Water Washing Research Articles

A preliminary study on 3D printing feedstock derived from cellulose recovered from cigarette butts

AbstractIn this work, we describe the recovery of cellulose acetate (r-CA) polymer from waste cigarette butts (CBs) and their subsequent conversion into feedstock for 3D printing technology. The extraction process for CBs includes two stages: initial washes in water, followed by additional washes in ethanol. A final step involves a dissolution and reprecipitation process, resulting in the creation of a fine powder. The recovery polymer has been analysed and compared to commercial cellulose acetate (p-CA) and unsmoked cigarette filter (u-CA) to assess its purity and examine alterations in its physicochemical properties. The CA powder has also been plasticized with different biocompatible plasticizers to improve the mechanical properties of the CA. We analyze the rheological properties to identify the suitable composition as feedstock for 3D printing.

Enhancing Antibacterial and Water-Repellent Properties for the Production of High-Performance Fabrics in Home Textiles

In this research, we aimed to enhance the antibacterial activity and water repellency functionalities of single-layer 100% cotton fabrics on both the face and back sides, utilizing conventional methods. Unlike conventional approaches that often rely on lamination or coating techniques to imbue fabric surfaces with distinct properties, our study pursued a cost-effective strategy using traditional textile finishing methods. By integrating double functionality into cotton fabric, we aimed to circumvent the need for additional equipment and high initial costs associated with other techniques. To achieve this, we improved the antibacterial activity of the fabrics through the incorporation of silver ions in the pad-dry process. Simultaneously, water repellency functionality was introduced through a printing application, where the printing paste, devoid of dyestuff, was combined with functional agents and applied using rotary printing to the fabric’s backside. Following these finishing applications, we conducted comprehensive tests encompassing washing durability, antibacterial efficacy, water repellency, mechanical strength, and fastness properties of the multifunctional fabrics. Characterization tests, including Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and scanning electron microscope analyses (SEM-EDX), were performed. The outcome of our study showcased the successful enhancement of double-functional cotton fabric, featuring water repellency and antibacterial efficiency on distinct sides. Furthermore, the results indicated that these functionalities endured up to 20 washing cycles, with fastness and performance tests consistently achieving peak levels.

Impact of electrolyzed water treatment on bacterial communities in food washing processes

Electrolyzed water is expected to have a sterilizing effect on bacteria and viruses, which makes it useful for hygiene management, such as cleaning dishes or medical equipment. Electrolyzed water treatment may affect the cellular structure of microbes, leading to DNA leakage or degradation. Here, we conducted a next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of bacterial diversity in washing solution to elucidate the impact of cleaning food surfaces with electrolyzed water. Modified primers were used to evaluate the differences between the existing primers used to obtain NGS sequences and through statistical analysis. The NGS reads obtained using the modified primers tended to reveal more Enterobacteriaceae sequences, and fewer mitochondrial sequences than did those obtained with conventional primers. An UniFrac distance analysis and Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) revealed that the results obtained with the modified primer set made the differences between samples more distinct. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the template DNA obtained from an electrolyzed water or sodium hypochlorite solution wash revealed that some of the DNA could not be amplified using PCR of the 16S rRNA genes suggesting that the DNA fragmentation had occurred due to the electrolyzed water treatment. Our results revealed that the bacterial species removed from the food surfaces varied depending on the washing treatment. Electrolyzed water treatment may be advantageous for removing Enterobacteriaceae from leafy vegetables.

Improving electronics stability via covalent-linked interfaces for ultra-robust pressure sensing array

There is an urgent need for developing ultra-stable sensors with robust interfacial connections to promote the progress of intelligent technology. Here we propose a strategy for fabricating porous sensors with covalent-linked interfaces, which significantly improve the device’s mechanical and environmental stability. By endowing the polymer reactive siloxane group for further dehydration and condensation process, the modified polymer can on one hand form interface covalent Ti-O-Si bonds with hydroxyl-rich MXene nanosheets for improved interfacial adhesion, and on the other hand, form internal self-condensed Si-O-Si bonds for strengthened mechanical resilience. Owing to the firmly undetached conductive materials, the resulting sensor can maintain stable signal output, and survive harsh conditions including repeated mechanical compression and rigorous water and acid washing. These features make the covalent-linked sensor feasible for human sitting posture monitoring over prolonged periods and spatial distribution detection in various complicated operation scenarios.

