Tobacco stems as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) from wastewater: Equilibrium and kinetic studies

Adsorption of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution onto tobacco stems has been investigated to evaluate the effects of initial lead ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, contact time, pH and temperature on the removal of Pb(II) systematically. The optimal pH value for Pb(II) adsorption onto the tobacco stems was found to be 5.0. The removal of lead ions for concentrations 10, 30 and 50 mg L⁻¹ using 0.8 g adsorbent at contact time of 120 min and at temperature of 299 K were 94.37%, 92.10% and 90.43%, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters such as standard Gibbs free energy (ΔG°), standard enthalpy (ΔH°), and standard entropy (ΔS°) were evaluated by applying the Van’t Hoff equation, which describes the dependence of equilibrium constant on temperature. The thermodynamics of Pb(II) adsorption onto the tobacco stems indicated that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to analyze the equilibrium data at different temperatures and the equilibrium data were found to fit Freundlich isotherm equation better than Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption was analyzed using pseudo-second-order kinetic equation.     

Preparation of amidoxime-modified polyacrylonitrile nanofibers immobilized with laccase for dye degradation

A novel approach to preparing multifunctional composite nanofibrous membrane was developed. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous membrane was fabricated by electrospinning and then the nitrile groups in PAN copolymer was chemically modified to obtain amidoxime modified PAN (AOPAN) nanofiber membrane which was further used as a functional support for laccase immobilization. During the process of reactive dye degradation catalyzed by the AOPAN nanofiber membrane immobilized with laccase, metal ion adsorption occurred at the same time. The chemical modification was confirmed by Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was employed to investigate the surface morphologies of the electrospun nanofibers before and after laccase immobilization. The effects of environmental factors on laccase activity were studied in detail. It was found that the optimum pH and temperature for the activity of immobilized laccase was 3.5 and 50 °C. The relative activity retention of the immobilized laccase decreased dramatically during the initial four repeated uses. After 20 days’ storage, the activity retention of immobilized laccase was still high above 60 %. It has also proved that laccase immobilized on AOPAN nanofiber membrane performed well in dye degradation and metal ion adsorption.     

武夷山茶园土壤汞、镉和砷形态及茶叶有效性特征

通过测试武夷山19个茶园土壤及茶叶中的Hg、Cd和As元素全量及土壤元素化学形态组成,分析3种元素对茶叶的有效性。结果表明:土壤Hg存在一定程度的富集,以残渣态和强有机态为优势形态;Cd富集最严重,且以离子交换态为优势形态;As符合无公害茶产地环境标准(NY/T 853-2004),且以残渣态为主,占总量的70.35%。茶叶Hg、Cd、As含量属于安全范围内,均值远低于《茶叶中铬、镉、汞、砷及氟化物限量(NY659-2003)》标准限值。土壤Hg、Cd和As的生物可利用性系数及富集系数值比较得出,土壤Cd生物可利用能力最强,As次之,Hg最弱;茶叶对土壤Cd、Hg富集能力较强,对As富集较弱。总之,土壤元素种类和化学形态组成更大程度上决定了元素活性、迁移与转移能力。     

Sulfated Polysaccharides from Seaweed Strandings as Renewable Source for Potential Antivirals against Herpes simplex Virus 1

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) remains a prominent health concern widespread all over the world. The increasing genital infections by HSV-1 that might facilitate acquisition and transmission of HIV-1, the cumulative evidence that HSV-1 promotes neurodegenerative disorders, and the emergence of drug resistance signify the need for new antiviral agents. In this study, the in vitro anti-herpetic activity of sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) extracted by enzyme or hot water from seaweeds collected in France and Mexico from stranding events, were evaluated. The anti-herpetic activity evaluation of the semi-refined-polysaccharides (sr-SPs) and different ion exchange purified fractions showed a wide range of antiviral activity. Among them, the sr-SPs from the Rhodophyta Halymenia floresii showed stronger activity EC₅₀ 0.68 μg/mL with SI 1470, without cytotoxicity. Further, the antiviral activity of the sr-SPs evaluated at different treatment schemes showed a high EC₅₀ of 0.38 μg/mL during the viral adsorption assays when the polysaccharide and the virus were added simultaneously, whilst the protection on Vero cell during the post-infection assay was effective up to 1 h. The chemical composition, FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopic, and molecular weights of the sr-SPs from H. floresii were determined and discussed based on the anti-herpetic activity. The potential utilization of seaweed stranding as a source of antiviral compounds is addressed.     

