Adsorptive reduction of water hardness by a highly porous and regenerative geopolymer fabricated from coal fly ash waste with low-temperature calcination

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this research paper, potassium-activated geopolymer cubes (GeoC) fabricated from waste coal fly ash with low-temperature calcination were...     

Characterization of chlorine and heavy metals for the potential recycling of bottom ash from municipal solid waste incinerators as cement additives

Bottom ash is an inevitable by-product from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plants. Recycling it as additives for cement production is a promising disposal method. However, the heavy metals and chlorine are the main limiting factors because of the potential environmental risks and corrosion of cement kilns. Therefore, investigating heavy metal and chlorine characteristics of bottom ash is the significant prerequisite of its reuse in cement industries. In this study, a correlative analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of the MSW components and collection mode on the heavy metal and chlorine characteristics in bottom ash. The chemical speciation of insoluble chlorine was also investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis. The results showed that industrial waste was the main source of heavy metals, especially Cr and Pb, in bottom ash. The higher contents of plastics and kitchen waste lead to the higher chlorine level (0.6 wt.%–0.7 wt.%) of the bottom ash. The insoluble chlorine in the MSW incineration bottom ash existed primarily as AlOCl, which was produced under the high temperature (1250°C) in incinerators.

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Organochlorine and organotin compounds in Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) collected during an unusual mortality event in the Caspian Sea in 2000

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and organotin compounds were determined in the blubber and liver of Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) found stranded on the coast of the Caspian Sea during an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) in 2000. Among organochlorines analyzed, DDTs were the most dominant contaminants with concentrations ranging from 6.3 to 470 microg/g on a lipid-weight basis. Caspian seals collected in 2000 during the epizootic had higher concentrations of organochlorines than healthy individuals sampled in 1998. However, the blubber layer was generally thinner in the seals collected in 2000 than those in the previous surveys. Although compositions of organochlorine pesticides in seals suggested that the contamination status in the Caspian Sea is improving, the levels found in Caspian seals in 2000 were comparable to those in other marine mammals that have suffered from epizootics. This implies that the present status of contamination found in Caspian seals poses a risk of immunosuppression. Concentrations of butyltin compounds in livers of seals ranged from 0.49 to 17 ng/g on a wet-weight basis and octyltin compounds were below limit of detection in all the samples analyzed, suggesting less contamination by organotin compounds in the Caspian Sea.     

Unique bioconcentration characteristics of new aryl fluoroalkyl ethers in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of seven new aryl fluoroalkyl ethers--four bis-4-tetrafluoroethoxyphenyl-type (bis-type) compounds and three mono-4-tetrafluoroethoxyphenyl-type (mono-type) compounds--were obtained by bioconcentration tests using common carp. The BCFs of 4 of the 7 ethers were higher than 5000, indicating their high bioconcentration potential. The bioconcentration characteristics of the bis-type compounds were different from those of the mono-type compounds and non-fluoro diphenylmethanes with a similar skeleton structure to the bis-type compounds, in taking longer to reach a plateau and having a slower elimination rate and in their distribution patterns in the fish body. The BCF of 1 bis-type compound was much higher than the value predicted by an accepted correlation equation between BCF and P(ow). In addition, the logP(ow) of the bis-type compounds calculated by commercially available computer software was remarkably different from that measured.     

Development of an environmentally acceptable volatile organic compounds recovery and reuse system based on vacuum spray flash with dibasic acid esters as absorbents

We used dibasic acid esters as the absorbent for a volatile organic compounds (VOC) recovery and reuse system geared mainly toward VOCs from painting and presswork. The system consists of three elements: absorption using dibasic acid esters, separation by vacuum spray flash method, and recovery by condensation. The concentration of both ethyl acetate (EtAc) and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) decreased around 90% at room temperature. Vacuum spray flash was found as a useful process for cost-effective and energy-effective VOC removal system. The difference in the dissolubility parameters (Hansen constant) between dibasic acid esters and VOCs and the boiling point of VOCs was the main contributor to the separation behavior.     

Electrolytic aminated carbon materials for the electrocatalytic redox reactions of inorganic and organic compounds

Some kinds of amine groups can be introduced to the glassy carbon surface by the electrode oxidation of the carbon electrode surface in ammonium carbamate solution, and this amine groups modified electrode is named as an aminated glassy carbon electrode. The existences of not only primary amine but also secondary and tertially amines were confirmed by X ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The applications of the aminated carbon material for the electrocatalytic reductions of oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and organic compounds such as quinones were carried out, and the effects of amination on the formation of electrocatalytic sites for many species were revealed. The electrocatalyzed cyclic voltammograms of metal ions and metal chelate compounds obtained by aminated glassy carbon electrodes are also discussed. Moreover, we intend to describe that the aminated carbon electrode can exhibit the large reduction waves of inorganic oxoacids such as N0₂? or bromide ion. The introduced functional groups containing nitrogen atom can change the distribution of the electron densities of the graphite carbon surface, and this specific electron distribution environment may generate the various electrocatalytic activities.     

Survival and recovery of resting spores and resting cells of the marine planktonic diatom Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus under fluctuating nitrate conditions

Of the two resting life-forms of the planktonic diatom Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus Mangin formed during periods of nitrate depletion, resting spores survived at least 1 month after spore formation at 24 °C, while resting cells survived only for about 10 d at the same temperature. Under nitrogen limitation, resting cells exhibited higher specific death rates than resting spores at temperatures ranging from 5 to 30 °C. After nitrogen replenishment, resting spores required a certain lag period of about 1 d to initiate vegetative growth at levels of nitrate supply from 0.5 to 20 M, while resting cells initiated vegetative growth almost immediately. Resting spores exhibited an intracellular accumulation of the supplied nitrate during germination and initial vegetative growth. The resting cells, however, exhibited more active vegetative growth, closely coupled with the uptake of the supplied nitrate. The resting spores and resting cells appear to play different roles in the maintenance of populations under nutrient fluctuations depending on the interval length between nutrient fluxes in natural waters. Received: 27 April 1998 / Accepted: 1 March 1999