The relationships between fractal parameters of soil particle size and heavy-metal content on alluvial-proluvial fan.

The particle size distribution (PSD) of soil is an important factor in determining heavy-metal content, mobility, and transformation. One method of describing the soil PSD is applying fractal theory. This study explored the use of fractal theory to characterize soil PSD in the alluvial-proluvial fan located downstream of the Yangshuo lead­zinc mine. The relationships between fractal parameters of soil PSD and heavy-metal content were analyzed. The results showed that soil in front of the mountain (FM) had higher clay content than soil on the mountain slope (MS) or in the middle of the alluvial-proluvial fan (MF). Among the different sections of the alluvial-proluvial fan, MS had the largest capacity dimension D(0), information dimension D(1), correlation dimension D(2), single fractal dimension D, spectral width Δα, and D(1)/D(0), whereas MF had the greatest symmetry degree Δf. Soil of MS had the highest ω (Cr) and ω (Fe), while FM had the highest ω (Zn), ω (Mn), ω (Pb), ω (Cu), ω (As), ω (Sb), and ω (Cd). Fractal parameters of soil PSD and soil mechanical composition were significantly correlated, while both variables were correlated with heavy-metal content. Fractal parameters can be used to indicate heavy-metal content when heavy metals migrate due to migration of particle size. This study thus introduces an empirical method for evaluating heavy-metal content in soil and analyzing the mechanisms of their migration, making a strong contribution to developing strategies that limit heavy-metal pollution.

Preferential removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) by persulfate in ethanol-containing aquifer materials.

The effective approaches to eliminate impacts of ethanol on the biodegradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are concerned in the bioremediation of groundwater contaminated with ethanol-blended gasoline. In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is a common technique widely used for the remediation of contaminated groundwater. However, the selectivity of ISCO for BTEX and ethanol removal is poorly understood. Therefore, a batch experiment was performed with different aquifer materials, including calcareous soil, basalt soil, granite soil, dolomite, and sand. Gasoline was used to provide dissolved BTEX and ethanol reagent was used as additive to improve the quality of gasoline and to reduce the possibility of air pollution caused by gasoline. Persulfate (PS) was used as a chemical oxidant to oxidize organic contaminants. The target concentrations of BTEX and ethanol were 20 mg/L and 1000 mg/L, respectively. The results showed that ethanol could be preferentially degraded in the absence of PS and inhibit BTEX biodegradation. However, BTEX could be preferentially removed prior to ethanol in all aquifer materials used at ambient temperature, when PS was added at a PS/BTEX molar ratio of 150. Over 94% BTEX in sand, dolomite, and granite soil was preferentially removed with the first-order decay rate constants of 0.890-2.703 day-1 within the first ~ 10 days, followed by calcareous and basalt soil at the constants of 0.123-0.371 day-1. Ethanol could compete with BTEX for sulfate radical at the first-order decay rate constants of 0.005-0.060 day-1 for the first 25 days, which was slower than that of BTEX. The pH quickly decreased to < 2.5 in dolomite, sand, and granite soil, but maintained > 6.2 in calcareous soil. Rich organic matter in calcareous and basalt soil had an inhibition effect on BTEX oxidation by PS. The pH buffer in calcareous soil may imply the potential of PS oxidation combined with bioremediation in carbonate rock regions.

A microcosm study on persulfate oxidation combined with enhanced bioremediation to remove dissolved BTEX in gasoline-contaminated groundwater.

The combination of persulfate (PS) oxidation with enhanced bioremediation (EBR) is a potential trend in remediating organic-contaminated groundwater. However, the impacts of PS on EBR presented in the transition zone between PS oxidation zone and EBR zone need further study. To better characterize the impacts and provide available indicators, PS oxidation and EBR with nitrate amended were performed through the microcosm experiments to remove dissolved benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (denoted as BTEX) in gasoline-saturated groundwater. The results indicated that PS oxidation combined with EBR almost completely removed BTEX with the ratio of > 93% over the experiments, which is better than PS oxidation (54-97%) but still worse than EBR (100%). The removal velocities of BTEX in EBR, PS oxidation, and PS oxidation combined with EBR were 0.94, 0.1-0.16, and 0.1-0.54 mg/L/d, respectively. High concentration of PS, along with high-strength activation, made the pH decrease to 3.3-4.4 and the Eh increase to 141-203 mV, thus greatly inhibited microbial activities as well. In such circumstances, oxygen and nitrate could not be significantly used as electron acceptors by microbials. To reduce the impacts of PS oxidation on EBR, the PS/BTEX molar ratio of < 6 and the PS/Fe2+ molar ratio of > 1 may be appropriate in transition zone. The hydro-chemical indicators, including pH, Eh, and availability of electron acceptors such as oxygen and nitrate, could reflect the impacts of PS oxidation on bioprocesses. During in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), PS injection and PS activation by Fe2+ should be managed for decreasing the impacts on EBR, based on the PS/BTEX and PS/Fe2+ molar ratios.