Influence of chemically modified short hemp fiber structure on biosorption process of Zn2+ ions from waste water

Short hemp fibers, acquired as a waste from textile industry, were used as an efficient biosorbent for removal of zinc ions from polluted water. In order to obtain the material with better sorption properties, short hemp fibers were subjected to oxidative and alkali treatment. The following factors that may influence the sorption properties of short hemp fibers were examined: fiber structure and morphology were characterized by iodine sorption, water retention and scanning electron microscopy, while specific surface area was determined by BET method. Additionally, the amount of carboxyl groups was determined by calcium-acetate method, and the point of zero charge of the short hemp fibers samples was determined by the solid addition method. Biosorption of zinc ions was evaluated through the total uptake capacity, equilibrium and kinetic data. Obtained data were analyzed by nonlinear Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, as well as pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetic models, and the best fitting model was chosen using Akaike information criterion. Chemical modification, used in this work, leads to structural and morphological changes of short hemp fibers, and improvement of their sorption properties. It was found that sorption properties of short hemp fibers are predominantly influenced by surface acidity and the amount of functional groups, while fiber structure and specific surface area have a secondary role in the biosorption of zinc ions. Akakike information criterion values showed that biosorption of zinc ions on all tested hemp fiber samples obey the pseudo-second order adsorption kinetics, while experimental isotherm data fit better with Langmuir model. Biosorption of zinc ions on the hemp fibers is a predominantly chemical process, which mainly follows the mechanism of ion exchange on acidic functional groups, and occurs through the fast surface adsorption, intraparticle diffusion and final equilibrium stage.     

Dye Adsorption from Aqueous Solution by Cellulose/Chitosan Composite: Equilibrium,Kinetics, and Thermodynamics

A novel eco-friendly porous adsorbent of cellulose (CE)/chitosan (CS) aerogel was prepared through sol-gel process and freeze-drying to remove Congo Red (CR). A series of aerogels were prepared by adjusting the mass ratios of CE and CS. Composite aerogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM images showed that it was possible to change the structure of the aerogel by adjusting the amount of chitosan. The effects of dosage of chitosan, initial pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial dye concentration on adsorption capacities for CR were studied in detail. Batch adsorption studies showed that aerogel exhibited maximum removal efficiency to CR at a composite ratio of 1:3 and dosage of 2.5 g/l. CE/CS aerogel had excellent adsorption capacities for CR at a pH range of 3-11, which indicated stability of the aerogel in both acidic and alkaline conditions. CR adsorption on the composite aerogel fitted pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm. The Langmuir isotherm model revealed that the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of this material for CR was 381.7 mg/g at pH 7.0 at 303 K for 24 h. The adsorption mechanism included electrostatic and chemical interactions. The results indicated that the adsorption capacity of CE/CS aerogels was higher than the other chitosan composites adsorbents.     

Coating of PET Textiles with Anionic Cyclodextrin Polymer for Paraquat Removal from Aqueous Solution

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) textile was coated with anionic cyclodextrin polymer issued by crosslinking between β-CD (β-Cyclodextrin) and BTCA (1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid) for paraquat (PQ) removal from aqueous solution. The polymer covering operated by the thermofixation method (170 ºC and 30 minutes) comprised 23.52 % of weight gain, which was related to 0.76 mmol/g of ionic exchange capacity. The functionalized textile was also characterized by FTIR, SEM and TGA. Adsorption experiment was performed employing different parameters such as the pH of the solution, adsorption time, the initial concentration of paraquat and the adsorption temperature. The suitable pH was equal to 8 and the equilibrium time was 420 minutes. At 30 ºC, the adsorption capacity of PQ was increased (5.0, 20.4, and 25.9 mg/g) when the initial concentration of paraquat was enhanced (10, 50, and 250 mg/l). Adsorption kinetics was appropriated to the pseudo-second-order model and adsorption isotherm was fitted to the Langmuir model. Thermodynamic parameters were studied at different temperatures (30, 40, and 50 ºC), in which the negative ΔH displayed an exothermic adsorption process, the negative ΔG showed a spontaneous adsorption process and the positive ΔS revealed an enhanced disorder. Eventually, the recyclability of the modified textile in methanol reached 85 % after four reusability cycles.     

