Biological filtration for removal of arsenic from drinking water

The main objective of the study was to find a suitable iron to arsenic ratio in water to reduce arsenic to 5 μg/L or lower through sand filtration. Experiments were conducted by varying the quantity of iron(II) while keeping the arsenic concentration at 100 μg/L. A mixture of iron (II) and arsenic at different ratios (10:1, 20:1, 30:1 and 40:1) was pumped to the sand filters in a down flow mode and effluent arsenic and iron were analyzed. It was found that a ratio of iron to arsenic of 40:1 was necessary to ensure an effluent arsenic concentration of 5 μg/L or lower. Iron in the filtrate was found to be below 0.1 mg/L at all times.     

Estimating the contribution of industrial facilities to annual PM10 concentrations at industrially influenced sites

If measures to reduce the industrial discharge of PM10 shall be planned with high accuracy, a first step must be to estimate the contribution of single industrial facilities to the overall PM10 burden as accurately as possible. In northern Duisburg as an example, an area where iron and steel producing industry is concentrated, PM10 was measured at 4 sampling sites very close to an industrial complex of blast furnaces, a sinter plant, oxygen steel works and a coke oven plant for 9 months in 2006. At two sites metals in PM10 were determined. The results, together with analytical data of urban background sites in the region and data of wind direction and wind speed were used for an estimation of the contribution of single plants to the PM10 burden. A careful analysis of the data showed, that the data of PM10, calcium, iron and zinc measured at two sites close to the industrial area and information about the urban background aerosol were sufficient to calculate the PM10 contribution of the main single plants. The data could be compared with those of modelling.     

光电芬顿氧化法深度处理垃圾渗滤液研究

采用光电芬顿氧化法对北京市某垃圾填埋场已经生化处理后的垃圾渗滤液进行深度处理,分别考察了电流强度和铁的不同价态等因素对渗滤液总有机碳（TOC）、化学需氧量（COD）以及色度去除效果的影响,并对阳极氧化、电芬顿和光电芬顿不同反应过程进行了对比。通过分析渗滤液UV-Vis光谱(200～500 nm)变化和渗滤液中有机污染物的分子量变化,发现光电芬顿反应可以明显改善渗滤液生化性。深入研究了反应过程中铁价态的变化规律。试验结果发现,以高比表面积的活性炭纤维(ACF)为阴极的光电芬顿反应可以有效降解垃圾渗滤液,在pH为3,Fe²⁺ 浓度为1 mmol/L,电流为0.5 A,O₂通入量为250 mL/min条件下降解360 min,垃圾渗滤液TOC和COD去除率分别达到78.9%和62.8%,色度完全去除。     

Hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid (HIDS): A novel biodegradable chelating ligand for the increase of iron bioavailability and arsenic phytoextraction

The influence of biodegradable chelating ligands on arsenic and iron uptake by hydroponically grown rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) was investigated. Even though the growth solution contained sufficient Fe, the growth of rice seedlings gradually decreased up to 76% with the increase of pH of the solution from 7 to 11. Iron forms insoluble ferric hydroxide complexes at neutral or alkaline pH in oxic condition. Chelating ligands produce soluble ‘Fe–ligand complex’ which assist Fe uptake in plants. The biodegradable chelating ligand hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid (HIDS) was more efficient then those of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS), and iminodisuccinic acid (IDS) in the increase of Fe uptake and growth of rice seedling. A total of 79 ± 20, 87 ± 6, 116 ± 15, and 63 ± 18 mg dry biomass of rice seedlings were produced with the addition of 0.5 mM of EDDS, EDTA, HIDS, and IDS in the nutrient solution, respectively. The Fe concentrations in rice tissues were 117 ± 15, 82 ± 8, 167 ± 25, and 118 ± 22 μmol g⁻¹ dry weights when 0.25 mM of EDDS, EDTA, HIDS, and IDS were added to the nutrient solution, respectively. Most of the Fe accumulated in rice tissues was stored in roots after the addition of chelating ligands in the solution. The results indicate that the HIDS would be a potential alternative to environmentally persistent EDTA for the increase of Fe uptake and plant growth. The HIDS also increased As uptake in rice root though its translocation from root to shoot was not augmented. This study reports HIDS for the first time as a promising chelating ligand for the enhancement of Fe bioavailability and As phytoextraction.     

The effects of biochars from rice residue on the formation of iron plaque and the accumulation of Cd, Zn, Pb, As in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings

A historically multi-metal contaminated soil was amended with biochars produced from different parts of rice plants (straw, husk and bran) to investigate how biochar can influence the mobility of Cd, Zn, Pb and As in rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.). Rice shoot concentrations of Cd, Zn and Pb decreased by up to 98%, 83% and 72%, respectively, due to biochar amendment, though that of As increased by up to 327%. Biochar amendments significantly decreased pore water concentrations (C_pw) of Cd and Zn and increased that of As. For Pb it depended on the amendment. Porewater pH, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved phosphorus, silicon in pore water and iron plaque formation on root surfaces all increased significantly after the amendments. The proportions of Cd and Pb in iron plaque increased by factors 1.8-5.7 and 1.4-2.8, respectively; no increase was observed for As and Zn. Straw-char application significantly and noticeably decreased the plant transfer coefficients of Cd and Pb. This study, the first to investigate changes in metal mobility and iron plaque formation in rice plants due to amending a historically contaminated soil with biochar, indicates that biochar has a potential to decrease Cd, Zn and Pb accumulations in rice shoot but increase that of As. The main cause is likely biochar decreasing the C_pw of Cd and Zn, increasing the C_pw of As, and increasing the iron plaque blocking capacity for Cd and Pb.     

