Dec. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 12

Nov. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 11

Front Cover Story (See: Junzheng Zhang, Tong Dou, Yun Shen, Wenrui Wang, Luokai Wang, Xuanhao Wu, Meng Zhang, Dongsheng Wang, Pingfeng Yu, 2024, 18(11): 136)
Current microbial control strategies are struggling to keep pace with escalating microbial problems due to the presence of biofilms. Nanozymes, with intrinsic biocatalytic activity and broad antibacterial spectra, hold promise for controlling resilient biofilms. This review summarizes the milestones of nanozyme studies and their applications as antibiofilm agents. The mechanisms behind antibacterial, quorum quenching, and depolymerizing properties of nanozymes with different enzyme activities are discussed. Additionally, the challenges of nanozyme applications in real environments are investigated, along with proposed strategies to overcome these challenges. Overall, this review highlights the potential of nanozymes as antibiofilm agents and provides insights into the future design of nanozymes for biofilm control. Download cover

Oct. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 10

Front Cover Story (See: Guochao Chen, Minghao Qiu, Peng Wang, Yuqiang Zhang, Drew Shindell, Hongliang Zhang, 2024, 18(10): 130)
Wildfires burn approximately 3%–4% of the global land area annually, resulting in massive emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. During the past two decades, a consistent declining trend has been observed in both burned area and wildfire emissions on a global scale. However, the northern high-latitude regions of Asia and North America have witnessed substantial interannual variability in wildfire activity, with several severe events occurring in recent years. Climate plays a pivotal role in influencing wildfire activity and has led to more wildfires in high-latitude regions. These wildfires pose significant threats to climate, ecosystems, and human health. This study provides a perspective that emphasizes the importance of understanding the contributors of wildfires, focusing on deteriorating high-latitude areas, and addressing health risks in poorly managed areas to mitigate wildfire effects. Download cover

Sep. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 9

Municipal water and wastewater treatment is essential to control pollution and protect water ecology. More importantly, it has become a key link in promoting sustainable development for society, the economy, and the environment. Urban water treatment facilities have greatly improved the quality of life for city dwellers. These advanced systems ensure the purification and supply of clean water, making it safe for drinking, cooking, and daily use. As a result, the incidence of waterborne diseases has been reduced, improving public health. In addition, these plants help protect the environment by treating wastewater before discharging into rivers or lakes. This conserves our precious water resources and supports the ecological balance. In essence, the presence of efficient water treatment facilities in cities has led to a better, healthier, and more sustainable lifestyle for residents. Download cover

Aug. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 8

“Building a Beautiful China”—this theme deeply reflects China’s profound attention to ecological civilization construction and its firm resolution for environmental protection. While promoting economic development, we should place even greater emphasis on the environment protection, adhere to the concept of green development, and strive to realize the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. For this grand blueprint, everyone should take active steps, participate in the great cause of ecological civilization construction, and let the green mountains and clear waters become our common precious wealth. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering has always been committed to publishing high-quality research results, promoting scientific progress in environmental protection and sustainable development. Let us work together to contribute our strength to the construction of a Beautiful China and the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Download cover

Jul. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 7

In 2024, the frequent occurrence of extreme weather events has inflicted an unprecedented impact on the global environment. These extreme weather events have not only caused profound damage to the natural environment, including the reduction of biodiversity, the destruction of ecosystems, the depletion of natural resources, and environmental pollution, but also had a significant effect on the social economy. Climate change is undoubtedly the primary reason for these events, and there is an urgent need to mitigate their impact.
Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering has published research papers on climate change, covering various aspects from renewable energy, carbon emission reduction to air pollution. These studies are of great significance for promoting global climate action, reducing carbon emissions, protecting the ecological environment, and promoting sustainable development. Download cover

Jun. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 6

Front Cover Story (See: Jiuhui Qu, Jiming Hao, Yi Qian 2024, 18(6): 66)
“Towards a pollution-free planet” is the important strategic objective proposed in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Medium-Term Strategy for 2022—2025. The aim is to prevent and control pollution and ensure good environmental quality and improved well-being for everyone. Scholars, engineers, and experts in the environmental field have been dedicated to scientific and technological innovation and engineering practices that aim to create a better environment. FESE shares this vision and has organized a special issue on the theme of "Towards a pollution-free planet" to promote long-term and extensive international communication for protecting our shared home — Earth. This special issue offers an outlook on the blueprint of "moving towards a pollution-free planet" to enhance human well-being. It covers diverse environmental media, such as the atmosphere, water, and soil, and provides effective measures to implement in moving towards a pollution-free planet. It includes information on the environmental exposure and health effects of high-risk pollutants, the development of pollution monitoring and control technologies, and effective strategies for carbon reduction. Download cover

May. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 5

“One night of gentle spring breeze sends the spring away, and all things flourish to welcome the arrival of summer.” At 8:10 on May 5th, the Start of Summer arrives. Start of Summer, an inning infused with a sense of vitality, gently unfolds the curtains of summer. If spring is the season of “birth,” then summer is the season of “growth.” After the Start of Summer, temperatures rise rapidly, and rainfall increases significantly, marking the peak of the growing season for all life. At this time, FESE also calls for papers for the following six special issues: Frontier Progresses from Chinese-American Professors of Environmental Engineering and Science; Frontiers on Carbon Neutrality; Climate Change and Public Health: Emerging Impacts and Responses; Atmospheric and Earth System Modeling; Cutting-edge Research under the European Green Deal: Water Resources Engineering; Microbiological Contaminants in Water Environment: Occurrence and Control. Download cover

Apr. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 4

Front Cover Story (See: Yuhang Liu, Wenxuan Deng, Xiaojun Wu, Chun Hu, Lai Lyu, 2024, 18(4): 44)
The effective removal of emerging contaminants (ECs) to avoid negative impacts on human health and the natural environment is a global challenge. Herein, a seaweed spherical microsphere catalyst with cation-π structures was fabricated via a hydrothermal method to remove ECs in water. The results show that bisphenol A is substantially degraded within 5 min under natural conditions, accompanied by a considerably weakened biological toxicity of BPA, while actual industrial wastewater can also be effectively purified by Cu-C-MSNs/H2O2 system. The presence of metal sites and the complexation of ECs through cation-π interaction and π-π stacking on the catalyst surface are directly responsible for the polarization distribution of electrons, leading to the activation of H2O2 and dissolved oxygen (DO). The removal of contaminants is mainly attributed to (i) the activation of H2O2 into • OH to attack the contaminants and (ii) the self-cleavage caused by the transfer of electrons from the contaminants to the catalysts. This study provides a new solution for the effective treatment of ECs and has positive implications for easing the global environmental crisis. Download cover

Mar. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 3

Front Cover Story (See: Lizheng Guo, Xinyan Xiao, Kassim Chabi, Yiting Zhang, Jingjing Li, Su Yao, Xin Yu, 2024, 18(3): 35)
Viable but non-culturable (VBNC) bacteria, colloquially referred to as “The sleeping beauty”, have been detected in source water and effluent of drinking water treatment processes, leading to significant underestimation of viable cell counts. Limited information exists on VBNC bacteria in tap water, particularly in public places. To address this gap, a comprehensive nine-month study was conducted in a major city in south-eastern China. Forty-five samples were collected from five representative public places (railway station, campus, hospital, shopping mall, and institution). The findings revealed that opportunistic pathogens such as E. coli, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa, Salmonella sp., and Shigella sp. were primarily detected as VBNC cells, with concentrations ranging from 1.03 × 100 to 3.01 × 103, 1.20 × 100 to 1.42 × 102, 1.32 × 100 to 8.82 × 100, 1.00 × 100 to 6.71 × 101, and 2.07 × 100 to 1.93 × 102 cell equivalent/100 mL, respectively. This study provides quantitative insights into the occurrence of VBNC bacteria in tap water and highlights the need to enhance tap water safety in public locations. Download cover

