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Antibiotics are of emerging concern due to their widespread use, lack of adequate treatment, and for their potential to threaten human health and the environment. Here, a facile fabrication approach for synthesizing ZnO/CuO-bentonite composites was investigated via carbon-bed pyrolysis of bentonite followed by ZnO/CuO co-precipitation. Sorbents were synthesized using a range of bentonite pyrolysis temperatures, metal oxide contents, and ZnO:CuO mass ratios. The ZnO/CuO-bentonite composites exhibited diverse functional groups, excellent mesoporosity, and high specific surface area (135.0 m 2  g -1 , four times that of pyrolyzed bentonite-only control). Ciprofloxacin removal was maximized at a bentonite pyrolysis temperature of 450 °C, a total metal oxide content of 25 %, and a Zn/Cu ratio between 95:5 and 93:7, and this material had an observed experimental CIP adsorption of 451 mg g -1 and a calculated maximum adsorption capacity of 1249.3 mg g -1 . This excellent CIP sorption ability was attributed to its abundant surface active sites and multiple sorption mechanisms, including hydrogen-bond interaction, ion exchange, and electrostatic interaction. These results illustrate that ZnO/CuO-bentonite composite sorbents have excellent potential for use in environmental remediation and water treatment applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as exceptional moisture sorbents in low humidity conditions. However, their typical powdered form often results in agglomeration, impeding water diffusion kinetics and practical handling. To enhance the accessibility and diversify the integration of MOFs, a universal and scalable bionic interfacial assembly method is introduced for fabricating MOF-based silk. The resulting silk, enriched with a high content of MOF-303, demonstrates a significant water adsorption capacity of 315.1 mg g -1 at 25% relative humidity, exhibiting a three fold faster water absorption compared with that of stacked MOFs powder on a gram-scale. Furthermore, it achieves efficient water release, with a rate of 8.1 mg g -1 min -1 under sunlight after surface photothermal modification. Through one-step drawing assembly, electrothermal wires can be incorporated into MOF-based silk and demonstrate fast and reversible moisture adsorption/desorption for indoor humidity control. It is envisioned that this assembling method and integrated functional silk will yield valuable insights into the rational engineering of MOFs toward practical applications in moisture management, molecule absorption, etc., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Herein, a micro-solid-phase extraction ( μ SPE) method was developed using a pipette tip for rutin extraction, employing activated hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNSs) as the sorbent. Characterization of the activated carbon nanospheres through TGA, FTIR, and SEM analysis confirmed the success of the activation process. The study demonstrated the efficacy of PT- μ SPE in rutin extraction under pH 2 conditions with a standard concentration of 2 mg·L -1 . The optimal mass of HCNSs was found to be 2 mg, and a loading volume of 500  μ L resulted in the maximum recovery of rutin. Propan-2-ol was the best elution solvent with 15 aspirating/dispensing cycles. The correlation of determination ( R 2 ) for the calibration curve was found to be 0.9991, and the LOD and LOQ values were 0.604 and 1.830 mg·L -1 , respectively. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by extracting rutin from a complex Moringa oleifera leaf extract with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.26%, thereby validating this method as feasible for the extraction of useful bioactive compounds from complex plant samples., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Dakalo Lorraine Ndou et al.)

Although studies dealing with adsorption/desorption (and/or retention/release) of pollutants present in environmental compartments is a classical field of research, recent papers are focusing on some weak points of investigations and publications within the area. In addition, an increasing number of works are being published related to new possibilities and alternatives in this kind of research works, many of them in relation to the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Considering the existence of eventual controversies, eventual mistakes, and the convenience of suggesting alternatives to go ahead in the future, in this work, after taking into account some relevant publications in the previous literature, a simple workflow is proposed as a kind of protocol to revise successive steps that could guide the direction to follow when programing research dealing with the retention/release of pollutants in soils and sorbent materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Every year, new compounds contained in consumer products, such as detergents, paints, products for personal hygiene, and drugs for human and veterinary use, are identified in wastewater and are added to the list of molecules that need monitoring. These compounds are indicated with the term emerging contaminants (or Contaminants of Emerging Concern, CECs) since they are potentially dangerous for the environment and human health. To date, among the most widely used methodologies for the removal of CECs from the aquatic environment, adsorption processes play a role of primary importance, as they have proven to be characterized by high removal efficiency, low operating and management costs, and an absence of undesirable by-products. In this paper, the adsorption of ibuprofen (IBU), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug widely used for treating inflammation or pain, was performed for the first time using two different types of geopolymer-based materials, i.e., a metakaolin-based (GMK) and an organic-inorganic hybrid (GMK-S) geopolymer. The proposed adsorbing matrices are characterized by a low environmental footprint and have been easily obtained as powders or as highly porous filters by direct foaming operated directly into the adsorption column. Preliminary results demonstrated that these materials can be effectively used for the removal of ibuprofen from contaminated water (showing a concentration decrease of IBU up to about 29% in batch, while an IBU removal percentage of about 90% has been reached in continuous), thus suggesting their potential practical application.