Pulsed discharge plasma induced Fenton-like reactions for the enhancement of the degradation of 4-chlorophenol in water

To sufficiently utilize chemically active species and enhance the degradation rate and removal efficiency of toxic and biorefractory organic pollutant para-chlorophenol (para-CP), the introductions of iron metal ions (Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺) into either pulsed discharge plasma (PDP) process or the PDP process with TiO₂ photo-catalyst were tentatively performed. The experimental results showed that under the same experimental condition, the degradation rate and removal efficiency of para-CP were greatly enhanced by the introduction of iron ions (Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺) into the PDP process. Moreover, when iron ions and TiO₂ were added together in the PDP process, the degradation rate and removal energy of para-CP further improved. The possible mechanism was discussed that the obvious promoting effects were attributed to ferrous ions via plasma induced Fenton-like reactions by UV light irradiation excited and hydrogen peroxide formed in pulsed electrical discharge, resulting in a larger amount of hydroxyl radicals produced from the residual hydrogen peroxide. In addition, the regeneration of ferric ions to ferrous ions facilitates the progress of plasma induced Fenton-like reactions by photo-catalytic reduction of UV light, photo-catalytic reduction on TiO₂ surface and electron transfer of quinone intermediates, i.e. 1,4-hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone.     

Biomonitoring spatial and temporal impact of atmospheric dust from a cement industry

The objective of this work was to evaluate the spatial and temporal impact of dust-pollution in the vicinity of a cement industry, located in an area with dry climate. The spatial impact integrated over time was evaluated from the concentrations of Ca, Fe and Mg in in-situ Xanthoria parietina. The temporal pattern was assessed through one-month transplants of the lichen Ramalina canariensis. Four potential sources of atmospheric dust were evaluated: the limestone-quarry; the unpaved roads, the deposit area and the cement mill. Calcium concentration in lichens was considered the best cement-dust indicator. Different types of dust (clinker and grinded-limestone-dust) resulted in different time-patterns of Ca accumulation, which was also related with the different influence that wet and dry periods have in the lichen accumulation process. The dust pollution was found to be deposited locally and dependent on: the nature of dust particles and the volume and frequency of precipitation.     

Magnetic anomalies of forest soils in the Upper Silesia-Northern Moravia region

Previous investigations revealed a strong magnetic anomaly due to soil magnetic enhancement in the industrialized cross-border area of Upper Silesia (Poland) and Northern Moravia (Czech Republic). Since industrial and urban dusts contain magnetic particles, this soil magnetic enhancement is assumed to be of anthropogenic origin, caused by a high concentration of atmospherically deposited magnetic particles, accumulated in topsoil layers. This assumption is proved by investigations of vertical profiles of magnetic susceptibility along a transect crossing the border area of the two countries. The results show that the population of magnetic minerals in the organic horizon is different from that in the mineral horizons. The vertical distribution of magnetic susceptibility and thermomagnetic analysis suggests negligible lithogenic contribution. The observed relationship between magnetic susceptibility and some heavy metals, confirmed by micromorphological observations and microchemical analysis of magnetic particles separated from the organic horizons of forest topsoil, has proved the usefulness of soil magnetometry for pollution study.     

A sulfur removal and disposal process through H2S adsorption and regeneration: Ammonia leaching regeneration

An iron oxide solid sponge H₂S adsorbent works by reacting H₂S and turning ferric oxide into ferric sulfide. The ferric sulfide will be converted back into ferric oxide and elemental sulfur when contacting oxygen or air. This study investigates the leaching of elemental sulfur from the solid sponge using anhydrous liquid ammonia as solvent. The leaching treatment expectedly results in effective regeneration of the adsorbent, which is able to lead to a sulfur removal and recovery process suitable for handling the small and mid-sized sulfur production cases, i.e., those less than 10 ton/day sulfur. The leaching does not significantly impair the physical properties, including the adsorbent pellet strength. The adsorption–regeneration (or leaching) cycle could be repeated at least three times. The cumulative sulfur loading can achieve as high as 50% (w/w), three times greater than that in the one-time use. The wash-off in leaching and the spent adsorbent can be made into slurry that is to be injected into underground formations such as depleted oil wells. It is anticipated that this underground injection is safer and more efficient than acid gas injection.     

Quantifying the importance of diffuse minewater pollution in a historically heavily coal mined catchment

There has been considerable progress in developing treatment systems for point sources of minewater pollution in recent years; however, there remains a knowledge gap in the characterisation and remediation of diffuse minewater sources. Data are presented from the River Gaunless catchment, a historically heavily coal mined catchment in the northeast of England. Instream iron (Fe) loadings were monitored alongside loadings arising from point minewater discharges over a 12-month period to assess the dynamic importance of diffuse sources of minewater pollution. In low flow, diffuse sources account for around 50% of instream loading, a proportion which increases to 98% in high flow conditions. The low flow sources appear to be dominated by direct discharge of contaminated groundwater to surface waters in lower reaches of the catchment. In high flow, resuspended Fe-rich sediments, which are both naturally occurring and derived from historic mining, become the dominant diffuse source of Fe in the water column.