Optimization of Growth and Production of Brown Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus cystidiosus) through Additional Nutrients of Rice Washing Water and Rice Groats

This study aims to determine the optimization of growth and production of brown oyster mushroom (P. cystidionsus) plants with additional nutrients of rice washing water and to determine the optimization of growth and production of chocolate oyster mushroom (P. cystidionsus) plants through additional nutrients of rice groats. This study used a factorial Complete Randomized Design (RAL) method consisting of two factors, namely, the first factor is rice washing water / leri water (L) and the second factor is rice groats (G). Each treatment is repeated 3 times. Leri water factor consists of 4 levels, namely: A0=0 ml, A1= 30 ml, A2= 50 ml, A3=70 ml. Rice groats factor consists of 4 levels, namely: M0=0 g, M1=60 g, M2= 80 g, M3= 100 g. Data was analyzed using variance analysis (Anova) at 5%. The results showed no effect of rice washing water and rice groats on the growth rate of brown oyster mushroom mycelim, will be at a rice washing water concentration of 70ml / baglog + rice groats 100g / baglog affects the parameters of mushroom stalk height (cm), mushroom hood diameter (cm), mushroom hood thickness (cm), number of mushrooms (clump), and fresh weight of mushrooms / baglog (g).

Multi enzyme production from mixed untreated agricultural residues applied in enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel

Lignocellulose recalcitrance essentially dictates high cost and low efficiency of its enzymatic saccharification. The complex lignocellulosic structure is a major obstacle to enzymatic saccharification and green ionic liquid pretreatment methods face difficulty of water washing prior enzymatic hydrolysis. Ionic liquid tolerant lignocellulolytic enzymes overcome the inhibition of enzymes during enzymatic saccharification and eliminated water washing step after pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. The cell wall composition cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, three main wall polymers of various agricultural residues and food waste lignocellulose substrates also affected the enzyme activities secreted by the B. subtilis strain. This study explores the potential of the halophilic, alkalophilic, and ionic liquid (IL)-tolerant strain Bacillus subtilis BC-001 for the simultaneous production of hydrolytic enzymes essential for lignocellulosic bio-refinery processes. BC-001 produced cellulase, amylase, xylanase, pectinase and protease are 70.41, 87.14, 65.50, 122.55 and 66.48 U/mL, respectively under optimized fermentation conditions. Cellulase produced by BC-001 retained more than 80% activity after 72 hours in 20% w/w of different ILs tested and enzymes retained more than 68% activities after 12 h in 50% w/w ILs. Employing such IL-stable cellulase, enzymatic saccharification is conducted without water washing on rice straw (RS) that has been pretreated with various ILs, including 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, and choline chloride. This research is novel as the study marks the first instance of multi-hydrolytic enzyme production from a novel alkalophilic, halophilic, thermophilic, and IL-tolerant bacterial strain using a mixture of untreated agricultural residues.

Factors affecting hand hygiene practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Zimbabwean population: a qualitative study

BackgroundPracticing hand hygiene is recommended as one of the key preventive measures for reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious agents. However, it is often not practiced frequently enough or correctly by the public. We aimed to identify barriers to and facilitators of hand hygiene in the Zimbabwean population during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted with a purposive sample of health workers, village health workers, church leaders, traditional healers, teachers, youth leaders and the general population selected from ten districts across the country from September to October 2022. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 3 key informant interviews per site. In addition, one homogenous focus group discussion was also conducted per site using a focus group discussion guide. The data were recorded on audiotapes, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. All the analyses were performed manually using thematic analysis.ResultsTwo themes were identified as facilitators of hand hygiene. These include individual factors (knowledge of hand hygiene practices and how they are performed) and access-related factors (access to hand washing infrastructure, soap, and sanitizers). Among the barriers to hand hygiene, four themes were identified: individual factors (knowledge gaps in proper hand washing, lack of conviction about hand hygiene, and habitual behaviour), access-related factors (lack of access to hand washing infrastructure, soap, and sanitizers), safety concerns (concern about the side effects of sanitizers), and sociocultural and religious factors (social customs, cultural beliefs, values, and religious practices).ConclusionDuring public health emergencies, there is a need for people to access uninterrupted, on-premises water supplies to promote compliance with hand hygiene. The provision of clean water and hand washing facilities is critical for vulnerable communities to afford them the opportunity to improve quality of life and facilitate resilience in the event of future pandemics. Community engagement is important for identifying vulnerability factors to provide appropriate mitigatory measures.