Sustainable and effective remediation technologies for the treatment of soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are greatly needed. This study investigated the effects of waste-based biochars on the leaching of PFAS from a sandy soil with a low total organic carbon content (TOC) of 0.57 ± 0.04 % impacted by PFAS from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) dispersed at a former fire-fighting facility. Six different biochars (pyrolyzed at 700-900 °C) were tested, made from clean wood chips (CWC), waste timber (WT), activated waste timber (aWT), two digested sewage sludges (DSS-1 and DSS-2) and de-watered raw sewage sludge (DWSS). Up-flow column percolation tests (15 days and 16 pore volume replacements) with 1 % biochar indicated that the dominant congener in the soil, perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOS) was retained best by the aWT biochar with a 99.9 % reduction in the leachate concentration, followed by sludge-based DWSS (98.9 %) and DSS-2 and DSS-1 (97.8 % and 91.6 %, respectively). The non-activated wood-based biochars (CWC and WT) on the other hand, reduced leaching by <42.4 %. Extrapolating this to field conditions, 90 % leaching of PFOS would occur after 15 y for unamended soil, and after 1200 y and 12,000 y, respectively, for soil amended with 1 % DWSS-amended and aWT biochar. The high effectiveness of aWT and the three sludge-based biochars in reducing PFAS leaching from the soil was attributed largely to high porosity in a pore size range (>1.5 nm) that can accommodate the large PFAS molecules (>1.02-2.20 nm) combined with a high affinity to the biochar matrix. Other factors like anionic exchange capacity could play a contributing role. Sorbent effectiveness was better for long-chain than for short-chain PFAS, due to weaker, apolar interactions between the biochar and the latter's shorter hydrophobic CF 2 -tails. The findings were the first to demonstrate that locally sourced activated wood-waste biochars and non-activated sewage sludge biochars could be suitable sorbents for the ex situ stabilization and in situ remediation of PFAS-contaminated soil, bringing this technology one step closer to full-scale field testing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A thermal desorber (TD) can be used in different ways to introduce samples in a gas chromatographic (GC) system. Besides its conventional use where the collected analytes are released from the sorbent in the sample tube, direct dynamic desorption (DDD) is an interesting option where a solid sample is put directly in the TD tube. However, since no sorbent is used for the sample, proper calibration is not straightforward. This issue was investigated in the present work using offline liquid calibration (OLC) and inline liquid calibration (ILC). Unexpectedly, ILC yielded a lower response than OLC. This could be related to the adsorption kinetics of the analytes and water on the cold trap of the TD. More insight was gained performing double injection ILC experiments with toluene as diluent for the analytes and injecting water before or after the toluene solution. This revealed a clear influence of the diluent. The influence of water was further explored applying two cold trap temperatures (4 °C and -30 °C). Inserting a LiCl trap in the TD tube to capture the water was found to be an effective solution for the problem. Finally, quantitative aspects of this approach were demonstrated., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The development of polymers obtained from renewable sources such as polysaccharides has gained scientific and industrial attention. Cross-linked bio-derived cationic polymers were synthesized via a sustainable approach exploiting a commercial maltodextrin product, namely, Glucidex 2 ® , as the building block, while diglycidyl ethers and triglycidyl ethers were used as the cross-linking agents. The polymer products were characterized via FTIR-ATR, TGA, DSC, XRD, SEM, elemental analysis, and zeta-potential measurements, to investigate their composition, structure, and properties. Polydispersed amorphous granules displaying thermal stabilities higher than 250 °C, nitrogen contents ranging from 0.8 wt % and 1.1 wt %, and zeta potential values between 10 mV and 15 mV were observed. Subsequently, water absorption capacity measurements ranging from 800% to 1500%, cross-linking density determination, and rheological evaluations demonstrated the promising gel-forming properties of the studied systems. Finally, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate removal tests were performed to assess the possibility of employing the studied polymer products as suitable sorbents for water remediation. The results obtained from the ion chromatography technique showed high sorption rates, with 80% of nitrates, over 90% of sulfates, and total phosphates removal.

The unrestricted release of various toxic substances into the environment is a critical global issue, gaining increased attention in modern society. Many of these substances are pristine to various environmental compartments known as contaminants/emerging contaminants (ECs). Nanoparticles and emerging sorbents enhanced remediation is a compelling methodology exhibiting great potential in addressing EC-related issues and facilitating their elimination from the environment, particularly those compounds that demonstrate eco-toxicity and pose considerable challenges in terms of removal. It provides a novel technique enabling the secure and sustainable removal of various ECs, including persistent organic compounds, microplastics, phthalate, etc. This extensive review presents a critical perspective on the current advancements and potential outcomes of nano-enhanced remediation techniques such as photocatalysis, nano-sensing, nano-enhanced sorbents, bio/phyto-remediation, which are applied to clean-up the natural environment. In addition, when dealing with residual contaminants, special attention is paid to both health and environmental implications; therefore, an evaluation of the long-term sustainability of nano-enhanced remediation methods has been considered. The integrated mechanical approaches were thoroughly discussed and presented in graphical forms. Thus, the critical evaluation of the integrated use of most emerging remediation technologies will open a new dimension in environmental safety and clean-up program., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hygroscopic hydrogels are emerging as scalable and low-cost sorbents for atmospheric water harvesting, dehumidification, passive cooling, and thermal energy storage. However, devices using these materials still exhibit insufficient performance, partly due to the limited water vapor uptake of the hydrogels. Here, the swelling dynamics of hydrogels in aqueous lithiumchloride solutions, the implications on hydrogel salt loading, and the resulting vapor uptake of the synthesized hydrogel-salt composites are characterized. By tuning the salt concentration of the swelling solutions and the cross-linking properties of the gels, hygroscopic hydrogels with extremely high salt loadings are synthesized, which enable unprecedented water uptakes of 1.79 and 3.86 gg -1 at relative humidity (RH) of 30% and 70%, respectively. At 30% RH, this exceeds previously reported water uptakes of metal-organic frameworks by over 100% and of hydrogels by 15%, bringing the uptake within 93% of the fundamental limit of hygroscopic salts while avoiding leakage problems common in salt solutions. By modeling the salt-vapor equilibria, the maximum leakage-free RH is elucidated as a function of hydrogel uptake and swelling ratio. These insights guide the design of hydrogels with exceptional hygroscopicity that enable sorption-based devices to tackle water scarcity and the global energy crisis., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The intensive development of extraction methods based on μ-SPE extraction contributes to the increased interest in the synthesis of new sorption materials. This work presents the characterization of polystyrene fibers and polystyrene fibers blended with ZrO 2 particles or polyaniline obtained by electrospinning and their use in the extraction of selected psychoactive drugs from biological samples. The characteristic of produced fibers is made by performing SEM images, measuring average fiber diameter, and examining their sorption abilities. Among the fibers based on pure polystyrene, tested in the first stage, the best sorption properties are demonstrated for the fibers obtained from a polystyrene solution in DMF with a concentration of 17.5 wt%. In the next stage, this material was modified with synthesized ZrO 2 particles and polyaniline. Among the tested materials, the sorbent based on polystyrene with polyaniline shows the best sorption properties of the tested substances. The use of this material in the μ-SPE in a needle enables the extraction of selected compounds from aqueous and biological samples such as urine and human plasma.

Nanocellulose is a bio-based material that holds significant potential in the field of water purification. Of particular interest is their potential use as a key sorbent material for the removal of metal ions from solution. However, the structure of metal ions adsorbed onto cellulose surfaces is not well understood. The focus of this work is to determine quantitatively the three-dimensional distribution of metal ions of different valencies surrounding negatively charged carboxylate functionalized cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) using anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering (ASAXS). These distributions can affect the water and ionic permeability in these materials. The data show that increasing the carboxylate density on the surface of the CNCs from 740 to 1100 mmol/kg changed the nature of the structure of the adsorbed ions from a monolayer into a multilayer structure. The monolayer was modeled as a Stern layer around the CNC nanoparticles, whereas the multilayer structure was modeled as a diffuse layer on top of the Stern layer around the nanoparticles. Within the Stern layer, the maximum ion density increases from 1680 to 4350 mmol of Rb + /(kg of CNC) with the increase in the carboxylate density on the surface of the nanoparticles. Additionally, the data show that CNCs can leverage multiple mechanisms, such as electrostatic attraction and the chaotropic effect, to adsorb ions of different valencies. By understanding the spatial organization of the adsorbed metal ions, the design of cellulose-based sorbents can be further optimized to improve the uptake capacity and selectivity in separation applications.

