Yunsong Mu

The widespread detection of antibiotics in aquatic environments has raised significant concerns due to their potential risks to human health. Photocatalytic technology has emerged as an effective approach for antibiotic degradation, with cadmium sulfide (CdS) being a promising semiconductor photocatalyst. However, the practical application of CdS is limited by its tendency to aggregate, which reduces the number of accessible active sites and consequently lowers its photocatalytic degradation efficiency. In this study, a series of GO/CdS composites were synthesized via a two-step hydrothermal method for the efficient degradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotics in aquatic solutions. Results showed that GO/CdS can effectively remove TC via photocatalytic degradation rather than adsorption. The optimized photocatalytic composite achieved a 95% degradation of TC (20 mg L⁻¹) under 60 min of illumination. The corresponding rate constant (k) was 2.87 times higher than that of pristine CdS. After three cycles, the degradation rate still achieved 93%. Moreover, the composite exhibited a wide pH tolerance range from pH 2 to 10, with a removal rate of over 89%. Superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻) were identified as the primary reactive species responsible for TC degradation, and three possible TC degradation pathways were proposed. This work extends the application of GO and offers a novel strategy for constructing GO-based composite materials, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms and pathways of antibiotic degradation.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought unprecedented public health, and social and economic challenges. It remains unclear whether seasonal changes in ambient temperature will alter spreading trajectory of the COVID-19 epidemic. The probable mechanism on this is still lacking. This review summarizes the most recent research data on the effect of ambient temperature on the COVID-19 epidemic characteristic. The available data suggest that (i) mesophilic traits of viruses are different due to their molecular composition; (ii) increasing ambient temperature decreases the persistence of some viruses in aquatic media; (iii) a 1°C increase in the average monthly minimum ambient temperatures (AMMAT) was related to a 0.72% fewer mammalian individuals that would be infected by coronavirus; (iv) proportion of zoonotic viruses of mammals including humans is probably related to their body temperature difference; (v) seasonal divergence between the northern and southern hemispheres may be a significant driver in determining a waved trajectory in the next 2 years. Further research is needed to understand its effects and mechanisms of global temperature change so that effective strategies can be adopted to curb its natural effects. This paper mainly explores possible scientific hypothesis and evidences that local communities and authorities should consider to find optimal solutions that can limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Graphical abstract