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Showing papers on "Water environment published in 2018"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed existing research that provides reliable and quantitative information on pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs), endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), pharmaceuticals (PhACs) and their transformation products, whose occurrence at trace levels in treated wastewater is of concern for human health and the aquatic ecosystem.

462 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a new Z-scheme mes-Sn3O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was obtained, compared with single g-C 3N4, which exhibits more superior photocatalytic performance for degrading and mineralizing tetracycline hydrochloride in water.
Abstract: Antibiotic drugs have become the important organic pollutants in the water resources, the high-efficient removal of which is one of the foremost works for protecting water environment. The new Z-scheme mes-Sn3O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was obtained in present work, compared with single g-C3N4, which exhibits more superior photocatalytic performance for degrading and mineralizing tetracycline hydrochloride in water. The investigations of microstructure, physical properities and photoelectrochemical behaviors indicate that the modification effect mesoporous Sn3O4 on the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets fabricates close heterostructure, which enlarges distinctly the specific surface area and improves dramatically the separation efficiency of charge carriers. Furthermore, the possible photocatalytic reaction mechanisms including transfer behaviors of charge carriers, generation of reactive species, degradation intermediate products of TC-HCl are also revealed in depth.

305 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Evidence from multiple aspects implicating the ecological effect of low levels of heavy metals on antibiotic resistance dissemination is provided and highlights the urgency of strengthening efficacious policy and technology to control metal pollutants in the environments.

231 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a series of oxygen vacancy-rich ultrathin two-dimensional BiOBrxI1-x solid solution nanosheets (BBI-x) were successfully constructed via a one-step solvothermal method.
Abstract: Photocatalysis is intensively investigated for environmental remediation, but suffering from moderate efficiency toward the colorless persistent organic contaminants, the major category of organic pollutants in water environment. Herein, a novel series of oxygen vacancy-rich ultrathin two-dimensional BiOBrxI1-x solid solution nanosheets (BBI-x) were successfully constructed via a one-step solvothermal method. Under visible light irradiation, the optimal BiOBr0.85I0.15 sample (BBI-0.85) exhibited over 90% degradation efficiency of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) within 30 min, which was 4.4, 10.9 and 5.9 times greater than that of pure BiOI nanosheets, pure BiOBr nanosheets and oxygen vacancy-poor BiOBr0.85I0.15 nanoplates, respectively. Also, this excellent photoactivity can expand to other colorless organic contaminants, such as bisphenol analogues and sulfonamides, verifying the universal applicability of BiOBrxI1-x. The enhanced activity can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of solid solution and oxygen vacancies. Formation of solid solution promotes visible-light harvesting and photogenerated charge carriers’ separation efficiency, as well as endows photoinduced holes with sufficient oxidation capacity, unambiguously confirmed by multiple optical and photoelectrochemical characterizations. Meanwhile, the oxygen vacancies induce an intermediate level near the Fermi level, narrowing the band gap energy and impeding the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, as evidenced by density functional theory (DFT) analyses. This work could give ideas for the design of highly active photocatalysts toward sustainable solar-to-chemical energy conversion and environmental remediation.

175 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study examined the relationship between LSWTs and water quality thresholds for Dianchi Lake through an analysis of 54 water quality indicators from 10 water quality monitoring sites from 2005 to 2016 and constructed a hybrid forecasting model that showed limited errors and highly generalized levels of predictive performance.

175 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors comprehensively review all relevant sources that discharge antibiotics to the aquatic environment in Vietnam, including aquaculture, other activities that release considerable amounts of antibiotics into water environment, and the new National Action plan from the Ministry of Health for controlling the issue of antibiotic resistance in Vietnam.

175 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a novel design of a sea snake-based TENG based on the Pelamis snake energy harvester is presented, which is able to harvest energy effectively at low amplitude ocean wave by utilizing charged polytetrafluroethylene balls that would roll due to the wave's curvature.

