Changes in electrical generator cooling systems: Are they cost-effective sources of water now and under climate change?

In the United States, thermal power plant electrical generators (EGs) are large water diverters and consumptive users who need water for cooling. Retrofitting existing cooling systems to dry cooling and building new facilities with dry cooling can save water and reduce EG's vulnerability to drought. However, this can be an expensive source of water. We estimate that the cost of water saved by retrofitting cooling in existing EGs ranges from $0.04/m³ to $18/m³ depending on facility characteristics. Also water savings from building new EGs with dry cooling ranges in cost per unit water from $1.29/m³ to $2.24/m³. We compare costs with that for water development projects identified in the Texas State Water Plan. We find the water cost from converting to dry cooling is lower than many of the water development possibilities. We then estimate the impact of climate change on the cost of water saved, finding climate change can increase EG water use by up to 9.3% and lower the costs of water saved. Generally, it appears that water planners might consider cooling alterations as a cost competitive water development alternative whose cost would be further decreased by climate change.     

Research progress and hot spots of hydrothermal liquefaction for bio-oil production based on bibliometric analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass used HTL reaction under high temperature and pressure to produce bio-oil. This technology is considered as...     

1900～2018年全球自然灾害时空演变特征与相关性研究

全球紧急灾难数据库EM-DAT(Emergency Events Database,简称EM-DAT)中1900～ 2018年的自然灾害数据,综合趋势检验及突变点检测方法、标准差椭圆空间统计方法,探究灾害的时空分布、演变趋势及不同灾害之间的相关性.结果 表明:(1)洪水、干旱和风暴的危害性较大.其中,洪水发生次数最多,干旱造成的死亡人数最多,风暴造成的经济损失最为惨重;(2)从时间上来看,灾害发生次数先增加后稍有减少,总体呈上升趋势;因灾死亡人数则自1932年后大幅度减少,呈下降趋势;灾害经济损失持续增加,呈上升趋势;(3)从空间上来看,灾害发生次数分布格局呈南北方向扩张、东西方向收缩趋势,整体往东南方向移动;灾害死亡人数空间分布先呈现西北-东南分布格局,后转变成西南-东北格局,且这种格局不断弱化,直到最后重新呈现西北-东南分布格局;灾害经济损失重心东西方向移动距离大于南北方向,经济损失主方向总体向西北方向转移;(4)洪水、风暴、地震、流行病、滑坡5种灾害与所有灾害均呈显著正相关,相关性系数都达到0.57以上,相互作用较强,其中,地震与风暴两种灾害间的相关性系数最高(为0.906).     

Coupled electrochemical methods for nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from wastewater: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Declining mineral resources, high fertilizer production cost and widespread eutrophication are calling for the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewaters...     

氨废水资源化利用的折流式超重力床集成技术

利用折流式超重力床将氨废水处理的精馏和吸收过程集成在一台设备中,开发出一种设备小型化、流程紧凑的氨废水资源化利用集成技术。与传统技术相比,该技术在大幅节省占地面积和空间的同时,还可大幅节约设备建设所用钢材。工业规模试验结果表明,不同浓度的氨废水经该技术处理后可转化为氨质量分数大于22%的氨水资源,处理出水中氨氮质量浓度低于8.2 mg/L,尾气中未检测到氨,处理结果优于GB 31573—2015《无机化学工业污染物排放标准》。     

UiO-66(Zr)@多孔陶瓷复合材料的制备及对络合态重金属EDTA-Cu(Ⅱ)的去除

本文采用多孔陶瓷作为基体制备了锆基金属有机骨架UiO-66@多孔陶瓷复合材料.通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、粉末X射线衍射(PXRD)、氮气吸附和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)等表征手段对比了氢氧化钠脱硅和乙二胺表面改性等基体活化方式对UiO-66(Zr)在多孔陶瓷表面负载情况的影响.结果表明,经过乙二胺表面改性的多孔陶瓷对UiO-66(Zr)的负载更均匀,负载效果更好.以EDTA-Cu(Ⅱ)为考察对象,研究了UiO-66(Zr)@乙二胺表面改性多孔陶瓷复合材料对络合态重金属的净化效能.结果表明,UiO-66(Zr)@多孔陶瓷复合材料在较宽的酸碱条件下(pH=3—9)对络合态重金属EDTA-Cu(Ⅱ)均表现出良好的吸附性能,饱和吸附量为1.17 mg·g~(-1),并可通过NaOH解吸再生,从而实现材料的重复利用.     

