Amelioration of alkali soil using flue gas desulfurization byproducts: productivity and environmental quality

In this study, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) byproducts are used to ameliorate alkali soil. The average application rates for soils with low exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), mid ESP, and high ESP are 20.9, 30.6, and 59.3 Mg ha(-1), respectively. The experimental results obtained for 3 consecutive years reveal that the emergence ratios and yields of the crops were 1.1-7.6 times and 1.1-13.9 times those of the untreated control, respectively. The concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cd, As, and Hg in the treated soils are far below the background values stipulated by the Environmental Quality Standard for Soils (GB15618-1995). Their concentrations in the seeds of corn and alfalfa grown in the treated soils are far below the tolerance limits regulated by National Food Standards of China. The results of this research demonstrate that the amelioration of alkali soils using FGD byproducts is promising.     

Flue gas desulfurization: the state of the art

Coal-fired electricity-generating plants may use SO2 scrubbers to meet the requirements of Phase II of the Acid Rain SO2 Reduction Program. Additionally, the use of scrubbers can result in reduction of Hg and other emissions from combustion sources. It is timely, therefore, to examine the current status of SO2 scrubbing technologies. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state of the art in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technologies for coal-fired boilers. Data on worldwide FGD applications reveal that wet FGD technologies, and specifically wet limestone FGD, have been predominantly selected over other FGD technologies. However, lime spray drying (LSD) is being used at the majority of the plants employing dry FGD technologies. Additional review of the U.S. FGD technology applications that began operation in 1991 through 1995 reveals that FGD processes of choice recently in the United States have been wet limestone FGD, magnesium-enhanced lime (MEL), and LSD. Further, of the wet limestone processes, limestone forced oxidation (LSFO) has been used most often in recent applications. The SO2 removal performance of scrubbers has been reviewed. Data reflect that most wet limestone and LSD installations appear to be capable of approximately 90% SO2 removal. Advanced, state-of-the-art wet scrubbers can provide SO2 removal in excess of 95%. Costs associated with state-of-the-art applications of LSFO, MEL, and LSD technologies have been analyzed with appropriate cost models. Analyses indicate that the capital cost of an LSD system is lower than those of same capacity LSFO and MEL systems, reflective of the relatively less complex hardware used in LSD. Analyses also reflect that, based on total annualized cost and SO2 removal requirements: (1) plants up to approximately 250 MWe in size and firing low- to medium-sulfur coals (i.e., coals with a sulfur content of 2% or lower) may use LSD; and (2) plants larger than 250 MWe and firing medium- to high-sulfur coals (i.e., coals with a sulfur content of 2% or higher) may use either LSFO or MEL.     

Sodic soils reclaimed with by-product from flue gas desulfurization: corn production and soil quality

Interest is growing in the use of by-product from flue gas desulfurization (FGD) to reclaim sodic soils by controlling the pH and excessive Na+. This study evaluated the effects on corn (Zea mays) production and pH and electrical conductivity (EC) of calcareous sodic soil during four times of cultivation when the by-product was applied once at the first cultivation (Study I) and the impacts on plant and soil quality at first cultivation when the by-product was applied to the soil at 23,000 kg ha-1 (Study II). In Study I, the germination rate and corn production increased by applying the by-product (0, 5,800, 11,600, and 23,100 kg ha-1), and the greatest total amounts of corn production during the four times of cultivation was when the by-product was applied at 23,100 kg ha-1. In Study II, the pH, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), clay dispersion and soluble Na+ in the soil decreased and soluble Mg2+ and soluble K+ in the soil increased. The soil pH was reduced from 9.0 to 7.7 by applying the by-product. However, the by-product decreased the concentrations of total N and P in corn leaves in this study. No significant difference in the concentrations of Mo, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Mn, Cr, Cu, and Al in corn leaves and the soil was observed between the by-product addition and the control except for B in the soil and Fe in corn leaves. The concentration of B in the soil was reduced from 28.7 mg kg-1 to 25.4 mg kg-1 and the concentration of Fe in corn leaves increased from 17.5 mg kg-1 to 22.6 mg kg-1 by applying the by-product in our study.     

