Long-term performance of a HDPE geomembrane stabilized with HALS in chlorinated water

A high density polyethylene geomembrane (GMB) stabilized with hindered amine (light) stabilizers (HALS or HAS) is immersed in four chlorinated water solutions with a simulated free chlorine concentration range of 0.5–5 ppm at five different temperatures (25, 40, 65, 75, and 85 °C) for 70 months. Standard and high pressure oxidative induction time (OIT) tests are performed to monitor antioxidants depletion while melt flow index, tensile, and stress crack resistance (SCR) tests are conducted to monitor degradation in physical and mechanical properties. Degradation in the GMB properties occurred shortly after immersion in chlorinated water at all temperatures except at 25 °C. Increasing the free chlorine concentration resulted in faster degradation of the tensile properties and SCR. The predicted time to nominal failure based on SCR ranges between 25 years at 40 °C and 5 years at 85 °C in chlorinated water (with 0.5 ppm free chlorine). A comparison between the degradation in SCR of this GMB and a GMB with a different resin and without HALS shows significant difference in their performance in chlorinated water but not in other incubation media.     

Effects of hydroxyl radical induced oxidation on water holding capacity and protein structure of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) mantle

Protein oxidation is considered as an important issue in food preservation process. In the present study, the potential influence of protein oxidation on water holding capacity and protein structure of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) mantle was investigated. After the hydroxyl radical oxidation, it was found that the carbonyl, surface hydrophobicity and dityrosine content of myofibrillar protein significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the content of total sulphydryl decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity of squid was weakened, and the maximum absorption peak of fluorescence red shift as the H₂O₂ concentration increased. The sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that not only the protein cross-linking but also degradation could have occurred. The content of α-helix decreased, the content of β-sheet, β-turn and the unordered structures increased after oxidation. In addition, oxidation resulted in a decrease in water holding capacity. Taken together, oxidation resulted in the damage of the myofibrillar structure, the increase in muscle loss rate and the decrease in water holding capacity.     

地下水穿透情形下玻璃固化体的蚀变研究

玻璃固化体在高放废物处置库中的长期处置行为，是处置库安全评价的关键环节之一。本研究模拟极端情形下，地下水穿透包装容器与固化体接触后，固化体中元素的浸出和蚀变行为。结果表明，地下水与固化体接触后，各元素的浸出浓度迅速增大，在200 d后逐渐下降并趋于稳定；温度对固化体中不同元素浸出速率的影响不同，B和Si的浸出速率随温度的增加而增大，U和Re的浸出速率随温度的降低而增大；固化体蚀变程度随温度的升高而加重，但其蚀变层的形成会阻滞元素在其中的扩散，客观上降低了固化体蚀变速率；富Si处置环境有利于抑制固化体中元素的浸出。     

Development of green extraction process to produce antioxidant-rich extracts from purple coneflower

The present study was conducted to develop subcritical water extraction (SWE) of Echinacea purpurea flowers. The influence of temperature and extraction time on quality of extracts considering total phenols content, total flavonoids content, antioxidant capacity and extraction yield, was determined. Optimized extraction parameters for maximised investigated responses were as follows: 147.56 °C and 8.43 min. The experimental values agreed with the values predicted, thus indicating the adequacy of central composite experimental design for modelling the SWE of bioactive compounds from E. purpurea. Results of the study also highlighted the potential application of E. purpurea subcritical water extracts as a source of valuable bioactive compounds.     

What’s the middle ground? Institutionalized vs. emerging water-related stakeholder engagement processes

Abstract

In this day and age, it is widely argued that stakeholder engagement in water-related decision-making processes yields many benefits, including legitimacy, acceptance and trust. Key legal frameworks, such as the European Water Framework Directive and the Aarhus Convention, have spurred the emergence of formal forms of stakeholder engagement. On the other hand, many engagement processes are spontaneous and self-organized. This article investigates the strategies used in formal (government-led) and informal (bottom-up) engagement processes in search of a middle ground. To this end, case studies in the Netherlands, the United States, Uganda and Ethiopia are analyzed using the OECD’s stakeholder engagement checklist. We conclude with reflection on the ways forward to make formal and informal stakeholder engagement complementary.     

