Comprehensive analysis on mercury stream of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) in Korea (Republic of)

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Due to the activation of the Minamata Convention, policies and treatment facilities for the safe management of mercury and mercury compounds have...     

Hydration properties of mixed cement containing ground-granulated blast-furnace slag and expansive admixture

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The hydration characteristics of mixed cement containing fine powder of blast-furnace slag and expandable material were examined by X-ray...     

Excellent dye degradation performance of FeSiBP amorphous alloys by Fenton-like process

Amorphous alloys are being newly applied in wastewater treatment because of their unique atomic packing structure. They possess excellent degradation efficiency, stability and reusability. In this work, Fe₈₀Si₁₀B₁₀ and Fe₈₃Si₅B₈P₄ amorphous ribbons exhibited advanced catalytic performance for the degradation of Methyl Blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) dyes, and the color removal reach nearly 100% within 11 min for both the dyes. Compared with the Fe₈₀Si₁₀B₁₀ amorphous ribbon, the Fe₈₃Si₅B₈P₄ ribbon showed higher degradation efficiency due to its lower reaction activation energy, higher electron transfer ability and higher Fe content, and the formation of the galvanic cell between the strong Fe–P bonds and the weak Fe–B bonds. It also exhibited high stability and reusability. The degradation efficiency was improved when the appropriate concentration of H₂O₂ is added. As regards the pH, high degradation efficiency was observed in acidic MB solution, but it decreased as the pH increased up to pH 7. The application of the electro–Fenton–like process is discussed, which can effectively improve the degradation performance in a nearly natural solution. This study presents a high efficiency low-cost catalyst for synthetic dye degradation and expands the functional applications of Fe-based amorphous alloys.     

Effect of activated sludge properties and membrane operation conditions on fouling characteristics in membrane bioreactors

Biofouling control is considered to be a major challenge in operating membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for the treatment of wastewater. This study examined the impact of biological, chemical, and physical properties of activated sludge on membrane filtration performance in laboratory-scale MBRs. Sludges with different microbial communities were produced using pseudo-continuous stirred-tank reactors and pseudo-plug flow reactors treating a synthetic paper mill wastewater. Various filtration resistances were used to investigate membrane fouling characteristics, and molecular biology tools targeting 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequences were used to identify predominant bacterial populations in the sludges or attached to the fouled membranes. Filtration experiments using axenic cultures of Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, and Gordonia amarae were also performed to better understand the initiation and development of biofouling. The results showed that the tendency of membranes to biofoul depended upon membrane operating conditions as well as the properties of the activated sludge in the MBR systems. Specific bacterial populations, which were not dominant in the activated sludges, were selectively accumulated on the membrane surface leading to the development of irreversible biofouling.     

A combined approach for the evaluation of a volatile organic compound emissions inventory

Emissions inventories significantly affect photochemical air quality model performance and the development of effective control strategies. However, there have been very few studies to evaluate their accuracy. Here, to evaluate a volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions inventory, we implemented a combined approach: comparing the ratios of carbon bond (CB)-IV VOC groups to nitrogen oxides (NOx) or carbon monoxide (CO) using an emission preprocessing model, comparing the ratios of VOC source contributions from a source apportionment technique to NOx or CO, and comparing ratios of CB-IV VOC groups to NOx or CO and the absolute concentrations of CB-IV VOC groups using an air quality model, with the corresponding ratios and concentrations observed at three sites (Maryland, Washington, DC, and New Jersey). The comparisons of the ethene/NOx ratio, the xylene group (XYL)/NOx ratio, and ethene and XYL concentrations between estimates and measurements showed some differences, depending on the comparison approach, at the Maryland and Washington, DC sites. On the other hand, consistent results at the New Jersey site were observed, implying a possible overestimation of vehicle exhaust. However, in the case of the toluene group (TOL), which is emitted mainly from surface coating and printing sources in the solvent utilization category, the ratios of TOL/ NOx or CO, as well as the absolute concentrations revealed an overestimate of these solvent sources by a factor of 1.5 to 3 at all three sites. In addition, the overestimate of these solvent sources agreed with the comparisons of surface coating and printing source contributions relative to NOx from a source apportionment technique to the corresponding value of estimates at the Maryland site. Other studies have also suggested an overestimate of solvent sources, implying a possibility of inaccurate emission factors in estimating VOC emissions from surface coating and printing sources. We tested the impact of these overestimates with a chemical transport model and found little change in ozone but substantial changes in calculated secondary organic aerosol concentrations.     

Health risk assessment and source apportionment of PM2.5-bound toxic elements in the industrial city of Siheung,Korea

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The emission sources and their health risks of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Siheung, Republic of Korea, were investigated as a middle-sized...     

Generation of waste personal protective equipment (PPE) related to COVID-19 using quantitative forecasting technique

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, lifestyles have totally changed and the characteristics of waste generation have also changed...     

Electrocatalytic conversion of nitrate waste into ammonia: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate waste into ammonia allows both the removal of nitrate contaminants and an alternative production of ammonia compared to...