Removal kinetics of phosphorus from synthetic wastewater using basic oxygen furnace slag

Removal kinetics of phosphorus through use of basic oxygen furnace slag (BOF-slag) was investigated through batch experiments. Effects of several parameters such as initial phosphorus concentration, temperature, BOF-slag size, initial pH, and BOF-slag dosage on phosphorus removal kinetics were measured in detail. It was demonstrated that the removal process of phosphorus through BOF-slag followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The apparent rate constant (k_obs) significantly decreased with increasing initial phosphorus concentration, BOF-slag size, and initial pH, whereas it exhibited an opposite trend with increasing reaction temperature and BOF-slag dosage. A linear dependence of k_obs on total removed phosphorus (TRP) was established with k_obs = (3.51 ± 0.11) × 10^− 4 × TRP. Finally, it was suggested that the Langmuir–Rideal (L–R) or Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) mechanism may be used to describe the removal process of phosphorus using BOF-slag.     

Removal kinetics of phosphorus from synthetic wastewater using basic oxygen furnace slag

Removal kinetics of phosphorus through use of basic oxygen furnace slag(BOF-slag)was investigated through batch experiments. Effects of several parameters such as initial phosphorus concentration, temperature, BOF-slag size, initial p H, and BOF-slag dosage on phosphorus removal kinetics were measured in detail. It was demonstrated that the removal process of phosphorus through BOF-slag followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The apparent rate constant(kobs) significantly decreased with increasing initial phosphorus concentration, BOF-slag size, and initial p H, whereas it exhibited an opposite trend with increasing reaction temperature and BOF-slag dosage.A linear dependence of kobson total removed phosphorus(TRP) was established with kobs=(3.51 ± 0.11) × 10- 4× TRP. Finally, it was suggested that the Langmuir–Rideal(L–R)or Langmuir–Hinshelwood(L–H) mechanism may be used to describe the removal process of phosphorus using BOF-slag.     

Remarkable promotion effect of trace sulfation on OMS-2 nanorod catalysts for the catalytic combustion of ethanol

OMS-2 nanorod catalysts were synthesized by a hydrothermal redox reaction method using MnSO₄ (OMS-2-SO₄) and Mn(CH₃COO)₂ (OMS-2-AC) as precursors. SO₄^2 −-doped OMS-2-AC catalysts with different SO₄^2 − concentrations were prepared next by adding (NH₄)₂SO₄ solution into OMS-2-AC samples to investigate the effect of the anion SO₄^2 − on the OMS-2-AC catalyst. All catalysts were then tested for the catalytic oxidation of ethanol. The OMS-2-SO₄ catalyst synthesized demonstrated much better activity than OMS-2-AC. The SO₄^2 − doping greatly influenced the activity of the OMS-2-AC catalyst, with a dramatic promotion of activity for suitable concentration of SO₄^2 − (SO₄/catalyst = 0.5% W/W). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), NH₃-TPD and H₂-TPR techniques. The results showed that the presence of a suitable amount of SO₄^2 − species in the OMS-2-AC catalyst could decrease the Mn–O bond strength and also enhance the lattice oxygen and acid site concentrations, which then effectively promoted the catalytic activity of OMS-2-AC toward ethanol oxidation. Thus it was confirmed that the better catalytic performance of OMS-2-SO₄ compared to OMS-2-AC is due to the presence of some residual SO₄^2 − species in OMS-2-SO₄ samples.     

Promoting effect of vanadium on catalytic activity of Pt/Ce–Zr–O diesel oxidation catalysts

A series of Pt–V/Ce–Zr–O diesel oxidation catalysts was prepared using the impregnation method. The catalytic activity and sulfur resistance of Pt–V/Ce–Zr–O were investigated in the presence of simulated diesel exhaust. The effect of vanadium on the structure and redox properties of the catalysts was also investigated using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method,X-ray diffraction, H2temperature-programmed reduction, CO temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. Results showed that the Pt particles were well dispersed on the Ce–Zr–O carrier through the vanadium isolation effect, which significantly improved the oxidation activity toward CO and hydrocarbons. An electron-withdrawing phenomenon occurred from V to Pt, resulting in an increase in the metallic nature of platinum, which was beneficial to hydrocarbon molecular activation.     

Discounting in the presence of scarce ecosystem services

The discount rate for cost-benefit analysis has to take account of future scarcity of ecosystem services in consumption and production. Previous literature focuses on the first aspect and shows the importance of the relative price effect, for given growth rates of consumption and ecosystem services. This paper focuses on intermediate ecosystem services in production and shows that for limited substitutability and a low growth rate of these ecosystem services, the growth rate of consumption, and thus the discount rate, declines towards a low value. Using a Ramsey growth model, the paper distinguishes three cases. If ecosystem services can be easily substituted, the discount rate converges to the usual value in the long term. Secondly, if ecosystem services can be easily substituted in production but not in consumption, the relative price effect is important. Finally, and most interestingly, if ecosystem services cannot be easily substituted in production, the discount rate declines towards a low value and the relative price effect is less important. Another part of the previous literature has shown that a declining discount rate is the result of introducing several forms of uncertainty, but this paper reaches that conclusion from an endogenous effect on the growth rate of the economy.     

