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• Single 50 µg L−1 SMX or TMP improved the denitrification rate in CC-SPD, while mixed ones had no significant inhibitory effect on denitrification. • Dominant denitrifiers and fermentation bacteria verified the denitrification performance in CC-SPD with different antibiotics. • Single SMX or TMP achieved relatively higher denitrification gene and enzyme abundance. • SMX and TMP were mainly removed by biodegradation. • Niveibacterium and Bradyrhizobium were the ARGs potential hosts and promoted the horizontal transmission of ARGs. Solid-phase denitrification (SPD) has been used in wastewater treatment plant effluent to enhance nitrate removal, and antibiotics co-existing in the effluent is a common environmental problem. In this study, it was systematically investigated the effect of single trace sulfamethoxazole (SMX)/trimethoprim (TMP) and their mixture on microbial denitrification performance, the antibiotics removal, and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) in corncob supported SPD system. The average denitrification rate was improved by 46.90% or 61.09% with single 50 µg/L SMX or TMP, while there was no significant inhibition with mixed SMX and TMP. The abundance of dominant denitrifiers (Comamonadaceae family and Azospia) and fermentation bacteria (Ancalomicrobium) were consistent with the denitrification performance of different antibiotics groups. Single SMX and TMP achieved relatively higher denitrification gene and enzyme abundance. Mixed SMX and TMP improved the denitrification gene copies, but they reduced the key denitrification enzymes except for EC 1.7.7.2. Additionally, the removal efficiency of TMP (56.70% ± 3.18%) was higher than that of SMX (25.44% ± 2.62%) in single antibiotic group, and the existence of other antibiotics (i.e. SMX or TMP) had no significant impact on the TMP or SMX removal performance. Biodegradation was the main removal mechanism of SMX and TMP, while sludge and corncob adsorption contributed a little to their removal. SMX had the risk of sulfanilamide resistance genes (SRGs) dissemination. Furthermore, network analysis indicated that Niveibacterium and Bradyrhizobium were the potential hosts of SRGs, which promoted the horizontal transmission of ARGs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferric-nitrilotriacetate complex (FeIII-NTA) has been adopted to catalyze the photo-Fenton degradation of emerging pharmaceutical micropollutants in water and wastewater at neutral pH. The generation of hydroxyl radicals (HO) in UVA/FeIII-NTA/H 2 O 2 was identified by using electron spin resonance (ESR) trapping technique. The effects of critical parameters (e.g., NTA:FeIII molar ratio, FeIII-NTA and H 2 O 2 dosages) on the steady-state HO concentrations were studied in terms of the degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ, as a model compound) in Milli-Q water. In addition, the degradation of pharmaceuticals mixtures (including CBZ, crotamiton (CRMT) and ibuprofen (IBP)) in wastewater effluents from a biological aerated filter (BAF) by UVA/FeIII-NTA/H 2 O 2 was studied in continuous-flow mode. The results showed that the efficacies of FeIII-NTA in catalyzing photo-Fenton degradation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluents were comparable to those obtained by FeIII-ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (FeIII-EDDS), and far exceeded other FeIII-L complex (e.g., citric acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid). More than 92% degradation efficiencies of CBZ, CRMT and IBP were obtained in continuous-flow mode under the given conditions of 0.178 mM FeIII-NTA (1:1), 4.54 mM H 2 O 2 , UVA intensity 4.05 mW cm−2, hydraulic retention time (HRT) 2 h, influent pH 7.6 (±0.2) and temperature 20 °C. The results presented herein suggest that FeIII-NTA-catalyzed neutral photo-Fenton reaction can be an alternative tertiary process for the treatment of pharmaceutical micropollutants in secondary wastewater effluents. Unlabelled Image • FeIII-NTA catalyzed neutral photo-Fenton degradation of PPCPs in water/wastewater. • Hydroxyl radicals (HO) were the dominant reactive species in UVA/FeIII-NTA/H 2 O 2. • Effects of critical parameters on the steady-state HO concentrations were studied. • PPCPs removal in wastewater effluent by UVA/FeIII-NTA/H 2 O 2 in continuous-flow mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • DEET (>95%) and IBP (>80%) removed efficiently in biological aerated filter (BAF). • CBZ (<5%) and CTMT (<30%) exhibited recalcitrant behaviors in the BAF. • Nitrifying microbes were responsible for the biodegradation of PhACs. • UVA/FeIII-EDDS/H 2 O 2 was effective in degrading residual PhACs after biotreatment. • >90% PhACs removal was achieved by UVA/FeIII-EDDS/H 2 O 2 in continuous-flow mode. Abstract The widespread occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in aquatic environment has become a worldwide concern. This work investigated the removal of four representative emerging