Modeling Secondary Organic Aerosol Production from Photosensitized Humic-like Substances (HULIS)

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00101

2018-04-06

Humic-like substances (HULIS) are ubiquitous in atmospheric aerosols. Despite experimental evidence that HULIS can catalyze secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation through photosensitizer chemistry, the potential contribution of this pathway to ambient SOA ...

Reductive Defluorination of Branched Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances with Cobalt Complex Catalysts

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00122

2018-04-06

This study investigates structure–reactivity relationships within branched per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) undergoing cobalt-catalyzed reductive defluorination reactions. Experimental results and theoretical calculations reveal correlations among ...

Kaolin Alleviates Graphene Oxide Toxicity

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00135

2018-04-06

With increased interest in the practical use of graphene-based materials, concerns about the remediation of the environmental nanotoxicity of graphene and graphene-related materials have grown. In this study, we report that kaolin nanoclay significantly allev...

Estimating the Transfer Range of Plasmids Encoding Antimicrobial Resistance in a Wastewater Treatment Plant Microbial Community

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00105

2018-04-05

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been suggested as reservoirs and sources of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. In a WWTP ecosystem, human enteric and environmental bacteria are mixed and exposed to pharmaceutical residues, potenti...

Identification of Chain Scission Products Released to Water by Plastic Exposed to Ultraviolet Light

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00119

2018-04-04

Buoyant plastic in the marine environment is exposed to sunlight, oxidants, and physical stress, which may lead to degradation of the plastic polymer and the release of compounds that are potentially hazardous. We report the development of a laboratory protoc...

Biotransformation of AFFF Component 6:2 Fluorotelomer Thioether Amido Sulfonate Generates 6:2 Fluorotelomer Thioether Carboxylate under Sulfate-Reducing Conditions

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00148

2018-04-04

The fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) under anaerobic conditions has not been well characterized, leaving major gaps in our understanding of PFAS fate and transformation at contaminated sites. In this st...

A Self-Standing, Support-Free Membrane for Forward Osmosis with No Internal Concentration Polarization

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00117

2018-04-03

Conventional asymmetric or thin-film composite forward osmosis (FO) membranes suffer from severe internal concentration polarization, which significantly hinders process performance and practical applications. Here we report the synthesis of the COOH-derived ...

Mechanisms of Methyl Mercury Net Degradation in Alder Swamps: The Role of Methanogens and Abiotic Processes

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00081

2018-03-21

Wetlands are common net producers of the neurotoxin monomethylmercury (MeHg) and are largely responsible for MeHg bioaccumulation in aquatic food-webs. However, not all wetlands net produce MeHg; notable exceptions are black alder (Alnus glutinosa) swamps, wh...

Biomagnification of Tantalum through Diverse Aquatic Food Webs

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00051

2018-03-16

Tantalum (Ta) is a technology-critical element (TCE) that is growing in global demand because of its use in electronic and medical devices, capacitors, aircraft, and hybrid cars. Despite its economic relevance, little is known about its environmental concentr...

δ13C and δ37Cl Isotope Fractionation To Characterize Aerobic vs Anaerobic Degradation of Trichloroethylene

10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00100

2018-03-12

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a carcinogenic organic chemical impacting water resources worldwide. Its breakdown by reductive vs oxidative degradation involves different types of chemical bonds. Hence, if distinct isotope effects are reflected in dual element (c...