Simultaneous removal of potent cyanotoxins from water using magnetophoretic nanoparticle of polypyrrole: adsorption kinetic and isotherm study

Cyanotoxins, microcystins and cylindrospermopsin, are potent toxins produced by cyanobacteria in potable water supplies. This study investigated the removal of cyanotoxins from aqueous media by magnetophoretic nanoparticle of polypyrrole adsorbent. The adsorption process was pH dependent with maximum adsorption occurring at pH 7 for microcystin-LA, LR, and YR and at pH 9 for microcystin-RR and cylindrospermopsin (CYN). Kinetic studies and adsorption isotherms reflected better fit for pseudo-second-order rate and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. Thermodynamic calculations showed that the cyanotoxin adsorption process is endothermic and spontaneous in nature. The regenerated adsorbent can be successfully reused without appreciable loss of its original capacity.     

Heterogeneous UV/Fenton degradation of bisphenol A catalyzed by synergistic effects of FeCo2O4/TiO2/GO

A new method for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation in aqueous solution was developed. The characteristics of BPA degradation in a heterogeneous ultraviolet (UV)/Fenton reaction catalyzed by FeCo₂O₄/TiO₂/graphite oxide (GO) were studied. The properties of the synthesized catalysts were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometry. FeCo₂O₄ and TiO₂ were grown as spherical shape, rough surface, and relatively uniform on the surface of GO (FeCo₂O₄/TiO₂/GO). Batch tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of the initial pH, FeCo₂O₄/TiO₂/GO dosage, and H₂O₂ concentration on BPA degradation. In a system with 0.5 g L⁻¹ of FeCo₂O₄/TiO₂/GO and 10 mmol L⁻¹ of H₂O₂, approximately 90 % of BPA (20 mg L⁻¹) was degraded within 240 min of UV irradiation at pH 6.0. The reused FeCo₂O₄/TiO₂/GO catalyst retained its activity after three cycles, which indicates that it is stable and reusable. The heterogeneous UV/Fenton reaction catalyzed by FeCo₂O₄/TiO₂/GO is a promising advanced oxidation technology for treating wastewater that contains BPA.

     

温度对17α-乙炔雌二醇在SBR工艺中去除效果的影响

17a-乙炔雌二醇(EE2)属于人工合成雌激素,是活性较强的环境内分泌干扰物之一.在污水处理厂中,EE2主要是通过活性污泥的生物降解作用得以去除.影响活性污泥对EE2生物降解的因素很多,温度是影响因素之一.分别采用一级缺氧/好氧(A/O)模式和三级缺氧/好氧(A/O/A/O/A/O)模式运行的SBR工艺.考察了温度对EE2去除的影响.试验发现,随着温度的升高,EE2在水相和泥相中的去除率明显增加,其中在30℃时EE2去除率达到最大,2种运行模式下水相中EE2去除率均达到了96%以上;泥相是EE2生物降解的主要场所;EE2生物降解主要发生在好氧阶段,缺氧阶段EE2生物降解效果不明显.     

好氧硝化颗粒污泥膜生物反应器性能和膜污染研究

实验研究了好氧硝化颗粒污泥膜生物反应器AGMBR的处理性能,并将其与活性污泥膜生物反应器ASMBR进行对比,考察了颗粒污泥在减缓膜污染中所起的作用.好氧硝化颗粒污泥膜生物反应器AGMBR连续稳定运行102 d,系统具有良好的去除有机物和同时硝化反硝化能力,在进水COD和NH+4-N浓度分别为500和200 mg/L时,COD、NH+4-N和TN的去除率分别稳定在86%、94%和45%以上.颗粒污泥有效减缓了膜污染,延长了膜清洗的周期,AGMBR中的膜污染以膜孔堵塞为主,占总阻力的64.81%;滤饼层的阻力为2.1×1012m-1,远小于ASMBR中的16.07×10"m-1;膜清洗周期是相同条件下ASMBR的2.43倍以上;而且AGMBR内不断有新颗粒生成,维持了AGMBR系统性能和运行的稳定.     

DGGE、T-RFLP 、LH-PCR对两种活性污泥的微生物种群多样性分析的比较

采用基于PCR扩增的分子生态技术DGGE、T-RFLP和LH-PCR,对2种典型污水处理系统中的活性污泥（生活污泥、焦化污泥）进行微生物种群多样性分析;并以此比较3种技术的优劣,提出不同应用条件下研究方法的选择依据。根据实验结果：DGGE得到的条带较多,但误差来源也最多;T-RFLP技术较为灵敏,但需要选择适当的内切酶,严格控制酶切条件,并且文库比对误差较大;而LH-PCR操作简单,结果稳定性较高。虽然目前尚无法判断3种方法的准确性,但LH-PCR在活性污泥的微生物种群多样性分析中已显示出潜在优势。     

