Application of Fenton’s reagent combined with sawdust on the dewaterability of oily sludge

Fenton’s reagent and sawdust were used on the dewaterability of the raw oily sludge in this study. The result shows that the combination of the two treatment processes is favorable, although the application of Fenton’s reagent only is not so good. The capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) were used to evaluate the effect of dewaterability of the raw oily sludge, and the CST and SRF values are reduced from 1,760 s and 13.8?×?10¹² m/kg to 185 s and 1.5?×?10¹² m/kg, respectively. The dry matter contents of sludge cakes and properties of the supernatant all gained when using only the Fenton’s reagent and when using the combined treatment with Fenton’s reagent and sawdust respectively were investigated. The results indicate that the oily sludge is more suitable for further treatment after combined process with Fenton’s reagent and sawdust.     

Simultaneously attenuating antibiotic resistance genes and improving the dewaterability of sewage sludge by conditioning with Fenton’s reagent: the pivotal role of sludge pre-acidification

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Fenton conditioning processes have been recently employed to improve the dewaterability of sewage sludge. However, it remains unclear whether the...     

Enhanced transformation and dechlorination of p-chloronitrobenzene in the combined ZVI–anaerobic sludge system

The combination of zero-valent iron (ZVI) with anaerobic sludge for enhancing reductive transformation and dechlorination of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-ClNB) was investigated in this study. p-ClNB was quickly reduced into p-chloroaniline (p-ClAn) and subsequently dechlorinated into aniline in the complex system, and the strengthening factor for pseudo-first-order transformation rate constant of p-ClNB (Q, k _ZVI?+?sludge/(k _sludge?+?k _ZVI)) was above 3. The Q values for the different ZVI types with anaerobic sludge were as following: Reduced ZVI (RZVI)?>?Industrial ZVI?>?Nanoscale ZVI (NZVI). Thereinto, the aggregation of NZVI occurred, and its reaction activity declined. Furthermore, the increase of ZVI dosage promoted the p-ClNB transformation, but the p-ClAn dechlorination rate and Q value were not improved. With the anaerobic biomass increasing, the dechlorination rate of p-ClAn was significantly enhanced, and the Q value had positive relation with the mass ratio of anaerobic sludge to RZVI.     

Stabilization of heavy metals in municipal sewage sludge by freeze–thaw treatment with a blend of diatomite,FeSO4, and Ca(OH)2

In this work, the effects of diatomite with 15% FeSO₄?7H₂O and 7.5% Ca(OH)₂ on sludge stabilization were investigated using batch leaching tests. The influence of cell rupture caused by freezing and thawing on stabilization was also evaluated. The results indicated that the optimal diatomite percentage was 2%. Cell rupture by freezing and thawing reduced heavy metal leachability, followed by cell death and decrease of organic groups. The concentration of heavy metals in sludge leachate increased after cell rupture, indicating that the heavy metal leachability was reduced after freezing and thawings. Moreover, the stabilization effects were generally improved after freezing and thawing. As compared with the stabilization of the original sludge, the unstable fractions decreased and the residual fractions of the heavy metals increased in the stabilized sludge after cell rupture.

Implications: This study developed a method to stabilize heavy metals in municipal sewage sludge. Diatomite combined with FeSO₄·7H₂O and Ca(OH)₂ improved the treatment of sewage sludge contaminated by heavy metals. Cell lysis by freeze–thaw treatment reduced the risk of leaching heavy metals caused by cell death and decreased major organic groups in the sludge.     

Simultaneous adsorption and degradation of γ-HCH by nZVI/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles with activated carbon support

Cu amended zero valent iron bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized by doping Cu on the surface of iron. They were incorporated with granular activated carbon (AC) to prepare supported particles (AC-Fe⁰-Cu), which were used to remove γ-HCH. Cu on the surface of iron enhanced the dechlorination activity of Fe⁰. The dechlorination rate constant (k_obs) increased with the Cu loading on the surface of iron and the maximum was achieved with 6.073% Cu. AC as a support was effective for increasing the dispersion of the nanoparticles and avoiding the agglomeration of the metallic nanoparticles. The simultaneous adsorption of γ-HCH on AC accelerated the degradation rate of γ-HCH by the bimetals. After reaction for 165 min, around 99% of γ-HCH was removed by the solids of AC-Fe⁰-Cu. In addition, AC could adsorb the degradation products. The degradation of γ-HCH was mainly through dehydrochlorination and dichloroelmination based on the intermediate products detected by GC/MS.     

Photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen and caffeine using magnetite–hematite combined nanoparticles: kinetics and mechanisms

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The increased use of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) has contributed to the contamination of water systems and put pressure on the...     

Enhanced degradation of azo dye alizarin yellow R in a combined process of iron–carbon microelectrolysis and aerobic bio-contact oxidation

Purpose

With the aim of enhanced degradation of azo dye alizarin yellow R (AY) and further removal of the low-strength recalcitrant matter (LsRM) of the secondary effluent as much as possible, our research focused on the combination of aerobic bio-contact oxidation (ABO) with iron/carbon microelectrolysis (ICME) process.

Materials and methods

The combined ABO (with effective volume of 2.4?l) and ICME (with effectively volume of 0.4?l) process were studied with relatively short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 4 or 6?h.

Results

At the HRT of 6?h with the reflux ratio of 1 and 2, the AY degradation efficiency in the final effluent was >96.5%, and the total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency were 69.86% and 79.44%, respectively. At the HRT of 4?h and the reflux ratio of 2, TOC removal efficiency and AY degradation efficiency were 73.94% and 94.89%, respectively. The ICME process obviously enhanced the total AY removal and the generated micromolecule acids and aldehydes then that wastewater backflow to the ABO where they were further biodegraded.

Conclusion

The present research might provide the potential options for the advanced treatment azo dyes wastewater with short HRT and acceptable running costs.     

The impact of urbanization and consumption patterns on China’s black carbon emissions based on input–output analysis and structural decomposition analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Urbanization in China has dramatically increased from 39.10 in 2002 to 58.52% in 2017. Studies have discussed the impacts of urbanization and its...     

Cost–benefit analysis of using sewage sludge as alternative fuel in a cement plant: a case study

Background, aim, and scope  To enforce the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol targets, a number of governmental/international institutions have launched emission trade schemes as an approach to specify CO₂ caps and to regulate the emission trade in recent years. These schemes have been basically applied for large industrial sectors, including energy producers and energy-intensive users. Among them, cement plants are included among the big greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters. The use of waste as secondary fuel in clinker kilns is currently an intensive practice worldwide. However, people living in the vicinity of cement plants, where alternative fuels are being used, are frequently concerned about the potential increase in health risks. In the present study, a cost–benefit analysis was applied after substituting classical fuel for sewage sludge as an alternative fuel in a clinker kiln in Catalonia, Spain. Materials and methods  The economical benefits resulting in the reduction of CO₂ emissions were compared with the changes in human health risks due to exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and carcinogenic metals (As, Cd, Co, and Cr) before and after using sewage sludge to generate 20% of the thermal energy needed for pyro-processing. The exposure to PCDD/Fs and metals through air inhalation, soil ingestion and dermal absorption was calculated according to the environmental levels in soil. The carcinogenic risks were assessed, and the associated cost for the population was estimated by considering the DG Environment’s recommended value for preventing a statistical fatality (VPF). In turn, the amount of CO₂ emitted was calculated, and the economical saving, according to the market prices, was evaluated. Results  The use of sewage sludge as a substitute of conventional energy meant a probability cancer decrease of 4.60 for metals and a cancer risk increase of 0.04 for PCDD/Fs. Overall, a net reduction of 4.56 cancers for one million people can be estimated. The associated economical evaluation due to the decreasing cancer for 60,000 people, the current population living near the cement plant, would be of 0.56 million euros (US$ 0.83 million). In turn, a reduction of 144,000 tons of CO₂ emitted between 2003 and 2006 was estimated. Considering a cost of 20 euros per ton of CO₂, the global saving would be 2.88 million euros (US$ 4.26 million). Discussion  After the partial substitution of the fuel, the current environmental exposure to metals and PCDD/Fs would even mean a potential decrease of health risks for the individuals living in the vicinity of the cement plant. The total benefit of using sewage sludge as an alternative fuel was calculated in 3.44 million euros (US$ 5.09 million). Environmental economics is becoming an interesting research field to convert environmental benefits (i.e., reduction of health risks, emission of pollutants, etc.) into economical value. Conclusions  The results show, that while the use of sewage sludge as secondary fuel is beneficial for the reduction in GHG emissions, no additional health risks for the population derived from PCDD/F and metal emissions are estimated. Recommendations and perspectives  Cost–benefit analysis seems to be a suitable tool to estimate the environmental damage and benefit associated to industrial processes. Therefore, this should become a generalized practice, mainly for those more impacting sectors such as power industries. On the other hand, the extension of the study could vastly be enlarged by taking into account other potentially emitted GHGs, such as CH₄ and N₂O, as well as other carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic micropollutants.     

