Mobility of metals and metalloids in a multi-element contaminated soil 20 years after cessation of the pollution source activity

Knowledge of trace element concentrations and mobility is important in the ecotoxicological assessment of contaminated soils. We analysed soil pore water under field conditions to provide new insights into the mobility of residual contaminants in the surface 50cm of a highly contaminated woodland soil. Cadmium and Zn were highly mobile in the acidic soil, concentrations increasing with depth in soil pore water, showing considerable downward mobility. High levels of surface organic matter restricted the solubility of Cu, Pb and Sb, with highest concentrations being found close to the surface. Dissolved organic carbon in pore water had a strong influence on mobility of Cu, Zn, Pb and Sb. Elevated As had moved from the organic surface horizons but was largely immobilised in deeper layers and associated with Fe and Al oxides. The measured differential mobility of pollutants in the present study is highly relevant to protection of groundwater and other receptors.     

The role of aqueous iron(II) and manganese(II) in sub-aqueous active barrier systems containing natural clinoptilolite

Increasing attention is being placed on capping as a relatively new option in managing both contaminated sediments and dredged materials, due to its economic and environmental benefits. Capping denotes the placement of a cover onto potentially hazardous sediments or dredged material dumps to inhibit the transfer of contaminants into the water column. Retention of divalent iron and manganese cations using sandy capping layers containing natural zeolites as a reactive additive (active barrier systems, ABS) is evaluated in this study. Three different natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) rocks, two from deposits in Australia and one from a North-American deposit, were investigated and compared with respect to their mineralogical, physical and chemical properties. In particular, results from batch and column experiments show that ABS based on these materials can efficiently demobilise iron and manganese from percolating, anoxic pore water by cation exchange under favourable conditions. The retention, however, may be reduced strongly where competitive exchange with divalent cations such as calcium prevails or where mobile colloidal pore water constituents such as clay minerals or humic substances bind fractions of the dissolved iron or manganese. Therefore, the potential of ABS as a means for in situ remediation has to be evaluated diligently with particular regard to the pore water composition of the sediment to be capped.     

废活性炭微波再生新工艺的研究

提出用微波加热-二氧化碳活化法再生乙酸乙烯合成用触媒载体废活性炭工艺.采用条件实验法研究了活化时间、二氧化碳流量和微波功率对活性炭碘吸附值,亚甲基蓝吸附值和再生得率的影响,得到微波辐射加热二氧化碳活化再生乙酸乙烯用触媒载体废活性炭的最佳工艺条件为活化时间25 min,二氧化碳流量0.2 L/min,微波功率700 W.在此条件下制得的活性炭碘吸附值为1158.02 mg/g、亚甲基蓝吸附值为240 mg/g、得率为74.19%.并对活性炭进行了比表面积的测定和孔结构的分析,活性炭的比表面积为1308.13 m2/g,总孔容为0.76 mL/g.     

Effects of production conditions on yield and physicochemical properties of biochars produced from rice husk and oil palm empty fruit bunches

Biochar is the bio-solid material produced by pyrolysis. The biochar properties are controlled by feedstock and pyrolysis variables. In this study, the impacts of these production variables on biochar yield and physicochemical properties including pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total organic carbon (TOC) content, surface area, and pore volume and size were investigated. Rice husk (RH) and oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) were used as biomass. The biochars were produced at temperature range of 300 to 700 °C, heating rate of 3 to 10 °C/min and retention time of 1 to 3 h. The pyrolysis conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) technique to maximize the values of the responses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the results demonstrated that the data fitted well to the linear and quadratic equations. Temperature was found to be the most effective parameter on the responses followed by retention time and heating rate, sequentially. CEC, TOC, surface area, and pore characteristics were evaluated as biochar properties determining their sorption potential. The optimum conditions for the maximum values of the properties were temperatures of 700 and 493.44 °C and time of 3 and 1 h for RH and EFB biochars, respectively. Heating rate at 3 °C/min was found to be the best rate for both biochars. The structure of EFB biomass was more sensitive to heating than rice husk. The biomass type and the production variables were demonstrated as the direct effective factors on biochar yield and physicochemical properties.     

