Modeling assessment for ammonium nitrogen recovery from wastewater by chemical precipitation

Chemical precipitation to form magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) is an effective technology for recovering ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N). In the present research, we investigated the thermodynamic modeling of the PHREEQC program for NH4 +-N recovery to evaluate the effect of reaction factors on MAP precipitation. The case study of NH4 +-N recovery from coking wastewater was conducted to provide a comparison. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to assist in understanding the relative significance of reaction factors and the interactive effects of solution conditions. Thermodynamic modeling indicated that the saturation index (SI) of MAP followed a polynomial function of pH. The SI of MAP increased logarithmically with the Mg2+/NH4 + molar ratio (Mg/N) and the initial NH4 +-N concentration (CN), respectively, while it decreased with an increase in Ca2+/NH4 + and CO3 2??/NH4 + molar ratios (Ca/N and CO3 2??/N), respectively. The trends for NH4 +-N removal at different pH and Mg/N levels were similar to the thermodynamic modeling predictions. The RSM analysis indicated that the factors including pH, Mg/N, CN, Ca/N, (Mg/N) (CO3 2??/N), (pH)2, (Mg/N)2, and (CN)2 were significant. Response surface plots were useful for understanding the interaction effects on NH4 +-N recovery.     

Sedimentary record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Lake Erhai, Southwest China

The temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in a sediment core from Lake Erhal in Southwest China using gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method.The total organic carbon (TOC) normalized total PAHs concentrations (sum of US Environmental Protection Agency proposed 16 priority PAHs) ranged from 31.9 to 269 μg/g dry weight (dw),and were characterized by a slowly increasing stage in the deeper sediments and a sharp increasing stage in the upper sediments.The PAHs in the sediments were dominated by low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs,suggesting that the primary source of PAHs was low- and moderate temperature combustion processes.However,both the significant increase in high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in the upper sediments and the vertical profile of diagnostic ratios pointed out a change in the sources of PAHs from low-temperature combustion to high-temperature combustion.The ecotoxicological assessment based on consensus-based sediment quality guidelines implied that potential adverse biological impacts were possible for benzo(ghi)perylenelene and most LMW PAHs.In addition,the total BaP equivalent quotient of seven carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BaA,CHr,BbF,BkF,BaP,DBA and INP) was 106.1 ng/g,according to the toxic equivalency factors.Although there was no great biological impact associated with the HMW PAlls,great attention should be paid to these PAH components based on their rapid increase in the upper sediments.     

Archaeal community structure along a gradient of petroleum contamination in saline-alkali soil

The impact of petroleum on archaeal community in salinealkali soils was investigated, which will expand the knowledge of the archaeal population involved in the natural attenuation of hydrocarbons in extreme environments.     

Identification of odorous compounds in reclaimed water using FPA combined with sensory GC-MS

Odorous compounds in the influent of a reclaimed water treatment plant (RWTP), consisting of coagulation, sedimentation, continuous micro-filtration (CMF), and chlorination in succession, in a north China city, were identified by combining flavor profile analysis (FPA) with sensory gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The sewery/swampy/septic odor with an odor intensity of 6.4 was found to be the major odor group in the RWTP influent, and the existence of well-known odorant including dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, indole and skatole were confirmed using GC-MS. The result of a spiking test showed that the intensity (3.6) of the sewery/swampy/septic odor caused by these four chemicals contributed to over 50% of the odor intensity of the influent. The FPA intensity for sewery/swampy/septic odor in the RWTP effluent was 3.8, showing that the treatment process was not efficient for the removal of odorants, particularly indole and skatole.     

Roles of manganese oxides in degradation of phenol under UV-Vis irradiation: Adsorption, oxidation, and photocatalysis

The effect of crystal structure on photocatalytic activities of manganese oxides and underlying reaction mechanism were investigated.     

Visible light responsive N-F-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol

Visible light responsive N-F-codoped TiO₂ photocatalysts exhibit a higher catalytic activity than N-doped TiO₂ for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol due to the synergistic effect of nonmetal elements.     

Complete catalytic oxidation of o-xylene over Ce02 nanocubes

The activities of CeO2 nanocubes calcined at different temperatures were tested for catalytic oxidation of o-xylene. Using CeO2 nanocubes as catalysts, complete catalytic oxidation of o-xylene was achieved below 210℃. The CeO2 nanomaterials were characterized by means of BET, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). From the TEM images, all Ce02 nanocubes displayed cubic morphology irrespective of calcination temperature. The HRTEM images revealed that these nanocubes were enclosed by reactive {001}planes, which may contribute to the intrinsically catalytic property of o-xylene oxidation. The higher activity of Ce02 nanocubes calcined at 550℃ than those calcined at above 550℃ was attributed to their smaller crystallite size and larger surface area. The influences of reaction conditions were also studied, which found that a higher reaction temperature was necessary for complete catalytic oxidation of o-xylene at higher weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) and o-xylene concentration.     

Long-term joint effect of nutrients and temperature increase on algal growth in Lake Taihu, China

To study how global warming and eutrophication affect water ecosystems, a multiplicative growth Monod model, modified by incorporating the Arrhenius equation, was applied to Lake Taihu to quantitatively study the relationships between algal biomass and both nutrients and temperature using long-term data. To qualitatively assess which factor was a limitation of the improved model, temperature variables were calculated using annual mean air temperature (AT), water temperature (WT), and their average temperature (ST), while substrate variables were calculated using annual mean total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and their weighted aggregate (R), respectively. The nine fitted curves showed that TN and AT were two important factors influencing algal growth; AT limited growth as algal photosynthesis is mainly carried out near the water surface; N leakage of phytoplankton and internal phosphorus load from sediment explains why TN was the best predictor of peak biomass using the Monod model. The fitted results suggest that annual mean algal biomass increased by 0.145 times when annual mean AT increased by 1.0℃. Results also showed that the more eutrophic the lake, the greater the effect AT had on algal growth. Subsequently, the long-term joint effect of annual temperature increase and eutrophication to water ecosystems can be quantitatively assessed and predicted.     

Preliminary report on methane emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir in the summer drainage period

Considerable variations may exist in CH4 emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir.