Biotrickling filtration of nitric oxide

A biotrickling filter with blast-furnace slag packings (sizes = 20-40 mm and specific surface area = 120 m2/m3) was utilized to treat NO in an air stream. The operational stability, as well as the effects of gas empty-bed retention time (EBRT) and nutrient addition on the removal ability of NO, were tested. Approximately six weeks were required for the development of a biofilm for NO degradation, and a two-week organic carbon deficiency resulted in the detachment of biofilms from the packing surfaces. A steady removal rate of 80% was attained at specified influent NO concentrations of 892 to 1237 ppm and an EBRT of 118 sec. The effluent NO concentration diminished exponentially with enlarging EBRT, with influent NO concentrations of 203-898 ppm, and EBRTs of 25 to 118 sec. Nutrient addition is essential for efficient removal of the influent NO. Mass ratios of C: P: N = 7: 1: 30 and NaHCO3: NO-N = 6.3 could be used for practical applications.     

Measurements of atmospheric nitrous acid and nitric acid

A highly sensitive technique for the measurement of atmospheric HONO and HNO₃ is reported. The technique is based on aqueous scrubbing using two coil samplers, followed by conversion of HNO₃ to nitrite, derivatization of nitrite to a highly light-absorbing azo dye with sulfanilamide (SA) and N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine (NED), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. HNO₃ concentration was obtained by the difference of the two channels. Two scrubbing solutions were used for sampling the two species: a 1-mM phosphate buffer solution (pH 7) for the measurement of HONO and a 180 mM NH₄Cl/NH₃ buffer solution (pH 8.5) for the measurement of HONO+HNO₃. The scrubbing solution flow rate was 0.24 ml min⁻¹ and the gas sampling flow rate was 2 l min⁻¹. HNO₃ in the NH₄Cl/NH₃ buffer solution was quantitatively reduced to nitrite along an on-line 0.8-cm Cd reductor column. Nitrite in both channels was derivatized with 2 mM SA and 0.2 mM NED in 25 mM HCl. Quantitative derivatization was achieved within 5 min at 55°C. The azo dye derivative was then separated from the SA/NED reagent by reversed-phase HPLC and detected with a UV-vis detector at 540 nm. With an on-line SEP-PAK C-18 cartridge for the reagent purification, the method detection limit is estimated to be better than 1 pptv for HONO and about 20 pptv for HNO₃. The sample integration time was about 2 min and the sampling frequency is every 10 min. Data collected in downtown Albany and Whiteface Mountain, NY, are shown as examples of applications of this technique in both urban and remote clean environments.     

等离子体催化脱氮的实验研究

研究了等离子体和催化剂共同作用下氮氧化物的脱除情况 ,催化剂采用分子筛Cu ZSM 5。实验证明 ,在有催化剂存在的条件下 ,等离子体反应器的脱氮效率有了很大的提高 ,同时电源功率、烟气成分、温度、添加剂也都是影响实验结果的重要因素。     

异养型生物过滤床硝化净化一氧化氮

采用生物滤床处理NO模拟废气,研究了停留时间(EBRT)、有机物浓度等在生物硝化去除NO技术中的作用过程.实验结果表明,EBRT和有机物含量是影响NO硝化去除效率的主要因素,NO去除效果随着有机物含量和EBRT的增大而提高;当进口浓度50 mg/m3,营养液中葡萄糖40 mg/L,EBRT＞3 min时,NO去除率达95%以上.比较自养菌和异养菌对NO硝化去除的效果,异养菌的去除效率提高20%～30%,具有广泛应用前景.     

The changes of nitric oxide production during the growth of Microcystis aerugrinosa

This study characterized the changes of nitric oxide (NO) production during the growth of Microcystis aerugrinosa, a cyanobacterium which usually cause cyanobacterial blooms. Results showed a drastic NO release accompanying with cell density and Chl-a content sharp rises when M. aerugrinosa grew from fifth day to sixth day. Moreover, high N:P ratio accelerated the cyanobacterial growth and NO burst. Sodium nitroprusside, an exogenous NO donor, promoted M. aerugrinosa growth with the optimal concentration of 0.1 mg/L. Experiments by supplementing with sodium nitrite and l-arginine demonstrated NO production in M. aerugrinosa cells was mainly through nitrate reductase (NR) pathway while minorly through NO synthase pathway. All these data suggested M. aerugrinosa produced increasing NO during its growth mainly by NR pathway, during which NO positively regulated the growth of M. aerugrinosa.     

Consumption of biogenic nitric oxide in hydrated soil

An experimental study was conducted in order to determine the relationship of nitric oxide (NO) consumption to water-filled pore space in soil. A test system that included the capability to blend gases, test soil samples, and analyze off-gases was used to conduct the study. The experimental set consisted of three replicates at five different levels of soil water content and three different levels of soil nitrogen in a sandy loam soil: unamended soil, soil fertilized at 56.2 kg N per ha (50 lb N acre(-1)), and soil fertilized at 112.3 kg N per ha (100 lb N acre(-1)). The average NO consumption rates were 7.1x10(-13) g-NO cm(-3) soil, 3.5x10(-11) g-NO cm(-3) soil, and 1.5x10(-10) g-NO cm(-3) soil, respectively.     

Reduction of nitric oxide on iron-based catalysts containing vanadium

The catalytic reduction of NO_x with NH₃ on alumina supported Fe-Cr-V (18/1/1 atomic ratios) oxides and Fe-V (1/1 atomic ratio) oxides in simulated flue gas has been investigated. Preliminary experimental results indicate that both show exceptional promise as sulfur-resistant and active catalysts for the control of NO_x in power plant exhaust emissions.     

氧气对生物转鼓过滤器反硝化净化NO废气的影响研究

在自行研制的生物转鼓过滤器(RDB)内,考察了反硝化净化一氧化氮(NO)废气的去除率、去除负荷和以及不同氧气含量对反硝化过程的影响。结果表明,在温度25~30℃、pH 7~7.5、转鼓转速1 r/min、营养液更新0.2 L/d条件下,挂膜历时30 d完成。稳定运行期,NO进气浓度为90~433 mg/m3,去除率维持在60%~85%之间,平均去除负荷为10.4 g/(m3.h);在短期影响考察时,氧气含量的增加使得气液两相的传质增强,加快了微生物的降解速率,但从长期影响的实验结果分析,低浓度的氧气能够提高NO的净化效率,而过高的氧气含量则抑制了反硝化过程,这是由于氧气对反硝化过程的抑制作用和化学氧化的促进作用共同影响的结果。     

过渡金属氧化物催化氧化NO实验研究

采用沉淀法制备出一系列过渡金属氧化物催化剂,在内径为10 mm的固定床反应器中考察其对低浓度NO的催化氧化活性,催化反应活性顺序为:MnCrCoCuFeZn,并考察了以锰为活性组分采用低温固相法、流变相法和浸渍法制备的催化剂催化氧化NO的活性。实验结果表明,采用流变相法和低温固相法制备的锰氧化物催化剂,在反应温度150℃,NO浓度为5×10-4,O2为3%,N2为平衡气,空速51 000 h-1条件下,NO转化率分别为65%和57%;采用浸渍法制备的Mn/TiO2-10%催化剂,在反应温度200℃,空速相同的条件下,NO转化率为47%。     

Removal of nitric oxide in a biotrickling filter under thermophilic condition using Chelatococcus daeguensis

The development of a thermophilic biotrickling filter (BTF) system to inoculate a newly isolated strain of Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 for the effective treatment of nitric oxide (NO) is described. A bench-scale BTF was run under high concentrations of NO and 8% O2 in thermophilic aerobic environment. A novel aerobic denitrifier Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 was isolated from the biofilm of an on-site biotrickling filter and it showed a denitrifying capability of 96.1% nitrate removal rate in a 24 h period in aerobic environment at 50 degrees C, with no nitrite accumulation. The inlet NO concentration fluctuated between approximately 133.9 and 669.6 mg m-3 and kept on a steady NOx removal rate above 80% in an oxygen stream of 8%. The BTF system was able to consistently remove 80-93.7% NO when the inlet NO was 535.7 mg m-3 in an oxygen stream of 2-20%. The biological removal efficiency of NO at 50 degrees C is higher than that at 25 degrees C, suggesting that the aerobic denitrifier TAD1 display well denitrification performance under thermophilic condition. Starvation for 2, 4 and 8 days resulted in the re-acclimation times of Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 ranging between 4 and 16 hours. A longer recovery time than that for weekend shutdown will be required when a longer starvation occurs. The results presented here demonstrate the feasibility of biotrickling filter for the thermophilic removal of NOx from gas streams. Implications: A novel denitrifier Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 was isolated from an on-site biotrickling filter in aerobic environment at 50 degrees C. To date, C. daeguensis has not been previously reported to be an aerobic denitrifier. In this study, a thermophilic biotrickling filter system inoculated with Chelatococcus daeguensis TADI for treatment of nitric oxide is developed. In coal-fired power plants, influent flue gas stream for nitrogen oxides (NOx) removal typically exhibit temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees C. Traditionally, cooling gases to below 40 degrees C prior to biological treatment is inevitable, which is costly. Therefore, the application ofthermophilic microorganisms for the removal of nitric oxide (NO) at this temperature range would offer great savings and would greatly extend the applicability ofbiofilters and biotrickling filters. Until now there has not been any study published about thermophilic biological treatment of NO under aerobic condition.     

