Preliminary investigation of phosphorus adsorption onto two types of iron oxide-organic matter complexes

Iron oxide(FeO)coated by natural organic matter(NOM)is ubiquitous.The associations of minerals with organic matter(OM)significantly changes their surface properties and reactivity,and thus affect the environmental fate of pollutants,including nutrients(e.g.,phosphorus(P)).In this study,ferrihydrite/goethite-humic acid(FH/GE–HA)complexes were prepared and their adsorption characteristics on P at various p H and ionic strength were investigated.The results indicated that the Fe O–OM complexes showed a decreased P adsorption capacity in comparison with bare Fe O.The maximum adsorption capacity(Q_(max))decreased in the order of FH(22.17 mg/g)FH-HA(5.43 mg/g)GE(4.67 mg/g)GE-HA(3.27 mg/g).After coating with HA,the amorphous FH–HA complex still showed higher P adsorption than the crystalline GE–HA complex.The decreased P adsorption observed might be attributed to changes of the Fe O surface charges caused by OM association.The dependence of P adsorption on the specific surface area of adsorbents suggests that the Fe O component in the complexes is still the main contributor for the adsorption surfaces.The P adsorptions on Fe O–HA complexes decreased with increasing initial p H or decreasing initial ionic strength.A strong dependence of P adsorption on ionic strength and p H may demonstrate that outer-sphere complexes between the OM component on the surface and P possibly coexist with inner-sphere surface complexes between the Fe O component and P.Therefore,previous over-emphasis on the contributions of original minerals to P immobilization possibly over-estimates the P loading capacity of soils,especially in humic-rich areas.     

Competitive and cooperative adsorption of arsenate and citrate on goethite

The fate of arsenic in natural environments is influenced by adsorption onto metal (hydr)oxides. The extent of arsenic adsorption is strongly a ected by coexisting dissolved natural organic acids. Recently, some studies reported that there existed competitive adsorption between arsenate and citrate on goethite. Humic acid is known to interact strongly with arsenate by forming complexes in aqueous solution, hence it is necessary to undertake a comprehensive study of the adsorption of arsenate/citrate onto goethite in the presence of one another. The results showed that at the arsenate concentrations used in this study (0.006–0.27 mmol/L), citrate decreased arsenate adsorption at acidic pH but no e ect was observed at alkaline pH. In comparison, citrate adsorption was inhibited at acidic pH, but enhanced at alkaline pH by arsenate. This was probably due to the formation of complex between arsenate and citrate like the case of arsenate with humic acid. These results implied that the mechanism of the adsorption of arsenate and citrate onto goethite in the presence of one another involved not only competition for binding sites, but the cooperation between the two species at the watergoethite interface as well.     

Insight into the adsorption of tetracycline onto amino and amino–Fe~(3+) gunctionalized mesoporous silica: Effect of functionalized groups

In order to study the influences of functionalized groups onto the adsorption of tetracycline,we prepared a series of amino and amino–Fe~(3+)complex mesoporous silica adsorbents with diverse content of amino and Fe~(3+)groups(named N,N-SBA15 and Fe-N,N-SBA15).The resulting mesoporous silica adsorbents were fully characterized by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR)and N_2adsorption/desorption isotherms.Furthermore,the effects of functionalized groups on the removal of TC were investigated.The results showed that the periodic ordered structure of SBA-15 was maintained after modification of amino/Fe~(3+)groups.The functionalized amino groups decreased the adsorption capacity while the coordinated Fe~(3+)increased the adsorption capacity.The adsorption kinetics of TC fitted pseudo-second-order model well and the equilibrium was achieved quickly.The adsorption isotherms fitted the Langmuir model well and with the Fe~(3+)content increased from 3.93%to 8.26%,the Q_(max)of the adsorbents increased from 102 to 188 mmol/kg.The solution p H affected the adsorption of TC onto amino complex adsorbents slightly while influenced the adsorption onto Fe-amine complex adsorbents greatly.The adsorption of TC on SBA15 and N,N-SBA15 may be related to the formation of outer-sphere surface complexes,while the adsorption of TC onto Fe-N,N-SBA15 was mainly attributed to the inner-sphere surface complexes.This study could offer potential materials that have excellent adsorption behavior for environmental remediation and suggested useful information for the preparing other adsorbents in environmental applications.     