Feb. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 2

Front Cover Story (See: Yiwei Liu, Kaili Gu, Jinhua Zhang, Jinxiang Li, Jieshu Qian, Jinyou Shen, Xiaohong Guan 2024, 18(2): 14)
In this study, the interface of zerovalent iron (ZVI) was reconstructed by sulfidation and partial aging. It was illustrated that the subshell of iron sulfides could couple with the shell of iron (hydr)oxides to mediate the mass and electron transfer of ZVI to Cr(VI), thereby improving the reaction durability. This synergistic effect will facilitate the application of ZVI-based technology in real practice. Download cover

Jan. 2024, Volume 18 Issue 1

Front Cover Story (See: Xin Tang, Yin Ye, Chunlin Wang, Zemin Qin, Cui Li, Yanlong Chen, Yuheng Wang, Zhiling Li, Miao Lv, Aijie Wang, Fan Chen 2024, 18(1): 4)
The efficient extraction of uranium (U) from U-bearing wastewater is imperative for environmental preservation and resource recovery. While the microbial reduction of soluble hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) to insoluble tetravalent uranium (U(IV)) presents significant potential, practical applications face impediments related to the management of U-bacterial mixtures and U biotoxicity. Addressing these challenges, our study introduces a Spontaneous Microbial Electrochemical (SMEC) method, strategically decoupling microbial oxidation and U(VI) reduction processes. This approach yields stable U extraction with concurrent net electrical energy production, validated across synthetic and real wastewater scenarios. Our research represents a noteworthy advancement in the cost-effective recovery of U from U(VI)-bearing wastewater, offering prospects for a sustainable paradigm in uranium extraction. Download cover

Dec. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 12

Download cover

Nov. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 11

Front Cover Story (See: Meiling Chen, Mengjie Yin, Yuetan Su, Ruizhe Li, Kezhou Liu, Zhongbiao Wu, Xiaole Weng, 2023, 17(11): 134)
Despite the large emission of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) into the atmosphere, the ultimate fate of these compounds remains largely unknown. Herein, we explore the photochemical conversion of chlorobenzene (CB) on mineral α-Fe2O3 particulates under atmospheric relevant conditions. A series of chamber reactions composed of the CB with/without SO2 or NO2 are performed, followed by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations. We show that CB can be considerably degraded by α-Fe2O3 under light irradiation, whereas the reaction is markedly suppressed by adding SO2 or NO2 owing to their competitive adsorption and surface acidification. In particular, we discover that CB can be ultimately converted into polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), suggesting a possible origin of atmospheric PCDD/Fs from this overlooked photochemical source. Download cover

Oct. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 10

Front Cover Story (See: Jing Xu, Jiong Cheng, Runtian He, Jiaqi Lu, Chunling Wang, Heng Zhong, Fangming Jin, 2023, 17(10): 127)
The mitigation of anthropogenic GHG emissions is at the forefront of climate change research, and CO2 utilization emerges as a pivotal solution. Particularly, the Biomass-based CO2 Utilization (BCU) offers the allure of potential negative emissions. This investigation delves into the BCU with an iron cycle system (BCU-Fe), designed to transform CO2 into formate via Fe under hydrothermal conditions, and subsequently regenerate Fe using biomass-derived glycerin. A holistic evaluation of this system's GHG reduction potential is presented, employing a rigorous combination of experimental techniques, simulations, and an ex-ante life-cycle assessment. Preliminary results signify the BCU-Fe system could achieve substantial GHG emission reduction. With optimal yields of formate at 66% and Fe recovery at 80%, the system achieves a GHG reduction potential of −34.03 kg CO2-eq/kg absorbed CO2 (−2.44 kg CO2-eq/kg circulated Fe). The introduced ex-ante evaluation approach underscores the BCU-Fe system's promise in climate change mitigation, while also acting as a reference framework for the assessment of nascent carbon-neutral technologies. Download cover

Sep. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 9

Front Cover Story (See: Xufang Wang, Dongli Guo, Jinna Zhang, Yuan Yao, Yanbiao Liu, 2023, 17(9): 106)
The presence of micropollutants in water bodies pose threaten to human health and advanced strategies are urgently needed to deal with this challenging issue. The usage of permanganate (KMnO4) to decompose micropollutants is a promising option, however, the poor reaction kinetics and low KMnO4 utilization efficiency yet to be resolved. Herein, we rationally designed a catalytic carbon nanotube (CNT) membrane for KMnO4 activation toward enhanced degradation of micropollutants. The proposed fluidic system outperformed conventional batch reactor owing to the improved mass transfer via convection and improved KMnO4 utilization. The underlying electron transfer mechanism was unveiled by integrating solid experimental evidences and theoretical calculations. The outcome of this study is dedicated to provide a viable and effective route for rapid decontamination of micropollutants from water. Download cover

Aug. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 8

Front Cover Story (See: Lihua Pang, Qianhui Lin, Shasha Zhao, Chenguang Li, Jing Zhang, Cuizhu Sun, Lingyun Chen, Fengmin Li 2023, 17(8): 94)
Microplastics and nanoplastics (MP/NPs) have been found in various food products, triggering concern about their health effects. However, the reliability of current data was unclear. Therefore, the data quality should be assessed before being incorporated into risk assessment of MP/NPs. This study developed criteria for the quality assessment of data on MP/NPs in food products. Accordingly, the reliability of related data records was assessed. On the basis, a quality assurance and quality control protocol for investigating MP/NPs in food products was proposed. Our findings can contribute to the health risk assessments of MP/NPs. Download cover

Jul. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 7

Front Cover Story (See: Hailong Yin, Yiyuan Lin, Huijin Zhang, Ruibin Wu, Zuxin Xu , 2023, 17(7): 85)
Water quality restoration in rivers requires identification of the locations and discharges of pollution sources, and a reliable mathematical model to cost-effectively accomplish this identification is essential. A hydrodynamic-Bayesian inference model was developed to inversely estimate pollution sources for both accidental preparedness and normal management of the allowable pollutant discharge. The proposed modeling is superior to solve high-dimensional optimization problems according to known river water levels at pre-set monitoring sites. Using this approach, the labor intensity to identify sewage outfalls is only 5%–7% of that based on a direct hydrologic survey. Download cover

Jun. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 6

Front Cover Story (See: Qian Li, Zhaoyang Hou, Xingyuan Huang, Shuming Yang, Jinfan Zhang, Jingwei Fu, Yu-You Li, Rong Chen, 2023, 17(6): 68)
Anaerobic membrane reactor (AnMBR) and partial nitrification/Anammox (PN/A) are promising energy-saving technologies for biogas recovery and nitrogen removal from sewage, respectively. The effluent of AnMBR highly matches PN/A needs to make their integration possible, however, information is still limited on AnMBR coupled with PN/A for mainstream sewage treatment. In this study, an AnMBR-PN/A system was developed to verify the feasibility of efficient methanation and subsequent chemolitrophic nitrogen removal, the succession of the microbial community and the variation of microbial activities under different HRTs were investigated, and the microbial mechanisms for the efficient performance of AnMBR-PN/A was elucidated, the findings provide a new pathway for sustainable sewage treatment.

May. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 5

Front Cover Story (See: Yujie Pan, Yalan Li, Hongxia Peng, Yiping Yang, Min Zeng, Yang Xie, Yao Lu, Hong Yuan, 2023, 17(5): 56)
Cadmium (Cd) received widespread attention owing to its persistent toxicity and non-degradability. However, the environmental factors influencing high urinary Cd levels (UCLs) in nearby residents of the Chinese non-ferrous mining area remain unclear. Therefore, 211 nearby residents’ UCLs and the corresponding sociological characteristics from nine groundwater samples in the study area were analyzed. This study systematically evaluated the relationship between groundwater Cd and UCL using internal and external environmental exposure data. These findings provide essential bases for relevant departments to reduce Cd exposure in regions where the heavy metal industry is globally prevalent.