Ternary carboxymethyl chitosan-hemicellulose-nanosized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composite as effective adsorbent for removal of heavy metal contaminants from water

A ternary composite consisting of carboxymethyl chitosan, hemicellulose, and nanosized TiO₂ (CHNT) was prepared by incorporating TiO₂ nanoparticles into the pre-synthesized carboxymethyl chitosan-hemicellulose polysaccharide network. The microstructure and chemical composition of the obtained CHNT was characterized by TEM, SEM, FTIR, and TGA. The adsorption of some toxic heavy metals including Ni(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Hg(II), Mn(VII), and Cr(VI), onto the as-prepared CHNT composite was investigated. The effects of pH, temperature and contacting time on the adsorption process were studied. Results revealed that the CHNT composite exhibited efficient adsorption capacity of the above metal ions from aqueous solution due to its favorable chelating groups in structure. The adsorption process was best described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, while isotherm modeling revealed that the Langmuir equation better described the adsorption on CHNT as compared to Freundlich model. Moreover, the CHNT loaded metal ions can be easily regenerated with EDTA and reused repeatedly up to five cycles. The environmental friendly hybrids were expected to be a promising candidate for future practical application in heavy metal contaminated water treatment.     

水稻根系泌氧对水稻土磷素化学行为的影响

通过模拟试验研究了水稻根系泌氧作用对水稻土磷素化学行为以及水稻吸磷的影响。淹水极显著地增加土壤对磷的吸附,降低磷的解吸。而模拟的水稻泌氧作用则可明显降低土壤对磷的吸附,增加根际土壤的磷解吸和离子交换树脂对磷的吸收量。因此,水稻根系的泌氧作用应该是水稻在淹水明显降低土壤磷有效性情况下能正常从土壤获取磷的重要机制之一。淹水导致土壤磷有效性降低与淹水引起土壤磷组分转化有关。淹水2周,经富磷预处理而增加的Al-P组分,几乎全被转化为Fe-P。     

物理改性处理对菠萝皮渣膳食纤维物化特性的影响

以菠萝皮渣为原料制备膳食纤维,考察超微粉碎、蒸汽爆破和挤压膨化3种物理改性方式对菠萝皮渣膳食纤维的基本成分、理化性质、形貌结构及生物活性物质溶出量的影响。结果表明:3种物理改性方式均能提高样品阳离子交换能力,增加多酚、黄酮物质的溶出量。其中蒸汽爆破处理能显著提高可溶性膳食纤维含量,在持水持油性方面表现良好。形貌结构分析结果显示,改性后的膳食纤维结构均发生不同程度的变化,但其主要成分及化学结构未受影响。综上所述,蒸汽爆破处理有助于改善菠萝皮渣膳食纤维的品质。     

Studies on composite filaments from nanoclay reinforced polypropylene

The development of high tenacity, high modulus monofilaments from Polypropylene/Clay nanocomposite has been investigated. Pure sodium montmorillonite nanoclay was modified using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) via an ion exchange reaction. Pure and modified clay were characterized through X-ray diffraction, FTIR and TGA. The modified clay was melt blended with polypropylene (PP) in presence of a swelling agent. Composite filaments from PP/Clay nanocomposite were prepared at different weight percentages of nanoclay and the spinning and drawing conditions were optimized. The filaments were characterized for their mechanical, morphological and thermal properties. The composite PP filaments with modified clay showed improved tensile strength, modulus and reduced elongation at break. The composite filaments with unmodified clay did not show any improvement in tensile strength but the modulus improved. The sharp and narrow X-ray diffraction peaks of PP/nanoclay composite filaments indicate increase in crystallinity in presence of modified clay at small loadings (0.5%). The improved thermal stability was observed in filaments with modified as well as unmodified clays.     

