One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of a carbon quantum dot/CaFe2O4 hybrid nanocomposite for carcinogenic Congo red dye degradation.

Semiconductor materials show a restricted degradation response to organic pollutants due to limited photocatalytic activity under visible light. Therefore, researchers have devoted much attention to novel and effective nanocomposite materials. For the first time, herein, a novel nano-sized semiconductor calcium ferrite modified by carbon quantum dots (CaFe2O4/CQDs) photocatalyst is fabricated via simple hydrothermal treatment for the degradation of aromatic dye using a visible light source. The crystalline nature, structure, morphology, and optical parameters of each of the synthesized materials were investigated using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-visible spectroscopy. The nanocomposite exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance (90% degradation) against Congo red (CR) dye. In addition, a mechanism for CaFe2O4/CQDs improving photocatalytic performance has been proposed. The CQDs in the CaFe2O4/CQD nanocomposite are considered to act as an electron pool and transporter, as well as a strong energy transfer material, during photocatalysis. CaFe2O4/CQDs appear to be a promising and cost-effective nanocomposite for dye-contaminated water purification, according to the findings of this study.

Gamma radiolytic decomposition of endosulfan in aerated solution: the role of carbonate radical.

The present study elaborates the removal of endosulfan, an emerging water pollutant and potential carcinogenic, in aerated solution. The influence of Cl(-), NO3 (-), NO2 (-), CO3 (2-), HCO3 (-), SO3 (2-), and humic acid was assessed on the radiolytic degradation of endosulfan. A strong inhibition on the radiolytic degradation of endosulfan was observed in the presence of NO3 (-), NO2 (-), and SO3 (2-). Instead, a slight increase in the removal efficiency of endosulfan was observed at high concentrations of CO3 (2-) and HCO3 (-). The formation of CO3 (•-) in radiolytic degradation of endosulfan in the presence of CO3 (2-) and HCO3 (-) was demonstrated by adding SO3 (2-) that rapidly react with CO3 (•-). The results indicate that CO3 (•-) formed from the reactions of CO3 (2-) and HCO3 (-) and commonly found in natural water can play an important role in the degradation of endosulfan and other sulfur containing electron-rich compounds. The study showed faster degradation of endosulfan at lower concentration compared to high concentration and removal was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetic. Endosulfan ether was found as the main degradation product and degradation pathway was found to be initiated at the S=O bond of endosulfan. The efficiency of gamma irradiation in the removal of endosulfan was examined in terms of formation of short chain organic acids and chloride ion accumulation.

Application of DNA comet assay for detection of radiation treatment of grams and pulses.

Several types of whole pulses (green lentils, red lentils, yellow lentils, chickpeas, green peas, cowpeas and yellow peas) and grams (black grams, red grams and white grams) have been investigated for the identification of radiation treatment using microgel electrophoresis of single cells (DNA comet assay). Pulses and grams were exposed to the radiation doses of 0.5, 1.0 and 5 kGy covering the legalized commercial dose range for protection from insect/pest infestations. All irradiated samples showed comet like stretching of fragmented DNA toward anode, which is expected for irradiated samples. Unirradiated samples showed many intact cells/nuclei in form of round stains or with short faint tails, which is typical for unirradiated food samples. The study shows that DNA comet assay can be used as a rapid, inexpensive and highly effective screening test for the detection of radiation treatment of foods, like pulses and grams.

Radiation induced decomposition of methyl tert-butyl ether in water in presence of chloroform: kinetic modelling.

The destruction of methyl tert-butylether (MTBE) in water in the presence of chloroform has been studied using 60Co gamma irradiation. Distilled water solutions at three different concentrations of the individual solutes MTBE and CHCl3 were irradiated for various times to provide dose destruction information. Then, the irradiation of a mixture of MTBE (at two different concentrations) and CHCl3 (at one concentration) was conducted. A kinetic model was used incorporating recently determined bimolecular rate constants to describe the destruction of the MTBE and CHCl3 individually and in mixtures. These studies were conducted in distilled water simplifying the radiation chemistry significantly. With the improvements in the modelling capability, we are closer to being able to use the model to study "real-world" mixtures in natural waters.