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RSC Advances Jul 2023An antimony tri-sulfide SbS nanosphere photocatalyst was effectively deposited utilizing sodium thiosulfate and antimony chloride as the starting precursors in a...
An antimony tri-sulfide SbS nanosphere photocatalyst was effectively deposited utilizing sodium thiosulfate and antimony chloride as the starting precursors in a chemical bath deposition process. This approach is appropriate for the large-area depositions of SbS at low deposition temperatures without the sulfurization process since it is based on the hydrolytic decomposition of starting compounds in aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed the formation of amorphous SbS layers. The scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the deposited SbS has integrated small nanospheres into sub-microspheres with a significant surface area, resulting in increased photocatalytic activity. The optical direct bandgap of the SbS layer was estimated to be about 2.53 eV, making amorphous SbS appropriate for the photodegradation of organic pollutants in the presence of solar light. The possibility of using the prepared SbS layer in the photodegradation of methylene blue aqueous solutions was investigated. The degradation of methylene blue dye was performed to evaluate the photocatalytic property of SbS under visible light. The amorphous SbS exhibited photocatalytic activity for the decolorization of methylene blue solution under visible light. The mechanism for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue has been proposed. Our results suggest that the amorphous SbS nanospheres are valuable material for addressing environmental remediation issues.
PubMed: 37483670
DOI: 10.1039/d3ra02062b -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2023This study investigates the piezoelectric and piezotronic properties of a novel composite material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and antimony sulphoiodide...
This study investigates the piezoelectric and piezotronic properties of a novel composite material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and antimony sulphoiodide (SbSI) nanowires. The material preparation method is detailed, showcasing its simplicity and reproducibility. The material's electrical resistivity, piezoelectric response, and energy-harvesting capabilities are systematically analyzed under various deflection conditions and excitation frequencies. The piezoelectric response is characterized by the generation of charge carriers in the material due to mechanical strain, resulting in voltage output. The fundamental phenomena of charge generation, along with their influence on the material's resistivity, are proposed. Dynamic strain testing reveals the composite's potential as a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG), converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Comparative analyses highlight the composite's power density advantages, thereby demonstrating its potential for energy-harvesting applications. This research provides insights into the interplay between piezoelectric and piezotronic phenomena in nanocomposites and their applicability in energy-harvesting devices.
PubMed: 37765919
DOI: 10.3390/s23187855 -
Chemosphere Feb 2024Previous studies have revealed links between metal(loid)s and health problems; however, the link between metal(loid)s and obesity remains controversial. We evaluated the...
Previous studies have revealed links between metal(loid)s and health problems; however, the link between metal(loid)s and obesity remains controversial. We evaluated the cross-sectional association between metal(loid) exposure in whole blood and obesity among the general population. Vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), thallium (T1), and lead (Pb) were measured in 3029 subjects in Guangdong Province (China) using ICP-MS. The prevalence of overweight and obesity (OWO) and abdominal obesity (AOB) was calculated according to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that elevated blood Cu, Cd, and Pb levels were inversely associated with the risk of OWO, and these associations were confirmed by a linear dose-response relationship. Elevated blood Co concentration was associated with a decreased risk of AOB. A quantile g-computation approach showed a significantly negative mixture-effect of 13 metal(loid)s on OWO (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.92, 0.99). Two metals-Ni and Mo-were inversely associated with the risk of OWO but positively associated with AOB. We cross-grouped the two obesity measurement types and found that the extremes of metal content were present in people with AOB only. In conclusion, blood Cu, Mo, Ni, Cd, and Pb were inversely associated with the risk of OWO. The presence of blood Co may be protective, while Ni and Mo exposure might increase the risk of AOB. The association between metal(loid) exposure and obesity warrants further investigation in longitudinal cohort studies.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cadmium; Overweight; Obesity, Abdominal; Lead; Longitudinal Studies; Arsenic; Nickel; Molybdenum; Cobalt; China; Metals, Heavy; Environmental Monitoring
PubMed: 38114022
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140963 -
ACS Omega Oct 2023Bismuth telluride and its alloys are widely utilized in thermoelectric refrigeration and power generation devices. Waste bismuth telluride-based cooling chips contain...
