Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Libin Wu, Siyao Yue, Zongbo Shi, Wei Hu, Jing Chen, Hong Ren, Junjun Deng, Lujie Ren, Yunting Fang, Hong Yan, Weijun Li, Roy M. Harrison, Pingqing Fu
Summary: This study investigates the sources of nitrogen-containing aerosols in the atmosphere over Mt. Tai in China, with a focus on both inorganic and organic nitrogen. The results show that the concentrations of N-containing compounds were higher during the daytime, with agriculture identified as the most important emission source for NH3 in aerosol NH4+. Combustion and mobile emitted NOx were the main sources of aerosol NO3-. The isotopic compositions of organic nitrogen suggest that it likely originated from primary sources. The study contributes to a better understanding of regional transport of tropospheric nitrogen-containing aerosols in the North China Plain.
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hong-Wei Xiao, Yu Xu, Hua-Yun Xiao
Summary: Black carbon (BC) aerosols emitted from combustion have significant impacts on the environment and human health, particularly in China where high concentrations were found in fine particulate matter. A Bayesian statistical model using stable carbon isotope, non-sea-salt K+ to BC ratio, and ABC/ACO ratio was used to determine BC source apportionments. The results showed that BC concentrations were generally higher in northern cities of China, with 44% of cities primarily sourced from liquid fuel combustion and 39% from biomass burning. These findings suggest the need for stronger controls on liquid fuel combustion and consideration of biomass burning regulation.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
J. Backman, L. Schmeisser, E. Asmi
Summary: The study demonstrates the harmful impact of Black Carbon on the Arctic environment and identifies a major transport pathway for Black Carbon from lower latitudes into the Arctic, reaching the high Arctic in as little as 7 days. The measurement sites and transportation pathways studied are found to be representative of the Arctic as a whole.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuangshuang Shi, Bin Zhu, Wen Lu, Shuqi Yan, Chenwei Fang, Xiaohui Liu, Duanyang Liu, Chao Liu
Summary: This study used a UAV platform to measure the vertical distribution of BC and PM2.5 in the boundary layer and found that different shapes of BC profiles were influenced by atmospheric thermodynamics and transport, impacting RF and HR.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jie Luo, Zhengqiang Li, Jibing Qiu, Ying Zhang, Cheng Fan, Li Li, Hailing Wu, Peng Zhou, Kaitao Li, Qixing Zhang
Summary: Biomass burning (BB) fractions estimated with the aethalometer model show deviations from 0 for fossil fuel (FF) aerosols due to incorrect attribution. The morphology and mixing state of black carbon (BC) greatly influence the BB fraction estimation. Freshly emitted BC has BB fractions close to 0, while compact and heavily coated BC can have significantly deviated BB fractions. Fluffy BC generally shows positive BB fractions, whereas compact BC exhibits negative BB fractions. Partially-coated BC is sensitive to size distribution and coating ratio, consistent with the core-shell sphere model. The estimation of BB fractions is also affected by atmospheric aging and uncertainties, suggesting the use of different absorption Angstrom exponent (AAE) pairs.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaorong Zhang, Zhejing Zhu, Feiyan Cao, Shani Tiwari, Bing Chen
Summary: The study shows that the absorption enhancement of BC is greatly influenced by emission sources, with different coating materials causing BC absorption to double. Using a positive matrix factorization model, secondary sources were found to be the main contributors to BC absorption enhancement, but biomass burning and vehicular emissions also played a significant role.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Zheng Yang, Nan Ma, Qiaoqiao Wang, Guo Li, Xihao Pan, Wenlin Dong, Shaowen Zhu, Shaobin Zhang, Wenwen Gao, Yao He, Linhong Xie, Yuxuan Zhang, Uwe Kuhn, Wangyun Xu, Ye Kuang, Jiangchuan Tao, Juan Hong, Guangsheng Zhou, Yele Sun, Hang Su, Yafang Cheng
Summary: In this study, the physical properties of refractory BC (rBC) were characterized at a polluted rural site in the North China Plain using a single particle soot photometer (SP2). The results showed that the rBC concentration was influenced by local residential activities and the evolution of the planetary boundary layer. A broader rBC core mass size distribution could be observed in the afternoon.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hannah Schlaerth, Joseph Ko, Rebecca Sugrue, Chelsea Preble, George Ban-Weiss
Summary: Black carbon emissions from diesel fuel combustion impact air quality and human health. This study focused on harbor craft emissions and found that tugboats spent a significant amount of non-idle operating time near California's coast, making them potential targets for emissions reductions.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
