Search Results (3,093)

The corrosion of tin amalgam reflective coatings on Qing Dynasty reverse glass paintings has traditionally been attributed to oxidation pathways. No other corrosion types have been reported for this artifact class to date. This study investigated two reverse glass paintings using Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and micro-Raman spectroscopy (Raman). In one sample, the corrosion products are romarchite (SnO), tin tetroxide (Sn₃O₄), and cassiterite (SnO₂), confirming the conventional oxidation pathway. In the other sample, abhurite (Sn₂₁Cl₁₆(OH)₁₄O₆) and hydroromarchite (Sn₃O₂(OH)₂) are identified alongside tin oxides. This is the first report of chlorine-bearing corrosion products in Qing Dynasty reverse glass paintings. This finding indicates that the coating was exposed to a high-humidity, chloride-containing environment. The coexistence of chloride-mediated and oxidation-pathway products reflects microenvironmental heterogeneity on the coating surface. Preventive conservation for similar objects should prioritize maintaining a stable relative humidity at approximately 50%, excluding exogenous chloride sources, and avoiding acidic pollutants. Full article

Spent titanium chlorinator melt is a potential technogenic source of scandium, but its recovery is complicated by high contents of iron, aluminium and alkali and alkaline-earth chlorides. This study assessed a sequence of hydrochloric acid leaching, Fe(III) reduction with ascorbic acid, sorption on the strong-acid cation exchanger Lewatit MonoPlus SP112H, desorption with acidified ammonium sulfate solution, oxalate precipitation, calcination and an additional column purification. In a scaled-up test, leaching of 4 kg of the spent melt with 5% HCl produced 25.5 L of filtrate containing 475.30 mg Sc. Two-stage sorption recovered 90.9% of the scandium, and the overall desorption degree reached 94.8%. The kinetic data were better described by the non-linear pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.890–0.938). Precipitation and calcination gave 0.60 g of an intermediate oxide product with 65.0 wt% Sc, and the additional purification 0.45 g of a final oxide product in which X-ray diffraction identified cubic Sc₂O₃ as the predominant crystalline phase; the elemental analysis gave a purity close to 98 wt%. Recovery into the final oxide reached 61.92% of the scandium in the filtrate. Iron co-sorption and scandium losses during the additional purification remained the principal limitations of the process. Full article

Thermal elevation and residual chlorine pollution are two anthropogenic stressors that co-occur in estuarine waters affected by coastal power plant effluents. A 30-day exposure experiment was established with six treatment combinations comprising three temperatures (27 °C, 28 °C, and 30 °C) and two residual chlorine concentrations (0 mg/L and 0.02 mg/L) on Meretrix meretrix. Sampling was conducted on days 0, 10, 20 and 30 of the trial. The results indicated that elevated temperature (30 °C) significantly suppressed shell height and total body weight, while residual chlorine (0.02 mg/L) exerted time-dependent effects on shell length and width, with a significant interactive effect on shell length only at day 30. Crude lipid content declined with increasing temperature and residual chlorine exposure, whereas moisture and ash contents showed significant two-way interactions at all sampling time points. Intestinal amylase activity was continuously regulated by both stressors, with interactive responses on days 10 and 20, and was significantly suppressed under combined high temperature and residual chlorine stress. Collectively, we infer that combined exposure to elevated temperature and residual chlorine impairs shell growth, muscle biochemical composition and intestinal amylase activity of M. meretrix. Long-term experiments are required to further clarify the joint toxic effects of thermal stress and residual chlorine on the clam species. Full article

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are additive chemicals that migrate from indoor materials and accumulate in settled dust. This study retrospectively characterized eight OPFRs in floor dust collected in Shanghai during 2016 to establish a seasonally resolved historical reference. A total of 136 residential dust samples were obtained from a convenience panel of 26 homes sampled at approximately two-month intervals; five office and four dormitory composite samples were included only for exploratory microenvironmental comparisons. Sampling, extraction, and LC-MS/MS determination were all completed in 2016. OPFRs were detected in all samples. Median (mean) Σ₈OPFR concentrations were 1.51 × 10³ (4.35 × 10³), 2.48 × 10³ (3.36 × 10³), and 673 (963) ng·g⁻¹ in residential, office, and dormitory dust, respectively, and chlorinated OPFRs—particularly tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate—dominated. Mixed-effects models accounting for repeated sampling confirmed significant season effects for Σ₈OPFRs and all frequently detected congeners, with autumn generally lower than spring or winter. Under the mean 2016 concentration scenario, uptake-adjusted total estimated daily intakes were 3.3 ng·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹ for infants and 0.65 ng·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹ for adults. Oral administered-dose screening values did not exceed the selected non-cancer or cancer benchmarks. These measurements do not represent current exposure but provide a historical benchmark for method-matched follow-up monitoring. Full article

