital role in the normal operation of electrical and electronic equipment and systems, and has attracted surging interest in 5G mm-wave applications. However, many current EMI shielding materials contain highly conductive materials, resulting in strong secondary reflection and environmental pollution. Here, we propose a green high-performance EMI shielding material for 5G mm-wave based on a metamaterial absorber (MMA). Characteristic mode theory and equivalent circuit are employed to inversely design the unit cell’s dimension and structure, as well as the resistive value of the proposed MMA. We reveal that from 22 to 43.5 GHz, the shielding effectiveness of higher than 30 dB, and the standard green index of SER < 3.01 dB and g s ⩾ 1 can be realized whether the MMA is flat or even bent. Excellent agreement between the measured and simulated results verified the high performance of the proposed EMI shielding MMA. The transmittance of over 85.84% can be achieved within the 380 ∼ 800 nm spectrum. The proposed green EMI shielding material integrates multi-functionalities of low profile, flexibility, polarization-insensitiveness, wide-angle, and optical transparency, and can find potential applications in EMI shielding in complex electromagnetic environments.

Eco-friendly and stable triclosan removal from groundwater using peroxyacetic acid activated with biochar produced from saccharification residues

Biochar is a cost-effective activator in advanced oxidation processes, its progressive release of soluble substances during application can potentially reduce the stability of its activation efficiency and induce secondary environmental pollution. Addressing these drawbacks of biochar, this study focused on enhancing its stability and the efficacy of peracetic acid (PAA) in removing triclosan from groundwater, employing a saccharification residue-based biochar (BC-SR). The research findings indicated that the efficacy of triclosan removal by BC-SR/PAA surpassed that of ordinary biochar (BC-O) by 1.33 times. Furthermore, utilizing the response surface methodology design, the synergistic efficiency of BC-SR/PAA was enhanced, achieving a removal rate of up to 90%. The high removal efficiency of BC-SR could be attributed to its microporous structure, surface area, loss of stability, and thermal stability, which were all significantly better than BC-O. Even after 10 cycles of reuse, the removal efficiency of BC-SR still maintained 77% of its initial efficiency. Notably, the activation mechanism of BC-SR/PAA was different from typical carbonaceous materials, as the degradation system's main active substances were ·O2− and 1O2, and BC-SR's active sites may be its surface's persistent free radicals. Moreover, column tests using natural groundwater and soil emulated BC-SR's role as a permeable reactive barrier. Results underscored the BC-SR/PAA system's formidable removal and anti-interference abilities. Analysis showed triclosan degradation products have lower toxicity, highlighting their practical value. This research addresses the challenge of inadequate removal efficiency and secondary pollution in in-situ groundwater remediation, particularly associated with complex substrates. This approach, unlike biochar ‘burdening’, offers a novel concept for ‘de-burdening’ biochar activation.

An Autonomous Mobile Combination Disinfection System.

To address the common drawbacks of current disinfection robots, which include the potential for secondary environmental pollution, disinfection dead corners, and low efficiency, in this paper, an autonomous mobile combination disinfection system is proposed. The system utilizes ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a low-concentration hydrogen peroxide aerosol to kill pathogens. It comprises three parts: a human-computer interface, a mobile robot, and disinfection equipment. A disinfection process model with continuous and fixed-point modes was established, and the effective disinfection range, speed, and duration were quantitatively calculated. The developed prototype was tested on-site by a professional third-party testing agency. The experimental results demonstrated that the combination disinfection robot achieved a 92.95% disinfection rate of natural airborne bacteria in a room measuring 22 square meters with a height of 2.8 m in just 30 min. The disinfection efficiency is at least 25% higher compared to standalone UV lamp disinfection and also exhibits a noticeable improvement over standalone hydrogen peroxide aerosol disinfection. The system enables the environmentally friendly, rapid, efficient, and all-encompassing disinfection of natural airborne bacteria. Finally, various disinfection solutions and recommendations for different application scenarios and requirements are provided.