S. Ramachandran, T. A. Rajesh, R. Cherian
Summary: This study analyzes black carbon aerosols measured simultaneously in urban and high-altitude regions, revealing significant differences in BC mass concentrations and diurnal variations influenced by atmospheric boundary layer, seasons, and potential source regions. Models underestimate BC concentrations in the urban area of Ahmedabad but capture BC levels well in the background region of Gurushikhar. The study highlights the need for improved representation of anthropogenic aerosol emissions and missing aerosol source categories in models to better understand the impact of aerosols on radiative and climate effects.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dong Chen, Wenxin Zhao, Lei Zhang, Qiuyue Zhao, Jie Zhang, Feng Chen, Huipeng Li, Miao Guan, Yu Zhao
Summary: The mass absorption efficiency (MAE) of black carbon (BC) can be amplified by internal mixing and the lensing effect from non-absorbing coating, enhancing BC's global warming effect. Observations in Nanjing showed relatively large MAE values in 2016, likely due to high levels of BC internal mixing. The ratio of non-absorbing particulate matter (NAPM) to elemental carbon (EC) had a strong positive correlation with MAE value, indicating that coating thickness promotes BC's light absorption ability. Chemical component coating had a greater impact on MAE amplification in autumn and winter, with nitrate coating having the strongest effect followed by organic matter. The developed statistical model can separate the effects of internal mixing and non-absorbing coating.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaofeng Liu, Xuan Li, Huiling Bai, Ling Mu, Yangyong Li, Dayu Zhang
Summary: The study on the stable carbon isotopic compositions and source apportionment of carbonaceous components in Taiyuan found notable differences in the temporal distributions of stable carbon isotopic compositions of OC, EC, and TC. The heavier 613CEC values in December and March were attributed to increased coal combustion and C4 plant burning during the heating season. Results also showed different sources of EC in Taiyuan during the 4 months, indicating the comprehensive impact of various factors on carbonaceous components in fine particles. This study provides valuable data for environmental management and enhances understanding of carbon sources.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Christopher M. Maloney, Robert W. Portmann, Martin N. Rossi, Karen H. Rosenlof
Summary: Aerosol emissions from spaceflight activities, particularly the injection of black carbon particles into the stratosphere, have a significant impact on stratospheric temperature, circulation, and ozone levels. These climate responses are directly proportional to the emission rates, indicating the sensitivity of the stratosphere to BC injections.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xue Feng, Jiandong Wang, Shiwen Teng, Xiaofeng Xu, Bin Zhu, Jiaping Wang, Xijuan Zhu, Maxim A. Yurkin, Chao Liu
Summary: This study investigates how mixtures of black carbon and other absorbing aerosols affect their absorption properties, finding that different mixing states have varying effects on absorption, with internal mixing potentially weakening the absorption of black carbon at shorter wavelengths.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shaojun Zhang, Xiaomeng Wu, Xuan Zheng, Yifan Wen, Ye Wu
Summary: This paper investigates the black carbon (BC) emissions from on-road transportation in China and establishes an updated inventory. The research shows that comprehensive control policies in the past have significantly reduced BC emissions, and there is still great potential for further reduction in the future through stringent control policies and advanced technologies. Various scenarios suggest substantial BC emission reductions can be achieved in the future.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Mingming Dai, Bin Zhu, Chenwei Fang, Shunwu Zhou, Wen Lu, Delong Zhao, Deping Ding, Chen Pan, Hong Liao
Summary: Black carbon (BC) is a significant driver of global climate change, and its concentration at Mt. Waliguan (WLG) showed a decreasing trend of 2%yr(-1) from 2008 to 2017, mainly due to emission reduction measures in China. BC concentration was higher under easterly air masses compared to westerly air masses, and higher in summer than in winter. The Tibetan Plateau monsoon intensity influenced the frequency of easterly air masses, modulating BC transport to WLG in summer. High-potential BC source regions were identified in Lanzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, and northern India.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yiqi Cao, Baiyu Zhang, Charles W. Greer, Kenneth Lee, Qinhong Cai, Xing Song, Julien Tremblay, Zhiwen Zhu, Guihua Dong, Bing Chen