The Chimkent Phosphorus Plant (CPP) (operational 1966–1996) was the flagship enterprise of the chemical industry in Soviet Kazakhstan. We wished to characterize historical occupational exposures, document health outcomes, and identify contemporary public health implications associated with a major but now defunct manufacturing enterprise. We analyzed archival data for the CPP from the Turkistan Oblast State Archive of Kazakhstan together with data from contemporaneous Soviet biomedical journal publications and doctoral dissertations. In the first years of production (1966–1970), multiple process steps generated emissions that exceeded the then-current occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 5 mg/m³ for generic total dust. Processes included: the drying and crushing process (peak exposure, 1080 mg/m³); agglomeration (peak, 700 mg/m³); and tripolyphosphate processing (peak, 1170 mg/m³). Exposures to toxic gases were also elevated (chlorine gas, 13 ppm (OEL 0.3 ppm) and hydrogen sulfide, 66 ppm (OEL 6.5 ppm)). Adverse health effects were endemic. From 1968 to 1992, annual reports documented a total of 298 cases of “chronic phosphorus intoxication.” Contemporary public sources emphasized the manufacturing process and economic importance of CPP. The story of the rise and fall of this massive state-owned enterprise carries wider policy implications for effectively protecting occupational health and safety. Full article

Anode materials play a pivotal role in a wide range of electrochemical applications, including electrolysis, energy storage, corrosion protection, and industrial oxidation processes. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advances in anode materials, with particular emphasis on their structural characteristics and major preparation methods, including thermal decomposition, electrochemical deposition, sol–gel processing, and magnetron sputtering. The degradation behaviour of anodes under electrochemical operating conditions is also critically discussed, together with strategies for improving their durability and overall performance. Particular attention is given to metal oxide-coated anodes, especially those based on ruthenium oxide (RuO₂) and iridium oxide (IrO₂), which remain the most representative systems in dimensionally stable anode (DSA) research and industrial applications. Emerging coating materials, including Co₃O₄- and carbon-based catalysts, are also reviewed as promising alternatives for reducing noble metal usage while maintaining acceptable electrochemical performance. In addition, the role of intermediate layers in titanium-based anodes is examined, with emphasis on their contribution to coating adhesion, conductivity, interfacial stability, and long-term electrode performance. This review further discusses the applications of anode materials in chlorine- and oxygen-related electrochemical industries and evaluates the performance of DSAs in relation to substrate selection, coating composition, and operational requirements. Alternative furnace technologies for anode baking are also reviewed, including conventional furnace heating, laser heating, and microwave heating, together with representative industrial furnace systems such as muffle, continuous, and vacuum furnaces. Overall, this review provides an integrated overview of the current progress in anode material research and development, while highlighting the key challenges and future directions for improving anode efficiency, durability, and sustainability in industrial electrochemical applications. Full article