An Experimental Approach to Assess Fluorine Incorporation into Disordered Rock Salt Oxide Cathodes.

Disordered rock salt oxides (DRX) have shown great promise as high-energy-density and sustainable Li-ion cathodes. While partial substitution of oxygen for fluorine in the rock salt framework has been related to increased capacity, lower charge-discharge hysteresis, and longer cycle life, fluorination is poorly characterized and controlled. This work presents a multistep method aimed at assessing fluorine incorporation into DRX cathodes, a challenging task due to the difficulty in distinguishing oxygen from fluorine using X-ray and neutron-based techniques and the presence of partially amorphous impurities in all DRX samples. This method is applied to "Li1.25Mn0.25Ti0.5O1.75F0.25" prepared by solid-state synthesis and reveals that the presence of LiF impurities in the sample and F content in the DRX phase is well below the target. Those results are used for compositional optimization, and a synthesis product with drastically reduced LiF content and a DRX stoichiometry close to the new target composition (Li1.25Mn0.225Ti0.525O1.85F0.15) is obtained, demonstrating the effectiveness of the strategy. The analytical method is also applied to "Li1.33Mn0.33Ti0.33O1.33F0.66" obtained via mechanochemical synthesis, and the results confirm that much higher fluorination levels can be achieved via ball-milling. Finally, a simple and rapid water washing procedure is developed to reduce the impurity content in as-prepared DRX samples: this procedure results in a ca. 10% increase in initial discharge capacity and a ca. 11% increase in capacity retention after 25 cycles for Li1.25Mn0.25Ti0.50O1.75F0.25. Overall, this work establishes new analytical and material processing methods that enable the development of more robust design rules for high-energy-density DRX cathodes.

Contaminant Removal in Soil and Wash Water Residue from Ex-Mining Area in Jambi using Soil Washing Remediation

Contaminant Removal in Soil and Wash Water Residue from Ex-Mining Area in Jambi using Soil Washing Remediation

Contaminant Removal in Soil and Wash Water Residue from Ex-Mining Area in Jambi using Soil Washing Remediation

Soil washing is one of the effective methods to remove contaminants in polluted soil by moving them from the solid phase (soil) to the liquid phase (water). This study examines the effect of soil washing on the concentration of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) in petroleum-polluted soil at the Ex-Mining Area in Jambi and the removal of oil and grease in soil washing residue using a fixed bed column. The soil washing method uses a leaching column with various concentrations of Tween 80 surfactant solution of 0.5% (v/v) and 1% (v/v). In addition, leaching was repeated 0, 1, and 2 times. Coffee husk biochar was used as a medium in a fixed bed column to remove oil and grease from soil-washing residue with thickness variations of 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm. The results showed that the soil was loamy sand with an initial TPH content of 3092.75 mg/kg. The soil-washing process reduced the TPH concentration with a removal efficiency of 72.45-90.40%. The highest TPH removal occurred in one leaching repetition at a 0.5% surfactant concentration. The optimum oil and fat removal from the use of a fixed bed column is at 30 cm thickness which is 94.35%.