Summary: In this study, the effects of marine dilbit spill and dispersant application on microbial community dynamics over time were studied using microcosms. The impacts of microcosm scale were evaluated, and increasing the scale was found to be beneficial for reducing community stochasticity, especially in the late stage of biodegradation. Dispersant application was found to suppress aromatics biodegradation in the early stage (6 days), whereas exerting insignificant effects in the late stage (50 days), from both substance removal and metagenomic/metatranscriptomic perspectives. Alteromonas species were found to be vital for the early-stage chemically dispersed oil biodegradation and their degradation and antioxidation mechanisms were clarified. These findings help to better understand microcosm studies and microbial roles for biodegrading dilbit and chemically dispersed dilbit, and suggest that dispersant evaluation in large-scale systems and even through field trials would be more realistic after marine oil spill response.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yiqi Cao, Qiao Kang, Baiyu Zhang, Zhiwen Zhu, Guihua Dong, Qinhong Cai, Kenneth Lee, Bing Chen
Summary: Through experiments and causal inference analysis, it was found that the addition of dispersants can alleviate the barriers of oil biodegradation in high-salinity environments, mainly by increasing cell abundance to enhance oil biodegradation.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Tianze Cheng, Jianjun Zou, Xuefa Shi, Sergey Gorbarenko, Yuriy Vasilenko, Alexandr Bosin, Yanguang Liu, Bing Chen
Summary: Wildfire is a crucial component of the Earth's climate system, with significant impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, atmospheric chemistry, and carbon cycling. This study reconstructs a long-term high-resolution wildfire record using black carbon from the subarctic North Pacific. The findings show that wildfire frequency was higher during glacial periods due to reduced precipitation. The study also reveals the influence of the Earth's orbital precession on wildfire development.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Bo Liu, Bing Chen, Jingjing Ling, Xudong Ye, Guihua Dong, Ethan James Matchinski, Baiyu Zhang
Summary: Mechanical oil recovery is widely used in oil spill response, but it generates a significant amount of oil-contaminated water. On-site treatment of the wastewater can free up storage space, but the lack of ecological toxicity data and research poses uncertain risks for its disposal.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruizhi Zhou, Caiqing Yan, Qiaoyun Yang, Hongya Niu, Junwen Liu, Fanli Xue, Bing Chen, Taomeizi Zhou, Haibiao Chen, Junyi Liu, Yali Jin
Summary: The implementation of Blue Sky War in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, China, has significantly reduced the concentrations of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in the atmosphere, and the levels of secondary organic carbon (SOC) showed a fluctuating trend. This study highlights the importance of controlling primary emissions and conducting further research on SOC formation.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Min Yang, Baiyu Zhang, Xiujuan Chen, Qiao Kang, Boyang Gao, Kenneth Lee, Bing Chen
Summary: This study investigated the transport of microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODAs) in a simulated ocean system and explored related mechanisms under different conditions. It was found that heavy oil-formed MODAs mainly stayed at the seawater surface, while light oil-formed MODAs were distributed throughout the seawater column. Increased salinity promoted the transport of certain MODAs, and minerals facilitated the sinking of large microplastic-formed MODAs. The study proposed a MODA-mineral system and recommended Rubey's equation for predicting sinking velocity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaying Xin, Bing Chen, Min Yang, Sichen Gao, Hongjie Wang, Wenwen Gu, Xixi Li, Baiyu Zhang
Summary: This review examines the interaction between microplastics/nanoplastics and co-existing contaminants, such as organic contaminants, potentially toxic elements, and metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles. The characteristics of the plastics, including polymer type, size, functional groups, and weathering, influence their combined effects with the co-existing contaminants. Mixture toxicity is not only affected by these factors, but also by the type of contaminants, their concentrations, exposure time, dissolved organic matter, and surfactants. Different organisms show different responses to the complex system. Organic contaminants can be biodegraded, which may enhance or alleviate mixture toxicity. Potentially toxic elements can be adsorbed and desorbed under changing environments, further affecting the combined effects. The presence of metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles is more complicated, as some particles may release ion metals, increasing the contaminant composition.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Weishi Zhang, Ying Xu, Lei Jiang, David G. Streets, Can Wang
