The formation of (Fe, Cr)(OH)3 nanoparticles determines the fate of aqueous Cr in many aquatic environments. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, precipitation rates of (Fe, Cr)(OH)3 nanoparticles in solution and on quartz were quantified from 0.1 mM Fe(III) solutions containing 0–0.25 mM Cr(III) at pH = 3.7 ± 0.2. Concentration ratio of aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) controlled the chemical composition (x) of (Fex, Cr1–x)(OH)3 precipitates, solutions’ supersaturation with respect to precipitates, and the surface charge of quartz. Therefore, the aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) ratio affected homogeneous (in solution) and heterogeneous (on quartz) precipitation rates of (Fex, Cr1–x)(OH)3 through different mechanisms. The sequestration mechanisms of Cr(III) in precipitates were also investigated. In solutions with high aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) ratios, surface enrichment of Cr(III) on the precipitates occurred, resulting in slower particle growth in solutions. From solutions with 0–0.1 mM Cr(III), the particles on quartz grew from 2 to 4 nm within 1 h. Interestingly, from solution with 0.25 mM Cr(III), particles of two distinct sizes (2 and 6 nm) formed on quartz, and their sizes remained unchanged throughout the reaction. Our study provided new insights on homogeneous and heterogeneous precipitation of (Fex, Cr1–x)(OH)3 nanoparticles, which can help determine the fate of Cr in aquatic environments.
Chui E, Zhao X. Hong Kong. In: International perspectives on older adult education. Springer; 2016. pp. 169-178.
Many hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are widely used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances (now regulated under the Montreal Protocol) are very potent greenhouse gases (GHGs). China's past and future HFC emissions are of great interest because China has emerged as a major producer and consumer of HFCs. Here, we present for the first time a comprehensive inventory estimate of China's HFC emissions during 2005-2013. Results show a rapid increase in HFC production, consumption, and emissions in China during the period and that the emissions of HFC with a relatively high global warming potential (GWP) grew faster than those with a relatively low GWP. The proportions of China's historical HFC CO2-equivalent emissions to China's CO2 emissions or global HFC CO2-equivalent emissions increased rapidly during 2005-2013. Using the "business-as-usual" (BAU) scenario, in which HFCs are used to replace a significant fraction of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in China (to date, there are no regulations on HFC uses in China), emissions of HFCs are projected to be significant components of China's and global future GHG emissions. However, potentials do exist for minimizing China's HFC emissions (for example, if regulations on HFC uses are established in China). Our findings on China's historical and projected HFC emission trajectories could also apply to other developing countries, with important implications for mitigating global GHG emissions.
The heterogeneous oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on a-Al2O3 particles was investigated using a flow reactor coupled with a transmission-Fourier transform infrared (T-FTIR) spectrometer at different relative humidities (RH) in the absence or presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), with an emphasis on the saturation coverage of SO2 and the timescale on which the reaction reaches saturation. It is found that the saturation coverage of SO2 in the absence of H2O2 increases with rising RH due to the hydrolysis of SO2 by surface adsorbed water. However, the reaction ultimately reaches saturation since the produced sulfite/bisulfite cannot be further converted to sulfate/bisulfate in the absence of oxidants. In addition, the presence of H2O2 can significantly increase the saturation coverage of SO2 by efficiently oxidizing sulfite/bisulfite to sulfate/bisulfate. Under humid conditions, adsorbed water facilitates the hydrolysis of SO2 and mitigates the increase of surface acidity, which can inhibit the hydrolysis of SO2. Hence, in the presence of H2O2, the saturation coverage of SO2 as well as the time of reaction reaching saturation increases with rising RH and the surface is not saturated on the timescale of the experiments (40 h) at 60% RH. Furthermore, the increase of saturation coverage of SO2 in the presence of H2O2 was observed on chemically inactive SiO2 particles, indicating that the hydrolysis of SO2 and subsequent oxidation by H2O2 likely occurs on other types of particles. Our findings are of importance for understanding the role of water vapor and trace gases (e.g., H2O2) in the heterogeneous reaction of SO2 in the atmosphere.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a novel signaling gasotransmitter in the respiratory system, may have antiinflammatory properties in the lung. We examined the preventive and therapeutic effects of H2S on ozone-induced features of lung inflammation and emphysema. C57/BL6 mice were exposed to ozone or filtered air over 6 weeks. Sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS), an H2S donor, was administered to the mice either before ozone exposure (preventive effect) or after completion of 6 weeks of ozone exposure (therapeutic effect). The ozone-exposed mice developed emphysema, measured by micro-computed tomography and histology, airflow limitation, measured by the forced maneuver system, and increased lung inflammation with augmented IL-1beta, IL-18, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) gene expression. Ozone-induced changes were associated with increased Nod-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-caspase-1 activation and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and decreased Akt phosphorylation. NaHS both prevented and reversed lung inflammation and emphysematous changes in alveolar space. In contrast, NaHS prevented, but did not reverse, ozone-induced airflow limitation and bronchial structural remodeling. In conclusion, NaHS administration prevented and partially reversed ozone-induced features of lung inflammation and emphysema via regulation of the NLRP3-caspase-1, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Akt pathways.