Bismuth telluride and its alloys are widely utilized in thermoelectric refrigeration and power generation devices. Waste bismuth telluride-based cooling chips contain valuable elements; however, recycling processes for these materials remain underdeveloped due to their complexity. In this study, we developed a concise and efficient chemical method that does not require expensive reagents or equipment, enabling the separation and purification of tellurium, bismuth, selenium, and antimony from waste bismuth telluride-based cooling chips. Initially, the waste was leached with HCl and NaClO to dissolve primary elements and recover 99.9% of selenium using hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Subsequently, NaS and NaOH were employed for precipitation and leaching, resulting in a solution containing tellurium. The precipitated residue was treated with HNO to oxidize antimony into insoluble SbOHN and dissolve bismuth completely. 99.8% of the bismuth telluride waste was dissolved via oxidative leaching through hydrolysis. A small amount of sodium sulfide reduced the precipitation percentage of tellurium from 11.9% to 7.5% in an alkaline solution, and the direct recovery percentage of tellurium in the form of TeO exceeded 90%, while the purity of TeO reached 99.9%. By adjusting the pH of the bismuth solution to 0.15, 98.9% of the bismuth was able to precipitate and be recovered as BiOCl, with the purity also reaching 99.9%. In summary, this study presents an efficient hydrometallurgical method for treating bismuth telluride waste and provides theoretical guidance for reagent dosage, demonstrating the significant potential for industrial applications.
PubMed: 37901560
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c04611 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jun 2024The increasing concentration of Antimony (Sb) in ecological environments has raised serious concerns about its potential biotoxicological impact. This study investigated...
The increasing concentration of Antimony (Sb) in ecological environments has raised serious concerns about its potential biotoxicological impact. This study investigated the toxicokinetics, Global DNA Methylation (GDM), biomarker expression, and Integrated Biological Response (IBR) of Sb at different concentrations in zebrafish. The toxic mechanism of Sb exposure was simulated using molecular dynamics (MD). The results showed that significant differences effect existed (BCF: liver > ovary > gut > brain) and uptake saturation phenomenon of Sb among zebrafish tissues. Over a 54-day exposure period, the liver emerged as the main target site for Sb-induced GDM, and the restoration was slower than in other tissues during the 54-day recovery period. Moreover, the concentration of Sb had a significant impact on the normally expression of biomarkers, with GSTM1 inhibited and MTF2, MT1, TET3, and p53 showing varying degrees of activation at different Sb concentrations. This could be attributed to Sb potentially occupying the active site or tightly binding to the deep cavity of these genes. The IBR and MD results highlighted DNMT1 as the most sensitive biomarker among those assessed. This heightened sensitivity can be attributed to the stable binding of Sb to DNMT1, resulting in alterations in the conformation of DNMT1's catalytic domain and inhibition of its activity. Consequently, this disruption leads to damage to the integrity of GDM. The study suggests that DNA methylation could serve as a valuable biomarker for assessing the ecotoxicological impact of Sb exposure. It contributes to a better understanding of the toxicity mechanisms in aquatic environments caused potential pollutants.
Topics: Animals; Zebrafish; Antimony; DNA Methylation; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Bioaccumulation; Biomarkers; Female; Toxicokinetics; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Liver
PubMed: 38653027
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116351 -
ACS Omega Aug 2023Contamination of water sources by toxic antimony Sb(III) ions poses a threat to clean water supplies. In this regard, we have prepared a mesoporous silica nanoparticle...
Contamination of water sources by toxic antimony Sb(III) ions poses a threat to clean water supplies. In this regard, we have prepared a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-derived adsorbent by reverse microemulsion polymerization, using cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) and triethanolamine (TEA) as co-templates. The physical and chemical properties were characterized using advanced tools. The MSN exhibits a higher surface area of up to 713.72 m·g, a pore volume of 1.02 cm·g, and a well-ordered mesoporous nanostructure with an average pore size of 4.02 nm. The MSN has a high adsorption capacity for toxic Sb(III) of 27.96 mg·g at pH 6.0 and 298 K. The adsorption data followed the Langmuir isotherm, while the kinetics of adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model. Interestingly, the effect of coexisting iron showed a promoting effect on Sb(III) uptake, while the presence of manganese slightly inhibited the adsorption process. The recyclability of the MSN adsorbent was achieved using a 0.5 M HCl eluent and reused consecutively for three cycles with a more than 50% removal efficiency. Moreover, the characterization data and batch adsorption study indicated physical adsorption of Sb(III) by mesopores and chemical adsorption due to silicon hydroxyl groups.