Summary: This study analyzes the spillover effects of new-type urbanization on CO2 emissions in the central heating sector of northern China. The results indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between new-type urbanization and CO2 emissions, with a significant impact from neighboring cities' urbanization levels. The findings suggest that the peak of CO2 emissions will occur earlier due to the spillover effects of urbanization at the city level.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fei Zheng, Xin Guo, Mingyang Tang, Dong Zhu, Hongtao Wang, Xiaoru Yang, Bing Chen
Summary: This study assessed soil heavy metal pollution in different urbanization regions (urban area, suburb, and ecoregion) in Baoding City, Northern China. The results showed that suburban areas had higher levels of heavy metal contamination compared to urban or ecoregion areas, primarily originating from agricultural activity, industrial sources, and natural sources. Carcinogenic risks to children's health were highest in suburban areas, followed by the ecoregion, but not in urban areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Jianbing Li, Kenneth Lee, Bing Chen, Guangji Hu, Shan Zhao
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Bing Chen, Guosong Zhang, Zongjia Zhang, Zongyu Wang, Chunfen Guo, Xiaojie Song
Summary: This study investigates the effect of annealing on laser-cladded high entropy alloy coatings and finds that annealing can reduce the impact of phase separation and elemental segregation, leading to improved overall performance. The coating annealed at 800°C exhibits good consistency in wear and corrosion resistance.
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Siyang Cheng, Xinghong Cheng, Jianzhong Ma, Xiangde Xu, Wenqian Zhang, Jinguang Lv, Gang Bai, Bing Chen, Siying Ma, Steffen Ziegler, Sebastian Donner, Thomas Wagner
Summary: In this study, we conducted mobile MAX-DOAS measurements in the Three Rivers' Source region over the Tibetan Plateau to investigate the tropospheric concentrations of NO2 and HCHO. The results show a decrease in NO2 and HCHO VCDs with increasing altitude, and the spatial distribution of HCHO VCDs is influenced by natural and meteorological conditions.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bo Liu, Baiyu Zhang, Guihua Dong, Fei Wu, Bing Chen
Summary: Chlorination is a commonly used technique for drinking water disinfection, but it can produce disinfection by-products (DBPs) that threaten water safety. This study introduces environmental microfluidics to a UVA-LED photocatalytic oxidation system for the rapid oxidation of organic matter. The results show that low pH conditions favor the adsorption and degradation of organic matter. The microreactor effectively reduces DBP formation potential and increases water purification efficiency.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fatemeh Salami, Jian-bin Lin, Bing Chen, Baiyu Zhang, Yuming Zhao
Summary: In this work, the elusive macrocyclic organic compound cyclo-di-BADGE, a by-product of co-polymerization reactions of bisphenol A and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, was comprehensively characterized using NMR, single crystal X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis, dynamic light scattering, molecular dynamics simulations, fluorescence, and molecular docking analyses. The results provide valuable knowledge about the physico-chemical properties and relevant effects of cyclo-di-BADGE on the environment and biological systems.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yonghui Jin, Fan Liu, Yanhui Li, Qiuju Du, Fengling Song, Bing Chen, Kewei Chen, Yang Zhang, Mingzhen Wang, Yaohui Sun, Shiyong Zhao, Zhenyu Jing, Xinxin Pi, YuQi Wang, Dechang Wang
Summary: Micro-nano metal-organic framework (MIL-68(Fe)) and a MIL-68(Fe)/chitosan composite sponge (MIL-68(Fe)/CS) were successfully prepared for efficient adsorption of azo anionic dye Congo red (CR). The MIL-68(Fe)/CS showed faster adsorption kinetics and easier desorption than MIL-68(Fe). The adsorption process of MIL-68(Fe)/chitosan composite sponge on CR is a complex physicochemical process, influenced by factors such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial solution concentration, and temperature. The removal rates and adsorption capacity of CR by MIL-68(Fe)/chitosan composite sponge reached high values, and the synergistic effects of different interactions contributed to the CR removal.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)