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Objective(s): Recognized as a distinguished environmental and global toxicant, Bisphenol A (BPA) affects the liver, which is a vital body organ, by the induction of oxidative stress. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of quercetin against BPA in hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats and also, the activity of mitochondrial enzymes were evaluated. Materials and Methods: To this end, 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (six rats per group), including control, BPA (250 mg/kg), BPA + quercetin (75 mg/kg), and quercetin (75 mg/kg). Results: The BPA-induced alterations were restored in concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) due to the quercetin treatment (75 mg/kg) (all P<0.001). While the levels of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased by the quercetin treatment in the liver mitochondria (P<0.001), Catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) increased (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, the potential hepatotoxicity of BPA can be prevented by quercetin, which protects the body against oxidative stress and BPA-induced biochemical toxicity. Moreover, the reproductive toxicity of BPA after environmental or occupational exposures can be potentially prohibited by quercetin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the synthesis of cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW)/chitosan nanocomposite films via deep eutectic solvents (DES) changing the chemical structures were carried out. It was observed that a pure chitosan film has broadband at 3180-3400 cm−1, indicating amide and hydroxyl groups. Upon CNW incorporation, the peak gets sharper and stronger and shifts to a greater wavelength. Further, the addition of DES infuses more elements of amide into the nanocomposite films. Moreover, the mechanical properties incorporating CNW filler into a chitosan matrix show an enhancement in tensile strength (TS), Young's modulus (YM), and elongation at break. The TS and YM increase while the elongation decrease as the CNW concentration increases. The YM of biocomposite films is increased to 723 MPa at 25% CNW into chitosan films. Besides, the TS has enhanced to 11.48 MPa at 15% CNW concentration in the biocomposite films. The elongation at break has decreased to 11.7% at 25% CNW concentration. Hence, incorporating CNW into the chitosan matrix via DES can still improve the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films. Therefore, the application of DES results in a lower YM and TS as the films are hygroscopic. In conclusion, DES can be considered the new green solvent media for synthesizing materials. It has the potential to replace ionic liquids due to its biodegradability and non-toxic properties while preserving the character of low-vapour pressure. Besides that, chitosan can be used as potential material for applications in process industries, such as the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Thus, DES can be used as a green solvent and aim to reduce the toxic effect of chemicals on the environment during chemical production. • Application of DES attribute to the amide group in the synthesis of chitosan/CNW nanocomposite films. • The addition of CNW as reinforcing filler improves the mechanical properties of the chitosan matrix. • Thermal stability of nanocomposite films is improved by adding CNW as filler. • The addition of CNW in the chitosan matrix does not affect the glass transition temperature of nanocomposite films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Iran, re-refinery industry has been developed many years ago based on the acid-clay treatment. Acidic sludge with high concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) is the final products of some facilities. In this study removal of TPH by aerated in-vessel composting was investigated. Methods: In order to microorganisms seeding and nutrient providing, urban immature compost was added as an amendment to acidic sludge. The ratios of acidic sludge (AS) to compost were, 1:0 (as control), 1:5, 1:8, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 1:75 and 1:100 (as dry basis) at a C: N: P ratio of 100:5:1 and 45-65% moisture content for 70 days. Results: The removal efficiency in all reactors was more than 48%. The highest and lowest TPH removal was observed in 1:5 (71.56%) and 1:100 (48.53%) mixing ratios, respectively. The results of the control reactors showed that biological treatment was the main mechanism for TPH removal. Experimental data was fitted second order kinetic model (R2> 0. 8006). Degradation of TPH in 1:5 mixing ratio (k2 = 0.0038 gmg-1d-1; half-life = 3.08d) was nearly three times faster than 1: 100 mixing ratio (k2 = 0.0238; half-life = 8.96d). The results of the control reactors showed that biological treatment was the main mechanism for TPH removal. