The effect of hydrothermal impregnation of Ni,Co, and Cu on HZSM-5 in the nitrogen oxide removal

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides on M/ZSM-5 (M = Cu, Ni, Co) catalysts was investigated. The catalysts were prepared using hydrothermal impregnation of the metal chlorides and nitrates on ZSM-5. The catalysts were characterized by nitrogen absorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffusion reflection spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), N₂O chemisorption and ammonia temperature-programmed desorption. The performance tests for SCR of NO were carried out in a fixed-bed reactor from 250 to 400 °C. During the impregnation, part of the aluminum was eliminated from the zeolite framework due to the acidity of the metal salt solution and heating process as indicated by the reduction in the intensity of XRD peaks and variations in the positions of the FTIR vibrational bands. The Cu(Cl)/ZSM-5 catalyst exhibited NO conversions over 90% over the entire temperature range. The other catalysts showed comparable activities, but the catalysts prepared with chloride salt precursors demonstrated higher activity than those based on nitrate as the precursor. Moreover, the TPR reduction peaks of the metal ion in catalysts prepared with chloride precursor were lower, and their UV–Vis absorption bands revealed bathochromic transfers with higher intensities. Concurrent with these changes, the activity of the catalyst increased. The TPR profiles indicated that Cu and Ni both had an oxidation number of +2, whereas Co was present in the oxidation number of +2 and +3. The mass transfer limitation analysis showed that for particles in millimeter size range or larger significant intra-particle mass transfer limitation would be expected.     

Preparation of carbon molecular sieves and its impregnation with Co and Ni for CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/N<Subscript>2</Subscript> separation

The carbon molecular sieves (CMSs) prepared by carbonaceous materials as precursors are effective in CO₂/N₂ separation. However, selectivity of these materials is too low, since hydrocarbon cracking for developing the desired microporosity in carbonaceous materials has not been done effectively. Hence, in this study, cobalt and nickel impregnation on the precursor was conducted to introduce catalysts for hydrocarbon cracking. Cobalt and nickel impregnation, carbonization under N₂ atmosphere, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by benzene were conducted on the extruded mixtures of activated carbon and coal tar pitch under different conditions to prepare CMSs. The best CMS prepared by carbon deposition on the cobalt-impregnated samples exhibited CO₂ adsorption capacity of 54.79 mg/g and uptake ratio of 28.9 at 0 °C and 1 bar. In terms of CO₂ adsorption capacity and uptake ratio, CMSs prepared by carbon deposition on non-impregnated and cobalt-impregnated samples presented the best results, respectively. As benzene concentration and CVD time increased, equilibrium adsorption capacity of CO₂ decreased, and uptake ratio increased. Cobalt was found to be the best catalyst for benzene cracking in the CVD process.     

Preparation of magnetic microgels for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and removal of methylene blue from aqueous medium

This work describes the synthesis of poly(acrylic acid) microgels and fabrication of magnetic cobalt nanoparticles in the prepared microgels. Cobalt nanoparticles were fabricated by loading the cobalt (II) ions in microgels from aqueous solution and their subsequent reduction with sodium borohydride (NaBH₄). Bare and composite microgels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The catalytic properties of the prepared microgel composites were investigated by using them as catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and methylene blue. The effect of temperature and catalyst dose on the rate of reduction of these toxic pollutants was investigated. The reusability of prepared catalysts was also studied for the five consecutive cycles, and an increase in catalytic activity was observed after every cycle. The prepared bare and magnetic microgels were found as very effective adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous medium. Very rapid adsorption rate was found for the removal of methylene as its 100 mg was adsorbed on per gram of dried hydrogels in about 25 min. The effects of different parameters like amount of adsorbate and concentration of adsorbent on the adsorption process were studied. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherms were applied, and it was found that adsorption of MB follows Freundlich model better than others. Furthermore, pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were also applied and adsorption of MB was found to abide by pseudo-second-order kinetics.     

