Electrogenerative gold recovery from cyanide solutions using a flow-through cell with activated reticulated vitreous carbon

An electrogenerative flow-through reactor with an activated reticulated vitreous carbon cathode was developed. The influence of palladium-tin activation of the cathode towards gold deposition was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The reactor proved to be efficient in recovering more than 99% of gold within 4 h of operation. The performance of the reactor was evaluated with initial gold concentrations of 10, 100 and 500 mg L-1 and various electrolyte flow rates. Gold recovery was found to be strongly dependent on electrolyte flow rate and initial gold concentration in the cyanide solution under the experimental conditions used.     

用乳状液膜法从镀金废液中回收金的研究

报道了用乳状液膜法从镀金废液中回收金的研究，分析了各种工艺条件的影响，在最佳实验条件下，经一级间歇式液膜分离在内水相获得纯度为９９．９％的单质金，收率为９９．１％，本法具有流程短、速度快和效率高的特点，具有工业应用前景。     

Inhibitory effect of cyanide on nitrification process and its eliminating method in a suspended activated sludge process

Inhibition of nitrification by four typical pollutants (acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, acetonitrile and cyanide) in acrylonitrile wastewater was investigated. The inhibitory effect of cyanide on nitrification was strongest, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.218 mg·gVSS^-1 being observed in a municipal activated sludge system. However, the performance of nitrification was recovered when cyanide was completely degraded. The nitrification, which had been inhibited by 4.17 mg·gVSS^-1 of free cyanide for 24 h, was recovered to greater than 95% of that without cyanide after 10 days of recovery. To overcome cyanide inhibition, cyanide-degrading bacteria were cultivated in a batch reactor by increasing the influent cyanide concentration in a stepwise manner, which resulted in an increase in the average cyanide degradation rate from 0.14 to 1.01 mg CN^-·gVSS^-1·h^-1 over 20 days. The cultured cyanide-degrading bacteria were shaped like short rods, and the dominant cyanide-degrading bacteria strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB by PCR.     

Increasing the recovery of heavy metal ions using two microbial fuel cells operating in parallel with no power output

The present study aimed to improve the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by using an intermittent connection period without power output. Connecting two MFCs in parallel improved the voltage output of both MFCs until the voltage stabilized. Electric energy was accumulated in two MFCs containing heavy metal ions copper, zinc, and cadmium as electron acceptors by connection in parallel for several hours. The system was then switched to discharge mode with single MFCs with a 1000-Ω resistor connected between anode and cathode. This method successfully achieved highly efficient removal of heavy metal ions. Even when the anolyte was run in sequencing batch mode, the insufficient voltage and power needed to recover heavy metals from the cathode of MFCs can be complemented by the developed method. The average removal ratio of heavy metal ions in sequencing batch mode was 67 % after 10 h. When the discharge time was 20 h, the removal ratios of zinc, copper, and cadmium were 91.5, 86.7, and 83.57 %, respectively; the average removal ratio of these ions after 20 h was only 52.1 % for the control group. Therefore, the average removal efficiency of heavy metal ions increased by 1.75 times using the electrons stored from the bacteria under the open-circuit conditions in parallel mode. Electrochemical impedance data showed that the anode had lower solution resistance and polarization resistance in the parallel stage than as a single MFC, and capacitance increased with the length of time in parallel.

     

高浓度氨氮废水同步硝化反硝化性能研究

利用序批式反应器研究了溶解氧浓度和进水碳氮比对高浓度氨氮废水脱氮性能的影响.结果表明,溶解氧浓度降低实现了短程同步硝化反硝化,并提高了反应器脱氮效率.反应器运行经历了外部碳源的摄取、PHB储存、PHB有氧氧化和同步硝化反硝化作用,PHB作为同步硝化反硝化过程中反硝化的电子供体.     

Optimization of enhanced biological phosphorus removal after periods of low loading.