Apr. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 4

Front Cover Story (See: Yiqun Cao, Qingxin Ma, Biwu Chu, Hong He, 2023, 17(4): 48) Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) play a central role in atmospheric chemistry, which are important precursors of photochemical smog, acid rain and haze pollution. The conversion of NOx to HNO3/nitrate has long been considered a permanent sink for NOx. However, recent studies have suggested that HNO3/nitrate, especially particulate nitrate, can be rapidly photolyzed to produce NOx, which is called renoxification (re-NOx-ification) process. This review summarizes recent advances in the fundamental understanding of the photolysis of nitrate/HNO3 under various atmospheric conditions, with a focus on mechanisms and key factors affecting the process. The atmospheric implications are also discussed and some future research is recommended.

Mar. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 3

Feb. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 2

Jan. 2023, Volume 17 Issue 1

Front Cover Story (See: Yujun Zhou, Qinghua Ji, Chengzhi Hu, Huijuan Liu, Jiuhui Qu, 2023, 17(1): 11) The development of highly efficient energy conversion technologies to extract energy from wastewater is urgently needed, especially in facing of increasing energy and environment burdens. In this study, we successfully fabricated a novel hybrid fuel cell with BiOCl-NH4PTA as photocatalyst. The polyoxometalate (NH4PTA) act as the acceptor of photoelectrons and could retard the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, which lead to superior photocatalytic degradation. By utilizing BiOCl-NH4PTA as photocatalysts and Pt/C air-cathode, we constructed an electron and mass transfer enhanced photocatalytic hybrid fuel cell with flow-through field (F-HFC). In this novel fuel cell, dyes and biomass could be directly degraded and stable power output could be obtained. We expect that the present work will promote the design of high-performance photocatalysts coupled with fuel cell system with flow-through field to provide a new solution to environmental treatment and energy recovery simultaneously.

Dec. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 12

Front Cover Story (See: Yunpeng Xing, Boyuan Xue, Yongshu Lin, Xueqi Wu, Fang Fang, Peishi Qi, Jinsong Guo, Xiaohong Zhou, 2022, 16(12): 155) Due to the low cost, high versatility, easy miniaturization, and widespread ownership of cellphones, colorimetric analysis technologies for the commercial cellphone platform have got wide attention in in-field rapid environmental monitoring. This work demonstrates a cellphone-based colorimetric multi-channel sensor to detect multiple environmental contaminants simultaneously with high sensitivity and stability. To improve the sensitivity of the sensor, a delicate optical path system was created by using a diffraction grating to split six white beams transmitting through the multiple-colored samples, which allows the cellphone CMOS camera to capture the diffracted light for image analysis. The proposed sensor is a universal colorimetric detection platform for a variety of environmental contaminants with the colorimetry assay in the range of 400-700 nm. As a successful proof-of-concept, the sensor was used to detect turbidity, ammonia nitrogen, orthophosphate, and three heavy metals simultaneously with high sensitivity and reliability. The miniature sensor demonstrated in-field sensing ability in environmental monitoring, which can be extended to point-of-care diagnosis and food safety control.

Nov. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 11

Front Cover Story (See: Juan Liu, Guanjun Xu, Xuejun Ruan, Kejian Li, Liwu Zhang, 2022, 16(11): 143) Microplastics have been widely found in the environment and considered to be a new pollutant. Besides, microplastics are constantly degraded in the environment and then form smaller microplastics and even nanoplastics, which may pose greater potential risks. However, the difficulty in detection of smaller microplastics also increases greatly. Therefore, we developed a SERS substrate based on an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) template with a special V-shaped nanopore array. The V-shaped AAO template was deposited Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) by magnetron sputtering or ion sputtering, and then AuNPs@V-shaped AAO SERS substrate was evaluated through the detection of polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate microspheres. Results indicated that individual polystyrene sphere with a diameter of 1 μm can be well detected, and the maximum enhancement factor can reach 20. In addition, ambient atmospheric samples were collected and tested to verify the effectiveness of the AuNPs@V-shaped AAO SERS substrate in the real environment. This study provides a rapid, economic and simple method for detecting and identifying microplastics with small size.

Oct. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 10

Front Cover Story (See: Heidelore Fiedler, Mohammad Sadiaa, Thomas Krauss, Abeer Baabish, Leo W.Y. Yeung, 2022, 16(10): 132) Applying a well-established protocol to assess persistent organic pollutants (POPs), human milk samples – as national pools – were analyzed for perfluoroalkane substances (PFAS), which are emerging contaminants. In 101 samples consisting of 86 national pools and 15 pools from States in Brazil obtained between 2008 and 2019, perfluorooctane carboxylic acid (PFOA) was present in all samples, followed by perfluorosulfonic acid (92 % detection frequency); PFHxS was detected in only 17 % of the national pools. Other PFAS had either low detection frequencies and median values of zero (carboxylic acids C4–C11; except PFOA) or could not be quantified in any sample (sulfonic acids, C4–C10, and long-chain carboxylic acids, C12–C14). Whereas median values were almost identical (18.9 pg/g f.w. for PFOS; 18.6 pg/g f.w. for PFOA), PFOS showed larger ranges (< 6.2–212 pg/g f.w.) than PFOA (< 6.2–63.4 pg/g f.w.) and also had the highest value measured in all samples. For the relatively short period where samples were available, no time trends could be established. Using the World Bank classification (WBC), it was shown that wealthier countries (high income) had higher PFOA concentrations than poorer countries (low income countries).

Sep. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 9

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are municipal facilities where water and energy are highly interconnected. They remove pollutants from the sewage while large amounts of energy are consumed with greenhouse gases emitted. Thus, energy neutrality potential (ENP) is a critical indicator to represent the conversion situation of water and energy in WWTPs. This study proposed a novel framework to evaluate the ENP through the combination of comprehensive water-energy efficiency (dimensionless) and energy self-sufficiency (%) of WWTPs. The efficiency of wastewater treatment was quantified and energy recovery potentials in terms of chemical and thermal energy were estimated. The framework was applied to 970 WWTP samples in Yangtze River Economic Belt region in China. To categorize the ENP levels, the critical value of comprehensive water-energy efficiency was 0.544, while that of energy self-sufficiency was 67.26%. The results can provide guidance for optimizing the energy efficiency and recovery of WWTPs to realize the neutrality. The framework could also be suitable for WWTPs in other regions worldwide.

Aug. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 8

Front Cover Story (see: Shuyi Wang, Xiang Qi, Yong Jiang, Panpan Liu, Wen Hao, Jinbin Han, Peng Liang, 2022, 16(8): 97) An electroactive biofilm (EAB)-based biosensor uses whole cells as sensitive element and is a comprehensive early-warning biosensor for water quality which delivers urgently alert for composite pollutants. Antibiotic that is employed widely to treat infection has been proved feasible in this study to regulate the EAB and to increase the EAB-biosensor’s sensitivity. A novel composite electrode was prepared using azithromycin (AZM) and graphite powder (GP), namely AZM@GP electrode, and was employed as the anode in EAB-biosensor. EAB-biosensor was greatly benefited from appropriate dosage of AZM (0.5% AZM@GP) with reduced start-up time period, comparatively higher voltage output, more readable electrical signal and increased inhibition rate (30%–65% higher than control sensor with GP electrode) when exposing to toxic formaldehyde. This may be attributed to the fact that AZM inhibited the growth of non-EAM without much influence on the physiologic or metabolism activities of EAM under proper dosage. This novel electrode is easily fabricated and equipped, and therefore would be a promising way to facilitate the practical application of EAB-sensors.