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) describes the maladaptive relationship between heart and kidney dysfunction, with different pathways perpetuating the pathophysiology. Inflammation is one of these mechanisms. It contributes to the final nonhemodynamic pathways of organ dysfunction in the heart-kidney cross-talk. It may be a mediator and amplifier of this pathological communication, playing a vital role in both acute and chronic cardiorenal dysfunction. Current therapeutic strategies are not satisfactory in mitigating the inflammatory pathway in CRS. Hemoadsorption overcomes this limitation, and the soluble mediators of inflammation are potentially amenable to removal by hemoadsorption. This perspective article describes the inflammatory mechanisms in CRS and the rationality of using hemoadsorption in this scenario., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Membranes and sorbents play a crucial role in extracorporeal blood purification therapies, which aim to remove harmful molecules and toxins from the blood. Over the years, advancements in hemodialysis (HD) membranes and sorbents have significantly enhanced their safety and effectiveness. This review article will summarize the latest breakthroughs in the development and clinical application of HD membranes and sorbents. We will commence with a concise examination of the mechanisms involved in solute transport across membranes and sorbents. Subsequently, we will explore the evolutionary path of HD membranes, from early cellophane membranes to high-flux membranes, including the development of high-cutoff membranes and the emergence of medium- cutoff membranes. We will discuss each type of HD membrane's advantages and limitations, highlighting the most promising advancements in novel biomaterials and biocompatibility, technologies, research in membrane performance, and their clinical applications. Furthermore, we will delve into the evolution and progress of sorbent technology, tracing its historical development, outlining its key characteristics, examining the mechanism involved in the adsorption process, and exploring its clinical application. This review aims to underscore the growth and future landscape of HD membranes and sorbents in extracorporeal blood purification techniques.

The article presents the research results for the synthesis of inorganic sorbents based on manganese oxide compounds. It shows the results of the lithium sorption from brines with the use of synthesized sorbents. The effect of temperature, the molar ratio of Li/Mn, and the duration for obtaining a lithium-manganese precursor and its acid treatment was studied. The sorption characteristics of the synthesized sorbents were studied. The effect of the ratio of the sorbent mass to the brine volume and the duration of the process on the sorption of lithium from brine were studied. In this case, the sorbent recovery of lithium was ~86%. A kinetic model of the lithium sorption from brine on a synthesized sorbent was determined. The kinetics of the lithium sorption was described by a pseudo-second-order model, which implies limiting the speed of the process due to a chemical reaction.

A new polyoleic acid-polystyrene (PoleS) block/graft copolymer was synthesized and applied as adsorbent for ultrasound assisted dispersive solid phase microextraction (UA-DSPME) of Sb(III) in different bottled beverages and analysis using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS). Adsorption capacity of the PoleS was 150 mg g -1 . Several sample preparation parameters such as sorbent amount, solvent type, pH, sample volume and shaking time were optimized (based on central composite design (CCD) approach) and evaluated in respect to the recovery of Sb(III). The method revealed a high tolerance limit of matrix ions presence. Under optimized conditions, linearity range, the limit of detection, the limit of quantitation, extraction recovery, enhancement factor, preconcentration factor were 5-800 ng L -1 , 1.5 ng L -1 , 5.0 ng L -1 , 96%, 82, 90, respectively. Accuracy of the UA-DSPME method was confirmed based on different certified reference materials and standard addition method. Factorial design was utilized to estimate the influences of variables of recovery of Sb(III)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Freshwater scarcity is a global challenge posing threats to the lives and daily activities of humankind such that two-thirds of the global population currently experience water shortages. Atmospheric water, irrespective of geographical location, is considered as an alternative water source. Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) has recently emerged as an efficient strategy for decentralized water production. SAWH thus opens up a self-sustaining source of freshwater that can potentially support the global population for various applications. In this review, the state-of-the-art of SAWH, considering its operation principle, thermodynamic analysis, energy assessment, materials, components, different designs, productivity improvement, scale-up, and application for drinking water, is first extensively explored. Thereafter, the practical integration and potential application of SAWH, beyond drinking water, for wide range of utilities in agriculture, fuel/electricity production, thermal management in building services, electronic devices, and textile are comprehensively discussed. The various strategies to reduce human reliance on natural water resources by integrating SAWH into existing technologies, particularly in underdeveloped countries, in order to satisfy the interconnected needs for food, energy, and water are also examined. This study further highlights the urgent need and future research directions to intensify the design and development of hybrid-SAWH systems for sustainability and diverse applications., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This paper presents an assessment of the effect of various reagents on the qualitative indicators of anti-deflationary single-species sowing phytocenosis on enrichment waste from rare earth ores. It has been established that tailings of loparite ores are not suitable for biological reclamation due to low values of hygroscopic moisture (0.54-2.85%) and clay particles (17.6 ± 0.6%) and high content of bioavailable forms of aluminum (504 ± 14 mg/kg). Seeds of red fescue ( Festuca rubra L.) were grown on the tailings of loparite ore enrichment with the addition of opoka (O), brucite (B), and vermiculite (V). The quality of the seed cenosis was assessed by the dry biomass of the above-ground parts of the plants and the plant height. A positive effect (one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD test ( p < 0.05 and p < 0.01)) of the considered combinations of reagents on the growth of above-ground biomass from 31.5% (V) to 70.3 (V + O), 82.4% (V + B), and 81.8% (V + O+B) and on plant height from 53.8% (V) up to 78.6 (V + O), 83.8% (V + B), and 75.4% (V + O+B) was revealed. The use of a combination of V + O and V + B reagents made it possible to significantly reduce the content of Al (by 19.0% and 52.8%), Sr (by 16.5% and 12.9%), La (by 65.2% and 40.6%), and Ce (by 66.8% and 41.9%) in the aerial part of the sowing phytocenosis compared to control. The results obtained here can become the basis for development of a combined sorption technology for the reclamation of technogenically disturbed lands.

