Acceleration of floc-water separation and floc reduction with magnetic nanoparticles during demulsification of complex waste cutting emulsions

Waste cutting emulsions are difficult to treat efficiently owing to their complex composition and stable emulsified structure. As an important treatment method for emulsions, chemical demulsification is faced with challenges such as low flocs–water separation rates and high sludge production. Hence, in this study, Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were used to enhance chemical demulsification performance for treating waste cutting emulsions under a magnetic field. The addition of MNPs significantly decreased the time required to attain sludge–water separation and sludge compression equilibrium, from 210 to 20 min. In addition, the volume percentage of sludge produced at the equilibrium state was reduced from 45% to 10%. This excellent flocculation–separation performance was stable over a pH range of 3–11. The magnetization of the flocculants and oil droplets to form a flocculant–MNP–oil droplet composite, and the magnetic transfer of the composite were two key processes that enhanced the separation of cutting emulsions. Specifically, the interactions among MNPs, flocculants, and oil droplets were important in the magnetization process, which was controlled by the structures and properties of the three components. Under the magnetic field, the magnetized flocculant–MNP–oil droplet composites were considerably accelerated and separated from water, and the sludge was simultaneously compressed. Thus, this study expands the applicability of magnetic separation techniques in the treatment of complex waste cutting emulsions.     

干湿法结合工艺回收废弃SCR脱硝催化剂中的钛、钒和钨

利用干湿法结合工艺实现废弃SCR脱硝催化剂中Ti、V和W元素的高效分离和浸出,提出成套废弃SCR脱硝催化剂中Ti、V和W的回收技术。以废弃SCR脱硝催化剂为研究对象,优选Ti、V和W元素最佳浸出工况,研究硫酸溶解法回收TiO₂和有机萃取法回收V₂O₅和WO₃的回收率与纯度。结果表明:酸浸还原浸钒最优工艺条件为温度140℃,液固比30∶1;钠化焙烧浸钨最优工艺条件为煅烧温度750℃,反应物与Na₂CO₃配比（质量比）为1∶1.5,在以上条件下V、W浸出率分别达到97.6%、93.6%。利用硫酸溶解法回收得到的TiO₂产物主要以锐钛矿晶型存在形式,在最佳焙烧温度750℃下,TiO₂回收率达到97.17%,纯度为95.35%。利用有机萃取法回收得到的V₂O₅和WO₃产物的回收率和纯度分别为72.47%、75.43%和93.25%、78.26%。     

Hygroscopicity measurement of sodium carbonate, β-alanine and internally mixed β-alanine/Na2CO3 particles by ATR-FTIR

Water-uptakes of pure sodium carbonate(Na_2CO_3),pure β-alanine and internally mixedβ-alanine/Na_2CO_3 aerosol particles with different mole ratios are first monitored using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(ATR-FTIR) technique.For pure Na_2CO_3 aerosol particles,combining the absorptions at 877 and 1422 cm-1 with abrupt water loss shows the efflorescence relative humidity(ERH) of 62.9%–51.9%.Upon humidifying,solid Na_2CO_3 firstly absorbs water to from Na_2CO_3·H2 O crystal at 72.0% RH and then deliquesces at 84.5% RH(DRH).As for pure β-alanine particles,the crystallization takes place in the range of 42.4%–33.2% RH and becomes droplets at ～ 88.2% RH.When β-alanine is mixed with Na_2CO_3 at various mole ratios,it shows no efflorescence of Na_2CO_3 whenβ-alanine to Na_2CO_3 mole ratio(OIR) is 2:1.For 1:1 and 1:2 β-alanine/Na_2CO_3 aerosols,the ERHs of Na_2CO_3 are 51.8%–42.3% and 57.1%–42.3%,respectively.While β-alanine crystal appears from 62.7% RH for 2:1 and 59.4% RH for both 1:1 and 1:2 particles and lasts to driest state.On hydration,the DRH is 44.7%–75.2% for Na_2CO_3 with the OIR of 1:1 and 44.7%–69.0%for 1:2 mixture,and those of β-alanine are 74.8% for 2:1 mixture and 68.9% for two others.After the first dehumidification–humidification,all the water contents decrease despite of constituent fraction.And at ～ 92% RH,the remaining water contents are 92%,89% and 82%at ～ 92% RH,corresponding to OIR of 2:1,1:1 and 1:2 mixed system,respectively.     