Jul. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 7

Jun. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 6

Halobenzoquinones (HBQs) are not only emerging disinfection by-products (DBPs), but also precursors of other DBPs such as trihalomethanes (THMs). UV irradiation is increasingly combined with chlorine disinfection technology for treatment of drinking water, swimming pool water and wastewater, which may affect DBP formation and thus pose implications to public health and the environment. Herein, this study identified the mechanism for the promoting roles of UV irradiation and hydroxylation of HBQs play in the formation of THM DBPs by using experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. UV could significantly enhance the hydroxylation of dichlorobenzoquinone (DCBQ) and the formation of chloroform (CHCl3) by almost 10 times, mainly due to the production of OH-DCBQ*. The excited DCBQ* by UV could benefit nucleophilic hydrolysis to produce OH-DCBQ*, which favored electrophilic attack by chlorine, thereby inducing more THMs formation. Hydroxylation of tetrachlorobenzoquinone (TCBQ) and UV irradiation were both important in promoting THMs formation due to the high electrophilic ability of OH-TCBQ and TCBQ*. This work suggested that enhanced formation of THMs from HBQs should be considered in the application of combined UV and chlorine processes.

May. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 5

The Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science (CAPEES) (www.capees.org) was established in 2007 by pioneering and visionary Chinese American professors. Through 15 years of growth, CAPEES has become the largest academic association of Chinese scholars in environmental engineering and science outside of China. To highlight the frontier research by our members, CAPEES is pleased to launch the first virtual special issue (VSI) in FESE. This VSI has been exclusively managed by CAPEES members, and it will be open continuously as a VSI to publish papers from CAPEES members. We have successfully garnered a collection of research articles that address a range of topics in the EES realm so far, which are original research or review articles, laboratory- / field sampling-based studies or in-silico modeling studies, and new insights into more traditional processes using novel methodologies or leading-edge technologies for pollutants removal. The authors are from institutions in North America, Europe, and Asia. This VSI offers a very good showcase for the diverse research strengths and geo-distribution of CAPEES members. We hope this VSI will serve as a token to evoke the appreciation of international collaboration for environmental challenges and evinces the aspiration of researchers for such collaboration.

Apr. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 4

Front Cover Story (see: Tingwei Gao, Kang Xiao, Jiao Zhang, Wenchao Xue, Chunhai Wei, Xiaoping Zhang, Shuai Liang, Xiaomao Wang, Xia Huang, 2022, 16(4): 49)
Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is a rapidly developing technology for wastewater treatment and there is always controversy about the pros and cons of MBR when compared with the conventional activated sludge (CAS) process. It is of vital importance to conduct a thorough assessment of MBR versus CAS both economically and environmentally. This study compares the techno-economy of 20 large-scale wastewater treatment plants before and after retrofitting from CAS to MBR. By quantifying the operating cost and environmental benefit via cost-benefit analysis, it is demonstrated that the average net profit increased remarkably from 19.4 to 24.4 yuan/m3 after the retrofitting. Data envelopment analysis shows that the average cost efficiency improved from 0.70 to 0.73 after the retrofitting. Extended modeling reveals close dependence of techno-economy on effluent standard. MBR has greater techno-economic advantages than CAS in cases of strict effluent standards and pollutant-sensitive destinations. Download cover

Mar. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 3

Front Cover Story (see: Feng Hou, Ting Zhang , Yongzhen Peng, Xiaoxin Cao, Hongtao Pang, Yanqing Shao, Xianchun Lu, Ju Yuan, Xi Chen，Jin Zhang, 2022, 16(3): 33)
It is of great theoretical and practical value to develop land saving biochemical process and main stream anammox process to achieve land saving, energy saving and advanced nitrogen removal in municipal wastewater treatment and reuse. Herein, a full-scale biofilm process which named HBR was developed and operated in this study. The bacterial community analysis demonstrated that anammox were enriched in the anoxic zone of the reactor. The percentage abundance of Candidatus_Brocadia in the total bacterial community of the anoxic zone increased from 0% in day 1 to 2.89% in day 213. Resulting from the activity of anammox bacteria, the removal of NH₄⁺-N in the anoxic zone was ~15%. Download cover

Feb. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 2

Front Cover Story (see: Shansi Wang, Siwei Li, Jia Xing, Jie Yang, Jiaxin Dong, Yu Qin, Shovan Kumar Sahu, 2022, 16(2): 26)
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), as a large-scale ocean-atmosphere interaction originating from the tropical Pacific Ocean, produces anomalous atmospheric circulation and exerts significant impacts on climate of low-middle latitude through teleconnection, thus modulates the air quality over China. However, such influence has not been well evaluated at a long-term historical scale, especially in southern China. To filling the gap, this study investigated two-decade (2002 to 2020) aerosol concentration and particle size from satellite observation during the whole dynamic development of ENSO phases. Our study highlights the dynamic development phases of ENSO and its influence on southern China, which displays clean air quality and large aerosol particle size during El Niño events. In contrast, polluted air and small particle occur in La Niña episodes. This study also demonstrates that ENSO exerts large impact on (70.5%) short-term annual variations of aerosol concentration while anthropogenic emissions dominate (64.2%) the trend of long-term (decadal) change.

Jan. 2022, Volume 16 Issue 1

Front Cover Story (see: Shengdong Liu, Enxiang Shang, Jingnan Liu, Yining Wang, Nanthi Bolan, M.B. Kirkham, Yang Li, 2022, 16(1): 8)
The growing production and consumption of plastic products over the past decades, leading to the accumulation of plastic in environmental matrixes, including freshwater, ocean, terrestrial and atmospheric systems. Once these plastic products are discharged into the natural environment, large particles may be fractured, weathered, or degraded into microplastics (MPs, diameter smaller than 5 mm) via biodegradation, physical and chemical weathering processes. However, understanding the fate and toxicity of microplastics is limited by quantification methods. A number of instruments have been applied to characterize MPs such as Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. But all the above methods require expensive instruments, experienced operators, time-consuming pretreatment processes, and complex data analysis. In view of this, our study highlights the development of fluorescence staining and quantification methods for MPs, which provide a straightforward, cheap and reliable techniques for the study of abundance and fate of MPs in the environment. Download cover

Dec. 2021, Volume 15 Issue 6

Front Cover Story (see: Noshan Bhattarai, Shuxiao Wang, Yuepeng Pan, Qingcheng Xu, Yanlin Zhang, Yunhua Chang, Yunting Fang, 2021, 15(6): 126)
Atmospheric ammonia (NH₃) is the most abundant alkaline substances in the atmosphere while aerosol ammonium (NH₄⁺) constitutes a majority of the inorganic cation concentration in total PM_2.5 mass (particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter below 2.5 µm). Despite the role of NH₃ in contributing to secondary aerosol formation, it is largely unregulated pollutant in many regions of the world including China and the USA. In light of this, number of studies suggested that fossil fuel related sources may be an important source of NH₄⁺ and NH₃ in urban atmosphere in China based on source apportionment of nitrogen isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N) in NH₄⁺ and NH₃, respectively. However, there is no consensus on whether non-agricultural sources (including fossil-fuel sources) or agricultural sources (livestock waste and fertilizer use) are main contributor to ambient NH₄⁺ and NH₃ in urban atmosphere based on previous findings. In view of this, our study highlights the uncertainties in the current approach of isotope-based source apportionment of NH₄⁺ and NH₃, and hence the suggestions to reduce the uncertainties are provided. Download cover

Oct. 2021, Volume 15 Issue 5

Front Cover Story (see: Shuchang Wang, Binbin Shao, Junlian Qiao, Xiaohong Guan, 2021, 15(5): 80)
The past two decades have witnessed the rapid development and wide application of Fe(VI) in the field of water de-contamination because of its environmentally benign character. Fe(VI) has been mainly applied as a highly efficient oxidant/disinfectant for the selective elimination of contaminants. The in situ generated iron(III) (hydr)oxides with the function of adsorption/coagulation can further increase the removal of contaminants by Fe(VI) in some cases. Because of the limitations of Fe(VI) per se, various modified methods have been developed to improve the performance of Fe(VI) oxidation technology. Based on the published literature, this paper summarized the current views on the intrinsic properties of Fe(VI) with the emphasis on the self-decay mechanism of Fe(VI). The applications of Fe(VI) as a sole oxidant for decomposing organic contaminants rich in electron-donating moieties, as a bi-functional reagent (both oxidant and coagulant) for eliminating some special contaminants, and as a disinfectant for inactivating microorganisms were systematically summarized. Moreover, the difficulties in synthesizing and preserving Fe(VI), which limits the large-scale application of Fe(VI), and the potential formation of toxic byproducts during Fe(VI) application were presented. This paper also systematically reviewed the important nodes in developing methods to improve the performance of Fe(VI) as oxidant or disinfectant in the past two decades, and proposed the future research needs for the development of Fe(VI) technologies. Download cover