Toxicological evaluation of constructed wetland habitat sediments utilizing 10-day sediment toxicity test and bacterial bioluminescence

A toxicological evaluation was conducted on wetland habitats created as a result of run-off from agricultural areas. These temporary wetlands were created by using drop pipes as a means of reducing erosional cutting in agricultural fields. Toxicity bioassays utilizing bacterial bioluminescence and Hyalella azteca were used to assess sediment pore water and whole sediment, respectively. Inhibition of bacterial bioluminescence was initially used to determine relative toxicities of pore water from ten wetland sites. Constructed wetland sites were compared to the University of Mississippi Biological Field Station, a relatively pristine reference site. The H. azteca ten day sediment toxicity test was utilized to assess sediment from four selected sites using survival and growth as toxicological endpoints. Results from the toxicological evaluation, along with extensive ecological evaluations, were used to assess the best approach for implementation of temporary wetland habitats with existing agricultural practices.     

The origin of speciation: trace metal kinetics over natural water/sediment interfaces and the consequences for bioaccumulation

The speciation of heavy metals was measured over a variety of natural and undisturbed water/sediment interfaces. Simultaneously, two benthic species (oligochaete Limnodrilus spp. and the midge Chironomus riparius) were exposed to these sediments. Under occurring redox conditions, free ion activities of trace metals Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were measured with a chelating exchange technique, while geochemical conditions (i.e., redox) remained in tact. Free ion activities were compared with total dissolved concentrations in pore waters and surface waters in order to relate speciation to bioaccumulation. Limnodrilus spp. and C. riparius have accumulation patterns that could be linked to time-dependent exposure concentrations, expressed as chemical speciation, in the surface water and the sediment's pore water. Concentrations of free metal ions in the overlying surface water, rather than in sediment pore water, proved to be the best predictor for uptake. For the first time, measurements are obtained from sediments without disturbing physical-chemical conditions and thus bioavailability, a major restriction of other studies so far.     

Attempt to adsorb N-nitrosamines in solution by use of zeolites

The strong adsorption of zeolite for N-nitrosamines in solution was first revealed by use of adsorption, and temperature programmed surface reaction (TPSR) techniques. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) as well as N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine (NHMI) can be adsorbed on zeolite Y, ZSM-5 and A in the solution of methylene chloride or water, which will be helpful for removal of the N-nitrosamines pollution in environmental protection. The equilibrium data were fitted to Freundlich-type isotherms, but the adsorption capacity of zeolites mainly depended on their pore size, surface area and acid-basic properties. Molecular size of adsorbate and solute-solvent interaction also strongly affected the adsorption of N-nitrosamines on zeolite in solution. The extraordinary adsorption properties of NaA zeolite for N-nitrosamines in aqueous solution is first reported and discussed.     

Field sampling of soil pore water to evaluate trace element mobility and associated environmental risk

Monitoring soil pollution is a key aspect in sustainable management of contaminated land but there is often debate over what should be monitored to assess ecological risk. Soil pore water, containing the most labile pollutant fraction in soils, can be easily collected in situ offering a routine way to monitor this risk. We present a compilation of data on concentration of trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in soil pore water collected in field conditions from a range of polluted and non-polluted soils in Spain and the UK during single and repeated monitoring, and propose a simple eco-toxicity test using this media. Sufficient pore water could be extracted for analysis both under semi-arid and temperate conditions, and eco-toxicity comparisons could be effectively made between polluted and non-polluted soils. We propose that in-situ pore water extraction could enhance the realism of risk assessment at some contaminated sites.     

