Impact of Membrane Surface Modification on the Treatment of Surface Water

New polyethersulfone (PES) based membranes for ultrafiltration (UF) were developed by blending a surface-modifying macromolecule (SMM) in the casting solution, in an attempt to minimize the impact of fouling. Fouling was evaluated using concentrated Ottawa River water (CORW), either unfractionated or fractionated via UF. These membranes also included some polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a pore forming additive. A statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of some variables on the treatment of the surface water. The independent variables included PVP/PES ratio in the casting solution, with and without SMM, and the nature of the feed CORW [low molecular weight (LMW) fraction, unfractionated, high molecular weight (HMW) fraction]. The performance variables studied were total organic carbon (TOC) removal, the foulant accumulation at the membrane surface after filtration, the flux reduction, and the final permeate flux. The most important variable was the feed water. Filtration of LMW had a higher final flux, less fouling, but slightly lower TOC removal. The SMM did not significantly impact the membrane performance. TOC removal was high, compared with results reported in the literature for UF membranes.     

设施栽培条件下土壤养分及有机质组成变化趋势的研究

以黄泛平原壤质潮土不同年限的设施栽培土壤为研究对象,探讨了设施栽培条件对土壤养分及土壤有机质组成的影响。结果表明,设施栽培土壤碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾、盐分含量均明显高于大田,其含量主要取决于施用化学肥料的种类和数量,随栽培年限的增加而增加;土壤有机质、腐殖酸、胡敏酸含量随种植年限有升高趋势;HA/FA与栽培年限显著相关,表示设施栽培条件下,土壤熟化程度随有机肥料的逐年施用而有所提高,但HA/FA变化幅度不大,这可能与设施栽培形成的高温高湿条件及施用有机肥料中难分解物质的含量有关。     

昆虫病毒在害虫生物防治中的应用

利用昆虫病毒防治害虫是生物防治的一种有效方法。主要针对昆虫病毒的作用机制、后效作用以及重组昆虫病毒和昆虫病毒感染增效物质等方面进行了阐述。     

Mass spectrometry of atmospheric aerosols--recent developments and applications. Part I: Off-line mass spectrometry techniques

Many of the significant advances in our understanding of atmospheric particles can be attributed to the application of mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry provides high sensitivity with a fast response time to probe chemically complex particles. This review focuses on recent developments and applications in the field of mass spectrometry of atmospheric aerosols. In Part I of this two-part review, we concentrate on off-line mass spectrometry techniques, which require sample collection on filters but can provide detailed molecular speciation. In particular, off-line mass spectrometry techniques utilizing tandem mass spectrometry experiments and high resolution mass analyzers provide improved insight into secondary organic aerosol formation and heterogeneous reaction pathways through detailed structural elucidation at the molecular level.     

Indoor air quality in Portuguese schools: levels and sources of pollutants

Indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters in 73 primary classrooms in Porto were examined for the purpose of assessing levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, particulate matter, ventilation rates and bioaerosols within and between schools, and potential sources. Levels of VOCs, aldehydes, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, bacteria and fungi, carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide, temperature and relative humidity were measured indoors and outdoors and a walkthrough survey was performed concurrently. Ventilation rates were derived from CO₂ and occupancy data. Concentrations of CO₂ exceeding 1000 ppm were often encountered, indicating poor ventilation. Most VOCs had low concentrations (median of individual species <5 μg/m³) and were below the respective WHO guidelines. Concentrations of particulate matter and culturable bacteria were frequently higher than guidelines/reference values. The variability of VOCs, aldehydes, bioaerosol concentrations, and CO₂ levels between schools exceeded the variability within schools. These findings indicate that IAQ problems may persist in classrooms where pollutant sources exist and classrooms are poorly ventilated; source control strategies (related to building location, occupant behavior, maintenance/cleaning activities) are deemed to be the most reliable for the prevention of adverse health consequences in children in schools.     

Particulate matter chemical component concentrations and sources in settings of household solid fuel use

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution derives from combustion and non‐combustion sources and consists of various chemical species that may differentially impact human health and climate. Previous reviews of PM chemical component concentrations and sources focus on high‐income urban settings, which likely differ from the low‐ and middle‐income settings where solid fuel (ie, coal, biomass) is commonly burned for cooking and heating. We aimed to summarize the concentrations of PM chemical components and their contributing sources in settings where solid fuel is burned. We searched the literature for studies that reported PM component concentrations from homes, personal exposures, and direct stove emissions under uncontrolled, real‐world conditions. We calculated weighted mean daily concentrations for select PM components and compared sources of PM determined by source apportionment. Our search criteria yielded 48 studies conducted in 12 countries. Weighted mean daily cooking area concentrations of elemental carbon, organic carbon, and benzo(a)pyrene were 18.8 μg m^?3, 74.0 μg m^?3, and 155 ng m^?3, respectively. Solid fuel combustion explained 29%‐48% of principal component/factor analysis variance and 41%‐87% of PM mass determined by positive matrix factorization. Multiple indoor and outdoor sources impacted PM concentrations and composition in these settings, including solid fuel burning, mobile emissions, dust, and solid waste burning.     

大气颗粒物及其组成研究进展(上)

颗粒物是空气中最重要的污染物之一,由于颗粒物表面的吸附作用,其组分非常复杂,其中含有多种有毒有害的化学成分,对大气环境造成不良影响,并危及人体健康。借助大气颗粒物及其组成成分的测定,通过污染源解析分析其来源及影响因素,控制大气颗粒物的排放,对于保证大气环境质量、改善人们的生存环境具有重大意义。本文对此进行综述。着重介绍大气颗粒物及其组成成分、源解析及测量技术的最新进展。     

Soft Matter Technology at KIT: Chemical Perspective from Nanoarchitectures to Microstructures

Bioinspiration has emerged as an important design principle in the rapidly growing field of materials science and especially its subarea, soft matter science. For example, biological cells form hierarchically organized tissues that not only are optimized and designed for durability, but also have to adapt to their external environment, undergo self‐repair, and perform many highly complex functions. Being able to create artificial soft materials that mimic those highly complex functions will enable future materials applications. Herein, soft matter technologies that are used to realize bioinspired material structures are described, and potential pathways to integrate these into a comprehensive soft matter research environment are addressed. Solutions become available because soft matter technologies are benefitting from the synergies between organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and materials science.     

Carbonaceous-TiO2 nanomaterials for photocatalytic degradation of pollutants: A review

Semiconductor photocatalysis is one of most appealing and attractive technologies, which has been directly utilized to harvest solar energy for energy and environmental applications. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has been proved to be leading semiconductor photocatalyst for the degradation of pollutants. However, it suffers from low photocatalytic activity under visible light activation because of its intrinsic wide band gap. Various strategies have been developed to enhance TiO₂ efficiency in the visible light region. Among them TiO₂ modification with carbonaceous nanomaterials is very effective route for excellent photocatalytic activity. This critical review aims to present recent progress in the design and synthesis of carbonaceous-TiO₂ photocatalysts, covering carbon doping, activated carbon, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene. Moreover, proposed mechanisms of enhancement, effect of synthesis routes, demonstrations of performance and applications reported in literature are reviewed. Ongoing challenges and possible new directions are outlined.