On-line optical determination of floc size of Fe(Ⅲ) coagulants

This study investigated the floc aggregation, average floc size, floc size variance and floc growth velocity when ferric chloride （FeCl3） and polyferric chloride （PFC） were used to treat the simulated water samples. The factors including coagulant dose, ionic strength and solution pH, which affect the floc aggregation, were studied. Experiments were carried out in a bench-scale reactor using photometric dispersion analyzer （ PDA）. Results showed that there were great differences between the floc aggregation of PFC and FeCl3. The average floc size and fioc growth velocity of PFC were much larger than those of FeCl3. Compared with FeCl3, PFC gave a better coagulation performance in wider range of pH, dosage and ionic strength. It was also found that the coagulation efficiency of PFC did not depend on average floc size but on floc growth velocity.     

The study for polyaromatic hydrocarbons decay on Chinese coal soot particles in atmosphere

A study for the photochemical behavior of some polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), for example B(a )P, B( k )F and fluoranthene in coal smoke particles was performed by using indoor Teflon smog chamber.Experiments suggest that the photochemical reaction of PAH is first order reaction and kinetic rates of some PAH were obtained. It was shown that the reaction rate constant is proportional to light intensity and water vapor concentration. Temperature and PAH loading also have influence on PAH decay rate. A model for PAH loss has been set up on the basis of the results of our experiments and the simulating results of this model suggest that coal particle PAH half lives are of the order of a period of days in winter and a few hours in summer. Other factors which may have effect on the photochemical reaction of PAH have also been discussed.     

Debromination of decabromodiphenyl ether by organo-montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron：Preparation, characterization and influence factors

An organo-montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material(M-NZVI) was synthesized to degrade decabromodiphenyl ether(BDE-209). The results showed that nanoscale zero-valent iron had good dispersion on organo-montmorillonite and was present as a core-shell structure with a particle size range of nanoscale iron between 30–90 nm, characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XRF, ICP-AES, and XPS. The results of the degradation of BDE-209 by M-NZVI showed that the efficiency of M-NZVI in removing BDE-209 was much higher than that of NZVI. The efficiency of M-NZVI in removing BDE-209 decreased as the pH and the initial dissolved oxygen content of the reaction solution increased, but increased as the proportion of water in the reaction solution increased.     

Preparation and coagulation efficiency of polyaluminium ferric silicate chloride composite coagulant from wastewater of high-purity graphite production

The aim of the present work was to produce a polyaluminium ferric silicate chloride (PAFSiC) coagulant from acidic and alkaline wastewater of purifying graphite by roasting, and subsequently to evaluate coagulation efficiency of the reagent by treating surface water from the Yellow River as well as municipal wastewater in comparison with the conventional coagulant polyaluminium chloride (PAC). The PAFSiC coagulant was prepared by co-polymerization. The effects of (Al+Fe)/Si molar ratio, OH/(Al+Fe) molar ratio (i.e., value), coagulant dosage and pH value of test suspension on the coagulation behavior of FAFSiC and the stability of the PAFSiC were also examined. Results showed that PAFSiC performed more efficiently than PAC in removing turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total phosphate (TP). The PAFSiC with a value of 2.0 and (Al+Fe)/Si ratio of 5 (PAFSiC 2.0/5) showed excellent coagulation effect for both turbidity and COD, while PAFSiC 1.0/5 was the best for TP. The optimum coagulation pH range of PAFSiC 2.0/5 was 5.0–9.0, slightly wider than that of PAC (6.0–8.0). The process can be easily incorporated into high-purity graphite production plants, thereby reducing wastewater pollution and producing a valuable coagulant.     

Influential factors of formation kinetics of flocs produced by water treatment coagulants

The growth rate and size of floc formation is of great importance in water treatment especially in coagulation process.The floc formation kinetics and the coagulation efficiency of synthetic water were investigated by using an on-line continuous optical photometric dispersion analyze and the analysis of water quality.Experimental conditions such as alum dosage,pH value for coagulation,stirring intensity and initial turbidity were extensively examined.The photometric dispersion analyze results showed that coagulation of kaolin suspensions with two coagulants(alum and polyaluminium chloride) could be taken as a two-phase process:slow and rapid growth periods.Operating conditions with higher coagulant doses,appropriate pH and average shear rate might be particularly advantageous.The rate of overall floc growth was mainly determined by a combination of hydraulic and water quality conditions such as pH and turbidity.The measurement of zeta potential indicates that polyaluminium chloride exhibited higher charge-neutralizing ability than alum and achieved lower turbidities than alum for equivalent Al dosages.Under the same operating conditions,the alum showed a higher grow rate,but with smaller floc size.     