PhACs, including carbamazepine (CBZ), crotamiton (CTMT), N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) and ibuprofen (IBP) in two internal circulation biological aerated filters (IcBAFs). Results showed that DEET (>95%) and IBP (>80%) were removed efficiently in the IcBAFs, whereas CTMT (<30%) and CBZ (<5%) were poorly removed due to their recalcitrant characteristics. The mechanism for DEET and IBP removal in the IcBAFs was biodegradation and autotrophic microbes were responsible for their degradation. The major biotransformation products of IBP included hydroxy-IBP and 1-(4-isobutylphenyl)ethanol, while one major biodegradation product of DEET was identified as N,N-diethylbenzamide. In addition, the removal of residual PhACs in IcBAF effluents by various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) were evaluated in either batch or continuous-flow mode. The results showed that the low-pressure UVA/FeIII-EDDS/H 2 O 2 process was very effective for the treatment of residual PhACs in IcBAF effluents under neutral pH conditions, e.g., resulting in more than 90% degradation of the PhACs in continuous-flow mode. The impacts of photo-Fenton reagents doses (i.e., FeIII-EDDS dose, H 2 O 2 dose and the EDDS:FeIII molar ratio), as well as the UV light sources (UVA/UVC) and intensities on the residual PhACs removal were evaluated in detail. The LC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed that not only the target PhACs but also their biodegradation byproducts were efficiently degraded by the low-pressure UVA/FeIII-EDDS/H 2 O 2 process, suggesting that this process had great potential for the treatment of residual PhACs in wastewater after biotreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Mesoporous TiO 2 -SiO 2 nanocomposites with 3D tunable intrawall pores were prepared. • The preparation method is simple, moderate and facilely reproducible. • The photocatalysts with 3D large intrawall pores display quite excellent activities. • The activities are far higher than that of the parent material and P25 photocatalyst. • The photocatalysts with large intrawall mesopores are rather stable and reusable. Abstract Mesoporous anatase crystal-silica nanocomposites with three-dimensional (3D) uniform and tunable intrawall mesopores connecting the mesochannels have been successfully prepared using the approach of first synthesizing titania-silica nanocomposites with ordered two-dimensional hexagonal mesochannels via "synchronous-assembly" of inorganic precursors with surfactant, then "extracting silica". The uniform intrawall pores can be finely tuned in 3.6–5.6 nm by the strategy of adopting a large amount of silica in the walls, a very high crystallization temperature and mild silica extraction. The 3D interconnectivities of the mesochannels increase with extraction, but the mesostructures are retained intact. The average size of uniform anatase nanocrystals is 11.2 nm. This method is moderate, simple and facilely reproducible. The diffusion efficiencies of methylene blue (MB) in the mesostructures elevate with the intrawall mesopore size. The transient steady-state concentrations of •OH radicals rise fast with the intrawall pore size. The degradation rate of MB on the representative photocatalyst possessing large intrawall mesopores is extremely high (0.372 min−1), which is as high as 7.3 times that on the parent material, even up to 38.8 times that upon P25 photocatalyst. Our results clearly illustrate that the large intrawall mesopores play an overwhelming role in the increments of activities, while the matched adsorbability play an important synergetic role. Additionally, our photocatalysts are quite stable and reusable. Such results have not been seen in the literature till now. Furthermore, this approach is generally applicable to other metal-oxides-based materials, opening up a new avenue to rationally design and prepare mesostructures with 3D large intrawall mesopores, suitable adsorption and unexpected photocatalytic performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an ordered two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal mesoporous anatase crystals–silica nanocomposite was first synthesized using synchronous-assembly of surfactant and inorganic precursors molecules, and then a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected mesoporous anatase TiO 2 was prepared via an “ extracting silica ” approach. The results show that the mesopore channels in our titania are highly connected by plenty of 3D uniform intrawall mesopores while retaining mesostructural integrity and regularity. The TiO 2 prepared is completely anatase crystalline with uniform nanocrystals (13.0 nm in size) and a high specific surface area (∼ 145 m 2 /g). This method is mild, simple and can be easily repeatable. The photocatalytic degradation rates of Acid Red 1 (0.173 min −1 ) and microcystin−LR (2.57 min −1 ) on the interconnected mesoporous TiO 2 are very high, which are 41.6 and 2.85 times higher than that of the parent sample; 