Rapid degradation of long-alkanes by mild Fe-SOM pre-oxidation in soils.

In this study, a novel mild pre-oxidation mode was successfully explored by fabricating Fe-SOM prepared by adding 2.5% and 20% fulvic acid (FA). This study explored the mechanism of mild Fe-SOM pre-oxidation to stimulate rapid biological degradation of long-alkanes in oil-contaminated soils. Results showed that under mild Fe-SOM pre-oxidation, the total •OH intensity and bacterial killing degree（D） were low, and hydrocarbon conversion（C）was fast, resulting in rapid degradation of long-alkanes. Additionally, the fast group removed 1.7-fold more than slow group and biodegraded long-alkanes 182 days significantly faster. Furthermore, compared with slow group (8.26 log CFU/g), the fast group (51.48 log CFU/g) characterized much more bacteria. Besides, the fast group had higher C (5.72%-15.95%), thus increasing the degradation rate of long-alkanes (7.61%-18.86%). A shift in the microbial community was found after mild Fe-SOM pre-oxidation, with an average relative abundance of 18.6% for the dominant genus Bacillus. Therefore, the mild pre-oxidation reduced the D, and the high bacterial abundance promoted nutrients consumption and C, which shortened bioremediation period and increased the long-alkanes degradation rate. This study provided a promising novel mild Fenton pre-oxidation mode to rapid remediate heavily multicomponent oil-contaminated soils.

Efficient removal of heavily oil-contaminated soil using a combination of fenton pre-oxidation with biostimulated iron and bioremediation.

Crude oil contamination severely deteriorates soils quality. Bioremediation utilizing soil indigenous organisms could be employed to decompose petroleum hydrocarbons thanks to its low cost and minor environmental disturbance. However, slow kinetics limit the successful application of this biotechnique. Pretreating oil-contaminated soils with Fenton pre-oxidation could accelerate the subsequent bioremediation process. This study was to explore the mechanisms behind the rapid propagation of indigenous petroleum-degrading bacteria (IPDB) and the efficient degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in soil after Fenton pre-oxidation with biostimulated iron. Biostimulated iron and non-biostimulated iron were used in the experiments, where Fenton pre-oxidation was combined with the bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil (TPH = 13221 mg/kg). Although the amount of Fenton pre-oxidized TPH (3331-3775 mg/kg) was similar with biostimulated and non-biostimulated irons, the biodegradation of TPH after Fenton pre-oxidation with biostimulated iron (5840 mg/kg) was much higher than that with non-biostimulated iron (3034-4034 mg/kg). Moreover, abundant nutrients and a high population of residual IPDB were found after Fenton pre-oxidation with biostimulated iron, which benefited stable consumption of NH3-N and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by IPDB during the subsequent bioremediation. However, Fenton pre-oxidation with non-biostimulated iron either resulted in greater damage to IPDB or produced fewer nutrients, thereby failing to ensure the continuous propagation of IPDB during the subsequent bioremediation. Therefore, we propose that Fenton pre-oxidation with biostimulated iron should be applied to heavily oil-contaminated soils prior to bioremediation.

Mechanistic insight into cost-effective dedicated oxidation of alkanes by inactivating soil organic matter with FeOOH formed in situ.

Modified Fenton technique has been widely used to remediate soils contaminated with crude oil but significantly limited to soil organic matter (SOM) consuming oxidants. In this study, soils with developed SOM inactivation by FeOOH formed in situ were created and spiked with crude oil (total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH): 19453 mg/kg), then treated by modified Fenton reagents. The reaction activity of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) relative to TPH (K) notably increased to 0.65 when the degree of developed inactivation of the SOM (ß) was 100% (DIS-100), which was 1.45, 2.03 and 2.83-fold than that of DIS-50, DIS-15 and control (CK), respectively. Meanwhile, the higher the K, the more •OH transferred, which realized the efficient oriented oxidation of TPH. Moreover, improving the transfer of •OH from SOM to TPH was more important than increasing •OH production in soil remediation. With the ß increasing to 100%, the ratio of invalid H2O2 decomposition to produce O2 decreased to 22%, equal to 25% reduction compared to CK. Therefore, when ß was 100%, the utilization efficiency of H2O2 was improved to 1.48 mg/mmol, which was approximately 1.39, 3.35 and 5.43-fold higher than the efficiency got by DIS-50, DIS-15 and CK, respectively, achieving the cost-effective dedicated oxidation of TPH. In addition, the FeOOH cross-linked with SOM via Fe-O-C and Fe-N bonds to develop inactivation of SOM. In general, this study highlighted a new insight into the effect of developed inactivation of SOM on soil remediation.