Preparation and characterisation of activated carbon from waste tea by physical activation using steam

ABSTRACT

In this study, the feasibility of preparing activated carbon from waste tea by physical activation using steam was investigated. The effects of activation temperature on yield and pore properties of the prepared activated carbon were studied. The yield decreased with increased activation temperature owing to the decomposition of cellulose and hemicellulose. The specific surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon were estimated using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, Langmuir equation, and t-plot method. The specific surface area and micropore volume increased with increases in activation temperature, as additional volatile materials were released. The specific surface area significantly decreased at first but slightly increased with increasing activation time. The maximum specific surface area reached 995 m²/g at an activation temperature of 800 °C with a water flow rate of 0.075 g/min and a constant hold time of 0.5 hr. According to the nitrogen adsorption isotherms, micropores mainly developed when the activation temperature was below 800 °C, and both micropores and mesopores developed when it was above 800 °C. The results showed that activation temperature significantly affected micropore and mesopore volumes, as well as the specific surface area of the activated carbon. Overall, waste tea was found to be an attractive raw material for producing low-cost activated carbon.

Implications: Every year, a large amount of waste tea is generated after extraction. The high carbon content of waste tea showed that it can be used as raw material to produce activated carbon. This study investigated the feasibility of preparing activated carbon from waste tea by physical activation using steam. Temperature and time were found to have clear effects on pore properties. Our proposed method and raw material are more environmentally friendly and involve low cost. Furthermore, this offers a potential solution to the problems of waste tea disposal and low-cost activated carbon production.     

Detection of organic pollutants in sandy soils via TDR and eigendecomposition

In this study, organic pollutants in sandy soils are detected using a time domain relectrometry (TDR) probe system and eigendecomposition technique. As a demonstration, four types of organic fluids (motor oil, diesel oil, methanol and ethanol) were examined. Samples were prepared with different combinations of deionized water and organic fluid contents. For each experiment, reflected signals were captured by an oscilloscope, and their characteristics were identified using eigendecomposition technique. Autoregressive modeling and singular value decomposition methods were utilized for calculating the eigenvalues. The most significant eigenvalues were then identified based on their relative magnitude. Experimental results indicated that the presented system is sensitive to both water and pore fluid organic contents. For saturated conditions, signature curves were determined for identification of organic and/or water contents in soil pore fluids.     

平板炭气凝胶电极电吸附除氟

采用自制的炭气凝胶平板电极进行模拟水样中氟的电吸附去除研究,通过单因子实验优化了该电吸附技术的操作参数和适用的溶液条件,并研究了反接电极法的再生效果。研究结果表明,自制的炭气凝胶平板由纳米颗粒组成三维网络结构,比表面积为670.90 m2/g,具有良好的充放电可逆性和迅速形成表面双电层的特点。静态电吸附除氟效果最佳的条件为:水样氟离子浓度6 mg/L,pH 7.0,极板间距4 cm,电压1.6 V;共存物质硝酸根、腐殖酸、碳酸根和碳酸氢根等对氟离子的电吸附具有一定的促进作用。吸附氟离子后的炭气凝胶材料的比表面、孔体积、电容值有所减小。对于吸附氟离子后的炭气凝胶平板电极,采用反接电极法取得较好再生效果的条件为:流动状态、电压1.6 V、极板间距4 cm。再生后的炭气凝胶电极与原始炭气凝胶相比,依然具有良好的充放电可逆性。     

Impact of water saturation level on arsenic and metal mobility in the Fe-amended soil

The impact of water saturation level (oxidizing-reducing environment) on As and metal solubility in chromium, copper, arsenic (CCA)-contaminated soil amended with Fe-containing materials was studied. The soil was mixed with 0.1 and 1 wt% of iron grit (Fe(0)) and 1, 7 and 15 wt% of oxygen scarfing granulate (OSG, a by-product of steel processing). Solubility of As and metals was evaluated by a batch leaching test and analysis of soil pore water. Soil saturation with water greatly increased As solubility in the untreated as well as in the Fe-amended soil. This was related to the reductive dissolution of Fe oxides and increased concentration of As(III) species. Fe amendments showed As reducing capacity under both oxic and anoxic conditions. The cytotoxicity of the soil pore water correlated with the concentration of As(III). The Fe-treatments as well as water saturation of soil were less significant for the solubility of Cu, Cr and Zn than for As. The batch leaching test used for waste characterization substantially underestimated As solubility that could occur under water-saturated (anaerobic) conditions. In the case of soil landfilling, other techniques than Fe-stabilization of As containing soil should be considered.     