29.2 and 7.20 times that of P25 photocatalyst, respectively. These results clearly demonstrated that the 3D interconnected mesostructure played a key role in the activity increments. In addition, our photocatalysts are considerably stable and reusable. To the best of our knowledge, such results have not been seen in the literature before. Furthermore, the fundamentals of this study would provide new insights for the rational design and preparation of 3D highly interlinked mesoporous metal-oxides with unique photocatalytic performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a simple and mild preparation of secondary pores are reported, for the first time, with uniform and tunable sizes (in a wide range of 0.9-4.8 nm) in the walls highly connecting the primary mesochannels in 3D mesopore networks. The uniform secondary pores are obtained by using ordered 2D hexagonal mesoporous anatase TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites as precursors, NaOH as an etchant via an 'extracting SiO2' approach. The strategy here adopts diluted NaOH solution, appropriate extraction temperature, and solid/liquid ratio. The photocatalytic degradation rates of Rhodamine B (0.347 min-1), Acid Red 1 (0.0487 min-1), microcystin-LR (1.66 min-1) on the representative resultant nanocomposite are very high, which are 4.63, 11.7, 1.84 times that of the precursor without secondary mesopores; even up to 18.9, 8.21, 4.66 times that of P25, respectively. These results clearly demonstrate that the secondary mesopores play an overwhelming role to the increments of activities. The mesoporous anatase-silica nanocomposites with secondary mesopores present unprecedented-high degradation activities to various organic pollutants in the mesoporous metal-oxides-based materials reported up to now and are considerably stable and reusable. It is believed that the fundamentals in this study will provide new insights for rational design and preparation of 3D highly interconnected mesoporous metal-oxides-based materials with super-high performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ordered 2-D hexagonal mesoporous TiO2–SiO2 nanocomposites consisted of anatase TiO2 nanocrystals and amorphous SiO2 nanoparticles, with large mesochannels and high specific surface areas, have been extensively and detailedly evaluated using various cationic dyes (methylene blue, safranin O, crystal violet, brilliant green, basic fuchsin and rhodamine-6G), anionic dyes (acid fuchsin, orange II, reactive brilliant red X3B and acid red 1) and microcystin-LR. We use mesoporous 80TiO2–20SiO2-900 for the degradation of cationic dyes and MC-LR, due to the dominant adsorption of Si and synergistic role of coupled adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation. For anionic dyes, due to the adsorption results predominantly from Ti, our strategy realizes the enhanced photocatalytic oxidation by strong surface acids and larger available specific surface area. Based on this, we prepared 90TiO2–10SiO2-700 to degrade them. The results show that our samples exhibit excellent degradation activities to all the contaminants, which are much higher than that of P25 photocatalyst. The dyes are not only decolorized promptly but degraded readily as well. It is strongly indicated that our mesoporous nanocomposites are considerably stable and reusable. These results demonstrate that our mesoporous TiO2–SiO2 nanocomposites present extensive and promising application in the fast and highly efficient degradation of various organic pollutants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we report a synchronous role of coupled adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation on ordered 2-D hexagonal mesoporous TiO2–SiO2 nanocomposites with large pore channels (>4.0nm) and high specific surface areas (>70m2 g−1). These mesoporous frameworks consist of anatase TiO2 nanocrystals and amorphous SiO2 nanomatrixes, which link mutually, coexist to form unique composite-walls, providing unprecedented spaces for “the synchronous role of coupled adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation”. SiO2 nanomatrixes are excellent adsorbents, providing better adsorption centers and enriching organic pollutant molecules; while anatase nanocrystals behave as photocatalytic active sites to oxide the organic molecules pre-enriched by the surrounding SiO2 particles. Moreover, the high accessible surface areas can provide more adsorptive and photocatalytically active sites; and the large mesopore channels allow the reactive molecules to diffuse more easily both into and out of the inner surfaces before and after photocatalytic reactions, respectively. Our strategy realizes the synchronous role by adjusting Ti/Si ratios, the number of surface hydroxyls, the size and crystallinity of the anatase nanocrystals on the unique composite-frameworks. The cationic rhodamine-B (RhB) dye is used as the target pollutant to characterize the adsorption performance and photocatalytic activities. Our results show that the synchronous role results in excellent photocatalytic degradation activity (k =0.231min−1), which is much higher than that of Degussa commercial P25 photocatalyst (k =0.0671min−1). