Effect of temperature and particle size on the thermal desorption of PCBs from contaminated soil

Thermal desorption is widely used for remediation of soil contaminated with volatiles, such as solvents and distillates. In this study, a soil contaminated with semivolatile polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was sampled at an interim storage point for waste PCB transformers and heated to temperatures from 300 to 600 °C in a flow of nitrogen to investigate the effect of temperature and particle size on thermal desorption. Two size fractions were tested: coarse soil of 420–841 μm and fine soil with particles <250 μm. A PCB removal efficiency of 98.0 % was attained after 1 h of thermal treatment at 600 °C. The residual amount of PCBs in this soil decreased with rising thermal treatment temperature while the amount transferred to the gas phase increased up to 550 °C; at 600 °C, destruction of PCBs became more obvious. At low temperature, the thermally treated soil still had a similar PCB homologue distribution as raw soil, indicating thermal desorption as a main mechanism in removal. Dechlorination and decomposition increasingly occurred at high temperature, since shifts in average chlorination level were observed, from 3.34 in the raw soil to 2.75 in soil treated at 600 °C. Fine soil particles showed higher removal efficiency and destruction efficiency than coarse particles, suggesting that desorption from coarse particles is influenced by mass transfer.     

Some technical issues in managing PCBs

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were important industrial chemicals featuring high thermal and chemical stability and low flammability. They were widely used as dielectric and thermal fluid in closed electro-technical applications (transformers, capacitors…) and also in numerous dispersive uses, ranking from auto-copying paper to sealant or coatings. During the 1960s, severe environmental consequences started becoming apparent. The stability of PCBs contributed to their persistence in the environment, their lipophilic character to bio-magnification. Fish-eating species seemed threatened in their existence. In Japan and in Taiwan, thousands of people consumed PCB-contaminated oil. The production of PCBs stopped completely during the 1980s. Usage could continue in closed applications only. In this paper, particular attention is given to two issues: the cleaning of PCB electric transformers and the potential impact of PCB-containing building materials. Other contributions will cover the management and treatment of PCB-contaminated soil, sludge or fly ash. The complete survey is being prepared by request of the Knowledge Center for Engineers and Professionals.     

TiO2-Cu2O/蒙脱土复合光催化剂的制备与性能

以钠基蒙脱土（MMT）为载体,先采用溶胶-凝胶法将纳米TiO₂引入到MMT层间,再采用化学沉积法将纳米Cu₂O负载在TiO₂/MMT上,制备出TiO₂-Cu₂O/MMT纳米复合光催化剂。采用XRD、SEM、紫外-可见漫反射技术对催化剂进行了表征。以甲基橙为目标污染物,考察了催化剂的光催化性能。表征结果显示：TiO₂与Cu₂O均匀分布在MMT的表面与片层孔隙中;TiO₂-Cu₂O/MMT结合了TiO₂和Cu₂O的特性,拓宽了催化剂的光吸收范围。实验结果表明,在光源为可见光、初始甲基橙质量浓度为20 mg/L、光催化剂加入量为2 g/L的条件下,TiO₂-Cu₂O/MMT纳米复合光催化剂对甲基橙的光催化降解效果明显优于单一负载的Cu₂O/MMT和TiO₂/MMT,大幅提高了催化剂的光催化效率,反应300 min时TiO₂-Cu₂O/MMT对甲基橙溶液的脱色率达到93%。     

石化行业的VOCs排放控制管理

概述了我国挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）的排放情况。介绍了国内外VOCs的管理现状。分析了国内石化行业VOCs排放控制管理中存在的主要问题以及污染物排放过程的类别。提出了明确定义、制定相关标准、完善分类管理体系、研究最佳的可行性控制技术等加强VOCs排放控制管理的对策和建议。     

负载纳米TiO_2凹凸棒黏土的制备表征及对Mn~(2+)的吸附性能

以溶胶-凝胶法制备了负载纳米TiO2凹凸棒黏土吸附剂,采用SEM、XRD等分析方法对负载纳米TiO2凹凸棒黏土前后的结构进行了表征,并对Mn2+进行了吸附性能的研究。结果表明:经过高温焙烧后的负载纳米TiO2凹凸棒黏土吸附剂较负载前的凹凸棒黏土,因其结构中的结晶水和沸石水脱失,内部孔道面积和表面积增加,活性吸附位点的数量增大,吸附能力有了明显提高。在室温条件下(20~25℃),pH为5~6,吸附平衡时间为120 min时,负载纳米TiO2凹凸棒黏土吸附剂对Mn2+有较好的吸附效果。     

Anaerobic degradation of microcrystalline cellulose: kinetics and micro-scale structure evolution

The degradation kinetics and micro-scale structure change of microcrystalline cellulose during anaerobic biodegradation were investigated. A modified Logistic model was established to properly describe the kinetics, which showed good fitness and wide applicability for cellulose degradation. A maximum degradation rate of 0.14 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ was achieved after cultivating for 51.5 h. This result was in good agreement with the scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction analysis. Channels of 400-500 nm size started to occur on the crystalline surface of cellulose at around the inflexion time. Accordingly, the crystallinity significantly decreased at this point, indicating a degradation of the crystalline structure zones by anaerobic bacteria. This study offers direct morphological evidence and quantitative analysis of the biodegradation process of cellulose, and is beneficial to a better understanding of the cellulose degradation mechanism.     