Fast biodegradation of long-alkanes by enhancing bacteria performance rate by per-oxidation.

The long-alkanes biodegradation rate was generally found slow during widely used pre-oxidation combined with biodegradation for oil contamination treatment, resulting in long and unsustainable removal. In this study, different chitosan content was used to produce iron catalysts for pre-oxidation, and nutrients were added for the long-alkanes biodegradation experiment. Mechanism of Fenton pre-oxidation and improvement in the biodegradation rate of long-alkanes were studied by analyzing the change in organic matter and bacterial community structure, the amount and activity of bacteria in the biological stage, and the degradation amount long-alkanes hydrocarbon before and after pre-oxidation. Results showed that the destruction of bacteria greatly reduced when hydroxyl radical intensity decreased to 4.40 a.u.. Also, the proportion of humic acid-like was high (40.88%), and the community structure was slightly changed with the pre-oxidation for the fast biodegradation (FB) group. In the subsequent biodegradation, it was found that the degradation rate of each long-alkanes in the FB group increased significantly (C30: 4.18-8.32 mg/(kg·d)) with the increase of the degradation of long-alkanes (10-50%). Further studies showed that the high nutrient dynamics (6.05 mg/(kg·d)) of the FB group resulted in high bacteria performance rate (0.53 mol CO2 × log CFU/(104 g2 d)), which further accelerated the substrate transformation(41%). Therefore, the biodegradation rate of long-alkanes was increased (43.8 mg/(kg·d)) with the removal rate of long-alkanes of 76%. The half-life of long-alkanes for the FB group (64 d) was 33 d shorter than the slow biodegradation group (99 d). These results exhibited that pre-oxidation regulation can shorten the bioremediation cycle by improving the biodegradation rate of long-alkanes. This research has good engineering application value.

SND p102 promotes extracellular matrix accumulation and cell proliferation in rat glomerular mesangial cells via the AT1R/ERK/Smad3 pathway.

SND p102 was first described as a transcriptional co-activator, and subsequently determined to be a co-regulator of Pim-1, STAT6 and STAT5. We previously reported that SND p102 expression was increased in high glucose-treated mesangial cells (MCs) and plays a role in the extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation of MCs by regulating the activation of RAS. In this study, we further examined the roles of SND p102 in diabetic nephropathy (DN)-induced glomerulosclerosis. Rats were injected with STZ (50 mg/kg, ip) to induce diabetes. MCs or isolated glomeruli were cultured in normal glucose (NG, 5.5 mmol/L)- or high glucose (HG, 25 mmol/L)-containing DMEM. We found that SND p102 expression was significantly increased in the diabetic kidneys, as well as in HG-treated isolated glomeruli and MCs. In addition, HG treatment induced significant fibrotic changes in MCs evidenced by enhanced protein expression of TGF-ß, fbronectin and collagen IV, and significantly increased the proliferation of MCs. We further revealed that overexpression of SND p102 significantly increased the protein expression of angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1R) in MCs by increasing its mRNA levels via directly targeting the AT1R 3'-UTR, which resulted in activation of the ERK/Smad3 signaling and subsequently promoted the up-regulation of fbronectin, collagen IV, and TGF-ß in MCs, as well as the cell proliferation. These results demonstrate that SND p102 is a key regulator of AT1R-mediating ECM synthesis and cell proliferation in MCs. Thus, small molecule inhibitors of SND p102 may be a novel therapeutic strategy for DN.

Concentrations and potential health risks of strontium in drinking water from Xi'an, Northwest China.