173 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was found that the experimental adsorption data can be best described using the mixed 1,2-order model, which has the potential to be a candidate for a general model to describe AgNPs adsorbent using numerous materials.
Abstract: The current status of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the water environment in Malaysia was examined and reported. For inspection, two rivers and two sewage treatment plants (STPs) were selected. Two activated carbons derived from oil palm (ACfOPS) and coconut (ACfCS) shells were proposed as the adsorbent to remove AgNPs. It was found that the concentrations of AgNPs in the rivers and STPs are in the ranges of 0.13 to 10.16 mg L−1 and 0.13 to 20.02 mg L−1, respectively, with the highest concentration measured in July. ACfOPS and ACfCS removed up to 99.6 and 99.9% of AgNPs, respectively, from the water. The interaction mechanism between AgNPs and the activated carbon surface employed in this work was mainly the electrostatic force interaction via binding Ag+ with O− presented in the activated carbon to form AgO. Fifteen kinetic models were compared statistically to describe the removal of AgNPs. It was found that the experimental adsorption data can be best described using the mixed 1,2-order model. Therefore, this model has the potential to be a candidate for a general model to describe AgNPs adsorption using numerous materials, its validation of which has been confirmed with other material data from previous works.

120 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the current status of the removal of pharmaceuticals from water using activated carbon derived from numerous precursors, providing an in-depth review of the multitude of factors (adsorbent properties, adsorbate properties, operating conditions) affecting the adsorption process.
Abstract: The presence of pharmaceutically active compounds in surface and ground water is of concern due to the adverse effects they may have on human health, aquatic life, and the environment, emphasizing the importance of their removal from the water compartment. Activated carbon adsorption has proven to be effective for the removal of several types of inorganic and organic contaminants either as a stand-alone polishing step or in combination with other conventional and advanced water and wastewater treatment systems. This paper discusses the current status of the removal of pharmaceuticals from water using activated carbon derived from numerous precursors, providing an in-depth review of the multitude of factors (adsorbent properties, adsorbate properties, operating conditions) affecting the adsorption process, from the preparation of the activated carbon to its regeneration. A critical assessment of the existing literature is presented, highlighting research and development needs that may ultimately lead to a more comprehensive and sustainable use of activated carbon for the removal of pharmaceuticals from the water environment.

117 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper analyzed spatial similarities and variations in water environmental carrying capacity, which contributes to carrying out different and scientific strategies for the management of water environment and for sustainable economic and social development in China.
Abstract: With the rapid economic growth and social development in China, conflicts over water resources between human and nature are continuously increasing which is attracting the attention of researchers. At the same time, discharge of water pollutants and exploitation of water resources pose a daunting challenge to the sustainable development of economy and society. China consists of 34 provincial administrative regions having similar or different characteristics in the levels of economic development, water resource endowment, water environmental capacity and water environmental pressure. Among these, it is meaningful to analyze spatial similarities and variations in water environmental carrying capacity (WECC), which contributes to carrying out different and scientific strategies for the management of water environment and for sustainable economic and social development in China. An index system is established to quantify WECC from the perspectives of carrying capacity, environmental pressure, vulnerability of water environment and exploitation and utilization potential. The k-means clustering method is applied to conduct the similarity combination based on the quantification of 4 integrated indicators using catastrophe progression method. The silhouette coefficient is introduced to measure the quality of clustering and to determine the optimal clustering number. The obtained results indicate that carrying condition of water environment becomes more and more better and exploitation and utilization potential of WECC is decreasing gradually from the east to the west in China, and there are more overload in the north provinces and less in the south. In addition, water environmental vulnerability in the west is higher than that of central and eastern provinces in China. The optimal clustering number is 4 obtained by calculating the silhouette coefficient. Also, 31 provinces are categorized into 4 sub-areas i.e. key protected area, controlled development area, optimized development area and prioritized development area. The suggestions on the corresponding bidirectional regulation to different sub-areas are also put forward to provide a scientific reference to rational distribution of economic development, elaborate management of water environment as well as regional sustainable development in the future.