Development of a static test apparatus for evaluating the performance of three PM2.5 separators commonly used in China

PM_(2.5) separator directly affects the accuracy of PM_(2.5) sampling.The specification testing and evaluation for PM_(2.5) separator is particularly important,especially under China's wide variation of terrain and climate.In this study,first a static test apparatus based on polydisperse aerosol was established and calibrated to evaluate the performance of the PM_(2.5) separators.A uniform mixing chamber was developed to make particles mix completely.The aerosol concentration relative standard deviations of three test points at the same horizontal chamber position were less than 0.57%,and the particle size distribution obeyed logarithmic normal distribution with an R~2 of 0.996.The flow rate deviation between the measurement and the set point flow rate agreed to within ± 1.0% in the range of -40 to 50℃.Secondly,the separation,flow and loading characteristics of three cyclone separators(VSCC-A,SCC-A and SCC112) were evaluated using this system.The results showed that the 50% cutoff sizes(D_(50)) of the three cyclones were 2.48,2.47 and 2.44 μm when worked at the manufacturer's recommended flow rates,respectively.The geometric standard deviation(GSD) of the capture efficiency of VSCCA was 1.23,showed a slightly sharper than SCC-A(GSD = 1.27),while the SCC112 did not meet the relevant indicator(GSD = 1.2 ± 0.1) with a GSD = 1.44.The flow rate and loading test had a great effect on D_(50),while the GSD remained almost the same as before.In addition,the maintenance frequency under different air pollution conditions of the cyclones was summarized according to the loading test.     

Revealing the changes of bacterial community from water source to consumers tap: A full-scale investigation in eastern city of China

This study profiled the bacterial community variations of water from four water treatment systems, including coagulation, sedimentation, sand filtration, ozonation-biological activated carbon filtration (O₃-BAC), disinfection, and the tap water after the distribution process in eastern China. The results showed that different water treatment processes affected the bacterial community structure in different ways. The traditional treatment processes, including coagulation, sedimentation and sand filtration, reduced the total bacterial count, while they had little effect on the bacterial community structure in the treated water (before disinfection). Compared to the traditional treatment process, O₃-BAC reduced the relative abundance of Sphingomonas in the finished water. In addition, ozonation may play a role in reducing the relative abundance of Mycobacterium. NaClO and ClO₂ had different effects on the bacterial community in the finished water. The relative abundance of some bacteria (e.g. Flavobacterium, Phreatobacter and Porphyrobacter) increased in the finished water after ClO₂ disinfection. The relative abundance of Mycobacterium and Legionella, which have been widely reported as waterborne opportunistic pathogens, increased after NaClO disinfection. In addition, some microorganisms proliferated and grew in the distribution system, which could lead to turbidity increases in the tap water. Compared to those in the finished water, the relative abundance of Sphingomonas, Hyphomicrobium, Phreatobacter, Rheinheimera, Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter increased in the tap water disinfected with NaClO, while the relative abundance of Mycobacterium increased in the tap water disinfected with ClO₂. Overall, this study provided the detailed variation in the bacterial community in the drinking water system.     

Plasmonic silver/silver oxide nanoparticles anchored bismuth vanadate as a novel visible-light ternary photocatalyst for degrading pharmaceutical micropollutants

The degradation of pharmaceutical micropollutants is an intensifying environmental problem and synthesis of efficient photocatalysts for this purpose is one of the foremost challenges worldwide. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop novel plasmonic Ag/Ag₂O/BiVO₄ nanocomposite photocatalysts by simple precipitation and thermal decomposition methods, which could exhibit higher photocatalytic activity for mineralized pharmaceutical micropollutants. Among the different treatments, the best performance was observed for the Ag/Ag₂O/BiVO₄ nanocomposites (5 wt.%; 10 min's visible light irradiation) which exhibited 6.57 times higher photodegradation rate than the pure BiVO₄. Further, the effects of different influencing factors on the photodegradation system of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) were investigated and the feasibility for its practical application was explored through the specific light sources, water source and cycle experiments. The mechanistic study demonstrated that the photogenerated holes (h⁺), superoxide radicals (?O₂^?) and hydroxyl radicals (?OH) participated in TC-HCl removal process, which is different from the pure BiVO₄ reaction system. Hence, the present work can provide a new approach for the formation of novel plasmonic photocatalysts with high photoactivity and can act as effective practical application for environmental remediation.     

