Optimization of the O3/H2O2 process with response surface methodology for pretreatment of mother liquor of gas field wastewater

• Real ML-GFW with high salinity and high organics was degraded by O₃/H₂O₂ process. • Successful optimization of operation conditions was attained using RSM based on CCD. • Single-factor experiments in advance ensured optimal experimental conditions. • The satisfactory removal efficiency of TOC was achieved in spite of high salinity. • The initial pH plays the most significant role in the degradation of ML-GFW. The present study reports the use of the O₃/H₂O₂ process in the pretreatment of the mother liquor of gas field wastewater (ML-GFW), obtained from the multi-effect distillation treatment of the gas field wastewater. The range of optimal operation conditions was obtained by single-factor experiments. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on the central composite design (CCD) was used for the optimization procedure. A regression model with Total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency as the response value was established (R² = 0.9865). The three key factors were arranged according to their significance as: pH>H₂O₂ dosage>ozone flow rate. The model predicted that the best operation conditions could be obtained at a pH of 10.9, an ozone flow rate of 0.8 L/min, and H₂O₂ dosage of 6.2 mL. The dosing ratio of ozone was calculated to be 9.84 mg O₃/mg TOC. The maximum removal efficiency predicted was 75.9%, while the measured value was 72.3%. The relative deviation was found to be in an acceptable range. The ozone utilization and free radical quenching experiments showed that the addition of H₂O₂ promoted the decomposition of ozone to produce hydroxyl radicals (·OH). This also improved the ozone utilization efficiency. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that most of the organic matters in ML-GFW were degraded, while some residuals needed further treatment. This study provided the data and the necessary technical supports for further research on the treatment of ML-GFW.     

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs)-associated protobiofilm: A neglected contributor to biofouling during membrane filtration

• Bacteria could easily and quickly attached onto TEP to form protobiofilms. • TEP-protobiofilm facilitate the transport of bacteria to membrane surface. • More significant flux decline was observed in the presence of TEP-protobiofilms. • Membrane fouling shows higher sensitivity to protobiofilm not to bacteria level. Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs) are a class of transparent gel-like polysaccharides, which have been widely detected in almost every kind of feed water to membrane systems, including freshwater, seawater and wastewater. Although TEP have been thought to be related to the membrane fouling, little information is currently available for their influential mechanisms and the pertinence to biofouling development. The present study, thus, aims to explore the impact of TEPs on biofouling development during ultrafiltration. TEP samples were inoculated with bacteria for several hours before filtration and the formation of “protobiofilm” (pre-colonized TEP by bacteria) was examined and its influence on biofouling was determined. It was observed that the bacteria can easily and quickly attach onto TEPs and form protobiofilms. Ultrafiltration experiments further revealed that TEP-protobiofilms served as carriers which facilitated and accelerated transport of bacteria to membrane surface, leading to rapid development of biofouling on the ultrafiltration membrane surfaces. Moreover, compared to the feed water containing independent bacteria and TEPs, more flux decline was observed with TEP-protobiofilms. Consequently, it appeared from this study that TEP-protobiofilms play a vital role in the development of membrane biofouling, but unfortunately, this phenomenon has been often overlooked in the literature. Obviously, these findings in turn may also challenge the current understanding of organic fouling and biofouling as membrane fouling caused by TEP-protobiofilm is a combination of both. It is expected that this study might promote further research in general membrane fouling mechanisms and the development of an effective mitigation strategy.     

Remediation of arsenic contaminated soil by sulfidated zero-valent iron

• Sulfidation significantly enhanced As(V) immobilization in soil by zerovalent iron. • S-ZVI promoted the conversion of exchangeable As to less mobile Fe-Mn bound As. • Column test further confirmed the feasibility of sulfidated ZVI on As retention. • S-ZVI amendment and magnetic separation markedly reduced TCLP leachability of As. In this study, the influences of sulfidation on zero-valent iron (ZVI) performance toward As(V) immobilization in soil were systemically investigated. It was found that, compared to unamended ZVI, sulfidated ZVI (S-ZVI) is more favorable to immobilize As(V) in soil and promote the conversion of water soluble As to less mobile Fe-Mn bound As. Specifically, under the optimal S/Fe molar ratio of 0.05, almost all of the leached As could be sequestrated by>0.5 wt.% S-ZVI within 3 h. Although the presence of HA could decrease the desorption of As from soil, HA inhibited the reactivity of S-ZVI to a greater extent. Column experiments further proved the feasibility of applying S-ZVI on soil As(V) immobilization. More importantly, to achieve a good As retention performance, S-ZVI should be fully mixed with soil or located on the downstream side of As migration. The test simulating the flooding conditions in rice culture revealed there was also a good long-term stability of soil As(V) after S-ZVI remediation, where only 0.7% of As was desorbed after 30 days of incubation. Magnetic separation was employed to separate the immobilized As(V) from soil after S-ZVI amendment, where the separation efficiency was found to be dependent of the iron dosage, liquid to soil ratio, and reaction time. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) tests revealed that the leachability of As from soil was significantly reduced after the S-ZVI amendment and magnetic separation treatment. All these findings provided some insights into the remediation of As(V)-polluted soil by ZVI.     