116 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The presence and persistence ofSalmonella in water and the mechanisms Salmonella uses to persist in the aquatic environment, particularly irrigation water are discussed to better understand the impact on the microbial quality of water and food safety due to the presence of Salmoneella in the water environment.
Abstract: Salmonella ranks high among the pathogens causing foodborne disease outbreaks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Salmonella contributed to about 53.4% of all foodborne disease outbreaks from 2006 to 2017, and approximately 32.7% of these foodborne Salmonella outbreaks were associated with consumption of produce. Trace-back investigations have suggested that irrigation water may be a source of Salmonella contamination of produce and a vehicle for transmission. Presence and persistence of Salmonella have been reported in surface waters such as rivers, lakes, and ponds, while ground water in general offers better microbial quality for irrigation. To date, culture methods are still the gold standard for detection, isolation and identification of Salmonella in foods and water. In addition to culture, other methods for the detection of Salmonella in water include most probable number, immunoassay, and PCR. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) in January 2013 based on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which calls for more efforts toward enhancing and improving approaches for the prevention of foodborne outbreaks. In the PSR, agricultural water is defined as water used for in a way that is intended to, or likely to, contact covered produce, such as spray, wash, or irrigation. In summary, Salmonella is frequently present in surface water, an important source of water for irrigation. An increasing evidence indicates irrigation water as a source (or a vehicle) for transmission of Salmonella. This pathogen can survive in aquatic environments by a number of mechanisms, including entry into the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state and/or residing within free-living protozoa. As such, assurance of microbial quality of irrigation water is critical to curtail the produce-related foodborne outbreaks and thus enhance the food safety. In this review, we will discuss the presence and persistence of Salmonella in water and the mechanisms Salmonella uses to persist in the aquatic environment, particularly irrigation water, to better understand the impact on the microbial quality of water and food safety due to the presence of Salmonella in the water environment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The experimental results indicate that the β-CD-GO is an excellent composite for the elimination of Pb(II) and 1-naphthol from wastewater.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlighted the potential risk posed by pesticides to the environment and the unequivocal presence of pesticide residues in soil, sediment and water samples has raised public and scientific awareness.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Fluorescent thermosensors have shown that intracellular temperature changes at the microscopic level are largely different from those assumed for a water environment at the macroscopic level, which suggests an intrinsic connection between temperature and cell functions.
Abstract: Temperature influences the activities of living organisms at various levels. Cells not only detect environmental temperature changes through their unique temperature-sensitive molecular machineries but also muster an appropriate response to the temperature change to maintain their inherent functions. Despite the fundamental involvement of temperature in physiological phenomena, the mechanism by which cells produce and use heat is largely unknown. Recently, fluorescent thermosensors that function as thermometers in live cells have attracted much attention in biology. These new tools, made of various temperature-sensitive molecules, have allowed for intracellular thermometry at the single-cell level. Intriguing spatiotemporal temperature variations, including organelle-specific thermogenesis, have been revealed with these fluorescent thermosensors, which suggest an intrinsic connection between temperature and cell functions. Moreover, fluorescent thermosensors have shown that intracellular temperature changes at the microscopic level are largely different from those assumed for a water environment at the macroscopic level. Thus, the employment of fluorescent thermosensors will uncover novel mechanisms of intracellular temperature-assisted physiological functions.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the recent research progresses of graphene, carbon-nitrogen compounds, TiO2 and bismuth compounds supported on molybdenum disulfide co-catalyst, which were applied to photocatalytic degradation of various organic contaminants such as methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RhB), etc.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a humic substance-based double network hydrogel (PAA/HS gel) was produced by a radical polymerization method and applied to Pb, Cu, and Cd(II) removal in both individual and multicomponent systems.
Abstract: A systematic study of the interaction between adsorbents and potentially toxic metal ions in multicomponent systems is of great significance due to the coexistence of multiple potentially toxic metal ions in the real water environment. In this study, a new humic substance-based double network hydrogel (PAA/HS gel) was produced by a radical polymerization method and applied to Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) removal in both individual and multicomponent systems under various conditions. The macroporous network structure (aperture ≈ 10 μm) and high water permeability of the PAA/HS gel could fully facilitate the active site exposure and increase the potentially toxic metal ion diffusion rate. The PAA/HS gel exhibited high theoretical adsorption capacities of 360.50, 151.00 and 412.76 mg g−1 for Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) in individual systems. Noticeably, both interference and promotion of adsorption behaviors were identified in multicomponent systems. In binary systems, the adsorption capacity and rate were decreased for Pb(II) and Cu(II), while increased for Cd(II). In ternary systems, the adsorption capacity and rate for Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) were decreased. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics were well fitted by Langmuir–Freundlich and Elovich models, respectively, indicating that the PAA/HS gel possessed a heterogeneous surface and various types of binding sites. The FTIR and XPS studies confirmed that both nitrogen- and oxygen-containing functional groups (i.e., amino, phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups) were involved in the adsorption process, while the interactions between functional groups and Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) were different.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential of phthalates elimination in aqueous using sodium percarbonate (SPC) activated by discharge plasma (marked as “SPC + plasma”) was evaluated, with dimethyl phthalate (DMP) as a model pollutant.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a new surface modification of polypyrrole with l -cysteine (PPy@L-Cyst) via radical polymerization method for effectively elimination of Hg2+ from aqueous solutions is presented.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that natural phenomena dominate the accumulation of essential heavy metals in lentic ecosystems compared to anthropogenic sources.
Abstract: With growing population and urbanization, there is an increasing exploitation of natural resources, and this often results to environmental pollution. In this review, the levels of heavy metal in lentic compartments (water, sediment, fishes, and aquatic plants) over the past two decades (1997-2017) have been summarized to evaluate the current pollution status of this ecosystem. In all the compartments, the heavy metals dominated are zinc followed by iron. The major reason could be area mineralogy and lithogenic sources. Enormous quantity of metals like iron in estuarine sediment is a very natural incident due to the permanently reducing condition of organic substances. Contamination of cadmium, lead, and chromium was closely associated with anthropogenic origin. In addition, surrounding land use and atmospheric deposition could have been responsible for substantial pollution. The accumulation of heavy metals in fishes and aquatic plants is the result of time-dependent deposition in lentic ecosystems. Moreover, various potential risk assessment methods for heavy metals were discussed. This review concludes that natural phenomena dominate the accumulation of essential heavy metals in lentic ecosystems compared to anthropogenic sources. Amongst other recent reviews on heavy metals from other parts of the world, the present review is executed in such a way that it explains the presence of heavy metals not only in water environment, but also in the whole of the lentic system comprising sediment, fishes, and aquatic plants.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors proposed a new Multi-Band Water Index (MBWI) for Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images by maximizing the spectral difference between water and non-water surfaces using pure pixels.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and LC-MS/MS based metabolomics and transcriptomics approaches were used and identified five biological processes on the basis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), as well as altered metabolites and amino acids in zebrafish following difenoconazole exposure, that affected processes included energy metabolism, amino acids metabolism, lipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and an immune-related pathway.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the flowerlike Ce/Fe bimetallic oxides (CFBO) were designed and synthesized via one-step facile template-free hydrothermal method.