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Novel carbon source and corncob had better denitrification efficiency than polycaprolactone and polyvinyl alcohol-sodium alginate. • The taxonomical composition of bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities can be altered by types of solid carbon source. • Some fungi and archaea species were conducive to solid-phase denitrification (SPD) systems. • Co-occurring network showed some potential collaboration between bacterial fungal and archaeal communities in SPD systems. • Amplicon sequence variant (ASV) can identify more taxonomies that operational taxonomic unit (OTU) cannot in this study. There is a lack of understanding about the bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities' composition of solid-phase denitrification (SPD) systems. We investigated four SPD systems with different carbon sources by analyzing microbial gene sequences based on operational taxonomic unit (OTU) and amplicon sequence variant (ASV). The results showed that the corncob-polyvinyl alcohol sodium alginate-polycaprolactone (CPSP, 0.86±0.04 mg NO 3 −-N/(g·day)) and corncob (0.85±0.06 mg NO 3 −-N/(g·day)) had better denitrification efficiency than polycaprolactone (PCL, 0.29±0.11 mg NO 3 −-N/(g·day)) and polyvinyl alcohol-sodium alginate (PVA-SA, 0.24±0.07 mg NO 3 −-N/(g·day)). The bacterial, fungal and archaeal microbial composition was significantly different among carbon source types such as Proteobacteria in PCL (OTU: 83.72%, ASV: 82.49%) and Rozellomycota in PVA-SA (OTU: 71.99%, ASV: 81.30%). ASV methods can read more microbial units than that of OTU and exhibit higher alpha diversity and classify some species that had not been identified by OTU such as Nanoarchaeota phylum, unclassified_ f_ Xanthobacteraceae genus, etc., indicating ASV may be more conducive to understand SPD microbial communities. The co-occurring network showed some correlation between the bacteria fungi and archaea species, indicating different species may collaborate in SPD systems. Similar KEGG function prediction results were obtained in two bioinformatic methods generally and some fungi and archaea functions should not be ignored in SPD systems. These results may be beneficial for understanding microbial communities in SPD systems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mesoporous anatase titania with 3D large secondary mesopores was prepared. • The preparation approach is mild, simple and facilely reproducible. • The photocatalyst with 3D large secondary pores displays quite excellent activities. • The activities are far higher than that of P25 photocatalyst and the parent sample. • The photocatalyst with 3D large secondary mesopores is rather stable and reusable. A mesoporous titania (SN2) with three-dimensional (3D) large secondary mesopores (6.2 nm) highly connecting the mesochannels was prepared employing the method of first synthesizing an ordered 2D hexagonal mesoporous titania-silica nanocomposite (SN1) via "synchronous-assembly" of inorganic precursors with surfactant molecules, then "extracting silica". Our tactic adopts a large amount of silica, a high crystallization temperature and mild silica extraction. The 3D interconnectivities of the resultant mesochannels are quite high, but the mesostructures are retained intact. Titania is fully anatase crystalline with uniform nanocrystals size (11.2 nm) and a high specific surface area (∼ 174 m2 g−1). This strategy is gentle, simple and easily reproducible. SN2 presents extremely-high photocatalytic degradation activities to anionic azo dyes like acid red 1 and reactive brilliant red X3B, which reach 55.9 and 51.1 times that of commercial P25 photocatalyst, even up to 87.0 and 84.7 times that of SN1, respectively; and far higher than that of the contrast sample (CS) possessing 3D small secondary mesopores (2.7 nm). Additionally, SN2 also displays a very high activity to microcystin-LR, which is much higher than that of P25 and CS, respectively. Our results clearly indicate that the large secondary mesopores play a key role in the great increases of activities. Moreover, our photocatalyst is considerably stable and reusable. Such results have hitherto not been seen in the literature. Furthermore, this method would pave the way for the rational design and preparation of ordered mesoporous other metal-oxides with large secondary mesopores and unexpected performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in river sediments have attracted wide attention. However, the distribution characteristics of PAHs and PAEs in sediments of some rivers in China stay unclear, notably in some tributaries. To elucidate the distribution, sources, and risk of 16 priority PAHs and 6 priority PAEs in sediments of the Nenjiang River (NR) and the Second Songhua River (DR) in Northeast China, that were all