The performance of nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation processes under variable initial Fe/N ratios: The fate of nitrogen and iron species

•Bacterially-mediated coupled N and Fe processes examined in incubation experiments. •NO₃⁻ reduction was considerably inhibited as initial Fe/N ratio increased. •The maximum production of N₂ occurred at an initial Fe/N molar ratio of 6. •Fe minerals produced at Fe/N ratios of 1–2 were mainly easily reducible oxides. The Fe/N ratio is an important control on nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation processes that occur both in the aquatic environment and in wastewater treatment systems. The response of nitrate reduction, Fe oxidation, and mineral production to different initial Fe/N molar ratios in the presence of Paracoccus denitrificans was investigated in 132 h incubation experiments. A decrease in the nitrate reduction rate at 12 h occurred as the Fe/N ratio increased. Accumulated nitrite concentration at Fe/N ratios of 2–10 peaked at 12–84 h, and then decreased continuously to less than 0.1 mmol/L at the end of incubation. N₂O emission was promoted by high Fe/N ratios. Maximum production of N₂ occurred at a Fe/N ratio of 6, in parallel with the highest mole proportion of N₂ resulting from the reduction of nitrate (81.2%). XRD analysis and sequential extraction demonstrated that the main Fe minerals obtained from Fe(II) oxidation were easily reducible oxides such as ferrihydrite (at Fe/N ratios of 1–2), and easily reducible oxides and reducible oxides (at Fe/N ratios of 3–10). The results suggest that Fe/N ratio potentially plays a critical role in regulating N₂, N₂O emissions and Fe mineral formation in nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation processes.     

南京市典型地区大气多环芳烃污染特征及健康风险评价

采用气相色谱-质谱法,于2016年9月和12月对南京市2个典型地区大气中16种多环芳烃(PAHs)的质量浓度进行分析,并开展了PAHs组成特征、来源解析及人体健康风险评价研究。结果表明,工业区(六合区)和生活区(江宁区)大气(气态和可吸入颗粒态)中16种PAHs的质量浓度分别为914.82和712.27 ng/m~3,苯并[a]芘毒性等效浓度分别为274.1和309.84 ng/m~3,且呈现冬季高、秋季低的特征。比值法源解析结果表明,燃煤污染是六合区PAHs污染主要来源,而江宁区主要表现为交通污染。人体健康风险评价结果表明,六合区和江宁区人群通过大气吸入PAHs的超额致癌风险分别为5.17×10~(-5)和5.85×10~(-5),均略高于可接受水平10~(-6)。     

Potential energy production from organic waste and its environmental and economic impacts at a tertiary institution in Palestine

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the most well-known biomass resources that can be utilized to produce renewable energy. Numerous countries are plagued by the proliferation of waste, particularly organic waste that can be utilized for energy recovery. Palestine suffers from inefficient solid waste management, and only recently have a few projects focused on bioenergy production been implemented. Throughout the years, the city of Tulkarm experiences power outages which cause a challenge to the Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie campus in Tulkarm. Thus, the possibility of energy recovery from the organic portion in Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie was evaluated. The analysis of an economic impact included discussions of a number of economic aspects, including Levelized cost of energy, internal rate of return, present worth, annual worth, and payback period. On the other hand, a carbon dioxide savings analysis and gas emission were evaluated. The outcomes of the energy optimization demonstrated that the suggested system could supply the institution with an average of roughly 7 MWh of electrical energy. According to the economic study, this project offers 0.25 million dollars in present value, 0.144 million dollars in annual value, a 13 percent internal rate of return, a payback period of 6 years, and a levelized cost of energy of 0.11 dollars for each kWh generated. Additionally, the environmental assessment revealed that this system might reduce CO₂ emissions by around 8,343,778 tons. For effective waste management, energy recovery, and emission reduction, it is advised to implement anaerobic digestion technology.     

Spatial analysis of resources and environmental carrying capacity in Iran

Urbanization and mass movement of the population from rural areas and small cities to megacities have led to environmental, economic, and social problems in Iran. In dealing with these challenges, assessing resource and environmental carrying capacity (RECC) is considered an effective method to leverage space and capital to achieve sustainable development. This study aimed to rank the provincial RECC in Iran. Toward this purpose, environmental indices were generated from remotely sensed and statistical census data. Then, the provinces were scored in terms of environmental, economic, and infrastructural carrying capacities, and RECC using the mean variance analysis method. Results demonstrated that in most areas, there is no relationship between economic and infrastructural capacities and development. Statistically, a correlation coefficient of −0.53 between economic and environmental carrying capacities indicated excessive use of environmental capacities. Moreover, the spatial distribution pattern of environmental, economic, and infrastructural carrying capacity was entirely heterogeneous between the provinces; there was a northeast–southwest pattern in terms of infrastructural capacity and an economic pattern from north to south. The distribution pattern of RECC is most consistent with the environmental capacity, pointing at the high weight of the indicators of the RECC model. In conclusion, this research offers a new vision for policymakers and provides a theoretical and applicable framework for implementing sustainable strategies in land-use planning. It is recommended that the RECC concept and tools can be used not only for planning but also for measuring the efficiency of spatial development programs and establishing land balances in the region.     