Journal ArticleDOI
Ruining Li1, Zhaowei Wang1, Xiating Zhao1, Xi Li1, Xiaoyun Xie1 
TL;DR: The magnetic biochar-based manganese oxide composite with high FQ removal efficiency, easy separation, and desirable regeneration ability may have promising environmental applications for the removal of fluoroquinolone antibiotics from water environment.
Abstract: Magnetic biochar-based manganese oxide composite (MMB) and raw biochar (BC) were synthesized via pyrolysis at a temperature of 500 °C under anoxic conditions of potato stems and leaves, characterized, and successfully used for the removal of norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR) as representative compounds of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs). Characterization results suggested that Fe3O4 and MnOx are the dominant crystals in MMB. MMB possessed large surface area and pore volume than BC. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the maximum adsorption abilities of MMB for norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR) were 6.94, 8.37, and 7.19 mg g−1. In comparison to BC, the adsorption abilities of MMB increased 1.2, 1.5, and 1.6 times for NOR, CIP, and ENR, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir model correlated satisfactorily to the experimental data. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption processes were spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption capacity of MMB decreased with increasing solution pH (between 3.0 and 10.0) and increasing ionic strength (0.001–0.1). The MMB with high FQ removal efficiency, easy separation, and desirable regeneration ability may have promising environmental applications for the removal of fluoroquinolone antibiotics from water environment.

