Dissimilatory Fe(Ⅲ) reduction characteristics of paddy soil extract cultures treated with glucose or fatty acids

Dissimilatory Fe(Ⅲ) reduction is a universal process with irreplaceable biological and environmental importance in anoxic environments. Our knowledge about Fe(Ⅲ) reduction predominantly comes from pure cultures of dissimilatory Fe(Ⅲ) reducing bacteria (DFRB). The objective of this study was to compare the effects of glucose and a selection of short organic acids (citrate, succinate, pyruvate, propionate, acetate, and formate) on Fe(Ⅲ) reduction via the anaerobic culture of three paddy soil solutions with Fe...     

Bacterial reduction and release of adsorbed arsenate on Fe(Ⅲ)-, Al- and coprecipitated Fe(Ⅲ)/Al-hydroxides

Mobilization of arsenic under anaerobic conditions is of great concern in arsenic contaminated soils and sediments. Bacterial reduction of As(V) and Fe(Ⅲ) influences the cycling and partitioning of arsenic between solid and aqueous phase. We investigated the impact of bacterially mediated reductions of Fe(Ⅲ)/Al hydroxides-bound arsenic(V) and iron(Ⅲ) oxides on arsenic release. Our results suggested that As(V) reduction occurred prior to Fe(Ⅲ) reduction, and Fe(Ⅲ) reduction did not enhance the release of arsenic. Instead, Fe(Ⅲ) hydroxides retained their dissolved concentrations during the experimental process, even though the new iron mineral-magnetite formed. In contrast, the release of reduced As(Ⅲ) was promoted greatly when aluminum hydroxides was incorporated. Thus, the substitution of aluminum hydroxides may be responsible for the release of arsenic in the contaminated soils and sediments, since aluminum substitution of Fe(Ⅲ) hydroxides universally occurs under natural conditions.     

Effect of Fe(Ⅲ) on the bromate reduction by humic substances in aqueous solution

Humic substances are ubiquitous redox-active organic compounds of environment.In this study,experiments were conducted to determine the reduction capacity of humic acid in the matrix of bromate and Fe(Ⅲ) solutions and the role of Fe(Ⅲ) in this redox process.The results showed that the humic acid regenerated Fe(Ⅱ) and reduced bromate abiotically.The addition of Fe(Ⅲ) could accelerate the bromate reduction rate by forming humic acid-Fe(Ⅲ) complexes.Iron species acts as electron mediator and catalyst for the bromate reduction by humic acid,in which humic acid transfers electrons to the complexed Fe(Ⅲ) to form Fe(Ⅱ),and the regenerated Fe(Ⅱ) donate the electrons to bromate.The kinetics study on bromate reduction further indicated that bromate reduction by humic acid-Fe(Ⅲ) complexes is pH dependent.The rate decreased by 2-fold with the increase in solution pH by one unit.The reduction capacity of Aldrich humic acid was observed to be lower than that of humic acid or natural organic matter of Suwanne River,indicating that such redox process is expected to occur in the environment.     

Simultaneous Fe(Ⅲ) reduction and ammonia oxidation process in Anammox sludge

In recent years, there have been a number of reports on the phenomenon in which ferric iron(Fe(Ⅲ)) is reduced to ferrous iron [Fe(Ⅱ)] in anaerobic environments, accompanied by simultaneous oxidation of ammonia to NO2-, NO3-, or N2.However, studies on the relevant reaction characteristics and mechanisms are rare. Recently, in research on the effect of Fe(Ⅲ) on the activity of Anammox sludge, excess ammonia oxidization has also been found.Hence, in the present study, Fe(Ⅲ) was used to serve as the electron acceptor instead of NO2-,and the feasibility and characteristics of Anammox coupled to Fe(Ⅲ) reduction(termed Feammox) were investigated. After 160 days of cultivation, the conversion rate of ammonia in the reactor was above 80%, accompanied by the production of a large amount of NO3-and a small amount of NO2-. The total nitrogen removal rate was up to 71.8%. Furthermore,quantities of Fe(Ⅱ) were detected in the sludge fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) and denaturated gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE) analyses further revealed that in the sludge, some Anammox bacteria were retained, and some microbes were enriched during the acclimatization process. We thus deduced that in Anammox sludge, Fe(Ⅲ) reduction takes place together with ammonia oxidation to NO2-and NO3-along with the Anammox process.     

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.     

