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Antibiotic ciprofloxacin is one of the commonly used broad spectrum fluoroquinolone human and veterinary drugs. Because of the overuse of human beings, the presence of ciprofloxacin has been detected in a variety of environmental matrices. To solve this problem, a facile, environmentallyfriendly Ag3PO4/AgBr composite photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple precipitation method at room temperature in the presence of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). CTAB was served as surfactant and the source of bromide ions. The as-prepared Ag3PO4/AgBr microspheres were characterized by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). The results revealed that the Ag3PO4/AgBr sample (synthesized with CTAB, 0.8 g) exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity to the photodegradation rate of 96.36%. Moreover, mechanism detection experiment indicated that h+ was the major active species in the degradation process. So the enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4/AgBr composites is attributed to its excellent separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs through Ag3PO4/AgBr heterojunction. Also, Ag3PO4/AgBr heterojunction has a lower band gap compared to pure Ag3PO4 and pure AgBr, so higher efficiency of light harvesting is equipped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi7O9I3, a kind of visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, with hierarchical micro/nano-architecture was successfully synthesized by oil-bath heating method, with ethylene glycol as solvent, and applied to degrade sulfonamide antibiotics. The as-prepared product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible diffuse reflection spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD and XPS tests confirmed that the productwas indeed Bi7O9I3. The result of SEM observation shows that the as-synthesized Bi7O9I3 consists of a large number of micro-sheets with parallel rectangle structure. The optical test exhibited strong photoabsorption in visible light irradiation, with 617 nm of absorption edges. Moreover, the difference in the photocatalytic efficiency of as-prepared Bi7O9I3 at different seasons of a whole year was investigated in this study. The chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency and concentration of NO3- and SO42- of solution after reaction were also researched to confirm whether degradation of the pollutant was complete; the results indicated a high mineralization capacity of Bi7O9I3. The as-synthesized Bi7O9I3 exhibits an excellent oxidizing capacity of sulfadiazine sodium and favorable stability during the photocatalytic reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sorption of chloramphenicol on four types of sediment and the effect of coexistence Cu(II) on the sorption were studied. Sorption isotherms and thermodynamic analysis were employed to dispose the experimental sorption data. Experimental results showed that organic matter was the dominant parameter and the coexistence of heavy metal Cu(II) could promote the sorption of chloramphenicol on four tested sediments. The adsorption parameter analysis showed sorption of chloramphenicol on the sediment was not pure distributional effects, not a strong interaction between molecule and surface, but other weak interactions. Thermodynamic parameters values such as ▵ G, ▵ H and ▵ S were all below zero, which indicated that the sorption was a spontaneous and exothermal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clean development mechanism (CDM), one of three flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol, has received noticeable attention in cement industry in china. In this paper we will discuss in past the utilization ratios of waste heat generated in cement industry are at low level in China and at present it is at high level and how the CDM contributes to upgrade cement industry structure. Making fully use of the opportunity brought by clean development mechanism can help cement enterprises in china to recover the waste heat generated in the process of cement production. Implementing the development of clean development mechanism projects in cement industry field, mainly focusing on waste heat for power generation projects, can not only reduce environmental pollution, but also bring certain economic and social benefit. It is in favor of promoting the upgrade of cement industrial structure, and will contribute to positive and far-reaching effect toward sustainable development of cement industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation of sulfadiazine sodium with hierarchical Bi7O9I3 under solar irradiation," by MengMeng Xu, YaLei Zhao and QiShe Yan that was published in the 2015 issue is presented.

Considering the characteristics of rural domestic sewage in central China, an unpowered complex eco-technology composed of anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), composite soil filling (CSF) system, and free water surface (FWS) constructed wetland was developed to treat rural sewage. The Guogang Village sewage treatment demonstration project at Xinmi City showed that the complex ecosystem had remarkable pollutant removal efficiency. The removal rate was over 90% for chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus, and over 70% and 80% for TN and NH4+-N, respectively. The effluent concentration met the integrated wastewater discharge standard of China (GB18918-2002) level 1B. The complex eco-technology could effectively purify water quality, and it was cheaper and had simpler operation. Thus, it could be considered as an effective method for treating rural domestic sewage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]