PubMed: 37546683
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01735 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials May 2024Bioaccessibility and relative bioavailability of As, Cd, Pb and Sb was investigated in 30 legacy gold mining wastes (calcine sands, grey battery sands, tailings) from...
Bioaccessibility and relative bioavailability of As, Cd, Pb and Sb was investigated in 30 legacy gold mining wastes (calcine sands, grey battery sands, tailings) from Victorian goldfields (Australia). Pseudo-total As concentration in 29 samples was 1.45-148-fold higher than the residential soil guidance value (100 mg/kg) while Cd and Pb concentrations in calcine sands were up to 2.4-fold and 30.1-fold higher than the corresponding guidance value (Cd: 20 mg/kg and Pb: 300 mg/kg). Five calcine sands exhibited elevated Sb (31.9-5983 mg/kg), although an Australian soil guidance value is currently unavailable. Arsenic bioaccessibility (n = 30) and relative bioavailability (RBA; n = 8) ranged from 6.10-77.6% and 10.3-52.9% respectively. Samples containing > 50% arsenopyrite/scorodite showed low As bioaccessibility (<20.0%) and RBA (<15.0%). Co-contaminant RBA was assessed in 4 calcine sands; Pb RBA ranged from 73.7-119% with high Pb RBA associated with organic and mineral sorbed Pb and, lower Pb RBA observed in samples containing plumbojarosite. In contrast, Cd RBA ranged from 55.0-67.0%, while Sb RBA was < 5%. This study highlights the importance of using multiple lines of evidence during exposure assessment and provides valuable baseline data for co-contaminants associated with legacy gold mining activities.
Topics: Arsenic; Cadmium; Antimony; Lead; Gold; Sand; Biological Availability; Soil Pollutants; Australia; Soil; Mining
PubMed: 38493633
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133948 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2023Antimony (Sb), a common rare heavy metal, is naturally present in soils at low concentrations. However, it is increasingly used in industrial applications, which in...
INTRODUCTION
Antimony (Sb), a common rare heavy metal, is naturally present in soils at low concentrations. However, it is increasingly used in industrial applications, which in turn, leads to an increased release into the environment, exerting a detrimental impact on plant growth. Thus, it is important to study Sb effects on plants under the current and future CO (eCO).
METHODS
To this end, high Sb concentrations (1500 mg/kg soil) effects under ambient (420 ppm) and eCO (710 ppm) on wheat growth, physiology (photosynthesis reactions) and biochemistry (minerals contents, redox state), were studied and soil microbial were evaluated.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Our results showed that Sb uptake significantly decreased wheat growth by 42%. This reduction could be explained by the inhibition in photosynthesis rate, Rubisco activity, and photosynthetic pigments (Cha and Chb), by 35%, 44%, and 51%, respectively. Sb significantly reduced total bacterial and fungal count and increased phenolic and organic acids levels in the soil to decrease Sb uptake. Moreover, it induced oxidative markers, as indicated by the increased levels of HO and MDA (1.96 and 2.8-fold compared to the control condition, respectively). To reduce this damage, antioxidant capacity (TAC), CAT, POX, and SOD enzymes activity were increased by 1.61, 2.2, 2.87, and 1.86-fold, respectively. In contrast, eCO mitigated growth inhibition in Sb-treated wheat. eCO and Sb coapplication mitigated the Sb harmful effect on growth by reducing Sb uptake and improving photosynthesis and Rubisco enzyme activity by 0.58, 1.57, and 1.4-fold compared to the corresponding Sb treatments, respectively. To reduce Sb uptake and improve mineral availability for plants, a high accumulation of phenolics level and organic acids in the soil was observed. eCO reduces Sb-induced oxidative damage by improving redox status. In conclusion, our study has provided valuable insights into the physiological and biochemical bases underlie the Sb-stress mitigating of eCO conditions. Furthermore, this is important step to define strategies to prevent its adverse effects of Sb on plants in the future.
