Hester Nikolajsen (breathwarm9)

The method presented here shall be used for analysis of urine samples collected in the upcoming German Environmental Survey, GerES VI, a cross-sectional, population-representative study.A facile pyrolysis-quenching-reroasting process was developed to prepare a sludge-based biochar adsorbent, and its adsorption performance for Cr(VI) ions was investigated. The unquenched biochar (U-BC) and quenched biochar (Q-BC) were systematically compared and characterized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed that more carbon and oxygen functional groups such as -COOH and -OH were formed on the surface of Q-BC. These functional groups could be used as active sites during the adsorption process and help to improve the adsorption performance of the material. The results of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed that the specific surface area of U-BC biochar was 523.36 m2/g, while the specific surface area of Q-BC biochar after quenching treatment increased to 785.3 m2/g. Selleckchem Orludodstat The adsorption performance of Q-BC biochar was studied, and the effects of pH, contact time and temperature on the adsorption performance of the material were explored. The pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm model indicated that the removal of Cr(VI) by Q-BC biochar material was a chemical adsorption-based adsorption process. At a temperature of 298 K and a pH of 1, the maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of the quenched Q-BC biochar is as high as 291.54 mg/g, which was much higher than the maximum adsorption capacity of U-BC biochar (91.46 mg/g). This pyrolysis-quenching-reroasting process to prepare modified biochar provides a new, economical and effective way for the preparation of high-performance adsorption materials from municipal sludge.The coral diseases are recognized as serious threats to coral reef ecosystems and a major contributor to the reduction of zooxanthellate scleractinian populations worldwide. Quantitative disease surveys can provide important information on the status and trends of coral reef health over the time. In this study, coral disease surveys were carried out during August 2014 and 2015 at designated sites located in the northern Persian Gulf. Seven different diseases affecting eight scleractinian genera were documented Black Band Disease (BBD), Skeletal Growth Anomaly (SGA), Arabian Yellow Band Disease (AYBD), White Mat Disease (WMD), White Syndrome (WS), Porites Pink Spot (PPS), and Porites Bleached Patches (PBP). Additionally, it should be noted that this is the first report of SGA in Acropora sp. found in the Persian Gulf. The results of this study generated a baseline dataset of various related diseases in the northern Persian Gulf which can be utilized for future studies.Microplastics pollution is progressively threatening natural parks across the world. In the framework of monitoring this concerning trend, the present study focuses on the occurrence and identification of mesoplastics (MEPs) and microplastics (MPs) in sand samples collected before and after the summer season from the beach of the Nature Park of Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli (Pisa, Italy). Meso- and microplastics were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy 2D Imaging, and detected in all samples with average concentrations of 207 ± 30 MPs/kg d.w., and 100 ± 44 MEPs/kg d.w., respectively. Seasonal changes of flow of the Arno River, industrial activities, and urban footprint were considered as the major sources of plastic pollution. Our results showed the occurrence of both natural and synthetic polymers including cellulose, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate, and acrylonitrile.Based on oil fate modeling of the Deepwater Horizon spill through August 2010, during June and July 2010, ~89% of the oil surfaced, ~5% entered (by dissolving or as microdroplets) the deep plume (>900 m), and ~6% dissolved and biodegraded between 900 m and 40 m. Subsea disp