This work tested a new remediation technology for in-situ degradation of estrogens by delivering a new class of stabilized manganese oxide (MnO2) nanoparticles in contaminated soils. The nanoparticles were prepared using a food-grade carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a stabilizer, which was able to facilitate particle delivery into soil. The effectiveness of the technology was tested using 17β-estradiol (E2) as a model estrogen and three sandy loams (SL1, SL2, and SL3) as model soils. Column transport tests showed that the nanoparticles can be delivered in the three soils, though retention of the nanoparticles varied. The nanoparticle retention is strongly dependent on the injection pore velocity. The treatment effectiveness is highly dependent upon the mass transfer rates of both the nanoparticles and contaminants. When the E2-laden soils were treated with 22–130 pore volumes of a 0.174 g/L MnO(2) nanoparticle suspension, up to 88% of water leachable E2 was degraded. The nanoparticles were more effective for soils that offer moderate desorption rates of E2. Decreasing injection velocity or increasing MnO(2) concentration facilitate E2 degradation. The nanoparticles-based technology appears promising for in-situ oxidation of endocrine disruptors in groundwater.

In this study, we demonstrated an assay with turn-on fluorescence for monitoring cerebrospinal acetylcholinesterase (AChE) fluctuation as a biomarker for organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) poisoning and management based on single layer MnO2 nanosheets with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as signal readout. Initially, the fluorescence of GQDs was quenched by MnO2 nanosheets mainly due to the inner filter effect (IFE). However, with the presence of reductive thiocholine (TCh), the enzymatic product, hydrolyzed from acetylthiocholine (ATCh) by AChE, the redox reaction between MnO2 and TCh occurred, leading to the destruction of the MnO2 nanosheets, and thereby IFE was diminished gradually. As a consequence, the turn-on fluorescence of GQDs with the changes in the spectrum of the dispersion constituted a new mechanism for sensing of cerebrospinal AChE. With the method developed here, we could monitor cerebrospinal AChE fluctuation of rats exposed to OPs before and after therapy, and could thereby open up the pathway to a new sensing platform for better understanding the mechanism of brain dysfunctions associate with OPs poisoning.

Nowadays, due to increase in worldwide population and rapid urbanization, water demand in the region is increasing fast while water quality is deteriorating. The physical, chemical, and biological characteristics are changing in a fast way due to the accumulation of contaminants such as heavy metals, synthetic dyes, and organic and inorganic materials. This makes the water harmful for the biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem. Various noble approaches have been employed by the researchers in order to replace the traditional wastewater treatment methods. In this regard, nano-technology has occupied a central position in the areas of research. The term “nano-technology” is a branch of science which acknowledges the manipulation of materials at nano-scale. These materials may have large specific surface area, high reactivity, degree of functionalization, size-dependent properties, etc., which make them suitable for execution in water purification and wastewater treatment. This paper briefly reviews the current advances and application of nano-materials for wastewater treatment. Here, various types of nano-materials such as carbon nano-tubes, MnO₂ nano-sheets, graphene composites, metal oxides, antimicrobial nano-materials, and photocatalysts, which are employed in the field of wastewater treatment, have been dissertated.

Petroleum hydrocarbon, a complex mixture including aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, is known to have negative effects on the environment. We determined the effectiveness of persulfate (PS) (5% w/w) activated using 1% (w/w) of various types of soil minerals, goethite (α-FeOOH), hematite (Fe₂O₃), magnetite (Fe₃O₄), maghemite (γ- Fe₂O₃), manganese oxide (MnO₂), and zeolite (clinoptilolite) to treat petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was 4200 ± 124 mg kg⁻¹. The TPH removal efficiency was in the order: Fe₃O₄ > MnO₂ > γ-Fe₂O₃ > Fe₂O₃ > α-FeOOH > clinoptilolite. When the PS dosage and the moisture content of the soil increased, the degradation rate (k ₒbₛ) of TPH removal increased; on the other hand, lowering the pH increased the k ₒbₛ of TPH removal. The PS oxidation of TPH was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The interactive effects of three factors, namely, persulfate dosage (X ₁), pH (X ₂), and soil moisture content (X ₃), were investigated. The optimum removal of TPH by PS oxidation activated using 1% (w/w) magnetite was obtained at 5.5% (w/w) PS and 85% (w/w) moisture content at an initial pH of 4.5. However, the soil treated by PS showed a negative effect on soil health. The germination of mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) and the CO₂ release for the treated soil were low, indicating that toxicity had occurred in the treated soil. To restore the treated soil, adding a soil amendment, like CaCO₃, fly ash, or crop residue, was able to improve plant growth and soil microbial activity.

Iron anode was employed to enhance the degradation of Orange G (OG) by permanganate (EC/KMnO₄). Continuously generated Fe²⁺ from iron anode facilitated the formation of fresh MnO₂, which plays a role in catalyzing permanganate oxidation. The EC/KMnO₄ system also showed a better performance to remove OG than Fe²⁺/KMnO₄, indicating the importance of in situ formed fresh MnO₂. Besides, the effects of applied current, KMnO₄ dosage, solution pH, and natural organics were evaluated and results demonstrated that high current and oxidant dosage are favorable for OG removal. And the application of iron anode has a promoting effect on the KMnO₄ oxidation over a wide pH range (5.0–9.0), while the Fe²⁺/KMnO₄ process does not. For natural organics, its presence could inhibit OG removal due to its competitive role. And the promoting effect of OG removal by the EC/KMnO₄ process in natural water was confirmed. At last, the EC/KMnO₄ process showed a satisfying performance on the decolorization and mineralization of OG. This study provides a potential technology to enhance permanganate oxidation and broadens the knowledge of azo dye removal.

Three amendments including limestone, MnO₂ and natural zeolite were assessed for their stabilisation effects on Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd in sediment of east Dongting Lake, mid-south China. The metals were first subject to pollution status and potential ecological risk assessment to identify the current and potential hazards to ecology. Speciation of the metals in the sediment treated with amendments was then carried out by BCR sequential extraction procedure in order to evaluate metal contents and their potential mobility. The total concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd in the east Dongting Lake were all above the means of national stream sediment and soil guidelines. The sediments were currently unpolluted to moderately pollute with Zn, Cu and Pb and strongly polluted with Cd. Zinc, Cu and Pb posed low risks to the lake ecosystem, and Cd had the highest potential risk that caused the overall risk of the sediment to be high or very high. Limestone stabilised Cu and Zn effectively, yet mobilisation of Cd and Pb by such amendment was also observed. MnO₂ effectively reduced the extractable Cd and Pb. The effect of natural zeolite on metal stabilisation in the sediment was least notable. Limestone and MnO₂ showed higher metal stabilisation efficiencies than zeolite. However, a single amendment is unable to achieve the goal of stabilisation for all metals. A combination use of the advantageous amendments or a search of a stronger stabiliser should be the interest of our future study.