Efficient removal of Cr(VI) by a 3D Z-scheme TiO2-ZnxCd1-xS graphene aerogel via synergy of adsorption and photocatalysis under visible light

Efficient and robust photocatalysts for environmental pollutants removal with outstanding stability have great significance. Herein, we report a kind of three dimensional (3D) photocatalyst presented as Z-scheme heterojunction, which combining TiO 2 and Zn x Cd 1- x S with graphene aerogel to contrast TiO 2 -Zn x Cd 1- x S graphene aerogel (TSGA, x = 0.5) through a moderate hydrothermal process. The as-prepared Z-scheme TSGA was used to remove aqueous Cr(VI) via a synergistic effect of adsorption and visible light photocatalysis. The adsorption equilibrium can be reached about 40 min, then after about 30 min irradiation under visible light (wavelength ( λ) > 420 nm) the removal rate of Cr(VI) almost reached 100%, which is much better than the performance of pristine TiO 2 and Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S, as well as TiO 2 graphene aerogel (TGA) and Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S graphene aerogel (SGA). The virulent Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) with hypotoxicity after photocatalysis on TSGA, meanwhile the as-synthesized TSGA presented a good stability and reusability. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets between TiO 2 and Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S played a role as charge transfer mediator, promoting the photoinduced electrons transfer and photocatalysis ability of TSGA was enhanced significantly. Hence,such photocatalyst exhibits a potential application on removing heavy metals with high efficiency and stability from polluted aqueous environment.     

蚯蚓粪复配硼钼调理剂对土壤改良和茄子生长的影响作用

土壤质量决定着农产品的质量和农业生产的可持续发展,然而土壤退化成为农业生产的重要限制因素之一,施用土壤调理剂有利于减缓土壤退化的速度。该研究配制土壤调理剂,即蚯蚓粪:草菇渣:蛭石=6:3:1、钼酸钠50 g·kg^-1、硼酸13.3 g·kg^-1,并设5个不同的处理CK、QY-T1、QY-T2、QY-T3、QY-T4,研究该调理剂对土壤理化性质和肥力的影响作用,分析其对茄子硼、钼和生长状况的促进作用。结果表明,该调理剂能提高土壤温度,5 cm、09:00的土壤温度QY-T4较高,但10 cm、14:00的土壤温度QY-T3最高;土壤容重随着施用量的增大而显著降低至1.50 g·cm^-3以下,土壤pH值从CK的4.93提高到QY-T4的5.57、微生物量碳分别比CK高29.9%、36.1%、47.6%和52.2%,有机质分别比CK高10.8%、11.7%、12.5%和7.0%,QY-T2、QY-T3、QY-T4土壤有效硼达到0.35、0.36、0.42mg·kg^-1,QY-T1、QY-T2的有效钼分别为0.107、0.140mg·kg^-1,随着调理剂的增多而增多,但QY-T3、QY-T4分别为0.101、0.092 mg·kg^-1反而随着调理剂的增多而下降,茄子硼、钼含量都随着调理剂的增加而增大,且显著高于对照(P<0.01);总产量比CK分别提高了29%、36%、190%和66%,总个数分别增加了25%、28%、155%和66%,59 d株高和叶片面积分别比CK增高了23%、1.4%、23%、16%和6.8%、11%、9.3%、7.4%,而叶片数量,所有的处理差异不显著,因此推荐该土壤调理剂用量与QY-T3相同,为1.5×10⁴kg·hm^-2。该研究可为土壤调理剂修复土壤退化的应用提供依据。     

夏季渭河西安段溶解性有机质(DOM)的特征、分布及来源分析

通过紫外吸收光谱,三维荧光光谱结合平行因子分析(EEMs-PARAFAC)方法及主成分分析(PCA),研究了夏季渭河西安段水体中的溶解性有机质(DOM)的组成、来源,及其与水质指标的相关性.在研究区域共检出2种类别5个不同的DOM组分,分别为类腐殖质荧光组分C1、C2、C3、C5和1个类蛋白类荧光组分C4,5个组分具有同源性.对比分析光谱斜率S、SUVA₂₅₄、α355和DOC浓度,上游(S1—S5)和下游(S13—S17)各组分分子量和腐殖化程度接近但来源有所差异,中游(S6—S12、S18—S19)分子量和腐殖化程度最低;研究区域DOM和CDOM浓度值变化基本保持一致.通过三维光谱参数和主成分分析进行DOM源解析,内源贡献率为72.36%,外源贡献率为12.45%,累计方差贡献率为84.81%;污废水排放是组分C1、C4的主要来源,C2、C3、C5则来源于城市景观水体和湿地公园中微生物和浮游动植物的活动产生,TN与外源具有较好的相关性而TP与内源相关性较高.水质指标DO、DOC、COD、TN、TP与DOM组分有较强的相关性.在此基础上建立了多元线性回归方程,一定程度上能够利用荧光组分组成和特征反映渭河夏季的水质状况.