Information about the concentrations of strontium (Sr(II)) in drinking water in China and the corresponding health risks to Chinese residents is lacking. This study investigated Sr(II) in drinking water through a monthly sampling campaign in twelve locations in Xi'an, Northwest China. A health risk assessment for different age groups and exposure pathways were carried out by Monte Carlo simulation. The results show Sr(II) concentrations of 0.06-1.69 mg/L in all drinking water samples, which exceeded the minimum reporting level (MRL) of 0.3 µg/L. Also, one sample exceeded the health reference level (HRL) of 1500 µg/L. Higher Sr(II) levels were recorded in groundwater supply zones and springs, and more potential changes in Sr(II) occurred in distribution pipes transporting groundwater. The non-carcinogenic risk associated with Sr(II) exposure via drinking water was less than 1, indicating no significant health risk to the residents of Xi'an. As the first attempt to provide information on the health risks of Sr(II) in drinking water in China, findings from this study can be useful for the development of potential strategies for risk control and management.

c-Myc promotes renal fibrosis by inducing integrin αv-mediated transforming growth factor-ß signaling.

Fibrogenesis involves the activation of renal fibroblasts upon kidney injury. However, the mechanisms underlying renal fibroblast activation are poorly characterized. c-Myc is a predominant oncogene encoding a pleiotropic transcription factor that participates in the regulation of various genes, including genes vital for regulating the cell cycle, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Here we tested whether renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction and folic acid-induced renal fibrosis mouse models are associated with the overexpression of c-Myc. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) has been identified as a key mediator of renal fibrosis, and it is secreted in an inactive form as a complex with latency-associated peptide and latent TGF-ß-binding proteins. Five αv-containing integrins with different ß -subunits can activate TGF-ß, and consistent with this we found that c-Myc bound directly to the promoter of integrin αv in renal fibroblasts activating its transcription. This, in turn, induced activation of TGF-ß signaling. Pharmacological blockade of c-Myc attenuated renal fibrosis in vivo in the ureteral obstruction and folic acid-treated mouse models and inhibited the proliferation and activation of renal fibroblasts in vitro. Thus, c-Myc overexpression stimulated proliferation and activation of renal fibroblasts by inducing integrin αv -mediated TGF-ß signaling. Hence, targeting c-Myc may have clinical utility in the treatment of renal fibrosis.

Enhanced bacterial quorum aggregation on a zeolite capping layer for sustainable inhibition of ammonium release from contaminated sediment.

The main objective of this study was to investigate how signal molecules enhance bacterial quorum aggregation on a zeolite capping layer for sustainable inhibition of ammonium release from contaminated sediment. Sediment remediation experiments were carried out by using nitrifying bacteria (WGX10, WGX18), denitrifying bacteria (HF3, HF7) and two kinds of signal molecules (OHHL, C8-HSL). The results showed that nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria could significantly aggregate on zeolite after adding 1.0 µM OHHL at a C/N ratio of 7. The maximum ammonium removal of five times the amount of ammonium adsorbed was achieved when 1.0 µM OHHL was added at the C/N ratio of 7 (the bio-regeneration rate was up to 88.32%), which was 1.24-2.02 times the ammonium removal amount at C/N ratios of 3, 5, 9. The concentration of total nitrogen in the overlying water was no more than 0.8 mg/L during four rounds of sediment remediation experiments. In addition, the bio-regeneration rate was up to 71.20%, which achieved sustainable inhibition of ammonium release from contaminated sediment.

N-acetylcysteine alleviates angiotensin II-mediated renal fibrosis in mouse obstructed kidneys.

AIM: To investigate the effects of ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated renal fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), and then treated with vehicle or NAC (250 mg/kg, ip) for 7 days. Histological changes of the obstructed kidneys were observed with Masson's trichrome staining. ROS levels were detected with DHE staining. The expression of relevant proteins in the obstructed kidneys was assessed using Western blotting assays. Cultured rat renal fibroblast NRK-49F cells were used for in vitro experiments. RESULTS: In the obstructed kidneys, Ang II levels were significantly elevated, and collagen I was accumulated in the interstitial spaces. Furthermore, ROS production and the expression of p47 (a key subunit of NADPH oxidase complexes) were increased in a time-dependent manner; the expression of fibronectin, α-SMA and TGF-ß were upregulated. Administration of NAC significantly alleviated the fibrotic responses in the obstructed kidneys. In cultured NRK-49F cells, treatment with Ang II (0.001-10 µmol/L) increased the expression of fibronectin, collagen I, α-SMA and TGF-ß in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners. Ang II also increased ROS production and the phosphorylation of Smad3. Pretreatment with NAC (5 µmol/L) blocked Ang II-induced oxidative stress and ECM production in the cells. CONCLUSION: In mouse obstructed kidneys, the fibrotic responses result from Ang II upregulation can be alleviated by the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine.

