The Influence of pH on Mobility of Heavy Metals from Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Fly Ash

Incineration has become one of the principal methods for municipal solid waste disposal particularly in all large cities throughout the world. Currently, the municipal solid waste incinerator fly ashes (MSWIF) are disposed of by landfill. The metal speciation of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in MSWIF after been extracted with water at different pH values were examined using a sequential extraction procedure. The extraction sequence was as follows: (1) Exchangeable (NaOAc, pH 8.2), (2) Bound to Carbonates (NaOAc, pH 5.0), (3) Bound to metal oxides (HONH3Cl), (4) Bound to organic matters (HNO3, H2O2), and (5) Residual (HNO3, HCl, H2O2, HF, 1:3:1:3). The heavy metal contents in the extraction solutions were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The heavy metal concentrations in the different fractions obtained by sequential extraction show distinct distribution trends. The extractable fraction ranges from 25.5 to 88% of the total element content. With the pH of the extractant fall below the neutral and acidic ranges, the concentrations of heavy metals rise substantially due to the released of metals bound to carbonate fraction.     

Assessment of exposure to DDT and metabolites after indoor residual spraying through the analysis of thatch material from rural African dwellings

Introduction  

We report on the analysis of 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4,4′-DDT) and its metabolites in thatch and branch samples constituting the wall materials of dwellings from South African subtropical areas. This approach was used to assess the exposure to DDT in the residents of the dwellings after indoor residual spraying (IRS) following recommended sanitation practices against malaria vectors.     

The hydrochemistry of groundwater in the Densu River Basin, Ghana

Hydrochemical analyses of groundwater samples were used to establish the hydrochemistry of groundwater in the Densu River Basin. The groundwater was weakly acidic, moderately mineralized, fresh to brackish with conductivity ranging from of 96.6 μS cm^???1 in the North to 10,070 μS cm^???1 in the South. Densu River basin have special economic significance, representing the countries greatest hydrostructure with freshwater. Chemical constituents are generally low in the North and high in the South. The order of relative abundance of major cations in the groundwater is Na^?+??> Ca^2?+??> Mg^2?+??> K^?+? while that of anions is Cl^????> HCO $_{3}^{-} >$ SO $_{4}^{2-} >$ NO $_{3}^{-}$ . Four main chemical water types were delineated in the Basin. These include Ca–Mg–HCO₃, Mg–Ca–Cl, Na–Cl, and mixed waters in which neither a particular cation nor anion dominates. Silicate weathering and ion exchange are probably the main processes through which major ions enter the groundwater system. Anthropogenic activities were found to have greatly impacted negatively on the quality of the groundwater.     

The bibliometrics of atmospheric environment

Bibliometric analysis is an important tool in the management of a journal. SCOPUS output is used to assess the increase in the quantity of material in Atmospheric Environment and stylistic changes in the way authors choose words and punctuation in titles and assemble their reference lists. Citation analysis is used to consider the impact factor of the journal, but perhaps more importantly the way in which it reflects the importance authors give to papers published in Atmospheric Environment. The impact factor of Atmospheric Environment (2.549 for 2007) from the Journal Citation Reports suggests it performs well within the atmospheric sciences, but it conceals the long term value authors place on papers appearing in the journal. Reference lists show that a fifth come through citing papers more than a decade old.     

Removal of selected endocrine disrupting chemicals and personal care products in surface waters and secondary wastewater by ozonation

This study investigated the removal of parabens, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), and phthalates by ozonation. The second-order rate constants for the reaction between selected compounds with ozone at pH 7 were of (2.2 +/-0.2) X 10(6) to (2.9 +/-0.3) X 10(6) M 1/s for parabens, (2.1+/- 0.3) to (3.9 +/-0.5) M-1/s for phthalates, and (5.2 +/-0.3) M-1/s for DEET. The rate constants for the reaction between selected compounds with hydroxyl radical ranged from (2.49 +/-0.06) x 10(9) to (8.5 +/-0.2) x 10(9) M-1/s. Ozonation of selected compounds in secondary wastewater and surface waters revealed that ozone dose of 1 and 3 mg/L yielded greater than 99% depletion of parabens and greater than 92% DEET and phthalates, respectively. In addition, parabens were found to transform almost exclusively through the reaction with ozone, while DEET and phthalates were transformed almost entirely by hydroxyl radicals (.OH).     