the tributary of the Songhua River, a total of 42 surface sediment samples from 14 sampling locations were collected. The sediment samples included 76.5–9447 ng/g (mean=2069 ng/g) and 832–17,817 ng/g (mean=6392 ng/g) of the 16 PAHs and 6 PAEs, respectively, in total concentration. Of the 16 PAHs, BaA contributed the most, and DEHP and DBP were the most prevalent PAE compounds. According to the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, three sources were identified: biomass combustion and vehicle emission, coal and coking combustion and petrogenic source, and contributed 66.81%, 16.96% and 16.23% of Σ 16 PAHs, respectively. The ecological risks posed by PAHs in the study are negligible, especially for BaA, which might cause frequent ecological risks to exposed organisms. The order of the PAEs' possible environmental risks was DEHP > DBP > DEP > DMP, and none of them are harmful to sensitive algae, crustaceans, or fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to epidemiologic studies, fine particulate matter (particulate matter ≤2.5 μm, PM2.5) is closely associated with increases in the incidence and severity of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, the role of PM2.5 in the pathophysiology of CRS remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of PM2.5 on nasal cilia, tissue remodeling, and mucus hypersecretion in a rabbit model of CRS. Methods: CRS rabbits were exposed to ambient PM2.5 via a PM2.5 inhalation exposure system. The degree of ciliary damage was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Histopathologic changes were determined using periodic acid‐Schiff (PAS) staining of goblet cells and Masson trichrome (MT) staining for collagen in the nasal mucosa. MUC5AC expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: PM2.5 exposure substantially aggravated ciliary disruption in rabbits with CRS. PM2.5 also significantly increased goblet cell hyperplasia and collagen deposition, as reflected by PAS and MT staining. The nasal mucosa of CRS rabbits displayed markedly elevated MUC5AC expression after PM2.5 exposure. Conclusion: Increases in ciliary disruption, nasal remodeling, and mucus hypersecretion may be the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the PM2.5‐induced aggravation of CRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External carbon source addition is one of the effective methods for the treatment of wastewater with low carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N). Compared with fast-release liquid carbon sources, slow-release solid carbon sources are more suitable for the denitrification process. A novel slow-release solid carbon source (corncob-polyvinyl alcohol sodium alginate- poly-caprolactone, i.e. CPSP) was prepared using corn cob (CC) and poly-caprolactone with polyvinyl alcohol sodium alginate as hybrid scaffold. The physical properties and carbon release characteristics of CPSP and three other carbon sources were compared. CPSP had stable framework and good carbon release performance, which followed the second order release equation. The formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid released from CPSP accounted for 8.27% ± 1.66 %, 56.48% ± 3.71 %, 18.46% ± 2.69% and 16.79% ± 3.02% of the total released acids respectively. The start-up period of CPSP was shorter than that of the other carbon sources in denitrification experiment, and no COD pollution was observed in the start-up phase (25–72 h) and stable phase (73–240 hr). The composition and structure of the dissolved organic compounds released by CPSP and other carbon sources were analyzed by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, which indicated that CPSP was more suitable for denitrification than the other studied carbon sources. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 0.05 and 2 mg/L sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim could not inhibit nitrogen removal. • The genes related electron donor behaviours were not significantly affected. • The degradation pathways of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim were proposed. • The toxicity of intermediates tended to be lower than that of parent compounds. • The abundances and potential risks of antibiotic resistance genes were discussed. The widespread use of antibiotics inevitably results in their discharge into the water environment from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. Corncob-supported solid-phase denitrification (CC-SPD) has been identified as a promising technology for nitrogen removal of WWTP effluents. The effects of sulfamethoxazole (SMX)/trimethoprim (TMP) on nitrogen removal in up-flow CC-SPD reactors and the influencing mechanisms are studied at microbial and genetic levels, and the antibiotic removal performance, degradation pathways, and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) are also extensively investigated. Long-term experimental results indicated that 0.05 and 2 mg/L SMX/TMP, either individually or in combination, had no