Journal ArticleDOI
Yixin Peng1, Zongxue Yu1, Fei Li1, Qi Chen1, Di Yin1, Xia Min1 
TL;DR: In this paper, a PVDF/RGO@SiO2/PDA nanohybrid composite membrane was synthesized via a surface deposition method and applied for the removal of oils and cationic dye from wastewater, which exhibited a superior antifouling property and sustainable stability simultaneously.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an evaluation index system for water environment carrying capacity (WECC) in the Bosten Lake basin was developed that considers mutual interactions among six subsystems of industry, agriculture, population, water supply, water ecology, and water pollution.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the contamination of soil and water environment by heavy metals in a former mining area and their effect on the soil characteristics were determined, including total contents of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg), soil reaction (pH), organic carbon (C ox ), activity of urease (URE), acid phosphatase (ACP), and alkaline phosphatases (ALP).
Abstract: Contamination of soil and water environment by heavy metals in a former mining area and their effect on the soil characteristics were determined. Soil samples were collected in the village of Rudnany which is, according to environmental regionalization, classified as an environmentally loaded and unhealthy area. Soil samples were collected in 2011 at eight fields situated at different distance from the pollution source. Total contents of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg), soil reaction (pH), organic carbon (C ox ), activity of urease (URE), acid phosphatase (ACP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined in soil samples. Water samples were collected in Rudniansky creek, which flows through the village. The contents of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg) were determined in water samples. High contents of heavy metals in soil and water result from long-term mining and smelting activities predominantly focused on copper and mercury production. Numerous heaps of waste material and tailing ponds are the main pollutant sources representing a great threat to the environment, as these pollutants can accumulate in plants and enter the food chain. Extremely high and above-limit values of copper and mercury were determined in the sampled soils. According to the index of geoaccumulation, copper has been shown as a serious contaminant in some soil sampling fields, which were determined as strongly contaminated. In terms of the geoaccumulation index, all sampling fields were evaluated as very strongly contaminated by mercury. We found significant positive correlation between zinc, lead, and copper contents in soils, which is a likely sign of the same source of pollution. A nonsignificant but positive relationship between soil reaction and heavy metals and a negative correlation between soil pH and organic carbon were observed. A high degree of soil pollution was reflected in soil biological properties. Activity of soil enzymes significantly decreased with increasing heavy metals content in soils. Rudniansky creek was polluted only by copper and mercury. The highest and above-limit values of these metals were determined at the point where the stream leaves the village (in a downstream direction).

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a visible light responsive composite photocatalyst AgI/UiO-66 was prepared by an in situ growth method, and the effects of typical environment factors (i.e. pH, inorganic salt ions and common anions) on the degradation of SMZ were evaluated extensively.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors developed a water resource decoupling model to quantify the relationship between urban economic growth and water usage in China's top three megacities (Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou).

Journal ArticleDOI
Lei Wu, Xiaoling Su1, Xiaoyi Ma1, Yan Kang1, Yanan Jiang1 
TL;DR: In this paper, an integrated modeling framework was proposed to dynamically evaluate and predict the water balance and water resources carrying capacity in a continental river basin of Northwest China by coupling the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), water resources supply and consumption model, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE).

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The flexible recollection and high efficient sorption capacity made core-shell and yolk-shell Fe3O4@TNS nanosheets promising materials to eliminate U(VI) or other actinides in wastewater cleanup applications.