Kinetics of hydrogen peroxide-sulfur (IV) reaction in atmospheric precipitation

The kinetics of the reaction of dissolved S(IV) with H2O2 was studied on 59 precipitation samples collected in Southwestern China, during the period of June 1988 to October 1989, from which the oxidation rates of the reaction were measured. The extent of reaction was followed by continuous amperometric measurement of the concentrations of the reagents. The two systems (i. e. rainwater and purified water) have been studied with the same methodology under identical reaction conditions (e. g. reagent concentrations, ionic strength and temperature). The kinetics was studied in no buffer solutions. The effect of formaldehyde on the reaction has also been studied, including kinetic studies in laboratory and model calculations, and it is indicated that formaldehyde with typical atmospheric concentration exerts no influence on the reaction of dissolved S(IV) with H2O2. In addition, the activation energy of the reaction was also measured in purified water as reaction medium for temperature range 0-50℃ at pH 4.0     

The influence of aggregation of latex particles on membrane fouling attachments & ultrafiltration performance in ultrafiltration of latex contaminated water and wastewater

The goal of the present study was to investigate the influence of latex particle aggregation on membrane fouling attachments and the ultrafiltration performance of simulated latex effluent using Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide(CTAB) as a cationic surfactant. Hydrophilic polysulfone and ultrafilic flat heterogeneous membranes, with molecular weight cut off(MWCO) of 60,000 and 100,000, respectively, as well as hydrophobic polyvinylidene difluoride with MWCO of 100,000, were used under a constant flow rate and cross-flow mode in ultrafiltration of latex solution. In addition, a polycarbonate flat membrane with uniform pore size of 0.05 μm was likewise used during the experiment. The effects of CTAB on the latex particle size distribution were investigated at various concentrations, different treatment times, and diverse agitation duration times. The effects of CTAB on the zeta potential of membrane surfaces and latex particles were also investigated. The data obtained indicate that the particle size distribution of treated latex effluent experienced significant shifts in the peaks toward a larger size range caused by the aggregation of particles. As a result, the mass of fouling contributing to pore blocking and the irreversible fouling were noticeably reduced. The optimum results occurred in the instance when CTAB was added at the critical micelle concentration of 0.36 g/L, for the duration of 10 min and with minimal agitation. Notably, a higher stirring rate had an overall negative effect on the membrane fouling minimization.     

Interference of iron as a coagulant on MIB removal by powdered activated carbon adsorption for low turbidity waters

Powered activated carbon (PAC) is widely used in water treatment plants to minimize odors in drinking water. This study investigated the removal of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) by PAC adsorption, combined with coagulation using iron as a coagulant. The adsorption and coagulation process were studied through different case scenarios of jar tests. The analysis evaluated the effect of PAC dosing in the liquid phase immediately before or after the coagulant addition. Ferric sulphate was used as the coagulant with dosages from 10 to 30 mg/L, and PAC dosages varied from 10 to 40 mg/L. The highest MIB removal efficiency (about 70%) was achieved without the coagulant addition and with the highest PAC dosage (40 mg/L). Lower MIB removal efficiencies were observed in the presence of coagulant, showing a clear interference of the iron precipitate or coagulant in the adsorption process. The degree of interference of the coagulation process in the MIB removal was proportional to the ratio of ferric hydroxide mass to the PAC mass. For both cases of PAC dosing, upstream and downstream of the coagulant injection point, the MIB removal efficiency was similar. However, MIB removal efficiency was 15% lower when compared with experiments without the coagulant application. This interference in the MIB adsorption occurs potentially because the coagulant coats the surface of the carbon and interferes with the MIB coming in contact with the carbon’s surface and pores. This constraint requires an increase of the PAC dosage to provide the same efficiency observed without coagulation.     

Effects of Ca(OH)2 assisted aluminum sulfate coagulation on the removal of humic acid and the formation potentials of tri-halomethanes and haloacetic acids in chlorination