inhibition on nitrogen removal performance in CC-SPD reactors. The NO 3 – -N removal capacity was approximately 125.60–142.91 mg NO 3 – -N /g CC. Although the microbial community structure evolved to adapt to the 0.05 mg/L SMX/TMP, the relative abundances (RAs) of denitrification genes and genes related to electron donor behaviours did not significantly alter. Furthermore, SMX, with a higher removal efficiency of 42.17%, was more easily degradable compared to TMP, and the degradation products of SMX were more readily mineralized. Additionally, microorganisms degrade antibiotics through processes such as ring opening, hydrogenation, and bond cleavage, with the toxicity of intermediates often being lower than that of parent compounds. Moreover, 0.05 mg/L SMX/TMP did not significantly change the RAs of ARGs and movable genetic elements (MGEs). This study provides important basis for the antibiotic risk prevention in WWTP effluents and the practical application of SPD technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MFC anodic denitrification is more suitable for the coexistence of organic matter and nitrate in actual sewage, but the traditional carbon source has some problems such as high cost and difficulty of dosage control in MFC. Herein, corncob and polycaprolactone (PCL) were mechanically pulverized and mixed in the system of polyvinyl alcohol and sodium alginate, and cross-linked to prepare slow-release carbon source fillers (CPSP), which were added to the MFC anolyte to realize the coupling of solid-phase denitrification and anodic denitrification. Results showed the start-up period of MFC experimental group (MFC-C) with CPSP was slightly longer than the control group (MFC-0), but MFC-C's maximum output voltage (648.4 mV) and power density (2738 mW/m3) could be increased by 5% and 15% higher than that of MFC-0 (P < 0.05). The degradation process of MFC substrate in unit cycle was mainly divided into nitrogen removal stage (0–8 h) and electricity generation stage (8–48 h). The NO 3 −-N and COD degradation and power generation kinetic processes of MFC conformed to the Han-Levenspiel model. Kinetics experiments showed CPSP can improve the affinity and tolerance of MFC to NO 3 −-N, also it can alleviate the pressure of electron competition in anolyte and improve coulombic efficiency. In addition, microbial communities were significantly changed under the effect of CPSP (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, CPSP can promote the synthesis of denitrification functional genes. This study provides a new strategy to improve the performance of MFC by the addition of novel denitrification carbon source. [Display omitted] • The addition of CPSP increased the power density of the anodic denitrification MFC. • The NO 3 −-N and COD degradation and power generation kinetic processes of MFC conformed to the Han-Levenspiel model. • Microbial communities in sludge and anodic biofilms were significantly changed by CPSP. • CPSP promoted the increase of denitrification gene in MFC anode suspended sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) exposure can increase the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR), the mechanism underlying which may include oxidative stress and inflammatory response. As a ROS quenching agent, N -acetylcysteine (NAC) can attenuate the accumulation of inflammatory cells and hyper-responsiveness in animal asthma models. To explore the effect of NAC on the oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions in AR rats exposed to PM 2.5 , we analyzed the components of PM 2.5 and examined the nasal symptoms, redox level in nasal mucosa, Th1/Th2-related serum cytokines, nasal mucosal histopathology and ultrastructure in AR rat models with NAC intervention after PM 2.5 exposure. The results showed that the high concentrations of metal cations and PAHs in PM 2.5 could aggravate Th2-dominant allergic inflammation in AR model and cause redox imbalance, accompanied by nasal epithelial cell stripping and eosinophil infiltration, while NAC intervention could alleviate the clinical symptoms of AR model after PM 2.5 exposure, correct the redox imbalance, reduce the Th2 cytokines, reduce eosinophil infiltration, and promote the moderate regeneration of epithelial cells. The mechanism of NAC reversing PM 2.5 -mediated action may be related to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which may provide some new insights for the prevention of AR exacerbated by exposure to PM 2.5. • PM 2.5 can aggravate allergic rhinitis. • The chemical composition of PM 2.5 can affect Th2 allergic inflammation. • NAC can relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis in rats after PM 2.5 exposure. • NAC can reverse the structural changes of epithelial cells after PM 2.5 exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation in sand columns has been investigated to evaluate the potential of chelates-enhanced Fenton-like reaction with magnetite as iron source for in situ treatment of TCE-contaminated groundwater. The results showed that successful degradation of TCE in sand columns was obtained by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-assisted Fenton-like reaction of magnetite. Addition of ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) resulted in an inhibitory effect on TCE degradation in sand columns. Similar to EDDS, addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) also led to an inhibition of TCE degradation in sand column with small content of magnetite (0.5 w.t.