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal is a well-established technology for the treatment of municipal wastewater. However, increased effluent phosphorus concentrations have been reported after periods (days) of low organic loading. The purpose of this study was to evaluate different operating strategies to prevent discharge of effluent after such low-loading periods. Mechanisms leading to these operational problems have been related to the reduction of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and their storage compounds (polyhydroxy alkanoates [PHA]). Increased effluent phosphorus concentrations can be the result of an imbalance between influent loading and PAOs in the system and an imbalance between phosphorus release and uptake rates. The following operating conditions were tested in their ability to prevent a reduction of PHA and of overall biomass during low organic loading conditions: (a) unchanged operation, (b) reduced aeration time, (c) reduced sludge wastage, and (d) combination of reduced aeration time and reduced sludge wastage. Experiments were performed in a laboratory-scale anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor, using acetate as the carbon source. Without operational adjustments, phosphorus-release rates decreased during low-loading periods but recovered rapidly. Phosphorus-uptake rates also decreased, and the recovery typically required several days to increase to normal levels. The combination of reduced aeration time and reduced sludge wastage allowed the maintenance of constant levels of both PHA and overall biomass. A mathematical model was used to explain the influence of the tested operating conditions on PAO and PHA concentrations. While experimental results were in general agreement with model predictions, the kinetic expression for phosphorus uptake deviated significantly for the first 24 hours after low-loading conditions. Mechanisms leading to these deviations need to be further investigated.     

Degradation of paracetamol by advance oxidation processes using modified reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes with TiO2 and CuO/TiO2/Al2O3

The degradation of paracetamol in aqueous solutions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide was carried out by photochemistry, electrolysis and photoelectrolysis using modified 100 pores per inch reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes. The electrodes were coated with catalysts such as TiO₂ and CuO/TiO₂/Al₂O₃ by electrophoresis followed by heat treatment. The results of the electrolysis with bare reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes show that 90% paracetamol degradation occurs in 4 h at 1.3 V vs. SCE, forming intermediates such as benzoquinone and carboxylic acids followed by their complete mineralisation. When the electrolysis was carried out with the modified electrodes such as TiO₂/RVC, 90% degradation was achieved in 2 h while with CuO/TiO₂/Al₂O₃/RVC, 98% degradation took only 1 h. The degradation was also carried out in the presence of UV reaching 95% degradation with TiO₂/RVC/UV and 99% with CuO/TiO₂/Al₂O₃/RVC/UV in 1 h. The reactions were followed by spectroscopy UV-Vis, HPLC and total organic carbon analysis. These studies show that the degradation of paracetamol follows a pseudo-first order reaction kinetics.     

Electrolytic trichloroethene degradation using mixed metal oxide coated titanium mesh electrodes

Electrochemical systems provide a low cost, versatile, and controllable platform to potentially treat contaminants in water, including chlorinated solvents. Relative to bare metal or noble metal amended materials, dimensionally stable electrode materials such as mixed metal oxide coated titanium (Ti/MMO) have advantages in terms of stability and cost, important factors for sustainable remediation solutions. Here, we report the use of Ti/MMO as an effective cathode substrate for treatment of trichloroethene (TCE). TCE degradation in a batch reactor was measured as the decrease of TCE concentration over time and the corresponding evolution of chloride; notably, this occurred without the formation of commonly encountered chlorinated intermediates. The reaction was initiated when Ti/MMO cathode potentials were less than -0.8 V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode, and the rate of TCE degradation increased linearly with progressively more negative potentials. The maximum pseudo-first-order heterogeneous rate constant was approximately 0.05 cm min(-1), which is comparable to more commonly used cathode materials such as nickel. In laboratory-scale flow-though column reactors designed to simulate permeable reactive barriers (PRBs), TCE concentrations were reduced by 80-90%. The extent of TCE flux reduction increased with the applied potential difference across the electrodes and was largely insensitive to the spacing distance between the electrodes. This is the first report of the electrochemical reduction of a chlorinated organic contaminant at a Ti/MMO cathode, and these results support the use of this material in PRBs as a possible approach to manage TCE plume migration.     

间歇曝气SBR工艺脱氮除磷试验研究

采用间歇曝气序批式反应器(SBR)工艺,通过曝气时间、交替次数的调整对该系统的脱氮除磷效果进行了研究,最终将工艺确定为厌氧1.5 h、好氧1.0 h、缺氧1.0 h、好氧20 min、缺氧1.0 h、好氧20 min.同时进行批式试验,对不同阶段的反硝化除磷菌(DPAOs)占除磷菌(PAOs)的比例进行了计算.结果表明:该系统与最初的厌氧/好氧SBR相比节省了44%的曝气量,且对COD、总氮、氨氮和磷的去除率分别达88%、89%、100%和100%,系统中DPAOs所占比例为39%.     