Comparison of a plant based natural surfactant with SDS for washing of As(Ⅴ) from Fe rich soil

This study explores the possible application of a biodegradable plant based surfactant, obtained from Sapindus mukorossi, for washing low levels of arsenic （As） from an iron （Fe） rich soil. Natural association of As（Ⅴ） with Fe（Ⅲ） makes the process difficult. Soapnut solution was compared to anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS） in down-flow and a newly introduced suction mode for soil column washing. It was observed that soapnut attained up to 86% efficiency with respect to SDS in removing As. Full factorial design of experiment revealed a very good fit of data. The suction mode generated up to 83 kPa pressure inside column whilst down-flow mode generated a much higher pressure of 214 kPa, thus making the suction mode more efficient. Micellar solubilisation was found to be responsible for As desorption from the soil and it followed 1st order kinetics. Desorption rate coefficient of suction mode was found to be in the range of 0.005 to 0.01, much higher than down-flow mode values. Analysis of the PT-IR data suggested that the soapnut solution did not interact chemically with As, offering an option for reusing the surfactant. Soapnut can be considered as a soil washing agent for removing As even from soil with high Fe content.     

Photodegradation of bisphenol A in Fe(Ⅲ)-oxalate complexes solution

The aqueous photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in the presence of Fe(Ⅲ)-oxalate complexes (Fe(Ⅲ)-Ox), which are common compositions of natural water, was investigated in this study. BPA underwent rapid indirect photolysis in Fe(Ⅲ)-Ox solution under simulated solar irradiation, proceeding pseudo-first-order kinetics. The photolysis rate increased with decreasing pH or initial processes of Fe(Ⅲ)-Ox complexes and contributed to the photooxidation of BPA, were determined by molecular probe and electron spin resonance (ESR) methods with the steady-state concentration of 2.56 × 10-14 mol/L. Superoxide anion radical (O2.-) was consistructural analysis of the intermediate photoproducts of BPA in Fe(Ⅲ)-Ox complexes solution, the possible degradation pathways of of Fe(Ⅲ) may affect the environmental fate of BPA in natural water significantly.     

Photodegradation of bisphenol A in Fe(Ⅲ)-oxalate complexes solution

Introduction B isphenol A (2, 2-bis (4-dihydroxydiphenyl) propane) (BPA ) is w idely used as a raw m aterial for polycarbonate and epoxy resins. In previous studies, the residue level of B PA w as detected to be at a rather high level in natural w ater en…     

Oxidation of antimony(Ⅲ) in soil by manganese(Ⅳ) oxide using X-ray absorption fine structure

The oxidation of antimony(III) in soils was studied using X-ray absorption fine structure(XAFS)spectra.An andosol soil sample and artificial soil samples(SiO_2 blended with iron(III) hydroxide and manganese(IV) oxide) were used herein.After adding antimony(III) oxide to all soil samples,the oxidation process was observed by recording the XAFS spectra of Sb K-edge,Fe Kedge,and Mn K-edge.The results indicated that manganese(IV) oxide played an important role in the oxidation of Sb(III);however iron(III) hydroxide was not directly related to the reaction.During a 2-hr continuous Sb K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure(XANES) measurement with an interval of 1 min of one of the artificial soil samples(SiO_2+ MnO_2+ Sb_2O_3),a pseudo-first-order reaction was determined with an average estimated rate of 0.52 ± 0.04 hr-1.Compared to the lower oxidation rate of andosol,it is suggested that because of the low concentration of Mn(IV) in natural soils,the oxidation process of Sb(III) might be relatively slow and require more time to convert Sb(III) to Sb(V).     

Enrichments of methanotrophic–heterotrophic cultures with high poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation capacities

Methanotrophic–heterotrophic communities were selectively enriched from sewage sludge to obtain a mixed culture with high levels of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate(PHB)accumulation capacity from methane.Methane was used as the carbon source,N_2as sole nitrogen source,and oxygen and Cu content were varied.Copper proved essential for PHB synthesis.All cultures enriched with Cu could accumulate high content of PHB(43.2%–45.9%),while only small amounts of PHB were accumulated by cultures enriched without Cu(11.9%–17.5%).Batch assays revealed that communities grown with Cu and a higher O_2content synthesized more PHB,which had a wider optimal CH_4:O_2range and produced a high PHB content(48.7%)even though in the presence of N_2.In all methanotrophic–heterotrophic communities,both methanotrophic and heterotrophic populations showed the ability to accumulate PHB.Although methane was added as the sole carbon source,heterotrophs dominated with abundances between 77.2%and 85.6%.All methanotrophs detected belonged to type II genera,which formed stable communities with heterotrophs of different PHB production capacities.     

Removal of perchlorate from aqueous solution by cross-linked Fe(Ⅲ)-chitosan complex

Cross-linked Fe（III）-chitosan composite （Fe-CB） was used as the adsorbent for removing perchlorate from the aqueous solution. The adsorption experiments were carried out by varying contact time, initial concentrations, temperatures, pH, and the presence of co-existing anions. The morphology of the adsorbent was discussed using FT-IR and SEM with X-EDS analysis. The pH ranging from 3.0-10.2 exhibited very little effect on the adsorption capability. The perchlorate uptake onto Fe-CB obeyed Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption process was rapid and the kinetics data obeyed the pseudo second-order model well. The eluent of 2.5% （W/V） NaC1 could regenerate the exhausted adsorbent efficiently. The adsorption mechanism was also discussed.     

Efficient reduction of Cr(Ⅵ) by guava(Psidium guajava) leaf extract and its mitigation effect on Cr toxicity in rice seedlings

Hexavalent chromium(Cr(Ⅵ)) is a toxic element that has negative impacts on crop growth and yield. Using plant extracts to convert toxic Cr(Ⅵ) into less toxic Cr(Ⅲ) may be a more favorable option compared to chemical reducing agents. In this study, the potential effects and mechanisms of using an aqueous extract of Psidium guajava L. leaves(AEP) in reducing Cr(Ⅵ)toxicity in rice were comprehensively studied. Firstly, the reducing power of AEP for Cr(Ⅵ)was confirmed by the cyclic voltammetry combi...     

Degradation of sulfonamides and formation of trihalomethanes by chlorination after pre-oxidation with Fe(Ⅵ)

Sulfonamides are used in human therapy,animal husbandry and agriculture but are not easily biodegradable,and are often detected in surface water.Sulfamethazine(SMZ) and sulfadiazine(SDZ) are two widely used sulfonamide antibiotics that are used heavily in agriculture.In this study,they were degraded in an aqueous system by chlorination after pre-oxidation with ferrate(VI)(FeVIO42-,Fe(VI)),an environmentally friendly oxidation technique that has been shown to be effective in degrading various organics.The kinetics of the degradation were determined as a function of Fe(VI)(0–1.5 mg/L),free chlorine(0–1.8 mg/L) and temperature(15–35°C).According to the experimental results,SMZ chlorination followed second-order kinetics with increasing Fe(VI) dosage,and the effect of the initial free chlorine concentration on the reaction kinetics with pre-oxidation by Fe(VI) fitted a pseudo-first order model.The rate constants of SDZ and SMZ chlorination at different temperatures were related to the Arrhenius equation.Fe(VI) could reduce the levels of THMs formed and the toxicity of the sulfonamide degradation systems with Fe(VI) doses of 0.5–1.5 mg/L,which provides a reference for ensuring water quality in drinking water systems.     

Enhanced removal of Cr(Ⅵ) by biochar with Fe as electron shuttles

Biochar is extensively used as an effective soil amendment for environmental remediation.In addition to its strong contaminant sorption capability, biochar also plays an important role in chemical transformation of contaminant due to its inherent redox-active moieties.However, the transformation efficiency of inorganic contaminants is generally very limited when the direct adsorption of contaminants on biochar is inefficient. The present study demonstrates the role of Fe ion as an electron shuttle to enhance Cr(Ⅵ) reduction by biochars. Batch experiments were conducted to examine the effects of Fe(Ⅲ) levels,pyrolysis temperature of biochar, initial solution pH, and biochar dosage on the efficiency of Cr(Ⅵ) removal. Results showed a significant enhancement in Cr(Ⅵ) reduction with an increase in Fe(Ⅲ) concentration and a decrease of initial pH. Biochar produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures(e.g., 700°C) favored Cr(Ⅵ) removal, especially in the presence of Fe(Ⅲ), while a higher biochar dosage proved unfavorable likely due to the agglomeration or precipitation of biochar. Speciation analysis of Fe and Cr elements on the surface of biochar and in the solution further confirmed the role of Fe ion as an electron shuttle between biochar and Cr(Ⅵ). The present findings provide a potential strategy for the advanced treatment of Cr(Ⅵ) at low concentrations as well as an insight into the environmental fate of Cr(Ⅵ) and other micro-pollutants in soil or aqueous compartments containing Fe and natural or engineered carbonaceous materials.     

Unveiling the mechanisms of Fe(Ⅲ)-loaded chitosan composite(CTS-Fe) in enhancing anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge

Anaerobic digestion(AD) of waste activated sludge(WAS) is usually limited by the low generation efficiency of methane. Fe(Ⅲ)-loaded chitosan composite(CTS-Fe) have been reported to effectively enhanced the digestion of WAS, but its role in promoting anaerobic sludge digestion remains unclear. In present study, the effects of CTS-Fe on the hydrolysis and methanogenesis stages of WAS anaerobic digestion were investigated. The addition of CTSFe increased methane production potential by 8%–23% under...     

