Sample preparation,instrumental analysis,and natural distribution of complex organic pollutants in the wastewater from unconventional gas production

Large amounts of flowback and produced water (FPW) have been generated from hydraulic fracturing process for the production of unconventional gas such as shale gas. Complex organic pollutants are abundantly present in FPW with revealed toxicity to aquatic organisms and these contaminants may transfer into surrounding aquatic environment. Characterization and determination of complicated organic pollutants in FPW remains a challenge due to its complex composition and high salinity matrix. This review article covers the progress of recent 5 years regarding the sample preparation and instrumental analysis methods and thus summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for critical analysis of organic contaminants in FPW samples. Furthermore, the natural distribution of detected organic compounds and their transformation were reviewed and discussed to enhance the understanding of spatial and temporal behaviors of these organic pollutants in natural environment, paving the way for future development of pollution control policies and strategies. Enlightened by the studies of FPW contamination in the US, the investigations of FPW contamination in China continued to grow due to rapidly growing production of shale gas in China and resulted pollution.     

Recent trends in capillary and micro-chip electrophoretic instrumentation for field-analysis

Technical advances in the development of field-deployable capillary and microchip electrophoretic instruments and reports of their deployment between 2013 and 2017 were reviewed. Strategies and considerations in the design of the injection, separation and detection hardware, chemistry and associated infrastructure were discussed from an in-field perspective, with portability, robustness and automation/“ease of use” featuring as key requirements. Integration of functionality is important for adequate in-field performance. Progress was made towards the use of multiple channel devices for increased throughput and/or resolving power, mixing devices for on-line/in-line sample derivatization, battery operation and temperature control. The strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches described in the literature are discussed from the perspective of in-field operation. An overview of the applications of the field electrophoretic instruments is provided, including environmental science and planetary investigation.     

An automated vane shear test tool for environmental monitoring with unmanned ground vehicles

The present work describes the development of a novel robotic vane shear test tool for characterization of soil parameters with high precision and accuracy. The tool automates industrial standards for testing procedures. The proposed system is capable of performing high resolution torque measurements, which are then used to estimate the shear strength of the soil. The design of the instrument and its advantages over traditional manual instruments are discussed, after which error sources, calibration, and test procedures are described. The developed tool was successfully validated against high-end commercial equipment. The built unit was employed for characterizing mine waste in a laboratory setting and also deployed in the field on board an Unmanned Ground Vehicle for remote soil characterization.     

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) rhombic dodecahedrons as full-spectrum light harvesting photocatalyst for environmental remediation

The inferior utilization efficiency of light is the main obstacle to the practical application of traditional photocatalysts such as TiO₂ and ZnO. In this regard, the development of novel photocatalysts with the capability of harvesting full spectrum light (from ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (NIR)) energy is a promising solution for solar energy conversion and environmental remediation. Here, we report the discovery of a single material that can harvest UV, visible (VIS), and NIR radiations to decompose heavy metal contaminants in aqueous solution. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) rhombic dodecahedrons were synthesized through a facile solution approach and employed in the reduction of Cr(VI) under UV−VIS−NIR pulsed laser irradiation, which was generated from the fundamental, second and third harmonics of Nd:YAG laser, respectively. The nanostructures showed efficient Cr(VI) reduction under UV, VIS and NIR laser irradiation and the measured reduction efficiency (%) was 71.22%, 69.52%, and 40.79%, respectively after 120 min. A possible explanation for the photocatalytic activity in Cr(VI) reduction was proposed. This is the first study of its kind where pulsed laser and ZIF-67 rhombic dodecahedrons capable of harvesting full spectrum light energy have been employed for the removal of Cr(VI) from water. The extraordinary capacity of harvesting full-spectrum light and long-term stability make ZIF-67 a potential photocatalyst for environmental remediation.     

Determination of sulfa antibiotic residues in river and particulate matter by field-amplified sample injection-capillary zone electrophoresis

In the present research, field-amplified sample injection–CZE (FASI–CZE) coupled with a diode array detector was established to determine trace level sulfa antibiotic. Sulfathiazole, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfisoxazole were selected as analytes for the experiments. The background electrolyte solution consisted of 70.0 mmol/L borax and 60.0 mmol/L boric acid (including 10% methanol, pH 9.1). The plug was 2.5 mmol/L borax, which was injected into the capillary at a pressure of 0.5 psi for 5 s. Then the sample was injected into the capillary at an injection voltage of –10 kV for 20 s. The electrophoretic separation was carried out under a voltage of +19 kV. The capillary temperature was maintained at 20˚C throughout the analysis, and six sulfonamides were completely separated within 35 min. Compared with pressure injection-CZE, the sensitivity of FASI-CZE was increased by 6.25–10.0 times, and the LODs were reduced from 0.2–0.5 to 0.02–0.05 μg/mL. The method was applied to the determination of sulfonamides in river water and particulate matter samples. The recoveries were 78.59–106.59%. The intraday and interday precisions were 2.89–7.35% and 2.77–7.09%, respectively. This provides a simpler and faster method for the analysis of sulfa antibiotic residues in environmental samples.     

Recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET Or PETE) plastics – An alternative to obtain value added products: A review

Waste management is become one of the world's most pressing issues. Plastic is one of the most widely utilised materials in the modern world. Plastic manufacturing and usage have risen globally in recent decades due to its low weight and outstanding mechanical properties. Plastic has a wide range of applications due to such good properties include lightweight, high strength, and extended durability. Because of plastics are non- or low-biodegradable, a vast quantity of plastic waste is generated every day, making waste disposal the most pressing matter globally. Furthermore, improper waste disposal pollutes the environment. An ecologically friendly approach is necessary to locket these issues. One of the solutions is to recycle this sort of garbage. There are many plastic recycling technologies available, however practically all of them have certain restrictions. Chemical recycling of plastic, on the other hand, has been shown to be more efficient than other recycling methods. This article provides a quick overview of chemical recycling of PET post-consumer waste and the synthesis of potentially value-added products such as dye or dyestuffs, bolaform surfactant, bio-degradable polyesters, drug carrier, Metal-organic framework (MOF), bio-degradable polymeric scaffolds, polyurethane foam and coating materials etc.     

气相色谱-质谱法测定环境水体中24种半挥发性有机物

采用液液萃取-气相色谱-质谱法同时测定环境水体中的24种半挥发性有机物。水样经二氯甲烷萃取,萃取液经浓缩定容后在DB-5MS毛细管色谱柱上分离,质谱中选择电子轰击离子源-选择离子监测模式,以菲-D10为内标物进行定量。24种化合物的质量浓度在一定范围内与其峰面积呈线性关系,检出限为0.03~0.28μg·L-1。加标回收率在70.1%~128%之间,测定值的相对标准偏差(n=6)小于6%。实际样品分析结果表明,某地地表水和化工区水样中均检出硝基苯类、氯代苯酚类、酞酸酯类等化合物。     

Thermal and environmental stability of poly(4-ethynyl-p-xylylene-co-p-xylylene) thin films

The aim of this paper was to test the thermal and environmental stability of poly(4-ethynyl-p-xylyleneco-p-xylylene) thin films prepared by chemical vapor deposition(CVD) and to optimize the reaction conditions of the polymer.Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) and fluorescence microscopy were employed to investigate the stability of the reactive polymer coatings in various environmental conditions.Chemical reactivity of the thin films were then tested by Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction(‘‘click' reaction).The alkyne functional groups on poly(4-ethynyl-p-xylylene-co-p-xylylene) thin films were found to be stable under ambient storage conditions and thermally stable up to 100 8C when annealed at 0.08 Torr in argon.We also optimized the click reaction conditions of azide-functionalized molecules with poly(4-ethynyl-p-xylylene-co-p-xylylene).The best reaction result was achieved,when copper concentration was 0.5 mmol/L,sodium ascorbate concentration to copper concentration was 5:1.In contrast,the azide concentration and temperature had no obvious effect on the surface reaction.     

超声辅助萃取-分散液液微萃取/气相色谱法测定环境水样中六氯苯、林丹及硫丹

建立了超声辅助萃取(UAE)-分散液液微萃取(DLLME)/气相色谱法测定环境水样中六氯苯、林丹和硫丹,并对影响萃取和富集效率的因素进行了优化。在最优条件下,六氯苯、林丹及α-硫丹的线性范围为1.0~1 000μg/L,检出限分别为0.47、0.39及0.63μg/L;β-硫丹线性范围为5.0~1 000μg/L,检出限为2.44μg/L;相对标准偏差(RSDs)为8.3%~11.7%(n=7)。用该方法对环境水样中的六氯苯、林丹及硫丹进行了分析,自来水、灌溉水、湖水样的平加标回收率分别为94.2%~100.4%、89.4%~99.4%和69.6%~96.3%。     

离子液体自聚集磁性多壁碳纳米管固相萃取环境水样中的磺胺类药物

将1-己基-3-甲基咪唑六氟磷酸([C6MIM] [PF6])离子液体自聚集于磁性多壁碳纳米管(Fe3O4@MWCNTs)表面,并将其作为磁性固相吸附剂,建立了同时测定环境水样中磺胺二甲嘧啶、磺胺对甲氧嘧啶、磺胺邻二甲氧嘧啶和磺胺二甲异噁唑4种磺胺类药物的涡旋辅助磁性固相萃取-高效液相色谱法.优化条件为:将20.0 mg [C6MIM] [PF6]包覆的Fe3 O4@MWCNTs分散于200 mL水样中,涡旋萃取15 min,磁性分离获取磁性吸附剂,3.5 mL 1.0％乙酸铵-甲醇溶液洗脱,洗脱液氮吹至干,300 μL甲醇溶解后待下一步高效液相色谱/二极管阵列检测器(HPLC-PDA)分析.4种磺胺类药物在0.375 ～ 75.0 μg/L范围内与峰面积呈良好的线性关系,其相关系数为0.9985 ～0.9996,检出限(S/N=3)为0.079 ～0.099 μg/L,3个加标浓度水平的回收率为80.60％ ～99.99％,日内、日间测定的相对标准偏差分别为1.3％ ～6.9％和1.2％～2.9％(n=3).结果表明,本方法简单方便,易于操作,适用于环境水样中痕量磺胺类药物的检测.