A composition having a gadolinium-, samarium-, or lanthanum-substituted porous cerium oxide and copper or gold nanoparticles. The composition can be exposed to electromagnetic radiation to form reactive oxygen species in the composition to decompose organophosphonate compounds. The composition may be made by forming a mixture of a cerium salt; a gadolinium, samarium, or lanthanum salt; and an epoxide; forming gel from the mixture; and drying the gel to form an aerogel, a xerogel, or an ambigel. Copper or gold nanoparticles are added or formed at any point in the method.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing an organophosphorus degrading enzyme based multifunctional catalyst and an organophosphorus degrading enzyme based multifunctional catalyst and use thereof. In the present disclosure, the preparation method includes: directly adding a composite yolk-shell-structured nanomaterial into a crude enzyme solution of organophosphorus degrading enzyme with an affinity tag, and mixing, to obtain a mixture, and then subjecting the mixture to a separation, to obtain an organophosphorus degrading enzyme based multifunctional catalyst. According to the present disclosure, the method for preparing an organophosphorus degrading enzyme based multifunctional catalyst is simple in operation, and has a low cost; the multifunctional catalyst prepared by the same has low requirement for the purity of enzyme, support of which could be directionally binded with enzyme, and could be used for detecting an organophosphorus pesticide, and also for a cascade degradation of an organophosphorus pesticide. The final product p-aminophenol has important application value.

This invention refers to a method for preparing a chemical digester characterized by using organic and inorganic elements used for multiple purposes such as an accelerator in the decomposition of organic matter, as a water flocculant, as an organic soil fertilizer and as a means to eliminate the concentration of flies and other inserts in organic matter to decompose. The method comprises heating water in a reactor at a temperature of 38° C., adding a polysaccharide, an anti-thickener and an antifoam. The method then comprises the addition of two organic acids, one of them previously mixed in a second reactor and, finally, an inorganic acid until the mixture is homogenized. Optionally the method comprises the packaging of the mixture and the treatment of organic matter.

Compositions and methods for oxidizing organic contaminants while sequestering inhibitory forms of carbon. An oxidant capable of producing free radicals oxidizes organic contaminants. A metal oxide, metal hydroxide, or metal peroxide generates a soluble hydroxide concentration of about 1×10.sup.−4 M or greater to convert carbonic acid, bicarbonate ion, methane, elemental carbon, and other organic forms of carbon to carbonate ion. A metal having a carbonate with a lower solubility product constant than its hydroxide precipitates the carbonate ion as a metal carbonate, thereby eliminating soluble carbonate as a radical scavenger. Compositions and methods that additionally minimize metal solubilization and sequester solubilized metals are also disclosed.

Provided are processes and compositions for capturing a material of interest such as a biological, chemical, or other toxic agent on or from a surface. A method includes applying a liquid polymeric coating to a surface having a material of interest deposited thereon, encapsulating the material of interest with the composition, curing or otherwise solidifying the composition to form a polymeric coating on the surface, and optionally peeling the coating from the surface. The peeling may remove a portion or all of the material of interest from the surface. Also provided are devices that may be used in the processes provided herein.

Compositions and methods related to anucelate cells (e.g., bacterial minicells) for pesticide degradation applications including related cells, polypeptides, and vectors.

Compositions and methods related to anucelate cells (e.g., bacterial minicells) for pesticide degradation applications including related cells, polypeptides, and vectors.

The present invention is directed towards a composition for decontaminating surfaces contaminated with toxic chemicals/substances, comprising at least one type of metal oxyhydroxide such as zirconium hydroxide, Zr(OH).sub.4, optionally with added water for hydration of the solid, mixed into a carrier liquid used for application to a contaminated surface.

A method for preparing a biological composition for degrading plant pesticide residues includes: (1) preparing a mixture of a dried coconut shell powder having a water content of less than 3 wt % and a particle diameter of not more than 2 mm and a dried licorice powder having a water content of less than 1 wt % and a particle diameter of not more than 2 mm; (2) hydrolyzing the mixture in a cellulase buffer at pH 4.5 to 5.5 for at least 36 hours, and filtering the mixture to obtain an enzymatic hydrolysate; and (3) adding the enzymatic hydrolysate to a bacteria mixture of yeast and lactic acid bacteria and fermenting at 30 C. to 35 C. for 7-10 days, and centrifuging and lyophilizing to obtain the biological composition.

Agents for decontaminating and/or neutralizing organophosphorus compounds (e.g., nerve agents, pesticides) and methods of using those agents are disclosed. Preferred agents comprise aminoguanidine imines, and these agents do not require a strongly alkaline environment to be effective. The aminoguanidine imines can hydrolytically decontaminate substantially all of the target organophosphorus compound(s) in a matter of minutes.