Effects of degree of water saturation on dispersivity and immobile water in sandy soil columns

Three natural nonaggregated soil samples, with similar grain-size distributions, have been used to determine the dispersive behavior of porous media under steady, saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. Tritium was used as a tracer and was found to have no sorption on the solid matrix. Generated breakthrough curves (BTCs) for the unsaturated experiments were symmetrical with no evidence of tailing. The unsaturated experiments for two of the soils were adequately described by considering all the water in the pore volume as mobile. However, about 10% of the pore water, independent of the degree of saturation, was found to be immobile in the case of the third soil during unsaturated flow. For this soil, there was no mass transfer between the two water regions, indicating that the immobile water is essentially isolated from the flowing water fraction. For all three soils, dispersivity under unsaturated conditions was found to be higher, independent of the degree of water saturation, than the value determined for the saturated experiments. This is inconsistent with what would be expected from the simple bundle-of-capillary-tubes model and does not agree well with a more sophisticated conceptualization of the porous medium. The data, however, clearly indicate a wider range in pore-water velocities when these soils are desaturated.     

Photodegradation of pentachlorophenol by sunlight in aquatic surface microlayers

Photodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in aquatic surface microlayer (SM) was examined under natural sunlight. SM samples were collected using a glass plate, along with corresponding subsurface waters. PCP was added to samples of the SM and subsurface water. When all samples were exposed to the same natural sunlight conditions, the first order photodegradation rates of PCP in the SM water samples were different from those of PCP in corresponding subsurface water samples. The difference was correlated with the enrichment of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in SM compared to the corresponding subsurface waters. Enhanced photodegradation in SM may be due to increased abundance of photoreactants related to the UV-absorbing properties of dissolved organic materials in the SM as the result of photo-induced reactions. Effects of environmental factors, pH and salinity, on photodegradation process of PCP in SM were also evaluated.     

固定化菌藻微球的制备、表征及其对富营养化湖水的修复

以聚乙烯醇(PVA)和海藻酸钠(SA)为主要包埋材料,以活性炭、SiO2和CaCO3作添加剂,采用普通小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)和活性污泥制备固定化菌藻微球。采用正交实验对微球的制备条件进行了优化,并对最优化条件下制得的微球进行了表征,还考察了固定化菌藻微球对某富营养化湖水的修复效果。结果表明,固定化菌藻微球的最优化制备条件为:PVA用量10%(m/v),微生物包埋量15 mL,海藻酸钠用量0.6%(m/v),氯化钙浓度2.0%(m/v)。制得的微球具有较大的比表面积,内部呈网状结构,孔径分布均匀,中孔居多,适合小球藻和微生物生长。采用固定化菌藻微球可有效修复上述湖泊的实际富营养化湖水,微球可重复使用3~4个循环,在前4个循环中,每个循环历时96 h,TN平均去除率达80%以上;TP平均去除率达90%以上;COD平均去除率达85%以上,表明固定化菌藻微球在富营养化湖水的修复方面具有潜在的应用价值。     

Adsorption of phenolics on activated carbon--impact of pore size and molecular oxygen

The impact of pore size of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) on adsorption capacity and on the potential for oligomerization of phenolic compounds on the surface of ACFs in the presence of molecular oxygen has been investigated in this study. Compared with granular activated carbon (GAC), ACFs have unique pore size distributions, suitable to be used to elucidate the effect of pore structure on adsorption. Adsorption isotherm data were collected for o-cresol and 2-ethylphenol on four ACFs (ACC-10, ACC-15, ACC-20, and ACC-25) with different micropore volumes and BET surface area and on one type of GAC bituminous base. These isotherms were collected under anoxic (absence of molecular oxygen) and oxic (presence of molecular oxygen) conditions. No significant impact of the presence of molecular oxygen on adsorption capacity was noted for ACC-10. ACC-10 has an average pore width of 19.2 A and total pore volume of 0.43 cm3g(-1). On the other hand, for the remaining ACFs, which have larger average pore width and larger pore volume, significant increase in the adsorptive capacity had been observed when molecular oxygen was present. The GAC gave the greatest difference between anoxic and oxic conditions when compared to all the ACFs studied. Binary adsorption of o-cresol and 2-ethylphenol on ACFs with the least pore size (ACC-10) also showed no significant differences between oxic and anoxic environment. The binary system under both anoxic and oxic conditions was well predicted by the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST).     

