C-dot doping for enhanced catalytic performance of TiO2/5A for toluene degradation in non-thermal plasma-catalyst system

Online study of the plasma-accelerated aging process and toxicity of polyethylene terephthalate

Plastic aging occurs in all environmental media and affects their environmental behavior and toxicity. In this study, non-thermal plasma was applied to simulate the aging process of plastics, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET-film) being used as a model. The surface morphology, mass defects, toxicity of aged PET-film and the generation of airborne fine particles were comprehensively characterized. The surface of PET films began to become rough and then gradually became uneven, generating pores, protrusions and cracks. The toxicity of aged PET films was assessed in Caenorhabditis elegans which significantly reduced head thrashing, body bending and brood size. A single particle aerosol mass spectrometry instrument was used to characterize the size distribution and chemical composition of airborne fine particles in real-time. Few particles were observed during the first 90 min, while the generation of particles accelerated significantly after aging time beyond 90 min. For two pieces of PET film with surface area of 5 cm2, during the 180 min, at least 15113 ± 153 fine particles were generated, having a unimodal size distribution with a peak of 0.4 µm. The main components of these particles included metals, inorganic non-metals, and organic components. The results provide useful information on plastic aging and are beneficial in assessing the potential environmental risks.

The Bibliometric Analysis and Review of the Application of Plasma in the Field of VOCs

The application of plasma in the field of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be traced back to the 1990s and has gradually developed into an important research field. In this regard, this article primarily sorts and analyzes the literature on the “application of plasma in the field of VOCs” in the Web of Science core collection database from 1992 to 2021 and, subsequently, obtains important data and trends, including the annual number of articles published, country, institution analysis, and journal, as well as discipline analysis, etc. The results show that China is not only in a leading position in the field of research, but also has six top-ten research institutions. This field has more research results in engineering, chemistry, physics, and environmental disciplines. In addition, this article summarizes dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and titanium-containing catalysts, which represent the discharge characteristics and type of catalyst highlighted through the hot keywords. This review will provide certain guidance for future, related research.