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed in-vessel composting with immature urban compost as the amendment maybe recommended as an effective method for TPH remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Synthesis, characterization, and functionalization techniques of GO. • Structures and properties of GO by analytical techniques. • GO-based materials for the removal of different organic contaminants. • GO-based materials for device fabrication for sensors. • Techno-Economic feasibility of GO. Graphene oxide (GO) is one of the most promising materials having broader applications in energy, storage, optics, electronics biology, and chemistry. It contains different oxygen groups (hydroxyl, carboxyl epoxy groups), that have the potentials to form complexes with different metal ions and organic contaminants through coordination, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interaction, which is a benefit to its prospective applications in environmental pollution treatment and control. Different methods for producing carboxyl-saturated GO-based adsorbents open up new opportunities in green technology, such as energy storage, wastewater remediation, and nuclear waste utilization. This review brings different GO synthesis methods, including bottom-up and top-down techniques. Different properties and structures of GO by various analytical techniques are also discussed. Efforts have also been made to cover the diverse applications of GO-based adsorbents in device fabrication and wastewater treatment. In addition, the techno-economic feasibility of GO as a bottom-up or top-down cost approach was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioremediation use to promote degradation and/or removal of contaminants into nonhazardous or less-hazardous substances from the environment using microbial metabolic ability. Pseudomonas spp. is one of saprotrophic soil bacterium and can be used for biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) but this activity in most species is weak. Phenanthrene and pyrene could associate with a risk of human cancer development in exposed individuals. The aim of the present study was application of genetically engineered P. putida that produce dioxygenase for degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene in spiked soil using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The nahH gene that encoded catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) was cloned into pUC18 and pUC18-nahH recombinant vector was generated and transformed into wild P. putida, successfully. The genetically modified and wild types of P. putida were inoculated in soil and pilot plan was prepared. Finally, degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene by this bacterium in spiked soil were evaluated using HPLC measurement technique. The results were showed elimination of these PAH compounds in spiked soil by engineered P. putida comparing to dishes containing natural soil with normal microbial flora and inoculated autoclaved soil by wild type of P. putida were statistically significant (p<0.05). Although adding N and P chemical nutrients on degradation ability of phenanthrene and pyrene by engineered P. putida in soil were not statistically significant (p>0.05) but it was few impact on this process (more than 2%). Additional and verification tests including catalase, oxidase and PCR on isolated bacteria from spiked soil were indicated that engineered P. putida was alive and functional as well as it can affect on phenanthrene and pyrene degradation via nahH gene producing. These findings indicated that genetically engineered P. putida generated in this work via producing C23O enzyme can useful and practical for biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene as well as petroleum compounds in polluted environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azinphos-methyl and chlorpyrifos are the organophosphorous pesticides which pose serious threats to the environment including their detrimental effect on humans and, therefore, their removal from the environment is a must. Hence, in the present paper the ultrasound technique was applied to remove the above-mentioned hazardous compounds. For this, the effect of influential parameters such as pH, initial pesticide concentration, frequency, electric power and treatment time on the ultrasound degradation of azinphos-methyl and chlorpyrifos was well investigated and elucidated. The results obtained showed that azinphos-methyl and chlorpyrifos were effectively and rapidly degraded by the ultrasound technique. Thus, the operating optimal conditions (initial pH 9, initial pesticide concentration 1 mg/L, frequency 130 kHz, electric power 500 W and treatment time 20 min) lead to a degradation of 78.50% for azinphos-methyl and of 98.96% for chlorpyrifos with in 20 min of contact time. Two multiple regression-based equations were derived to describe the degradation process of the pesticides by the ultrasound treatment. The result of this study showed that the polynomial equations satisfactorily described the behavior of the present process for various operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pathways of CAP to enter the environment. • Effectiveness of novel adsorbents, AOPs, and biodegradation. • Isotherms, thermodynamic and molecular simulations. • Effect of water matrix on the performance of the adsorbents. • Clean regeneration technique for the CAP-exhausted adsorbents. Despite the carcinogenic and other adverse health effects ofchloramphenicol (CAP), it is frequently detected in different water sources (e.g., groundwater, surface water, wastewater effluents, etc.) due to ongoing, illegal, and abusive application of CAP in veterinary medicine. Although extensive research has been carried out to develop effective