Removal of xenobiotics from effluent discharge by adsorption on zeolite and expanded clay: an alternative to activated carbon?

Xenobiotics such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals are an increasingly large problem in aquatic environments. A fixed-bed adsorption filter, used as tertiary stage of sewage treatment, could be a solution to decrease xenobiotics concentrations in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent. The adsorption efficiency of two mineral adsorbent materials (expanded clay (EC) and zeolite (ZE)), both seen as a possible alternative to activated carbon (AC), was evaluated in batch tests. Experiments involving secondary treated domestic wastewater spiked with a cocktail of ten xenobiotics (eight pharmaceuticals and two pesticides) known to be poorly eliminated in conventional biological process were carried out. Removal efficiencies and partitions coefficients were calculated for two levels of initial xenobiotic concentration, i.e, concentrations lower to 10 μg/L and concentrations ranged from 100 to 1,000 μg/L. While AC was the most efficient adsorbent material, both alternative adsorbent materials showed good adsorption efficiencies for all ten xenobiotics (from 50 to 100 % depending on the xenobiotic/adsorbent material pair). For all the targeted xenobiotics, at lower concentrations, EC presented the best adsorption potential with higher partition coefficients, confirming the results in terms of removal efficiencies. Nevertheless, Zeolite presents virtually the same adsorption potential for both high and low xenobiotics concentrations to be treated. According to this first batch investigation, ZE and EC could be used as alternative absorbent materials to AC in WWTP.     

Degrading a mixture of three textile dyes using photo-assisted electrochemical process with BDD anode and O2–diffusion cathode

In this paper, degradation of a mixture of three azo dyes was studied by the photo-assisted electrochemical process using an O₂-diffusion cathode containing carbon nanotubes and boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. The concentration of three textile dyes (C.I. Acid Orange 8 (AO8), C.I. Acid Orange 10 (AO10), and C.I. Acid Orange 12 (AO12)) was determined simultaneously despite the severe overlap of their spectra. For this purpose, partial least square (PLS), as a multivariate calibration method, was utilized based on recording UV–Vis spectra during the decolorization process. Moreover, the central composite design was used for the modeling of photo-assisted electrochemical decolorization of the aqueous solutions containing three dyes. The investigated parameters were the initial concentration of three dyes, applied current and reaction time. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the obtained regression models match the experimental results well with R (Khataee et al. 2010, Clean-Soil Air Water 38 (1):96–103, 2010) of 0.972, 0.971, and 0.957 for AO8, AO10, and AO12, respectively. Three-dimensional surface and contour plots were applied to describe the relation between experimental conditions and the observed response. The results of TOC analysis confirmed good ability of proposed photo-assisted electrochemical process for degradation and mineralization of textile industry wastewater.     

Research trends and areas of focus on water rights: a bibliometric analysis 1971–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study investigated the research trends, key areas, and directions of water rights (WRs) using bibliometric data based on the Science Citation...     

Humic substances—part 7: the biogeochemistry of dissolved organic carbon and its interactions with climate change

Background, aim, and scope  

Dissolved organic matter, measured as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), is an important component of aquatic ecosystems and of the global carbon cycle. It is known that changes in DOC quality and quantity are likely to have ecological repercussions. This review has four goals: (1) to discuss potential mechanisms responsible for recent changes in aquatic DOC concentrations; (2) to provide a comprehensive overview of the interactions between DOC, nutrients, and trace metals in mainly boreal environments; (3) to explore the impact of climate change on DOC and the subsequent effects on nutrients and trace metals; and (4) to explore the potential impact of DOC cycling on climate change.     