Greenhouse gases abatement by catalytic dry reforming of methane to syngas over samarium oxide-supported cobalt catalyst

Anthropogenic activities often result in the emissions of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) which are the principal components of greenhouse gases. The mitigation of these gases to avert further occurrence of global warming has attracted a lot of research interest. In this study, the potential of greenhouse gases abatement via catalytic CO₂ (dry) reforming of methane to syngas over samarium oxide-supported cobalt (20 wt% Co/80 wt% Sm₂O₃) catalyst was investigated. The 20 wt% Co/80 wt% Sm₂O₃ material was synthesized via wet impregnation method and characterized using different instrument techniques. The methane dry reforming reaction, as well as its kinetics over the catalyst, was studied in a stainless steel fixed-bed continuous flow reactor at feed (CH₄:CO₂) ratios range of 0.1–1.0, temperature range of 923–1023 K and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 30,000 h^?1. The 20 wt% Co/80 wt% Sm₂O₃ catalyst showed promising catalytic activity evident from the highest CH₄ and CO₂ conversion of ~71 and ~74% as well as the highest hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) yield of ~62 and ~73%, respectively. Moreover, the methane dry reforming over the 20 wt% Co/80 wt% Sm₂O₃ catalyst produces H₂/CO ratio close to unity hence suitable for use as a chemical intermediate for synthesis of oxygenated fuels. The kinetic data obtained from the methane dry reforming were fitted to power law model. Apparent activation energies of 88.62, 80.12, 108.12 and 100.91 kJ mol^?1 were obtained for CH₄, CO₂, H₂ and CO, respectively. The characterization of the spent 20 wt% Co/80 wt% Sm₂O₃ catalyst after 4 h of time-on-stream has confirmed the presence of amorphous carbon which can easily be gasified.     

Starch-assisted sol–gel synthesis of magnetic CuFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> powder as photo-Fenton catalysts in the presence of oxalic acid

Magnetic photo-Fenton catalysts based on spinel CuFe₂O₄ were successfully prepared by the starch-assisted sol–gel method. Various synthetic conditions such as annealing temperatures (700, 800 and 900 °C) and molar ratios of Cu²⁺/Fe³⁺/C₆H₁₀O₅ in the precursor solution (from 1:2:2 to 1:2:4) were, respectively, used in order to study the influences of annealing temperatures and precursor starch contents on the magnetic and catalytic properties of CuFe₂O₄ powders. The photo-Fenton catalytic activity was evaluated via the degradation of methylene blue under ultraviolet and visible irradiation with H₂C₂O₄ as a new oxidizing agent. According to the results, when the annealing temperature increased to 800 °C, the spinel CuFe₂O₄ phase amount was increased, which strongly enhances the photo-Fenton catalytic performance. However, above 800 °C, the catalytic activity was reduced, due to the increase in particle size. The starch content also affected the surface Cu²⁺ content and the particle size of catalysts. The catalyst prepared at 800 °C with the molar Cu²⁺/Fe³⁺/C₆H₁₀O₅ ratio of 1:2:3 presented the best photo-Fenton performance, owing to its highest surface Cu²⁺ content. This catalyst also exhibits ferromagnetic properties (saturation magnetization of 25.836 emu/g and coercivity of 1010.23 Oe), which allows them to be easily separated from the solution by a magnet.     

Fate and transport of ethanol-blended dissolved BTEX hydrocarbons: a quantitative tracing study of a sand tank experiment

To estimate the behavior of ethanol-blended dissolved BTEX hydrocarbons in groundwater, a quantitative tracing study instead of qualitative analysis was carried out by using a large sand tank, into which 2-L solution including bromide, ethanol and dissolved BTEX was injected under a controlled hydraulic condition. Mean residence time (MRT), pore volume swept by solute (V _p), retardation coefficient (R) and biodegradation rate constant (k) of injected solutes were estimated. Compared with bromide that was used as a conservative tracer, ethanol and BTEX had shorter MRT and smaller V _p with the sequence of EtOH < T < E < m/p-X < o-X < B < Br. Biodegradation was confirmed as evidenced by the consumptions of dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate and sulfate, and the production of acetate. The sequence of k as EtOH > T > E > m/p-X > o-X > B was just opposite to the sequences of MRT and V _p. The relationship among above sequences implies that MRT and V _p can be used as indicators to assess in situ biodegradability of a solute. Biodegradation of a reactive solute can make its MRT shortened and V _p shrunk. In addition, the sorption of ethanol could be neglected (R = 1.0), whereas BTEX compounds were adsorbed (R = 1.04–1.15). It should be noted that biodegradation of a solute can affect the estimation of its retardation coefficient. To our knowledge, this paper provides an available route to quantitatively estimate biodegradability of a solute in groundwater.     