Insulin deficiency induces rat renal mesangial cell dysfunction via activation of IGF-1/IGF-1R pathway.

AIM: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the major complications of diabetes and the major cause of end-stage renal disease. In this study we investigated the insulin deficiency (ID) induced changes in renal mesangial cells (MCs) and in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Cultured rat renal MCs were incubated in ID media. Cell proliferation was analyzed using BrdU incorporation assay. The expression of insulin receptor (IR), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), phosphorylated IGF-1R, fibronectin, and collagen IV was determined with Western blot analysis. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with an IGF-1R antagonist picropodophyllin (PPP, 20 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), po) for 8 weeks. After the rats were euthanized, plasma and kidneys were collected. IGF-1 levels in renal cortex were measured with RT-PCR or ELISA. The morphological changes in the kidneys were also examined. RESULTS: Incubation in ID media significantly increased cell proliferation, the synthesis of fibronectin and collagen IV, and the expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R and phosphorylated IGF-1R in renal MCs. Pretreatment of the cells with PPP (50 nmol/L) blocked ID-induced increases in cell proliferation and the synthesis of fibronectin and collagen IV; knockdown of IGF-1R showed a similar effect as PPP did. In contrast, treatment of the cells with IGF-1 (50 ng/mL) exacerbated ID-induced increases in cell proliferation. In the kidneys of diabetic rats, the expression of IGF-1, IGF-1R and phosphorylated IGF-1R were significantly elevated. Treatment of diabetic rats with PPP did not lower the blood glucose levels, but significantly suppressed the expression of TGF-ß, fibronectin and collagen IV in the kidneys, the plasma levels of urinary nitrogen and creatinine, and the urinary protein excretion. CONCLUSION: Insulin deficiency increases the expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R in renal MCs and the kidney of diabetic rats, which contributes to the development of diabetic nephropathy.

Metformin Prevents Renal Fibrosis in Mice with Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction and Inhibits Ang II-Induced ECM Production in Renal Fibroblasts.

Renal fibrosis is the final common pathway of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and no effective medication is available clinically for managing its progression. Metformin was initially developed as an anti-diabetic drug and recently gained attention for its potential in the treatment of other diseases. In this study, we investigated its effects on renal fibrosis in a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in vivo and in angiotensin II (Ang II)-treated renal fibroblast NRK-49F cells in vitro. Our data showed that UUO induced renal fibrosis and combined with the activation of ERK signaling, the upregulation of fibronectin, collagen I, and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß). The administration of metformin inhibited the activation of ERK signaling and attenuated the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and collagen deposition in the obstructed kidneys. In cultured renal fibroblasts, Ang II increased the expression of fibronectin and collagen I and also activated ERK signaling and TGF-ß in a time-dependent manner. Pretreatment of the cells with metformin blocked Ang II-induced ERK signaling activation and ECM overproduction. Our results show that metformin prevents renal fibrosis, possibly through the inhibition of ERK signaling, and may be a novel strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

A study on the simultaneous determination of nitrogen content and 15N isotope abundance in plants using peak height intensities at m/z 28 and 29.

A method for simultaneous determination of nitrogen content and 15N isotope abundance in plants was established by Elemental analysis-gas isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Taking poplar leaves and l-glutamic acid as standards, nitrogen content was determined using the standard curve established by weighted least squares regression between the mass of nitrogen element and the total peak height intensity at m/z 28 and 29. Then the 15N isotope abundance was calculated with the peak height intensity at m/z 28 and 29. Through the comparison of several sets of experiments, the impact of mass discrimination effect, tin capsule consumables, isotope memory effect, and the quality of nitrogen on the results were assessed. The results showed that with a weight of 1/x2, the standard curve has a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9996. Compared to the traditional Kjeldahl method, the measured nitrogen content deviated less than 0.2 %, and the standard deviation (SD) was less than 0.2 %. Compared to the sodium hypobromite method, the 15N isotopic abundances differed less than 0.2 atom%15N, and the SD was less than 0.2 atom% 15N. The established method offers the advantages of being fast, simple, accurate, and high throughput, providing a novel approach for the simultaneous determination of nitrogen content and 15N isotope abundance in plant samples.

