Capability of novel ZnFe₂O₄ nanotube arrays for visible-light induced degradation of 4-chlorophenol

Highly ordered ZnFe₂O₄ nanotube arrays were successfully prepared by anodic aluminum oxide templates from sol-gel solution. The results from environmental scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicated that the as-prepared samples were vertically aligned spinel ZnFe₂O₄ nanotube arrays, and the nanotubes were uniform along the axial direction with an average diameter of approximately 200 nm. The absorption edge of ZnFe₂O₄ nanotube arrays shifted to a higher energy in the UV-Vis absorption spectrum compared with that of ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles film. The synthesized ZnFe₂O₄ nanotube arrays exhibited excellent photocatalytic capability for degradation of 4-chlorophenol under visible-light irradiation. The main intermediate degradation species of 4-chlorophenol identified by liquid chromatography-mass technique were benzoquinone, hydroquinone, hydroxybenzoquinone and 2-peroxy-o-dihydroxybenzene. The degradation pathways of 4-chlorophenol under visible-light irradiation was derived and discussed by interpreting the observations of the intermediate species in the photocatalytic reactions.     

褐煤活性炭吸附处理焦化废水

研究褐煤活性炭吸附处理焦化废水的性能,为褐煤活性炭用于废水处理提供理论依据和技术指导。以河南某气化厂的焦化废水为吸附原水,进行褐煤活性炭对酚吸附性能的静态和动态实验。静态实验表明,褐煤活性炭对酚的吸附性能符合弗兰德里希（Freundlich）吸附方程式。在室温条件下,对于150 mL焦化废水,当活性炭的用量为10 g,吸附反应时间为1 h,酚的去除率可达92%以上。动态实验研究表明,当进水酚浓度为3 800 mg/L,吸附1.5 h,活性炭的吸附容量可达21.38 mg/g。水处理的实验研究表明,利用褐煤制备的活性炭,对焦化废水具有良好的处理效果。     

Numerical simulation of municipal solid waste combustion in a novel two-stage reciprocating incinerator

A mathematical model was presented in this paper for the combustion of municipal solid waste in a novel two-stage reciprocating grate furnace. Numerical simulations were performed to predict the temperature, the flow and the species distributions in the furnace, with practical operational conditions taken into account. The calculated results agree well with the test data, and the burning behavior of municipal solid waste in the novel two-stage reciprocating incinerator can be demonstrated well. The thickness of waste bed, the initial moisture content, the excessive air coefficient and the secondary air are the major factors that influence the combustion process. If the initial moisture content of waste is high, both the heat value of waste and the temperature inside incinerator are low, and less oxygen is necessary for combustion. The air supply rate and the primary air distribution along the grate should be adjusted according to the initial moisture content of the waste. A reasonable bed thickness and an adequate excessive air coefficient can keep a higher temperature, promote the burnout of combustibles, and consequently reduce the emission of dioxin pollutants. When the total air supply is constant, reducing primary air and introducing secondary air properly can enhance turbulence and mixing, prolong the residence time of flue gas, and promote the complete combustion of combustibles. This study provides an important reference for optimizing the design and operation of municipal solid wastes furnace.     

Digestion of frozen/thawed food waste in the hybrid anaerobic solid-liquid system

The hybrid anaerobic solid-liquid (HASL) system, which is a modified two-phase anaerobic digester, is to be used in an industrial scale operation to minimize disposal of food waste at incineration plants in Singapore. The aim of the present research was to evaluate freezing/thawing of food waste as a pre-treatment for its anaerobic digestion in the HASL system. The hydrolytic and fermentation processes in the acidogenic reactor were enhanced when food waste was frozen for 24h at -20 degrees C and then thawed for 12h at 25 degrees C (experiment) in comparison with fresh food waste (control). The highest dissolved COD concentrations in the leachate from the acidogenic reactors were 16.9g/l on day 3 in the control and 18.9g/l on day 1 in the experiment. The highest VFA concentrations in the leachate from the acidogenic reactors were 11.7g/l on day 3 in the control and 17.0g/l on day 1 in the experiment. The same volume of methane was produced during 12 days in the control and 7 days in the experiment. It gave the opportunity to diminish operational time of batch process by 42%. The effect of freezing/thawing of food waste as pre-treatment for its anaerobic digestion in the HASL system was comparable with that of thermal pre-treatment of food waste at 150 degrees C for 1h. However, estimation of energy required either to heat the suspended food waste to 150 degrees C or to freeze the same quantity of food waste to -20 degrees C showed that freezing pre-treatment consumes about 3 times less energy than thermal pre-treatment.     