Comparison study of phosphorus adsorption on different waste solids: Fly ash, red mud and ferric–alum water treatment residues

The adsorption of phosphorus(P) onto three industrial solid wastes(fly ash, red mud and ferric–alum water treatment residual(FAR)) and their modified materials was studied systematically via batch experiments. Compared with two natural adsorbents(zeolite and diatomite), three solid wastes possessed a higher adsorption capacity for P because of the higher Fe, Al and Ca contents. After modification(i.e., the fly ash and red mud modified by FeCl_3 and FARs modified by HCl), the adsorption capacity increased, especially for the modified red mud, where more Fe bonded P was observed. The P adsorption kinetics can be satisfactorily fitted using the pseudo-second-order model. The Langmuir model can describe well the P adsorption on all of the samples in our study. p H and dissolved organic matter(DOM) are two important factors for P adsorption. Under neutral conditions, the maximum adsorption amount on the modified materials was observed. With the deviation from pH 7, the adsorption amount decreased, which resulted from the change of P species in water and surface charges of the adsorbents. The DOM in water can promote P adsorption, which may be due to the promotion effects of humic-Fe(Al) complexes and the pH buffer function exceeds the depression of competitive adsorption.     

Arsenic retention and transport behavior in the presence of typical anionic and nonionic surfactants

The massive production and wide use of surfactants have resulted in a large amount of surfactant residuals being discharged into the environment,which could have an impact on arsenic behavior.In the present study,the influence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate(SDBS) and nonionic surfactant polyethylene glycol octylphenyl ether(Triton X-100) on arsenic behavior was investigated in batch and column tests.The presence of SDBS and Triton X-100 reduced arsenic retention onto ferrihydrite(FH),enhanced arsenic transport through FH coated sand(FH-sand) columns and promoted arsenic release from the FH surface.With coexisting surfactants in solution,the equilibrium adsorbed amount of arsenic on FH decreased by up to 29.7% and the adsorption rate decreased by up to 52.3%.Pre-coating with surfactants caused a decrease in the adsorbed amount and adsorption rate of arsenic by up to 15.1% and 58.3%,respectively.Because of the adsorption attenuation caused by surfactants,breakthrough of As(Ⅴ) and As(Ⅲ) with SDBS in columns packed with FH-sand was 23.8% and 14.3%faster than that in those without SDBS,respectively.In columns packed with SDBS-coated FH-sand,transport of arsenic was enhanced to a greater extent.Breakthrough of As(Ⅴ) and As(Ⅲ) was 52.4% and 43.8% faster and the cumulative retention amount was 44.5% and 57.3% less than that in pure FH-sand column systems,respectively.Mobilization of arsenic by surfactants increased with the increase of the initial adsorbed amount of arsenic.The cumulative release amount of As(Ⅴ) and As(Ⅲ) from the packed column reached 10.8% and 36.0%,respectively.     

Characterization of colloidal arsenic at two abandoned gold mine sites in Nova Scotia, Canada, using asymmetric flow-field flow fractionation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Asymmetric flow-field flow fractionation-inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to determine whether colloidal arsenic(As) exists in soil pore water and soil extract samples at two arsenic-contaminated abandoned gold mines(Montague and Goldenville, Nova Scotia). Colloidal arsenic was found in 12 out of the 80 collected samples(= 15%), and was primarily associated with iron(Fe) in the encountered colloids. The molar Fe/As ratios indicate that the colloids in some samples appeared to be discrete iron–arsenic minerals, whereas in other samples, they were more consistent with As-rich iron(oxy)hydroxides. Up to three discrete size fractions of colloidal As were encountered in the samples, with mean colloid diameters between 6 and 14 nm. The pore water samples only contained one size fraction of As-bearing colloids(around 6 nm diameter), while larger As-bearing colloids were only encountered in soil extracts.     

Adsorption thermodynamics and kinetic investigation of aromatic amphoteric compounds onto different polymeric adsorbents

The adsorption behavior of p-aminobenzoic acid and o-aminobenzoic acid onto the different polymeric adsorbents was systematically investigated as a function of the solution concentration and temperature.Experimental results indicated that the equilibrium adsorption data of the four polymeric adsorbents fitted well in the Freundlich isotherm.The adsorption capacity of multi-functional polymeric adsorbent NJ-99 was the highest,which might be attributed to the strong hydrogen-bonding interaction between the amino groups on the resin and the carboxyl group of aminobenzoic acid.The adsorption capacity of o-aminobenzoic acid onto any adsorbent was higher than p-aminobenzoic acid.Thermodynamic studies suggested the exothermic,spontaneous physical adsorption process.Adsorption kinetics results showed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the intraparticle mass transfer process was the rate-controlling step.     