Enhancing geotechnical reinforcement: Exploring molybdenum tailings and basalt fibre-modified composites for sustainable construction

Excessive tailings accumulation leads to secondary disasters and environmental pollution. Although the tailings used in this experiment have been filtered by beneficiation, the tailings soil itself has low strength and is not suitable for direct use as engineering materials. In order to make better secondary use of molybdenum tailings and improve the mechanical properties of tailings soil, the basalt fibre reinforcement method was used to improve the strength of tailings soil. We assessed the reinforcement embedding effect of fibre reinforcement in molybdenum tailings from macro and micro perspectives. Triaxial shear tests and numerical simulations of rigid fibre-modified tailings were performed and compared with indoor tests. We obtained the stress–strain curve, inter-particle displacement field, and soil particle friction cloud map. Tailings had fine- and medium-grained embedded particles with strong roughness and minimal agglomeration. Fibres exhibited good support and shear resistance. Microscopic analysis confirmed excellent tailings particle embedding. Under different confining pressures, the optimal combination of triaxial shear strength was as follows: water-cement ratio was 0.17, fibre content was 0.8% and fibre length was 9 mm. The results of laboratory triaxial test show that the peak strength of basalt modified tailings is increased by 21.70% compared with that of unmodified molybdenum tailings. By exploring the mechanical properties of fibre modified molybdenum tailings, it is found that basalt fibre can improve the strength of molybdenum tailings sand, and provide a reference for the application of fibre modified sand in civil engineering.

Synergistic improvement of mechanical and adsorption properties by constructing physical multiple-network hydrogel for removing uranium

Biomass hydrogels, a kind of favorable adsorbents, have been applied extensively in uranium removal due to its three-dimensional network structure. However, it usually can not maintain good mechanical properties and adsorption properties simultaneously. Furthermore, chemical hydrogels, due to the usage of hazardous chemical crosslinkers and initiators, would inevitably result in secondary environmental pollution during its preparation. To improve the poor mechanical property of biomass polymer gellen gum (GG) as an adsorbent, while maintaining its good adsorption capacity, a multiple-network hydrogel (GG-CS-Ca) was physicallly constructed by self-assembly using GG and another cationic polyelectrolyte chitosan (CS) together with Ca2+ in this work. The structure, morphology and stability were disclosed by FTIR, SEM, EDS, XPS and TG analysis. Furthermore, its adsorption properties were systematically investigated by static and dynamic adsorption testing. The results indicated that the mechanical strength of GG-CS-Ca was improved compared with as-prepared adsorbent GG-Ca while its adsorption capacity maintained at a higher level which was twice of the mechanically reinforcing GG-based adsorbent GG-CMKGM. It indeed achieved the synergistic improvement of mechanical strength and adsorption capacity. Moreover, it showed favorable acid-resistant stability because of the electrostatic crosslinking of negative GG and positive CS under high acidic condition. The dynamic adsorption analysis certified that it could be applied in actual uranium removing as an adsorbent and the application parameter could be predicted by Thomas and Yoon-Nelson model.

Use of biochar and a post-coagulation effluent as an adsorbent of malachite green, beneficial bacteria carrier, and seedling substrate for plants belonging to the poaceae family