聚硅酸锌铝的制备及其性能研究

以硅酸钠、硫酸锌、硫酸铝为原料,通过共聚法制备了无机高分子絮凝剂聚硅酸锌铝（PSZAS）,研究了Na₂SiO₃的摩尔浓度、活化时间、Al/Si、Zn/Si 配比及絮凝剂的投加量对絮凝效果的影响,用X-射线衍射（XRD）和电子扫描电镜（SEM）对该絮凝剂的结构及形貌进行了表征。结果表明：当硅酸钠的浓度为0.4 mol/L,硅酸活化时间为2 h,Si∶Al∶Zn=1∶1∶1.5,絮凝剂投加量为20 mL/L废水时,絮凝剂的电中和能力和吸附架桥能力最强,絮凝剂对含H-酸染料模拟废水的絮凝效果最好。     

Reclamation and revegetation of fly ash disposal sites - Challenges and research needs

Coal-fired power generation is a principal energy source throughout the world. Approximately, 70-75% of coal combustion residues are fly ash and its utilization worldwide is only slightly above 30%. The remainder is disposed of in landfills and fly ash basins. It is desirable to revegetate these sites for aesthetic purposes, to stabilize the surface ash against wind and water erosion and to reduce the quantity of water leaching through the deposit. Limitations to plant establishment and growth in fly ash can include a high pH (and consequent deficiencies of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and P), high soluble salts, toxic levels of elements such as B, pozzalanic properties of ash resulting in cemented/compacted layers and lack of microbial activity. An integrated organic/biotechnological approach to revegetation seems appropriate and should be investigated further. This would include incorporation of organic matter into the surface layer of ash, mycorrhizal inoculation of establishing vegetation and use of inoculated legumes to add N. Leaching losses from ash disposal sites are likely to be site-specific but a sparse number of studies have revealed enriched concentrations of elements such as Ca, Fe, Cd, Pb, and Sb in surrounding groundwater. This aspect deserves further study particularly in the longer-term. In addition, during weathering of the ash and deposition of organic matter during plant growth, a soil will form with properties vastly different to that of the parent ash. In turn, this will influence the effect that the disposal site has on the surrounding environment. Nevertheless, the effects of ash weathering and organic matter accumulation over time on the chemical, physical and biological properties of the developing ash-derived soil are not well understood and require further study.     

Model-based prediction of long-term leaching of contaminants from secondary materials in road constructions and noise protection dams

In this study, contaminant leaching from three different secondary materials (demolition waste, municipal solid waste incineration ash, and blast furnace slag) to groundwater is assessed by numerical modeling. Reactive transport simulations for a noise protection dam and a road dam (a typical German autobahn), in which secondary materials are reused as base layers, were performed to predict the breakthrough of a conservative tracer (i.e., a salt) and sorbing contaminants (e.g., PAHs like naphthalene and phenanthrene or heavy metals) at the groundwater table. The dam constructions have a composite architecture with soil covers in inclined layers and distinct contrasts in the unsaturated hydraulic properties of the used materials. Capillary barrier effects result in strong spatial variabilities of flow and transport velocities. Contaminant breakthrough curves at the groundwater table show significant tailing due to slow sorption kinetics and a wide distribution of travel times. While conservative tracer breakthrough depends primarily on subsoil hydraulic properties, equilibrium distribution coefficients and sorption kinetics represent additional controlling factors for contaminant spreading. Hence, the three secondary materials show pronounced differences in the temporal development of leached contaminant concentrations with consequences for breakthrough times and peak concentrations at the groundwater table. Significant concentration reductions due to dispersion occur only if the source concentrations decrease significantly prior to the arrival of the contaminant at the groundwater table. Biodegradation causes significant reduction of breakthrough concentrations only if flow velocities are low.     

Geopolymerisation of silt generated from construction and demolition waste washing plants

Recycling plants that size, sort and wash construction and demolition waste can produce high quality aggregate. However, they also produce up to 80ton per hour of filter cake waste containing fine (<63mum) silt particles that is classified as inert waste and normally landfilled. This research investigated the potential to form geopolymers containing silt, which would allow this problematic waste to be beneficially reused as aggregate. This would significantly improve the economic viability of recycling plants that wash wastes. Silt filter cakes have been collected from a number of aggregate washing plants operating in the UK. These were found to contain similar aluminosilicate crystalline phases. Geopolymer samples were produced using silt and silt mixed with either metakaolin or pulverised fuel ash (PFA). Silt geopolymers cured at room temperature had average 7-day compressive strengths of 18.7MPa, while partial substitution of silt by metakaolin or PFA increased average compressive strengths to 30.5 and 21.9MPa, respectively. Curing specimens for 24h at 105 degrees C resulted in a compressive strength of 39.7MPa and microstructural analysis confirmed the formation of dense materials. These strengths are in excess of those required for materials to be used as aggregate, particularly in unbound applications. The implications of this research for the management of waste silt at construction and demolition waste washing plants are discussed.