IJCM_306A: Patient compliance towards Post exposure Prophylaxis with Anti Rabies Vaccine - Hospital based study

Background: Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects the nervous system. The components of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis involve wound treatment, Rabies Immune Globulin, and the anti-rabies vaccine. Proper compliance with the rabies vaccination schedule is crucial to prevent development of Rabies Objectives: 1) To assess prevalence of non-compliance and delayed compliance towards post-exposure prophylaxis of the anti-rabiess vaccine of GMC, Jammu 2) To study factors associated with and reasons of delayed compliance and non-compliance towards post-exposure prophylaxis of the anti-rabies vaccine of GMC, Jammu Methodology: A cross- sectional study was carried out from September 2022 to July 2023 on 594 animal bite victims presenting to OPD of the anti-rabies clinic of GMC, Jammu for the first time, with category 2 and 3 bites were included Results: Males were about 76.9%, and females, 23.1%. Graduates were 29.3%. Animal bites were mainly from stray dogs (58.2%), with category three wounds (93.8%). Wound washing practices were done by 540 (90.9%), about 58 (9.8%) had used only water and about 482 (81.1%) had used only soap and water for wound washing. 71.7% completed the full course of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV), 24.6% showed delayed compliance, and 3.7% were non-compliant or dropouts. Delayed compliance was observed on the second (35%), third (42.4%), and fourth doses (22.6%). Reasons for delayed compliance included distant residence, loss of wages, and forgetfulness. Non-compliance reasons included negligence and health issues. No socio- demographic factors showed an association with compliance with ARV. Conclusion: The urgent need to increase awareness and counseling for individuals bitten by animals. Special attention is crucial for promptly administering Anti-Rabies Immunoglobulin in severe cases (category 3 bites) to prevent rabies

Fusarium pernambucanum Causing Peduncle Rot on Grape in Guangxi, China.

Grape (Vitis vinifera) is regarded as one of the most economically important fruit crops throughout the world and is widely cultivated in China. In March 2023, peduncle rot symptoms were observed on ripe grape (cv. Kyoho) of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Nanning, Guangxi Province (20°54' to 26°24' N, 104°26' to 112°04' E), causing severe shrink of infected grapes with incidence of 20 to 40%. Initially, a small portion of the grape peduncles turned from light brown to darker brown and gradually spread to the entire bunch of grape peduncles. Then the peduncles gradually dried up and became dark brown, resulting in necrosis and shedding of the fruits. Symptomatic peduncles were cut into small pieces (approximately 3 mm long), surface disinfected with 75% alcohol for 10 s, 1% NaOCl for 2 min followed by three washes in sterile distilled water and separately transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates. Forty-six Fusarium isolates were obtained from the seventy-five tissue pieces after 5 days of incubation at 25°C on PDA (average isolation frequency 61%). Based on the morphology, a representative isolate of Fusarium was selected for each of the three samples. Single spore isolates (PT1-1, PT3-1, and PT3-2) were selected for further study. The colonies produced abundant whitish to yellowish aerial mycelium on PDA after 7 days incubation at 25°C in the dark. Macroconidia cultured on carnation leaf agar (CLA) for 7 days were falcate, multiseptate, with a curved apical cell and foot-shaped basal cell, mostly 1-3-septate, measuring 21.3 ± 0.5 μm × 4.8 ± 0.1 μm, 24.3 ± 0.5 μm × 4.5 ± 0.1 μm, 21.9 ± 0.3 μm × 4.5 ± 0.1 μm (n=90) for PT1-1, PT3-1, and PT3-2, respectively. Microconidia were hyaline, fusoid or ovoid, 0- or 1-septate, measuring 10.5 ± 0.2 μm × 3.5 ± 0.1 μm, 10.4 ± 0.3 μm × 3.6 ± 0.1 μm, 10.0 ± 0.2 μm × 3.6 ± 0.1 μm (n=90) for PT1-1, PT3-1, and PT3-2, respectively. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor (TEF1), calmodulin (CAM) and partial RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2) were amplified using primers ITS4/ITS1, EF1/EF2, CL1/CL2A, and 5F2/7cR, respectively (White et al. 1990; O'Donnell et al. 1998, 2000; Reeb et al. 2004; Liu et al. 1999). Sequences from the three isolates were deposited in GenBank (ITS: OR511756-OR511758; TEF1: OR535156-OR535158; CAM: OR535153-OR535155; RPB2: OR535159-OR535161). A maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree was constructed with RAxML version 8.2.10 based on the concatenated sequences (ITS, CAM, TEF1, RPB2). According to morphology and phylogenetic analysis, the isolates were identified as Fusarium pernambucanum (Santos et al. 2019). A pathogenicity test was performed with three isolates on twenty-four asymptomatic strings of grapes in a field in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China. On twelve strings of ripe grapes (cv. Kyoho), 3-mm-long wounds were made on the peduncle of each string of grapes with a sterile needle, followed by inoculation with conidial suspension (106spores/ml in 0.1% sterile Tween 20) by misting with an atomizer until runoff (Lorenz et al. 1995). Three isolates were separately inoculated onto three strings of grapes. Controls were inoculated with water containing 0.1% sterile Tween 20 under the same conditions. The same inoculation was applied to twelve strings of non-wound grapes. Plants were covered with polythene bags to maintain high humidity for 7 days. Typical dark brown lesions were observed on all inoculated peduncles with conidia. After 14 days, the necrotic lesions spread to the entire peduncles causing them to shrivel and die. No symptoms were observed on controls. Koch's postulates were completed by reisolating the fungus from the inoculated tissues. The results of morphological identification and multigene sequence analysis obtained by reisolation were consistent with original isolates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. pernambucanum causing peduncle rot on grape in China. These results will provide valuable information for prevention and management of peduncle rot on grape.

