Ya Zhang

High efficient removal of mercury from aqueous solution by polyaniline/humic acid nanocomposite

A composite sorbent PANI/HA was prepared by adding humic acid (HA) into chemical oxidation process of polyaniline (PANI). The sorbent was characterized by BET analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and FT-IR spectra. Batch adsorption results showed that the sorbent had high affinity to Hg(II) in aqueous solutions. The adsorption kinetics results of Hg(II) showed that the adsorption reached equilibrium within 200 min and adsorption rates could be described by pseudo-second-order kinetics. Sorption of Hg(II) to PANI/HA agreed well to the Langmuir adsorption model at different ionic strengths with the maximum adsorption capacity of 671 mg g(-1) (I=0.20 M). The experimental results showed solution pH values had a major impact on Hg(II) adsorption and with the help of HA the sorbent can effectively remove Hg(II) in a wide pH range (pH 4-7.5). An adsorption mechanism was proposed based on the XPS results.

Ferrous-activated persulfate oxidation of arsenic(III) and diuron in aquatic system

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) can be an effective technology for the remediation of soil and groundwater polluted by organic and inorganic contaminants. This study investigated the oxidation of arsenic(III) (As(III)) and diuron using ferrous activated persulfate-based ISCO. The results indicated that Fe(II)/persulfate oxidation could be an effective method to oxidize As(III) and diuron. Effects of pH, S2O8(2-) and Fe(II) amounts on the destruction of As(III) and diuron were examined in batch experiments. Acidic conditions favored the removal of As(III) and diuron. Four chelating agents, citric acid (CA), Na2S2O3, diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid disodium (EDTA-Na2) were used in attempt to maintain the quantity of ferrous ion in solution. In our experiments, CA and Na2S2O3 were found to be more effective than DTPA and EDTA-Na2. Our results also revealed a widely practical prospect of inorganic chelating agent Na2S2O3. Hydroxyl and sulfate radical were determined to play key roles in the oxidation process by using ethanol and tertiary butanol as molecular probes. Oxidation of As(III) yielded As(V) via the electron-transfer reaction. In the oxidation process of diuron, a stepwise nucleophilic substitution of chlorine by hydroxyl and a stepwise oxidation process of the methyl on the dimethylurea group by hydroxyl and sulfate radical were proposed.

Photochemical degradation of sunscreen agent 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid in different water matrices.

The occurrence of sunscreen agents in natural environment is of scientific concern recently due to their potential risk to ecology system and human beings as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In this work the photodegradation mechanism and pathways of sunscreen agent 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid (PBSA) were investigated under artificial solar irradiation with the goal of assessing the potential of photolysis as a transformation mechanism in aquatic environments. The quantum yield of PBSA direct photolysis in pH 6.8 buffer solution under filtered mercury lamp irradiation was determined as 2.70 × 10(-4). Laser flash photolysis (LFP) experiments confirmed the involvement of PBSA radical cation (PBSA(·+)) during direct photolysis. Acidic or basic condition facilitated PBSA direct photolysis in aqueous solution. Indirect photolysis out-competes direct photolysis as a major process for PBSA attenuation only at higher level of photosensitizers (e.g., NO3(-) > 2 mM). Thus, direct photolysis is likely to be the major loss pathway responsible for the elimination of PBSA in natural sunlit surface waters, while indirect photolysis (e.g., mediated by HO·) appeared to be less important due to a general low level of steady-state concentration of HO· ([HO·]ss) in natural surface waters. Direct photolysis pathways of PBSA includes desulfonation and benzimidazole ring cleavage, which are probably initiated by the excited triplet state ((3)PBSA*) and radical cation (PBSA(·+)). Conversely, hydroxylation products of PBSA and 2-phenyl-1H-benzimidazole as well as their ring opening intermediates were found in nitrate-induced PBSA photolysis, suggesting the indirect photodegradation was primarily mediated by HO and followed a different mechanism.

The role of dissolved organic matters in the aquatic photodegradation of atenolol

Atenolol (ATL) is a photostable and hydrolysis resistant beta-blocker and has been frequently detected in natural water. In this study, mechanism on aquatic photodegradation of ATL was investigated with an emphasis on the role of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) as well as other natural water compositions (nitrate, bicarbonate and ferric ions). Significant acceleration of photodegradtion of ATL was observed in the presence of each DOMs added, namely Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (SRFA), Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA), Nordic Lake Fulvic Acid (NOFA) and Nordic Lake Humic Acid (NOHA). Hydroxyl radical (•OH) was determined as the main reactive species in this process, instead of singlet oxygen or excited triplet of DOM. Addition of these four DOMs all inhibited photodegradation of ATL in nitrate solutions through reducing nitrated-derived •OH and screening photons absorbed by nitrate. No loss of ATL was detected in bicarbonate solution with or without DOMs. Bicarbonate exhibited a scavenger of •OH derived from DOMs. However, in the presence of iron species, photodegradation of ATL was significantly enhanced by the addition of each DOM, due to the high yield of •OH in the photoprocess of Fe(III)-DOM complex. The photoproducts distribution of ATL demonstrated that SRFA promote the hydroxylation on aromatic ring in the presence of nitrate and reduce the ketone moiety to alcohol in the system of ferric ions. Our findings indicate that DOMs should be considered in aquatic photoprocesses of organic pollutants induced by themselves as well as other coexisting photoactive water compositions.

Batch Adsorption and Mechanism of Cr(VI) Removal from Aqueous Solution by Polyaniline/Humic Acid Nanocomposite

Polyaniline (PANI) and humic acid (HA) composite sorbents were prepared by adding different amount of HA into the chemical oxidation process of PANI. The sorbents were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption and desorption. Batch adsorption results showed that the sorbent PANI/HA-1 had the best affinity to Cr(VI) in aqueous solution. The adsorption kinetics results of Cr(VI) indicated that the adsorption reached equilibrium within 120xa0min, and adsorption rate could be described by pseudo second order kinetics. Sorption of Cr(VI) onto PANI/HA-1 fitted the Freundlich adsorption model better than the Langmuir adsorption model. The results of zeta potential measurement and batch experiments showed that the PANI/HA-1 was stable in the pH range of 4–7. The desorption results indicated NaOH eluent had better desorption rate than HCl eluent. The electrochemical-controlled desorption result showed that the loaded Cr(VI) on the PANI/HA-...

Aqueous photodegradation of antibiotic florfenicol: kinetics and degradation pathway studies.

The occurrence of antibacterial agents in natural environment was of scientific concern in recent years. As endocrine disrupting chemicals, they had potential risk on ecology system and human beings. In the present study, the photodegradation kinetics and pathways of florfenicol were investigated under solar and xenon lamp irradiation in aquatic systems. Direct photolysis half-lives of florfenicol were determined as 187.29xa0h under solar irradiation and 22.43xa0h under xenon lamp irradiation, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydroxyl radical (·OH) and singlet oxygen (1O2) were found to play an important role in indirect photolysis process. The presence of nitrate and dissolved organic matters (DOMs) could affect photolysis of florfenicol in solutions through light screening effect, quenching effect, and photoinduced oxidization process. Photoproducts of florfenicol in DOMs solutions were identified by solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS) analysis techniques, and degradation pathways were proposed, including photoinduced hydrolysis, oxidation by 1O2 and ·OH, dechlorination, and cleavage of the side chain.