Removal of nitric oxide in a biotrickling filter under thermophilic condition using Chelatococcus daeguensis

The development of a thermophilic biotrickling ?lter (BTF) system to inoculate a newly isolated strain of Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 for the effective treatment of nitric oxide (NO) is described. A bench-scale BTF was run under high concentrations of NO and 8% O₂ in thermophilic aerobic environment. A novel aerobic denitrifier Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 was isolated from the biofilm of an on-site biotrickling filter and it showed a denitrifying capability of 96.1% nitrate removal rate in a 24 h period in aerobic environment at 50 °C, with no nitrite accumulation. The inlet NO concentration fluctuated between approximately 133.9 and 669.6 mg m-3 and kept on a steady NOx removal rate above 80% in an oxygen stream of 8%. The BTF system was able to consistently remove 80–93.7% NO when the inlet NO was 535.7 mg m-3 in an oxygen stream of 2–20%. The biological removal efficiency of NO at 50 °C is higher than that at 25 °C, suggesting that the aerobic denitri?er TAD1 display well denitrification performance under thermophilic condition. Starvation for 2, 4 and 8 days resulted in the re-acclimation times of Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 ranging between 4 and 16 hours. A longer recovery time than that for weekend shutdown will be required when a longer starvation occurs. The results presented here demonstrate the feasibility of biotrickling ?lter for the thermophilic removal of NOx from gas streams.

Implications A novel denitrifier Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 was isolated from an on-site biotrickling filter in aerobic environment at 50 °C. To date, C. daeguensis has not been previously reported to be an aerobic denitrifier. In this study, a thermophilic biotrickling ?lter system inoculated with Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 for treatment of nitric oxide is developed. In coal-fired power plants, influent flue gas stream for nitrogen oxides (NO_x) removal typically exhibit temperatures between 50 and 60 °C. Traditionally, cooling gases to below 40 °C prior to biological treatment is inevitable, which is costly. Therefore, the application of thermophilic microorganisms for the removal of nitric oxide (NO) at this temperature range would offer great savings and would greatly extend the applicability of biofilters and biotrickling filters. Until now there has not been any study published about thermophilic biological treatment of NO under aerobic condition.     

The scavenging of atmospheric sulfate by arctic snow

Scavenging ratios for sulfate on the south-central Greenland Ice Sheet at Dye 3 have been computed for 1982–1984. The ratios are based on measured concentrations in snow and estimated concentrations in air. The snow data have been obtained from snowpit samples which were dated by comparing δ¹⁸O values with meteorological records. The airborne concentrations have been estimated from data collected at coastal Greenland sites. Scavenging ratios resulting from this process are found to be in the range ~ 100–200 in winter and ~ 200–400 in summer. The greater summer values are attributed to increased riming, resulting in scavenging of sulfate as condensation nuclei and possible oxidation of SO₂ in cloudwater droplets. Using the airborne and snowpit concentrations with assumed dry deposition velocities of 0.02–0.05 cms⁻, it is estimated that dry deposition is responsible for roughly 10–30% of the total sulfate deposition on a year-round basis at Dye 3. During portions of the Arctic winter, however, when the snow is unrimed and when there is less precipitation, dry deposition may be dominant.     

Oxidation of nitric oxide controlled by turbulent mixing in plumes from oil sands extraction plants

Results are presented of airborne measurements taken in oil sands extraction plant plumes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Measurements with fast response monitors at a high sampling rate illustrate the narrow reaction zone in the plume caused by a turbulent diffusion reaction of NO to NO₂ as suggested by theoretical and laboratory studies. The measured conversion rates of NO to NO₂ varied considerably from day to day, from 0.2 to 21.4% min⁻. Analysis of the oxidation rate of NO to NO₂ and of the atmospheric turbulence parameter reveals that, over the distances and time scales within which the plumes are distinguishable from the background, the nitrogen oxides chemistry in the plumes is controlled by the rates at which the plumes mix with the ambient air (containing ozone), rather than by chemical kinetics.     

The chemistry of atmospheric mercury: a review

The atmosphere is an important transient reservoir of mercury. In addition to its great capacity, the chemical processes transforming mercury between the elemental and divalent states strongly influence the transport characteristics and deposition rate of this toxic metal back to the ground. Modeling efforts to assess global cycling of mercury require an in-depth knowledge of atmospheric mercury chemistry. This review article provides selected physical and chemical properties of atmospheric mercury, and discusses the identified mercury transformation pathways mediated by ozone, S(IV), hydroperoxyl radical, hydroxyl radical, chlorine, nitrate radical and photolysis of Hg(II) complexes. Special attention is paid to the kinetics and mechanisms of the reactions interconverting mercury between elemental and divalent states. The significance and implications of each transformation pathway under atmospheric conditions are addressed. Future research areas that must be pursued to better understand the fate and transformation of mercury in the atmosphere are also projected.