With the steady progress of ultra-low emissions in various industries, the management of unconventional pollutants is gradually attracting attention. A such unconventional pollutant that negatively affects many different processes and pieces of equipment is hydrogen chloride (HCl). Although it has strong advantages and potential in the treatment of industrial waste gas and synthesis gas, the process technology of removing HCl by calcium- and sodium-based alkaline powder has not yet been thoroughly studied. The impact of reaction factors on the dechlorination of calcium- and sodium-based sorbents is reviewed, including temperature, particle size, and water form. The most recent developments in sodium- and calcium-based sorbents for capturing hydrogen chloride were presented, and the dechlorination capabilities of various sorbents were contrasted. In the low-temperature range, sodium-based sorbents had a stronger dechlorination impact than calcium-based sorbents. Surface chemical reactions and product layer diffusion between solid sorbents and gases are crucial mechanisms. Meanwhile, the effect of the competitive behavior of SO 2 and CO 2 with HCl on the dechlorination performance has been taken into account. The mechanism and necessity of selective hydrogen chloride removal are also provided and discussed, and future research directions are pointed out to provide the theoretical basis and technical reference for future industrial practical applications., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

For the first time, a comprehensive study of sorbents based on manganese dioxide was carried out for beryllium sorption from seawater in laboratory and expeditionary conditions. The possibility of using several commercially available sorbents based on manganese dioxide (Modix, MDM, DMM, PAN-MnO 2 ) and phosphorus(V) oxide (PD) for 7 Be recovery from seawater for solving oceanological problems was evaluated. Beryllium sorption under static and dynamic conditions was studied. The distribution coefficients and dynamic and total dynamic exchange capacities were determined. Sorbents Modix ( K d = (2.2 ± 0.1) × 10 3 mL/g) and MDM ( K d = (2.4 ± 0.2) × 10 3 mL/g) showed high efficiency. The dependences of the degree of recovery on time (kinetics) and the capacity of the sorbent on the beryllium equilibrium concentration in solution (isotherm) were established. The data obtained were processed using kinetic models (intraparticle diffusion, pseudo-first and pseudo-second orders, Elovich model) and sorption isotherm equations (Langmuir, Freindlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich). The paper contains results of expeditionary studies to evaluate the sorption efficiency of 7 Be from large volumes of the Black Sea water by various sorbents. We also compared the sorption efficiency of 7 Be for the considered sorbents with aluminum oxide and previously obtained sorbents based on iron(III) hydroxide.

Production wastewater has evolved with dye and printing technology to become one of the major sources of soil and water contamination. The majority of dyes are carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic compounds. As a result, dealing with the dye in the wastewater is a critical issue. Insoluble polymers of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), an inexpensive, sustainably produced macrocycle of glucose, have potential to remove dyes from water/wastewater via sorption due to formation of well-defined host-guest complexes. A novel polymeric sorbent based on cyclodextrin was successfully synthesized in a one-step reaction with few reagents. The polymer is characterized by multifunctionality and cross-linked network structure. The sorption studies aimed at the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The dominant model was Langmuir isotherm which indicated a sorption capacity of 96.15 mg/g. The rapid removal has already been obtained after 1 min, around 84 % of efficiency. The molecular mechanism of MB sorption by poly(β-CD-BPDA) network is found mostly on the electrostatic interactions and partially on the inclusion of complexation inside supramolecular pores based on cyclodextrins' cavities, hydrogen bonding and slightly π-stacking. The presented polymer seems to be a promising sorbent for the removal of hazardous organic pollutants from water/wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As fossil fuels remain a major source of energy throughout the world, developing efficient negative emission technologies, such as direct air capture (DAC), which remove carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the air, becomes critical for mitigating climate change. Although all DAC processes involve CO 2 transport from air into a sorbent/solvent, through an air-solid or air-liquid interface, the fundamental roles the interfaces play in DAC remain poorly understood. Herein, we study the interfacial behavior of amino acid (AA) solvents used in DAC through a combination of vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. This study revealed that the absorption of atmospheric CO 2 has antagonistic effects on subsequent capture events that are driven by changes in bulk pH and specific ion effects that feedback on surface organization and interactions. Among the three AAs (leucine, valine, and phenylalanine) studied, we identify and separate behaviors from CO 2 loading, chemical changes, variations in pH, and specific ion effects that tune structural and chemical degrees of freedom at the air-aqueous interface. The fundamental mechanistic findings described here are anticipated to enable new approaches to DAC based on exploiting interfaces as a tool to address climate change.

Radium isotopes have traditionally been used as tracers of surface and underground fresh waters in land-ocean interactions. The concentration of these isotopes is most effective on sorbents containing mixed oxides of manganese. During the 116 RV Professor Vodyanitsky cruise (22 April-17 May 2021), a study about the possibility and efficiency of 226 Ra and 228 Ra recovery from seawater using various types of sorbents was conducted. The influence of seawater flow rate on the sorption of 226 Ra and 228 Ra isotopes was estimated. It was indicated that the Modix, DMM, PAN-MnO 2 , and CRM-Sr sorbents show the best sorption efficiency at a flow rate of 4-8 column volumes per minute. Additionally, the distribution of biogenic elements (dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), silicic acid, and the sum of nitrates and nitrites), salinity, and 226 Ra and 228 Ra isotopes was studied in the surface layer of the Black Sea in April-May 2021. Correlation dependencies between the concentration of long-lived radium isotopes and salinity are defined for various areas of the Black Sea. Two processes control the dependence of radium isotope concentration on salinity: conservative mixing of riverine and marine end members and desorption of long-lived radium isotopes when river particulate matter meets saline seawater. Despite the high long-lived radium isotope concentration in freshwater in comparison with that in seawater, their content near the Caucasus shore is lower mainly because riverine waters meet with a great open seawater body with a low content of these radionuclides, and radium desorption processes take place in an offshore area. The 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio derived from our data displays freshwater inflow spreading over not only the coastal region, but also the deep-sea region. The lowered concentration of the main biogenic elements corresponds to high-temperature fields because of their intensive uptake by phytoplankton. Therefore, nutrients coupled with long-lived radium isotopes trace the hydrological and biogeochemical peculiarities of the studied region.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have garnered attention globally given their ubiquitous occurrence, toxicity, bioaccumulative potential, and environmental persistence. Sorption is widely used to remove PFASs given its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. This article reviews recently fabricated sorbents, including carbon materials, minerals, polymers, and composite materials. The characteristics and interactions of the sorbents with PFASs are discussed to better understand sorptive processes. Various sorbents have exhibited high removal rates for legacy perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Novel polymers with special design better remove long- and short-chain PFASs than other sorbents. Although hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions mainly drive the sorption of anionic, cationic, and zwitterionic PFASs, enhancing PFAS sorption on designed sorbents has mainly depended on improving electrostatic interactions. Pearson correlation analysis showed that PFOS sorption capacity of sorbents is positively correlated with their specific surface area. Newly discovered pathways, including the air-water interfacial adsorption, F-F fluorophilic interactions, and (hemi) micelle formation, can enhance PFAS sorption to a certain extent. In addition to PFOA and PFOS, the sorption of emerging PFASs, including aqueous film-forming foam-relevant PFASs, constitutes a new research direction. The functionalization methods for enhancing PFAS sorption and challenges of PFAS sorption are also discussed to provide scope for future research. The discussions herein may contribute to developing efficient sorption technologies to remove PFASs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The sorption efficiency of phosphorus from seawater by aluminum oxide and sorbents based on Fe(OH) 3 obtained by various methods (using prepared sodium ferrate or precipitation of Fe(OH) 3 with ammonia) was assessed. It was shown that phosphorus was recovered most efficiently at a seawater flow rate of one-to-four column volumes per minute with a sorbent based on hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile fiber with a precipitation of Fe(OH) 3 with ammonia. Based on the results obtained, a method for phosphorus isotopes recovery with this sorbent was suggested. Using this method, the seasonal variability of phosphorus biodynamics in the Balaklava coastal area was estimated. For this purpose, the short-lived isotopes of cosmogenic origin 32 P and 33 P were used. Volumetric activity profiles of 32 P and 33 P in particulate and dissolved forms were obtained. Based on 32 P and 33 P volumetric activity, indicators of phosphorus biodynamics were calculated: the time, rate, and degree of phosphorus circulation to inorganic and particulate organic forms. In spring and summer, elevated values of phosphorus biodynamic parameters were determined. This is explained by the peculiarity of the economic and resort activities of Balaklava, which negatively affect the state of the marine ecosystem. The results obtained can be used to assess the dynamics of changes in the content of forms of dissolved and suspended phosphorus, and the biodynamic parameters when performing a comprehensive environmental assessment of the state of coastal waters.