Insight on efficiently oriented oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons by redistribution of oxidant through inactivation of soil organic matter coupled with passivation of manganese minerals.

While extensive works focused on the enhancement of the activity of heterogeneous Fenton catalysts, little was paid attention to the inhibition of soil organic matter (SOM) and Mn minerals in soil remediation. Here, the oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soils (S1: 4.28 % SOM, S2: 6.04 % SOM, S3: 10.33 % SOM) with inactivated SOM and passivated Mn oxides regulating by calcium superphosphate (Ca(H2PO4)2) was carried out. Oily sludge pyrolysis residue was used as precursors to prepare an oleophilic iron-supported solid catalyst (Fe-N @ PR). For regulated systems, under the optimal conditions of 1.8 mmol/g H2O2 and 0.05 g/g Fe-N @ PR, 72 ∼ 91 % of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs: 15,616.58 mg/kg) were oxidized, which was 38 ∼ 45 % higher than that of control systems. The mechanism of efficient oxidation was proposed that the passivated Mn minerals stabilized H2O2 redistributing more H2O2 to sustainably produce •OH, and the inactivated SOM improved the relative reactivity of •OH to TPHs. Additionally, the passivation of Mn oxides was mainly related to the binding of H2PO4-, and the inactivation of SOM was realized by Ca2+ combing with -OH and C-O-C to form stable complexes. This study brought us a new perspective on soil remediation through passivating Mn minerals and inactivating SOM.

Enhanced biological S0 accumulation by using signal molecules during simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification.

A high rate of elemental sulfur (S0) accumulation from sulfide-containing wastewater has great significance in terms of resource recovery and pollution control. This experimental study used Thiobacillus denitrificans and denitrifying bacteria incorporated with signal molecules (C6 and OHHL) for simultaneous sulfide (S2-) and nitrate (NO3-) removal in synthetic wastewater. Also, the effects on S0 accumulation due to changes in organic matter composition and bacteria proportion through signal molecules were analyzed. The 99.0% of S2- removal and 99.3% of NO3- was achieved with 66% of S0 accumulation under the active S2- removal group. The S0 accumulation, S2- and NO3- removal mainly occurred in 0-48 h. The S0 accumulation in the active S2- removal group was 2.0-6.3 times higher than the inactive S2- removal groups. In addition, S0/SO42- ratio exhibited that S0 conversion almost linearly increased with reaction time under the active S2- removal group. The proportion of Thiobacillus denitrificans and H+ consumption showed a positive correlation with S0 accumulation. However, a very high or low ratio of H+/S0 is not suitable for S0 accumulation. The signal molecules greatly increased the concentration of protein-I and protein-II, which resulted in the high proportion of Thiobacillus denitrificans. Therefore, high S0 accumulation was achieved as Thiobacillus denitrificans regulated the H+ consumption and electron transfer rate and provided suppressed oxygen environment. This technology is cost-effective and commercially applicable for recovering S0 from wastewater.

Fast degradation of macro alkanes through activating indigenous bacteria using biosurfactants produced by Burkholderia sp.

Soil bacteria that produce biosurfactants can use total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) as a carbon source. This study demonstrated that biosurfactants produced by Burkholderia sp. enhanced the recovery and synergism of soil microbial community, resulting in fast degradation of macro alkanes. Experiments were carried out by applying bio-stimulation after pre-oxidation to investigate the effects of nutrient addition on biosurfactant production, TPH degradation, and microbial community succession in the soil. The results presented that bio-stimulation could produce biosurfactants in high C/N (32.6) and C/H (13.3) conversion after pre-oxidation and increased the total removal rate of TPH (10.59-46.71%). The number of total bacteria had a rapid increase trend (2.94-8.50 Log CFU/g soil). The degradation rates of macro alkanes showed a 4.0-fold (48.07 mg/kg·d-1 versus 186.48 mg/kg·d-1) increase, and the bioremediation time of degrading macro alkanes saved 166 days. Further characterization revealed that the biosurfactants produced by Burkholderia sp. could activate indigenous bacteria to degrade macro alkanes rapidly. A shift in phylum from Actinomycetes to Proteobacteria was observed during bioremediation. The average relative abundance of the microbial community increased from 36.24 to 64.96%, and the predominant genus tended to convert from Allorhizobium (8.57%) to Burkholderia (15.95%) and Bacillus (15.70%). The co-occurrence network and Pearson correlation analysis suggested that the synergism of microbial community was the main reason for the fast degradation of macro alkanes in petroleum-contaminated soils. Overall, this study indicated the potential of the biosurfactants to activate and enhance the recovery of indigenous bacteria after pre-oxidation, which was an effective method to remediate petroleum-contaminated soils.