Storage and dynamics of carbon and nitrogen in soil after grazing exclusion in Leymus chinensis grasslands of northern China

Land-use change can lead to changes in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage. This study aimed to determine the impact of long-term grazing exclusion (GE) on soil organic C and total N (TN) storage in the Leymus chinensis grasslands of northern China and to estimate the dynamics of recovery after GE. We investigated the aboveground biomass and soil organic C and TN storage in six contiguous plots along a GE chronosequence comprising free grazing, 3-yr GE, 8-yr GE, 20-yr GE, 24-yr GE, and 28-yr GE. Grazing exclusion for two decades increased the soil C and N storage by 35.7 and 14.6%, respectively, in the 0- to 40-cm soil layer. The aboveground net primary productivity and soil C and N storage were the highest with 24-yr GE and the lowest with free grazing. The storage increased logarithmically with the duration of GE; after an initial rapid increase after the introduction of GE, the storage attained equilibrium after 20 yr. A logarithmic regression analysis revealed 86.8 and 87.1% variation in the soil C storage and 74.2 and 80.7% variation in the soil N storage in the 0- to 10-cm and 0- to 40-cm soil layers, respectively. Based on these results, we suggest that two decades of GE would restore the L. chinensis grasslands from being lightly degraded to a stable productive condition with good soil C and N storage capacity. Our results demonstrated that by implementing GE, the temperate grasslands of northern China could facilitate significant C and N storage on decade scales in the context of mitigating global climate change.     

添加剩余活性污泥无害化处理含油钻屑

采用剩余活性污泥对废弃含油钻屑进行无害化处理。考察了加入剩余活性污泥后混合物料中微生物浓度、碱解氮含量、有效磷含量、总石油烃(TPH)含量和组分的变化,并对降解后混合物料的生物毒性进行了评价。实验结果表明:加入剩余活性污泥后,总细菌浓度保持在较高水平;碱解氮含量逐渐减少后保持稳定,有效磷含量在一定范围内波动,整体略有增加;剩余活性污泥的加入量为20%～60%(w)时, TPH去除率均达到74%以上,远高于未添加剩余活性污泥的对照组(28.8%);剩余活性污泥的添加能有效促进微生物对含油钻屑中TPH的降解及氮元素的转化,添加50%(w)以上的剩余活性污泥能使处理后含油钻屑的生物毒性更低,更有利于含油钻屑的无害化处理。     

汞矿区汞污染土壤的淋洗修复

以贵州省铜仁市汞矿区汞污染土壤为研究对象,分别采用KI、Na_2S_2O_3、乙二胺四乙酸、柠檬酸、酒石酸、十二烷基硫酸钠溶液对其进行淋洗修复,筛选出合适的淋洗剂,优化了淋洗条件,并探索了淋洗液的处理方法。实验结果表明:对该土壤淋洗效果最好的淋洗剂为Na_2S_2O_3,最佳淋洗条件为Na_2S_2O_3浓度0.01 mol/L、固液比(g/m L)1∶5、淋洗时间4 h、淋洗次数1次,在此条件下土壤中总汞的淋洗率为13.41%,有效态汞含量可降至原来的61.54%;Na2S对淋洗液中的汞具有较好的去除效果,每升淋洗液加入0.6 g Na_2S处理后,即可满足GB8978—1996《污水综合排放标准》。     

Hydrodynamics and bed stability of open channel flows with submerged foliaged plants

In this work we investigate experimentally and numerically the flow structure around foliaged plants deployed in a channel with gravels on the bed under submerged and barely submerged conditions. Velocity and Reynolds stress were measured by using a NORTEK Vectrino profiler. Visual observation shows that the initial motion of gravels is easier to be triggered under the condition of flow with barely submerged vegetation. This is confirmed by the measured velocity, Reynolds stress and total kinetic energy (TKE) profiles. The velocity exhibits a speed up in the near-bed region, and the associated Reynolds stress and TKE increase there. A 3D numerical model is then verified against the experiments and used to investigate systematically the effect of degree of submergence of foliaged plants on the channel bed shear stress. The results show that the maximum bed shear stress occurs when the foliage is situated slightly below the water surface, which can enhance channel bed instability.     

Simulating water and nitrogen loss from an irrigated paddy field under continuously flooded condition with Hydrus-1D model

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Agricultural non-point source pollution is a major factor in surface water and groundwater pollution, especially for nitrogen (N) pollution. In this...