Baseline soil levels of PCDD/Fs established prior to the construction of municipal solid waste incinerators in China

In order to determine the baseline contamination by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in different areas in China, prior to the construction of municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs), a total of 32 representative soil samples was collected near 16 incinerators and analyzed for their PCDD/F concentrations. The PCDD/F baseline concentrations in the soil samples ranged from 0.32 to 11.4 ng I-TEQ kg⁻¹ (dry matter), with average and median value of 2.73 and 2.24 ng I-TEQ kg⁻¹ (dry matter), respectively, and a span between maximum and minimum recorded value of 36. The PCDD homologues predominated in 26 out of 32 soil samples, with the ratio (PCDDs)/(PCDFs) ranging from 1.1 to 164; however in the other 6 samples, PCDF homologues were larger, with the same ratio varying from 0.04 to 0.8. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used to examine PCDD/F amount and profile in these soil samples, and their possible associations with known emission sources: in this process 6 really distinct isomer fingerprints were identified. Background PCDD/F levels and profiles were comparable to those found in soils from China and other countries and indicate a rather low baseline PCDD/F contamination of soils. The present data provide the tools for future assessment of a possible impact of these MSWIs.     

Electrogeneration of H(2) for Pd-catalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol in groundwater

A novel electrolytic groundwater remediation process, which used the H₂ continuously generated at cathode to achieve in situ catalytic hydrodechlorination, was developed for the treatment of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in groundwater. Catalytic hydrodechlorination using Pd supported on bamboo charcoal and external H₂ showed that 2,4-DCP was completely dechlorinated to phenol within 30 min at pH ? 5.5. In a divided electrolytic system, the catalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-DCP in cathodic compartment by H₂ generated at the cathode under 20 and 50 mA reached 100% at 120 and 60 min, respectively. Two column experiments with influent pHs of 5.5 (unconditioned) and 2 were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of this process. The 2,4-DCP removal efficiencies were about 63% and nearly 100% at influent pHs of 5.5 and 2, respectively. Phenol was solely produced by 2,4-DCP hydrodechlorination, and was subsequently degraded at the anode. A low pH could enhance the hydrodechlorination, but was not necessarily required. This study provides the preliminary results of a novel effective electrolytic process for the remediation of groundwater contaminated by chlorinated aromatics.     

Environmental lead pollution threatens the children living in the Pearl River Delta region, China

Introduction and purpose

The objective of this study is to determine children??s blood lead levels and identify sources of lead exposure. Childhood lead exposure constitutes a major pediatric health problem today in China. A blood lead screening survey program for children in the age group of 2?C12?years residing in Pearl River Delta region, south of China, was carried out from Dec 2007 to Jan 2008.

Methods

Blood lead levels and lead isotope ratios of a total of 761 participants were assessed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Measurements of urban environmental samples for source identification of children lead exposure were also performed.

Results and conclusions

The geometric mean value of the children??s blood lead levels was 57.05???g/L, and 9.6% of them were higher than 100???g/L. The blood lead levels were still much higher than those in developed countries. Based on the data of environmental lead source inventories, lead isotopic tracing revealed that there is about 6.7% past used gasoline Pb embedded in Shenzhen residential dust and about 15.6% in Guangzhou dust, respectively.     

The effects of manganese precursors on Mn-based/TiO2 catalysts for catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

Manganese acetate (MnAc) and manganese nitrate (MnN) were employed as precursors for the preparation of MnAc)/TiO2, Mn (N)/TiO2, Mn(Ac)-Ce/TiO2, and Mn(N)-Ce/TiO2 by impregnation. These complexes were used as catalysts in the low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3. The influence of manganese precursors on catalyst characteristics, the reduction activity, and the stability of the catalysts to poisoning by H2O and SO2 were studied. Experiments showed that Mn(N) produced MnO2 with large grain sizes in Mn(N)/TiO2 catalyst. On the contrary, Mn(Ac) led to highly dispersed and amorphous Mn2O3 in Mn (Ac)/TiO2 catalyst, which had better catalytic activity and stability to SO2 at low temperatures. The doping of cerium reduced the differences in catalytic performance between the catalysts derived from different Mn precursors.