In this work, a coordination polymer based on cobalt terephthalate was obtained and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The coordination polymer was tested as a sorbent for the solid-phase extraction of cephalosporin antibiotics, including ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and cefazolin, from aqueous solutions. The coordination polymer had a high adsorption capacity (520.0 mg/g). Antibiotics adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicate a spontaneous process. The resulting coordination polymer has good stability and reusability. The possibility of separating the studied cephalosporins on a chromatographic column filled with a coordination polymer was shown. This work opens great prospects for the development and application of a coordination polymer based on cobalt terephthalate for the removal of cephalosporins from ambient water.

Membrane protected extraction is an ongoing innovation for isolation and pre-concentration of analytes from complex samples. The extraction process, clean-up and pre-concentration of analytes occur in a single step. The inclusion of solid sorbents such as molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) after membrane extraction ensures that selective double extraction occurs in a single step. The first step involves selective extraction using the membrane and diffused analytes are trapped on the solid sorbent enclosed in the membrane. No further clean-up is required even for very dirty samples like plant extracts and wastewaters samples. Sample clean-up occurs during extraction in the first process and not as additional step since matrix components are prevented from trapping on the sorbent. This can be referred to as prevention is better than cure approach. In this work, the analytical methods that employed membrane protected extraction for various organics such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pharmaceuticals are reviewed. The designs of these analytical methods, their applications, advantages and drawbacks are discussed in this review. Literature suggests that the introduction of solid sorbents in membrane creates the much-needed synergy in selectivity. Previous reviews focused on membrane combinations with MIPs while discussing micro-solid-phase extraction. The scope of this review was broadened to include other sample preparation aspects such as membrane protected stir bar solvent extraction and membrane protected solid-phase microextraction. In addition, novel sample preparation methods for solid samples which include Soxhlet membrane protected molecular imprinted solid phase extraction and membrane protected ultra sound assisted extracted are discussed.

Stereoselective chiral molecules are responsible for specific biological functions in nature. At present, more than half of the prescribed drugs are chiral. Living organisms display divergent pharmacological responses to the enantiomers, leading to altered toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Thus, chiral analysis, separation, and extraction are crucial for ensuring enantiomeric purity to develop safe and effective medication. In recent times, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with appealing structures are gaining importance because of their fascinating properties as a sorbent and stationary phase. MOFs are crystalline porous solid materials built by interconnecting metal ions or clusters and organic linkers. This review explores the advancements in MOFs for the isolation and separation of chiral active pharmaceutical drugs., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Water scarcity caused by climate change and population growth poses a grave threat to human society. Of the different water purification technologies put forward, one presents a promising strategy that is spatially or temporally non-restricted-atmospheric water harvesting (AWH). Here we review recent progress in the design and study of AWH sorbents, ranging from the innovative chemistries to the integration of sophisticated architectures and functional components, and clarify the structure-property-performance relationship that governs the water capture and release processes. Features and limitations of each type of sorbents are summarized to elucidate the optimal working environments and modes. Progress in applications extending from water generation to thermal management and agriculture are discussed. Future developments regarding material modifications, performance measurements, and system optimizations are provided to overcome lingering barriers to sorbent design and implementation., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Car accidents are often accompanied by dangerous substances leaking into the environment. A proper reaction to the leaking substances, utilizing appropriate sorbents, is necessary for diminishing the negative impact of such events. Sorbents as substances of initial intervention in car accidents (as well as industrial and ecological accidents) are a crucial tool for solving crises connected with dangerous substances escaping into the environment. The risk resulting from the given realities is described in detail in the introduction of the article., The Goal: The goal is describing elements of crisis management in dangerous substance leakage and an analysis of sorption resources for quick and efficient interception of leaking substances, water, ethanol, oil, and gasoline in particular, as a reaction to such events., Methods: The quality of a sorption resource is determined by a parameter called the sorption capacity, which has been established according to the ASTM F716-18 standard. Loose nature-based sorbents (peat) and synthetic silicate-based SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , and polypropylene-based ones were observed. The research has been realized on a water, oil, gasoline, and ethanol sorbate. Each experiment was repeated three times., The Results: The results attest to the diversity of sorption capacity in comparing nature-based, silicate-based, and polypropylene-based sorption materials. The highest sorption capacity values were reached with the Sorb 4 sample, which is based on 66% of silica and 18% of alumina. The stated ratio is important, because the Sorb 3 sample contains 85% of silica and 6% of alumina and its absorption capacity values are significantly lower., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Marková, Kubás, Buganová and Ristvej.)

