Degradation of Levofloxacin by a green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite activating peroxydisulfate system: Reactivity, products and mechanism.

In this study, a green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite (ZVI-SCG) was synthesized using coffee grounds and FeCl3 solution through two-steps method, and the synthesized ZVI-SCG was used in the activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade Levofloxacin (LEX). Results revealed that ZVI-SCG exhibited a great potential for LEX removal by adsorption and catalytic degradation in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system, and 99% of LEX was removed in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system within 60 min. ZVI-SCG/PDS system showed a high reactivity toward LEX degradation under realistic environmental conditions.

A green synthesized medicine residue carbon-based iron composite for the removal of chromium (VI) and cadmium (II): Performance, kinetics and mechanism.

Nowadays, clean-up of heavy metals from wastewaters using waste residue carbon-based material has received increasing attention. In this work, a novel Chinese medicine residue carbon-based nano zero-valent iron composite (CM-nZVI) had been successfully prepared using the combined Chinese medicine residue, FeCl and green tea extract. Cr(VI) and/ or Cd(II) removal in water by the CM-nZVI were systematacially investigated with a series of batch experiments.

Efficiency of Soil Amendments for Copper Removal and Brassica Juncea (L.) Growth in Wastewater Irrigated Agricultural Soil.

Wastewater irrigation is becoming a massive challenge for sustainable agriculture. Particularly, copper (Cu) presence in wastewater poses a great threat to the food chain quality. Thus, scientists need to address this issue by using chemical and organic soil amendments to restore the soil ecosystem.

Temperature responsiveness of soil carbon fractions, microbes, extracellular enzymes and CO emission: mitigating role of texture.

The interaction of warming and soil texture on responsiveness of the key soil processes . organic carbon (C) fractions, soil microbes, extracellular enzymes and CO emissions remains largely unknown. Global warming raises the relevant question of how different soil processes will respond in near future, and what will be the likely regulatory role of texture? To bridge this gap, this work applied the laboratory incubation method to investigate the effects of temperature changes (10-50 °C) on dynamics of labile, recalcitrant and stable C fractions, soil microbes, microbial biomass, activities of extracellular enzymes and CO emissions in sandy and clayey textured soils.

Foliar application of potassium and moringa leaf extract improves growth, physiology and productivity of kabuli chickpea grown under varying sowing regimes.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is of prime importance because of vital source of protein as major food legume. Globally, it is cultivated on large area to meet dietary requirements of humans.

Application of Zinc and Iron-Based Fertilizers Improves the Growth Attributes, Productivity, and Grain Quality of Two Wheat () Cultivars.

Field-based experiments were conducted during wheat cultivation seasons of 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 to minimize the impact of hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) through agronomic biofortification of two wheat cultivars with zinc and iron. Two spring-planted bread wheat cultivars: Zincol-16 (Zn-efficient) and Anaj-17 (Zn-inefficient with high-yield potential) were treated with either zinc (10 kg/ha), iron (12 kg/ha), or their combination to study their effect on some growth attributes (plant height, tillers, and spike length, etc.,), productivity, and quality.

A porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material highly efficient for the simultaneous remediation of cadmium and lead contaminated soil.

Risk associated with heavy metals in soil has been received widespread attention. In this study, a porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (BC-nZVI) was applied to immobilize cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in clayey soil. Experiment results indicated that the immobilization of Cd or Pb by BC-nZVI process was better than that of BC or nZVI process, and about 80% of heavy metals immobilization was obtained in BC-nZVI process.

Simultaneous adsorption of Cr(VI) and phenol by biochar-based iron oxide composites in water: Performance, kinetics and mechanism.

The pollution of heavy metals and organic compounds has received increased attention in recent years. In the current study, a novel biochar-based iron oxide composite (FeYBC) was successfully synthesized using pomelo peel and ferric chloride solution through one-step process at moderate temperature. Results clearly demonstrate that FeYBC exhibited more efficient removal of Cr(VI) and/or phenol compared with the pristine biochar, and the maximum adsorption amounts of Cr(VI) and phenol by FeYBC could reach 24.

Comparative role of animal manure and vegetable waste induced compost for polluted soil restoration and maize growth.