Investigation to meet China II emission legislation for marine diesel engine with diesel methanol compound combustion technology

In order to reduce the pollutant emission and alleviate the pressure of petroleum resources shortage and greenhouse gas emission at the same time, the use of clean and renewable alternative fuel for marine engines is a promising option. In this study, a marine diesel engine, which was modified to run in diesel methanol compound combustion (DMCC) mode, was investigated. After the diesel injection parameters were calibrated, and combined with a sample after-treatment device DOC (diesel oxidation catalyst), the engine could meet the requirements of China II legislation. The overall MSP (methanol substitute percent) reached 54.1%. The value of each pollutant emission was much lower than that in China II emission legislation, and there was almost no methanol and formaldehyde emissions. When methanol was injected into the inlet manifold, the intake air temperature decreased a lot, as well as the exhaust gas temperature, which were beneficial to increase engine thermal efficiency and improve engine room environment. Compared with the engine running in pure diesel mode, when the engine ran in diesel/methanol dual fuel mode, the combustion phase was advanced, and the combustion duration became shorter. Therefore, the engine thermal efficiency increased, and fuel consumption decreased significantly.     

Analytical methods and environmental processes of nanoplastics

The degradation of plastic debris may result in the generation of nanoplastics (NPs). Their high specific surface area for the sorption of organic pollutions and toxic heavy metals and possible transfer between organisms at different nutrient levels make the study of NPs an urgent priority. However, there is very limited understanding on the occurrence, distribution, abundant, and fate of NPs in the environment, partially due to the lack of suitable techniques for the separation and identification of NPs from complex environmental matrices. In this review, we first overviewed the state-of-the-art methods for the extraction, separation, identification and quantification of NPs in the environment. Some of them have been successfully applied for the field determination of NPs, while some are borrowed from the detection of microplastics or engineered nanomaterials. Then the possible fate and transport of NPs in the environment are thoroughly described. Although great efforts have been made during the recent years, large knowledge gaps still exist, such as the relatively high detection limit of existing method failing to detect ultralow masses of NPs in the environment, and spherical polystyrene NP models failing to represent the various compositions of NPs with different irregular shapes, which needs further investigation.     

银川市冬季PM2.5重污染特征、来源与成因分析

近年来银川市冬季重污染过程频发,为明确银川市冬季PM_2.5重污染的特征,分析其主要来源及成因,于2016年12月-2017年1月在银川市选取3个采样点开展PM_2.5的样品采集与化学组分分析,利用CMB（化学质量平衡）模型对银川市冬季PM_2.5进行来源解析,对比分析了重污染日与非重污染日污染特征的差异.结果表明:①银川市冬季重污染日ρ（PM_2.5）[（181±33.6）μg/m3]是非重污染日的2.1倍;重污染日和非重污染日的ρ（NO₃-）/ρ（SO₄2-）均小于1,表明燃煤仍是银川市冬季PM_2.5的重要来源.银川市冬季PM_2.5中ρ（SOC）为（14.4±7.34）μg/m3,约占ρ（OC）的65.2%.②与非重污染日相比,重污染日人为源无机元素As、Pb、Cd和Zn质量浓度在ρ（PM_2.5）中的占比分别升高33.2%、18.4%、9.8%和2.9%,表明银川市冬季重污染主要受人为源贡献影响.③源解析结果表明,燃煤源、机动车尾气源、二次离子源和扬尘源是银川市PM_2.5的主要污染源,与非重污染日相比,重污染日机动车尾气源的贡献率明显降低.研究显示,银川市冬季重污染受人为源污染物排放的影响较大,燃煤源是银川市冬季PM_2.5的重要来源.      

日本城市有机废弃物甲烷发酵资源化系统案例分析及最新研究进展

为建设可持续发展社会,日本近年来大力推动甲烷发酵以实现城市有机废弃物的减量化和资源化。首先介绍了日本城市有机废弃物资源化的2个实用案例,长冈市厨余垃圾沼气发电中心和丰桥市生物质资源利用中心的设计和运营状况。两者的长期稳定运行及产能效果验证了甲烷发酵技术在城市有机废弃物减量化和资源化上的可行性。其次,为了应对社会发展趋势和城市有机废弃物处理的技术需求,介绍了日本有关厨余垃圾、污泥以及废纸（城市有机废弃物的3大组分）的单独发酵及共发酵的部分研究成果。此外,简要介绍了应用厌氧膜生物反应器（AnMBR）进行相关高效甲烷发酵的最新研究成果。并根据实用案例调查和实验研究结果,以100万人口城市为例,对城市有机废弃物的各种甲烷发酵系统的产能效果进行了模拟概算。