PubMed: 37780499
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1244019 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024Mining activities, even in arctic regions, create waste materials releasing metals and metalloids, which have an impact on the microorganisms inhabiting their...
Assessment of microbial communities from cold mine environments and subsequent enrichment, isolation and characterization of putative antimony- or copper-metabolizing microorganisms.
Mining activities, even in arctic regions, create waste materials releasing metals and metalloids, which have an impact on the microorganisms inhabiting their surroundings. Some species can persist in these areas through tolerance to meta(loid)s via, e.g., metabolic transformations. Due to the interaction between microorganisms and meta(loid)s, interest in the investigation of microbial communities and their possible applications (like bioremediation or biomining) has increased. The main goal of the present study was to identify, isolate, and characterize microorganisms, from subarctic mine sites, tolerant to the metalloid antimony (Sb) and the metal copper (Cu). During both summer and winter, samples were collected from Finnish mine sites (site A and B, tailings, and site C, a water-treatment peatland) and environmental parameters were assessed. Microorganisms tolerant to Sb and Cu were successfully enriched under low temperatures (4°C), creating conditions that promoted the growth of aerobic and fermenting metal(loid) tolerating or anaerobic metal(loid) respiring organism. Microbial communities from the environment and Sb/Cu-enriched microorganisms were studied via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Site C had the highest number of taxa and for all sites, an expected loss of biodiversity occurred when enriching the samples, with genera like or increasing their relative abundances and others like or reducing in relative abundance. From enrichments, 65 putative Sb- and Cu-metabolizing microorganisms were isolated, showing growth at 0.1 mM to 10 mM concentrations and 0°C to 40°C temperatures. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the isolates indicated that most of the putative anaerobically Sb-respiring tolerators were related to the genus . This study represents the first isolation, to our knowledge, of putative Sb-metabolizing cold-tolerant microorganisms and contributes to the understanding of metal (loid)-tolerant microbial communities in Arctic mine sites.
PubMed: 38855773
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1386120 -
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Jan 2024The main challenges associated with leishmaniasis chemotherapy are drug toxicity, the possible emergence of resistant parasites, and a limited choice of therapeutic...
The main challenges associated with leishmaniasis chemotherapy are drug toxicity, the possible emergence of resistant parasites, and a limited choice of therapeutic agents. Therefore, new drugs and assays to screen and detect novel active compounds against leishmaniasis are urgently needed. We thus validated (Lb) and (Li) that constitutively express the tandem tomato red fluorescent protein () as a model for large-scale screens of anti- compounds. Confocal microscopy of and revealed red fluorescence distributed throughout the entire parasite, including the flagellum, and flow cytometry confirmed that the parasites emitted intense fluorescence. We evaluated the infectivity of cloned promastigotes and amastigotes constitutively expressing , their growth profiles in THP-1 macrophages, and susceptibility to trivalent antimony, amphotericin, and miltefosine . The phenotypes of mutant and wild-type parasites were similar, indicating that the constitutive expression of did not interfere with the evaluated parameters. We applied our validated model to a repositioning strategy and assessed the susceptibility of the parasites to eight commercially available drugs. We also screened 32 natural plant and fungal extracts and 10 pure substances to reveal new active compounds. The infectivity and Glucantime treatment efficacy of BALB/c mice and golden hamsters infected with and mutant lines, respectively, were very similar compared to animals infected with wild-type parasites. Standardizing our methodology would offer more rapid, less expensive, and easier assays to screen of compounds against and and . Our method could also enhance the discovery of active compounds for treating leishmaniasis.
Topics: Cricetinae; Animals; Mice; Antiprotozoal Agents; Fluorescence; Leishmaniasis; Leishmania infantum; Leishmania braziliensis; Mesocricetus; Mice, Inbred BALB C
PubMed: 38063403
DOI: 10.1128/aac.00509-23