Development of low-cost passive sampler from cow bone char for sampling of volatile organic compounds

A simple and low-cost passive sampler for collection of volatile organic compounds, specifically benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), from the ambient air has been developed by using cow bone char (CBC) as an adsorbent with desorption by solvent extraction prior to analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The laboratory-made CBC was prepared by calcination process in a partially oxidative atmosphere. The developed passive sampler was tested for a suitable amount of CBC used, diffusion tube type and size, and sampling duration, in a closed chamber saturated with each of the BTEX vapors. With the optimum amount of 250 mg CBC packed in a glass bottle (82.6 mm height × 11.1 mm i.d.) and the exposure time of 168 h, detection limits (µg/m³) for BTEX determination using this developed sampler together with GC–MS were 0.28 (benzene), 0.79 (toluene), 0.58 (ethylbenzene), 0.28 (p-xylene) and 0.54 (o-xylene). The proposed method was applied to sampling BTEX from selected petrol stations, traffic congestion areas and a rural area in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The BTEX concentrations detected were well correlated with their sources as they were the highest at the petrol station sites, lower at the traffic congestion area sites and the lowest at the rural area site. The laboratory-made passive sampler containing CBC has thus opened up a possibility of having a simple and effective device for sampling of BTEX in the ambient air.     

Fe-ZSM-5分子筛催化降解染料废水的研究

传统的Fenton均相亚铁盐催化剂处理染料废水,具有难以避免的二次污染和亚铁离子流失问题。分子筛催化剂相比传统催化剂具有高效环保的特点,在催化氧化染料废水领域有着良好的前景。本文通过液相离子交换法制备了Fe-ZSM-5非均相分子筛催化剂,替代传统的亚铁盐催化剂,应用X射线衍射对制备的Fe-ZSM-5分子筛催化剂进行表征,表明随离子交换次数的增加,Fe-ZSM-5催化剂负载的铁量上升,且较好地保持了分子筛结构,有利于提高亚铁离子的催化能力。通过实验确定了Fe-ZSM-5催化剂催化反应的最佳温度、pH值、Fe-ZSM-5的用量、反应时间等工艺参数,比较了Fe-ZSM-5催化剂和传统Fenton均相催化剂降解染料废水的脱色率和废水中铁离子的残留量,结果表明Fe-ZSM-5的脱色率达到98.5%,相比于Fenton均相催化剂的脱色率提升约3%;两种催化剂的铁离子残留量差别显著,Fe-ZSM-5催化剂处理的废水中只产生微量的Fe离子,可以认为Fe-ZSM-5非均相分子筛催化剂有效地解决了催化剂损耗和二次污染问题。     

Characterization of the 26 December 2004 tsunami deposits in Andaman Islands (Bay of Bengal, India)

The large tsunami, which was generated by an earthquake on 26 December 2004, affected most of the countries around the Indian Ocean. A total of 48 tsunamigenic surface sediments and nine core samples have been collected from various coastal geomorphological features such as beaches, estuaries/creeks and mangrove areas in the Andaman Islands. These samples were analysed for textural analysis and geochemical studies to evaluate effects of the tsunami on sediment contamination. The studied sediments, deposited by the 26 December 2004 tsunami in Andaman group of islands, belong to poorly sorted, coarse to medium sands. Generally the concentration of heavy metals in the tsunamigenic surface sediments is mainly in the order of Cu > Mn > Fe > Zn > Pb during the post-tsunami (2005) and Cu > Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb during the post-monsoon (2008). The analysed core samples show that tsunami sediments have been preserved at certain depths from the sampling locations and indicate that they were derived from shallow littoral to neritic depths. The approximate width of deposits deposited by the 26 December 2004 Tsunami in Diglipur and Mayabandar areas (North Andaman) is ~10 cm, in Rangat and Baratang (Middle Andaman) the thickness of the deposits is ~15 cm. In Chidiyatapu, Junglighat, Rutland Islands and Havelock Island (South Andaman) the thickness of the deposits is ~30, ~8, ~25 and ~5 cm, respectively, and in Hut Bay (Little Andaman) the thickness of the deposits is about ~15 cm.     