Wastewater treatment plants produce solid and semi-solid sludge, which treatment minimises secondary environmental pollution because of wastewater treatment and obtaining new bioproducts. For this reason, in this paper, the co-pyrolysis of biogenic biomasses recovered from a biological reactor with immobilised fungal and bacterial biomass and a tertiary reactor with Chlorella sp. used for dye-contaminated wastewater treatment was carried out. Biogenic biomasses mixed with pine bark allowed the production and characterisation of two types of biochar. The raw material and biochar were on the “in vitro” germination of Lolium sp. seeds, followed by adsorption studies for malachite green (MG) dye using the raw material and the biochar. Results showed that using 60 mg L−1 of a cationic coagulant at pH 6.5 allowed for the recovery of more than 90% of the microalgae after 50 min of processing. Two biochar resulted: BC300, at pH 5.08 ± 0.08 and BC500, at pH 6.78 ± 0.01. The raw material and both biochars were co-inoculated with growth-promoting bacteria; their viabilities ranged from 1.7 × 106 ± 1.0 × 101 to 7.5 × 108 ± 6.0 × 102 CFU g−1 for total heterotrophic, nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilising bacteria. Re-use tests on Lolium sp. seed germination showed that with the post-coagulation effluent, the germination was 100%, while with the biochar, with and without beneficial bacteria, the germination was 98 and 99%, respectively. Finally, BC500 adsorbed the highest percentage of malachite green at pH 4.0, obtaining qecal values of 0.5249 mg g−1 (R2: 0.9875) with the pseudo-second-order model.

One-step processing of waste dredged slurry into planting soil by targeted pretreatment and vacuum filtration

A novel method, targeted pretreatment and vacuum filtration (TP-VF), is introduced and validated in this study. TP-VF offers a one-step solution for efficiently dewatering dredged slurry (DS) characterized by heavy metal contamination, high salinity, and excessive moisture content. This innovative approach combines targeted pretreatment (TP) and vacuum filtration (VF) to transform DS into the viable planting soil. TP encompasses a dual optimization strategy that enhances both slurry dewatering efficiency and the quality of the resultant planting soil (cake). By employing flocculation pretreatment, TP increases the size of flocs and enlarges cake pores, leading to improvements in dewatering efficiency and infiltration rates. Additionally, targeted pretreatment results in the discharge of approximately 90% of heavy metal ions and most salts with the filtrate. Remarkably, the addition of chelating agents and freshwater as part of the pretreatment process positively impacts soil quality without compromising floc size or dewatering efficiency. Comparatively, TP-VF demonstrates a substantial reduction of 35.81% in operational costs when contrasted with the traditional two-step process, concurrently diminishing the potential for secondary environmental pollution. This study highlights TP-VF as a promising advancement in sustainable slurry management, addressing pressing environmental challenges while optimizing resource utilization.

Bio-inspired, biodegradable, and fluffy 3D PLA fibrous sponges with dynamic fractal nano-sweepers for on-demand oil/water separation

Frequent oil leakage results in a huge waste of fossil fuel resources and severely threatens the global water-waste-energy nexus. Membrane separation technology is a promising effective and energy-saving approach for recycling waste oil resources and oily-environment remediation. Despite many bioinspired materials with the mitigated selectivity/permeability trade-off having been developed, a significant issue has been ignored, that is, most of the membranes are non-biodegradable and could cause secondary environmental pollution. In this work, inspired by the natural 3D coral organisms with sustainable fiber tentacles; we propose a biomimetic crystal-engineering strategy of space-confined solvent-induced recrystallization to prepare a 3D biodegradable PLA fibrous sponge with coral-like nanoflower/honeycomb sweeper arrays. By virtue of the coral-like nanoporous fractal arrays with superhydrophobicity and proactive fouling resistance, the resulting PLA sponge exhibits excellent separation performance of immiscible oil–water mixtures (ultrahigh permeation flux of up to 27,908 L m-2h−1) and water-in-oil emulsions (high separation efficiency of up to 99.9 %). Significantly, with the advantage of biodegradability and recyclability of PLA, we envision such environmentally friendly PLA fibrous sponges would show promising potential in the fields of environmental remediation, oil recovery, self-cleaning, etc.