Effects of acid,acid-ZVI/PMS,Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS and ZVI/PMS conditioning on the wastewater activated sludge(WAS)dewaterability and extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)

The effects of four conditioning approaches:Acid,Acid-zero-valent iron(ZVI)/peroxydisulfate(PMS),Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS and ZVI/PMS,on wastewater activated sludge(WAS) dewatering and organics distribution in supernatant and extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) layers were investigated.The highest reduction in bound water and the most WAS destruction was achieved by Acid-ZVI/PMS,and the optimum conditions were pH 3,ZVI dosage 0.15 g/g dry solid(DS),oxone dosage 0.07 g/g DS and reaction time 10.6 min with the reductions in capillary suction time(CST) and water content(Wc) as 19.67% and 8.49%,respectively.Four conditioning approaches could result in TOC increase in EPS layers and supernatant,and protein(PN) content in tightly bound EPS(TB-EPS).After conditioning,organics in EPS layers could migrate to supernatant.Polysaccharide(PS) was easier to migrate to supernatant than PN.In addition,Acid,Acid-ZVI/PMS or Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS conditioning promoted the release of some polysaccharides containing ring vibrations v P=O,v C-O-C,v C-O-P functional groups from TB-EPS.ESR spectra proved that both radicals of SO_4~-· and·OH contributed to dewatering and organics transformation and migration.CST value of WAS positively correlated with the ratios of PN/PS in LB-EPS and total EPS,while it negatively correlated with TOC,PN content and PS content in TB-EPS,as well as PS content in supernatant and LB-EPS.BWC negatively correlated to zeta potential and TOC value,PN content,and HA content in supernatant.     

Effect of an eco-friendly o/w emulsion stabilized with amphiphilic sodium alginate derivatives on lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption–desorption on natural soil minerals

The effects of amphiphilic O/W emulsions,stabilized by the alkyl polyglycoside(APG)or cholesterol-grafted sodium alginate(CSAD)/APG systems,on lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption/desorption mechanisms on natural soil minerals(i.e.,illite and kaolinite)were investigated.Sorption and desorption of lambda-cyhalothrin onto soil minerals was studied via batch equilibration to give insight into the adsorption equilibrium,kinetics,and thermodynamics of lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption onto minerals.The results indicate the following:(i)The adsorption processes for the APG system and CSAD/APG system include:rapid adsorption,slow adsorption,and adsorption equilibrium.The adsorption kinetics of pesticide on illite and kaolinite are in accordance with the Ho and McKay model,and the adsorption isotherm conforms to the Freundlich model.In addition,the adsorption processes of pesticide for the two systems on minerals were spontaneous and feasible(ΔG~00),endothermic(ΔH~00),and mainly involved chemical bonding(ΔH~060).(ii)The equilibrium adsorption percentages of the pesticide on illite for the APG system and CSAD/APG system were 42.4%and 64.8%,and the corresponding equilibrium adsorption percentages on kaolinite were 40.8%and 61.8%,respectively.Moreover,the pesticide adsorption rate K_(2-CSAD/APG)was faster than K_(2-APG),and its adsorption capacity K_(f-CSAD/APG )was greater than K_(f-APG).Meanwhile,the pesticide desorption K_(fd)in the CSAD/APG system was smaller than that in the APG system.As a result,this eco-friendly O/W emulsion based on amphiphilic sodium alginate derivatives might provide a green pesticide formulation,since it could reduce the amount of lambda-cyhalothrin entering aquatic systems to threaten non-target fish and invertebrate species.     

Influence of moderate pre-oxidation treatment on the physical, chemical and phosphate adsorption properties of iron-containing activated carbon

A novel adsorbent based on iron oxide dispersed over activated carbon(AC) were prepared, and used for phosphate removal from aqueous solutions. The influence of pre-oxidation treatment on the physical, chemical and phosphate adsorption properties of iron-containing AC were determined. Two series of ACs, non-oxidized and oxidized carbon modified by iron(denoted as AC-Fe and AC/OFe), resulted in a maximum impregnated iron of 4.03% and 7.56%, respectively. AC/O-Fe showed 34.0%–46.6% higher phosphate removal efficiency than the AC-Fe did. This was first attributed to the moderate pre-oxidation of raw AC by nitric acid, achieved by dosing Fe(II) after a pre-oxidation, to obtain higher iron loading, which is favorable for phosphate adsorption. Additionally, the in-situ formed active site on the surface of carbon, which was derived from the oxidation of Fe(II) by nitric acid dominated the remarkably high efficiency with respect to the removal of phosphate. The activation energy for adsorption was calculated to be 10.53 and 18.88 kJ/mol for AC-Fe and AC/OFe, respectively. The results showed that the surface mass transfer and intra-particle diffusion were simultaneously occurring during the process and contribute to the adsorption mechanism.     