Aug. 2021, Volume 15 Issue 4

Front Cover Story (see: Yuxin Li, Jiayin Ling, Pengcheng Chen, Jinliang Chen, Ruizhi Dai, Jinsong Liao, Jiejing Yu, Yanbin Xu, 2021, 15(4): 57)
The livestock and poultry industry is very important for national life, supporting the policies of people’s livelihood and economic development. Pollutants from livestock and poultry has become the source of pollution over industrial pollution, which aggravated non-point pollution in rural area and might increase water shortage, and more serious rigid discharging standards were urgent. To prevent the environmental harm caused by livestock and poultry breeding pollution, in recent years, scale production of livestock and poultry breeding and its wastewater treatment techniques developed rapidly. The biological process combining anoxic fermentation and AO has become the mainstream, but nitrogen removal was blocked for the water quality reason of much hard biodegradable macromolecular and low carbon:nitrogen ratios. This research focused on the problems of nitrate accumulation and incomplete denitrification that often occurred in above process. An isolate Pseudomonas mendocina LYX was isolated and inoculated into aerobic tank, removing nitrate effectively under aerobic conditions, which was a good way to replenish the heterotrophic anaerobic denitrification and overcome water quality limitations. The denitrification pathway and principle of this strain also be analyzed by gene amplification and ¹⁵N tracing technique, which could provide a theoretical basis for the application of this strain in resolving the problem of nitrate accumulation of wastewater treatment. Download cover

Jun. 2021, Volume 15 Issue 3

Front Cover Story (see: Jinbiao Ma, Manman Du, Can Wang, Xinwu Xie, Hao Wang, Qian Zhang，2021, 15(3): 47)
According to the legend, the Monkey King was forged in the gossip furnace of the very high lord for forty-nine days, and he developed a pair of golden eyes, which can penetrate the truth of things and distinguish many monsters. Nowadays, human beings are facing the threat of various infectious diseases caused by bioaerosol. The biosensor can detect bioaerosol sensitively and quickly, just like contemporary golden eyes, which protects people's safety. As an interdisciplinary field, biosensors have successfully introduced a variety of technologies for bio-detection. Given their fast analysis speed, high sensitivity, good portability, strong specificity, and low cost, biosensors have been widely used in environmental monitoring, medical research, food and agricultural safety, military medicine and other fields. In recent years, the performance of biosensors has greatly improved, becoming a promising technology for bioaerosol detection. This review introduces the detection principle of biosensors from the three aspects of component identification, energy conversion principle, and signal amplification. It also summarizes its research and application in bioaerosol detection. The new progress and future development trend of the biosensor detection of bioaerosol are analyzed. Download cover

Apr. 2021, Volume 15 Issue 2

Download cover Download table of contents

Feb. 2021, Volume 15 Issue 1

Demand for water is expanding with increases in population, particularly in urban areas in developing countries. Moreover, urban water system needs a novel perspective for upgradation with urbanization. We present a novel 5R approach for managing urban water resources: Recover (storm water), Reduce (toilet flushing water), Recycle (gray water), Resource (black water), and  Reuse (advanced-treated wastewater). This 5R generation incorporates the latest ideas for harvesting storm water, gray water, and black water in its several forms. We have briefly demonstrated each R of 5R generation for water treatment and reuse. China has the chance to upgrade its urban water systems according to 5R principles. Already, a demonstration project of 5R generation has been installed in Qingdao International Horticultural Exposition, and Dalian International Convention Center (China) has applied 5R, achieving over 70% water saving. The 5R offers promise for moving solutions for urban water scarcity from “hoped for in the future” to “realistic today”.
Front Cover Story (see: Lijie Zhou, Hongwu Wang, Zhiqiang Zhang, Jian Zhang, Hongbin Chen, Xuejun Bi, Xiaohu Dai, Siqing Xia, Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, Bruce E. Rittmann, 2021, 15(1): 16) Download cover Download table of contents

Dec. 2020, Volume 14 Issue 6

Microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as a new class of emerging contaminants in recent years. They not only directly impact aquatic organisms, but also indirectly impact these organisms by interacting with background toxins in the environment. Moreover, under realistic environmental conditions, algae, a natural food for aquatic organisms, may alter the toxicity pattern related to MPs. In this research, we first examined the toxicity of MPs alone, and their effect on the toxicity of lead (Pb) on Ceriodaphnia dubia (C. dubia), a model aquatic organism for toxicity survey. Then, we investigated the effect of algae on the combined toxicity of MPs and Pb. We observed that, MPs significantly increased Pb toxicity, which was related to the increase in soluble Pb concentration and the intake of Pb-loaded MPs, both of which increased the accumulation of Pb in C. dubia. The presence of algae mitigated the combined toxicity of MPs and Pb through mechanisms other than Pb accumulation.
(see: Xuesong Liu & Jianmin Wang, 2020, 14(6): 97)

Oct. 2020, Volume 14 Issue 5

This Special Issue, Accounts of Environmental Chemistry and Technology Research, is FESE’s first attempt for account articles. Account articles summarize the achievements of a research group and further extend the discussion with closely related literature. Because a comprehensive review of a large number of publications is not needed, account articles provide a concise, focused, and in-depth discussion of specific research topics. The authors can reorganize their research story, include additional data, and express novel opinions.
This Issue contains 15 contributions describing recent developments in the chemistry, technology, and process for water pollutant removal. The topics of these contributions are displayed on the cover art. Comments and suggestions are welcome for the Journal to plan for the next Special Issue to cover more topics in Environmental Science and Engineering. We expect that more excellent account articles will appear on the extending paper rolls.
Front Cover Story (See the Preface by Liu, Wang, and Wei)

Aug. 2020, Volume 14 Issue 4

Front Cover Story (see: Xinjie Wang, Yang Li, Jian Zhao, Hong Yao, Siqi Chu, Zimu Song, Zongxian He, Wen Zhang, 2020, 14: 56)
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of Gram-negative prokaryotes that respond to the geomagnetic field. This unique property is attributed to the biosynthesis of magnetic nanoparticles within MTB’s magnetosomes, an intracellular organelle with magnetic iron-bearing nanocrystals. This review summarizes the most recent studies on different aspects of MTB including the characterization of magnetosomes and applications of the environmental pollutant control or remediation. The morphologic and phylogenetic diversity of MTB are introduced with a review of isolation and cultivation methods. MTB as adsorbents enable magnetic separation for removal of heavy metals, radionuclides, or organic pollutants in wastewater. In addition, the removal of other pollutants such as phosphate and pathogen as well as detection of endocrine disruptors are also highlighted. Finally, the new research perspectives and directions are recommended, such as efficient isolation, genetic modification of MTB for mass production and novel environmental applications.