脱硫石膏对不同质地滨海盐碱土性质的改良效果

研究选取了2种不同质地的滨海盐碱土以及2种不同来源的脱硫石膏,借助土柱淋洗实验方法,分析了不同质地土壤在施加不同石膏后的土壤粒径分布、透气性、水力传导度、pH值以及钠离子累积质量的变化。结果表明：加入脱硫石膏之后,盐碱土中的粘粒比例减少,物理结构得到改善,孔隙度变大,透气性和水力传导能力增强,能够有效加快脱盐过程;比较不同质地的盐碱土改良效果表明,脱硫石膏对粘粒比例较高的土壤改良效果显著强于粘粒比例较低的土壤（p<0.01）,施加2.5%石膏,粘粒比例下降6.5%,透气性提高45%,水力传导度增加185%,pH值降低了1.1,钠离子累积质量增加78%,而粘粒比例较低的土壤改良效果要差于粘粒比例高的土壤。比较不同来源石膏对土壤改良效果表明,石膏中的静态溶出率这一性质是决定脱硫石膏对盐碱土改良效果的重要因素,静态溶出率越高,则凝聚更多的带负电荷的粘粒,实现土壤物理结构快速改善。     

柠檬酸强化钢渣湿法烧结烟气脱硫及机理

在鼓泡反应器中考察了添加柠檬酸强化钢渣湿法烧结烟气脱硫的影响因素,包括钢渣粒度,吸收浆液浓度、进口二氧化硫浓度、停留时间,pH值,柠檬酸与钢渣的浸泡时间等,结果表明,柠檬酸浓度为2.0 mmol/L、钢渣浓度为4%、二氧化硫进口浓度为1 500 mg/m3、烟气停留时间为7 s、钢渣强化时间为2 h、钢渣粒度>200目,脱硫率达到90%以上。经4 mmol/L的柠檬酸强化后的钢渣浆液脱硫率比单纯钢渣浆液提高18.41%,达到90.99%的脱硫率,且有效反应时间延长50%,达到60 min以上。柠檬酸的加入,一方面促进了钢渣碱性组分溶解,另一方面在吸收液中形成柠檬酸和柠檬酸盐缓冲体系,增加了气液界面SO2浓度,提高了SO2的气液传质速率。     

Correction to: Energy productivity and environmental degradation: the case of Greece

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

烟气脱硫石膏和园林废弃物堆肥混合施用对滨海盐渍土壤的改良

为克服烟气脱硫石膏改良盐碱地存在的土壤盐分升高、营养物质降低等不足,通过对不同重量配比的园林废弃物堆肥与适量烟气脱硫石膏混合施用,且开展了其对上海南汇滨海盐渍土的改良效应研究。结果表明：2种改良剂混合施用能显著降低滨海盐渍土pH和全盐含量,增加土壤营养物质含量和植物生物量,并提高植物对营养物质的吸收能力;与对照相比,当烟气脱硫石膏施用量为25 g·kg⁻¹时,土壤pH降低了10.9%,EC升高了8.4%,有效磷、有效氮和速效钾含量分别降低了30.1%、40.5%和36.1%,黑麦草发芽率下降了8.0%,植株内全氮、全钾含量均有所升高,但全磷含量减少了25.4%;混合施加不同重量配比的园林废弃物堆肥后,土壤pH降幅为6.8%~13.8%,EC降幅为4.2%~11.6%;土壤有效磷、有效氮和速效钾含量增幅分别为96.0%~182.7%、40.0%~186.7%和71.7%~157.5%;黑麦草发芽率和生物量逐渐增加,在园林废弃物堆肥施用量为40%时,与对照处理相比,此时植物发芽率达到90.0%,总湿重、地上干重、株高和根长等分别增加了154.1%、100.0%、89.2%和103.6%,植株体内氮和钾含量分别增加了139.9%和40.8%,磷的含量则接近对照处理。通过分析可知,烟气脱硫石膏和园林废弃物混合施用可较好地改良滨海盐渍土壤,并为城市固废的适合处置方式和综合利用途径提供了参考。     

Energy productivity and environmental deregulation: the case of Greece

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Among the EU countries, Greece relies heavily on coal the most, and it has lagged behind in cutting emissions. Further, following the oil crisis of...     

Synergetic effect of complex soil amendments to improve soil quality and alleviate toxicity of heavy metal(loid)s in contaminated arable soil: toward securing crop food safety and productivity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Globally, various types of soil amendments have been used to improve the fertility and quality of soils in agricultural lands. In heavy metal(loid)...     

Mercury emission and plant uptake of trace elements during early stage of soil amendment using flue gas desulfurization materials

