Breakthrough Curves Characterization and Identification of an Unknown Pollution Source in Groundwater System Using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)

Contamination of groundwater constrains its uses and poses a serious threat to the environment. Once groundwater is contaminated, the cleanup may be difficult and expensive. Identification of unknown pollution sources is the first step toward adopting any remediation strategy. The proposed methodology exploits the capability of a universal function approximation by a feed-forward multilayer artificial neural network (ANN) to identify the sources in terms of its location, magnitudes, and duration of activity. The back-propagation algorithm is utilized for training the ANN to identify the source characteristics based on simulated concentration data at specified observation locations in the aquifer. Uniform random generation and the Latin hypercube sampling method of random generation are used to generate temporal varying source fluxes. These source fluxes are used in groundwater flow and the transport simulation model to generate necessary data for the ANN model-building processes. Breakthrough curves obtained for the specified pollution scenario are characterized by different methods. The characterized breakthrough curves parameters serve as inputs to ANN model. Unknown pollution source characteristics are outputs for ANN model. Experimentation is also performed with different number of training and testing patterns. In addition, the effects of measurement errors in concentration measurements values are used to show the robustness of ANN based methodology for source identification in case of erroneous data.     

Acid azo dye degradation by free and immobilized horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed process

Acid azo (Acid Black 10 BX) dye removal by plant based peroxidase catalyzed reaction was investigated. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was extracted from horseradish roots and its performance was evaluated in both free and immobilized form. HRP showed its ability to degrade the dye in aqueous phase. Studies are further carried out to understand the process parameters such as aqueous phase pH, H2O2 dose, dye and enzyme concentrations during enzyme-mediated dye degradation process. Experimental data revealed that dye (substrate) concentration, aqueous phase pH, enzyme and H2O2 dose play a significant role on the overall enzyme-mediated reaction. Acrylamide gel immobilized HRP showed effective performance compared to free HRP and alginate entrapped HRP. Alginate entrapped HRP showed inferior performance over the free enzyme due to the consequence of non-availability of the enzyme to the dye molecule due to polymeric immobilization. Standard plating studies performed with Pseudomonas putida showed enhanced degradation of HRP catalyzed dye compared to control.     

共价键型有机硅铝复合絮凝剂的混凝效果

利用正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)、二乙氧基二甲基硅烷(DEDMS)和γ-氨丙基二乙氧基甲基硅烷(APDES)3种硅烷偶联剂作为有机硅源,制备了共价键型有机硅铝复合絮凝剂,研究了共价键型有机硅铝复合絮凝剂处理浊度水、色度水、含油废水以及垃圾渗滤液膜浓缩液的效果。结果表明,3种共价键型有机硅铝复合絮凝剂具有优良的除浊脱色性能,其除油效果远远优于无机高分子絮凝剂。对于垃圾渗滤液膜浓缩液,共价键型有机硅铝复合絮凝剂可以去除常规絮凝剂无法去除的物质,显著降低出水COD。3种共价键型絮凝剂中,以TEOS为硅源的共价键型絮凝剂除浊效果最佳,以APDES为硅源的共价键型絮凝剂除油和去除COD效果最佳。共价键型有机硅铝复合絮凝剂在含油废水和高浓度有机废水的深度处理方面有很好的应用前景。     

Modeling adsorption kinetics of trichloroethylene onto biochars derived from soybean stover and peanut shell wastes

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is one of the most hazardous organic pollutants in groundwater. Biochar produced from agricultural waste materials could serve as a novel carbonaceous adsorbent for removing organic contaminants from aqueous media. Biochars derived from pyrolysis of soybean stover at 300 °C and 700 °C (S-300 and S-700, respectively), and peanut shells at 300 °C and 700 °C (P-300 and P-700, respectively) were utilized as carbonaceous adsorbents to study batch aqueous TCE remediation kinetics. Different rate-based and diffusion-based kinetic models were adopted to understand the TCE adsorption mechanism on biochars. With an equilibrium time of 8–10 h, up to 69 % TCE was removed from water. Biochars produced at 700 °C were more effective than those produced at 300 °C. The P-700 and S-700 had lower molar H/C and O/C versus P-300 and S-300 resulting in high aromaticity and low polarity accompanying with high surface area and high adsorption capacity. The pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion models were well fitted to the kinetic data, thereby, indicating that chemisorption and pore diffusion were the dominating mechanisms of TCE adsorption onto biochars.     