Catalytic hydrothermal carbonization of invasive macrophyte Hornwort (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ceratophyllum demersum</Emphasis>) for production of hydrochar: a potential biofuel

Biofuels are environment friendly and economical. First-generation biofuels are made from sugar, starch and vegetable oils, and have an impact on food security, while second generation biofuels are generated from plant or algal material and are greener and sustainable. The present work focused on lab-scale application of hydrothermal carbonization to convert aquatic weed Ceratophyllum demersum into a second-generation biofuel—hydrochar. Hydrothermal carbonization has been carried out with and without catalysts in a high-pressure reactor under subcritical temperatures 240–320 °C, residence times 10–40 min and biomass to water dilution ratios varying from 1:4 to 1:12. Under noncatalytic conditions higher heating value and energy density were highest, 24.11 MJ/kg and 1.64 respectively at temperature of 300 °C and residence time of 30 min. The calorific value of noncatalytic hydrochar was enhanced further, respectively, to 29.0, 27.5 and 26.48 MJ/kg by catalysts KOH, Na₂CO₃ and acetic acid. Catalytic hydrochar had H/C and O/C atomic ratios of same order as that of high-rank bituminous coal. Van Krevelen diagram indicated KOH to be better catalyst followed by Na₂CO₃ and acetic acid. Hydrochar yield of 38% obtained in noncatalytic hydrothermal carbonization decreased with catalysts in following order; acetic acid > Na₂CO₃ > KOH, however, energy density was enhanced in order KOH > Na₂CO₃ > acetic acid. The research can prove a way forward in the direction of meeting part of global energy demand. At the same time, the problem of secondary pollution caused by piling up and decay of aquatic weeds will also be addressed to.     

Assessment of spatial distribution and possible sources of heavy metals in the soils of Sariseki-Dörtyol District in Hatay Province (Turkey)

In this study, total heavy metal content of soil and their spatial distribution in Sar?seki-Dörtyol district were analyzed and mapped. Variable distance grids (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 km) were established, with a total of 102 soil samples collected from two different soil depths (0–5 and 5–20 cm) at intersections of the grids (51 sampling point). Soil samples were analyzed for heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, and Ni). The most proper variogram models for the contents of all heavy metal were spherical and exponential ones. The ranges of semivariograms were between 1.9 and 31.1 km. According to the calculated geoaccumulation (I _geo) values, samples from both soil depths were classified as partly to highly polluted with Cd and Ni and partly polluted with Cr and as partly polluted-to-not polluted with Pb and not polluted with Cu, Fe and Mn. Similar results were also obtained when evaluated by the enrichment factor. The contamination levels of the heavy metals were Ni > Cd > Cr > Pb > Zn > Cu > Co > Fe > Mn in decreasing order. The soils in the study area are contaminated predominantly by Cd and Ni, which may give rise to various health hazards or diseases. Cadmium pollution results primarily from industrial activities and, to a lesser extent, from vehicular traffic, whereas Ni contents in the study area result from parent material, phosphorus fertilizer, industries, and vehicles.     

Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate by Ce-substituted goethite

Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) is ubiquitous in aquatic environments due to extensively used as plasticizer, which has received increasing attention in recent years. In this study, the catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate was performed using Ce-substituted goethite as a novel catalyst, which was prepared by isomorphous substitution method. The specific surface area, pHpzc and surface hydroxyl density of the catalyst were determined. The catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The removal efficiency of DMP was almost 100% after 30 min, and about 40% DMP was mineralized after 60 min, which was nearly four times higher than single ozonation. During catalytic ozonation process, anions (PO₄ ^3?, SO₄ ^2?, Cl^?) affected DMP degradation, indicating that surface hydroxyl groups on the surface of catalyst were main active sites. The electron transfer process by redox reaction between Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ was proposed, and their interaction could also promote the formation of hydroxyl radicals. Ce-substituted goethite was an efficient catalyst for degradation of DMP by catalytic ozonation.     

Lead isotopic ratios in source apportionment of heavy metals in the street dust of Kolkata,India

Street dust from 29 locations, in some of the busiest parts of north and south Kolkata, was analysed for heavy metal composition. The decreasing order of average metal concentrations (mg kg^?1) found was Mn (390) > Pb (380) > Zn (300) > As (96) > Cu (61) > Cr (40) > Co (13) > Ag (2.1). The heavy metal composition of the Kolkata dust was compared with reported data for other cities. Enrichment factors of Pb and As were high. Multivariate statistical analysis of the heavy metals and analysis of lead isotopic ratios of the dust revealed a predominant anthropogenic influence in the contamination. The range of lead isotopic ratios found in the dust was between 0.8789 and 0.8998 with a mean Pb concentration of 383 mg kg^?1. The three Pb isotope plots of street dust, diesel and rainwater clustered linearly, while coal did not fit into this trend. The highest 207/206 lead isotopic ratio obtained was from diesel with a mean value of 0.9015, followed by the rainwater sample. The application of the binary mixing model showed that about 66.86% of lead contamination in the street dust was sourced from the atmosphere. The two components extracted by the principal component analysis explained 64.34% of the total variance. Vehicular and industrial emissions appeared to be an important contributor to the accumulation of heavy metals in the dust. The health risk assessment study of the dust indicated carcinogenic risk associated with As and Cr.     