Mitigation methods during physical refining for the reduction of 2- and 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in (organic) high oleic sunflower and rapeseed oils

2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol esters (2-MCPDE), 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE), and glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE) are process contaminants formed during the production of refined edible oils and fats. The aim of this research was to develop mitigation strategies for the formation of these contaminants in organic oils, mainly high oleic (HO) sunflower and rapeseed oil, during physical refining. Different strategies such as a double refining with a high-low deodorization temperature, water washing and increasing amounts of bleaching earth were compared with a single physical refining (control treatment). Experiments were conducted in a pilot-plant refinery. Compared with the control treatment, double refining successfully reduced the concentration of formed of GE in HO sunflower and rapeseed oil, respectively by, 70% and 94%. In particular, the second degumming and bleaching were crucial for eliminating GE concentrations. Both 2- and 3-MCPDE were formed during temperature ramping, prior to the deodorization process and the concentrations of these contaminants remained stable throughout the refining process. Doubling the amount of bleaching earth led to an approximately 48% decrease of 2- and 3-MCPDE levels in final HO sunflower oil. No decrease was observed in rapeseed oil. The results of our studies provide useful insights which can directly be implemented by the (organic) vegetable oil industry.

Promotion of chloride removal from MSWI fly ash by an accelerated wet-carbonation process to enhance ash recycling in cement manufacture

Chlorides, sulfates, and heavy metals are the three main factors preventing the recycling of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash as an alternative material for cement clinker production, of which chloride plays the main role due to its extremelly hign content in fly ash. This study evaluated three wet-based pretreatment methods (water-washing, CO2-aided washing, and flue gas-aided washing) to remove chlorides using MSWI fly ashes from 13 incineration plants in China. Water washing was suitable for removing Cl- from MSWI fly ash containing a limited amount of less-soluble Cl-containing salts (Ca(OH)Cl, Ca2Al(OH)6(H2O)2Cl, and Ca6(CO3)2(OH)7Cl). However, for fly ash with a significant proportion of these less-soluble Cl-containing salts, injection of CO2/flue gas during washing promoted their decomposition and increased the chloride removal rates by 2–12%. Compared with chloride, the removal rate of sulfate was lower under all treatment scenarios and ranged from 7% to 47%. Therefore, caution should be taken when exploring techniques for the deep removal of chloride from MSWI fly ash, as sulfates may be the limiting factor in fly ash samples with low chloride contents when utilizing the fly ash for cement clinker production. Heavy metals in fly ash were not a limiting factor for any ash samples (either raw ash or treated ash) when utilizing the fly ash for clinker production. However, the dissolution of heavy metals in the washing solution deserves more attention, as a large amount of wastewater will be generated during wet-based pretreatment methods. This study confirmed that CO2/flue gas injection during washing promoted the removal of the less-soluble harmful components of fly ash, expanding the applications of ash materials.

