Enhanced debromination of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) by zero-valent zinc with ascorbic acid

• Highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 was achieved in the ZVZ/AA system. • BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA can be applied to a wide range of pH. • AA inhibits the formation of (hydr)oxide and accelerates the corrosion of ZVZ. • Reduction mechanism of BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA system was proposed. A new technique of zero-valent zinc coupled with ascorbic acid (ZVZ/AA) was developed and applied to debrominate the 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), which achieved high conversion and rapid debromination of BDE-47 to less- or non-toxic forms. The reaction conditions were optimized by the addition of 100 mg/L ZVZ particles and 3 mmol/L AA at original solution pH= 4.00 using the solvent of methanol/H₂O (v:v= 4:6), which could convert approximately 94% of 5 mg/L BDE-47 into lower-brominated diphenyl ethers within a 90 min at the ZVZ/AA system. The high debromination of BDE-47 was mainly attributed to the effect of AA that inhibits the formation of Zn(II)(hydr)oxide passivation layers and promotes the corrosion of ZVZ, which leads to increase the reactivity of ZVZ. Additionally, ion chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses revealed that bromine ion and lower-debromination diphenyl ethers formed during the reduction of BDE-47. Furthermore, based on the generation of the intermediates products, and its concentration changes over time, it was proposed that the dominant pathway for conversion of BDE-47 was sequential debromination and the final products were diphenyl ethers. These results suggested that the ZVZ/AA system has the potential for highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 from wastewater.     

污泥中汞的存在形态及其在干化过程中的动态变化

在测定市政污泥、印染污泥和造纸污泥中汞含量及其存在形态分布特征的基础上,通过模拟实验,系统研究了不同类型污泥中汞存在形态在干化过程中的动态变化,同时分析了污泥中汞含量和各存在形态发生变化的原因.结果表明,市政污泥的汞含量依次大于印染污泥和造纸污泥;污泥中无酸溶态汞和可还原态汞,只存在可氧化态汞和残渣态汞;被试污泥在25~100℃干化时,含水率降低不会导致汞的析出;在100~200℃干化时,污泥中汞含量随温度的升高呈现出缓慢降低的趋势;当干化温度200~300℃时,随污泥中有机质和硫化物的分解,可氧化态汞消失;当干化温度达到400℃时,污泥中汞不复存在.     

Modeling in-stream attenuation of N-nitrosodimethylamine and formaldehyde during urban river transportation based on seasonal and diurnal variation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Disinfection by-products (DBPs) discharged from sewage treatment plants (STPs) could harm downstream receiving waters and drinking water resources....     

Fenton cleaning strategy for ceramic membrane fouling in wastewater treatment

Membrane fouling is an obstacle impeding the wide applications of ceramic membranes and organics are responsible for most of the membrane fouling issues in wastewater treatment. In this study, Fenton cleaning strategy was firstly proposed to clean ceramic membrane fouling in wastewater treatment. Fe~(2+)efficiently catalyzed fouling cleaning with H_2O_2(1.5%) to recover the filterability of ceramic membrane. The maximum ΔTMP recovery(over 99%) was achieved at an optimal Fe~(2+)dosage of 124 mg/L after 6 hr of immersion cleaning. The total residual membrane fouling resistance decreased gradually from this optimum value as the Fe~(2+)dosage increased above 124 mg/L. The residual hydraulically reversible fouling resistance accounted for most of the membrane fouling and was basically removed(≤3.0 × 10~9 m~(-1)) when Fe~(2+)dosages higher than 124 mg/L were used. The foulants responsible for the formation of a residual hydraulically reversible fouling layer(DOC(dissolved organic carbon), proteins, polysaccharides, EEM(fluorescence excitationemission matrix spectra), SS(suspended solids), and VSS(volatile suspended solids)) were gradually removed as the Fe~(2+)dosage increased. These residual organic foulants were degraded from biopolymers(10–200 kDa) to low molecular weight substances(0.1–1 kDa),and the particle size of these residual foulants decreased significantly as a result. The strong oxidation power of hydrogen peroxide/hydroxy radicals towards organic foulants was enhanced by Fe~(2+). Fe~(2+)played a significant role in the removal of hydraulically reversible fouling and irreversible fouling from the ceramic membrane. However, Fe~(2+)(≥ 124 mg/L) increased the likelihood of forming secondary iron-organics aggregates.     

Fabrication of highly efficient Bi2WO6/CuS composite for visible-light photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants and Cr(VI) from wastewater

• A novel Bi₂WO₆/CuS composite was fabricated by a facile solvothermal method. • This composite efficiently removed organic pollutants and Cr(VI) by photocatalysis. • The DOM could promoted synchronous removal of organic pollutants and Cr(VI). • This composite could be applied at a wide pH range in photocatalytic reactions. • Possible photocatalytic mechanisms of organic pollutants and Cr(VI) were proposed. A visible-light-driven Bi₂WO₆/CuS p-n heterojunction was fabricated using an easy solvothermal method. The Bi₂WO₆/CuS exhibited high photocatalytic activity in a mixed system containing rhodamine B (RhB), tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), and Cr (VI) under natural conditions. Approximately 98.8% of the RhB (10 mg/L), 87.6% of the TCH (10 mg/L) and 95.1% of the Cr(VI) (15 mg/L) were simultaneously removed from a mixed solution within 105 min. The removal efficiencies of TCH and Cr(VI) increased by 12.9% and 20.4%, respectively, in the mixed solution, compared with the single solutions. This is mainly ascribed to the simultaneous consumption electrons and holes, which increases the amount of excited electrons/holes and enhances the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. Bi₂WO₆/CuS can be applied over a wide pH range (2–6) with strong photocatalytic activity for RhB, TCH and Cr(VI). Coexisiting dissolved organic matter in the solution significantly promoted the removal of TCH (from 74.7% to 87.2%) and Cr(VI) (from 75.7% to 99.9%) because it accelerated the separation of electrons and holes by consuming holes as an electron acceptor. Removal mechanisms of RhB, TCH, and Cr(VI) were proposed, Bi₂WO₆/CuS was formed into a p-n heterojunction to efficiently separate and transfer photoelectrons and holes so as to drive photocatalytic reactions. Specifically, when reducing pollutants (e.g., TCH) and oxidizing pollutants (e.g., Cr(VI)) coexist in wastewater, the p-n heterojunction in Bi₂WO₆/CuS acts as a “bridge” to shorten the electron transport and thus simultaneously increase the removal efficiencies of both types of pollutants.