Inactivation of MS2 bacteriophage by streamer corona discharge in water

Electrical discharge processes are emerging as water treatment technologies applicable to both the degradation of organic contaminants as well as inactivation of pathogens. Particularly as a disinfection technology, electrical discharge processes do not produce toxic byproducts, and effectively inactivate a wide spectrum of microorganisms by multiple lethal actions generated by the formation of plasma channels. This study demonstrates the inactivation of a virus using the streamer corona discharge process (SCDP) with MS2 phage as a surrogate. A rapid inactivation of MS2 phage (i.e., approximately 4 log inactivation in 5 min) was observed in all experimental runs conducted. Discharge conditions such as applied voltage and storage capacitance significantly affected the inactivation efficiency of MS2 phage, whereas the influence of water quality parameters was minor. In order to elucidate the mechanism of MS2 phage inactivation, potentially lethal factors that can be generated by the SCDP were selected, and their roles in the inactivation of MS2 phage were examined. As a result, effects of UV radiation, chemical oxidants, and pulsed electric fields were found to be insignificant. The shockwave generated upon plasma channel formation appears to be the most important factor responsible for MS2 phage inactivation.     

Effect of lipids on sorption/desorption hysteresis in natural organic matter

The chemical composition and physical conformation of natural organic matter (NOM) play a major role in regulating its capacity to retain hydrophobic organic compounds. Naphthalene and phenanthrene were used to study the correlations between sorption/desorption isotherm nonlinearity and compositional data obtained from quantitative ¹³C solid-state DPMAS NMR spectroscopy for soil and peat organic matter with or without lipids. Sorption experiments were conducted using a batch equilibration method. Desorption experiments were carried out immediately following the sorption experiments by three successive decant-refill cycles. Hysteresis was observed in all samples. Nonlinear sorption behavior was increased by removal of lipids from the NOM. The hysteresis index, obtained from the ratio of the Freundlich exponents (N values) for the desorption and sorption isotherms, was lower in the lipid-extracted NOM samples than in the same samples without lipid extraction. The relationship between the extent of hysteresis and the characteristics of the ¹³C DPMAS NMR spectra indicates that altering NOM composition through lipid extraction not only increased the proportion of aromatic-C content, but also increased sorption/desorption hysteresis. Our data also suggest that the hysteresis index is negatively related to aromaticity.     

Nationwide monitoring of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in South Korea

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) were measured in ambient air samples collected from different parts of South Korea in 2008, and the measured levels were used for assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric PCDDFs and DL-PCBs in South Korea. The average concentrations of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs among the 37 sites were 28 fg I-TEQ m⁻³ (ND ∼ 617) and 1 fg WHO-TEQ m⁻³ (ND ∼ 0.016). Elevated atmospheric levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs observed at residential/industrial sites and in the north-west of Korea, indicated a potential contribution and impacts of anthropogenic sources of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. These levels were similar or lower than those previously reported in other ambient air surveys. Average concentrations of PCDD/Fs showed small seasonal variations (ANOVA analysis, p = 0.144). The highest concentrations of PCDD/Fs were observed during winter, followed by spring, autumn and summer. Atmospheric PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in South Korea rapidly decreased during the last 10 years (1998-2008), demonstrating the efficiency of stricter regulations and the application of best available technologies/best environmental practices at emission sources. Comparison of the congener profiles and principal component analysis showed that current atmospheric PCDD/Fs are mostly influenced by industrial sources and PCBs from old commercial PCB uses. Nationwide POPs monitoring will continue and allows an effective evaluation of the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on POPs.     

PCDD/F enviromental impact from municipal solid waste bio-drying plant

The present work indentifies some environmental and health impacts of a municipal solid waste bio-drying plant taking into account the PCDD/F release into the atmosphere, its concentration at ground level and its deposition. Four scenarios are presented for the process air treatment and management: biofilter or regenerative thermal oxidation treatment, at two different heights. A Gaussian dispersion model, AERMOD, was used in order to model the dispersion and deposition of the PCDD/F emissions into the atmosphere. Considerations on health risk, from different exposure pathways are presented using an original approach. The case of biofilter at ground level resulted the most critical, depending on the low dispersion of the pollutants. Suggestions on technical solutions for the optimization of the impact are presented.     

二步法腈纶生产废水的处理试验

本试验采用混凝 -A/O系统组合工艺处理二步法腈纶废水 ,该系统处理效果良好 ,出水水质符合排放标准 ,可直接排入水体。A/O系统试验装置总容积 80L ,水力停留时间 5 8— 70h ,缺氧池与好氧池的容积比为 1∶3 ,回流比 ( 2—3 )∶1,COD和BOD总去除率分别约为 84%和 98%。     

A/O脱氮工艺的控制策略和应用性研究

根据A/O脱氮工艺的运行状况和影响因素 ,提出了应用在线传感器连续测定曝气池中DO浓度、氨氮浓度和硝酸氮浓度 ,并据此调节供氧强度、内循环回流量、有机碳源的投加以及硝化区和反硝化区的大小 ,这是保证A/O脱氮工艺良好处理效果的重要控制策略和思想。同时对近年来国外A/O脱氮工艺自动控制的应用及研究进行了简单的回顾。     

含重金属水处理污泥的固化和浸出毒性研究

工业危险固体废物在进行安全填埋前需要进行固化稳定处理。针对电镀厂和皮革厂含重金属的水处理污泥 ,用不同比例的水泥、粉煤灰进行固化稳定处理。考虑酸雨环境 ,浸出实验采用TCLP标准。电镀厂污泥单独固化时 ,其浸出液中铜离子浓度由 78 0mg/L下降到 1 5mg/L ;镍离子浓度由 2 2 4 5mg/L下降到 2 2 2mg/L ,高于危险废物允许进入填埋区 15mg/L的控制限值。电镀厂污泥与皮革厂污泥混合后固化 ,浸出液毒性明显降低。铜离子的浸出浓度降低到1 98mg/L ,镍离子降低到 4 10mg/L ,总铬降低到 0 4 0mg/L ,各项指标均低于国家危险废物允许进入填埋区的控制限值 ,可安全填埋。     

碳氮磷比例失调城市污水的同步脱氮除磷

为解决现行同步脱氮除磷工艺处理南方地区碳、氮、磷比例失调城市污水中,因C/N、C/P偏低,碳源不足而降低脱氮除磷效率的难题,试验以碳源偏低的广州市城市污水为研究对象,采用厌氧/好氧交替运行的SBR系统,通过对厌氧、好氧时段的合理调控,在无需额外添加碳源的条件下,有机物、氨氮、总氮和总磷的平均去除率分别可达90%、72%、41%和99%,不仅能使有机物和氮的出水指标达到国家排放标准,而且总磷出水浓度能达0.5 mg/L以下。通过进一步分析同步高效脱氮除磷的影响因素和控制条件,得出合理污泥龄的控制是实现同步脱氮除磷的关键,厌氧/好氧交替运行的方式不仅强化了磷的释放和吸收,而且降低了碳源偏低和硝酸盐对同步脱氮除磷影响的结论。     

H2O2 formation from photocatalytic processes at the ZnO/water interface

The paper focuses on the production of H2O2 by photocatalysis over ZnO in an aerated aqueous phase. The presence of different reductants that increase the H2O2 production in the aqueous phase is analysed; particular attention is paid to nitrite, which has been shown to be the reductant that produces the most significant increments in the H2O2 production. The photocatalytic anodic decomposition of ZnO in the presence of the different reductants is also investigated. From the results obtained, the relevance of the ZnO photocatalysis in the formation of environmental hydrogen peroxide is estimated.