Environmental cleaning

Improving the wide-temperature operation of rechargeable batteries is crucial for boosting the adoption of electric vehicles and further advancing their application scope in harsh environments like deep ocean and space probes. Herein, recent advances in electrolyte solvation chemistry are critically summarized, aiming to address the long-standing challenge of notable energy diminution at sub-zero temperatures and rapid capacity degradation at elevated temperatures (>45°C). This review provides an in-depth analysis of the fundamental mechanisms governing the Li-ion transport process, illustrating how these insights have been effectively harnessed to synergize with high-capacity, high-rate electrodes...

We evaluated GaAs nanoparticle-concentrations in the air and on skin and surfaces in a research facility that produces thin films, and to monitored As in the urine of exposed worker. The survey was over a working week using a multi-level approach. Airborne personal monitoring was implemented using a miniature diffusion size classifier (DiSCMini) and IOM sampler. Environmental monitoring was conducted using the SKC Sioutas Cascade Impactor to evaluate dimensions and nature of particles collected. Surfaces contamination were assessed analyzing As and Ga in ghost wipes...

Environmental degradation and energy constraint are important risks to long-term sustainability in the modern world. Water splitting is a vital approach for environmentally friendly and sustainable energy storage, providing a clean way to produce hydrogen without pollutants. Preparing a catalyst that is active, bifunctional, and durable for water splitting is a difficult task. We addressed the difficulty by creating a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst, MoS2 /rGO, with an ideal weight percentage of 5 wt% by a hydrothermal process...

This study aimed to prepare a new bio-based chromium-free tanning agent. The green epoxide monocase ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE) was grafted with tannic acid (TA) derived from natural plant using the one-pot method to synthesize new plant polyphenol-derived tannic acid-based chromium-free tanning agents (TA-EGDE) with abundant terminal epoxides. FTIR, 1 H NMR, XPS, GPC, SEM, and other analytical techniques were used to characterize tanning agents. These consequences manifested that EGDE was successfully grafted with the phenol hydroxyl group of TA...

Fruits and vegetables (F&V) are a significant part of our diet consumption. Microbial and pesticide residues are the predominant safety hazards of F&V consumption. Ordinary water washing has a very limited effect on removing microorganisms and pesticide residues and requires high water usage. Ultrasound, as an environmentally friendly technology, shows excellent potential for reducing microbial contamination and pesticide residue. This paper summarizes the research on ultrasound application in F&V washing, including the removal of microbial and pesticide residues and the comprehensive effect on their physicochemical characteristics...

In order to alleviate environmental problems and reduce CO2 emissions, geopolymers had drew attention as a kind of alkali-activated materials. Geopolymers are easier access to raw materials, green and environment friendly than traditional cement industry. Its special reaction mechanism and gel structure show excellent characteristics such as quick hardening, high strength, acid and alkali resistance. In this paper, geopolymer pastes were made with metakaolin (MK) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as precursors...

Water-soluble organic aerosol (WSOA) plays a crucial role in altering radiative forcing and impacting human health. However, our understanding of the seasonal variations of WSOA in Chinese megacities after the three-year clean air action plan is limited. In this study, we analyzed PM2.5 filter samples collected over one year (2020-2021) in Beijing to characterize the seasonal changes in the chemical and optical properties of WSOA using an offline aerosol mass spectrometer along with spectroscopy techniques...

The menace caused by antibiotic resistance in bacteria is acknowledged on a global scale. Concerns over the same are increasing because of the selection pressure exerted by a huge number of different antimicrobial agents, including heavy metals. Heavy metals are non-metabolizable and recalcitrant to degradation, therefore the bacteria can expel the pollutants out of the system and make it less harmful via different mechanisms. The selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria may be influenced by heavy metals present in environmental reservoirs...

BACKGROUND: Preterms are at risk of systemic infections as the barrier function of their immature skin is insufficient. The long period of hospitalization and the huge number of invasive procedures represent a risk factor for complications. Among the nosocomial infections of the skin, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We report a clinical case of cellulitis and abscess in two preterm twins caused by MRSA in a tertiary level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)...

The volume of produced water, a by-product of oil & gas operations and other energy processes, has been growing across the United States (U.S.) along with the need to manage or recycle this wastewater. Produced water contains many naturally occurring elements of varying concentrations, including critical minerals which are essential to the clean energy transition. However, the current understanding of critical mineral concentrations in produced water and the associated volumes across the U.S. is limited...