Jun. 2020, Volume 14 Issue 3

Front Cover Story (see: Feng Zhu, Zhijian Yao, Wenliang Ji, Deye Liu, Hao Zhang, Aimin Li, Zongli Huo, Qing Zhou, 2020, 14(3): 51)
Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is one of the most commonly used technique for aqueous sample preconcentration, especially for tracing organic pollutants (e.g. pharmaceuticals and personal care products, PPCPs). However, the diversity of PPCPs proposes high demand for the compatibility of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of the SPE adsorbents. In this study, a new hydrophilic resin with good compatibility was successfully synthesized based on poly (N-vinyl pyrrolidone-divinylbenzene). This resin, named GCHM, was used for SPE packing. Subsequently, 44 representative PPCPs (10 classes) in complex environmental matrix were detected to evaluate the absolute recovery of two SPE cartridges (GCHM and Oasis® HLB) by UPLC-MS/MS. Twenty-one PPCPs with absolute recoveries ranging from 80% to 120% were detected using GCHM, while there were only 14 PPCPs detected for Oasis® HLB. The average absolute recovery of 44 PPCPs was 75.6% using GCHM, indicating a better performance than the commercial Oasis® HLB under optimal conditions.

Apr. 2020, Volume 14 Issue 2

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is inextricably connected to the physical processes, chemical reactions, and biological activities of membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. Monitoring DOM characteristics would provide extensive implications for understanding and optimization of MBRs. To this end, the excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy has emerged as a potentially rapid, convenient, sensitive, and informative tool for DOM characterization. Herein, this review systematically introduces the recent progress in applying EEM to MBR studies, covering the aspects of: (a) the spectroscopic principles, experimental measurement methods, and data handling techniques of EEM; (b) the molecular information extractable from EEM in terms of fluorescence peak location/intensity, wavelength regional distribution, and spectral decomposition; (c) novel fluorescent indicators such as quantum yield, Stokes shift, excited energy state, and fluorescence lifetime; and (d) how the EEM information/indicators can be used to reflect the chemical compositions, physiochemical properties, biological activities, membrane retention/fouling behaviors, and migration/transformation fates of DOM in MBRs. The future development of EEM for DOM monitoring is also critically discussed.

Feb. 2020, Volume 14 Issue 1

This article explains the adsorption, uptake and transmembrane transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by bacteria; the regulation of membrane protein function during the transmembrane transport; and the proteomics and single cell analysis technology used to address these areas of research. There are three different regulation mechanisms for uptake, depending on the state and size of the oil droplets relative to the size of the microbial cells, which are (i) direct adhesion, (ii) emulsification and pseudosolubilization, and (iii) interfacial uptake. This article gives a detailed introduction to its process. There are two main transmembrane transport modes are introduced, which are active transport and (ii) passive uptake. Active transport is a very important form of transmembrane transport, and this cover shows just such a process. Active transport has the following four characteristics: it can be transported against the concentration gradient; it requires energy or is coupled with the process of releasing energy; it needs to rely on membrane transport proteins; and it is selective and specific.

Dec. 2019, Volume 13 Issue 6

The unprecedented double pressures of environmental pollution and resource deficiency and the growing innovation ability in China together are now driving a fundamental change in the wastewater treatment paradigm in this country. Despite of rapid development over the past 40 years, China’s wastewater sector has been following the development mode of many industrialized countries and is still struggling to balance the ever-stringent discharge standard and the intensifying energy consumption and cost. This mini-review summarizes these remaining hurdles and provides a rethinking about the future development direction for China’s wastewater sector and the needed efforts. It is envisaged that the next-generation wastewater management paradigm in China may go beyond wastewater treatment plants, and rely on the construction of an integrated system that aims at achieving sustainable water quality, maximized energy and resource recovery, and harmonious water ecology.
Cover story (see: Jiuhui Qu, Hongchen Wang, Kaijun Wang, Gang Yu, Bing Ke, Han-Qing Yu, Hongqiang Ren, Xingcan Zheng, Ji Li, Wen-Wei Li, Song Gao, Hui Gong, 2019, 13(6): 88)

Oct. 2019, Volume 13 Issue 5

Production of sulfate radical via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation by carbon-based nanomaterials has emerged as a promising technology for organic pollutants degradation due to its excellent catalytic potential and environmentally benign properties. However, the electron-donating capability of current carbon materials, which is critical in PMS activation, is still limited. This article describes an UV-light assisted PMS activation system constructed over TiO₂-CNT composite. Under the UV light irradiation, the photoinduced electrons generated from TiO₂ could be continuously transferred to the CNT for the activation of PMS to improve the catalytic performance of organic pollutant degradation. Meanwhile, the separation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs could enhance the photocatalysis efficiency. The electron spin resonance spectroscopy and quenching experiments confirmed the generation of sulfate radical, hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen in the system. Almost 100% phenol degradation was observed within 20 min, and the kinetic rate constant of the UV/PMS/20%CNT-TiO₂ system (0.18 min^-1) was 23.7 times that of the PMS/Co₃O₄ system under same conditions.

Aug. 2019, Volume 13 Issue 4

The shale oil and gas exploitation consumes substantial amounts of freshwater and generates large quantities of hazardous wastewater. Despite their success in shale oil and gas wastewater treatment at the laboratory scale, membrane technologies have not been implemented at full scale in the oil and gas fields. This article analyzes the growing demands of wastewater treatment in shale oil and gas production, and critically reviews the current stage of membrane technologies applied to shale oil and gas wastewater treatment. The authors focus on the unique niche of those technologies due to their advantages and limitations, and highlight the importance of pretreatment as a key component of integrated treatment trains. They emphasize the lack of sufficient efforts to scale up existing membrane technologies, and suggest that a stronger collaboration between academia and industry is of paramount importance to translate membrane technologies to the practical applications in the shale oil and gas industry.
Cover story (see: Tiezheng Tong, Kenneth H. Carlson, Cristian A. Robbins, Zuoyou Zhang & Xuewei Du, 2019, 13(4): 63)

Jun. 2019, Volume 13 Issue 3

Discharge of treated sewage and water using only conventional disinfectants may not prevent the release of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment, which have profound consequences to human health. The ultraviolet (UV) technology has been applied in treatment processes, but may not be able to effectively treat ARGs, especially at UV doses used for disinfection. However, the UV technology in conjunction with known oxidants (chlorine, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), peroxymonosulfate (PMS), and photocatalysts) is reasonably efficient to degrade/inactivate ARGs. The increased efficiency is because of generation of highly reactive species such as Cl^●, ClO^●, Cl2^●-, ^●OH, and SO4^●-, which are highly reactive with constituents of cell like deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). This review gives current knowledge on the combined technologies of UV and oxidants, followed by the applications of q-PCR and gel electrophoresis approaches to elucidate the fate of ARGs during their treatments.

Apr. 2019, Volume 13 Issue 2

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from the waste treatment facilities are the major cause for NMBY due to their odorous property and hazard to human health. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology is newly developed methods which has attached great attention for abatement of industrial wastewater and air pollution. Review on recent progress of plasma technology, mainly focus on the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for abatement of VOCs is conducted. The contents include the effect of configurations (electrode, discharge gap, dielectric barrier material) and process parameters (initial concentration, gas feeding rate, oxygen content and input power) of DBD system on VOCs removal efficiency. Moreover, the roles of catalysis and inhibitors in VOCs removal with DBD reactor are discussed. A further development is pointed with regard to increasing conversion efficiency as well as avoiding byproducts formation such as solid residue deposition.
(see: Wenjing Lu, Yawar Abbas, Muhammad Farooq Mustafa, Chao Pan & Hongtao Wang, 2019, 13(2): 30)

Feb. 2019, Volume 13 Issue 1

Exposure to ambient PM_2.5 and its constituents has led to millions of premature death globally. The exposure mainly occurs indoors where people spend over 80% of their time. To better understand health effects of PM_2.5 and control indoor PM_2.5 exposure, the first step is to accurately characterize indoor PM_2.5 and constituents concentrations of outdoor origin. This feature article addresses this from both modeling and measurement perspectives. The key factors in models are air exchange rate, particle penetration factor, and deposition rate. A meta-analysis of measurement data in the past decade shows that sulfate could trace non-volatile species (EC, Fe, Cu, and Mn) and even PM_2.5 itself. The indoor-outdoor relationships of semi-volatile species (nitrate, ammonium, and organics) are more complex than those of non-volatile species, especially organics. Future studies on this issue are suggested to help constructing healthy buildings.
(see: Cong Liu & Yinping Zhang, 2019, 13(1): 5)