山东省农田土壤中拟除虫菊酯类农药污染特征与风险评价

在山东省范围内采集农田表层土壤样品91个,采用气相色谱法分析了7种拟除虫菊酯类农药(SPs)的含量和组成,分析了其分布特征,比较了大田土壤和大棚土壤中该类农药含量的差异,并评价了其生态风险.结果表明,7种拟除虫菊酯类农药总含量(∑_7SPs)范围在0.01—88.51μg·kg~(-1)之间,均值为5.65μg·kg~(-1).与国内其他地区农田土壤相比,山东省农田土壤中拟除虫菊酯含量处于中等偏低水平.山东省各地区的拟除虫菊酯含量存在差异,但组成相近,均是高效氯氟氰菊酯、联苯菊酯和氯氰菊酯的比例较高.部分地区大棚土壤中的含量高于大田土壤.风险评价结果表明,山东省农田土壤个别采样点中甲氰菊酯和高效氯氟氰菊酯具有生态风险,三分之一的采样点存在潜在生态风险,其余采样点不存在生态风险.     

Magnetotactic bacteria: Characteristics and environmental applications

• Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) synthesize magnetic nanoparticle within magnetosomes. • The morphologic and phylogenetic diversity of MTB were summarized. • Isolation and mass cultivation of MTB deserve extensive research for applications. • MTB can remove heavy metals, radionuclides, and organic pollutants from wastewater. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of Gram-negative prokaryotes that respond to the geomagnetic field. This unique property is attributed to the intracellular magnetosomes, which contains membrane-bound nanocrystals of magnetic iron minerals. This review summarizes the most recent advances in MTB, magnetosomes, and their potential applications especially the environmental pollutant control or remediation. The morphologic and phylogenetic diversity of MTB were first introduced, followed by a critical review of isolation and cultivation methods. Past research has devoted to optimize the factors, such as oxygen, carbon source, nitrogen source, nutrient broth, iron source, and mineral elements for the growth of MTB. Besides the applications of MTB in modern biological and medical fields, little attention was made on the environmental applications of MTB for wastewater treatment, which has been summarized in this review. For example, applications of MTB as adsorbents have resulted in a novel magnetic separation technology for removal of heavy metals or organic pollutants in wastewater. In addition, we summarized the current advance on pathogen removal and detection of endocrine disruptor which can inspire new insights toward sustainable engineering and practices. Finally, the new perspectives and possible directions for future studies are recommended, such as isolation of MTB, genetic modification of MTB for mass production and new environmental applications. The ultimate objective of this review is to promote the applications of MTB and magnetosomes in the environmental fields.     

A review of measurement methods for peracetic acid (PAA)

• Physical and chemical properties and application of peracetic acid solution. • Determination method of high concentration peracetic acid. • Determination method of residual peracetic acid (low concentration). Peroxyacetic acid has been widely used in food, medical, and synthetic chemical fields for the past several decades. Recently, peroxyacetic acid has gradually become an effective alternative disinfectant in wastewater disinfection and has strong redox capacity for removing micro-pollutants from drinking water. However, commercial peroxyacetic acid solutions are primarily multi-component mixtures of peroxyacetic acid, acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and water. During the process of water treatment, peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) often coexist, which limits further investigation on the properties of peroxyacetic acid. Therefore, analytical methods need to achieve a certain level of selectivity, particularly when peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide coexist. This review summarizes the measurement and detection methods of peroxyacetic acid, comparing the principle, adaptability, and relative merits of these methods.