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of ethanol-digested calcium oxide (CaO-E) as a novel dechlorination sorbent for the efficient removal of hydrogen chloride (HCl) from coal-fired flue gas and further evaluate its influence on mercury speciation and transformation in flue gas, thereby addressing the low efficiency and limited multi-pollutant control capability of conventional dry dechlorination technologies. Based on a laboratory-scale injection reaction system, ethanol-digested calcium-based sorbents were injected into simulated coal-fired flue gas to systematically examine the effects of key factors, including Ca/Cl molar ratio, SO₂, and fly ash, on dechlorination efficiency. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were further employed to elucidate the reaction mechanisms. Meanwhile, mercury-laden flue gas was introduced to investigate the removal characteristics of elemental mercury (Hg⁰) and oxidized mercury (Hg²⁺) by CaO-E. The experimental results demonstrated that ethanol-digested CaO exhibited significantly superior performance compared with untreated samples, and the formation of a porous calcium hydroxide structure was identified as the key factor responsible for its high dechlorination efficiency. When the Ca/Cl molar ratio reached 4.0, the dechlorination efficiency could be stably maintained above 80%. SO₂ showed a pronounced inhibitory effect on the dechlorination process, whereas fly ash exhibited a slight promoting effect. Mercury removal experiments revealed that CaO-E had limited removal capability toward Hg⁰ but effectively reduced the concentration of Hg²⁺. Specifically, when the Ca/Cl molar ratios were 3 and 5, the Hg²⁺ concentrations decreased to 1.4 and 0.6 μg/m³, respectively. This behavior can be attributed to the fact that Hg²⁺ mainly exists in chlorinated forms such as HgCl₂, which possess strong polarity and can be readily adsorbed by the alkaline active sites on the CaO-E surface. In addition, as the dechlorination process proceeded, chlorine-containing species in the flue gas were gradually consumed, suppressing the oxidation conversion of Hg⁰ to Hg²⁺ and thereby further reducing the Hg²⁺ concentration. Theoretical calculations indicated that both HCl and SO₂ could undergo chemisorption on calcium active sites, while HCl possessed a lower reaction energy barrier and therefore dominated the competitive adsorption process, exhibiting preferential reactivity. Overall, ethanol-digested calcium oxide not only demonstrates excellent HCl removal performance, but also shows the capability to regulate mercury speciation in flue gas to a certain extent, providing both theoretical insights and technical support for the synergistic control of multiple pollutants in coal-fired flue gas. Full article

Proteases are widely studied hydrolases as “green technologies” for degrading structures within complex matrices, although combining different classes poses challenges for catalytic stability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to specifically evaluate the biochemical control of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts using plant- and microbial-derived proteases. This study evaluated the compatibility and sanitizing potential of the microbial serine protease subtilisin Carlsberg (HPF-1SCA) and the plant cysteine protease papain (1PPP), both individually and in a 15% (w/v) combination, hypothesizing a synergistic effect due to their distinct catalytic specificities, as a potential biochemical approach to reduce contamination by these zoonotic protozoa of global importance, which are highly resilient to conventional disinfectants. The experimental design comprised five distinct treatment groups: a negative control (distilled water), a positive chemical control (0.04% v/v NaClO), treatment with isolated papain (15% w/v), treatment with isolated microbial HPF formulation (15% w/v), and a combined treatment using both enzymes simultaneously (15% w/v each). Concurrently, an in silico molecular docking investigation was conducted to elucidate the predicted binding scores, structural compatibility, and preferential binding mechanisms of these enzymes toward the Cryptosporidium Oocyst Wall Protein (COWP). In vitro compatibility assays revealed an immediate antagonistic effect due to mutual proteolysis, reducing overall proteolytic activity by 45% after 72 h. Despite this antagonism, the enzyme mixture (G5) and the isolated microbial protease (G4) achieved a 93% reduction in oocysts, equivalent to the conventional 0.04% NaClO treatment (G2), while papain (G3) achieved 65%. All these results represented statistically significant efficacy (p < 0.01) compared to the negative control (G1). In silico molecular docking studies provided a structural predictive basis for the experimental data, suggesting that subtilisin Carlsberg (HPF-1SCA) exhibits more favorable predicted binding scores and structurally compatible interfaces, compared to papain, particularly toward the major oocyst structural proteins COWP8 (estimated ΔG = −15.2 kcal·mol⁻¹) and COWP6 (estimated ΔG = −13.3 kcal·mol⁻¹). This provides robust evidence for initial target recognition and molecular anchoring, although these static models do not definitively confirm catalytically productive cleavage conformations. In summary, this in vitro proof-of-concept demonstrates that microbial proteases show promise for the biochemical destabilization of oocysts without generating toxic chlorinated byproducts. While these baseline findings align with the One Health concept, future field-scale validations assessing enzyme stability under variable environmental conditions and in vivo infectivity assays are required before practical application in sanitation protocols. Full article