A pilot-scale field study was carried out to investigate the distribution of Hg and other selected elements (i.e., As, B, and Se), i.e., emission to ambient air, uptake by surface vegetation, and/or rainfall infiltration, after flue gas desulfurization (FGD) material is applied to soil. Three FGD materials collected from two power plants were used. Our results show Hg released into the air and uptake in grass from all FGD material-treated soils were all higher (P < 0.1) than the amounts observed from untreated soil. Hg in the soil amended with the FGD material collected from a natural oxidation wet scrubber (i.e., SNO) was more readily released to air compared to the other two FGD materials collected from the synthetic gypsum dewatering vacuum belt (i.e., AFO-gypsum) and the waste water treatment plant (i.e., AFO-CPS) of a forced oxidation FGD system. No Hg was detected in the leachates collected during the only 3-hour, 1-inch rainfall event that occurred throughout the 4-week testing period. For every kilogram of FGD material applied to soil, AFO-CPS released the highest amount of Hg, B, and Se, followed by SNO, and AFO gypsum. Based on the same energy production rate, the land application of SNO FGD material from Plant S released higher amounts of Hg and B into ambient air and/or grass than the amounts released when AFO-gypsum from Plant A was used. Using FGD material with lower concentration levels of Hg and other elements of concern does not necessary post a lower environmental risk. In addition, this study demonstrates that considering only the amounts of trace elements uptake in surface vegetation may under estimate the overall release of the trace elements from FGD material-amended soils. It also shows, under the same soil amendment conditions, the mobility of trace elements varies when FGD materials produced from different processes are used.     

Decomposition of phenylarsonic acid by AOP processes: degradation rate constants and by-products

The paper presents results of the studies photodegradation, photooxidation, and oxidation of phenylarsonic acid (PAA) in aquatic solution. The water solutions, which consist of 2.7 g dm^?3 phenylarsonic acid, were subjected to advance oxidation process (AOP) in UV, UV/H₂O₂, UV/O₃, H₂O₂, and O₃ systems under two pH conditions. Kinetic rate constants and half-life of phenylarsonic acid decomposition reaction are presented. The results from the study indicate that at pH 2 and 7, PAA degradation processes takes place in accordance with the pseudo first order kinetic reaction. The highest rate constants (10.45?×?10^?3 and 20.12?×?10^?3) and degradation efficiencies at pH 2 and 7 were obtained at UV/O₃ processes. In solution, after processes, benzene, phenol, acetophenone, o-hydroxybiphenyl, p-hydroxybiphenyl, benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, and biphenyl were identified.     

双氧水法和氨法在铜冶炼制酸尾气脱硫工程应用中的比较

随着社会经济的发展和环保要求的日益严格,铜冶炼制酸尾气中二氧化硫的有效治理和资源化利用变得十分必要。某铜业公司最初使用氨法脱除铜冶炼制酸尾气中的二氧化硫,但存在脱硫不稳定、设备腐蚀、氨逃逸等问题,为更有效地治理制酸尾气中的二氧化硫,将原氨法脱硫改造为双氧水法脱硫工艺,改进后脱硫效果显著,同时结合该公司的脱硫改造工艺比较了氨法脱硫和双氧水法脱硫技术。结果表明:氨法脱硫中的氨水腐蚀性强,脱硫效率为90%～93%,改进后的双氧水法的脱硫效率可达97%～98%;相较于氨法脱硫,双氧水脱硫具有流程简易、脱硫效率高、投资小、无二次污染、不结晶堵塞等优势,是一种典型的清洁生产工艺。以上结果可为其他行业及企业尾气脱硫提供一定的技术参考。     

Chemical and biological effects of acid, aluminium and lime additions to a Welsh Hill-stream

Chemical and biological responses to simultaneous additions of acid, aluminium and lime were investigated in contiguous 250m-reaches of a chronically acidic stream in Wales. Treatments were applied for 24 h, and from the upstream end were as follows: zone A-untreated, pH 5.0, 0.37 mg litre(-1) filterable Al; zone B-acidified to pH 4.5, 0.40 mg Al litre(-1) (47% of Al attributed to release from the stream bed due to acid additions); zone C-acidified to pH 4.5 and Al dosed to 0.67 mg litre(-1); zone D-dosed with limestone slurry, resulting in pH 7.2, 0.13 mg Al litre(-1). In all reaches, the chemistry of the interstitial water at depths of 0.15 and 0.3 m never fell below pH 5.5, with corresponding decreases in Al and increases in base cation concentrations. Brown trout, Salmo trutta, and crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, held in the stream showed decreases in plasma [Na(+)] and haemolymph [Na(+)], respectively, in all acidic zones (A, B, C): these responses were mitigated by liming (zone D). Thus both chronic and simulated episodic levels of pH and dissolved Al were sub-lethally toxic to test species of aquatic fauna. This experiment also demonstrates a stream bed source/sink of Al, and the availability of a possible refuge from acidic surface waters within the substratum.     

Effects of phosphate additions to soil on lead and phosphate concentrations of Holcus lanatus grown on lead amended soil

Holcus lanatus was grown in soil artificially amended with lead and phosphate. Shoot lead concentrations in the second harvest were lower where 50 mg kg⁻¹ phosphate was added to soil compared with unfertilized soil. Greater levels of fertilization did not decrease shoot lead concentrations further. The most likely mechanism was considered to be one of growth dilution and not chemical precipitation of an insoluble lead-phosphate compound in soil, as has been speculated in the past.     