Large-scale cement production generates significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the breakdown of limestone, contributing to environmental pollution. Clean production of eco-friendly three-dimensional geopolymers can be used as environmentally friendly building materials. Replacing Portland cement with eco-friendly materials correlates with reduced energy consumption, costs, and negative environmental impact. In addition, geopolymer cement has above-average physical and chemical properties, which in many cases exceed conventional Portland cement...

Smouldering combustion of oily sludge (OS) was carried out to learn the characteristics of heavy metals (HMs) in ash products. Ash collected from four different height layers of the column reactor was analysed for the chemical speciation and environmental risk of six HMs, including Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb. The results showed that after smouldering combustion, only 21.3∼32.2 % of the total HMs was remained in the ash products. The retention of HMs in ash was closely relevant to the carbonaceous destruction efficiency of OS...

The clean and efficient utilization of municipal solid waste (MSW) has attracted increasing concerns in recent years. Pyrolysis of MSW is one of the promising options due to the production of high-value intermediates and the inhibition of pollutants at reducing atmosphere. Herein, the formation behavior of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) during MSW pyrolysis and incineration was experimentally investigated and compared. The influence of reaction temperature, CaO addition, and redox atmosphere on PCDD/Fs formation were compared and discussed...

Photocatalytic systems have attracted research interest as a clean approach to generate energy from abundant sunlight. In this context, developing efficient and robust photocatalytic structures is crucial. Recently, self-assembled organic chromophores have entered the stage as alternatives to both molecular systems and (in)organic semiconductors. Nanostructures made of self-assembled π-conjugated dyes offer, on the one hand, molecular customizability to tune their optoelectronic properties and activities and on the other hand, provide benefits from heterogeneous catalysis that include ease of separation, recyclability and improved photophysical properties...

Pathogenic bacteria in drinking-water pose a health risk to consumers, as they compromise the quality of portable water. Chemical disinfection of water containing dissolved organic matter (DOM) causes harmful disinfection by-products. In this work, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) blended polyethersulfone membranes were fabricated and characterised using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The membranes were evaluated for the removal of bacteria and DOM from synthetic and environmental water. Permeate flux increased from 287...

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) is a prevalent air pollutant in urban areas, originating from outdoor sources, household gas consumption, and secondhand smoke. The limited evaluation of the disease burden attributable to NO2 , encompassing different health effects and contributions from various sources, impedes our understanding from a public health perspective. Based on modeled NO2 exposure concentrations, their exposure-response relationships with lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes mellitus, and baseline disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), we estimated that 1,675 (655-2,624) thousand DALYs were attributable to NO2 in urban China in 2019 [138 (54-216) billion Chinese yuan (CNY) economic losses]...

For the serious situation of heavy metal pollution, the use of cheap, clean, and efficient biochar to immobilize heavy metals is a good treatment method. In this paper, SA@ZIF-8/BC was prepared for the adsorption of Pb2+ in solution using sodium alginate (SA) and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) modified corn cob biochar. The results showed that the specific surface area of modified biochar was greatly improved, with good adsorption capacity for Pb2+ , strong anti-interference ability, and good economy...

Emerging organic contaminants present in the environment can be biodegraded in anodic biofilms of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, there is a notable gap existing in deducing the degradation mechanism, intermediate products, and the microbial communities involved in degradation of broad-spectrum antibiotic such as triclosan (TCS). Herein, the possible degradation of TCS is explored using TCS acclimatized biofilms in MFCs. 95% of 5 mgL-1 TCS are been biodegraded within 84 h with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of 62% in an acclimatized-MFC (A-MFC)...

Marine litter and more specifically plastic marine litter is nowadays considered a global issue with unprecedented impact and consequences to the entire marine ecosystem and biota. The current situation that has been created worldwide due to the abundance of plastic litter in the Earth's Seas has been characterized as alarming, necessitating the immediate action for an overall reduction of plastic waste, better collection and recycling schemes and beach-shoreline clean-ups. In this article we attempt to delve into the details of the magnitude of the impact that plastic litter have caused to marine biota via a meta-research analysis, by compiling, combining, analysing and presenting data from various relative works, using primarily scientific and, secondarily, grey literature...

Pyrolysis can effectively convert waste tires into high-value products. However, the sulfur-containing compounds in pyrolysis oil and gas would significantly reduce the environmental and economic feasibility of this technology. Here, the desulfurization and upgrade of waste tire pyrolysis oil and gas were performed by adding different metal oxides (Fe2 O3 , CuO, and CaO). Results showed that Fe2 O3 exhibited the highest removal efficiency of 87.7 % for the sulfur-containing gas at 600 °C with an outstanding removal efficiency of 99...