Improvement of hydrophilicity and blood compatibility on polyethersulfone membrane by adding polyvinylpyrrolidone

Polyethersulfone (PES) is widely used as biomaterials due to its thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical inertness. Nevertheless, their blood compatibility is still not adequate for hemodialysis. Moreover, it is very difficult to change the molecular structure by chemical modification due to the very stable chemical characteristics. In this study, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as an additive in the preparing of PES membrane in order to improve the hydrophilicity and blood compatibility. The result shows that the PVP-added PES membrane has higher water flux, water adsorption, and lower water contact angle (CA) than the pristine PES membrane. This indicates that the hydrophilicity of PES membrane was improved through adding PVP. Moreover, adding PVP as an additive could effectively reduce bovine serum albumin adsorption and prolong the blood coagulation time, thereby improving blood compatibility of PES membrane.     

Bioactive glass 45S5 powders: effect of synthesis route and resultant surface chemistry and crystallinity on protein adsorption from human plasma

Despite its medical applications, the mechanisms responsible for the osseointegration of bioactive glass (45S5) have yet to be fully understood. Evidence suggests that the strongest predictor for osseointegration of bioactive glasses, and ceramics, with bone tissue as the formation of an apatitic calcium phosphate layer atop the implanted material, with osteoblasts being the main mediator for new bone formation. Most have tried to understand the formation of this apatitic calcium phosphate layer, and other bioresponses between the host and bioactive glass 45S5 using Simulated Body Fluid; a solution containing ion concentrations similar to that found in human plasma without the presence of proteins. However, it is likely that cell attachment is probably largely mediated via the adsorbed protein layer. Plasma protein adsorption at the tissue bioactive glass interface has been largely overlooked. Herein, we compare crystalline and amorphous bioactive glass 45S5, in both melt-derived as well as sol-gel forms. Thus, allowing for a detailed understanding of both the role of crystallinity and powder morphology on surface ions, and plasma protein adsorption. It was found that sol-gel 45S5 powders, regardless of crystallinity, adsorbed 3-5 times as much protein as the crystalline melt-derived counterpart, as well as a greater variety of plasma proteins. The devitrification of melt-cast 45S5 resulted in only small differences in the amount and variety of the adsorbed proteome. Surface properties, and not material crystallinity, play a role in directing protein adsorption phenomena for bioactive glasses given the differences found between crystalline melt-cast 45S5 and sol-gel derived 45S5.     

Modified polyamide 66 fibers for the removal of reactive dyes from aqueous suspension

In this paper, we report the modification of polyamide sample (PA) with different contents of chitosan (CS) using citric acid (CA) as a cross-linker [PA-CA-CS]. New materials were confirmed to be formed in PA using FT-IR spectrum. It is also checked in terms of the change in thermal stability event and decomposition behavior in thermogravimetry through TG-DTA instruments. Then, the ability of unmodified and modified supports was tested for the adsorption of two reactive dyes i.e. Cibacron Brilliant Yellow 3G-P and Cibacron Blue P-3R. Sorption experiments were performed under varying several experimental conditions such as pH, contact time, initial dye concentration, and temperature. The isotherm and kinetic models were undertaken to assess the dye removal mechanism. The applicability of Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin equations was checked and data were fitted using Langmuir model. The second-order equation was shown to fit the adsorption kinetics. Data gleaned from both thermodynamic results and modeling data indicate that the adsorption follows a chemical and exothermic process.     

Removal of some cationic dyes from aqueous solution by acrylamide- or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-based copolymeric hydrogels

In this study, anionic hydrogels were prepared using a crosslinker (N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide) through a free radical addition reaction in aqueous solutions of neutral acrylamide or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer and anionic monomers, mesaconic acid or aconitic acid. Cationic dyes along with safranine (azine-), nile blue (oxazine-) and methylene blue (thiazine-) were selected as models of pollutants, and adsorption of these dyes onto the hydrogels was investigated. To examine the effect of concentration on adsorption, dye solutions prepared with a concentration range of 5–50 mg l^?1 and 0.1 g hydrogel at 25 °C were exposed to the hydrogels until equilibrium was established. Dye adsorption onto the hydrogels was found to be an L type Giles adsorption isotherm. Monolayer sorption capacity and adsorption constant values were calculated from the Langmuir plots. To calculate R_L values, a non-dimensional analysis was used and they were always found to be 0<R<1. In other words, the hydrogels were favorable for adsorption of these dyes. Aqueous solutions of dyes were observed to interact with hydrogels in the following order: oxazine > azine > thiazine. Furthermore, the higher the number of carboxyl groups in the hydrogel composition, the higher the adsorbed amount of substance.     