重水浓度与吸光度关系曲线类型研究

重水作为反应堆的慢化材料，其浓度直接影响反应堆的安全和性能。为研究其重水浓度与吸光度间的关系曲线类型，基于朗伯-比尔定律，从理论上推导出液态重水中某种水分子的红外吸收峰分别与0~2种其他水分子的红外吸收峰发生重叠时重水浓度与吸光度间的关系式，分情况对二者之间的关系曲线类型进行讨论。采用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪，测得浓度为0.015%~99.98%（摩尔比）的重水标准样品吸收光谱，对重水浓度和吸光度间的关系曲线类型进行验证，理论推导与实际吻合。研究表明，一般情况下，宽浓度范围内，重水浓度与吸光度间的关系曲线类型为二次曲线；窄浓度范围内，关系曲线类型为线性。特殊情况下，吸光度为定值或关系曲线类型为线性。     

冶金矿物和产品水分测定问题探讨

水分测定是冶金行业中矿产原料和产品分析的重要内容,主要包括交货水分、湿存水、化合水等测定类别。尽管水分测定方法本身相对简单,但其涉及到矿物原料、产品结算交割以及其他化学分析的校正计算,属于重要的基础性测定方法。各类矿物、产品几乎都有相应水分测定的国家标准、行业标准,部分还是从国外ISO标准体系中采标而来。文章系统介绍并比较各类矿物原料、产品中交货水分、明水、湿存水、化合水等类别的测定方法。由于ISO标准体系中湿存水含义和国内标准体系湿存水含义有较大差异,其测定操作和用途也有不同,使用空气平衡样品和密封原始样品将会得到数据差异较大的湿存水数据,两种湿存水含义需要明确区分。湿存水对化学称样量、灼减量、化合水的测定有影响,需要用湿存水进行水分校正,才能得到更精确的结果。     

基于微气候模拟的武汉居住小区植被降温通风效应研究

在快速城镇化过程中，中国城市边缘区生态安全格局出现了自然生态与人文生态双重破坏的问题，研究基于复合生态平衡、生态空间活化、共建共享共赢的发展目标，提出以自然生态要素识别与敏感度分析、人文生态发展需求分析为基础，以自然与人文生态安全格局分区建构、复合生态空间耦合下的功能化发展指引为核心的城市边缘区生态安全格局重构方法框架，并结合铜陵城市边缘区——东湖地区规划建设展开理论应用与实践探索，为重构城市边缘区生态安全格局提供有益借鉴。     

Three-dimensional ZnO@TiO2 core-shell nanostructures decorated with plasmonic Au nanoparticles for promoting photoelectrochemical water splitting

A novel three-dimensional (3D) core-shell nanostructure decorated with plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs) was prepared for photoelectrochemical water splitting. In the new nanostructure, ZnO nanorods (NRs) are perpendicular to ZnO nanosheets (NSs), and the ZnO NSs-NRs are coated with a thin TiO₂ shell formed by liquid phase deposition. The plasmonic Au NPs were formed in situ on the surface of ZnO NSs-NRs@TiO₂ by thermal reduction. A thin TiO₂ shell and uniformly distributed Au NPs were successfully obtained. The photoconversion efficiency and photocurrent density of the 3D ZnO NSs-NRs@TiO₂-Au nanostructure respectively reached 0.48% and 1.73 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, 4.80 and 4.33 times higher than those of ZnO NSs, respectively. The thin TiO₂ shell effectively promoted charge separation, while the surface plasmon resonance effects of the Au NPs improved the photocurrent density. The findings suggest that the 3D ZnO NSs-NRs@TiO₂-Au nanostructure is a promising photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting.     

Fluidisation characteristics of granular activated carbon in drinking water treatment applications

Granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration is an important unit operation in drinking water treatment. GAC filtration is widely used for its filtration and adsorption capabilities as a barrier for undesired organic macro- and micro-pollutants. GAC filtration consists of two successive phases: adsorption and filtration, capturing the impurities from the water in conjunction with a backwash procedure in which the suspended particles are flushed out of the system. Available literature predominantly focusses on adsorption. A less frequently discussed but nevertheless equally crucial aspect of this operation is the backwash procedure of GAC beds. To prevent accumulation of suspended particles and to avoid additional operation costs, optimal backwashing is required. Another factor is sustainability: water utilities are showing increasing interest in exploring new sustainable GAC media. As these have different bed expansion tendencies due to different GAC characteristics with varying geometries, operational developments are needed for prediction models to estimate the expansion degree during backwashing. The prediction of the bed expansion of GAC is complex as the particles are non-spherical, porous and polydisperse. Through a combination of advanced particle laboratory and fluidisation experiments, we demonstrate a new approach which leads to an improved expansion prediction model for the backwashing of GAC filters.