Formation of Cu2O Solid Solution via High-Frequency Electromagnetic Field-Assisted Ball Milling: The Reaction Mechanism.

The contamination of environmental water with organic pollutants poses significant challenges for society, and much effort has been directed toward the development of catalysts and methods that can decompose these pollutants. While effort has been directed toward the fabrication of Cu2O catalysts by ball milling, this technique can involve long preparation times and provide low yields. In this study, we synthesized a solid solution of Cu2O in 22 h by high-frequency electric-field-assisted ball milling below 40 °C in only one step under aqueous conditions. We investigated the catalytic activities of the produced Cu2O solid solution in the microwave-assisted degradation of dyes, namely rhodamine B, phenol red and methyl orange. The prepared Cu2O solid solution was very catalytically active and completely degraded the above-mentioned dyes within 2 min. The one-dimensional diffusion model and the phase boundary (planar) model were found to describe the kinetics well. Synergism between ball milling and the high-frequency electromagnetic field plays a key role in the preparation of Cu2O solid solution nanoparticles. Ball milling facilitates the relaxation of the Cu2O lattice and high-frequency electromagnetic radiation accelerates the diffusion of Fe atoms into the Cu2O crystal along the (111) crystal plane, quickly leading to the formation of a Cu2O solid solution.

Migration of BTEX and Biodegradation in Shallow Underground Water through Fuel Leak Simulation.

To provide more reasonable references for remedying underground water, fuel leak was simulated by establishing an experimental model of a porous-aquifer sand tank with the same size as that of the actual tank and by monitoring the underground water. In the tank, traditional gasoline and ethyl alcohol gasoline were poured. This study was conducted to achieve better understanding of the migration and distribution of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene (BTEX), which are major pollutants in the underground water. Experimental results showed that, compared with conventional gasoline, the content peak of BTEX in the mixture of ethyl alcohol gasoline appeared later; BTEX migrated along the water flow direction horizontally and presented different pollution halos; BTEX also exhibited the highest content level at 45 cm depth; however, its content declined at the 30 and 15 cm depths vertically because of the vertical dispersion effect; the rise of underground water level increased the BTEX content, and the attenuation of BTEX content in underground water was related to the biodegradation in the sand tank, which mainly included biodegradation with oxygen, nitrate, and sulfate.

Solubility and stability of barium arsenate and barium hydrogen arsenate at 25 degrees C.

The inconsistency among current thermodynamic data of Ba3(AsO4)2(c) and BaHAsO4.H2O(c) led the authors to obtain independent solubility data of barium arsenate by both precipitation and dissolution experiments. Low and neutral pH (3.63-7.43) favored the formation of BaHAsO4.H2O(c). Both BaHAsO4.H2Oc and Ba3(AsO4)2(c) formed at the neutral pH conditions (7.47, 7.66), whereas Ba3(AsO4)2(c) was the only solid phase precipitated at high pH (13.03, 13.10). The Ba3(AsO4)2(c) precipitate acquired at 50 degrees C appeared as small leafy crystal, while the Ba3(AsO4)2(c) solid precipitated at 25 degrees C comprised granular aggregate with some smaller crystal clusters. XRD and SEM analyses of Ba3(AsO4)2(c) and BaHAsO4.H2O(c) indicated that the solids were indistinguishable before and after the dissolution experiments. In the present work, the solubility products (Ksp) for Ba3(AsO4)2(c) and BaHAsO4.H2O(c) were determined to be 10(-23.53)(10(-23.01) to 10(-24.00)) and 10(-5.60)(10(-5.23) to 10(-5.89)), respectively. DeltaGf degrees for Ba3(AsO4)2(c) and BaHAsO4.H2O(c) were calculated to be -3113.40 and -1544.47 kJ/mol, respectively. There was no difference between the solubility products of the leafy and the granular Ba3(AsO4)2(c) solids.