The effect of heavy metals on the activated sludge process and its microbial community analysis using 16S ribosomal DNA

The effect of heavy metal shock loading on biological treatment systems was studied by traditional methods and molecular biological techniques. Two kinds of SBR (sequence batch reactor) operation units, unacclimated and acclimated activated sludge systems, were studied. The addition of special nutrients and powdered activated carbon (PAC) to stimulate heavy metal uptake and recovery were studied. The kinetic constants could be used to describe the effect of the inhibition of substance utilisation. The results showed that heavy metal shock loading had a greater effect on the unacclimated activated sludge system than on the acclimated one. The special nutrients greatly enhanced the uptake of copper, and the PAC improved sludge settling and decreased the turbidity of the effluent. The variation of dominant species and the diversity of the bacterial community were analysed using 16S ribosomal DNA. Compared with the slight change of dominant species during acclimation by copper, there was a great change in the acclimated system shocked by a high concentration of copper. The results confirmed that the acclimation could improve the resistance of microorganisms to heavy metal toxicity.     

Alternative solid carbon source from dried attached-growth biomass for nitrogen removal enhancement in intermittently aerated moving bed sequencing batch reactor

The feasibility of using dried attached-growth biomass from the polyurethane (PU) foam cubes as a solid carbon source to enhance the denitrification process in the intermittently aerated moving bed sequencing batch reactor (IA-MBSBR) during the treatment of low COD/N containing wastewater was investigated. By packing the IA-MBSBR with 8 % (v/v) of 8-mL PU foam cubes saturated with dried attached-growth biomass, total nitrogen removal efficiency of 80 % could be achieved for 10 consecutive cycles of operation when the intermittent aeration strategy of consecutive 1 h of aeration followed by 2 h of non-aeration period during the REACT period of the IA-MBSBR was adopted. Negligible release of ammonium nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺–N) and slow-release of COD from the dried biomass would ensure that the use of this solid carbon source would not further burden the treatment system. The slow-releasing COD was found to have no effect in promoting the assimilation process and would also allow the carbon source to be used for many cycles of operation. The ‘carbon-spent’ PU foam cubes could be reused by merely drying at 60 °C at the end of the operational mode. Thus, the dried attached-growth biomass formed on the PU foam cubes could be exploited as an alternative solid carbon source for the enhancement of denitrification process in the IA-MBSBR.     

优化控制SBR工艺处理养猪废水中试研究

采用优化控制SBR工艺对北京某种猪场的养殖粪尿污水进行了中试处理研究。所建立的自控系统通过ORP实时曲线上的“硝酸盐膝点”和pH实时曲线上的“氨谷点”分别对碳源投加和曝气时间进行优化控制,实现根据水质变化适当补充所需碳源,并有效节省曝气能耗。中试反应器10个月的连续运行结果表明,系统对于氨氮和COD的去除率分别达到97%和95%。     

活性炭和沸石对氨氮的吸附特性及生物再生

采用活性炭和沸石作为吸附材料,分别考察了这两种吸附材料对水体中氨氮的吸附特性及其生物再生性能。实验结果表明,活性炭和沸石对水体中氨氮的等温吸附符合Freundlich等温式,其拟合度分别为0.9783和0.9303;静态吸附结果表明活性炭和沸石均具有较好的氨氮吸附性能,24 h内沸石对氨氮的吸附能力为1.27 mg/g,高于活性炭的0.53 mg/g;动态吸附中沸石达到吸附饱和的时间为96 h,较活性炭达到吸附饱和的时间长,沸石显示出作为氨氮吸附剂的优越性;活性炭和沸石经过96 h的生物再生后吸附性能获得一定程度的再生,出水中氨氮浓度比未进行生物再生前分别降低17.31 mg/L和8.32 mg/L,且都在表面形成了稳定的生物膜。     

连续式生物吸收工艺脱除二氧化硫

运用连续式生物吸收处理工艺,以废糖蜜发酵液作为碳源进行了微生物法去除SO2气体的研究,在简单粗放的实验条件下,研究了脱硫脱硫弧菌对较大气量SO2气体的去除效果,并对产物H2S在第二级生物反应器中的去除率进行了测定。实验结果表明,随着进气量由0.18 m3/h增大至5 m3/h,脱硫率会降低,但是随之提高搅拌速度和补料速度后,脱硫率又恢复到较高水平,当搅拌速度为590 r/min时,5 L生物反应液可以处理5 m3/h的SO2气体,1#反应器SO2去除率和2#反应器H2S去除率分别达到92%和98%以上。在气量增至5 m3/h时,1#和2#反应器补料流速分别为175 mL/h和200 mL/h时,没有亚硫酸盐和硫化物的积累,pH值和菌体浓度稳定,系统运行良好。     