Impact of Washing and Fermentation on the Concentration of Pesticide Residues in Nigerian Staple Foods By IJISRT

The use of pesticides in agriculture is linked to accumulation of toxic compounds in the soil, in food, and its accumulation in animal and human tissues. Pesticide residues are deposits of pesticides that remain on or in agricultural produce after harvest or during storage. This work examined the effects various processing steps on the levels of methoxychlor, dieldrin, p,p’-DDE and α- chlordane residues in common staples; maize, rice, beans and cassava. The treatments administered included cold water washing, hot water washing, and fermentation for 3 and 5 days. The Quick, Effective, Cheap, Easy, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) technique was adopted for extraction of pesticide residues while gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used for quantification of the residues in the samples. The processing steps applied had various effects on the level of residues ranging from - 149% to 100% reduction in level of pesticide; in rice processing, washing with hot water had the greatest impact in reducing methoxychlor (55.5-97.1%) and α- chlordane (95.5%). Fermentation for 5 days had the greatest impact in reducing methoxychlor residue from cassava (13.6-26.3%), while fermentation of maize for 3 or 5 days had similar impact in reduction of the level of methoxychlor (35.5-79.5% and 39.1-78.4% respectively) and α-chlordane (100% and 100% respectively). Hot water washing of beans was most effective in eliminating methoxychlor (98.4%), p,p’-DDE (100%), α-chlordane (100%) and dieldrin (100%). Reduction in hazard index was also observed with processing, as a result of reduction in amount of pesticide going into the diet.

Multi-frequency thermosonication washing treatments of fresh-cut lotus root: Effect on the accumulation of phenolics and storage quality characterization evaluation

The effects of thermosonication (TS) washing at varying multi-frequencies in comparison to ultrasonication (US) and water washing (as a control) on the fresh-cut lotus root phenolics accumulation and the storage quality characteristics were explored. The relationships between free phenols (FPs), bound phenols (BPs), total phenolic content (TPC), and total antioxidant capacity were also revealed. Thermosonication increased the free phenols and total phenolic content, with the thermosonication of 20 + 40 + 60 kHz showing the most significant effect, and TS predominantly improved the total antioxidant capacity. Thermosonication promoted phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity and inhibited polyphenol peroxidase (POD) activity. The color analysis showed the thermosonicated samples exhibited the lowest value of ΔE and the browning degree. Thermosonication substantially increased weight loss and firmness, while reducing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Vitamin C (VC) compared to control. Overall, TS washing can increase the phenolic content of fresh-cut lotus root while preserving its antioxidant capacity and qualitative characteristics.

Insights into the Roles of Surface Functional Groups and Micropores in the Sorption of Ofloxacin on Banana Pseudo-Stem Biochars

In the present study, banana pseudo-stem (BS) was pyrolyzed under anaerobic conditions without any physical or chemical modification. Their properties, as well as their sorption affinity to ofloxacin (OFL), were studied. As a result, oxalates and KCl formed at a relatively low temperature of 300 °C, while bicarbonates generally formed at a pyrolysis temperature above 400 °C. Surface functional groups of BS biochars facilitated OFL sorption mainly via specific interactions including electronic attraction (EA), π–π electron donor–acceptor (π–π EDA) interaction, the ordinary hydrogen bond (OHB), and the negative charge-assisted hydrogen bond ((−)CAHB). Except for (−)CAHB, these interactions all decreased with an elevated pH, resulting in overall decreased OFL sorption. Significant OFL sorption by BS biochars produced at 300 °C, observed even at an alkaline condition was attributed to (−)CAHB. Micropores formed in BS biochar prepared at 500 °C, with a specific surface area as high as 390 m2 g−1 after water washing treatment. However, most micropores could not be accessed by OFL molecules due to the size exclusion effect. Additionally, the inherent K-containing salts may hinder OFL sorption by covering the sorption sites or blocking the inner pores of biochars, as well as releasing OH− into the solution. Thus, BS biochar produced at 300 °C is an excellent sorbent for OFL removal due to its high sorption ability and low energy. Our findings indicate that biochar techniques have potential win–win effects in recycling banana waste with low energy and costs, and simultaneously converting them into promising sorbents for the removal of environmental contaminants.