In this work, we present a poly (ethylene-co-1-octene)-based fibrous matrix prepared via electrospinning for highly efficient removal of viscous oils. The sorbent consisting of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) allows selective absorption of crude oil spills at the water surface without the need for additional isolation of the matrix prior to the refining process. Moreover, the high specific pore volume of the LLDPE sorbent with uniform fibrous morphology was shown to enable the sorbent reach 81.5 ± 5.9% of its equilibrium absorption capacity within 5 min. Furthermore, magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) are incorporated into each fiber comprising the matrix to facilitate the recovery process via external magnetic field without altering the intrinsic absorption capacity. We envision that these sorbents offer a sustainable route for the quick and thorough clean-up of spilled oil due to their high absorption capacity, fast absorption rate, ease of recovery, and absence of secondary waste., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The ubiquitous nature of atmospheric moisture makes it a significant water resource available at any geographical location. Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology, which extracts moisture from the ambient air to generate clean water, is a promising strategy to realize decentralized water production. The high water uptake by salt-based sorbents makes them attractive for AWH, especially in arid environments. However, they often have relatively high desorption heat, rendering water release an energy-intensive process. A  LiCl-incorporating polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAM-LiCl) capable of effective moisture harvesting from arid environments is proposed. The interactions between the hydrophilic hydrogel network and the captured water generate more free and weakly bonded water, significantly lowering the desorption heat compared with conventional neat salt sorbents. Benefiting from the affinity for swelling of the polymer backbones, the developed PAM-LiCl achieves a high water uptake of ≈1.1 g g -1 at 20% RH with fast sorption kinetics of ≈0.008 g g -1  min -1  and further demonstrates a daily water yield up to ≈7 g g -1 at this condition. These findings provide a new pathway for the synthesis of materials with efficient water absorption/desorption properties, to reach energy-efficient water release for AWH in arid climates., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

That physisorbents can reduce the energy footprint of water vapor capture and release has attracted interest because of potential applications such as moisture harvesting, dehumidification, and heat pumps. In this context, sorbents exhibiting an S-shaped single-step water sorption isotherm are desirable, most of which are structurally rigid sorbents that undergo pore-filling at low relative humidity (RH), ideally below 30% RH. Here, we report that a new flexible one-dimensional (1D) coordination network, [Cu(HQS)(TMBP)] (H 2 HQS = 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid and TMBP = 4,4'-trimethylenedipyridine), exhibits at least five phases: two as-synthesized open phases, α ⊃ H 2 O and β ⊃ MeOH; an activated closed phase (γ); CO 2 (δ ⊃ CO 2 ) and C 2 H 2 (ϵ ⊃ C 2 H 2 ) loaded phases. The γ phase underwent a reversible structural transformation to α ⊃ H 2 O with a stepped sorption profile (Type F-IV) when exposed to water vapor at <30% RH at 300 K. The hydrolytic stability of [Cu(HQS)(TMBP)] was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) after immersion in boiling water for 6 months. Temperature-humidity swing cycling measurements demonstrated that working capacity is retained for >100 cycles and only mild heating (<323 K) is required for regeneration. Unexpectedly, the kinetics of loading and unloading of [Cu(HQS)(TMBP)] compares favorably with well-studied rigid water sorbents such as Al-fumarate, MOF-303, and CAU-10-H. Furthermore, a polymer composite of [Cu(HQS)(TMBP)] was prepared and its water sorption retained its stepped profile and uptake capacity over multiple cycles.

In our work, the photonuclear production of 198,199 Au isotopes for nuclear medicine purposes was studied, and a method for their recovery from irradiated mercury was developed. The yields of the corresponding nuclear reactions were determined, and a comparison of various methods of obtaining gold radioisotopes was provided. New sorbents based on benzo-15-crown-5, which selectively binds gold, were studied, and the optimal conditions for Au recovery with a high degree of purification from mercury were found. It was established that, for the fast and quantitative recovery of Au isotopes, it was necessary to add at least 0.1 mg of the carrier. As a result, the developed method can be regularly used to obtain 198,199 Au for the research of radiopharmaceuticals based on them.

An undesirable side effect of economic progress is increasingly severe pollution with heavy metals, responsible for the degradation of ecosystems, including soil resources. Hence, this research focused on examining six adsorbents in order to distinguish a reactive mineral with the highest capacity to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals. To this end, the soil was polluted with Co 2+ and Cd 2+ by applying the metals in concentrations of 100 mg kg -1 d.m. The extent of soil equilibrium disturbances was assessed by evaluating the response of the soil microbiome, activity of seven soil enzymes, and the yields of Helianthus annuus L. Six sorbents were evaluated: a molecular sieve, expanded clay (ExClay), halloysite, zeolite, sepiolite and biochar. Co 2+ and Cd 2+ proved to be significant inhibitors of the soil's microbiological and biochemical parameters. Organotrophic bacteria among the analysed groups of microorganisms and dehydrogenases among the soil enzymes were most sensitive to the effects of the metals. Both metals significantly distorted the growth and development of sunflower, with Co 2+ having a stronger adverse impact on the synthesis of chlorophyll. The molecular sieve and biochar were the sorbents that stimulated the multiplication of microorganisms and enzymatic activity in the contaminated soil. The activity of enzymes was also stimulated significantly by zeolite and sepiolite, while the growth of Helianthus annuus L. biomass was stimulated by the molecular sieve, which can all be considered the most useful reactive materials in the remediation of soils exposed to Co 2+ and Cd 2+ .

Despite numerous studies on the influence of heavy metals on soil health, the search for effective, eco-friendly, and economically viable remediation substances is far from over. This encouraged us to carry out a study under strictly controlled conditions to test the effects of Cu 2+ , Ni 2+ , and Zn 2+ added to soil in amounts of 150 mg·kg -1 d.m. of soil on the soil microbiome, on the activity of two oxidoreductases and five hydrolases, and on the growth and development of the sunflower Helianthus annunus L. The remediation substances were a molecular sieve, halloysite, sepiolite, expanded clay, zeolite, and biochar. It has been demonstrated that the most severe turbulences in the soil microbiome, its activity, and the growth of Helianthus annunus L. were caused by Ni 2+ , followed by Cu 2+ , and the mildest negative effect was produced by Zn 2+ . The adverse impact of heavy metals on the soil microbiome and its activity was alleviated by the applied sorbents. Their application also contributed to the increased biomass of plants, which is significant for the successful phytoextraction of these metals from soil. Irrespective of which property was analysed, sepiolite can be recommended for the remediation of soil polluted with Ni 2+ and zeolite-for soil polluted with Cu 2+ and Zn 2+ . Both sorbents mitigated to the highest degree disturbances caused by the tested metals in the soil environment.

