Determination of Au(III) and Pd(II) ions by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in some environmental samples after solid phase extraction

A simple and sensitive solid phase extraction method was developed for simultaneous separation and preconcentration of gold and palladium ions with N-(4-methylphenyl)-2-{[(4-phenyl-5-pyridine-4-yl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio]acetyl}hydrazine carbo thioamide complex on Amberlite XAD-1180 resin before their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Some analytical parameters such as HNO₃ concentration of the sample solution, amount of complexing agent, sample volume, eluent type and volume, effects of foreign ions and adsorption capacity of the resin were investigated for quantitative recovery of gold and palladium ions. The effects of some anions and cations were also examined. Under optimum conditions, the detection limits for gold and palladium ions were found to be 0.29 and 0.19 μg L^?1, respectively. The preconcentration factor for gold and palladium was 250. After being validated by standard addition and analysis of standard reference material, the procedure was successfully applied to the analysis of sea and stream water, anodic slime, gold ore, soil and electronic waste.     

Some happy,others sad: exploring environmental justice in solid waste management in Kinshasa,The Democratic Republic of Congo

This paper explores the concept of environmental justice (EJ) in solid waste management (SWM) in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It evaluates the extent to which EJ occurs in SWM and discusses the factors accounting for this state of affairs. The paper examines the relevant theoretical framework(s) and mechanisms that would facilitate the attainment of EJ in Kinshasa. It is argued that solid waste (SW) often ends up in the poorest and least powerful communities in the cities of the DRC. A qualitative research methodology, which includes exhaustive critical review of the literature, system analysis, reflections from best practices through case studies and discussion with stakeholders, was used for this study. Findings revealed that SWM in Kinshasa is a duty entrusted to publicly-funded municipal authorities. There are evidences of a clear divide between the rich and poor neighbourhoods in the manner SW is managed. This is an inequality that has only recently begun to be recognised as injustice practices in SWM. It is argued that a politico-cultural mechanism on remedying SWM inequities could enable changes that will address EJ in Kinshasa. Such a solution will go directly against the prevailing notion “some happy, others sad”.     

城市生活垃圾处理方式生命周期评价的比较研究

生命周期评价理论与方法作为一种量化环境影响的工具,在诸多领域中得到了广泛的应用。在垃圾处理领域,生命周期评价最早在20世纪90年代得到应用。生命周期评价与城市生活垃圾处理的有效结合,将促进城市生活垃圾的减量化、资源化、无害化目标的实现。总结了生命周期评价理论与方法在城市生活垃圾处理中的应用现状。对国内不同城市生活垃圾处理方式环境影响因子进行比较分析,诸如全球变暖潜力、酸化潜力和富营养化潜力等因子。针对其目标范围定义、数据收集、评价方法的选择、结果解释及工艺改进等方面指出了目前研究的局限性和不足。并对未来城市生活垃圾处理生命周期评价的发展方向进行展望。     

城市生活垃圾和污水处理厂剩余污泥混合发酵的原料配比优化研究

以城市生活垃圾和污水处理厂的剩余污泥为混合原料,研究了混合原料的不同配比对厌氧发酵过程及产气的影响。结果表明:城市生活垃圾与剩余污泥以挥发性固体(VS)质量比为2∶1混合后,厌氧发酵效果最好,累计产气量最高,达到8 721mL,发酵后的总固体(TS)、VS、COD去除率分别达43.65%、35.98%、47.88%;各实验组在发酵过程中的pH、氨氮浓度和碱度均在合理范围内,未对厌氧发酵反应造成影响;以适当配比的城市生活垃圾和剩余污泥为混合原料,进行中温联合厌氧发酵是可行的,联合厌氧发酵可以弥补单一原料的缺陷,在一定程度上改善厌氧发酵效果。     

生活垃圾催化热解液体产物特性

为探索生活垃圾催化热解液体产物特性变化规律,选取Na2CO3、CaO、Fe2O33种催化剂,利用固定床实验、红外分析(FT-IR)进行生活垃圾热解液体产物产率和组分特性研究.结果表明,热解终温600℃无催化剂时,生活垃圾热解液产率为39.80 wt％,添加3种催化剂后热解液产率均降低;生活垃圾分别添加1％的Na2CO3和CaO后,热解油氧含量由22.49％分别降低到20.12％和18.53％,低位热值由30.30 MJ/kg分别提高到33.79和32.74 MJ/kg;无催化剂时热解油成分为脂肪类、含氧化合物及少量芳香类混合物,加催化剂后热解油中芳香类物质峰面积比例显著增加,而含氧化合物峰面积比例降低,羟基类及羧酸类含氧化合物峰面积比例明显减少,其他含氧物峰面积比例却增加;CaO催化效果较明显,生活垃圾添加1％的CaO热解油中芳香类物质峰面积比例从4.36％增加到29.46％,含氧化合物峰面积比例由49.42％降低到23.12％,其中羟基类和羧酸类化合物峰面积比例分别由34.03％和10.65％降低到0.00％和3.34％,其他含氧化合物峰面积比例由4.73％增加到19.77％.     

城市生活垃圾机械生物处理效果

采用机械生物处理工艺研究了淋洗水解、脱水与好氧生物干燥对城市生活垃圾的处理效果.结果表明:在淋洗水解及压榨脱水机械生物处理阶段,控制淋洗液与生活垃圾重量比2∶1,停留时间1.2 ～1.4 d条件下,生活垃圾可以减量49.7％.而过程中产生的淋滤液COD为32 939 mg/L、pH为5.1、COD∶N∶P=261∶5∶3.6,可以进行厌氧消化处理或作为碳源进行资源化利用.在好氧生物干燥阶段,通风量采用0.08 m3/min,2～3d堆体温度可升至73℃,7d左右即可产出LCV高达15 000 kJ/kg左右的高品位垃圾衍生燃料(RDF),其产率为38.2％,氯元素含量低于0.5％,重金属含量较低,满足燃料要求.     

