Evaluation of the technoeconomic feasibility of electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production for decentralized water treatment

• Gas diffusion electrode (GDE) is a suitable setup for practical water treatment. • Electrochemical H₂O₂ production is an economically competitive technology. • High current efficiency of H₂O₂ production was obtained with GDE at 5–400 mA/cm². • GDE maintained high stability for H₂O₂ production for ~1000 h. • Electro-generation of H₂O₂ enhances ibuprofen removal in an E-peroxone process. This study evaluated the feasibility of electrochemical hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production with gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for decentralized water treatment. Carbon black-polytetrafluoroethylene GDEs were prepared and tested in a continuous flow electrochemical cell for H₂O₂ production from oxygen reduction. Results showed that because of the effective oxygen transfer in GDEs, the electrode maintained high apparent current efficiencies (ACEs,>80%) for H₂O₂ production over a wide current density range of 5–400 mA/cm², and H₂O₂ production rates as high as ~202 mg/h/cm² could be obtained. Long-term stability test showed that the GDE maintained high ACEs (>85%) and low energy consumption (<10 kWh/kg H₂O₂) for H₂O₂ production for 42 d (~1000 h). However, the ACEs then decreased to ~70% in the following 4 days because water flooding of GDE pores considerably impeded oxygen transport at the late stage of the trial. Based on an electrode lifetime of 46 days, the overall cost for H₂O₂ production was estimated to be ~0.88 $/kg H₂O₂, including an electricity cost of 0.61 $/kg and an electrode capital cost of 0.27 $/kg. With a 9 cm² GDE and 40 mA/cm² current density, ~2–4 mg/L of H₂O₂ could be produced on site for the electro-peroxone treatment of a 1.2 m³/d groundwater flow, which considerably enhanced ibuprofen abatement compared with ozonation alone (~43%–59% vs. 7%). These findings suggest that electrochemical H₂O₂ production with GDEs holds great promise for the development of compact treatment technologies for decentralized water treatment at a household and community level.     

过硫酸钠氧化脱色罗丹明B——影响因素和机理

采用过硫酸钠(PDS)直接氧化和催化活化氧化脱色罗丹明B(RhB),分别考察了PDS剂量、pH、催化剂、Cl-浓度对RhB脱色的影响.结果表明,PDS在无外加催化剂下能够有效脱色RhB,pH越低,脱色率越高;当pH 2.4,PDS用量为3.5 g·L^-1,在120 min内RhB的脱色率可达92%;自由基淬灭实验表明,酸性条件下主要为PDS直接氧化脱色RhB,并存在小部分硫酸根自由基(SO₄4·-)作用.在pH 5.6、pH 8.0条件下,外加活性炭纤维(ACF)、四氧化三铁(Fe₃O₄4)、Fe₃O₄4负载型催化剂(ACF/Fe3O₄4)可促进PDS对RhB脱色;在pH 2.4条件下,外加ACF对RhB脱色的促进作用较小,Fe₃O₄4、ACF/Fe₃O₄4对RhB脱色有一定抑制作用.不同pH和催化剂处理下,低浓度Cl-(0.01、0.04 mO₄l·L^-1)对RhB脱色速率都呈现抑制作用,高浓度Cl-(0.08 mO₄l·L^-1)相对于低浓度Cl-处理都呈促进作用.不同浓度Cl-处理在反应前60 min RhB脱色速率差异较大,而反应120 min后脱色率差异较小.提出Cl-通过调控SO₄4·-脱色RhB途径来影响RhB脱色速率的机理,Cl-竞争消耗SO₄4·-降低RhB脱色速率,但经一系列反应生成的Cl2·-能与RhB快速反应而提高RhB脱色速率;Cl-对RhB的脱色反应速率的影响存在抑制-促进双重机制,且与Cl-浓度相关.研究结果为基于PDS直接氧化和催化氧化处理含盐染料废水的研究和应用提供了一定的理论依据.     