Dec. 2018, Volume 12 Issue 5

Heterogeneous photocatalysis has long been considered to be one of the most promising approaches to tackling the myriad environmental issues. In recent years, semiconductor-based heterogeneous photocatalysis as an advanced oxidation process (AOP) has garnered considerable research interest among various reported techniques and has been extensively explored for the abatement of various organic or inorganic contaminants in water or air under artificial or natural light illumination under ambient conditions. Therefore, it is of particular importance to exploit highly active, selective and durable earth-abundant photocatalysts and deeply understand their underlying photocatalytic degradation mechanisms. However, previous reviews have frequently neglected and placed less emphasis on these crucial principles of photocatalytic degradation reactions. In this review, we first systematically introduced the fundamental principles on the photocatalytic pollutant degradation. Then, the important considerations in the design of photocatalytic degradation systems are carefully addressed, including charge carrier dynamics, catalytic selectivity, photocatalyst stability, pollutant adsorption and photodegradation kinetics. Especially, the underlying mechanisms are thoroughly reviewed, including investigation of oxygen reduction properties and identification of reactive oxygen species and key intermediates. This review in environmental photocatalysis may inspire exciting new directions and methods for designing, fabricating and evaluating photocatalytic degradation systems for better environmental remediation and possibly other relevant fields, such as photocatalytic disinfection, water oxidation, and selective organic transformations.

Aug. 2018, Volume 12 Issue 6

Polychlorinated biphenyls, hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene are listed in the Stockholm Convention Annex C as unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). They can be unintentionally formed and released during various industrial and daily life processes. Since China is a party to the Stockholm Convention, China is required to identify and quantify the releases of them, and develop action plans to minimize or eliminate them. To this end, the first step is to overview their potential sources and activities on national level. The three chemicals have similar forming mechanism as dioxin. Therefore, thermal processes, such as waste incineration and ferrous and non-ferrous metal production are with high potential of emission. Organochlorine industry is another important source, and some even have the highest release potential. Based on the overview, the national release inventories of the three unintentional POPs of China will be developed in the near future.
(see: Xiaotu Liu, Heidelore Fiedler, Wenwen Gong, Bin Wang, Gang Yu, 2018, 12(6): 1)

Aug. 2018, Volume 12 Issue 4

Wastewater contains many valuable resources such as energy, nutrient, and water, and recovery of those resources will make wastewater management more sustainable. In recent years, there has been a trend to transform the theme of wastewater management from “treatment” to “recovery”. Development of new technologies will help accomplish resource recovery from wastewater. Among the newly developed technologies, bioelectrochemical systems have attracted a great amount of attention and been advanced in the aspects of system configuration, electrode materials and catalysts, microbiology, and electrochemistry. A potentially feasible way to further develop bioelectrochemical systems is to identify appropriate application niches. In particular, the interaction between microorganisms and solid electron acceptors/donors in a bioelectrochemical system can facilitate the recovery of energy (either direct electricity or gaseous energy), nutrients (both nitrogen and phosphorus), and high quality water for reuse. Using resource recovery – based functions to advance bioelectrochemical systems will better guide the investment of efforts.

Jun. 2018, Volume 12 Issue 3

The world is facing several challenges in the future. Due to world over-population and intensive use of the world’s resources, severe threats have been recognized. Threats such as climate changes, depletion of the planet resources has drawn immense attention on renewable energy. Biogas process has been recognized as a reliable and sustainable way of helping out these challenges. The biogas process has been known and applied for hundreds of years mainly for domestic needs such as cooking, heating and the most recent years for combined heat and electricity production. Biogas has been the most appropriate technology for bioconversion of slurries and wastewaters. Nowadays, biogas process is applied as a modern technology not only for bioenergy production but also for smart nutrients recycling technology. Technologies for upgrading biogas to biomethane and higher chemicals are trending the development leading to advanced solutions within the frame of circular bioeconomy.

Apr. 2018, Volume 12 Issue 2

Biochar (BC) is a potential material for removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil and water, and base modification is a promising method for improving its sorption ability. In this study, we synthesized a series of base-modified biochars, and evaluated their sorption of phenanthrene. Original biochars were produced by pyrolysis of three feedstocks (rice straw, wood and bamboo) at five temperatures (300, 350, 400, 500 and 700 °C). Base-modified biochars were further obtained by washing of biochars with base solution. The base soluble carbon (SC) was extracted from the supernatant, which were only obtained from biochars pyrolyzed at low temperatures (< 500 °C) and the content was decreased with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. The SC content between different feedstocks followed the trend of rice straw > wood > bamboo when same pyrolysis conditions were applied. It was found that base modification improved the sorption of phenanthrene on biochars that SC could be extracted from (extractable-BCs). However, base treatment but had limited effects for biochars that no SC could be extracted from. It suggested that base modification improved the sorption of phenanthrene to extractable-BCs by removing the SC and thus increasing the surface area and hydrophobicity. Therefore, base modification was suggested to be used in modifying extractable-BCs.

Feb. 2018, Volume 12 Issue 1

Wet air oxidation (WAO) and catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) are efficient processes to degrade organic pollutants in water. In this paper, the influence of different reaction parameters in WAO, such as temperature, oxygen pressure, pH, stirring speed are analyzed in detail. Homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts including carbon materials, transitional metal oxides and noble metals are extensively discussed in CWAO. Three different kinds of the reactor in the CWAO (autoclave, packed bed and membrane reactors) are illustrated and compared. To enhance the degradation efficiency and reduce the cost of the CWAO process, biological degradation can be combined to develop an integrated technology.

Dec. 2017, Volume 11 Issue 6

Silicon(Si) is a widely applied photovoltage material in solar energy harvesting. However, the spontaneous oxidation process of pristine Si limits its application as photocatalyst or electrode in aqueous solution or moist air. Covering a protection layer on Si surface is an effective approach to overcome this disadvantage. In this paper, α-Fe₂O₃ is demonstrated to be an excellent alternative as a protection material. Compared with Si itself, the optical absorption and photocurrent density of α-Fe₂O₃ coated Si improved 2 times and 4 times, respectively, and its onset potential for hydrogen evolution moved positively about 0.4 V. These improved performances could be ascribed to the enhanced photogenerated-charge-separation efficiency deriving from built-in electric field at the interface between Si and α-Fe₂O₃. In this work, the application of Si materials as photocatalysts or electrodes in aqueous solution or moist air can be promoted. This could be further beneficial to utilizing in solar water splitting to produce hydrogen, CO₂ reduction and pollutants degradation (e.g. dehalogenation).

Oct. 2017, Volume 11 Issue 5

See Mengmeng Wang, Quanyin Tan, Joseph F. Chiang & Jinhui Li, 2017, 11(5): 1 for more information http://journal.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-017-0963-1.

Aug. 2017, Volume 11 Issue 4

Cover story (see: Nanqi Ren, Qian Wang, Qiuru Wang, Hong Huang& Xiuheng Wang, 2017, 11(4):9)
Facing the pressure of excessive water consumption, high pollution load and rainstorm waterlogging, linear and centralized urban water system, system 2.0, as well as traditional governance measures gradually exposed characters of water-sensitivity, vulnerability and unsustainability, subsequently resulting in a full-blown crisis of water shortage, water pollution and waterlogging. To systematically relieve such crisis, in this work we put forward to establish urban water system 3.0, in which decentralized sewerage systems, sponge infrastructures and ecological rivers play critical roles. Through unconventional water resource recycling, whole process control of pollutions and ecological restoration, system 3.0 with integrated management measures, is expected to fit for multiple purposes which involve environmental, ecological, economic and social benefits. With advantages of flexibility, resilience and sustainability, water system 3.0 will show an increasingly powerful vitality in the near future.

