Surfactant-Assisted Pressurized Liquid Extraction at Room Temperature for Radix glycyrrhizae by a New Class of Surfactants.

A laboratory-assembled surfactant-assisted pressurized liquid extraction system at room temperature was used for the extraction of glycyrrhizin (GLY) in Radix glycyrrhizae. Environmentally friendly saccharide fatty acid ester such as glucose oleic acid ester is proposed to replace chemical-based surfactants. As the chemical properties of the surfactant obtained were unknown initially, lipase-catalyzed synthesis and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry were used to ascertain the identity. Surfactant-assisted pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was carried out dynamically and the extraction efficiencies of the proposed method using different concentration of glucose oleic acid ester were compared with sonication using an organic solvent (ethanol/water, 70:30). The extraction efficiencies of GLY in Radix glycyrrhizae using surfactant-assisted PLE was observed to be higher compared with sonication. The method precision was found to vary from 1.3 to 5.1% (relative standard deviation, RSD, n= 6) on different days. The new method demonstrated the possibility for the extraction to be carried out at room temperature for the production of botanical extracts.

Using magnetically responsive tea waste to remove lead in waters under environmentally relevant conditions.

We report the use of a simple yet highly effective magnetite-waste tea composite to remove lead(II) (Pb(2+)) ions from water. Magnetite-waste tea composites were dispersed in four different types of water-deionized (DI), artificial rainwater, artificial groundwater and artificial freshwater-that mimic actual environmental conditions. The water samples had varying initial concentrations (0.16-5.55 ppm) of Pb(2+) ions and were mixed with the magnetite-waste tea composite for at least 24 hours to allow adsorption of the Pb(2+) ions to reach equilibrium. The magnetite-waste tea composites were stable in all the water samples for at least 3 months and could be easily removed from the aqueous media via the use of permanent magnets. We detected no significant leaching of iron (Fe) ions into the water from the magnetite-waste tea composites. The percentage of Pb adsorbed onto the magnetite-waste tea composite ranged from ∼70% to 100%; the composites were as effective as activated carbon (AC) in removing the Pb(2+) ions from water, depending on the initial Pb concentration. Our prepared magnetite-waste tea composites show promise as a green, inexpensive and highly effective sorbent for removal of Pb in water under environmentally realistic conditions.

Magnetic pollen grains as sorbents for facile removal of organic pollutants in aqueous media.

Plant materials have long been demonstrated to sorb organic compounds. However, there are no known reports about pollen grains acting as sorbents to remove hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from contaminated waters. We report a facile and effective method to remove HOCs from water using magnetized short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen grains. We dispersed the magnetized pollen grains in two different water samples - deionized (DI) and natural storm water to mimic real environmental conditions likely to be encountered during treatment. The magnetized pollen grains were readily separated from the aqueous media via a magnetic field after adsorption of the HOCs. We measured the adsorption of five representative HOCs (acenaphthene, phenanthrene, atrazine, diuron, and lindane) onto magnetized ragweed pollen in different aqueous matrices. We demonstrate that the adsorption capacity of the magnetized ragweed pollen can be regenerated to a large extent for reuse as a sorbent. Our results also indicate that the magnetized pollen grains are as effective as activated carbon (AC) in removing HOCs from both types of contaminated waters. The high HOC sorption of the ragweed pollen allows it to have potential remediation application in the field under realistic conditions.

Characterization of ragweed pollen adhesion to polyamides and polystyrene using atomic force microscopy.

Pollen is a leading contributor to asthma and allergies, yet pollen adhesion to common indoor surfaces is not well understood. We report the adhesive behavior of short ragweed (A. artemisiifolia) pollen grains with Nylon 6 (N6) and Nylon 6,6 (N66), chosen due to their use in synthetic carpet, and three control surfaces: polyamide 12 (PA12), polystyrene (PS), and silicon. The forces were measured by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) under controlled humidity, where single pollen grains were attached to tipless AFM cantilevers. Pollen grains had an average adhesion of 10 +/- 3 nN with the surfaces, independent of surface type or relative humidity from 20% to 60%. van der Waals forces are the primary molecular attraction driving pollen adhesion to these surfaces. The results also indicate that ragweed pollen contacts the polymer surface via its exine surface spikes, and the total adhesion force scales with the number of contacts. The pollen surface spikes are strong, resisting fracture and compliance up to a load of 0.5 GPa.