Dual-reaction-center catalytic process continues Fenton’s story

• Dual-reaction-center (DRC) system breaks through bottleneck of Fenton reaction. • Utilization of intrinsic electrons of pollutants is realized in DRC system. • DRC catalytic process well continues Fenton’s story. Triggered by global water quality safety issues, the research on wastewater treatment and water purification technology has been greatly developed in recent years. The Fenton technology is particularly powerful due to the rapid attack on pollutants by the generated hydroxyl radicals (•OH). However, both heterogeneous and homogeneous Fenton/Fenton-like technologies follow the classical reaction mechanism, which depends on the oxidation and reduction of the transition metal ions at single sites. So even after a century of development, this reaction still suffers from its inherent bottlenecks in practical application. In recent years, our group has been focusing on studying a novel heterogeneous Fenton catalytic process, and we developed the dual-reaction-center (DRC) system for the first time. In the DRC system, H₂O₂ and O₂ can be efficiently reduced to reactive oxygen species (ROS) in electron-rich centers, while pollutants are captured and oxidized by the electron-deficient centers. The obtained electrons from pollutants are diverted to the electron-rich centers through bonding bridges. This process breaks through the classic Fenton mechanism, and improves the performance and efficiency of pollutant removal in a wide pH range. Here, we provide a brief overview of Fenton’s story and focus on combing the discovery and development of the DRC technology and mechanism in recent years. The construction of the DRC and its performance in the pollutant degradation and interfacial reaction process are described in detail. We look forward to bringing a new perspective to continue Fenton’s story through research and development of DRC technology.     

Enhanced nitrogen removal in filled-and-drained vertical flow constructed wetlands: microbial responses to aeration mode and carbon source

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - For the purpose of enhancing the removal rate of nitrogen (N) and organic matters, intermittent aeration and carbon source were used in...     

离子型稀土冶炼废水资源回收及达标排放处理工艺研究

离子型稀土冶炼废水水质成分复杂,NH_3-N浓度极高,直接排放不仅造成严重的环境污染而且形成巨大的资源浪费。通过全面分析稀土冶炼废水水质,对稀土冶炼废水资源回收及达标排放处理进行了工艺理论分析,并提出了整套工艺流程。实验室小试及中试研究结果显示,该工艺能有效地从稀土冶炼废水中回收农业级NH_4Cl,并使废水达到污水综合排放标准(GB 8978-1996)的要求。     

生物法降解养殖场臭气中H2S的反应器启动

畜禽养殖场臭气成分复杂,完全去除较为困难。生物法是目前应用较广泛的脱臭方法,其中能否将生物膜附着在填料上是影响生物法去除恶臭气体效率的重要因素。本实验采用定时定量投加Na2S的方式驯化活性污泥,并选用MLSS浓度和SO42-浓度增量变化2个指标作为污泥驯化成熟的指标,比传统的以MLSS作为污泥驯化成熟的指标更准确。采用循环污泥的挂膜方式,运行2 d后,通入新鲜的空气和H2S气体,2周后反应器启动成功。     

Citrobacter sp.CK3对活性红KN-3B的脱色反应动力学研究

采用脱色菌Citrobacter sp. CK3,以活性红KN-3B染料为处理对象,在厌氧批式反应条件下,系统考察了pH值,温度和染料浓度对脱色反应速度的影响;通过动力学模拟及反应过程中染料的UV-Vis扫描图分析,探讨了脱色反应机理。结果表明:Citrobacter sp. CK3对活性红KN-3B的脱色反应的适宜pH为7～9;脱色反应速度在温度为32℃时达到最大。染料初浓度从57 mg/L逐渐增大到458 mg/L时脱色率逐渐降低。脱色过程中染料的偶氮键发生断裂,脱色反应符合二级反应动力学。     

Catalytic Activity of Biomorphic α-MoO(3) in the Degradation of Methyl Violet Dye

A network of fibers comprising orthorhombic molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO(3)) crystals were synthesized using paper as template via a biomorphic approach. The template was completely removed by annealing the sample at 600°C for 5?min. Monoclinic MoO(3) was formed and consequently converted into orthorhombic α-MoO(3) after prolonged annealing. Three milligrams of the biomorphic α-MoO(3) could degrade up to 90% of a methyl violet aqueous solution with a concentration of 20?mg/L under normal visible light. The size of the α-MoO(3) grains and the porosity of the biomorphic sample affected catalytic performance.     