Laboratory method of analysis of swarming behaviour in macroplankton: combination of a modified flume tank and stereophotographic techniques

This paper describes a flume tank in which the various physical and behavioural conditions encountered by swarming macroplankton can be manipulated, and a mathematical stereophotographic technique, for use in the calculation of the three-dimensional co-ordinates of individual organisms within the swarms. The mathematical model incorporates the Direct-Linear Transformation equation which describes the position of the object and its image in relation to the camera-perspective centre of the photographic system. Combining this equation with a modified light-ray tracement technique to solve for the passage of light through a three-media environment, the actual three-dimensional co-ordinates of the individual organisms and subsequently their inter-individual distances, bearings and angles of elevation may be derived. The distances between adjacent animals can be measured to an accuracy of 0.24 mm (SD=0.21) using this photogrammetric technique. The design of the flume tank allows for the manipulation of water current speed and flow patterns, substrate, and light intensity. Six species of mysid and one species of euphausiid have been induced to swarm in the flume tank. The conditions required to induce swarming and schooling in the laboratory are described. The inter-individual distances, bearings and angles of elevation have been calculated for Paramesopodopsis rufa, Anisomysis mixta australis, Australerythrops paradicei (Crustacea: Mysidacea) and Nyctiphanes australis (Crustacea: Euphausiacea) using the stereophotographic technique.     

Optimising the preparation of activated carbon from digested sewage sludge and coconut husk.

Preparation of activated carbon from sewage sludge is a promising way to dispose of sewage sludge as well as to produce a low-cost adsorbent for pollutant removal. This research work aimed to optimise the condition for activated carbon preparation from anaerobically digested sewage sludge with the additive coconut husk. The sewage sludge sample was mixed with the additive coconut husk. The preparation condition variables investigated involved the concentration of the ZnCl2 solutions, heating temperature, dwell time and heating rate in pyrolysis and the mixing ratio of coconut husk to sewage sludge. Surface area, pore size distribution, aqueous phenol adsorption capacity and the production yield of the final products were determined and compared. Experimental results revealed that low concentrations of ZnCl2 solution tended to improve the microporosity of the final product. Heating temperature had a considerable impact on the surface area, pore size distribution and phenol adsorption capacity of the final products, whereas dwell time and heating rate performed comparatively insignificantly. The effect of increasing the mixing ratio of coconut husk to sewage sludge was principally to increase the microporosity of the final products. The activated carbon with the highest BET surface area was produced with the activation of 5 M ZnCl2 solution and, thereafter, pyrolysis at a heating temperature of 500 degrees C for 2 h with a heating rate of 10 degrees C/min. The mixing ratio of 1:4 in terms of coconut husk to sewage sludge based on their dried weights was found to be most cost effective.     

The influence of storage on the morphology and physiology of phthalic acid-degrading aerobic granules

The precultured aerobic granules with special degradabilities could be used as a feasible bioseed for enhancement of aerobic granulation systems. In practice, the storage stability, physicochemical characteristics, and recovering efficiency of granules are crucial for a long-distance transportation and successful application. In this study, phthalic acid (PA)-degrading aerobic granules were cultivated and stored for 8 wk at 4 °C. The granular size, settling ability as well as structure integrity was found stable during the storage period. It was observed that the upper 1/3 part of granules stored in the reagent bottle turned to black color, while the lower 2/3 part granules did not significantly change color (brown–yellow) after the 8-wk storage. The black and brown–yellow color PA-degrading granules were manually separated and re-inoculated into two identical sequencing batch reactors for reviving the PA degradation capability. After a 7 d operation, both black and yellow granules restored their activities to the levels before storage, in terms of total organic carbon removal efficiency (100%), specific oxygen uptake rate (59 mg g VSS⁻¹ h⁻¹), and adenosine triphosphate content (0.016 mg g VSS⁻¹). This study demonstrated that aerobic granules grown on a complex substrate could tolerate storage conditions and rapidly restored their bioactivities toward the target pollutant. The results also shed the light on the future application of precultured aerobic granules with unique functions for biodegradation and bioremediation purpose.