热带地区桉树林地与农用地土壤肥力现状研究初报

在不同的土壤类型上,针对不同的利用方式(桉树林地和农业用地),自2000年起,开始长期的定点定位肥力对比观测,并进行了海南桉树林地和农业用地土壤肥力变化规律研究.研究结果表明:与农业用地相比,桉树林地土壤有机质较高,土壤容重较小,土壤的阳离子代换量增加。海南发展桉树生产只要合理的利用,注意地表覆盖,防止水土流失,就可以不断地提高土壤肥力。     

Cryptic Metabolites from Marine-Derived Microorganisms Using OSMAC and Epigenetic Approaches

Marine microorganisms have proven to be a source of new natural products with a wide spectrum of biological activities relevant in different industrial sectors. The ever-increasing number of sequenced microbial genomes has highlighted a discrepancy between the number of gene clusters potentially encoding the production of natural products and the actual number of chemically characterized metabolites for a given microorganism. Homologous and heterologous expression of these biosynthetic genes, which are often silent under experimental laboratory culture conditions, may lead to the discovery of new cryptic natural products of medical and biotechnological interest. Several new genetic and cultivation-based strategies have been developed to meet this challenge. The OSMAC approach (one strain—many compounds), based on modification of growth conditions, has proven to be a powerful strategy for the discovery of new cryptic natural products. As a direct extension of this approach, the addition of chemical elicitors or epigenetic modifiers have also been used to activate silent genes. This review looks at the structures and biological activities of new cryptic metabolites from marine-derived microorganisms obtained using the OSMAC approach, the addition of chemical elicitors, and enzymatic inhibitors and epigenetic modifiers. It covers works published up to June 2021.     

Adsorption behavior of reactive orange 5 and reactive red 2 on ramie fabric and their quantum chemical calculations

The adsorption behavior of Reactive Orange 5 and Reactive Red 2 on ramie fabric is studied, and their structures are investigated by using density function theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations. The results indicate that Reactive Red 2 reaches a saturation adsorption state more quickly than Reactive Orange 5. With the increase of temperature from 30 to 50 °C, the equilibrium adsorption amount of Reactive Red 2 and Reactive Orange 5 increases correspondingly, and at the same temperature the former presents a larger adsorption amount than the latter. In addition, the chlorine atom and the conjoint carbon atom of Reactive Red 2 produces a weaker binding force than those of Reactive Orange 5, which implies the nucleophilic attack of hydroxyl groups of ramie fabric to the corresponding carbon atoms occurs more easily in Reactive Red 2 than in Reactive Orange 5. The energy band gap (translation from HOMO to LUMO) of Reactive Red 2 is lower than that of Reactive Orange 5, and this indicates Reactive Red 2 has a higher chemical activity. The LUMO of Reactive Red 2 (?3.05 eV) is lower than that of Reactive Orange 5 (?2.93 eV), which indicates that Reactive Red 2 presents a stronger ability to accept electrons than Reactive Orange 5. The conclusion that Reactive Red 2 has stronger adsorption activity than Reactive Orange 5 is supported and explained by the results of these quantum chemical calculations.     

Neurotoxins from marine dinoflagellates: a brief review

Dinoflagellates are not only important marine primary producers and grazers, but also the major causative agents of harmful algal blooms. It has been reported that many dinoflagellate species can produce various natural toxins. These toxins can be extremely toxic and many of them are effective at far lower dosages than conventional chemical agents. Consumption of seafood contaminated by algal toxins results in various seafood poisoning syndromes: paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP), ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) and azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (ASP). Most of these poisonings are caused by neurotoxins which present themselves with highly specific effects on the nervous system of animals, including humans, by interfering with nerve impulse transmission. Neurotoxins are a varied group of compounds, both chemically and pharmacologically. They vary in both chemical structure and mechanism of action, and produce very distinct biological effects, which provides a potential application of these toxins in pharmacology and toxicology. This review summarizes the origin, structure and clinical symptoms of PSP, NSP, CFP, AZP, yessotoxin and palytoxin produced by marine dinoflagellates, as well as their molecular mechanisms of action on voltage-gated ion channels.