Biosorption characteristics of unicellular green alga Chlorella sorokiniana immobilized in loofa sponge for removal of Cr(Ⅲ)

Loofa sponge (LS) immobilized biomass of Chlorella sorokiniana (LSIBCS), isolated from industrial wastewater, was investigated as a new biosorbent for the removal of Cr(Ⅲ) from aqueous solution. A comparison of the biosorption of Cr(Ⅲ) by LSIBCS and free biomass of C. sorokiniana (FBCS) from 10-300 mg Cr(Ⅲ)/L aqueous solutions showed an increase in uptake of 17.79% when the microalgal biomass was immobilized onto loofa sponge. Maximum biosorption capacity for LSIBCS and FBCS was found to be 69.26 and 58.80 mg Cr(Ⅲ)/g biosorbent, respectively, whereas the amount of Cr(Ⅲ) ions adsorbed onto naked LS was 4.97 mg/g. The kinetics of Cr(Ⅲ) biosorption was extremely rapid and equilibrium was established in about 15 and 20 min by LSIBCS and FBCS,respectively. The biosorption equilibrium was well defined by Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The biosorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The biosorption was found to be pH dependent and the maximum sorption occurred at the solution pH 4.0. Desorption studies showed that 98% of the adsorbed Cr(Ⅲ) could be desorbed with 0.1 mol/L HNO3, while other desorbing agents were less effective in the order: EDTA ＞ H2SO4 ＞ CH3COOH ＞ HCl. The regenerated LSIBCS retained 92.68% of the initial Cr(Ⅲ) binding capacity up to five cycles of reuse in continuous flow-fixed bed columns. The study revealed that LSIBCS could be used as an effective biosorbent for the removal of Cr(Ⅲ) from wastewater.     

Speciation characterization and coagulation of poly-silica-ferric-chloride: The role of hydrolyzed Fe(Ⅲ) and silica interaction

The highly efficient inorganic polymer flocculants (IPFs) of the ferric-silica system is a new and promising coagulant. Interactions between ferric species and silica play a large part in the coagulation of suspensions. These effects are quite distinct from those associated with polymeric or colloid silica. However, although these species are key to coagulation efficiency, they have not been comprehensively discussed. A new type of coagulant, poly-silica-ferric-chloride (PFSC), was synthesized by co-polymerization and characterized by time complexation spectroscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy. Compared with traditional ferric salt, the results indicated that PFSC had a higher molecular weight, lesser positive charge, lower Feb and higher Fec. The higher the Si/Fe ratio, the higher the silica and lower the silicac found. The PFSC with appropriate polysilica acid not only obtained better coaguiation/fiocculation efficiency in turbidity removal, enhanced the flocculation index (FI) and provided less residual ferric, it also lowered water treatment costs compared to traditional ferric salt. Results showed that PFSC could remove colloid particles in water by charge neutralization and sweeping,adsorption bridging mechanism.     

Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in peroxynitrite/Fe(Ⅲ) porphyrin system

The peroxynitrite/porphyrin biomimetic system was established to investigate the effects of peroxynitrite on benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) metabolism. Through the comparison of three model systems consisting of different iron porphyrins, we found that the peroxynitrite/T(p-Cl)PPFeCl system showed the highest catalytic efficiency in the metabolism of B[a]P. We analyzed the B[a]P metabolites produced from this system by RP-HPLC method and firstly identified the formation of nitrobenzo[a]pyrenes which are the special metabolites of B[a]P induced by peroxynitrite.     

Stability of Fe–As composites formed with As(V) and aged ferrihydrite

During the aging process, ferrihydrite was transformed into mineral mixtures composed of different proportions of ferrihydrite, goethite, lepidocrocite and hematite. Such a transformation may affect the fixed ability of arsenic. In this study, the stability of Fe-As composites formed with As(V) and the minerals aged for 0, 1, 4, 10 and 30 days of ferrihydrite were systematically examined, and the effects of molar of ratios Fe/As were also clarified using kinetic methods combined with multiple spectroscopic techniques. The results indicated that As(V) was rapidly adsorbed on minerals during the initial polymerization process, which delayed both the ferrihydrite conversion and the hematite formation. When the Fe/As molar ratio was 1.875 and 5.66, the As(V) adsorbed by ferrihydrite began to release after 6 hr and 12 hr, respectively. The corresponding release amounts of As(V) were 0.55 g/L and 0.07 g/L, and the adsorption rates were 92.43% and 97.50% at 60 days, respectively. However, the As(V) adsorbed by the transformation products aged for 30 days of ferrihydrite began to release after adsorbed 30 days. The corresponding release amounts of As(V) were 0.25 g/L and 0.03 g/L, and the adsorption rates were 84.23% and 92.18% after adsorbed 60 days, for the Fe/As=1.875 and 5.66, respectively. Overall, the combination of As(V) with ferrihydrite and aged products transformed from a thermodynamically metastable phase to a dynamically stable state within a certain duration. Moreover, the aging process of ferrihydrite reduced the sorption ability of arsenate by iron (hydr)oxide but enhanced the stability of the Fe-As composites.