Haze is the phenomenon of visibility degradation caused by extinction effects related to the physicochemical properties of atmospheric particulate matter (APM). Atmosphere heterogeneous reactions can alter the physicochemical properties of APM. Therefore, it is important to understand the atmospheric heterogeneous reactions of APM in order to reveal the cause of haze. Herein, the current situation, developmental trend, source, and composition of APM pollution in China are reviewed. Additionally, we introduce the reaction characteristics and key chemical processes of common inorganic, organic, and mixed pollutant gases on the surface of mineral particles. The effects of mineral particulate matter on aggregation, regulation, and catalysis in the formation of atmospheric aerosols and the synergistic reaction mechanism of SO₂, NO₂, O₃, and VOCs on the surfaces of different mineral particles are summarized. The problems existing in the current research on heterogeneous reactions on the surfaces of mineral particles are also evaluated. This paper aims to gain a deep understanding of the mechanism of mineral particulate matter promoting the formation of secondary aerosols and attempts to provide theoretical support for effective haze control.

The expansion of vermiculite using microwave irradiation is an environmentally friendly and efficient method that can enhance the material’s adsorption performance. This study investigated the microwave irradiation of vermiculite with five different particle sizes (4/2/1/0.5/0.2 mm) and found that the adsorption capacity for Pb²⁺ increased with larger particle sizes. The equilibrium adsorption capacity reached 15.98 mg/g at 4 mm, representing a 45.01% improvement compared to 0.2 mm. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model effectively described the adsorption kinetics. No significant differences were observed in the specific surface area and pore size distribution of all samples. Thermogravimetric quantitative analysis revealed that larger particle sizes retained interlayer water more effectively. As the particle size decreased, the interlayer water content generally showed a decreasing trend. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis also indicated that the -OH groups in larger particle sizes exhibited higher stability. The results suggest that the high content and stability of -OH groups may be key factors in the enhanced adsorption performance for Pb²⁺. This provides new insights for the preparation of environmentally friendly adsorbent materials rich in hydroxyl groups.

Rapid accumulation of soil lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), and fluorine (F) caused by bastnasite mining development has increasingly become a concern worldwide in the past decades. However, the effects of the different chemical forms of these elements on the composition and diversity of soil dominant, moderate, and rare microorganisms are unclear. In this study, Planctomycetota was changed from dominant to moderate, caused by exchangeable and carbonate-bound forms of La and Ce. Both organic bound La (La_ORG) and water-soluble F (F_WS) were the crucial factors driving variations in the relative abundance of Patescibacteria and Bacteroidota from moderate to dominant, while the fungal phylum Chytridiomycota was changed from moderate to dominant, promoted by F_WS. La_ORG, the ferrum-manganese bound form of Ce, and F_WS displayed a negative correlation with the three rare bacterial phyla, i.e., Abditibacteriota, GAL15, and Deinococcota respectively. F_WS caused the disappearance of the rare fungal phylum Monoblepharomycota and the appearance of the rare bacterial phylum Fibrobacterota. Organic bound forms of both Ce and F showed a negative correlation with the bacterial Sobs and fungal Phylogenetic diversity indices, respectively. To summarize, the different chemical forms of La, Ce, and F showed varied effects on the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities.

The structure and activity of vermiculite can be maintained by expanding vermiculite (Vrm) with hydrogen peroxide. However, it is time-consuming. In past studies, little attention has been paid to the catalytic properties of manganese dioxide on hydrogen peroxide to improve the swelling efficiency of vermiculite. In this experiment, this catalytic effect was utilized to swell Vrm in a short time. The samples were then used to adsorb Cd from the solution. Through a series of characterization tests. The results showed that the exothermic rate was 1960.42–2089.164 J/min and the total exothermic heat was 39,208.4–41,783.28 J when expanding 10 gVrm, which could have a good expansion effect. The expansion was completed in about 40 min. Compared with Vrm, the adsorption of Cd is enhanced by about 30%. It is consistent with the proposed secondary kinetic adsorption model. This study provides a new perspective and theoretical guidance for improving the efficiency of Vrm stripping by hydrogen peroxide. A kind of expanded Vrm with better Cd adsorption efficiency was also prepared.