Biodegradation of phenol by free and immobilized Acinetobacter sp. strain PD12

A new phenol-degrading bacterium with high biodegradation activity and high tolerance of phenol, strain PD 12, was isolated from the activated sludge of Tianjin Jizhuangzi Wastewater Treatment Facility in China. This strain was capable of removing 500 mg phenol/L in liquid minimal medium by 99.6% within 9 h and metabolizing phenol at concentrations up to 1100 mg/L. DNA sequencing and homologous analysis of 16S rRNA gene identified PD12 to be an Acinetobacter sp. Polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） was used as a gel matrix to immobilize Acinetobacter sp. strain PDI2 by repeated freezing and thawing. The factors affecting phenol degradation of immobilized cells were investigated, and the results showed that the immobilized cells could tolerate a high phenol level and protected the bacteria against changes in temperature and pH. Storage stability and reusability tests revealed that the phenol degradation functions of immobilized cells were stable after reuse for 50 times or storing at 4℃ for 50 d. These results indicate that immobilized Acinetobacter sp. strain PD 12 possesses a good application potential in the treatment of phenol-containing wastewater.     

Experimental evaluation of the catalytic efficiency of calcium based natural and modified catalyst for biodiesel synthesis

Transesterification of a mixture of vegetable oils with methanol using metal oxide catalysts derived from snail shell (SS) for biodiesel production was investigated. The metal oxides obtained from calcined snail shells in the temperature range of 650°–950 °C and modified by loading different potassium salts were used as a catalyst in the process. The catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM-EDS, XPS and TGA. Catalytic activities of developed catalysts were also tested by Hammet indicator method and ion exchange method. The best calcination conditions were observed at 850°C for 4 hours based on biodiesel yield. The KF loaded snail shell gave highest biodiesel yield of 98 ± 1% in a batch reactor with highest basicity (15.9 mmoles/g) and basic strength measured by Hammet method. The optimized reaction conditions were: reaction temperature 65°C, reaction time 3 hours, methanol to oil molar ratio 9:1 and catalyst concentration 3wt%. Leaching and reusability tests confirm the stability of the catalyst as it encounters only 3% of leaching and small changes in catalytic activity up to five runs in terms of biodiesel yield.     

壳聚糖/聚乙二醇/丙烯酸吸附剂对Cu2+、Co2+和Ni2+的吸附选择性和重复利用性

采用扫描电镜(SEM)和红外光谱(FT-IR)对辉光放电电解等离子体(GDEP)技术引发制备的壳聚糖/聚乙二醇/丙烯酸(CS/PEG/AA)聚合物吸附剂的形貌和结构进行了表征.研究了该吸附剂对Cu~(2+)、Co~(2+)和Ni~(2+)的吸附选择性、重复利用性和解吸动力学行为,同时结合X射线光电子能谱(XPS)探讨了可能的吸附机理.结果表明,CS、PEG和AA发生接枝共聚形成聚合物,其表面呈现疏松、多孔的三维网络结构;吸附最佳pH为4.8;在含有Cu~(2+)、Co~(2+)和Ni~(2+)的混合溶液中,CS/PEG/AA对Cu~(2+)有较好的吸附选择性;在EDTA-4Na洗脱液中CS/PEG/AA具有优异的再生和重复利用性,解吸动力学符合解吸准二级模型;Cu~(2+)在CS/PEG/AA上的吸附是由离子交换、配位螯合等共同作用的复杂的物理化学过程.     

Photocatalytic mineralization of a water pollutant,Sunset Yellow dye by an advanced oxidation process using a modified catalyst

ZnS-loaded TiO₂ (ZnS–TiO₂) was synthesized by a sol–gel method. The catalyst was characterized by using different techniques (XRD, HR-SEM, EDS, DRS, PL, XPS, and BET methods). The photocatalytic activity of ZnS–TiO₂ was investigated for the degradation of Sunset Yellow FCF (SY) dye in an aqueous solution using ultraviolet light. ZnS–TiO₂ is found to be more efficient than prepared TiO₂, TiO₂–P25, TiO₂ (Merck), and ZnS at pH 7 for the mineralization of SY. The effects of operational parameters such as the amount of photocatalyst, dye concentration, and initial pH on photo mineralization of SY have been analyzed. The mineralization of SY has been confirmed by chemical oxygen demand measurements. The catalyst is found to be reusable.     

Copper biosorption on immobilized seaweed biomass： Column breakthrough characteristics

The biosorption of copper by the brown seaweed Sargassum baccularia,immobilized onto polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)gel beads, was investigated with fixed-bed experiments.Laboratory-scale column tests were performed to determine breakthrough curves with varying flow rates and feed concentrations.A theoretical fixed-bed model,known as the Bohart-Adams equation,was evaluated in simulating the experimental breakthrough curves.The Bohart-Adams model qualitatively predicted the breakthrough trends.PVA- immobilized seaweed biomass beads were amenable to efficient regeneration with aqueous solution containing the chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA).The biosorbent retained most of its original uptake capacity over three cycles of use.The excellent reusability of the biosorbent could lead to the development of a viable metal remediation technology.