treatment technologies to remove the persistent CAP from aqueous mediums, yet there is no critical review of these studies to the best of our reach This review will be the first in the literature to comprehensively summarize the state-of-the-art treatment techniques for CAP removal from water. We report the removal of CAP by adsorption, biodegradation, nanoscale zerovalent iron technology (nZVI), and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The result shows that carbon-based adsorbents have more q max equal 892.86 mg/g for Porous carbon material from Enteromorpha prolifera. The Langmuir- Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetics model were reported to best describe the isotherm and kinetic model respectively. Removing the CAP via biodegradation would achieve the advantages of low operating costs, and environmental friendliness. The process of AOPs among the various treatment options can be a promising method for CAP degradation in water. This review comprehensively summarizes the state-of-the-art treatment techniques for CAP removal from water. Particularly, serving as an inclusive reference for future researchers to easily define the research gabs in the literature and plan for their future work in developing novel treatment methods to decontaminate CA-contaminated waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The removal of Hg from environmental water by advanced oxidation processes. • The removal of Hg from environmental water by adsorption. • Thermodynamic molecular modelling and simulation of Hg adsorption. • Hg adsorption mechanism, kinetics and column adsorption studies. • Regeneration and reusability studies. The review discusses the removal of mercury (Hg) from wastewater by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and adsorption. The Hg adsorption in batch and column method was described, and the mechanism was explained, followed by the equilibrium and kinetic modelling. Furthermore, thermodynamic molecular modelling and simulation of Hg adsorption were discussed. The results showed that the removal of Hg from the aqueous solution by AOPs was successfully applied. Some of the future perspectives include enhancing the efficiency of the AOPs for the removal of Hg. The efficiency of available technologies for the removal of heavy metals in general and Hg in particular, depend on three criteria, namely efficacy, cost, suitability, and conditions of application. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models are best-fit and also pseudo second order kinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Europium radionuclides were selected as model pollutant. • Real samples such as natural and seawater is used. • Novel nanocomposite material namely MPC is applied as adsorbent. • MPC possessed high specific surface area ∼ 2360 m2/g. Liquid radioactive waste (LRW) presents the most significant environmental hazard due to its high aggregate activity and rapid distribution in the environment. The paper presents the structure and adsorption characteristics features of a new nanocomposite material namely mesoporous carbon (MPC). Characterization studies depicts that the material obtained consisted of bundles of carbon nanotubes coated with a uniform layer of porous carbon shell. The study on the MPC porous structure disclosed that the resulting material possess a combination of micro and mesopores with a predominant size of 1–6 nm and a specific surface area of 2360 m2 g−1. Adsorption characteristics of the MPC were studied using the sorption of 152Eu radionuclide from natural and seawater. Activated charcoal, coconut charcoal, and a gel-type strong-acidic sulfonic cation exchanger were used as reference materials. The synthesized MPC was found to have the distribution coefficients (K d) of 152Eu over 3 × 106 cm3 g−1, which was 1–3 orders of magnitude higher than for the reference sorbents. The kinetics study of the 152Eu sorption on the MPC showed that the sorption equilibrium was attained in 5 min, three times less than the activated charcoal. High adsorption of MPC is associated with the colloidal of europium species on the developed surface of the carbon sorbent. Results conclude that the synthesized mesoporous carbon material makes a promising adsorbent for removing europium and other radionuclides, namely, cerium, lanthanum, zirconium, plutonium, and americium, from neutral solutions, where those radionuclides exist in either colloidal or pseudo colloidal form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Biogases (biomethane) and natural gas (methane) have huge potential for the development of the biogas industry. • Efficiency criteria for the adsorption storage systems for biomethane and natural gas (methane) have been established. • Potential of Porous carbon material from Biomass as Energy Storage material was explored. • Comparison based on sorption capacity of porous carbon-based materials for biomethane and natural gas (methane) have been summarized. Due to environmental performance, biogas (biomethane) and natural gas (methane) are at the center of attention among renewable fuels due to environmental performance. Gas fuels have significant environmental advantages over traditional petroleum-based fuels or fossil fuels. Adsorption technology for methane adsorption, storage, and transportation (biomethane and natural gas) can