Soil amendment with two types of composts: animal manure (AC) and vegetable waste (VC) induced composts have potential to alleviate Cd toxicity to maize in contaminated soil. Therefore, Cd mobility in waste water irrigated soil can be addressed through eco-friendly and cost effective organic soil amendments AC and VC that eventually reduces its translocation from polluted soil to maize plant tissues. The comparative effectiveness of AC and VC at 3% rate were evaluated on Cd solubility, its accumulation in maize tissues, translocation from root to shoot, chlorophyll contents, plant biomass, yield and soil properties (pH, NPK, OM).

Efficiency of different types of biochars to mitigate Cd stress and growth of sunflower (; L.) in wastewater irrigated agricultural soil.

Cadmium contamination in croplands is recognized one of the major threat, seriously affecting soil health and sustainable agriculture around the globe. Cd mobility in wastewater irrigated soils can be curtailed through eco-friendly and cost effective organic soil amendments (biochars) that eventually minimizes its translocation from soil to plant. This study explored the possible effects of various types of plants straw biochar as soil amendments on cadmium (Cd) phytoavailability in wastewater degraded soil and its subsequent accumulation in sunflower tissues.

A new insight on enhanced Pb(II) removal by sludge biochar catalyst coupling with ultrasound irradiation and its synergism with phenol removal.

The applicability of sludge biochar catalyst (SBC) coupling with ultrasound (US) irradiation for the simultaneous removal of Pb(II) and phenol was firstly investigated in this study. Results indicate that Pb(II) removal of SBC/US process was superior to that of SBC without US. The inhibitory order of the coexisting anions on Pb(II) removal was PO > HCO > NO > F > SO > Cl.

FeS assisted degradation of atrazine by bentonite-supported nZVI coupling with hydrogen peroxide process in water: Performance and mechanism.

In this study, bentonite-supported nZVI (B-nZVI) was used as a catalyst to activate HO for atrazine (ATZ) degradation in the presence of FeS. Results indicated that ATZ degradation by B-nZVI/HO process was significantly enhanced when FeS was introduced, and nearly 98% of ATZ was degraded by B-nZVI/FeS/HO process within 60 min under the optimum conditions. ATZ degradation of B-nZVI/FeS/HO process was much higher than the sum of B-nZVI and FeS/HO processes.

Ultrasound-assisted catalytic reduction of Cr(VI) by an acid mine drainage based nZVI coupling with FeS system from aqueous solutions: Performance and mechanism.

Nowadays, nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) has been extensively applied for the decontamination of various pollutants, but passivation of nZVI severely affects its reactivity in use. In this study, ultrasound (US)-assisted catalytic reduction of Cr(VI) by an acid mine drainage based nZVI (AMD-nZVI) coupling with FeS system was systematically examined. Results show that the presence of FeS and US induced a synergistic enhancement of Cr(VI) removal by AMD-nZVI.

Synergistic oxidation of Bisphenol A in a heterogeneous ultrasound-enhanced sludge biochar catalyst/persulfate process: Reactivity and mechanism.

Recently, clean-up of resistant organic compounds has attracted growing attention. In this study, a novel heterogeneous ultrasound-enhanced sludge biochar catalyst/persulfate (BC/PS/US) process was firstly developed for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in water. The results revealed that BC/PS/US process could successfully achieve a positively synergistic effect between sonochemistry and catalytic chemistry on the degradation of BPA compared to its corresponding comparative process.

Effects of dissolved oxygen, salinity, nitrogen and phosphorus on the release of heavy metals from coastal sediments.

Great amounts of nutrients discharged into the urbanized coastal areas, which are continuously subject to violently anthropogenic metal contamination, will result in eutrophication and hypoxic episode. In order to study the effects of dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, nitrogen and phosphorus on the release of six metals including Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, As and Cr from coastal sediments, a series of 60-days microcosm experiments consisting of sediments and seawater were conducted. Severe hypoxia could result in the enhanced peak values of Pb, Cd, Cu and Cr concentrations in the overlying water.

Photocatalytic removal of phenanthrene and algae by a novel Ca-AgPO composite under visible light: Reactivity and coexisting effect.

In this study, the feasibility of a novel Ca-AgPO composite with visible light irradiation for the phenanthrene (PHE) degradation and algae inactivation in artificial seawater was firstly investigated. The experimental findings revealed that AgPO phase was sucessfully formed on the Ca-based material, and the presence of Ca-based material could effectively keep AgPO particles stable. An excellent performance on PHE degradation or algae inactivation was observed from Ca-AgPO composite under visible light irradiation.