Soybean production commonly faces challenges including severe pod abscission, incomplete seed filling, and uncoordinated source–sink relationships that limit yield potential. Plant growth regulator application may influence source–sink relationships and thereby affect soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) yield formation. This three-year field study (2023–2025) evaluated the effects of four spray programs on soybean yield, quality, total above-ground biomass partitioning, and endogenous hormone dynamics under Xinjiang’s irrigated production conditions. The four treatments were an untreated control (CK), naphthaleneacetic acid alone (NAA; 300 g ha⁻¹), naphthaleneacetic acid plus prohexadione-calcium (NPC; 300 + 450 g ha⁻¹), and naphthaleneacetic acid plus prohexadione-calcium and iron chlorin e6 (NCE; 300 + 450 + 45 g ha⁻¹). The spray programs were applied at the fourth-trifoliolate and full-pod stages. Results showed that NCE treatment consistently produced the greatest yield increases (13.1–14.4%) compared with the control. This response was associated with greater middle-node pod retention, increased 100-seed weight (3.6–6.4%), and improved reproductive organ biomass allocation (44.7–53.3% at maturity vs. 40.9–45.7% in controls). NCE significantly elevated leaf trans-zeatin content (37.1–91.9%) within 24 h after application and improved seed protein concentration by up to 11.2%, while seed residues of all applied compounds remained well below safety thresholds (<0.05 mg kg⁻¹). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between trans-zeatin levels and both reproductive biomass allocation (r = 0.74–0.90, p < 0.01) and grain yield (r = 0.86–0.96, p < 0.01). These findings indicate that NCE was the best-performing of the four tested spray programs under Xinjiang’s irrigated production conditions, although the individual contributions and possible interactions of the three compounds require further factorial evaluation. Full article

Coupling renewable energy with seawater electrolysis is a highly promising strategy for sustainable hydrogen production. However, the practical application of direct seawater electrolysis remains challenging due to severe anode corrosion and the competitive chlorine evolution reaction (CER) induced by chloride ions. Herein, we report a facile cation-etching strategy to synthesise Fe@ZIF-67 catalysts at room temperature, using ZIF-67 as the sacrificial template and Fe²⁺ salts as the etching agent. The as-prepared Fe@ZIF-67 exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a simulated alkaline saline electrolyte (1.0 M KOH + 0.5 M NaCl). Specifically, it achieves a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at a low overpotential of 259 mV, outperforming commercial RuO₂. Furthermore, an alkaline saline electrolyser assembled with Fe@ZIF-67 as the anode and Pt/C as the cathode requires a cell voltage of only 1.57 V to reach 10 mA cm⁻², which is significantly lower than that of the RuO₂||Pt/C benchmark (1.65 V). This work demonstrates that the cation-doping strategy effectively modulates the surface electronic structure of metal–organic frameworks (MOF)-based catalysts, providing a new perspective for optimising their performance in seawater electrolysis. Full article

Poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) is widely used in many products due to its increased flexibility and processability. It is preferred in many industrial applications, especially in the plasticized PVC cable industry due to its excellent insulation properties. PVC is quite hard and can be difficult to process. Therefore, it requires additives such as plasticizers. Plasticizers typically reduce the glass transition temperature (Tg) and provide flexibility by reducing the workable temperature level. In the PVC compound production industry, phthalate-based plasticizers are preferred due to their low cost. Commonly used plasticizers are adipates, azelates, trimethylates, phthalates, benzoates, and chlorinated paraffins. The aim of the study was to investigate the plasticizer changes in PVC compounds used in cable insulation applications by synergistic effects of adipate, trimellitate, and phthalate-based plasticizers such as dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP), 2-ethyl hexyl adipate (DOA), and tris(2-ethylhexyl) benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylate (TOTM). In this study, the effects of plasticizer additives were investigated on the structural, morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of PVC compounds in the cable industry. Fabricated test products were characterized using characterization methods such as Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), scanning electron microscope–energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile test, and density test. Successfully fabricated samples were tested before and after aging. The highest elongation at break of PVC flat sheet (244.96%) was obtained with the use of DOA plasticizer. The highest tensile strength was measured as 17.85 MPa for the sample containing 50 phr DOTP. Furthermore, no significant mass loss was observed up to 238 °C, while substantial decomposition occurred in the samples containing 50 phr DOTP, 50 phr DOA, and 50 phr TOTM between 238–338 °C, followed by gradual degradation at 483 °C and 683 °C. As a result, it has been determined that the use of DOA plasticizer in PVC compounds used in the cable industry is more effective than DOTP and TOTM plasticizers. Full article