An effective magnetic solid-phase extraction method was proposed using magnetic graphene oxide coated with poly(2-aminoterephthalic acid-co-aniline) as a sorbent for preconcentration and extraction of organophosphorus pesticides from environmental water and apple juice samples, and determined using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. To approve the successful synthesis of the magnetic nanocomposite, the prepared sorbent was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer, and Fourier transforms infrared techniques. The main parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were considered and studied to afford an optimized procedure. Systematic method validation verified its suitable recoveries (89.4-107.3%), and precision (relative standard deviations < 6.8%). The method showed a wide linear dynamic range (0.04-700 ng/mL) with low limits of detection (0.01-0.06 ng/mL) and quantification (0.04-0.21 ng/mL). This method presented good potential and great sensitivity for the pesticides determination., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

HemoCleanse collaborated with Dr. John Sherman and Union Carbide in the 1980s to develop a cation exchanger with high selectivity for potassium and ammonium, for use in a wearable artificial kidney. Synthetic zeolites had unexpected solubility in this application but by 2000, UOP (a sister company of Union Carbide) had developed zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC). HemoCleanse performed early animal studies of SZC as an oral sorbent. These showed remarkable binding characteristics. HemoCleanse then obtained the license for SZC for medical applications, helped to form ZS Pharma, and collaborated in further animal studies and clinical trials. AstraZeneca purchased ZS Pharma in 2015, and SZC (Lokelma®) has now become an effective treatment for hyperkalemia in patients with kidney failure and cardiac conditions., (© 2022 International Center for Artificial Organ and Transplantation (ICAOT) and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In this paper, a universal technology is proposed for processing low-titanium mineral raw material-apatite-nepheline ore waste, including its treatment with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid in a two-stage mode with a sequential increase in the concentration. This technique allowed us to remove nepheline and apatite in the first stage and achieve a titanium mineral content of TiO 2 of more than 30%; in the second stage, we were able to convert the titanium into its precursors-titanyl sulfate monohydrate TiOSO 4 ·H 2 O and a hybrid rutile-silica composition. The key stage in the sorbent synthesis is the reaction of the precursor with a phosphoric acid solution. The preferred sequence of operations begins with the mechanical activation of the precursor, causing morphological changes in it, and subsequent treatment with phosphoric acid at different concentrations under atmospheric conditions and in an autoclave, accompanied by phase transformations. Conditions for the chemical reactions which regulated the composition and structure of the final product and, accordingly, its sorption activity were found. With the help of XFA, the phase compositions of the sorbents were identified, including the individual crystalline phase α-TiP obtained from TS or the crystalline phase αTi(HPO 4 ) 2 ∙H 2 O, which is in an amorphous silica matrix obtained from a rutile-silica composition.

The release of antibiotics into the environment from agricultural industries has received tremendous attention in recent years. Nonpoint source contamination of the terrestrial environment by these compounds can result from fertilisation of agricultural soils with manure. The presence of antibiotics and their metabolites in manure may pose a threat to agro-ecosystems. This may result in the emergence of antibiotic resistance bacteria in humans through the food chain and this is a major concern globally at the moment. Therefore, monitoring of manure for antibiotic residues is of vital importance in order to assess the risks of environmental pollution to human health by these drugs. Several sample pre-treatment techniques have been developed for the extraction of antibiotic residues from complex matrices including manure over the years. Despite new developments in recent years in separation science where the common trend is miniaturisation and green approaches, solid-phase extraction is still the most widely used technique in the extraction of antibiotics from agricultural wastes such as manure. In view of this, the aim of this review was to give a critical overview of studies that have been conducted in the past 6 years on the extraction of antibiotic residues from manure employing solid-phase extraction based on Oasis HLB and Strata-X. Adsorption mechanisms of these sorbents were also briefly discussed.

The development of green sample preparation procedures is an extremely important research field in which more and more applications are constantly being proposed in different areas, including pharmaceutical analysis. This review article is aimed at providing a general overview of the development of miniaturized green analytical sample preparation procedures in the pharmaceutical analysis field, with special focus on the works published between January 2017 and July 2021. Particular attention has been paid to the application of environmentally friendly solvents and sorbents as well as nanomaterials or high extraction capacity sorbents in which the solvent volumes and reagents amounts are drastically reduced, with their subsequent advantages from the sustainability point of view., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The combination of planar chromatography with desorption/ionization mass-spectrometry (MS) techniques provides chemists with unique tools for fast and simple separation of mixtures followed by the detection of analytes by the most powerful analytical method. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, thin-layer chromatography (TLC)/matrix-assisted mass spectrometry (MALDI) has been used for the analysis of a wide range of analytes, including natural and synthetic organic compounds. Nowadays, new desorption/ionization approaches have been developed and applied in conjunction with planar chromatography competing with MALDI. This review covers recent developments in the combination of TLC with various desorption/ionization MS methods which were made in recent several years., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Borisov, Kanateva and Zhilyaev.)

Porous materials facilitate the efficient separation of chemicals and particulate matter by providing selectivity through structural and surface properties and are attractive as sorbent owing to their large surface area. This broad applicability of porous materials makes the integration of porous materials and microfluidic devices important in the development of more efficient, advanced separation platforms. Additive manufacturing approaches are fundamentally different to traditional manufacturing methods, providing unique opportunities in the fabrication of fluidic devices. The complementary 3D printing (3DP) methods are each accompanied by unique opportunities and limitations in terms of minimum channel size, scalability, functional integration and automation. This review focuses on the developments in the fabrication of 3DP miniaturised fluidic devices with integrated porous materials, focusing polymer-based methods including fused filament fabrication (FFF), inkjet 3D printing and digital light projection (DLP). The 3DP methods are compared based on resolution, scope for multimaterial printing and scalability for manufacturing. As opportunities for printing pores are limited by resolution, the focus is on approaches to incorporate materials with sub-micron pores to be used as membrane, sorbent or stationary phase in separation science using Post-Print, Print-Pause-Print and In-Print processes. Technical aspects analysing the efficiency of the fabrication process towards scalable manufacturing are combined with application aspects evaluating the separation and/or extraction performance. The review is concluded with an overview on achievements and opportunities for manufacturable 3D printed membrane/sorbent integrated fluidic devices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The ability of biochar to be used as filter or as additive for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from cattle manure is investigated. The employed biochar was produced from cattle manure after slow pyrolysis at 550 °C (under nitrogen). Towards this, in-house-made glass emission reactors were filled with fresh cattle manure samples and a thin layer of biochar (10% w/w) was placed on the top of the manure layer. The mixture was left for 24 h to equilibrate and air samples were collected from the headspace air. The samples were then analyzed using the headspace solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method. Cattle manure emissions are considered unpleasant and odoriferous. The respective changes in the emitted cattle manure VOCs were reported; these included mainly reduction in sulfur- (thiols and sulfides) and oxygen-containing VOCs (alcohols, ketones, phenolics), showing a promising application of biochar for the removal of such compounds from manure wastes. Also, five VOCs were selected as sorbents for further laboratory studies: hexane, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, p-cresol, and 2-methyl-3-pentanone. The results of cattle manure-derived biochar, revealed a reduction in their emitted concentrations (low ppb v ). The present application highlights a straightforward example of cyclic economy, where a waste product is reused after being processed; its re-usage as odor adsorbent serves again the agriculture sector., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