Abstract In this research, an interval-fuzzy possibilistic programming (IFPP) method was developed by integrating interval parameter programming (IPP), fuzzy possibilistic programming (FPP), and a fuzzy expected value equation within a general optimization framework. The developed IFPP method can not only effectively address uncertainties presented in terms of crisp intervals and fuzzy-boundary intervals in both the objective function and constraints, but it can also improve the traditional fuzzy mathematical programming by choosing the credibility degree of constraints based on the decision maker’s preference and avoiding complicated intermediate models with high computational efficiency. The developed method was applied to identify optimal placements for best management practices (BMPs) to control nutrient pollution in the Baoxianghe River watershed in China, in which a GIS-aided export coefficient model (ECM) was employed to estimate the phosphorus loads from a nonpoint source (NPS). The optimization results showed that the hybrid approach could be used to generate a series of implementation levels for BMPs under multiple credibility levels, ensuring that the NPS phosphorus loads discharged into rivers reduce to an allowable level and considering a proper balance between expected system costs and risks of violating the constraints. Relaxing the sub-basin discharge permits suggests a global discharge permit for the entire watershed, which may allow managers to shift BMP implementation among sub-basins to meet the overall discharge permit at a lower cost.
Abstract This research developed an integrated simulation-optimization method (ISOM). This model incorporated eutrophication modeling, water resource allocation and trophic status assessment within a general modeling framework. In ISOM, the simulation effort [i.e. environmental fluid dynamics code (EFDC)] was used to forecast the concentration of water quality variables to evaluate the lake trophic status under various conditions, while the optimization studies were used to identify the optimal water transfer strategies from a number of alternatives. To solve the model, a surrogate-based genetic algorithm (GA) was proposed in which the support vector regression (SVR) was used to create a set of easy-to-use and rapid-response surrogates for identifying the functional relationships between water transfer and lake trophic status. By replacing the EFDC and the corresponding trophic state index (TSI) equations with the surrogates, the computation efficiency could be improved. The developed ISOM was applied to the inter-basin water transfer management of the Niulanjiang-Dianchi Water Transfer Project (NDWTP) to support the eutrophication restoration of Lake Dianchi. Optimal water transfer schemes for three different remediation durations were generated from the model. The results demonstrated that NDWTP could exert a positive influence on the ecology and environment of Lake Dianchi, and that the trophic level for the Lake Dianchi could be effectively mitigated through the adoption of optimal water transfer schemes.
Coastal areas are land–sea transitional zones with complex natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Microorganisms in coastal sediments adapt to such disturbances both individually and as a community. The microbial community structure changes spatially and temporally under environmental stress. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure in the sediments of Hangzhou Bay, a seriously polluted bay in China. In order to identify the roles and contribution of all microbial taxa, we set thresholds as 0.1% for rare taxa and 1% for abundant taxa, and classified all operational taxonomic units into six exclusive categories based on their abundance. The results showed that the key taxa in differentiating the communities are abundant taxa (AT), conditionally abundant taxa (CAT), and conditionally rare or abundant taxa (CRAT). A large population in conditionally rare taxa (CRT) made this category collectively significant in differentiating the communities. Both bacteria and archaea demonstrated a distance decay pattern of community similarity in the bay, and this pattern was strengthened by rare taxa, CRT and CRAT, but weakened by AT and CAT. This implied that the low abundance taxa were more deterministically distributed, while the high abundance taxa were more ubiquitously distributed.
The initial aggregation kinetics of hematite nanoparticles (NPs) that were conjugated with two model globular proteins—cytochrome c from bovine heart (Cyt) and bovine serum albumin (BSA)—were investigated over a range of monovalent (NaCl) and divalent (CaCl2) electrolyte concentrations at pH 5.7 and 9. The aggregation behavior of Cyt-NP conjugates was similar to that of bare hematite NPs, but the additional electrosteric repulsion increased the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) values from 69 mM to 113 mM in NaCl at pH 5.7. An unsaturated layer of BSA, a protein larger than Cyt, on hematite NPs resulted in fast aggregation at low salt concentrations and pH 5.7, due to the strong attractive patch-charge interaction. However, the BSA-NP conjugates could be stabilized simply by elevating salt concentrations, owing to the screening of the attractive patch-charge force and the increasing contribution from steric force. This study showed that the aggregation state of protein-conjugated NPs is proved to be completely switchable via ionic strength, pH, protein size, and protein coverage. Macroscopic Cu(II) sorption experiments further established that reducing aggregation of hematite NPs via tailoring ionic strength and protein conjugation could promote the metal uptake by hematite NPs under harsh conditions.