The effects of addition of calcium hydroxide on aluminum sulphate(or alum) coagulation for removal of natural organic matter(NOM) and its subsequent effect on the formation potentials of two major types of regulated disinfection byproducts(DBPs),haloacetic acids(HAAs) and trihalomethanes(THMs),have been examined.The results revealed several noteworthy phenomena.At the optimal coagulation pH(i.e.6),the coagulation behavior of NOM water solutions versus alum dose,showed large variation and a consequent great change in the formation potentials of the DBPs at certain coagulant doses.However,with addition of a relatively small amount of Ca(OH) 2,although the zeta potential of coagulated flocs remained almost the same,NOM removal became more consistent with alum dose.Importantly,also the detrimental effect of charge reversal on NOM removal at the low coagulant dose disappeared.This resulted in a steady decrease in the formation potentials of DBPs as a function of the coagulant dose.Moreover,the addition of Ca(OH) 2 broadened the pH range of alum coagulation and promoted further reduction of the formation potentials of the DBPs.The enhancement effects of Ca(OH) 2 assisted alum coagulation are especially pronounced at pH 7 and 8.Finally,synchronous fluorescence spectra showed that the reduction in DBPs formation potential by Ca(OH) 2-assisted alum coagulation was connected to an enhanced removal of small hydrophobic and hydrophilic HA molecules.Ca(OH) 2-assistance of alum coagulation appeared to increase substantially the removal of the hydrophilic HA fraction responsible for HAAs formation,prompting further reduction of HAA formation potentials.     

Characteristics of nanoparticles emitted from burning of biomass fuels

The characteristics of the particles of the smoke that is emitted from the burning ofbiomass fuels were experimentally investigated using a laboratory-scale tube furnace and different types of biomass fuels： rubber wood, whole wood pellets and rice husks. Emitted amounts of particles, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） and water-soluble organic carbon （WSOC） are discussed relative to the size of the emitted particles, ranging to as small as nano-size （〈70 nm）, and to the rate of heating rate during combustion, differential thermal analysis （DTA） and thermogravimetric analysis （TG） techniques were used to examine the effect of heating rate and biomass type on combustion behaviors relative to the characteristics of particle emissions. In the present study, more than 30% of the smoke particles from the burning ofbiomass fuel had a mass that fell within a range of 〈 100 nm. Particles smaller than 0.43 μm contributed greatly to the total levels of toxic PAHs and WSOC. The properties of these particles were influenced by the fuel component, the combustion conditions, and the particle size. Although TC--DTA results indicated that the heating rate in a range of 10-20℃did not show a significant effect on the combustion properties, there was a slight increase in the decomposition temperature as heating rate was increased. The nano-size particles had the smallest fraction of particle mass and particle-bound PAHs, but nonetheless these particles registered the largest fraction of particle-bound WSOC.     

Influence of COM-peptides/proteins on the properties of flocs formed at different shear rates

Coagulation followed by floc separation is a key process for the removal of algal organic matter(AOM) in water treatment. Besides optimizing coagulation parameters,knowledge of the properties of AOM-flocs is essential to maximizing AOM removal.However, the impact of AOM on the floc properties remains unclear. This study investigated how peptides/proteins derived from the cellular organic matter(COM) of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa influenced the size, structure, and shape of flocs formed at different shear rates(G). Flocs formed by kaolinite, COM-peptides/proteins and a mixture of the same were studied, and the effect of intermolecular interactions between floc components on floc properties was assessed. The coagulation experiments were performed in a Taylor–Couette reactor, with aluminum(Al) or ferric sulphate(Fe) utilized as coagulants. Image analysis was performed to gauge floc size and obtain data on fractal dimension. It was found that floc properties were affected by the presence of the COM-peptides/proteins and the coagulant used. COM-peptides/proteins increased floc size and porosity and widened floc size distributions. The Fe coagulant produced larger and less compact flocs than Al coagulant. Moreover, the decrease in floc size that occurred in parallel with increase in shear rate was not smooth in progress. A rapid change for the kaolinite-coagulant suspension and two rapid changes for the suspensions containing COM were observed. These were attributed to various intermolecular interactions between floc components participating in coagulation at different G. Based on the results obtained, shear rates suitable for efficient separation of flocs containing COM were suggested.     

Electrokinetic chemical characteristics of humic and dannic acids effecting on the natural water and its coagulation

Taking streaming current(SC)as the electrokinetic parameter,this paper demonstrated the electrokinetic chemical characteristics of humic and dannic acids(HA and DA)in suspensions including turbid water,coagulated water and HA or DA contained water.Accordingly, the studies were carried out for determining the relationship between streaming current and zeta potential ζ(expressed by eleetrophoretie mobility EM)in above water conditions.In addition,the mechanisms of HA effecting on streaming current within or after coagulant addition and the electrokinetic detection principles for HA or DA were also investigated on experiments and theoretical analysis.The results indicated that the change of SC like ζ presented meaningful information concerning the degree for destabilization of a particulate suspension,and HA or DA in water could remarkably decrease the effect of inorganic coagulant upon streaming current,which is in accordance with their influence on coagulation.     