NaCl盐度对耐盐脱氮污泥硝化功能的影响

利用序批式活性污泥反应器(SBR)研究NaCl盐度对耐盐脱氮污泥硝化功能的影响,在此基础上考察瞬时盐度冲击对氨氧化细菌(AOB)、亚硝酸氮氧化细菌(NOB)的抑制及恢复情况。实验结果表明,当废水中NaCl浓度为0~50g/L时,AOB几乎没有影响,NOB影响较小。当NaCl浓度为60 g/L时,AOB影响较小,NOB受到一定程度的抑制。当NaCl浓度为70 g/L时,AOB、NOB均受到严重的抑制;耐盐脱氮污泥能够适应NaCl浓度50 g/L的瞬时冲击,盐度降低有利于AOB、NOB的恢复。当耐盐脱氮污泥受到NaCl浓度60 g/L的瞬时冲击时,系统发生"中毒"现象,盐度降低至0 g/L时,AOB、NOB均有不同程度恢复。     

Integrated Bacillus sp. immobilized cell reactor and Synechocystis sp. algal reactor for the treatment of tannery wastewater

The wastewater discharged from leather industries lack biodegradability due to the presence of xenobiotic compounds. The primary clarification and aerobic treatment in Bacillus sp. immobilized Chemo Autotrophic Activated Carbon Oxidation (CAACO) reactor removed considerable amount of pollution parameters. The residual untreated organics in the wastewater was further treated in algal batch reactor inoculated with Synechocystis sp. Sodium nitrate, K₂HPO₄, MgSO₄.7H₂O, NH₄Cl, CaCl₂·2H₂O, FeCl₃ (anhydrous), and thiamine hydrochloride, rice husk based activated carbon (RHAC), immobilization of Bacillus sp. in mesoporous activated carbon, sand filter of dimensions diameter, 6 cm and height, 30 cm; and the CAACO reactor of dimensions diameter, 5.5 cm and height, 30 cm with total volume 720 ml, and working volume of 356 ml. In the present investigation, the CAACO treated tannery wastewater was applied to Synechocystis sp. inoculated algal batch reactor of hydraulic residence time 24 h. The BOD₅, COD, and TOC of treated wastewater from algal batch reactor were 20?±?7, 167?±?29, and 78?±?16 mg/l respectively. The integrated CAACO system and Algal batch reactor was operated for 30 days and they accomplished a cumulative removal of BOD₅,COD, TOC, VFA and sulphide as 98 %, 95 %, 93 %, 86 %, and 100 %, respectively. The biokinetic constants for the growth of algae in the batch reactor were specific growth rate, 0.095(day^?1) and yield coefficient, 3.15 mg of algal biomass/mg of COD destructed. The degradation of xenobiotic compounds in the algal batch reactor was confirmed through HPLC and FT-IR techniques. The integrated CAACO–Algal reactor system established a credible reduction in pollution parameters in the tannery wastewater. The removal mechanism is mainly due to co-metabolism between algae and bacterial species and the organics were completely metabolized rather than by adsorption.     

好氧颗粒污泥的培养及处理味精废水

以厌氧颗粒污泥为接种污泥,在模拟废水条件下利用SBR 35 d成功培养出了具有同步硝化反硝化作用的好氧颗粒污泥,反应器对COD和NH4+-N去除率分别高于95%和99%。将该反应器用于处理味精废水,当COD、NH4+-N的容积负荷分别为2.4 kg/(m3.d)、0.24 kg/(m3.d)时,COD、NH4+-N和TN去除率分别高于90%、99%和85%。处理味精废水后的颗粒污泥粒径由之前的0.8～2.5 mm减小至0.6～1.8 mm,颗粒结构较之前更加密实。     

Recovery potential of aerobic sludge biomass from Co (II) stress in sequencing batch reactors

