Seunghak Lee

Oxidizing capacity of periodate activated with iron-based bimetallic nanoparticles.

Nanosized zerovalent iron (nFe0) loaded with a secondary metal such as Ni or Cu on its surface was demonstrated to effectively activate periodate (IO4-) and degrade selected organic compounds at neutral pH. The degradation was accompanied by a stoichiometric conversion of IO4- to iodate (IO3-). nFe0 without bimetallic loading led to similar IO4- reduction but no organic degradation, suggesting the production of reactive iodine intermediate only when IO4- is activated by bimetallic nFe0 (e.g., nFe0-Ni and nFe0-Cu). The organic degradation kinetics in the nFe0-Ni(or Cu)/IO4- system was substrate dependent: 4-chlorophenol, phenol, and bisphenol A were effectively degraded, whereas little or no degradation was observed with benzoic acid, carbamazepine, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. The substrate specificity, further confirmed by little kinetic inhibition with background organic matter, implies the selective nature of oxidant in the nFe0-Ni(or Cu)/IO4- system. The comparison with the photoactivated IO4- system, in which iodyl radical (IO3•) is a predominant oxidant in the presence of methanol, suggests IO3• also as primary oxidant in the nFe0-Ni(or Cu)/IO4- system.

Organoclays as Variably Permeable Reactive Barrier Media to Manage NAPLs in Ground Water

Three commercial organoclays were evaluated as media for a variably permeable reactive barrier (VPRB) to manage coal-tar creosote, a non-aqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) consisting primarily of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Organoclays and organoclay-sand mixtures having at least 25% organoclay had NAPL conductivities of less than 10-10u2009u2009m/s, whereas hydraulic conductivities to water were on the order of 0.001u2009u2009m/s. Water migration was negligible in organoclays solvated with NAPL, but PAHs were released to the aqueous phase when the solvated clay contacted deionized water. Sorption isotherms for aqueous-phase PAHs are convex upward within the range of concentrations of environmental interest, and greater sorption occurs when the aqueous phase contains multiple PAHs. In column tests, breakthrough occurred for only naphthalene (lowest Kow) and for only one organoclay (lowest organic carbon content) for tests on 100% organoclay and organoclay-sand mixtures conducted for 208–276 pore volumes of flow (P...

Protective role of quercetin against cisplatin-induced hair cell damage in zebrafish embryos

Background and objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of quercetin on cisplatin-induced hair cell damage in transgenic zebrafish embryos. Materials and methods: Five days postfertilization zebrafish embryos were exposed to 1 mM cisplatin and quercetin at 10, 50, 100, or 200 μM for 4 h. Hair cells within neuromasts of the supraorbital, otic, and occipital lateral lines were analyzed by fluorescent microscopy (n = 10). Survival of hair cells was calculated as the average number of hair cells in the control group that were not exposed to cisplatin. Ultrastructural changes were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. Results: Hair cell damage in neuromasts was decreased by co-treatment of quercetin and cisplatin (quercetin 100 μM: 8.6 ± 1.1 cells; 1 mM cisplatin only: 5.0 ± 0.5 cells; n = 10, p < 0.05); apoptosis of hair cells examined by special stain was also decreased by quercetin. The ultrastructure of hair cells within neuromasts was preserved in zebrafish by the combination of quercetin (100 μM) and cisplatin (1 mM). Conclusion: In conclusion, quercetin showed protective effects against cisplatin-induced toxicity in a zebrafish model. The results of this study suggest the possibility of a protective role of quercetin against cisplatin-induced apoptotic cell death in zebrafish.

Effect of seepage velocity on the attachment efficiency of TiO2 nanoparticles in porous media.

Previously identified relationships between the attachment efficiency (α) and seepage velocity (US) of nanoparticles (NPs) were tested under simulated subsurface transport conditions, where the value of US is typically much less than the US on which they are based. This found an increase in the α value of TiO2 NPs with respect to US, which contradicts previous reports suggesting a constant value or decrease. By comparing the adhesion energy of the TiO2 NPs to sand and the hydrodynamic energy required to detach them, the increase of α with respect to US is found to be due to the difference in the magnitude of US considered; with 6.1E-05 to 1.3E-03ms(-1) used in previous studies, whereas the current study uses a value in the range from 2.4E-06 to 4.9E-04ms(-1). Only one of the previous models predicting α showed a similar increase of α with US, which was the result of it employing low velocities to examine the effects of organic matter. The current findings therefore suggest that previously determined relationships between α and US need to be further developed to incorporate more variables before they can be effectively used to describe or predict the subsurface transport of TiO2 NPs.