Effect of Deashing Treatment on Ash Fusion Characteristics of Biochar from Bamboo Shoot Shells.

To investigate the influence of deashing on fusion characteristics, a combined method of water and acid washing with different sequences (water washing followed by acid washing, and acid washing followed by water washing) was used to treat the biochar of bamboo shoot shells (BBSSs). The results show that deashing decreased the K content of the biochar from 50.3% to 1.08% but increased the Si content from 33.48% to 89.15%. The formation of silicates and aluminosilicates from alkali metal oxides with silicon was an inevitable result of ash phase transformation at the high temperatures used to improve the fusion temperature (>1450 °C). The thermochemical behavior of ash mainly occurs at 1000 °C. The deashing treatment significantly reduced the reaction intensity during the high-temperature process. This significantly increased the thermal stability of the ash. The adjustment of the washing sequence had a slight impact on the chemical compositions, but the differences in ash micromorphology were obvious. Deashing treatments with different washing sequences can significantly improve ash fusion properties effectively and reduce the risk of scaling, slagging, and corrosion. This study provides a new and reasonable strategy for the deashing of biochar to commercially utilize bamboo shoot shell resources.

Interfacial Engineering of P2-Type Ni/Mn-Based Layered Oxides by a Facile Water-Washing Method for Superior Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Owing to the strong basicity and reactivity, residual sodium compounds (RSCs) on the surface of Na-based layered oxides for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) cause the deterioration of the electrochemical performance and processability of the oxide cathode materials. Herein, considering P2-type Na0.66Ni0.26Zn0.07Mn0.67O2 as the model material, the water-washing treatment is proven to be a facile, economic, and highly efficient method to improve the electrochemical performance of P2-type Ni/Mn-based layered oxides. Experimental results show that RSCs on material surfaces can be effectively removed by water washing without causing severe damage to the bulk structure. Notably, water washing triggers the formation of an ultrathin (2-3 nm thick) Na-poor disordered interfacial layer on the surface of Na0.66Ni0.26Zn0.07Mn0.67O2. This layer plays a passivating role in further enhancing the material's resistance to water and reduces the reactivity of the material surface with the electrolyte. These compositional and structural optimizations for P2-type Na0.66Ni0.26Zn0.07Mn0.67O2 effectively suppress the release of gaseous CO2, formation of thick cathode-electrolyte interphase films, and consumption of active Na+, enabling good Na+ transport kinetics during cycling. The water-washed Na0.66Ni0.26Zn0.07Mn0.67O2 exhibits significantly improved cycling stability with a capacity retention of 89.1% at 100 mA g-1 after 100 cycles and rate capability with a discharge capacity of 76.3 mA g-1 at 2000 mA g-1; these values are higher than those of the unwashed Na0.66Ni0.26Zn0.07Mn0.67O2 (83.3%, 71.4 mA h g-1). This work provides fundamental insights into the detrimental effect of RSCs on the electrochemical performance of layered oxides and highlights the importance of regulating interfacial compositions for developing high-performance layered-oxide cathode materials for SIBs.

Investigation of the cyclic separation of dioxins from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash by using fat

It is necessary to detoxify municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWIFA) to facilitate resource utilization. The current research focused on the treatment of heavy metals in MSWIFA which is relatively well-developed, while dioxins (PCDD/Fs) need to be treated with more referable programs. Based on the excellent lipophilicities of dioxins, readily available, nontoxic, harmless, and easily treatable animal fats have been used to separate the dioxins from MSWIFA samples, thereby reducing the toxic equivalence of the MSWIFA. The experimental results indicated that animal fats significantly reduced the toxic equivalence of untreated, water-washed, and acid-washed MSWIFA samples, with reductions in the dioxin toxicity equivalence of up to 70%. Furthermore, in studies of heavy metal leaching, water washing followed by pig fat (FP) separation was identified as the optimal approach for the separation of dioxins from MSWIFA. Under the optimal conditions, the toxicity due to dioxins was reduced by over 70% after separation from MSWIFA with recycled animal fats. The environmental and economic benefits of this treatment option were analyzed on this basis.