以聚己内酯作为生物反硝化固体碳源的研究

为解决水体因低碳氮比而导致脱氮效率差的问题,将颗粒聚己内酯(PCL)重新塑形为阶梯环状,研究其作为反硝化过程的生物膜载体与固相碳源的反硝化性能。结果表明,在静态实验中,平均反硝化速率为8.57 mg NO3-N/(L·h);反硝化过程为零级反应。连续填充床实验中,超过90%的硝酸盐可被去除,出水NO2-N质量浓度低于0.20 mg/L;出水NH3-N质量浓度略有上升;出水溶解性有机碳(DOC)先上升后降低至1 mg/L左右。电子扫描显微镜扫描显示,PCL阶梯环反应表面空隙率较高,表面生物膜以杆菌为主,反应后被明显腐蚀;液相色谱检测显示PCL阶梯环分子量反应前后略有下降,其结构未受到破坏;表明该材料适合作为反硝化反应的碳源的同时,又可以作为载体供微生物附着生长。     

Determination of specific gravity of municipal solid waste

This investigation was conducted to evaluate experimental determination of specific gravity (G_s) of municipal solid waste (MSW). Water pycnometry, typically used for testing soils was adapted for testing MSW using a large flask with 2000 mL capacity and specimens with 100–350 g masses. Tests were conducted on manufactured waste samples prepared using US waste constituent components; fresh wastes obtained prior and subsequent to compaction at an MSW landfill; and wastes obtained from various depths at the same landfill. Factors that influence specific gravity were investigated including waste particle size, compaction, and combined decomposition and stress history. The measured average specific gravities were 1.377 and 1.530 for as-prepared/uncompacted and compacted manufactured wastes, respectively; 1.072 and 1.258 for uncompacted and compacted fresh wastes, respectively; and 2.201 for old wastes. The average organic content and degree of decomposition were 77.2% and 0%, respectively for fresh wastes and 22.8% and 88.3%, respectively for old wastes. The G_s increased with decreasing particle size, compaction, and increasing waste age. For fresh wastes, reductions in particle size and compaction caused occluded intraparticle pores to be exposed and waste particles to be deformed resulting in increases in specific gravity. For old wastes, the high G_s resulted from loss of biodegradable components that have low G_s as well as potential access to previously occluded pores and deformation of particles due to both degradation processes and applied mechanical stresses. The G_s was correlated to the degree of decomposition with a linear relationship. Unlike soils, the G_s for MSW was not unique, but varied in a landfill environment due both to physical/mechanical processes and biochemical processes. Specific gravity testing is recommended to be conducted not only using representative waste composition, but also using representative compaction, stress, and degradation states.     

Using multivariate regression modeling for sampling and predicting chemical characteristics of mixed waste in old landfills

Municipal solid waste landfills pose a threat on environment and human health, especially old landfills which lack facilities for collection and treatment of landfill gas and leachate. Consequently, missing information about emission flows prevent site-specific environmental risk assessments. To overcome this gap, the combination of waste sampling and analysis with statistical modeling is one option for estimating present and future emission potentials. Optimizing the tradeoff between investigation costs and reliable results requires knowledge about both: the number of samples to be taken and variables to be analyzed.This article aims to identify the optimized number of waste samples and variables in order to predict a larger set of variables. Therefore, we introduce a multivariate linear regression model and tested the applicability by usage of two case studies. Landfill A was used to set up and calibrate the model based on 50 waste samples and twelve variables. The calibrated model was applied to Landfill B including 36 waste samples and twelve variables with four predictor variables.The case study results are twofold: first, the reliable and accurate prediction of the twelve variables can be achieved with the knowledge of four predictor variables (Loi, EC, pH and Cl). For the second Landfill B, only ten full measurements would be needed for a reliable prediction of most response variables. The four predictor variables would exhibit comparably low analytical costs in comparison to the full set of measurements. This cost reduction could be used to increase the number of samples yielding an improved understanding of the spatial waste heterogeneity in landfills.Concluding, the future application of the developed model potentially improves the reliability of predicted emission potentials. The model could become a standard screening tool for old landfills if its applicability and reliability would be tested in additional case studies.     

Treating solid dairy manure using microwave-enhanced advanced oxidation process

The microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW/H₂O₂-AOP) was used to treat separated solid dairy manure for nutrient release and solids reduction. The MW/H₂O₂-AOP was conducted at a microwave temperature of 120°C for 10 minutes, and at three pH conditions of 3.5, 7.3 and 12. The hydrogen peroxide dosage at approximately 2 mL per 1% TS for a 30 mL sample was used in this study, reflecting a range of 0.53–0.75 g H₂O₂/g dry sludge. The results indicated that substantial quantities of nutrients could be released into the solution at pH of 3.5. However, at neutral and basic conditions only volatile fatty acids and soluble chemical oxygen demand could be released. The analyses on orthophosphate, soluble chemical oxygen demands and volatile fatty acids were re-examined for dairy manure. It was found that the orthophosphate concentration for untreated samples at a higher % total solids (TS) was suppressed and lesser than actual. To overcome this difficulty, the initial orthophosphate concentration had to be measured at 0.5% TS.