Phosphorous recovery from sewage sludge using calcium silicate hydrates

Phosphorous is an essential limiting nutrient for which there is no substitute. Its efficient recovery from sewage treatment plants is important to mitigate both dependence on limited reserves of exploitable phosphate rock and eutrophication of surface waters. Here, we evaluate the use of calcium silicate hydrates (CSH) to recover phosphorous eluted from sewage sludge. Phosphorous elution experiments were conducted with acid and base leaching solutions. The phosphorous recovery efficiency with CSH was compared to that with other calcium compounds, and the final product was analyzed to assess its potential value as fertilizer. Dried sewage sludge from the West Lake Ecological Water Resource Center, South Korea, having 123xa0g-P kg-1, was used for these tests. About 55% of the phosphorus in the sludge was released with an elution solution of 0.1xa0M H2SO4. A dose of 15xa0gxa0L-1 of CSH recovered 89.6% of the eluted phosphorous without the need for additional pre-treatment, and the resulting calcium phosphate product (in brushite form, based on XRD analysis) exhibited superior settleability than that resulting from Ca(OH)2- and CaCl2-induced precipitation. XRD peaks of the calcium sulfate hydrate (in gypsum form) and residual CSH were also observed. The final product contained a relatively high content of the total P2O5 eluted in a 2% citric acid solution (43.1%), which suggests that it might be readily used to fertilize crops.

Transformation of zinc-concentrate in surface and subsurface environments: Implications for assessing zinc mobility/toxicity and choosing an optimal remediation strategy

Zinc contamination in near- and sub-surface environments is a serious threat to many ecosystems and to public health. Sufficient understanding of Zn speciation and transport mechanisms is therefore critical to evaluating its risk to the environment and to developing remediation strategies. The geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of contaminated soils in the vicinity of a Zn ore transportation route were thoroughly investigated using a variety of analytical techniques (sequential extraction, XRF, XRD, SEM, and XAFS). Imported Zn-concentrate (ZnS) was deposited in a receiving facility and dispersed over time to the surrounding roadside areas and rice-paddy soils. Subsequent physical and chemical weathering resulted in dispersal into the subsurface. The species identified in the contaminated areas included Zn-sulfide, Zn-carbonate, other O-coordinated Zn-minerals, and Zn species bound to Fe/Mn oxides or clays, as confirmed by XAFS spectroscopy and sequential extraction. The observed transformation from S-coordinated Zn to O-coordinated Zn associated with minerals suggests that this contaminant can change into more soluble and labile forms as a result of weathering. For the purpose of developing a soil washing remediation process, the contaminated samples were extracted with dilute acids. The extraction efficiency increased with the increase of O-coordinated Zn relative to S-coordinated Zn in the sediment. This study demonstrates that improved understanding of Zn speciation in contaminated soils is essential for well-informed decision making regarding metal mobility and toxicity, as well as for choosing an appropriate remediation strategy using soil washing.

Spatial distribution, mineralogy, and weathering of heavy metals in soils along zinc-concentrate ground transportation routes: implication for assessing heavy metal sources

We investigated the source of heavy metals in soils at a site in South Korea, where a ground transportation of zinc-concentrates (ZnS, sphalerite) occurs daily. Seventy soil samples were collected at the site and analyzed for residual concentrations of heavy metals, as well as their chemical and mineralogical properties. Enrichment factor was calculated based on local geochemical background level of metals in soils and confirmed the contamination of soils in the area by an anthropogenic source. The concentration data were also subjected to a Pearson correlation analysis to determine the possible influences of anthropogenic sources and identify the primary source. A slight negative correlation between heavy metals and Al, and a weak correlation between heavy metals and Fe implied that the heavy metals originated from anthropogenic inputs rather than a geogenic source. A strong positive linear correlation between Zn and other heavy metals (i.e., As, Cd, Cu, Pb, rxa0≥xa00.96, pxa0≤xa00.001) suggested the influence of a single anthropogenic source of zinc-concentrates containing all of these heavy metals. Zinc-concentrate oxidation and leaching experiments, which mimicked physical and chemical weathering in the environment, indicated that zinc-concentrate could be transformed to zinc oxides and release Cd and Pb upon precipitation. The findings in this study provide an insight into the fate of the Zn that the original form of zinc-concentrate would not remain in the soil after long-term weathering, which should be considered when source of heavy metals is identified.