Facile regeneration and modification of industrial used chelating resin for fuel oil desulfurization

A systematic study was carried out on the preparation and application of metal-loaded polypropylene-divinyl benzene resin for dibenzothiophene adsorption. Amidoxime groups over used industrial polypropylene-divinyl benzene chelating resin were regenerated through a chemical graft reaction, and the highest regeneration efficiency of about 90 % can be reached. Different metal phases (Zn, Ni, Cu, Fe, Bi, and Ag) were introduced to the regenerated resin via an incipient-wetness impregnation method to examine their desulfurization efficiency. The desulfurization efficiency of ca. 86.3 % can be gained over Zn-loaded resin (Zn-R) under optimized reaction conditions. The order of different desulfurization influencing factors was further verified according to the orthogonal experiments, that is, desulfurization temperature > metal loading content > space velocity > organic sulfur concentration. Distribution of adsorption products was analyzed, and the results reveal that the metal-modified resins can effectively remove the organic sulfur compounds in diesel oil without loss of its octane value. The desulfurization effect of metal-contained resins is primary determined by the π-complexation.     

Impacts of nitrogen and phosphorus on atrazine-contaminated soil remediation and detoxification by Arthrobacter sp. strain HB-5

The relationship of atrazine-degrading bacteria Arthrobacter sp. HB-5 and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer to atrazine degradation and detoxification in soil was investigated in a microcosm pot experiment. Treatments of soil containing atrazine (AW) with atrazine plus strain HB-5 alone (A), together with atrazine and strain HB-5 plus nitrogen alone (AN), phosphate alone (AP), and nitrogen and phosphate together (ANP) were used to investigate atrazine degradation and ecotoxicity. Atrazine residues in the soils were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, while soil ecotoxicity was tested by micronucleus (MN) assay of Vicia faba root tip cells. The results showed that degradation of atrazine in soil could be facilitated by the treatment of strain HB-5 as well as strain HB-5 application with the addition of nitrogenous and/or phosphorus fertilizers. The degradation rates varied as the following: ANP > AP > AN > A > AW in different treatments. At 10 days post treatment, degradation efficiency of over 90 % was achieved in all strain HB-5 treatments except AW, but with no statistically significant differences found between treatments. Soil ecotoxicity was significantly reduced along with the degradation of atrazine by strain HB-5, and the ecotoxicity of soils with applied fertilizer was below that of treatments without fertilizer. On the seventh day and later, the MN frequencies of all treatments were decreased in the control levels except for AW. Thus, adjusting soil nutrient contents not only promoted strain HB-5 to remove atrazine in soil but also mitigated soil ecotoxicity effects caused by atrazine. These results are important keystones for future remediation of atrazine-contaminated soils.     

Sabatier-based CO2-methanation by catalytic conversion

The catalytic conversion of CO₂ is an important component for the reintegration of secondary products like CO₂ or H₂ into the energy supply. An example is the “power to gas” concept with a conversion of CO₂ into CH₄. The CO₂ is transferred into a carrier of chemical energy, with the possibility to feed the produced CH₄ into the existing network of natural gas. At temperatures of around 350 °C, hydrogenation of CO₂ to CH₄ is possible by the Sabatier reaction CO₂ + 4H₂ → CH₄ + 2H₂O. One prerequisite for efficient kinetics of the Sabatier reaction is the application and optimization of catalysts. The focus of catalyst development is given to their performance under the conditions to be expected in the special application. As a part of the project Geoenergy-Research (GeoEn), we address questions related to the catalytic utilization of CO₂ produced in the course of the oxyfuel combustion of lignite. In this contribution, we report on the experimental setup in laboratory scale, which enables an advanced characterization of the catalytic performance, including thermodesorption measurements at atmospheric pressure in order to determine the amount of adsorbed CO₂ under real conditions. We also show data for activation energies, the catalytic performance as function of temperature and the long time stability of a commercial Ru-based catalyst.     