Jun. 2017, Volume 11 Issue 3

see: Conor Dennehy, Peadar G. Lawlor, Yan Jiang, Gillian E. Gardiner, Sihuang Xie, Long D Nghiem & Xinmin Zhan, 2017, 11(3): 11
Manure management is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions from pig farming, which in turn accounts for 18% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector. N2O and CH4 are emitted from individual pig manure management practices including manure storage, land application, solid/liquid separation, anaerobic digestion, composting and wastewater treatment. Greenhouse gas emission can be reduced by changing and optimising these practices. There is a need to standardize units used to report GHG emissions, and to conduct detailed life cycle assessment of the whole pig manure management chain. Anaerobic digestion and compositing to liquid and solid fractions are best pig manure management practices with respect to their high greenhouse gas mitigation potential

Apr. 2017, Volume 11 Issue 2

Aromatics-contaminated soil is of particular environmental concern as it exhibits carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Bioremediation, a biological approach for the removal of soil contaminants, has several advantages over traditional soil remediation methodologies. Bioaugmentation is a widely applied bioremediation technology for soil remediation, defined as the introduction of specific competent strains or consortia of microorganisms. A number of reports have been published on the metabolic machinery of aromatics degradation by microorganisms and their capacity to adapt to aromatics-contaminated environments. Thus, microorganisms are major players in site remediation. This review addresses the bioaugmentation of aromatic compound-contaminated soils using a specific strain, a consortium of microorganisms, or microorganisms combined with physical, chemical and other biological methods. The bioremediation/bioaugmentation process relies on the immense metabolic capacities of microbes for transformation of aromatic pollutants into essentially harmless or, at least, less toxic compounds. Aromatics-contaminated soils are successfully remediated with adding not only single strains but also bacterial or fungal consortia. Furthermore several novel approaches, which microbes combined with physical, chemical or biological factors, increase remediation efficiency of aromatics-contaminated soil. Meanwhile, the environmental factors also have appreciable impacts on the bioaugmentation process. The biostatistics method is recommended for analysis of the effects of bioaugmentation treatments.

Feb. 2017, Volume 11 Issue 1

Arsenic (As) is a pervasive environmental toxin and carcinogenic metalloid. It ranks at the top of the US priority List of Hazardous Substances and causes worldwide human health problems. Wetlands, including natural and artificial ecosystems (i.e. paddy soils) are highly susceptible to As enrichment; acting not only as repositories for water but a host of other elemental/chemical moieties. While macro-scale processes (physical and geological) supply As to wetlands, it is the micro-scale biogeochemistry that regulates the fluxes of As and other trace elements from the semi-terrestrial to neighboring plant/aquatic/atmospheric compartments. Among these fine-scale events, microbial mediated As biotransformations contribute most to the element’s changing forms, acting as the ‘switch’ in defining a wetland as either a source or sink of As. Much of our understanding of these important microbial catalyzed reactions follows relatively recent scientific discoveries. Here we document some of these key advances, with focuses on the implications that wetlands and their microbial mediated transformation pathways have on the global As cycle, the chemistries of microbial mediated As oxidation, reduction and methylation, and future research priorities areas.

Dec. 2016, Volume 10 Issue 6

Oct. 2016, Volume 10 Issue 5

 In the paper the concept design and detailed instrumentation information of a latest developed integrated ground-based measurement station, the Station for Observing Regional Processes of the Earth System (SORPES), at Nanjing University in East China are introduced, and the main scientific findings in studies of air pollution characters and air pollution-weather/climate interactions based on continuous measurement at the station since 2011 are reviewed. The key scientific themes of the SORPES include land surface-atmosphere interactions, air pollution-weather/climate interactions, ecosystem-atmosphere interactions and hydrological cycle, as well as linkages between these associated processes. The main results summarized in this paper include overall characteristics of trace gases and aerosols, chemical transformation mechanisms for secondary trace gases (e.g. O3 and HONO etc.) and secondary inorganic aerosols, and the air pollution – weather/climate interactions and feedbacks in mixed air pollution plumes from sources like fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning and dust storms. Future outlooks of the development plan on instrumentation, networking and data-sharing of the station are also discussed. The paper demonstrates and highlights the unique role of this “flagship” station in improving our current understanding of air quality, chemical mechanisms of secondary pollution, and the two-way interactions between air pollution and meteorology, and suggests the need of more SORPES-type stations in different regions of China and the world.

Aug. 2016, Volume 10 Issue 4

In the paper concepts for wastewater treatment of the future are discussed by the use of a) one flow diagram based on established, compact, proven technologies (i.e. nitrification/denitrification for Nremoval in the mainstream) and b) one flow diagram based on emerging, compact technologies (i.e.de-ammonification in the main stream).The latter (b) will give an energy-neutral wastewater treatment plant, while this cannot be guaranteed for the first one (a). The example flow diagrams show plant concepts that a) minimize energy consumption by using compact biological and physical/chemical processes combined in an optimal way, for instance by using moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) processes for biodegradation and high-rate particle separation processes, and de-ammonification processes for N-removal and b)maximize energy (biogas) production through digestion by using wastewater treatment processes that minimize biodegradation of the sludge (prior to digestion) and pretreatment of the sludge prior to digestion by thermal hydrolysis. The treatment plant of the future should produce a water quality (for instance bathing water quality) that is sufficient for reuse of some kind (toilet flushing, urban use, irrigation etc.). The paper outlines compact water reclamation processes based on ozonation in combination with coagulation as pretreatment before ceramic membrane filtration.

Jun. 2016, Volume 10 Issue 3

Apr. 2016, Volume 10 Issue 2

Feb. 2016, Volume 10 Issue 1

Nov. 2015, Volume 9 Issue 6

Oct. 2015, Volume 9 Issue 5

Jun. 2015, Volume 9 Issue 4

Apr. 2015, Volume 9 Issue 3

Feb. 2015, Volume 9 Issue 2

Dec. 2014, Volume 9 Issue 1

Nov. 2014, Volume 8 Issue 6

Jun. 2014, Volume 8 Issue 5

Jun. 2014, Volume 8 Issue 4

May. 2014, Volume 8 Issue 3

Apr. 2014, Volume 8 Issue 2

Feb. 2014, Volume 8 Issue 1

Dec. 2013, Volume 7 Issue 6

Oct. 2013, Volume 7 Issue 5

Aug. 2013, Volume 7 Issue 4

Jun. 2013, Volume 7 Issue 3

Apr. 2013, Volume 7 Issue 2

Feb. 2013, Volume 7 Issue 1

Dec. 2012, Volume 6 Issue 6

Oct. 2012, Volume 6 Issue 5

Aug. 2012, Volume 6 Issue 4

Jun. 2012, Volume 6 Issue 3

Apr. 2012, Volume 6 Issue 2

Feb. 2012, Volume 6 Issue 1

Dec. 2011, Volume 5 Issue 4

Sep. 2011, Volume 5 Issue 3

Jun. 2011, Volume 5 Issue 2

Mar. 2011, Volume 5 Issue 1

Dec. 2010, Volume 4 Issue 4

Sep. 2010, Volume 4 Issue 3

Jun. 2010, Volume 4 Issue 2

Mar. 2010, Volume 4 Issue 1

Dec. 2009, Volume 3 Issue 4

Sep. 2009, Volume 3 Issue 3

Jun. 2009, Volume 3 Issue 2

Mar. 2009, Volume 3 Issue 1

Dec. 2008, Volume 2 Issue 4

Sep. 2008, Volume 2 Issue 3

Jun. 2008, Volume 2 Issue 2

Mar. 2008, Volume 2 Issue 1

Dec. 2007, Volume 1 Issue 4

Sep. 2007, Volume 1 Issue 3

Jun. 2007, Volume 1 Issue 2

Mar. 2007, Volume 1 Issue 1