Recently, plant-based bioelectronic systems have been explored for environmental sensing applications. However, their intrinsically low electrical conductivity often limits signal sensitivity and measurement reliability. In this work, the electrothermal behavior of living Epipremnum aureum plants incorporating Ag/AgCl nanoparticles supported on nanocellulose was investigated. Electrical and thermal responses were simultaneously measured under controlled environmental conditions using external shunt resistances of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 Ω. Compared with the control without nanoparticle incorporation, the nanoparticle-incorporated plant exhibited stronger electrical responses and distinct electrothermal behavior over the studied temperature range. The measured signals showed nonlinear responses, temporal asymmetry, and resistance-dependent modulation, suggesting changes in charge transport within the plant tissues. Silver-enriched regions and the co-detection of chlorine within the nanoparticle-incorporated plant tissues were identified by environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Five machine-learning regression models were trained to estimate temperature using the measured electrothermal voltage signals as predictors. The best-performing model, MLP FitRNet, achieved a mean absolute error of 0.598 °C, a root mean square error of 0.748 °C, and an $R^2$ value of 0.974. These results demonstrate the potential of nanoparticle-incorporated biohybrid plant systems for electrothermal signal analysis and data-driven temperature estimation, while providing a foundation for future intelligent environmental monitoring applications. Full article

This study establishes a GCN–NSGA-III-based framework for determining gas-leak sensor locations. Candidate layouts are optimized simultaneously with respect to installation expenditure, spatial coverage, leak-identification performance, and time to alarm. In the proposed framework, the GCN extracts spatial correlations and leakage-risk features among candidate monitoring locations, whereas NSGA-III optimizes the network weights and thresholds to support the selection of improved sensor placement schemes. By combining the image-based spatial feature extraction capability of CNNs, the graph-structured feature learning capability of GCNs, and the multi-objective optimization strength of NSGA-III, the model achieves significant improvements in detection accuracy and risk assessment efficiency. The model was validated using a hybrid gas-leak dataset comprising 758 training samples, including 189 real-world monitoring samples and 569 simulated samples, and 229 test samples, including 73 real-world monitoring samples and 156 simulated samples. Its engineering applicability was further evaluated using a simulated chlorine leakage scenario at a chemical plant in Changzhou, China, with a leakage rate of 2 kg/s and an ambient easterly wind speed of 1 m/s. Experimental results confirm its reliability and practical applicability in real-world engineering contexts. Compared with the original pre-optimization sensor layout under the same leakage and environmental conditions, the proposed optimization strategy reduces deployment costs by 19%, increases monitoring coverage by 8.2%, improves detection accuracy by 14.1%, and shortens alarm response time by approximately 15%. Full article

The degradation formed during the gas-phase reaction of amyl acetate, CH₃COO(CH₂)₄CH₃, initiated by chlorine atoms (^●Cl), was investigated under atmospheric conditions using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The main products identified were acetic acid, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and propionaldehyde. Calibration curves were established for each identified product at different concentrations to enable their quantification by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detection. Product yields were subsequently determined from the calibration data, allowing a quantitative evaluation of the formation of the major oxidation products. The results obtained contribute to a better understanding of the atmospheric degradation pathways of amyl acetate and related ester compounds, providing useful information for assessing the atmospheric processing of ester-containing emissions, including those associated with biofuel applications. Full article

This study combines experimental conditioning and numerical simulations to evaluate water-induced degradation of swimming-goggle gaskets and their mechanical response under representative loading conditions. Two gasket geometries were modeled, with the flatter profile serving as a reference and the more anatomically representative variant analyzed using finite-element analysis for neoprene, silicone, and SEBS materials of different Shore A hardness under prescribed periorbital pressure distributions. Commercial gaskets were conditioned by static immersion in chlorinated, distilled, and saline water for 20, 30, and 40 days, followed by measurements of Shore A hardness, breaking force, and elongation at break. The numerical results showed that gasket geometry substantially influences the predicted deformation patterns relevant to facial conformability, despite similar overall deformation magnitudes. Prolonged water exposure caused considerable material degradation. The breaking force decreases by approximately 48% after 20 days and by about 50% after 40 days of conditioning, irrespective of the environment. Elongation at break changed by approximately 3–4% in chlorinated and distilled water, whereas saline water caused reductions of approximately 11% after 20 days and 36% after 40 days. Additionally, the hardness of the material drops by about 10–13% after 20 days and subsequently remains almost constant. In the adopted cyclic loading–recovery simulation, silicone exhibited substantially lower residual deformation than SEBS. Overall, the results demonstrate the importance of material selection and geometry optimization and provide a comparative basis for further studies combining environmental conditioning with experimentally calibrated numerical models. Full article