link gas supplies to consumers. The review considers the advantages of biomethane and natural gas as energy sources. The efficiency criteria for methane carbon-based storage systems have been analyzed and discussed. Porous carbon-based adsorption materials have been found to be very useful in methane adsorption, storage, and transportation. The outstanding characteristics of carbon materials such as high surface area and large pore volume, tunability, high abundance of precursors, thermal stability, and environmental friendliness are important features for their extensive usability. The findings on the sorption capacity of porous carbon-based materials for biomethane and natural gas have been discussed in detail and summarized. Based on the findings, it was found that the ANG technology has great potential for using natural gas and biomethane in the transport sector, provided that an appropriate adsorbent with suitable properties is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clearance of deposited urban air particulates (PMs) from the lung is vital for the protection of the lung tissue. Several studies have investigated the behavior of immune cells against these particulates in vitro and in vivo. However, the fate of particulates in the lung is yet unclear. Here, we report the results of our investigations on the clearance of particulates from the lung. Twelve normal lung tissue samples were taken from nonsmoking and non-occupationally exposed patients who needed lung lobectomy or segmentectomy. The remaining particulates were isolated from the alveolar area and extracellular matrix (ECM), separately, and their chemical composition was determined using the FE-SEM EDAX and GC-MS. Moreover, urban air PM 2.5 was collected in two forms dry and washed. These were characterized too. Our results showed that none of the metals in the deposited particulates structure is fully water-soluble. After contact with mucosal liquid, the alveolar particulates included Fe, Al, Si, Ti, and Ni. These elements were absent in the PMs isolated from ECM. The organics of alveolar and ECM particulates were the same and included tetra-decane, hexadecane, and octa-decane. None of the organics present in the urban air PM 2.5 , such as PAHs, were available in isolated particulates from the lung tissue. This study shows that the full clearance of inhaled particulates does not happen in the lung. The immune system's primary function is detoxification by removing all components identifiable by immune cells. After that, the remained PMs will be relocated and deposited into the ECM. [Display omitted] • The first human evidence about fate of urban air PMs in the human lung. • New evidences about changes in PMs' components in the human lung. • Confirmation of incomplete clearance of deposited PMs from the human lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the ability of three decolorization techniques including sonochemistry, electrochemistry and sonoelectrochemistry for decolorization of C.I Reactive Blue 49 in aqueous solutions have been compared. Various parameters affecting decolorization efficiency, such as pH, initial concentration of the dye, the decolorization time, H 2 O 2 concentration and effect of applied potential on electrochemistry and sonoelectrochemistry, were evaluated. For further comparison, the methods were evaluated based on their ability in COD removal percentage. The maximum COD removal at the optimum condition of each method were 36.0%, 68.0%, 87.8% and 76.2% for sonochemistry, electrochemistry, sonoelectrochemistry with H 2 O 2 and sonoelectrochemistry without H 2 O 2 , respectively. The result was an environment friendly method for removal of C.I Reactive Blue 49 from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis has different etiologies from biliary stone to metabolic disturbances. Coronary angiography is one of the newly understood etiologies. CASE REPORT: This paper is about a women suffering from acute pancreatitis after coronary angiography. CONCLUSION: Embolization of cholesterol crystals due to vessel wall trauma during coronary angiography as well as contrast medium are responsible for such side effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microwave-assisted synthesis of CNTs is considered as a clean technique. • The effect of process parameters on crystal violet removal percentage. • Batch column adsorption studies conducted. • Non-linear analysis is conducted to evaluate isotherm and kinetic parameters. • The optimized removal of crystal violet dye was found to be 81%. Toxic cationic dyes are used in different textile industries. When the colour interacts with the sunlight, it causes incomplete photosynthesis, inhibiting aquatic organisms' growth and disrupting gas permeability in the water system. In this work, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared to employ acetylene and hydrogen as precursor gases in a microwave-assisted reactor. The obtained CNTs were tested for their ability to remove the crystal violet (CV) dye. However, the effect of removal parameters, such as pH of ion solution, initial concentration, and contact time, was optimized on the adsorption process through response surface methodology. It was found that the optimized removal of CV dye was 81% at an optimum pH value of 7.0 with 10 mg/L of an initial concentration and a contact time