The preparation of slow-release fertilizers with biomass ash and water/waste acid solutions from desulfurization and denitrification of flue gas

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, a method of preparing fertilizers with the fly ash from biomass power plants and the waste acid solution from flue gas desulfurization...     

脱硫石膏不同施用量对新疆盐碱土壤改良效果及作物产量的影响

为了探究脱硫石膏改良盐碱土的最佳施用量,以新疆玛纳斯河流域石河子绿洲盐碱地为研究对象,研究脱硫石膏不同施用量对小麦产量以及土壤理化性质的影响,并对脱硫石膏改良盐碱土壤进行安全性评价。研究表明：脱硫石膏施用量2 t·(667 m2)-1（2 t）比施用量为1 t·(667 m2)-1（1 t）、3 t·(667?m2)-1（3 t）更有利于降低土壤容重、增加土壤孔隙度;对土壤pH和电导率降低能力表现为2 t > 3 t > 1 t;2 t处理土壤中Na+、K+、Mg2+含量均低于1 t和3 t处理;脱硫石膏量为2 t·(667 m2)-1对小麦产量增加效果最好,2 t处理较3 t和1 t处理产量分别增加9.48% 和 2.21%,综合评价脱硫石膏施用后对土壤改良效果及作物产量,以施用量2 t·(667 m2)-1作用效果显著。     

Sorption of As,Cd and Tl as influenced by industrial by-products applied to an acidic soil: Equilibrium and kinetic experiments

In situ stabilization of toxic elements in contaminated soils by the addition of amendments is being considered as an effective technique for remediation. In this paper, we performed both kinetics and equilibrium-based sorption experiments of three toxic elements (As, Cd and Tl) in soils amended with two by-products (phosphogypsum and sugar foam, rich in gypsum and calcium carbonate, respectively) to ascertain the feasibility of their application for improving the sorption capacity of As, Cd and Tl from the soil at 25, 35 and 50 °C. Kinetic studies indicated that the sorption follows a pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetics and the sorption is a two-step diffusion process where both film and intraparticle diffusion played important roles in the sorption mechanisms of the elements. The Langmuir isotherms applied for sorption studies showed that the estimated maximum sorption capacity of the elements in control and amended soils decreased in the order of Cd > As > Tl. Using the thermodynamic equilibrium parameters obtained at different temperatures, the thermodynamic constants of sorption (ΔG, ΔH and ΔS) were also evaluated, indicating spontaneous and endothermic nature of the process, except Tl which was exothermic. An optimal scaling procedure was undertaken to determine the relationships between the kinetic and equilibrium sorption parameters. By means of statistical analysis it was seen that these inter-parametric relationships are dependent on the element nature.     

Sorption of As, Cd and Tl as influenced by industrial by-products applied to an acidic soil: equilibrium and kinetic experiments

In situ stabilization of toxic elements in contaminated soils by the addition of amendments is being considered as an effective technique for remediation. In this paper, we performed both kinetics and equilibrium-based sorption experiments of three toxic elements (As, Cd and Tl) in soils amended with two by-products (phosphogypsum and sugar foam, rich in gypsum and calcium carbonate, respectively) to ascertain the feasibility of their application for improving the sorption capacity of As, Cd and Tl from the soil at 25, 35 and 50 °C. Kinetic studies indicated that the sorption follows a pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetics and the sorption is a two-step diffusion process where both film and intraparticle diffusion played important roles in the sorption mechanisms of the elements. The Langmuir isotherms applied for sorption studies showed that the estimated maximum sorption capacity of the elements in control and amended soils decreased in the order of Cd > As > Tl. Using the thermodynamic equilibrium parameters obtained at different temperatures, the thermodynamic constants of sorption (ΔG, ΔH and ΔS) were also evaluated, indicating spontaneous and endothermic nature of the process, except Tl which was exothermic. An optimal scaling procedure was undertaken to determine the relationships between the kinetic and equilibrium sorption parameters. By means of statistical analysis it was seen that these inter-parametric relationships are dependent on the element nature.     

工业企业集聚区周边土壤环境质量综合评价指标体系与分区管理对策研究

土壤环境质量综合评价指标体系是识别土壤环境污染、指导土壤环境管理及开发利用的有效工具。在土壤环境质量评价方法和国内外标准分析的基础上,提出了建立土壤环境质量综合评价指标体系的基本框架;结合"压力-状态-响应"模型(PSR模型),考虑不同工业区特征污染物,建立了包含通用指标和备选指标的土壤环境质量综合评价指标体系。以此评价指标体系为导向,为指导不同类型工业集聚区科学发展提出了工业区周边土壤环境质量分区管理的对策建议。