Inhibition of algal blooms by residual antibiotics in aquatic environments: Design, screening, and validation of antibiotic alternatives

Water blooms frequently appear in the aquatic environment with global warming. However, traditional methods for treating water bloom usually require the addition of algaecides, which may lead to secondary environmental pollution problems in the water environment. To solve this problem, researchers have initiated efforts to harness pre-existing chemical substances within aquatic environments to regulate algal blooms, thereby pioneering novel avenues for water body management. Therefore, an integrated approach involving molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR), and toxicokinetics methods were utilized for the molecular modification of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, to design and screen fluoroquinolone substitutes with improved toxicity of cyanobacteria and green algae, functionality, and environmental friendliness. A total of 143 fluoroquinolone alternatives were designed in this study, and lomefloxacin-6 (LOM6) was found as the optimum alternative to lomefloxacin (LOM), with increased toxicity to cyanobacteria and green algae by 31 % and 72 %. Molecular docking of LOM before and after modification with seven other cyanobacterial and green algal photosynthetic proteins revealed that LOM6 exhibited varying degrees of increased toxicity towards 6 of these photosynthetic proteins, of which 2J96 protein increased the most (136.25 %). It shows that the residual LOM6 in the water environment has a certain inhibitory effect on the algae bloom. In addition, results showed that LOM6 had synergistic toxic effects on cyanobacteria and green algae with other pollutants residual in the aqueous environment, such as trichloroethyl phosphate, triethyl phosphate, perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid. This indicates that LOM6 has better algal removal effectiveness in aqueous environments where organophosphate flame retardants and perfluorinated compounds exist together. In this paper, a novel method was developed to remove cyanobacteria and green algae in water environment and reduce the secondary pollution through theoretical simulation, which provides theoretical support for the control of water blooms.

Combined resource utilization of ash from biomass power generation and wheat straw biochar for soil remediation

The lack of power resources leads to the rapid development of biomass power generation. Biomass power generation technology can not only rationally utilize biomass resources, but also alleviate energy crisis. But if this biomass ash is not handled properly, indiscriminate dumping can cause serious environmental problems such as dust, air and water pollution. The purpose of this study was to use the basic physical and chemical properties of biomass waste ash and biochar to evaluate the effects of mixed uses on soil pH、heavy metal remediation and plant growth. Plant growth was undertaken using ryegrass to examine the potential value of an ash-biochar mixture to ameliorate soil acidity and heavy metal pollution. The special fertilizer for rice was prepared by adding ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium chloride, and urea to the ash and biochar. The results showed that the mixed use of ash and biochar could ameliorate soil acidification, reduce the absorption of cadmium and lead by the plants (43 % and 35 %, respectively), and promote plant growth. Determining of its total nutrients, soluble phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, and particle size supported that it fell within the high concentration fertilizer range of the national standard for compound fertilizers. The special fertilizer can be used as high quality fertilizer to promote crop growth. In-depth research on the treatment and recycling of biomass power generation waste ash has an essential effect on reducing secondary environmental pollution and waste recycling .It can reduce random dumping, thereby reducing dust, air and water pollution. This was conducted to provide a reference for the preparation of soil amendments and to develop a better amendment and high-quality special fertilizer for rice with biomass waste ash and biochar.

Promoting heterotrophic denitrification of Pseudomonas hunanensis strain PAD-1 using pyrite: A mechanistic study

Denitrification is critical for removing nitrate from wastewater, but it typically requires large amounts of organic carbon, which can lead to high operating costs and secondary environmental pollution. To address this issue, this study proposes a novel method to reduce the demand for organic carbon in denitrification. In this study, a new denitrifier, Pseudomonas hunanensis strain PAD-1, was obtained with properties for high efficiency nitrogen removal and trace N2O emission. It was also used to explore the feasibility of pyrite-enhanced denitrification to reduce organic carbon demand. The results showed that pyrite significantly improved the heterotrophic denitrification of strain PAD-1, and optimal addition amount was 0.8–1.6 g/L. The strengthening effect of pyrite was positively correlated with carbon to nitrogen ratio, and it could effectively reduce demand for organic carbon sources and enhance carbon metabolism of strain PAD-1. Meanwhile, the pyrite significantly up-regulated electron transport system activity (ETSA) of strain PAD-1 by 80%, nitrate reductase activity by 16%, Complex III activity by 28%, and napA expression by 5.21 times. Overall, the addition of pyrite presents a new avenue for reducing carbon source demand and improving the nitrate harmless rate in the nitrogen removal process.