A novel continuous magnetic nano-Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/perlite fixed bed reactor for catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of dyes: reactor structure

In the present work, a continuous catalytic wet peroxide oxidation fixed bed reactor was employed to treat a simulated wastewater sample with malachite green dye, as a contaminant. Natural perlite particle-supported nano-Fe₃O₄ catalyst was used as a fixed bed inside a reactor, and it was immobilized by a persistent magnetic field. The range of (perlite) particle sizes was from 100 to 1000 nm. The effects of various operating parameters, including temperature of the reactor, pH, initial hydrogen peroxide concentration and initial dye concentration, were investigated on the percentage removal of malachite green dye. Load of catalyst of 2 g and volumetric flow rate of 1 L/h were selected for all the tests. Maximum malachite green degradation was 99.5 ± 0.3%. This removal percentage was attained at temperature of 80 °C, pH = 6, initial dye concentration of 6 mg/L and initial hydrogen peroxide concentration of 100 mg/L. The process was isotherm, and the catalyst showed high catalytic activity in the steady-state condition. The loss of catalyst was less than 0.3%.     

Optimization of novel hyperthermostable β amylase production by Bacillus subtilis DJ5 using solid agroresidual substrates

Eight different low cost starchy agroresidues namely Barley (B), Wheat bran (WB), Sattu (S), Rice powder (RP), Corn flour (CF), Rice husk (RH), Yellow peas split (YPS) and arrowroot (A) were used for solid culturing of Bacillus subtilis DJ5 for production of novel hyperthermostable β amylase. Various process parameters like initial moisture content, inoculum load, medium pH and incubation temperature affecting enzyme production were optimized to ensure maximum enzyme yield. Only 10 % inoculums load and medium pH of 6.9 was found sufficient to achieve maximum enzyme production in all substrates in a decreasing order, B > WB > S > RP > CF > RH > YPS > A. Optimum β amylase production was highly dependent on initial moisture content of substrate as observed from varying requirement of moisture for different substrates. Only 50 % moisture was sufficient for maximum enzyme production of 84.29 U/gdm in CF. For B, RH, YPS, and A 60 % initial moisture resulted in higher production of 120.34, 35.19, 26.59, and 21.58 U/gdm, respectively, at 37 °C. However, for S and RP higher (70 %) moisture content allowed 113.4 and 85.56 U/gdm enzyme production, respectively. Under optimized conditions, maximum β amylase production was observed after 25 h for A, YPS, RH, RP; 41 h for B, WB, CF, and 45 h for S.     

Distribution and enrichment of trace metals and arsenic at the upper layer of sediments from Lerma River in La Piedad,Mexico: case history

Lerma River is one of the largest rivers in Mexico. Over the past 20 years, unplanned population growth occurred along its course and the river has been used as the only outlet for industrial and domestic wastewater disposal. The aim of the present study was to determine trace metals such as Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb, and arsenic concentrations at the upper layer of sediments of the Lerma River meander in La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico. Sediment samples were collected from eight different sites during the rainy and dry seasons. All samples were physically characterized, and concentration values of trace metals and As were determined. On the basis of protection criteria for freshwater sediments, concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb were found to exceed the lowest effect level; moreover, the concentrations were found to exceed the severe effect level at some sites, particularly for Cu. Statistical analyses showed significant differences between sampling seasons for Fe and As, and among sites for Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. In addition, the enrichment factor indicates the following order Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb > As, and the geoaccumulation index (I _geo) indicates contamination in the following order Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > As > Pb. The Lerma River meander in La Piedad shows a reduction in pollution by trace metals and arsenic near the drain area and downstream of the meander. However, there are significantly higher concentrations of these elements in sediments of sites located in the middle part of the city.     

La0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Mn0.2O3-δ钙钛矿对过一硫酸盐降解水中四溴双酚A影响实验研究

研究了La_0.5 Sr_0.5 Co_0.8 Mn_0.2 O_3-δ钙钛矿活化过氧单硫酸盐对四溴双酚A(TBBPA)的降解作用,重点探讨不同的煅烧温度制备镧锶钴锰钙钛矿(LSCM82)的催化性能对过一硫酸盐降解TBBPA的影响,以及溶液的不同初始pH条件对优选材料体系降解效率的影响。结果发现,变价离子的氧化还原对Co3+/Co2+和(Mn4++Mn3+)/Mn2+是催化剂活性的主要贡献者。煅烧温度为950 ℃且具有适量间隙氧及比表面积的LSCM82-950催化反应速率较高。在中性pH环境条件下应用LSCM82-950活化过一硫酸盐降解水中TBBPA污染物,既可以使催化剂钴浸出很少,又能达到最大程度的TBBPA降解效果。