Adsorption mechanism of phenolic compounds from aqueous solution on hypercrosslinked polymeric adsorbent

The adsorption of two phenols, namely, phenol and salicylic acid(SA) onto a water-compatible hypercrosslinked polymeric resin (NJ-8) were studied in terms of pseudo-second-order and first order mechanisms for chemical sorption as well as an intraparticle diffusion mechanism process. Kinetic analysis showed that the intraparticle diffusion process was the essential rate-controlling step. The activation energies of sorption have also been evaluated with the pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion constants, respectively. Adsorption equilibrium data were well fitted by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherms. Adsorption was exothermic and basically of a type of transition between physical and chemical character. The sorption capacity was higher for SA due to its more hydrophobic. Phenol has a higher adsorption enthalpy since it could form stronger hydrogen bonding on NJ-8.     

Adsorption of lead on multi-walled carbon nanotubes with different outer diameters and oxygen contents: Kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics

The effects of different outer diameters and surface oxygen contents on the adsorption of heavy metals onto six types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated in an aqueous solution and lead was chosen as a model metal ion. The results indicated that the percentage removal and adsorption capacity of lead remarkably increased with decreasing outer diameter due to larger specific surface area (SSA). The SSA-normalized maximum adsorption capacity (qm /SSA) and SSA-normalized adsorption coefficient (Kd /SSA) were strongly positively correlated with surface oxygen content, implying that lead adsorption onto MWCNTs significantly increases with the rise of oxygen content and decreases with decreasing SSA. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicated that adsorption of lead on MWCNTs was endothermic and spontaneous. When the oxygen content of MWCNTs increased from 2.0% to 5.9%, the standard free energy (△ G0 ) became more negative, which implied that the oxygenated functional groups increased the adsorption affinity of MWCNTs for lead. Through calculation of enthalpy (△ H0 ), G0 and free energy of adsorption (Ea ), lead adsorption onto MWCNTs was recognized as a chemisorption process. The chemical interaction between lead and the phenolic groups of MWCNTs could be one of the main adsorption mechanisms due to highly positive correlations between the phenolic groups and K d /SSA or q m /SSA.     

Selective adsorption of silver ions from aqueous solution using polystyrene-supported trimercaptotriazine resin

Trimercaptotriazine-functionalized polystyrene chelating resin was prepared and employed for the adsorption of Ag(I) from aqueous solution. The adsorbent was characterized according to the following techniques: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy and the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller method. The effects of initial Ag(I) concentration, contact time, solution pH and coexisting ions on the adsorption capacity of Ag(I) were systematically investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of Ag(I) was up to 187.1 mg/g resin at pH 0.0 and room temperature. The kinetic experiments indicated that the adsorption rate of Ag(I) onto the chelating resin was quite fast in the first 60 min and reached adsorption equilibrium after 360 min. The adsorption process can be well described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model and the equilibrium adsorption isotherm was closely fitted by the Langmuir model. Moreover, the chelating resin could selectively adsorb more Ag(I) ions than other heavy metal ions including: Cu(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Cr(III) during competitive adsorption in the binary metal species systems, which indicated that it was a highly selective adsorbent of Ag(I) from aqueous solution.     

Mercury mass flow in iron and steel production process and its implications for mercury emission control

The iron and steel production process is one of the predominant anthropogenic sources of atmospheric mercury emissions worldwide. In this study, field tests were conducted to study mercury emission characteristics and mass flows at two iron and steel plants in China. It was found that low-sulfur flue gas from sintering machines could contribute up to41% of the total atmospheric mercury emissions, and desulfurization devices could remarkably help reduce the emissions. Coal gas burning accounted for 17%–49% of the total mercury emissions, and therefore the mercury control of coal gas burning, specifically for the power plant burning coal gas to generate electricity, was significantly important. The emissions from limestone and dolomite production and electric furnaces can contribute29.3% and 4.2% of the total mercury emissions from iron and steel production. More attention should be paid to mercury emissions from these two processes. Blast furnace dust accounted for 27%–36% of the total mercury output for the whole iron and steel production process. The recycling of blast furnace dust could greatly increase the atmospheric mercury emissions and should not be conducted. The mercury emission factors for the coke oven,sintering machine and blast furnace were 0.039–0.047 g Hg/ton steel, and for the electric furnace it was 0.021 g Hg/ton steel. The predominant emission species was oxidized mercury, accounting for 59%–73% of total mercury emissions to air.     