北京首都机场绿色滑行时间估算

采用北京首都机场2014年实际CDM地面放行数据确定航空器的污染物排放量与离场排队飞机数量和落地滑入飞机数量的强关联性,构建包含这两个解释变量为影响因素的多元线性回归模型,用以估算几种常见机型在首都机场地面运行时的最小污染物排放量和绿色滑行时间。对比实际污染物排放量与最小污染物排放量,得出首都机场离场地面污染物排放量远远超过最小污染物排放量。     

Assessing the Effectiveness of Winter Cover Crops for Controlling Agricultural Nutrient Losses

A nutrient loss reduction strategy is necessary to guide the efforts of improving water quality downstream of an agricultural watershed. In this study, the effectiveness of two winter cover crops, namely cereal rye and annual ryegrass, is explored as a loss reduction strategy in a watershed that ultimately drains into a water supply reservoir. Using a coupled optimization-watershed model, optimal placements of the cover crops were identified that would result in the tradeoffs between nitrate-N losses reduction and adoption levels. Analysis of the 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% adoption levels extracted from the optimal tradeoffs showed that the cover crop placements would provide annual nitrate-N loss reductions of 3.0%–3.7%, 7.8%–8.8%, 15%–17.5%, and 20.9%–24.3%, respectively. In addition, for the same adoption levels (i.e., 10%–75%), sediment (1.8%–17.7%), and total phosphorus losses (0.8%–8.6%) could be achieved. Results also indicate that implementing each cover crop on all croplands of the watershed could cause annual water yield reduction of at least 4.8%, with greater than 28% in the months of October and November. This could potentially be detrimental to the storage volume of the downstream reservoir, especially in drought years, if cover crops are adopted in most of the reservoir's drainage area. Evaluating water yield impacts, particularly in periods of low flows, is thus critical if cover crops are to be considered as best management practices in water supply watersheds.     

Preliminary studies on potential remediation of acid mine drainage‐impacted soils by amendment with drinking‐water treatment residuals

Mining operations result in a wide range of environmental impacts: acid mine drainage (AMD) and acid sulfate soils being among the most common. Due to their acidic pH and high soluble metal concentrations, both AMD and acid sulfate soils can severely damage the local ecosystems. Proper post‐mining management practices are necessary to control AMD‐related environmental issues. Current AMD‐impacted soil treatment technologies are rather expensive and typically not environmentally sustainable. We conducted a 60‐day bench‐scale study to evaluate the potential of a cost‐effective and environment‐friendly technology in treating AMD‐impacted soils. The metal binding and acid‐neutralizing capacity of an industrial by‐product, drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs) were used for AMD remediation. Two types of locally generated WTRs, an aluminum‐based WTR (Al‐WTR) and a lime‐based WTR (Ca‐WTR) were used. Highly acidic AMD‐impacted soil containing very high concentrations of metals and metalloids, such as iron, nickel, and arsenic, was collected from the Tab‐Simco coal mine in Carbondale, Illinois. Soil amendment using a 1:1 Al‐ and Ca‐WTR mix, applied at 5 and 10 percent rates significantly lowered the soluble and exchangeable fractions of metals in the AMD‐impacted soil, thus lowering potential metal toxicity. Soil pH increased from an extremely acidic 2.69 to a near‐neutral 6.86 standard units over the 60‐day study period. Results from this preliminary study suggest the possibility of a successful scale‐up of this innovative, cost‐effective, and environmentally sustainable technology for remediating AMD‐impacted acid sulfate soils.     

硫酸盐还原菌污泥固定化特性

采用玉米芯为碳源,聚乙烯醇(PVA)为包埋载体,饱和硼酸(H3BO3)为交联剂,研究了硫酸盐还原菌污泥(SRBS)、铁屑、麦饭石共固处理合成煤矿酸性废水的最优配比与机理,并分析了固定化过程中小球稳定性及活性的变化规律。实验结果表明,SRBS投加量是影响处理效果的最显著因子,当投加30%SRBS、2%铁屑、3%麦饭石时SO2-4、Mn2+去除率分别为94.13%和84.39%,溶液p H为7.03,未检测出Fe2+;随着交联时间的延长,小球膨胀率及SO2-4还原率分别呈线性与指数下降,从保持小球稳定性与活性角度考虑,可将交联时间设定为4~8 h;该法可为市政污泥的处置以及生物法处理煤矿酸性废水的工程应用提供技术参考。     

Ambivalence towards discourse of disaster resilience

This paper investigates empirically how the international aid community (IAC)—donors and practitioners—considers and implements disaster resilience in a specific country setting, Nepal, and throughout the rest of the world. A key finding is that there is ambivalence about a concept that has become a discourse. On a global level, the IAC utilises the discourse of resilience in a cautiously positive manner as a bridging concept. On a national level, it is being used to influence the Government of Nepal, as well as serving as an operational tool of donors. The mythical resilient urban community is fashioned in the IAC's imaginary; understanding how people create communities and what type of linkages with government urban residents desire to develop their resilience strategies is missing, though, from the discussion. Disaster resilience can be viewed as another grand plan to enhance the lives of people. Yet, regrettably, an explicit focus on individuals and their communities is lost in the process.     