Study on the mechanism promoting oxidation of long-chain alkanes by self-produced surfactant-like substance at the solid-liquid interface.

The Fenton method to remediate oil-contaminated soils has long suffered from low utilization of ·OH, resulting in waste of costs during practical application. This study investigated the efficient utilization of ·OH in oxidation using three different soils contaminated with oil (S1, S2, and S3). The mechanisms of promoting oxidation of long-chain alkanes by self-produced surfactant-like substance at the solid-liquid interface were studied. These results (take S1 as an example) showed that the average ·OH utilization rate of oxidized long-chain alkanes (Ka) at the solid-liquid interface reached 88.34 (mg/kg∙(a.u.)), which was higher than the non-solid-liquid interface stage (I: 54.02 (mg/kg∙(a.u.)), II: 67.36 (mg/kg∙(a.u.))). Meanwhile, the average oxidation of long-chain alkanes could increase unit ·OH intensity added (Kb) in the solid-liquid interface (990.00 mg/kg), which was much higher than Kb of the non-solid-liquid interface stage (I: 228.34 mg/kg, II: -1.48 mg/kg). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between the proportion of humic acid-like in soil organic matter and the oxidation of long-chain alkanes at the solid-liquid interface. Thus, the surfactant-like substance generated during oxidation promoted the oxidation of long-chain alkanes at the solid-liquid interface. Moreover, when the surfactant-like substance had a matching degree (φ) with the long-chain alkanes (S1 0.18, S2 0.15, and S3 0.25), the efficiency of the ·OH utilization reached the peak, and the direct oxidation of long-chain alkanes at the solid-liquid interface was finally achieved (S1: 1373.00 mg/kg, S2: 1473.18 mg/kg, and S3: 1034.37 mg/kg). The appropriate surfactant-like substance agents in the construction can reduce the dosing of H2O2 and the construction costs by improving the efficient utilization of ·OH. Study on the mechanism promoting oxidation of long-chain alkanes by self-produced surfactant-like substance at the solid-liquid interface.

Biozeolite capping for reducing nitrogen load of the ancient canal in Yangzhou City.

Biozeolite capping for reducing nitrogen (N) load of an eutrophic canal in Yangzhou City was studied. Biofilm formation on biozeolite was cultivated by use of isolated nitrifiers and denitrifiers. Varying conditions including dissolved oxygen (DO) and origins of isolated bacteria were considered in our experiments. Long-term sediment incubation experiment results showed that the reduction efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) of overlying water by biozeolite capping were in the range of 47.61-57.64% under the condition of DO<1 mg L(-1). There was no obvious difference in TN reduction efficiency between natural biozeolite (indigenous bacteria) and artificial biozeolite (isolated bacteria). However, the reduction efficiency of TN and nitrate nitrogen (NO(3)(-)-N) were respectively in the ranges of 67.38-76.12% and 69.38-76.12% under the condition of DO 1.5-5 mg L(-1). The reduction efficiencies of TN and NO(3)(-)-N by artificial biozeolite were improved by 25.99-27.25% and 17.50-24.15% respectively than those by natural biozeolite. Moreover, no significant difference was found for reducing N load by the isolated bacteria with different origins. TN contents of surface sediments and ammonia nitrogen concentrations of sediment interstitial water in biozeolite capping systems declined obviously after experiments. Biozeolite capping is an effective technique for reducing N load of the Yangzhou canal.

Efficient catalytic degradation of alkanes in soil by a novel heterogeneous Fenton catalyst of functionalized magnetic biochar.