%), but enhanced TCE degradation in sand column with high content of magnetite (7.0 w.t.%). Additionally, the presence of NTA, EDDS and EDTA greatly decreased H 2 O 2 uptake in sand columns due to the competition between chelates and H 2 O 2 for surface sites on magnetite (and sand). Furthermore, the presented results show that magnetite in sand columns remained stable in a long period operation of 230 days without significant loss of performance in terms of TCE degradation and H 2 O 2 uptake. Moreover, it was found that TCE was degraded mainly to formic acid and chloride ion, and the formation of chlorinated organic intermediates was minimal by this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a model study of a UV light-emitting-diode (UV-LED) based photocatalytic odor abatement process. It integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the gas flow in the reactor with LED-array radiation field calculation and Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction kinetics. It was applied to simulate the photocatalytic degradation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in a UV-LED reactor based on experimentally determined chemical kinetic parameters. A non-linear power law relating reaction rate to irradiation intensity was adopted. The model could predict the steady state DMS concentration profiles by calculating the advection, diffusion and Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction kinetics. By affecting the radiation intensity and uniformity, the position of the LED array relative to the catalyst appeared to be a critical parameter determining DMS removal efficiency. Too small distances might yield low quantum efficiency and consequently poor abatement performance. This study provided an example of LED-based photocatalytic process modeling and gave insights into the optimization of light source design for photocatalytic applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bi2WO6 multilayer films have been fabricated successfully by a layer-by-layer (LbL) technique from Bi2WO6 nanoplates, which show higher visible-light photoactivity (λ>420nm) than that of Bi2WO6 nanoplate powders and P25 TiO2 films. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activities of the films were evaluated by the rhodamine B (RhB) decomposition under UV and visible-light irradiation. Thickness and photoactivity of the film can be modified easily by changing the deposition cycles. Bi2WO6 films have the spectral selectivity of the photocatalytic degradation of RhB. Under the wavelength greater than 300nm, the RhB molecules tend to be transformed to rhodamine over Bi2WO6 films selectively. However, in the case of shorter wavelength (λ=254nm) light irradiation, the RhB molecules can be photodegraded completely. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The main task of emotional facial recognition is to understand human emotion expression through the recognition of facial expressions, so as to achieve more effective communication and interpersonal communication. Therefore, facial recognition plays an important role in people's daily lives. In addition, the research of facial recognition is also helpful to understand the human perception processing mode, and promote the development of pattern recognition, cognitive science, neural network and other fields. With the development of cognitive science, facial recognition technology has been continuously improved, and emotional facial recognition tasks have received attention in the fields of pattern recognition and artificial intelligence, and have become a research hotspot. Among them, pattern recognition is a cognitive system applied to many fields. For the first time, we confirmed the effects of facial memory time, personal cognitive style, and emotions associated with the target face on facial recognition patterns. This study measured the impact of time, cognitive style, and emotional type of 62 qualified college students. The research results show that cognitive style and facial emotional content are of great significance for face pattern recognition. Specifically, students classified as "dependent" have achieved good results in face pattern recognition, and positive and negative strong emotional faces have left behind those who show neutral emotions. A deeper impression. Finally, an unusual phenomenon was discovered, which indicates that the shorter the time spent on the face of the memory, the higher the recognition score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]