Taking stock of community-based flood risk management in Malawi: different stakeholders,different perspectives

Current flood risk strategies in Malawi are characterized by community-based flood risk management (CB-FRM), even though studies explicitly documenting evidence of successful CB-FRM remain limited. This paper investigates the realities and challenges of CB-FRM as seen through a lens of different stakeholders. In order to capture the experiences of CB-FRM, a predominantly qualitative research framework was developed. In 2016, 11 focus group discussions with stakeholder groups (local communities, local government and non-governmental organisations) were held. Additionally, informal discussions, field visits, a short survey and an extensive desk study were undertaken. The findings were analysed according to the major themes that emerged related to the realities and challenges of specific stakeholder groups. Although response and relief still remain prominent components of CB-FRM in Malawi, a number of mitigation and preparedness activities is observed. However, a lack of in-country resources, relief-oriented aid approaches and an ‘aid dependency’ syndrome represent obstacles. Different stakeholder groups share similar challenges in terms of financing, participation, decentralised governance and project management. Lack of project sustainability and localised ownership also emerged as major challenges. The identified challenges shed light on the frontiers and directions in which improvements are needed, thus offering a valuable contribution to the existing knowledgebase.     

Mitigating Impact of Devils Lake Flooding on the Sheyenne River Sulfate Concentration

Devils Lake is a terminal lake located in northeast North Dakota. Because of its glacial origin and accumulated salts from evaporation, the lake has a high concentration of sulfate compared to the surrounding water bodies. From 1993 to 2011, Devils Lake water levels rose by ~10 m, which flooded surrounding communities and increased the chance of an overspill to the Sheyenne River. To control the flooding, the State of North Dakota constructed two outlets to pump the lake water to the river. However, the pumped water has raised concerns about of water quality degradation and potential flooding risk of the Sheyenne River. To investigate these perceived impacts, a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was developed for the Sheyenne River and it was linked to a coupled SWAT and CE‐QUAL‐W2 model that was developed for Devils Lake in a previous study. While the current outlet schedule has attempted to maintain the total river discharge within the confines of a two‐year flood (36 m³/s), our simulation from 2012 to 2018 revealed that the diversion increased the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration from an average of 125 to >750 mg/L. Furthermore, a conceptual optimization model was developed with a goal of better preserving the water quality of the Sheyenne River while effectively mitigating the flooding of Devils Lake. The optimal solution provides a “win–win” outlet management that maintains the efficiency of the outlets while reducing the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration to ≤600 mg/L.     

γ-Al2O3负载多金属复合催化剂选择性催化还原烟气脱硝

以γ-Al₂O₃作为载体，先后负载CeO₂，MnC₂O₄，Fe（NO₃）₃，CrO₃，Ni（NO₃）₂，NH₄VO₃等多种金属组分制备γ-Al₂O₃负载多金属复合催化剂，并用于模拟烟气的选择性催化还原脱硝。通过SEM和XRD技术对催化剂进行了表征。表征结果显示：Fe，Mn，Cr的添加能增加催化剂的低温催化活性、提高催化剂的N₂选择性;γ-Al₂O₃对活性金属氧化物的负载效果良好。实验结果表明：各金属化合物的最佳加入量为 w（MnC₂O₄·2H₂O）=20%，w（Fe（NO₃）₃·9H₂O）=15%，w（CrO₃）=10%，w（Ni（NO₃）₂·6H₂O）=5%，w（NH₄VO₃）=10%，w（CeO₂）=5%，w（γ-Al₂O₃）=35%;以在最佳正交实验条件下制得的γ-Al₂O₃负载多金属复合物为催化剂，在脱硝反应温度为205 ℃的条件下，NO转化率为96.7%;γ-Al₂O₃负载多金属复合催化剂经5次重复使用，NO转化率仍可稳定在94%左右。