Distribution and ecotoxicological concerns of persistent organic pollutants in sediment from creek ecosystem

In order to study the distribution and ecotoxicological concerns of persistent organic pollutants, grab sediment samples were collected from different locations across Thane creek, India. Analyses of samples were carried out using gas chromatography (GC)–electron capture detector and GC–mass spectrometry techniques. In organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), DDT (1,1,1,-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane), DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene), DDD (1-chloro-4-(2,2-dichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl) benzene) and α, β, and γ conformer of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and 9 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners were analyzed in surface sediment samples. Concentrations of these pollutants in grab sediment samples may indicate their current use and impact on marine ecosystem. Average concentrations of total DDT (including DDD and DDE), HCH, and Σ₉PCBs were found to be 4.9, 12.5, and 2.9 µg kg^?1(dry weight) respectively. High concentrations of OCPs and PCBs were found at discharge locations in creek compared to other locations. Location-wise distribution of OCPs and PCBs indicates their high concentrations at the waste water receiving point. Data were compared for ecotoxicological impacts based on the levels specified in the sediment quality standards of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. γ-HCH was found to have maximum potential to induce ecotoxicological impacts.     

Trace metal enrichments in core sediments in Muthupet mangroves, SE coast of India: application of acid leachable technique

Core sediments from Mullipallam Creek of Muthupet mangroves on the southeast coast of India were analyzed for texture, CaCO(3), organic carbon, sulfur and acid leachable trace metals (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Zn and Cd). Textural analysis reveals a predominance of mud while CaCO(3) indicates dissolution in the upper half of the core, and reprecipitation of carbonates in reduction zones. Trace metals are diagenetically modified and anthropogenic processes control Pb and, to some extent, Ni, Zn and Fe. A distinct event is identified at 90 cm suggesting a change in deposition. Strong relationship of trace metals with Fe indicates that they are associated with Fe-oxyhydroxides. The role of carbonates in absorbing trace metals is evident from their positive relationship with trace metals. Comparison of acid leachable trace metals indicates increase in concentrations in the study area and the sediments act as a sink for trace metals contributed from multiple sources.     

Sources,controls, and probabilistic health risk assessment of fluoride contamination in groundwater from a semi-arid region in Gujarat,Western India: An isotope–hydrogeochemical perspective

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Fluoride contamination in groundwaters of a rural region in semi-arid Western India has been studied using combination of geochemical-and-isotopic...     

芬顿和氯化铁协同修复三价砷污染土的稳定化效果

由于铁盐稳定化修复砷污染土通常不考虑砷价态对毒性和迁移性的影响,导致了修复效果欠佳。针对三价砷污染土提出了预氧化-稳定化协同修复方法,先使用芬顿将三价砷氧化为低迁移性的五价砷,再利用氯化铁将其稳定化。通过合成沉降淋滤试验、生物可利用性、pH测试、连续萃取试验和光谱分析研究了协同修复的稳定化效果和机理。结果表明,与未经处理的污染土相比,1%用量的芬顿和1倍铁砷比的氯化铁进行协同修复的稳定化处理可使浸出浓度降低99.6%,生物可利用性砷的质量分数降低99.4%,修复效率得到提高;芬顿氧化和氯化铁稳定化都使土壤pH降低,但1倍铁砷比下协同修复后的pH为5.82,高于6倍铁砷比下只用氯化铁修复的pH (3.78) ,由此可一定程度上避免过量使用铁盐造成的土壤酸化;连续萃取试验表明协同修复后更多不稳定态的砷转变为稳定形态;光谱分析发现协同修复可以将土壤中三价砷全部氧化为五价,并通过铁氧化物/氢氧化物吸附和砷酸铁沉淀的形式固定砷。本研究结果可为三价砷污染土修复提供理论和技术支持。