of 25 min. Complete dye extraction can be achieved by increasing the CNT dosage.Moreover, by using both the Langmuir model and Freundlich model of adsorption, the equilibrium data obtained from experiments were analyzed. The study also revealed that the adsorption at room temperature, having a high adsorption capability of 2.615 mg/g for CV, was best defined using the Langmuir model. For the reaction order, the adsorption rates represented the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Lipase enzyme extracted from Porcine Pancreas was immobilized onto the GO. • Comparison of the immobilized enzymes performance and free enzymes. • Adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies. • The enzyme activity, and reusability of the immobilized Lipase. Immobilization of enzymes improves their stability, performance, reusability, and recovery. This study investigated the removal of Azo dyes from industrial wastewater effluent using immobilized Lipase enzyme on Graphene Oxide (GO) in batch mode. The Lipase enzyme extracted from Porcine Pancreas was immobilized onto the GO via adsorption, where the enzymes are attached to the support by intermolecular forces. This study aims to investigate the immobilization efficiency of Lipase on the GO and determine the effect of parameters such as Lipase concentration, pH, and temperature on the enzyme activity. The results showed that the enzyme activity increased with the Lipase concentration, pH and temperature until an optimum point was achieved. The saturation of support surface pores causes the loss of enzyme activity due to the excessive Lipase enzyme, structural deformation of the support surface and enzyme denaturation due to extreme pH and temperature. The immobilized Lipase activity and free Lipase activity were compared. The optimum Lipase concentration is 6 mg/mL, with the greatest immobilization efficiency and highest enzyme activity. Besides, the optimum pH for the highest immobilized Lipase activity is 8.0, and the optimum temperature is 40 °C. The characterization results confirmed the immobilization of the Lipase enzyme. Adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies are also carried out to investigate the dye removal performances. The highest Azo dye removal efficiency obtained is 89.47% at 240 min of contact time and 5 mg/L of initial dye concentration. Further, the reusability of the immobilized Lipase was also investigated and found that the immobilized Lipase can be reused up to four cycles. Thus, the adsorption of dyes through immobilized lipase on GO can significantly impact various industrial sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Efficiency of new generation adsorbents and their adsorption capacities. • Equilibrium isotherms and kinetic modelling for fluoride adsorption. • Thermodynamic studies for adsorption of fluoride onto novel adsorbents. • Molecular modelling and simulation. • Knowledge gap and future perspectives. Water is essential for life and is threatened by the pollution and contamination generated by human activity and industries. Fluoride contamination of water is a serious problem in the world. The review article highlights on new generation adsorbents including carbon-based adsorbents, nano-adsorbents, bio-sorbents, inorganic materials, modified and composite adsorbents for purification of fluoride from water. It was indicated from the review that a Zinc oxide nanoparticles is the best adsorbents for the removal of fluoride from aqueous media, with a capacity adsorption (q max) of 100 mg/g. The f l u o r i d e uptake best-fit both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models as well as a pseudo second order kinetic model. A wide range of values for the thermodynamic parameters (both negative and positive) were reported for fluoride across different studies. Kinetic and thermodynamic, molecular modelling and simulations, knowledge gaps and future prospects are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Aniline as a toxic aromatic uptake from industrial effluents was reviewed. • The different empirical findings on the equilibrium isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics. • Molecular modelling and simulation of aniline adsorption. • Azo-linked porous organic polymer is the best adsorbents for the removal of aniline. • The best fit kinetic model for aniline adsorption is the pseudo-second-order model. This review aims to report the efficiency of the adsorption of industrial pollutants, aniline, from wastewater. It was observed from the review that an Azo-linked porous organic polymer (AZO-POP-1) is the best adsorbents for the removal of aniline from aqueous media, with a capacity adsorption (q max) of 1059 mg/g. In terms of factors that affect the efficiency of adsorbents, temperature seems to be the most influential. Aniline uptake best-fit both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models as well as a pseudo second order kinetic model. Different potential adsorbents have been examined through simulations, usually using density functional theory (DFT) or ab-initio method. Most of the time they are simulated in the gas phase, but for a realistic adsorption model, they should be simulated in the solvent phase. Although some studies have been reported on molecular modeling of aniline adsorption using a different range of computational approaches, there are still a lot of issues to be addressed. These issues include the solvent effects which are not properly modeled, the calculation of adsorption energy which is not taking the environment into account, and possibly the temperature effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfills leachates are known to contain recalcitrant and/or non-biodegradable organic substances and biological processes are not efficient in these cases. A promising alternative to complete oxidation of biorecalcitrant leachate is the use of ultrasonic process as pre-treatment to convert initially biorecalcitrant compounds to more readily biodegradable intermediates. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of ultrasonic process on biodegradability improvement. After the optimization by factorial design, the ultrasonic were applied in the treatment of raw leachates using a batch wise mode. For this, different scenarios were tested with regard to power intensities of 70 and 110 W, frequencies of 30, 45 and 60 KHz, reaction times of 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes and pH of 3, 7 and 10. For determining the effects of catalysts on sonication efficiencies, 5 mg/l of TiO2 and ZnO have been also used. Results showed that when applied as relatively brief pre-treatment systems, the sonocatalysis processes induce several modifications of the matrix, which results in significant enhancement of its biodegradability. For this reason, the integrated chemical-biological systems proposed here represent a suitable solution for the treatment of landfill leachate samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matters (PMs) are important pollutants in urban air pollution because of their variable composition. The pulmonary clearance of PMs is critical to prevent long-term immunological responses. This study established a new method for the isolation of probably deposited urban air particulates from the human lung tissue, to investigate the features of uncleared particulates. The lung samples were acellularized with SDS solution of various concentrations ranging from 1 to 10%to lyse cells and release the PMs. In addition, the extracellular matrix (ECM) that remained was digested by proteinase K enzyme. The results of this study demonstrated that an SDS solution of 4% is the optimum concentration for the isolation of settled PMs from the lung tissue. Moreover, the used enzymatic method could separate settled PMs from the lung ECM appropriately. The results exhibited that epithelial cells form 46% of the samples' weight on average, whereas just 20% of isolated PMs were found in this part of the tissue. Both groups of separated PMs tend to agglomerate, but it is significantly higher in cellular isolated PMs. The particles separated from ECM have an agglomeration tendency, which is observable only by FE-SEM imaging. Moreover, we found a major part of urban air PMs deposited in ECM. The established method in this study can be used in future investigations to isolate other types of PMs settled in the lung, such as occupationally inhaled carbonaceous particulates. • A method for the isolation of remaining PMs from the human lung cells and ECM, separately. • A method to facilitate investigation on lung clearance of inhaled urban PMs. • Description of the real status of PMs deposition in various parts of the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degradation of tetracycline (TTC) with a heterogeneous Fenton-like pyrite/H 2 O 2 process by pyrite from mine waste as a mineral catalyst was investigated. The study focused on identifying the main oxidizing agents and degradation mechanisms along with operational variables including solution pH, pyrite and H 2 O 2 concentration, contact time, solution temperature, and initial TTC concentration. Catalyst characterization tests revealed that pyrite is a mesoporous powder with a high degree of FeS 2 purity. Radical scavenger tests demonstrated that •OH was the main oxidizing agent generated by both solution and surface phase reactions. During the pyrite/H 2 O 2 process, more than 85% of TTC was mineralized in 60 min and the maximum TTC removal was attained in the solution at an acidic pH value (4.1). The most abundant transformation products of TTC, formed by the attack of •OH radicals, were simple chain carboxylic acids. Cultured cells of human embryonic kidney (HEK) were used for the cytotoxicity assessment of raw and pyrite/H 2 O 2 treated TTC solutions. The results illustrated that the viability of HEK cells was enhanced considerably after treating TTC solutions under optimal conditions. Accordingly, pyrite originating from mine waste is a practically effective and cost-effective catalyst in heterogeneous Fenton-like systems for mineralization and degradation of emerging contaminants such as antibiotics. Image 1 • Nano-sized pyrite with highly purity prepared from mine waste was used as a mineral catalyst. • Hydroxyl radicals are the main oxidants for TTC degradation in the pyrite/H 2 O 2 process. • Both solution and surface sulfur-defects are responsible for.