Ciprofloxacin degradation in photo-Fenton and photo-catalytic processes: Degradation mechanisms and iron chelation

Ciprofloxacin(CIP)is a broad spectrum synthetic antibiotic drug of fluoroquinolones class.CIP can act as a bidentate ligand forming iron complexes during its degradation in the photoFenton process(PFP).This work investigates on PFP for the degradation of CIP to understand the formation mechanism and stability of iron complexes under ultraviolet(UV)-light illumination.A comparison was made with the UV-photocatalysis(UV/TiO_2)process where CIP doesn't form a complex.In PFP,the optimal dose of Fe~(2+)and H_2O_2were found to be 1.25 and10 mmol/L with pH of 3.5.An optimal TiO_2dose of 1.25 g/L was determined in the UV/TiO_2process.Maximum CIP removal and mineralization efficiency of 93.1%and 47.3%were obtained in PFP against 69.7%and 27.6%in the UV/TiO_2process.The mass spectra could identify seventeen intermediate products including iron-CIP complexes in PFP,and only seven intermediate products were found in the UV/TiO_2process with a majority of common products in both the processes.The proposed mechanism supported by the mass spectra bridged the routes of CIP cleavage in the PFP and UV/TiO_2process,and the decomposition pathway of Fe~(3+)-CIP chelate complexes in PFP was also elucidated.Both in PFP and UV/TiO_2processes,the target site of HO~·radical attack was the secondary-N atom present in the piperazine ring of the CIP molecule.The death of Escherichia coli bacteria was 55.7%and 66.8%in comparison to the control media after 45 min of treatment in PFP and UV/TiO_2process,respectively.     

Adsorption of Ca2+ on single layer graphene oxide

Graphene oxide(GO) holds great promise for a broad array of applications in many fields,but also poses serious potential risks to human health and the environment.In this study,the adsorptive properties of GO toward Ca~(2+) and Na+were investigated using batch adsorption experiments,zeta potential measurements,and spectroscopic analysis.When pH increased from 4 to 9,Ca~(2+)adsorption by GO and the zeta potential of GO increased significantly.Raman spectra suggest that Ca~(2+)was strongly adsorbed on the GO via –COO Ca~+ formation.On the other hand,Na+was adsorbed into the electrical diffuse layer as an inert counterion to increase the diffuse layer zeta potential.While the GO suspension became unstable with increasing pH from 4 to 10 in the presence of Ca~(2+),it was more stable at higher pH in the NaC l solution.The findings of this research provide insights in the adsorption of Ca~(2+)on GO and fundamental basis for prediction of its effect on the colloidal stability of GO in the environment.     

Efficient adsorption of Mn(Ⅱ) by layered double hydroxides intercalated with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and the mechanistic study

In this study, greatly enhanced Mn(II) adsorption was achieved by as-synthesized diethylenetriaminepentaacetate acid intercalated Mg/Al layered double hydroxides(LDHsDTPA). The adsorption capacity of LDHs-DTPA was 83.5 mg/g, which is much higher than that of LDHs-EDTA(44.4 mg/g), LDHs-Oxalate(21.6 mg/g) and LDHs(28.8 mg/g). The adsorption data of aqueous Mn(II) using LDHs-DTPA could be well described by the pseudosecond order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamics study results also showed that the adsorption process of Mn(II) by LDHs-DTPA was exothermic as indicated by the negative ΔH value. Furthermore, based on the structural, morphological and thermostable features, as well as FT-IR and XPS characterizations of LDHs-DTPA and the pristine LDHs, the adsorption mechanism of Mn(II) was proposed. The carboxyl groups of DTPA were proposed to be the main binding sites for Mn(II), and the hydroxyl groups of LDHs also played a minor role in the adsorption process. Among the three common regeneration reagents, 0.1 mol/L Na_2CO_3 was the best for reusing LDHs-DTPA in Mn(II)adsorption. Besides, the Mn(II) adsorption performance could be hindered in the presence of typical inorganic ions, especially cations. Further specific modifications of LDHs-DTPA are suggested to get more selective adsorption of Mn(II) in practical applications.     