Fractionation of residual Al in natural water treatment from reservoir with poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC): Effect of OH/Al, Si/Al molar ratios and initial pH

An aluminum fractionation study was conducted for a surface reservoir water treatment to understand the performance of poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC) in terms of the residual Al fractions as a function of initial pH. The coagulation performance expressed as turbidity and organic matter removal was established as supporting data. Some extra data were evaluated in terms of the residual Al ratio of the composite PASiC coagulant. The main residual Al sources were the Al fractions derived from the use of PASiC. The turbidity and organic matter removal ability was optimal at initial pH 6.00-7.00, while the concentrations of various residual Al species and the residual Al ratio of PASiC were minimal at an initial pH range of 7.00-8.00. Under the conditions of OH/Al molar ratio = 2.00 and Si/Al molar ratio = 0.05, PASiC had superior coagulation performance and comparatively low residual Al concentrations. The Al fraction in the composite PASiC coagulant seldom remained under such conditions. Experimental data also indicated that the suspended (filterable) Al fraction was the dominant species, and organic-bound or organo-Al complex Al was considered to be the major species of dissolved Al in water treated by PASiC coagulation. Additionally, the dissolved inorganic monomeric Al species dominated the dissolved monomeric Al fraction.     

Optimisation of chemical purification conditions for direct application of solid metal salt coagulants: Treatment of peatland-derived diffuse runoff

The drainage of peatland areas for peat extraction,agriculture or bioenergy requires affordable,simple and reliable treatment methods that can purify waters rich in particulates and dissolved organic carbon.This work focused on the optimisation of chemical purification process for the direct dosage of solid metal salt coagulants.It investigated process requirements of solid coagulants and the influence of water quality,temperature and process parameters on their performance.This is the first attempt to provide information on specific process requirements of solid coagulants.Three solid inorganic coagulants were evaluated:aluminium sulphate,ferric sulphate and ferric aluminium sulphate.Pre-dissolved aluminium and ferric sulphate were also tested with the objective of identifying the effects of in-line coagulant dissolution on purification performance.It was determined that the pre-dissolution of the coagulants had a significant effect on coagulant performance and process requirements.Highest purification levels achieved by solid coagulants,even at 30% higher dosages,were generally lower(5%-30%) than those achieved by pre-dissolved coagulants.Furthermore,the mixing requirements of coagulants pre-dissolved prior to addition differed substantially from those of solid coagulants.The pH of the water samples being purified had a major influence on coagulant dosage and purification efficiency.Ferric sulphate(70 mg/L) was found to be the best performing solid coagulant achieving the following load removals:suspended solids(59%-88%),total organic carbon(56%-62%),total phosphorus(87%-90%),phosphate phosphorus(85%-92%) and total nitrogen(33%-44%).The results show that the use of solid coagulants is a viable option for the treatment of peatland-derived runoff water if solid coagulant-specific process requirements,such as mixing and settling time,are considered.     

Dynamic pursuing ecological model concerning the nitrogen cycle in the environment of Chinese mainland

The paper gives a special dynamic pursuing ecological model on the bio-geochemical cycle of nitrogen in the whole range 9.6 million square kilometers of Chinese mainland, basing on the reservoir-content and flux-rate of nitrogen and among the four spheres: atmosphere, pedosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, and the law of bio-geochemical cycle of nitrogen, the model predicted the size of reservoir capacities and fluxes of nitrogen in each sphere. Through tested and verified, the model was proven reasonable and reliable.     

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of Rose Bengal

An innovative photoelectrode, TiO2/T1 mesh electrode, was prepared by galvanostaticanodisation. The morphology and the crystalline texture of the TiO2 film on mesh electrode were examined by scanning electronic microscopy and Raman spectroscopy respectively. The examination results indicated that the structure and properties of the film depended on anodisation rate, and the anatase was the dominant component under the controlled experimental conditions. Degradation of Rose Bengal (RB) in photocatalytic (PC) and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) reaction was investigated, the results demonstrated that electric biasing could improve the efficiency of photecatalytic reaction. The measurement results of TOC in photoelectrocatalytic degradation showed that the mineralisation of RB was complete relatively. The comparison between the degradation efficiency of RB in PEC process and that in aqueous TiO2 dispersion was conducted. The results showed that the apparent first-order rate constant of RB degradation in PEC process was larger than that in aqueous dispersion with 0.1%--0.3% TiO2 powder, but was smaller than that in aaueaus disverslon with 1.0% TiO2.     