Vallisneria natans decomposition rates and associated macroinvertebrates,microbes and microalgae along a vertical depth gradient in an urban lake (Nanhu Lake,China)

Knowledge on aquatic macrophyte decomposition has well developed, yet the decomposition and associated biotic factors along a vertical gradient in waters remain less examined. Here, we used Vallianeria natans leaves to investigate the decomposition rate and associated decomposers and microalgae at different vertical depths, by placing V. natans leaves into litterbags (0.5 and 5?mm meshes) and incubating them at the air–water interface (AW), sediment-water (SW) interface, and 10?cm (B10) or 20?cm (B20) burial in sediment over 60 days in a littoral zone of lake. Decomposition rates decreased with increased depths in each mesh size, with significant differences among and between AW (0.028?d^?1), SW (0.022?d^?1), B10 (0.014?d^?1) and B20 (0.011?d^?1) treatments in 0.5?mm litterbags and no significant difference between B10 (0.027?d^?1) and B20 (0.025?d^?1) in 5?mm litterbags. The average contribution of macroinvertebrates to biomass loss was highest in B20 (44.66%), lowest in AW (22.66%) and midst in both SW (25.35%) and B10 (38.78%), and was much less than that of both microbes and microalgae at each location. We show the importance of macroinvertebrates, microbes and microalgae in mediating macrophyte decomposition rate in response to different vertical locations in freshwaters.     

Biological conversion pathways of sulfate reduction ammonium oxidation in anammox consortia

• The SRAO phenomena tended to occur only under certain conditions. • High amount of biomass and non-anaerobic condition is requirement for SRAO. • Anammox bacteria cannot oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor. • AOB and AnAOB are mainly responsible for ammonium conversion. • Heterotrophic sulfate reduction mainly contributed to sulfate conversion. For over two decades, sulfate reduction with ammonium oxidation (SRAO) had been reported from laboratory experiments. SRAO was considered an autotrophic process mediated by anammox bacteria, in which ammonium as electron donor was oxidized by the electron acceptor sulfate. This process had been attributed to observed transformations of nitrogenous and sulfurous compounds in natural environments. Results obtained differed largely for the conversion mole ratios (ammonium/sulfate), and even the intermediate and final products of sulfate reduction. Thus, the hypothesis of biological conversion pathways of ammonium and sulfate in anammox consortia is implausible. In this study, continuous reactor experiments (with working volume of 3.8L) and batch tests were conducted under normal anaerobic (0.2≤DO<0.5 mg/L) / strict anaerobic (DO<0.2 mg/L) conditions with different biomass proportions to verify the SRAO phenomena and identify possible pathways behind substrate conversion. Key findings were that SRAO occurred only in cases of high amounts of inoculant biomass under normal anaerobic condition, while absent under strict anaerobic conditions for same anammox consortia. Mass balance and stoichiometry were checked based on experimental results and the thermodynamics proposed by previous studies were critically discussed. Thus anammox bacteria do not possess the ability to oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor and the assumed SRAO could, in fact, be a combination of aerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox and heterotrophic sulfate reduction processes.     

煤对CO2，N2和CH4的吸附速率经验公式与异同性研究*

为了解决吸附速率拟合公式缺乏而解吸经验公式众多的问题，通过替换解吸参数、定性和对比分析各经验公式对煤吸附CO₂，N₂，CH₄吸附速率的适用性，选取4种不同煤质的煤样在0.5，1.0和2.0 MPa下进行定温吸附实验，分析压力和煤质对吸附速率的影响规律。研究结果表明:时间函数式对3种气体在不同压力和煤质下的吸附速率拟合效果最佳；压力和煤质对3种气体吸附速率的影响既存在共性又具有差异性，气体吸附速率与压力符合指数函数关系，与挥发分呈现出二次函数关系，并且压力升高会导致最低吸附速率趋向于较高变质程度煤样；CH₄和N₂的吸附速率随压力升高而升高，而CO₂的吸附速率因煤样而不同，且在同压下，不同气体的最高和最低吸附速率煤样的变质程度也不同。     

基于响应曲面法的遗煤自燃分析与研究*

为研究高瓦斯易自燃煤层不同供风量、高抽巷抽采流量、低抽巷抽采流量3因素对采空区自燃“三带”分布影响规律，选取阳煤五矿8406工作面为研究对象，在数值模拟研究基础上，采用Design Expert软件进行Box Behnken试验设计，构建采空区氧化升温带宽度在3因素、3水平条件下的二次回归响应曲面模型，并对不同条件下采空区氧化升温带宽度进行预测与分析。结果表明:二次回归方程P值为0.001 6，预测模型显著，模型的失拟项为0.606 3，不显著，回归方程具有统计学意义；当供风量为1 500~2 000 m3/min，低抽流量为450~650 m3/min，高抽流量为100~200 m3/min时，对氧化升温带宽度一次项重要度排序为C（高抽巷抽采流量）>A（供风量）>B（低抽巷抽采流量），二次项重要度排序为AC（供风量和高抽巷抽采流量）>AB（供风量和低抽巷抽采流量）>BC（低抽巷抽采流量和高抽巷抽采流量），且AB,AC,BC之间均无交互作用。     

屏蔽服冷却系统对人体表面温度影响的研究*

为科学有效地论证多种方式组合的冷却屏蔽服在不同环境条件下对人体表面温度控制的效果，需要对冷却系统及人体敏感部位发热量进行客观评估。通过对5名健康男性的高温测试，探究人体在不同环境温度下体表温度的变化，得出胸部、背部及额头为热量最高部位，并构建以“人体-降温屏蔽服-外界环境”为主体的冷却系统数值模型，对不同环境中的屏蔽服冷却效果展开研究，分析穿戴冷却屏蔽服时人体躯干部分的温度分布及影响。结果表明:在屏蔽服中靠近胸部、背部部位引入相变材料和风扇，均可帮助人体降低体温，提高舒适度。