Effect of environmental factors on the complexation of iron and humic acid

A method of size exclusion chromatography coupled with ultraviolet spectrophotometry and off-line graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was developed to assess the complexation properties of iron (Fe) and humic acid (HA) in a water environment. The factors affecting the complexation of Fe and HA, such as ionic strength, pH, temperature and UV radiation, were investigated. The Fe-HA complex residence time was also studied. Experimental results showed that pH could influence the deprotonation of HA and hydrolysis of Fe, and thus affected the complexation of Fe and HA. The complexation was greatly disrupted by the presence of NaCl. Temperature had some influence on the complexation. The yield of Fe-HA complexes showed a small decrease at high levels of UV radiation, but the effect of UV radiation on Fe-HA complex formation at natural levels could be neglected. It took about 10 hr for the complexation to reach equilibrium, and the Fe-HA complex residence time was about 20 hr. Complexation of Fe and HA reached a maximum level under the conditions of pH 6, very low ionic strength, in the dark and at a water temperature of about 25°C, for 10 hr. It was suggested that the Fe-HA complex could form mainly in freshwater bodies and reach high levels in the warm season with mild sunlight radiation. With changing environmental parameters, such as at lower temperature in winter or higher pH and ionic strength in an estuary, the concentration of the Fe-HA complex would decrease.     

Phosphorus recovery from biogas fermentation liquid by Ca-Mg loaded biochar

Shortage in phosphorus(P) resources and P wastewater pollution is considered as a serious problem worldwide. The application of modified biochar for P recovery from wastewater and reuse of recovered P as agricultural fertilizer is a preferred process. This work aims to develop a calcium and magnesium loaded biochar(Ca–Mg/biochar) application for P recovery from biogas fermentation liquid. The physico-chemical characterization, adsorption efficiency, adsorption selectivity, and postsorption availability of Ca-Mg/biochar were investigated. The synthesized Ca–Mg/biochar was rich in organic functional groups and in Ca O and Mg O nanoparticles. With the increase in synthesis temperature, the yield decreased, C content increased, H content decreased, N content remained the same basically, and BET surface area increased. The P adsorption of Ca–Mg/biochar could be accelerated by nano-Ca O and nano-Mg O particles and reached equilibrium after 360 min.The process was endothermic, spontaneous, and showed an increase in the disorder of the solid–liquid interface. Moreover, it could be fitted by the Freundlich model. The maximum P adsorption amounts were 294.22, 315.33, and 326.63 mg/g. The P adsorption selectivity of Ca–Mg/biochar could not be significantly influenced by the typical p H level of biogas fermentation liquid. The nano-Ca O and nano-Mg O particles of Ca–Mg/biochar could reduce the negative interaction effects of coexisting ions. The P releasing amounts of postsorption Ca–Mg/biochar were in the order of Ca–Mg/B600 Ca–Mg/B450 Ca–Mg/B300. Results revealed that postsorption Ca–Mg/biochar can continually release P and is more suitable for an acid environment.     

Performance and mechanism of Cr(Ⅵ) removal by zero-valent iron loaded onto expanded graphite

Zero-valent iron(ZⅥ) was loaded on expanded graphite(EG) to produce a composite material(EG-ZⅥ) for efficient removal of hexavalent chromium(Cr(Ⅵ)). EG and EG-ZⅥ were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET) analysis. EG-ZⅥ had a high specific surface area and contained sub-micron sized particles of zero-valent iron. Batch experiments were employed to evaluate the Cr(Ⅵ) removal performance. The results showed that the Cr(Ⅵ) removal rate was 98.80% for EG-ZⅥ,which was higher than that for both EG(10.00%) and ZⅥ(29.80%). Furthermore, the removal rate of Cr(Ⅵ) by EG-ZⅥ showed little dependence on solution p H within a p H range of 1–9.Even at pH 11, a Cr(Ⅵ) removal rate of 62.44% was obtained after reaction for 1 hr. EG-ZⅥ could enhance the removal of Cr(Ⅵ) via chemical reduction and physical adsorption,respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) was used to analyze the mechanisms of Cr(Ⅵ) removal, which indicated that the ZⅥ loaded on the surface was oxidized, and the removed Cr(Ⅵ) was immobilized via the formation of Cr(III) hydroxide and Cr(III)–Fe(III)hydroxide/oxyhydroxide on the surface of EG-ZⅥ.