87 mg g-1 for BC and HP-BC, respectively. Thermodynamic study indicated that Pb(II) adsorption onto BC and HP-BC was spontaneous and primarily governed by chemisorption and surface complexation. In view of the results, the H2O2 modification of the watermelon seeds biochar can be considered as a promising and cost effective approach as regards Pb(II) removal from water/wastewater, which would not cause adverse impacts on the surrounding environments. Overall, it can be seen as a procedure promoting the effective recycling of a waste/by-product, in line of the precepts of the circular economy, aiding to protect human and environmental health.The presence of sex steroid hormones in aquatic ecosystems is of rapidly growing concern worldwide since they can affect the different non-target species including cladocerans. Although data are available on the effects of estrogens on the well-established ecotoxicological model organism Daphnia magna, the molecular or behavioural alterations induced by environmentally relevant concentrations (from a few ng L-1 to a few hundred ng L-1 in average) of progestogens have not been investigated on this species. In the present study, we exposed neonates of D. magna to relevant equi-concentrations (1, 10, 100, 500 ng L-1) of mixtures of four progestogens (progesterone, drospirenone, gestodene, levonorgestrel) in short-term (6 days) and long-term (21 days) experiments. Significant alterations were observed at the molecular, cellular, and individual levels. During the short-term exposure, all of the mixtures increased the gene expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST) detoxification enzyme, moreover, the activity of GST was also significantly increased at the concentrations of 10, 100, and 500 ng L-1. In long-term exposure, the number of days until production of the first eggs was reduced at the 10 ng L-1 concentration compared to control, furthermore, the maximum egg number per individual increased at the concentrations of 1 and 10 ng L-1. Based on the authors' best knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effects of progestogens in mixtures and at environmentally relevant concentrations on D. magna. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the possible physiological effects of human progestogens. Future research should be aimed at understanding the potential mechanisms (e.g., perception) underlying the changes induced by progestogens.High-alumina coal fly ash (HAFA) is a special solid waste since its alumina content can reach 40-50 wt%, which is seen as a potential resource for mullite material production. However, obtaining an ideal mullite material from HAFA is difficult because of its low Al2O3/SiO2 mass ratio. In this work, the microstructure characteristics of HAFA were systematically analyzed by combining multiple characterization techniques. It was found that HAFA had a core-shell structure with a mullite/corundum crystal core and a silica-rich amorphous phase shell. The novel mechanochemical activation-desilication process was used to remove amorphous phase from HAFA and elevate the Al2O3/SiO2 mass ratio. In particular, the effect of particle size after mechanical treatment and mechanism of the desilication process were extensively investigated. On decreasing the particle size, a high leaching rate of alumina was achieved during mechanochemical activation, thus generating a hydroxysodalite coating layer as desilication was suppressed, and the amorphous phase was effectively removed. The mineralogical phase of the desilicated HAFA is mainly mullite and corundum, and the Al2O3/SiO2 mass ratio was elevated from 1.29 to 3.02. Mullite refractory obtained from the desilicated HAFA exhibited excellent physical properties. This study provides insights into further high-valued utilization of HAFA.A substantial percentage of manure nitrogen (N) can be lost as gaseous ammonia (NH3) during storage and field spreading. Lowering slurry pH is a simple and accepted method for preserving its N. Efficiency of slow pyrolysis liquid (PL) produced from birch (Betula sp.) as an acidifying agent, and its ability to reduce NH3 emissions following surface application of cattle slurry, was studied in a field experiment. Untreated slurry (US) and slurries acidified with PL and sulfuric acid (SA) were applied to the second harvest of a grass ley. Immediate NH3 emissions, grass biomass, N-yield and possible toxic impacts on soil nematodes and enchytraeids were examined. Furthermore, the effects on soil respiration, nitrogen dynamics and seed germination were studied in subsequent laboratory experiments. In the field, over one third of the water-extractable ammonium-N (NH4-N) applied was lost through NH3 volatilization from US. SA and PL acidified slurries reduced NH3-N emission rate equally from 3.4 to less then 0.04 kg ha-1 h-1. Acidification with SA resulted in the highest and that with PL in the lowest grass dry matter (DM) and N yield. Neither SA nor PL acidification had negative effects on soil enchytraeids or nematodes. Reduced yield production, seed germination and delayed microbial activity after PL slurry application were most probably caused by the PL containing organic compounds. However, later increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) production and improved seed germination suggest that these compounds were rapidly volatilized and/or degraded by soil microbes. Though PL efficiently cut NH3 emission from surface-spread slurry, further studies on appropriate application methods and possible phytotoxicity are needed.Biodegradable plastics market is increasing these last decades, including for coffee capsules.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/d-4476.html  Anaerobic digestion, as a potential end-of-life scenario for plastic waste, has to be investigated. For this purpose, mesophilic (38 °C) and thermophilic (58 °C) anaerobic digestion tests on three coffee capsules made up with biodegradable plastic (Beanarella®, Launay® or Tintoretto®) and spent coffee (control) were compared by their methane production and the microbial communities active during the process. Mesophilic biodegradation of the capsules was slow and did not reach completion after 100 days, methane production ranged between 67 and 127 NL (CH4) kg-1 (VS). Thermophilic anaerobic digestion resulted in a better biodegradation and reached completion around 100 days, methane productions were between 257 and 294 NL (CH4) kg-1 (VS). The microbial populations from the reactors fed with plastics versus spent coffee grounds were significantly different, under both the mesophilic and the thermophilic conditions. However, the different biodegradable plastics only had a small impact on the main microbial community composition at a similar operational temperature and sampling time.