Heavy metals in higher concentrations are often encountered in domestic sewage of developing and under-developed countries. High metallic concentrations can stress reactor sludge biomass morphology impeding its performance in organics reduction. However, the extent of damage and ability of sludge biomass to recover from the metallic stress is not fully understood. Also, there is no protocol to identify and prevent the sludge biomass from metallic stress in fully functional sewage treatment plants (STPs). This study investigates performance, metabolic activity, morphology, and settling characteristics of the sludge biomass under different Co(II) stress conditions. The extent of recovery in biomass, when the supply of Co(II) metal ion was discontinued in the inlet stream, was explored. The study also proposed a protocol based on simple settling characteristics of sludge biomass to get an early indication of metal infiltration to prevent potential damage to the biomass morphology. Four sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with Co(II) ion concentrations of 0 (designated as RCo0), 5 (RCo5), 25 (RCo25), and 75 mg/L (RCo75) in the feed were operated with a cycle time of 12 h. Reactors were operated for 35 days with Co(II) in the feed (termed as stressed phase operation) followed by 24 days of operation without Co(II) in the feed (termed as recovery phase operation). Results show that COD removal in reactor RCo75 reduced to 48% on the 10th day of stressed phase operation, showing a lag in COD removal due to metallic stress. The activity of biomass in reactors RCo5, RCo25, and RCo75 was reduced by 39%, 45%, and 49%, respectively, in the stressed phase compared to the biomass in control reactor. Recovery in COD removal efficiency and specific biomass activity were observed in all the reactors after the removal of metallic stress. The settleability of sludge biomass in reactors RCo25 and RCo75 was significantly affected. Transformation in the shape of flocs in reactor RCo25 and RCo75 biomasses revealed the prolonged effect of metallic stress, which was observed to be irreversible even during the recovery phase operation.

     

The future for electrocoagulation as a localised water treatment technology

Electrocoagulation is an electrochemical method of treating polluted water whereby sacrificial anodes corrode to release active coagulant precursors (usually aluminium or iron cations) into solution. Accompanying electrolytic reactions evolve gas (usually as hydrogen bubbles) at the cathode. Electrocoagulation has a long history as a water treatment technology having been employed to remove a wide range of pollutants. However electrocoagulation has never become accepted as a 'mainstream' water treatment technology. The lack of a systematic approach to electrocoagulation reactor design/operation and the issue of electrode reliability (particularly passivation of the electrodes over time) have limited its implementation. However recent technical improvements combined with a growing need for small-scale decentralised water treatment facilities have led to a re-evaluation of electrocoagulation. Starting with a review of electrocoagulation reactor design/operation, this article examines and identifies a conceptual framework for electrocoagulation that focuses on the interactions between electrochemistry, coagulation and flotation. In addition detailed experimental data are provided from a batch reactor system removing suspended solids together with a mathematical analysis based on the 'white water' model for the dissolved air flotation process. Current density is identified as the key operational parameter influencing which pollutant removal mechanism dominates. The conclusion is drawn that electrocoagulation has a future as a decentralised water treatment technology. A conceptual framework is presented for future research directed towards a more mechanistic understanding of the process.     

Development of a packed-bed reactor for the recovery of metals from industrial wastewaters

Affinity separation is becoming well established for the purification and recovery of metals from industrial wastewaters. Although the method has been successfully applied on a bench-scale, there is a need for reaction engineering studies to scale-up the process for use in large-scale wastewater purification and recovery of valuable metals. In this study, a pilot-scale packed-bed reactor has been developed in order to investigate influences of process parameters and their interactions on the recovery of metals from process wastewaters using diatomaceous material. The material was formed into a packed configuration to provide a high adsorbent area-to-aqueous solution volume ratio. Activated carbon and ion-exchange resin were tested for comparison. The results obtained show that the flow-rate, residence time, metal concentration loading and packed-bed geometry significantly influenced the efficiency of the reactor system metal recovery and have to be considered in the design of large-scale system. An optimum residence time of 2 h was found to give metal recovery capacities of 60%, 76% and 80% for the ion-exchange resin, diatomaceous material and activated carbon, respectively, which confirmed the bench-scale studies. The sequestered metals were efficiently eluted from the diatomaceous material using different elution solutions for different metals. The selectivity of the adsorbent for specific metals can be manipulated on the uptake and elution sides of the process. The study also revealed that diatomaceous material can be regenerated and used many times over, just like conventional adsorbents or ion-exchange resins in process wastewater purification as well as in metal recovery processes. The application of the packed-bed reactor using the locally available diatomaceous material is therefore recommended for economical and cost-effective small-scale purification and recovery of metals from industrial wastewaters loaded with metals in Nigeria.