Insights on the nitrate reduction and norfloxacin oxidation over a novel nanoscale zero valent iron particle: Reactivity, products, and mechanism.

Herein, the application of a novel acid mine drainage-based nanoscale zero valent iron (AMD-based nZVI) for the remediation of nitrate and norfloxacin (NOR) was studied. Experimental results indicated that the catalytic reactivity of AMD-based nZVI toward nitrate reduction was superior to that of iron salt-based nanoscale zero valent iron (Iron salt-based nZVI). The presence of ultrasound irradiation could significantly enhance the reactivity toward both the nitrate reduction and NOR oxidation processes.

Sorption and desorption of phenanthrene on biodegradable poly(butylene adipate co-terephtalate) microplastics.

Biodegradable plastics, as alternatives to conventional plastics, are increasingly used, but their interactions with organic pollutants are still unknown. In this study, the sorption and desorption behaviors on a type of biodegradable plastic-poly(butylene adipate co-terephtalate) (PBAT) were investigated, and at the same time two types of conventional plastics-polyethylene (PE and PE) and polystyrene (PS) were used for comparison. Phenanthrene (PHEN) was chosen as one of representative organic pollutants.

In situ arsenic speciation and the release kinetics in coastal sediments: A case study in Daya Bay, South China Sea.

In-situ study on arsenic speciation and the release kinetics in marine sediments was scarce. In this study, the distributions of labile As and their speciation in coastal sediments of Daya Bay were obtained by separate diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) probes. Results showed that the DGT-labile As(V) was the main speciation in surface sediments (from -20 to 0 mm) with a concentration range of 0.

Insights into the simultaneous removal of Cr and Pb by a novel sewage sludge-derived biochar immobilized nanoscale zero valent iron: Coexistence effect and mechanism.

Cr and Pb are both highly toxic pollutants and commonly co-exist in some industrial effluents and contaminated waters. In this study, simultaneous removal of Cr and Pb by a novel sewage sludge-derived biochar immobilized nanoscale zero-valent iron (SSB-nZVI) was systematically investigated. It was well demonstrated that a porous structure was successfully formed on the SSB-nZVI when the starch was used as an additive.

Simultaneous removal of Cu and bisphenol A by a novel biochar-supported zero valent iron from aqueous solution: Synthesis, reactivity and mechanism.

In this study, a novel biochar-supported zero valent iron (BC-nZVI) was synthesized through a green method. A high performance on the simultaneous removal of Cu and bisphenol A (BPA) by a combination of BC-nZVI with persulfate (BC-nZVI/PS) system was successfully achieved. The simultaneous efficiencies of Cu and BPA could reach 96 and 98% within 60 min, respectively.

Contamination level, chemical fraction and ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments from Daya Bay, South China Sea.

Contamination level, chemical fraction and ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments from Daya Bay (DYB) were conducted in this study. The results revealed that the concentration of Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in sediments were in the range of 36.38-90.

Tissue distribution, bioaccumulation characteristics and health risk of antibiotics in cultured fish from a typical aquaculture area.

Unlabelled: The negative impacts of residual antibiotics in the environment on ecosystem and human health are big concerns. However, little information is available on the antibiotic bioaccumulation in aquaculture farms. In this study, the bioaccumulative potentials of 21 antibiotics in the plasma, bile, liver and muscle of cultured fish from a typical aquaculture area were systematically investigated.

Enhanced catalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin with FeS/SiO microspheres as heterogeneous Fenton catalyst: Kinetics, reaction pathways and mechanism.

In this study, the application of FeS/SiO microspheres as a catalyst to activate HO for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) was systematically investigated. Results demonstrated that the presence of SiO microspheres on the surface of FeS could effectively make the reaction of aqueous Fe and HO smoothly continuous by controlling the release of aqueous Fe from FeS. Nearly 100% of CIP was degraded after 60min under the optimum conditions.

Spatial and Vertical Distribution of Dechlorane Plus in Mangrove Sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, South China.

Thirty surface sediments and three sediment cores were collected from mangrove wetlands in the Pearl River Estuary of South China to investigate the spatial and vertical distribution of Dechlorane Plus (DP). DP concentrations in the mangrove surface sediments ranged from 0.0130 to 1.