Facile and green preparation of solid carbon nanoonions via catalytic co-pyrolysis of lignin and polyethylene and their adsorption capability towards Cu(ii).

Carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanoonions (CNOs), possess promising applications in various fields. There are urgent demands to synthesize carbon nanomaterials from a green and renewable carbon source. In this study, solid CNOs with relatively uniform size distribution (with diameters of about 30-50 nm), abundant structure defects and oxygen-containing surface functional groups (such as -OH and -COOH) are developed from co-pyrolysis of lignin (LG) and polyethylene (PE) in the presence of Ni-based catalysts. The type of catalyst, the concentration of catalyst and catalytic co-pyrolysis temperature play important roles in the morphologies and properties of CNOs as confirmed by TEM and SEM. Furthermore, the produced CNOs can act as a low-cost and highly-efficient adsorbent to remove Cu(ii) from aqueous solution according to a homogeneous monolayer, chemical action-dominated, endothermic and spontaneous process. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of CNOs calculated from the Langmuir model is 100.00 mg g-1. Surface deposition, complexation, π electron-cation interaction and electrostatic interaction are responsible for the adsorption of Cu(ii) using the prepared CNOs.

Preliminary characterization, antioxidant properties and production of chrysolaminarin from marine diatom Odontella aurita.

A new chrysolaminarin, named CL2, with a molecular mass of 7.75 kDa, was purified from the marine diatom, Odontella aurita, using DEAE-52 cellulose anion-exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-200 gel-filtration chromatography. The monosaccharide and structural analysis revealed that CL2 was a glucan mainly composed of glucose, which was linked by the ß-d-(1→3) (main chain) and ß-d-(1→6) (side chain) glycosidic bond, demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The antioxidant activity tests revealed that the CL2 presented stronger hydroxyl radical scavenging activity with increasing concentrations, but less was effective on reducing power analysis and scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The influences of nitrogen concentration and light intensity on chrysolaminarin production of O. aurita were further investigated in a glass column photobioreactor, and a record high chrysolaminarin productivity of 306 mg L-1 day-1 was achieved. In conclusion, the chrysolaminarin CL2 from O. aurita may be explored as a natural antioxidant agent for application in aquaculture, food and pharmaceutical areas.

Hyperaccumulation of zinc by Corydalis davidii in Zn-polluted soils.

A field survey was conducted to identify potential Zn accumulators from an artisanal Zn smelting area in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Hydroponic and soil culture experiments were performed to investigate the accumulation ability of Zn in Corydalis davidii. Zn concentrations in roots, stems and leaves of C. davidii in the smelting site were 1.1-3.5, 1.2-11.2, and 3.3-14 mg g(-)(1), respectively, whereas Zn concentrations in roots, stems and leaves of C. davidii in the contaminated site impacted by the Zn smelting were 1.0-2.4, 1.9-6.5, and 3.0-1.1 mg g(-1), respectively. Zn concentrations in leaves and stems of C. davidii were observed at above 10 mg g(-1) that refers to the threshold of Zn hyperaccumulator. The concentration distribution of Zn in C. davidii was leaf>stem>root, and the Zn bioaccumulation factors of C. davidii were above 1. It is concluded that C. davidii has high tolerance to concentrate Zn stress, and that C. davidii is a newly discovered Zn-hyperaccumulator with high biomass in the aboveground parts. Based on the cultivation experiments, C. davidii could reduce Zn concentration by 26.6, 21.2, and 10.2 mg kg(-1)yr(-1) by phytoextraction from the smelting slag, Zn-contaminated soil, and background soil, respectively.

[Environmental concerns on geochemical mobility of lead, zinc and cadmium from zinc smelting areas: western Guizhou, China].

Indigenous zinc smelting activity, widely spread in western Guizhou, China, had caused serious pollution of heavy metals of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) in soil and water and posed risk to the local ecosystem. Geochemical distribution and mobility of Pb, Zn and Cd in soil, waste residue and waters were investigated in a small watershed in order to provide scientific base for the approach to pollution control and remediation. Concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd in smelting residues averaged at 4 632 mg/kg, 8 968 mg/kg, and 58 mg/kg, respectively; whereas Pb 234 mg/kg, Zn 400 mg/kg and Cd 9.6 mg/kg in average in the soils around the smelting areas were measured. The sequential geochemical extraction test showed that Pb, Zn and Cd in the contaminated soils had high mobility and bioavailability for the metals, whereas smelting waste residues had lower mobility and bioavailability because their concentrations presented small percentages (all less than 0.2%) in the exchangeable fraction. Concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd were high in the local stream water but low in groundwater. In the surface water, Pb, Zn and Cd were significantly concentrated in the suspended sediment. The results indicated that metal-rich erosion process of smelting residue and contaminated soil contributed to mobility of the metals into stream water.

[Limiting factors of waste land revegetation in indigenous zinc smelting areas of western Guizhou].

With indigenous zinc smelting waste residue, contaminated soil and background soil as test substrates, a pot experiment was conducted to study the growth characteristics of Lolium perenne and Trifolium pretense on these substrates. The results showed that the major limiting factors of waste land revegetation in indigenous zinc smelting areas of western Guizhou were the salt-alkali stress and the lower contents of organic matter, total N, available N and total K. The heavy metals in waste residue had a high concentration, but their available forms only occupied a small proportion, with low toxicity to plant but having potential harmful risk. Contaminated soil had lower concentrations of heavy metals than waste residue, but its contained heavy metals were more in available form. The constraints of revegetation on contaminated soil were the toxicity of heavy metals and the low contents of available P and K. Mixing contaminated soil with zinc smelting waste residue could be one of the effective approaches for the substrate amendment in indigenous zinc smelting areas.