Glass fiber supported BiOI thin-film fixed-bed photocatalytic reactor for water decontamination under solar light irradiation

BiOI powder has been proved to be an efficient photocatalyst, but the difficulty in removing it from water after reaction limits its application in real water treatment. To solve this problem,a thin-film fixed-bed reactor(TFFBR) was set-up by developing a BiOI thin film on glass fiber cloth(GFC). The composition and structure of the as-prepared films were characterized with X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The BiOI thin film was made by painting a silica sol containing BiOI on GFC, which could be tailored to desired sizes to accommodate the TFFBR. The mass of BiOI on the GFC increased with the number of iterations of the painting process. SiO2 sol glued the BiOI particles tightly onto the GFC,making the thin film strong enough to resist fluid flushing in the TFFBR. The photocatalytic activity of the BiOI thin film was investigated by degrading bisphenol A(BPA) under simulated sunlight. Ninety eight percent of BPA(20 mg/L in 2 L) was degraded by the BiOI thin film sample of seven layers(GFC-7) on the TFFBR within 8 hr irradiation. The GFC-7 displayed good photocatalytic ability toward artificial sewage containing BPA in a wide pH range(5–9),and also demonstrated excellent durability and reusability. The working conditions were optimized and it was found that the thickness of the fluid film and residence time over the thin film were key factors affecting the photocatalytic efficiency.     

Effect of wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) on fine particle (PM2.5) emission from coal-fired boilers

In this study, the characteristics of fine particles before and after wet flue gas desulfurization(WFGD) in three coal-fired heating boilers in northern China were investigated by using a dilution-based emission sampling experimental system. The influences of the WFGD process on the mass and number concentrations as well as the chemical composition of fine particles were analyzed. The removal efficiency of desulfurization processes on particulate matter mass was 30.06%–56.25% for the three study units. The WFGD had a great influence on the size distributions of particle mass concentration and number concentration. A significant increase in the number and mass concentration of particles in the size range of 0.094–0.946 μm was observed. The watersoluble ion content accounted for a very large proportion of PM_(2.5) mass, and its proportion in PM_(2.5) increased from 28.39%–41.08% to 48.96%–61.21% after the WFGD process for the three units. The desulfurizing process also drastically increased the proportion of cation component(Ca~(2+) for unit A, Mg~(2+) for unit B, and Na+for unit C) and the proportion of SO_4~(2-) in PM_(2.5), and it increased the CE/AE values of PM_(2.5) from 0.82–0.98 to 0.93–1.27 for the three study units.     

Effect of short-term regional traffic restriction on urban submicron particulate pollution

During the 2013 and 2015 Lanzhou International Marathon Events(LIME1 and LIME2),the local government made a significant effort to improve traffic conditions and air quality by implementing traffic restriction measures. To fill the gap in information on the effect of short-period(several hours)traffic control on urban air quality,submicron particle size distributions and meteorological data were measured simultaneously during June 2013 and June 2015 in urban Lanzhou. The number and surface area concentrations of particles in the100–200 nm range declined by 67.2% and 65.0% for LIME1 due to traffic control,while they decreased by 39.2% and 37.1% for LIME2. The impact of traffic restriction on air pollution near the sampling site lagged behind the traffic control period for LIME2. In addition,the effect of traffic restriction on air pollution near the sampling site was dependent on the distance between the relative orientation of the sampling site and traffic-restricted zones,as well as meteorological conditions such as wind direction. The influence of traffic restrictions on the particle concentrations differed for different particle sizes. The size range most affected by traffic restriction was 60–200 and 60–300 nm for number and surface area concentrations in the urban environment,respectively,while for the particle volume concentration it was the 100–600 nm range. This study will provide a basis for implementation of future urban traffic-induced particulate pollution control measures.     

Sonochemical degradation of organophosphorus pesticide in dilute aqueous solutions

Ultrasonic irradiation was found to accelerate the rate of hydrolysis of omethoate in aqueous solution over the pH range of 2—12. Process parameters studied include pH, steady-state temperature, concentration, and the type of gases, Greater than 96% hydrolysis was observed in 30 minutes through this process and the rate of destruction increased with the help of more soluble and low thermal inert gas. So with Krypton, omethoate was found to undergo rapid destruction as compared with Argon. In the presence of ultrasound, the observed first-order rate of hydrolysis of omethoate is found to be independent of pH. The formation of transient supercritical water(SCW) appears to be an important factor in the acceleration of chemical reactions in the presence of ultrasound. A detaiied chemical reaction mechanism for omethoatedestruction in water was formulated. Experimental results and theoretical kinetic mechanism demonstrated that the most of the omethoate undergo destruction inside the cavitating holes. A very less effect of temperature on the degradation of omethoate within a temperature range of 20——70℃ proves that a small quantity of omethoate undergoes secondary destruction in the bulk liquid.