Effects of Land Use Changes on the Ecosystem Service Values of a Reclamation Farm in Northeast China

Intensive agricultural development can change land use, which can further affect regional ecosystem services and functions. With the rapid growth of the population and the national demand for food, the northeast of China, which is located in the high latitudes, has experienced four agricultural developments since the 1950s. The original wetlands of this area were developed for farmland. The evaluation of ecosystem services is conducted to reveal the ecosystem status and variable trends caused by land reclamation. The aim of this study is to provide scientific basis for environmental management and for the sustainable development of agriculture in Northeast China. With GIS-RS technology, a typical farm was chosen to analyze variations in the ecosystem service value in response to land use changes during the study period. The total ecosystem service value of the farm decreased from 7523.10 million Yuan in 1979 to 4023.59 million Yuan in 2009 with an annual rate of ?1.6?% due to the decreasing areas of woodland and wetland. The increased areas of cropland, water area and grassland partly offset the loss of the total value, but the loss was still greater than the compensation. Waste treatment and climate regulation were the top two service functions with high service values, contributing to approximately 50?% of the total service value. The spatial difference of the ecosystem service value also was analyzed. The wetlands located in the central and northeastern sections of the farm changed significantly. From the aspect of ecosystem service value, the wetland and water area should be conserved, as they have the highest value coefficients. The accuracy of the value coefficient, however, needs to be studied further in future research.     

Adsorption Characteristics of Benzene on Biosolid Adsorbent and Commercial Activated Carbons

Abstract

This study selected biosolids from a petrochemical waste-water treatment plant as the raw material. The sludge was immersed in 0.5-5 M of zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) solutions and pyrolyzed at different temperatures and times. Results indicated that the 1-M ZnCl₂-immersed biosolids pyrolyzed at 500 °C for 30 min could be reused and were optimal biosolid adsorbents for benzene adsorption. Pore volume distribution analysis indicated that the mesopore contributed more than the macropore and micropore in the biosolid adsorbent. The benzene adsorption capacity of the biosolid adsorbent was 65 and 55% of the G206 (granular-activated carbon) and BPL (coal-based activated carbon; Calgon, Carbon Corp.) activated carbons, respectively. Data from the adsorption and desorption cycles indicated that the benzene adsorption capacity of the biosolid adsorbent was insignificantly reduced compared with the first-run capacity of the adsorbent; therefore, the biosolid adsorbent could be reused as a commercial adsorbent, although its production cost is high.     

Arsenic, copper, and zinc contamination in soil and wheat during coal mining, with assessment of health risks for the inhabitants of Huaibei, China

Field studies were conducted to investigate arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) contamination in agricultural soils and wheat crops at two areas in Huaibei, China. Area A is in the proximity of Shuoli coal mine. In area B, three coal mines and a coal cleaning plant were distributed. The potential health risk of As, Cu, and Zn exposure to the local inhabitants through consumption of wheat grains was also estimated. The results showed that significantly higher (p?<?0.05) concentrations of As, Cu, and Zn were found in soils collected from area B than in those from area A. Arsenic concentrations in wheat sampled from area A were negatively correlated with the distance from the coal mine (p?<?0.001). Concentrations of Cu and Zn in wheat seedlings and grains collected from area B were significantly higher (p?<?0.05) than in those collected from area A, with the exception of Zn in wheat seedlings. Concentrations of Cu and Zn in most wheat grain samples were above the permissible limits of Cu and Zn in edible plants set by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. The hazard index of aggregate risk through consumption of wheat grains was 2.3–2.4 for rural inhabitants and 1.4–1.5 for urban inhabitants. The average intake of inorganic As for rural inhabitants in Huaibei was above 10 μg day^?1. These findings indicated that the inhabitants around the coal mine are experiencing a significant potential health risk due to the consumption of locally grown wheat.     

Gridded inventories of historical usage for selected organochlorine pesticides in Gansu Province, China

HCHs and DDTs were banned in 1983 in China; however, they are still remaining in various environmental media. Since endosulfan was introduced in China in 1994, it is widely used in agriculture. In this study, temporal and spatial uses of endosulfan, HCHs, and DDTs in Gansu province of China have been presented. It is estimated that the total usage is 701 tons for endosulfan between 1994 and 2007, 1,712 tons for HCHs between 1952 and 1983, and 462 tons for DDTs between 1951 and 1983, respectively. Endosulfan usage increased dramatically in 1998 due to its application on other crops except on cotton. The HCH and DDT usage displayed a rapid increase after 1972, reaching the peak in 1976 and in 1975, respectively; since then, they declined until being banned in 1983. The gridded usage inventories of these three kinds of organochlorine pesticides in Gansu province, with a 1/4° longitude by 1/6° latitude resolution, have been created by using different crops for endosulfan and the area of dry farmland for HCHs and DDTs as surrogate data. The most intensive use was in northwestern regions for endosulfan and southeastern regions for HCHs and DDTs in Gansu province.