•OH generation • The pyrite/H 2 O 2 process acquired comprehensive removal of 50 mg/L TTC and over 85% mineralization during 60 min. • The pyrite/H 2 O 2 process is an effective AOP for removing emerging contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel Multi-objective Seagull Optimization Algorithm is proposed. • The algorithm is tested on 24 real challenging benchmark test function. • The results show the superior convergence behaviour of proposed algorithm. • The results on engineering design problems prove its efficiency and applicability. This study introduces the extension of currently developed Seagull Optimization Algorithm (SOA) in terms of multi-objective problems, which is entitled as Multi-objective Seagull Optimization Algorithm (MOSOA). In this algorithm, a concept of dynamic archive is introduced, which has the feature to cache the non-dominated Pareto optimal solutions. The roulette wheel selection approach is utilized to choose the effective archived solutions by simulating the migration and attacking behaviors of seagulls. The proposed algorithm is approved by testing it with twenty-four benchmark test functions, and its performance is compared with existing metaheuristic algorithms. The developed algorithm is analyzed on six constrained problems of engineering design to assess its appropriateness for finding the solutions of real-world problems. The outcomes from the empirical analyzes depict that the proposed algorithm is better than other existing algorithms. The proposed algorithm also considers those Pareto optimal solutions, which demonstrate high convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experiments demonstrate how superheated steam sweeps unsaturated zone over time. • Overall heat transfer coefficients and heat losses are evaluated via calculations. • Heat-up efficiencies of superheated and saturated steam injections are compared. • Higher net differences of inflow enthalpies and heat losses lead to faster heat front. • Heat front spread in superheated case can be 12.5% faster compare to saturated case. This article presents results from an experimental study on the injection of superheated steam into a quasi-two-dimensional, sand-filled laboratory flume. The main objectives of the study are (I) the evaluation of superheated steam efficiency, as opposed to saturated steam, concerning the heat-up of the sand filling and (II) to observe and understand how the steam in its superheated state sweeps the unsaturated zone over time. Superheated steam was injected at 200 °C, while for comparison, saturated steam was injected at 100 °C. Two different flow rates were applied. The fronts of saturated steam in both injection regimes as well as the dry-out front of the superheated steam were closely monitored and documented here. The effects of the different injection parameters such as temperature and enthalpy as well as other parameters and processes of influence like the heat transfer mechanisms or heat losses and their controlling quantities are discussed in detail. At distinct points, based on measurements, the heat-up efficiencies are calculated locally, and a comparison is made between superheated and saturated steam injection. As expected, in the higher net differences between inflow enthalpy and heat loss, heat transfer in the case of superheated steam injection is faster; for instance, considering 2.4 kg/h steam flow rate, measurements show reaching flume conditions to steady-state after 4 h in the superheated case compared with 4.5 h in the saturated case. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous use of persulfate (PS) and nano-Mn 3 O 4 was investigated as an advanced oxidation process for furfural degradation and oil refinery wastewater treatment. The synthesized Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, BET, BJH and FESEM-EDS and then successfully used as a heterogeneous catalyst for PS activation. The effects of five independent variables on the performance of nano-Mn 3 O 4 /PS system were investigated and optimized using a 5-level-5-factor full Central Composite Design (CCD). Accordingly, CCD developed a reduced quadratic polynomial model with P -value < 0.0001 and R2 = 0.9996. The optimal values for the nano-Mn 3 O 4 dosage, PS concentration, solution pH, stirring rate and furfural concentration were 1.2 g/L, 6.34 mM, 4.82, 337 rpm and 50 mg/L, respectively. The maximum experimental removal efficiencies under these conditions for PS alone, nano-Mn 3 O 4 alone and the combined nano-Mn 3 O 4 /PS system were 8.36, 4 and 91.14%. Considering the kinetic coefficients of furfural removal in the individual and combined systems, a significant synergistic effect was observed in the nano-Mn 3 O 4 /PS process. Acetic acid, formic acid, maleic acid, and oxalic acid were the major intermediates of furfural degradation by LC-MS analysis. Alcohol-based probe experiments demonstrated that the sulfate radical was the dominant active radical at optimum pH. The optimized nano-Mn 3 O 4 /PS process can effectively increase the biodegradability index (BOD/COD ratio) of oil refinery wastewater. Unlabelled Image • Furfural degradation in the nano-Mn 3 O 4 /PS system was optimized by the CCD-RSM technique. • Scavenging experiments revealed the sulfate radical to be the dominant species in the process. • A noticeable catalytic synergy was observed during the nano-Mn 3 O 4 /PS system for degradation of furfural. • Acetic acid, formic acid and oxalic acid were major intermediates formed in furfural degradation. • The nano-Mn 3 O 4 /PS process improved the biodegradability of real wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]