Temporal and spatial variation of arsenic species in the Dahuofang reservoir in northeast China

Overlying water, pore water, and sediment samples were collected from the Dahuofang reservoir in November 2011 and April 2012, respectively. Total arsenic and arsenic species including arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic, and dimethylarsinic were analyzed by ICP-MS and HPLC–ICP-MS. The results indicated that the environments of the Dahuofang reservoir were in reduced conditions, arsenite was the predominant species in pore water and sediments in the reservoir. Arsenic concentrations in overlying water were very low in all the samples but showed different trend during the different time. In November, arsenic concentrations in the reservoir inlet were higher than that in the other sites, whereas arsenic showed accumulation from the upstream to downstream of the reservoir in samples collected in April. In pore water, arsenic concentrations were about 23 and 37 times higher than those in overlying water in November and April, respectively, and relatively high levels of arsenite were also detected in the pore water. In surface sediments, total arsenic and arsenic species content in the reservoir inlet showed the following decreasing order: R1?>?R10?>?R4. The results also showed that moderate ecological risks exist in pore water and sediments in the Dahuofang reservoir.     

Interaction between water flow and spatial distribution of microbial growth in a two-dimensional flow field in saturated porous media

Bacterial growth and its interaction with water flow was investigated in a two-dimensional flow field in a saturated porous medium. A flow cell (56 x 44 x 1 cm) was filled with glass beads and operated under a continuous flow of a mineral medium containing nitrate as electron acceptor. A glucose solution was injected through an injection port, simulating a point source contamination. Visible light transmission was used to observe the distribution of the growing biomass and water flow during the experiment. At the end of the experiment (on day 31), porous medium samples were destructively collected and analyzed for abundance of total and active bacterial cells, bacterial cell volume and concentration of polysaccharides and proteins. Microbial growth was observed in two stripes along the length of the flow cell, starting at the glucose injection port, where highest biomass concentrations were obtained. The spatial distribution of biomass indicated that microbial activity was limited by transverse mixing between glucose and nitrate media, as only in the mixing zone between the media high biological activities were achieved. The ability of the biomass to change the flow pattern in the flow cell was observed, indicating that the biomass was locally reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the porous medium. This bioclogging effect became evident when the injection of the glucose solution was turned off and water flow still bypassed the area around the glucose injection port, preserving the flow pattern as it was during the injection of the glucose solution. As flow bypass was possible in this system, the average hydraulic properties of the flow cell were not affected by the produced biomass. Even in the vicinity of the injection port, the total volume of the bacterial cells remained below 0.01% of the pore space and was unlikely to be responsible for the bioclogging. However, the bacteria produced large amounts of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which likely caused the observed bioclogging effects.     

The removal of uranium (VI) from aqueous solutions onto activated carbon developed from grinded used tire

In this study, activated carbon was prepared from waste tire by KOH chemical activation. The pore properties including the BET surface area, pore volume, pore size distribution, and average pore diameter were characterized. BET surface area of the activated carbon was determined as 558 m²/g. The adsorption of uranium ions from the aqueous solution using this activated carbon has been investigated. Various physico-chemical parameters such as pH, initial metal ion concentration, and adsorbent dosage level and equilibrium contact time were studied by a batch method. The optimum pH for adsorption was found to be 3. The removal efficiency has also been determined for the adsorption system as a function of initial concentration. The experimental results were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models. A comparison of best-fitting was performed using the coefficient of correlation and the Langmuir isotherm was found to well represent the measured sorption data. According to the evaluation using the Langmuir equation, the saturated monolayer sorption capacity of uranium ions onto waste tire activated carbon was 158.73 mg/g. The thermodynamic equilibrium constant and the Gibbs free energy were determined and results indicated the spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. Kinetics data were best described by pseudo-second-order model.