Fabrication of durable self-cleaning photocatalytic coating with long-term effective natural light photocatalytic degradation performance

The practical application of photocatalytic coating has been greatly challenged in terms of its long-term effective natural light photocatalytic degradation due to its vulnerability and easy contamination caused by poor self-cleaning properties. In this work, photocatalytic coating with self-cleaning properties was prepared by spraying fluorinated dual-scale TiO2 on the inorganic lithium silicate adhesive, enabling excellent durability and long-term effective photocatalytic degradation performance under natural light. The coating exhibits superhydrophobic properties even after abrasion testing, acid and alkali immersion testing, and UV aging, laying a foundation for the practical use. Moreover, the coating can be applied to various substrates and its excellent self-cleaning properties make it resistant to particulate and liquid contamination that may occur in the environment. Besides, we evaluated the photocatalytic stability of the coating by subjecting it to acidic and alkaline environments and high pollution concentrations. Furthermore, benefiting from the synergistic effect of photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties, the coating achieves long-term effective photocatalytic degradation of dye wastewater under natural light, which still has a high removal rate of 95.8% for methylene blue even after 30 cycles of use. Meanwhile, due to the coating's excellent durability, the long-term quality loss rate of the coating still remained below 0.3%, which avoids the risk of secondary environmental pollution caused by nanoparticle leakage. Therefore, these excellent properties enable the coating to have a broad range of application prospects for the treatment of pollutants in water.

Physicochemical Properties and Leaching Toxicity Assessment of Jarosite Residue

The safe disposal of hazardous waste from zinc hydrometallurgy, such as jarosite residue, is crucial for the sustainable development of the industry. The chemical, structural and morphological properties of jarosite residue from zinc smelting were studied by a combination of various characterizations, and environmental stability was evaluated using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), Chinese standard leaching tests (CSLT) and long-term leaching experiments (LTLE). Phase composition analysis revealed that zinc ferrite and sodium jarosite were the main phases present in the jarosite residue. TCLP and CSLT analyses indicated that the Zn and Pb contents exceeded their respective toxicity identification standards by more than 30 times and 8 times, respectively, exceeding the threshold values of the standard. The LTLE results demonstrated that Pb concentrations continued to exceed the standard limits, even after long contact times. This study has paramount significance in the prediction of jarosite residue stability and the evaluation of its potential for secondary environmental pollution.

Lead Release from Simulated Lead-Containing Jarosite Using Freeze–Thaw Cycling with EDTA

Lead is the primary toxic element found in jarosite residue; it is necessary to synthesize simulated lead-containing jarosite residue (SLJS) to investigate its lead release behavior and predict the slag’s stability and potential for secondary environmental pollution. This study explores the ion release behavior, leaching toxicity, and stability of SLJS during freeze–thaw cycles with EDTA (E-FTC). Experimental results demonstrate that the release of lead, iron, and sulfate from SLJS under E-FTC is contingent upon multiple factors, including solution pH, EDTA concentration, freeze–thaw cycles, freezing temperature, and freeze–thaw mode. Specifically, employing an EDTA concentration of 200 mM, a pH of 6, a freezing temperature of −20 °C, and 12 freeze–thaw cycles, the lead release reaches 15.1 mM, accounting for 94.9% of the total lead content, while iron is negligibly released, thus enabling effective separation of lead from iron. Subsequent to E-FTC, the exchangeable lead content exhibits a substantial reduction, accompanied by a marked increase in residual lead, resulting in a remarkable 98% reduction in leaching toxicity. Moreover, the equilibrium concentration of lead in the continuous stable leaching solution is 0.13 mg/L, significantly below the lead toxicity threshold (5 mg/L). Therefore, environmental stability can be greatly enhanced. This study presents a novel approach for the safe disposal of jarosite residue under mild conditions and at low temperatures, contributing to the broader field of environmentally sustainable waste management.