Particulate air pollutants: A comparison of British “Smoke” with optical absorption coefficient and elemental carbon concentration

Atmospheric aerosol samples collected simultaneously on four different filter media support the hypothesis that reflectance, as measured by the British “Smoke” method, is controlled by the optical absorption coefficient of the aerosol. An additional comparison shows that the British “Smoke” measure may be used to estimate concentrations of sub-μm, particulate, elemental carbon. Poorer correlations are suggested for the mass concentration of the particles suspended in air.     

Evolution,status, and trends of exergy research: a systematic analysis during 1997–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Exergy analysis, as a core evaluation tool to improve energy efficiency and system sustainability, has been applied in various fields over the last...     

Titanium dioxide and graphitic carbon nitride–based nanocomposites and nanofibres for the degradation of organic pollutants in water: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The paper reviews graphitic carbon nitride–based nanostructured photocatalytic materials and nanofibres for applications in water purification....     

Determination of propineb and its metabolites propylenethiourea and propylenediamine in banana and soil using gas chromatography with flame photometric detection and LC–MS/MS analysis

A sensitive and specific method for the determination of propineb and its metabolites, propylenethiourea (PTU) and propylenediamine (PDA), using gas chromatography with flame photometric detection (GC-FPD) and LC–MS/MS was developed and validated. Propineb and its metabolite residue dynamics in supervised field trials under Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) conditions in banana and soil were studied. Recovery of propineb (as CS₂), PDA and PTU ranged from 75.3 to 115.4% with RSD (n = 5) of 1.3–11.1%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of CS₂, PDA and PTU ranged from 0.005 to 0.01 mg kg^?1, and the limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.0015 to 0.0033 mg kg^?1. Dissipation experiments showed that the half-life of propineb in banana and soil ranged from 4.4 to 13.3 days. PTU was found in banana with a half-life of 31.5–69.3 days, while levels of PDA were less than 0.01 mg kg^?1 in banana and soil. It has been suggested that PTU is the major metabolite of propineb in banana. The method was demonstrated to be reliable and sensitive for the routine monitoring of propineb and its metabolites in banana and soil. It also serves as a reference for the detection and monitoring of dithiocarbamates (DTCs) residues and the evaluation of their metabolic pathway.     

Simulation of the daily average PM10 concentrations at Ta-Liao with Box–Jenkins time series models and multivariate analysis

Southern Taiwan has experienced severe PM₁₀ problems for over a decade. The present paper describes the establishment of a simulation model for the daily average PM₁₀ concentrations at Ta-Liao, southern Taiwan. The study used a regression with time series error models (RTSE models) (multivariate ARIMA time series model), including an explanatory variable resulting from principal component analyses to complete the PM₁₀ simulation. Factor 1 estimated from the factor analyses explained the variance of 44–49%, which indicated the important contribution from the neighbor-city PM₁₀ at Mei-Nung, Lin-Yuang, Zuoying, Chao-Chou, local ozone and NOx. Factor 1 can be interpreted with regional PM₁₀ plus photochemical reactions. To improve the predictability of extremely high PM₁₀, different results from the principal component analysis were introduced to the RTSE models. We constructed four kinds of RTSE models: RTSE model without PC, with PC4S (PM₁₀ at Mei-Nung, Lin-Yuang, Zuoying, and Chao-Chou), with PCTL (meteorological variables and co-pollutants at Ta-Liao), and with PCTL4S (the combination of the above two) and evaluated the statistics model performance. Ozone, dew point temperature, NOx, wind speed, wind directions, and the PC trigger were the significant variables in the RTSE models most of time. When the neighbor-city PM₁₀ was included in the PC trigger, the predictability was apparently improved. The closeness of fit with the inclusion of PC4S and PCTL4S was improved by reducing SEE from 0.117 to 0.092. Using the RTSE models with PC4S or PCTL4S, POD was improved by an increase of 33%, FAR was reduced 30%, and CSI was increased 39%, when simulating the daily average PM₁₀ > 150 μg m^?3. Evidently we need to survey source impacts prior to establishing a simulation model. Factor analysis is a useful method to investigate sources that contributed PM₁₀ to a target site prior to establishing a simulation model.     

Research trend and dynamical development of focusing on the global critical metals: a bibliometric analysis during 1991–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Critical metals are indispensable to a world seeking to transition away from carbon. Yet their extraction, processing, and application leave an...