There is a need to develop new solid-phase adsorbents to extract elements from the coal ash. High surface area carbon adsorbents are remarkably good at adsorption of rare earth elements and have good stability in acidic media. A high surface area (1162 m 2 /g), surface-oxidized microsphere flower carbon (MFC-O) has been prepared for the extraction of rare earth elements as well as thorium and uranium. MFC-O exhibits outstanding distribution coefficients up to k d = 1.2 × 10 6 for thorium, uranium, and rare earth elements. It was found that thorium and uranium can be separated from the rare earth elements by adjusting the pH. The maximum extraction capacity (71.3 mg/g) was performed up to 88 ppm with 18 competitive elements (Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th, and U), and element recovery was >85%. A coal ash sample (NIST SRM 1633c) with a known concentration of elements (Na, Ca, Al, Si, Fe, Sc, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Yb, Lu, Th, and U) was leeched resulting in 45% Ce recovery. The leeched solution from NIST 1633c was then mixed with MFC-O for Ce extraction of 74%, Na (17%), Ca (13%), Al (24%), Si (41%), and Fe (17%). The binding properties of MFC-O show that it is an attractive material for the selective extraction of rare earth elements from coal ash.

In this paper, the potential of novel polymer sorbents with the imprinted IL-functional group for the removal of Cu(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions was investigated by batch mode. The sorbents were fabricated by direct reaction of the prepared polymer matrix (poly(vinylbenzyl chloride-divinylbenzene), VBC, and poly(vinylbenzyl bromide-divinylbenzene), VBBr) with 1-(3- or 4-pyridyl)undecan-1-one and oxime of 1-(3- or 4-pyridyl)undecan-1-one. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman Spectroscopy (Raman), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques were used to show functionality and stability of the sorbents. The materials were also characterized by contact-angle goniometry, X-rayphotoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Zeta potential analysis. The removal of Cd(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) was monitored and optimized under the influence of several operational controlling conditions and factors such as pH, shaking time, temperature, initial metal ions concentration, and counter-ions at the functional group. The results obtained confirmed the very high potential of the sorbents; however, the properties depend on the structure of the functional group. The tested sorbents showed fast kinetics, significant capacity at 25 °C (84 mg/g for the Zn(II) sorption with VBC-Ox4.10, 63 mg/g for the Cd(II) sorption with VBBr-Ox3.10, and 69 mg/g for the Cu(II) sorption with VBC-K3.10), and temperature dependence (even 100% increase in capacity values at 45 °C). The selected sorbent can be regenerated without a significant decrease in the metal removal efficiency.

The effectiveness of different bioremediation methods (biostimulation, bioaugmentation, the sorption-biological method) for the restoration of soil contaminated with petroleum products in the Russian Subarctic has been studied. The object of the study includes soil contaminated for 20 years with petroleum products. By laboratory experiment, we established five types of microfungi that most intensively decompose petroleum hydrocarbons: Penicillium canescens st. 1, Penicillium simplicissimum st. 1, Penicillum commune , Penicillium ochrochloron , and Penicillium restrictum . One day after the start of the experiment, 6 to 18% of the hydrocarbons decomposed: at 3 days, this was 16 to 49%; at 7 days, 40 to 73%; and at 10 days, 71 to 87%. Penicillium commune exhibited the greatest degrading activity throughout the experiment. For soils of light granulometric composition with a low content of organic matter, a more effective method of bioremediation is sorption-biological treatment using peat or granulated activated carbon: the content of hydrocarbons decreased by an average of 65%, which is 2.5 times more effective than without treatment. The sorbent not only binds hydrocarbons and their toxic metabolites but is also a carrier for hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms and prevents nutrient leaching from the soil. High efficiency was noted due to the biostimulation of the native hydrocarbon-oxidizing microfungi and bacteria by mineral fertilizers and liming. An increase in the number of microfungi, bacteria and dehydrogenase activity indicate the presence of a certain microbial potential of the soil and the ability of the hydrocarbons to produce biochemical oxidation. The use of the considered methods of bioremediation will improve the ecological state of the contaminated area and further the gradual restoration of biodiversity.

The use of wastes of marble powder (WMP) and dolomite as sorbents for CO 2 capture is extremely promising to make the Ca-looping (CaL) process a more sustainable and eco-friendly technology. For the downstream utilization of CO 2 , it is more realistic to produce a concentrated CO 2 stream in the calcination step of the CaL process, so more severe conditions are required in the calciner, such as an atmosphere with high concentration of CO 2 (>70%), which implies higher calcination temperatures (>900 °C). In this work, experimental CaL tests were carried out in a fixed bed reactor using natural CaO-based sorbent precursors, such as WMP, dolomite and their blend, under mild (800 °C, N 2 ) and realistic (930 °C, 80% CO 2 ) calcination conditions, and the sorbents CO 2 carrying capacity along the cycles was compared. A blend of WMP with dolomite was tested as an approach to improve the CO 2 carrying capacity of WMP. As regards the realistic calcination under high CO 2 concentration at high temperature, there is a strong synergetic effect of inert MgO grains of calcined dolomite in the blended WMP + dolomite sorbent that leads to an improved stability along the cycles when compared with WMP used separately. Hence, it is a promising approach to tailor cheap waste-based blended sorbents with improved carrying capacity and stability along the cycles under realistic calcination conditions.

Composites based on chitin (CH) biopolymer and metal-organic framework (MOF) microporous nanoparticles have been developed as broad-scope pollutant absorbent. Detailed characterization of the CH/MOF composites revealed that the MOF nanoparticles interacted through electrostatic forces with the CH matrix, inducing compartmentalization of the CH macropores that led to an overall surface area increase in the composites. This created a micro-, meso-, and macroporous structure that efficiently retained pollutants with a broad spectrum of different chemical natures, charges, and sizes. The unique prospect of this approach is the combination of the chemical diversity of MOFs with the simple processability and biocompatibility of CH that opens application fields beyond water remediation., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

There is a huge risk of contamination of water bodies due to the various oil exploration, transport, and industrial operational activities that are taking place across the world. Physical remediation techniques are considered extremely important for tackling the problems of marine oil spills. This paper provides a unique, specific review on the physical remediation of marine oil spills with special emphasis on types of available physical remediation techniques and their working principles. It also describes the chief latest improvements in the physical remediation techniques that have taken place with time. The paper discusses the various ways by which oil and its derivatives contaminate, and the subsequent effects these contaminants have on the marine ecosystem. The article discusses salient features that make physical remediation an effective marine oil spill counter-measure capable of recovering appreciable amounts of oil while causing minimal or no damage to the marine ecosystem and the workers carrying out the cleanup. Regarding the physical remediation methods, future research may focus on the development of hybrid booms, improved performance of skimmers for different oil types, and further applications involving novel materials like nanoparticles, zeolites for sorbents., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)