Autotrophic denitrification by sulfur-based immobilized electron donor for enhanced nitrogen removal: Denitrification performance, microbial interspecific interaction and functional traits.

Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification (SdAD) is a promising nitrogen removing process, but its applications were generally constrained by conventional electron donors (i.e., thiosulfate (Na2S2O3)) with high valence and limited bioavailability. Herein, an immobilized electron donor by loading elemental sulfur on the surface of polyurethane foam (PFSF) was developed, and its feasibility for SdAD was investigated. The denitrification efficiency of PFSF was 97.3%, higher than that of Na2S2O3 (91.1%). Functional microorganisms (i.e., Thiobacillus and Sulfurimonas) and their metabolic activities (i.e., nir and nor) were substantially enhanced by PFSF. PFSF resulted in the enrichment of sulfate-reducing bacteria, which can reduce sulfate (SO42-). It attenuated the inhibitory effect of SO42-, whereas the generated product (hydrogen sulfide) also served as an electron donor for SdAD. According to the economic evaluation, PFSF exhibited strong market potential. This study proposes an efficient and low-cost immobilized electron donor for SdAD and provides theoretical support to its practical applications.

Methodological assessment of the reduction of the content of impurities in nimodipine emulsion via the use of 21 amino acid protection.

PURPOSE: The present study examined the factors affecting the content of impurities of nimodipine (NMP) emulsion and the associated methods of compound protection. METHODS: Destructive testing of NMP emulsion and its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) were conducted, and ultracentrifugation was used to study the content of impurities in two phases. The impurity of NMP was measured under different potential of hydrogen (pH) conditions, antioxidants and pH-adjusting agents. RESULTS: Following destruction, the degradation of NMP notably occurred in the basic environment. The consumption of the pH-adjusting agent NaOH was proportional to the production of impurities since the inorganic base and/or acid promoted the degradation of NMP. The organic antioxidants, notably amino acids with an appropriate length of intermediate chain and electron-donating side group, exhibited improved antioxidant effects compared with inorganic antioxidants. The minimal amount of impurities was produced following addition of 0.04% lysine and 0.06% leucine in the aqueous phase and adjustment of the pH to a range of 7.5-8.0 in the presence of acetic acid solution. CONCLUSION: NMP was more prone to degradation in an oxidative environment, in an aqueous phase and/or in the presence of inorganic pH-adjusting agents and antioxidants. The appropriate antioxidant and pH-adjusting agent should be selected according to the chemical structure, while destructive testing of the drug is considered to play the optimal protective effect.

Electron transfer budgets and kinetics of abiotic oxidation and incorporation of aqueous sulfide by dissolved organic matter.

The reactivity of natural dissolved organic matter toward sulfide and has not been well studied with regard to electron transfer, product formation, and kinetics. We thus investigated the abiotic transformation of sulfide upon reaction with reduced and nonreduced Sigma-Aldrich humic acid (HA), at pH 6 under anoxic conditions. Sulfide reacted with nonreduced HA at conditional rate constants of 0.227-0.325 h(-1). The main transformation products were elemental S (S0) and thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)), yielding electron accepting capacities of 2.82-1.75 µmol e- (mg C)(-1). Native iron contents in the HA could account for only 6-9% of this electron transfer. About 22-37% of S reacted with the HA to form organic S (Sorg). Formation of Sorg was observed and no inorganic transformation products occurred for reduced HA. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy supported Sorg to be mainly zerovalent, such as thiols, organic di- and polysulfides, or heterocycles. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that HA can abiotically reoxidize sulfide in anoxic environments at rates competitive to sulfide oxidation by molecular oxygen or iron oxides.

A label-free colorimetric sensor for Pb2+ detection based on the acceleration of gold leaching by graphene oxide.

In this work, we developed a novel, label-free, colorimetric sensor for Pb(2+) detection based on the acceleration of gold leaching by graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be dissolved in a thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)) aqueous environment in the presence of oxygen; however, the leaching rate is very slow due to the high activation energy (27.99 kJ mol(-1)). In order to enhance the reaction rate, some accelerators should be added. In comparison with the traditional accelerators (metal ions or middle ligands), we found that GO could efficiently accelerate the gold leaching reaction. Kinetic data demonstrate that the dissolution rate of gold in the Pb(2+)-S2O3(2-)-GO system is 5 times faster than that without GO at room temperature. In addition, the effects of surface modification and the nanoparticle size on the etching of AuNPs were investigated. Based on the GO-accelerated concentration-dependent colour changes of AuNPs, a colorimetric sensor for Pb(2+) detection was developed with a linear range from 0.1 to 20 µM and the limit of detection (LOD) was evaluated to be 0.05 µM. This colorimetric assay is simple, low-cost, label-free, and has numerous potential applications in the field of environmental chemistry.

Laboratory assessment of emission reduction strategies for the agricultural fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin.

With the increased use of the agricultural fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP), it is important that strategies to reduce emissions of these fumigant from soil to the air are assessed to protect air quality. Using an established soil column approach, the following emission reduction strategies were compared to a control: (1) spray application of ammonium thiosulfate to the soil surface; (2) deep injection at 46 cm depth; (3) high density polyethylene sealed over the soil surface; (4) virtually impermeable film sealed over the soil surface; and (5) irrigation with ammonium thiosulfate solution. Relative to the control, 1,3-D emissions were reduced by 26.1, 1.0, 0.01, 94.2, and 42.5%, for treatments 1 through 5, respectively. For CP the reductions were 41.6, 23.3, 94.6, 99.9, and 87.5% for treatments 1 through 5, respectively. Virtually impermeable film gave the greatest reductions for both fumigants, while HDPE was very effective only for CP. Despite offering less significant emission reductions, the lower cost alternatives to tarping, particularly irrigation with ATS solution, may offer substantial benefitwhere tarping is not economically viable.

Assessment of calcium polysulfide for the remediation of hexavalent chromium in chromite ore processing residue (COPR).

Bench scale and pilot scale treatability studies were conducted to evaluate the remediation of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in chromite ore processing residue (COPR) using calcium polysulfide. The results from the bench scale study indicated that a calcium polysulfide dosage twice the molar stoichiometric requirement (2x) proved effective in meeting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) total Cr(VI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) regulatory standards. The treatment results were more effective at pH 12 than at pH 9.5. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy were also used to assess the treatment performance. Based on the bench scale results, an ex-situ pugmill pilot program was implemented to evaluate the applicability of the calcium polysulfide treatment on a larger scale (1000-lb batch test). The pugmill treatment results met Cr(VI) and TCLP regulatory standards over a period of 15 months. XANES analysis indicated that approximately 62% of Cr(VI) was reduced by calcium polysulfide at stoichiometric ratio of 2x after a curing period of 10 months.