Microwave Regeneration of Activated Carbon Used for Removal of Solvents from Vented Air

ABSTRACT

A microwave regeneration of activated carbon used to remove organic solvents from vented air has been investigated. Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), acetone, and tetrachloroethylene (TCE) vapors were removed from vented air through adsorption onto granular activated carbon. The saturated carbon was then regenerated in a microwave field, where the solvent was quickly desorbed and recovered from the inner pores of the carbon granules. The microwave-induced regeneration restored the original adsorption capacity and surface area of the activated carbon.     

Spreadsheet‐based modeling of ISCO with permanganate

CDISCO, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet–based model, can be used to assist with the design of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) systems using permanganate (MnO₄^?). The model inputs are the aquifer characteristics (porosity, hydraulic conductivity, effective aquifer thickness, natural oxidant demand, kinetic parameters, contaminant concentrations, etc.), injection conditions (permanganate injection concentration, flow rate, and duration), and unit costs for reagent, drilling, and labor. MnO₄^? transport in the aquifer is simulated and used to estimate the effective radius of influence (ROI) and required injection point spacing. CDISCO then provides a preliminary cost estimate for the selected design conditions. The user can perform multiple runs of CDISCO to optimize the cost of the ISCO design. Comparisons with analytical and numerical models of nonreactive and reactive transport demonstrate that CDISCO accurately simulates MnO₄^? transport and consumption. Comparison of CDISCO results with the three‐dimensional heterogeneous simulations show that aquifer volume contact efficiency and contaminant mass treatment efficiency are closely correlated with the ROI overlap factor. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Kinetic and mechanism studies of the adsorption of lead onto waste cow bone powder (WCBP) surfaces

This study examines the adsorption isotherms, kinetics and mechanisms of Pb²⁺ sorption onto waste cow bone powder (WCBP) surfaces. The concentrations of Pb²⁺ in the study range from 10 to 90 mg/L. Although the sorption data follow the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm, a detailed examination reveals that surface sorption or complexation and co-precipitation are the most important mechanisms, along with possibly ion exchange and solid diffusion also contributing to the overall sorption process. The co-precipitation of Pb²⁺ with the calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca-HAP) is implied by significant changes in Ca²⁺ and PO₄ ^3? concentrations during the metal sorption processes. The Pb²⁺ sorption onto the WCBP surface by metal complexation with surface functional groups such as ≡ POH. The major metal surface species are likely to be ≡ POPb⁺. The sorption isotherm results indicated that Pb²⁺ sorption onto the Langmuir and Freundlich constant q _max and K _F is 9.52 and 8.18 mg g^?1, respectively. Sorption kinetics results indicated that Pb²⁺ sorption onto WCBP was pseudo-second-order rate constants K ₂ was 1.12 g mg^?1 h^?1. The main mechanism is adsorption or surface complexation (≡POPb⁺: 61.6%), co-precipitation or ion exchange [Ca_3.93 Pb_1.07 (PO₄)₃ (OH): 21.4%] and other precipitation [Pb 50 mg L^?1 and natural pH: 17%). Sorption isotherms showed that WCBP has a much higher Pb²⁺ removal rate in an aqueous solution; the greater capability of WCBP to remove aqueous Pb²⁺ indicates its potential as another promising way to remediate Pb²⁺-contaminated media.     

Enhanced biodegradation of azo dyes using an integrated elemental iron-activated sludge system: I. Evaluation of system performance.

The objective of this research is to evaluate an integrated system coupling zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) and aerobic biological oxidation for the treatment of azo dye wastewater. Zero-valent (elemental) iron can reduce the azo bond, cleaving dye molecules into products that are more amenable to aerobic biological treatment processes. Azo dye reduction products, including aniline and sulfanilic acid, were shown to be readily biodegradable at concentrations up to approximately 25 mg/L. Batch reduction and biodegradation data support the proposed integrated iron pretreatment and activated sludge process for the degradation of the azo dyes orange G and orange I. The integrated system was able to decolorize dye solutions and yield effluents with lower total organic carbon concentrations than control systems without iron pretreatment. The success of the bench-scale integrated system suggests that iron pretreatment may be a feasible approach to treat azo dye containing wastewaters.     

中国人居环境研究现状中存在的问题

随着经济的发展,人们面临着越来越严重的环境问题,人居环境开始被广泛关注。作者在阅读了近现代中国学者对人居环境研究的80余篇权威期刊文献后,总结了中国人居环境的研究现状,发现研究结论中存在的矛盾并尝试对其进行了理论分析,提出人居环境的发展阶段可划分为三个阶段:人居硬环境时代——人居软环境时代——和谐人居时代,总结出现代中国正处于人居软环境时代,明确人居环境发展的最终理想目标:和谐人居。