In this study, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) functionalized magnetic biochar (SDS-Fe@BC) was successfully prepared. Compared to other traditional heterogeneous Fenton catalysts, more total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) (3499.40 mg kg-1) was adsorbed from soil to the surface of SDS-Fe@BC through hydrophobic interaction between alkyls in alkanes and SDS-Fe@BC, which formed an efficient interface oxidation system. In SDS-Fe@BC-mediated heterogeneous Fenton system, 10,191.41 mg kg-1 (88.10%) TPH was degraded in the presence of 400 mM H2O2, which was 1.38-5.67 folds than that of H2O2 alone, Fe2+, zero valent iron (ZVI), Fe3O4, pristine biochar (BC), and Fe@BC. Moreover, all individual alkanes were efficiently degraded (>75%), and the higher the initial amount of individual alkane, the more the degradative amount in the SDS-Fe@BC/H2O2 system. Additionally, TPH degradation was highly related to the mass ratio of SDS/Fe@BC, H2O2 concentration, SDS-Fe@BC dosage, and initial pH in the SDS-Fe@BC/H2O2 system, and the optimal values were 1:5, 400 mM, 50 mg g-1, and pH 7, respectively. Radical quenching experiments revealed that hydroxyl radicals (•OH) generated on the surface of SDS-Fe@BC was the dominated reactive oxidative species (ROS) responsible for alkanes degradation. After five cycles, SDS-Fe@BC still remained a high catalytic activity for alkanes degradation (73.21%), showing its excellent reusability. This study proved that the SDS-Fe@BC can be used as a potential heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for petroleum-contaminated soil remediation.

Efficient adsorption of dyes from aqueous solution using a novel functionalized magnetic biochar: Synthesis, kinetics, isotherms, adsorption mechanism, and reusability.

In this study, a novel adsorbent, dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) functionalized magnetic biochar (DBSA-Fe3O4@BC), was synthesized and used to efficiently remove dyes from aqueous solution. The results indicated that DBSA-Fe3O4@BC exhibited an excellent adsorption capacity for Rhodamine B (RhB), and the maximum adsorption capacity for RhB at 298 K was 367.67 mg/g, which was approximately 2.3-1.2 folds than that of BC, dodecylsulfonic acid functionalized biochar (DSA@BC), DBSA@BC, Fe3O4@BC, and DSA-Fe3O4@BC. The possible adsorption mechanisms for RhB adsorption by DBSA-Fe3O4@BC included pore filling, electrostatic attraction, H bond, and surface complexation. Importantly, structural control presented that the simultaneous introduction of alkyl and phenyl groups significantly enhanced RhB adsorption by DBSA-Fe3O4@BC through hydrophobic and π-π interaction. Combined ethanol (EtOH) desorption and H2O2 oxidation regeneration, DBSA-Fe3O4@BC remained high-performance for RhB adsorption after six cycles (97.44%), indicating its outstanding reusability. In summary, DBSA-Fe3O4@BC exhibited a prospective application for dyeing wastewater treatment.

Rapid and efficient adsorption of tetracycline from aqueous solution in a wide pH range by using iron and aminoacetic acid sequentially modified hierarchical porous biochar.

The object of this work was to synthesize an iron and aminoacetic acid sequentially modified hierarchical porous biochar (AC-Fe@HPBC) for tetracycline (TC) removal from aqueous solution. Results showed that AC-Fe@HPBC had a larger surface area (362.5370 m2/g), developed microporous structure (0.1802 cm3/g), and numerous functional groups, which provided more adsorption sites. The maximum adsorption capacity towards TC by AC-Fe@HPBC was 457.85 mg/g, 1.43, 1.29 and 1.20-fold than that of HPBC, AC@PHBC and Fe@HPBC, respectively, and the super-fast adsorptive equilibrium was achieved within 10 min. Additionally, introducing amino and carboxyl functional groups on the AC-Fe@HPBC surface significantly broadened the operation pH range (3-11). Site energy analysis indicated TC and AC-Fe@HPBC had stronger adsorption affinity at a higher temperature. The adsorption mechanism involved pore filling, surface complexation, H-bond and π-π interaction. Moreover, the reusability experiments proved AC-Fe@HPBC as an effective adsorbent for TC removal from aqueous solution.