Disintegration of municipal waste activated sludge by simultaneous combination of acid and ultrasonic pretreatment

The individual and simultaneous effects of acid and ultrasonic pretreatment on the disintegration of municipal waste activated sludge (WAS) were investigated based on chemical properties of WAS. In the combination of acid and ultrasonic pretreatment methods (ultrasonic-acid pretreatment), lowering pH accelerated and enhanced the disintegration of waste biological sludge. Therefore, the same disintegration efficiency (obtained by ultrasonic pretreatment alone) was achieved by the combined pretreatment in shorter sonication times. Optimum pretreatment conditions were ultrasonic power density of 1.0 W/mL and pretreatment time of 10 min for ultrasonic pretreatment alone, and ultrasonic power density of 1.0 W/mL, pretreatment time of 10 min and initial sludge pH of 2.0 for the combined pretreatment. Sludge disintegration degrees were about 30% and 40% under these optimized conditions, respectively. Optimum sludge concentration was found to be 1.0% total solid (TS) content for the combined pretreatment. As a result, ultrasonic-acid pretreatment has been determined as a new and effective combined sludge pretreatment method to improve the sludge disintegration.     

Inorganic arsenic speciation at river basin scales: The Tinto and Odiel Rivers in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, SW Spain

The Tinto and Odiel rivers are heavily affected by acid mine drainage from mining areas in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. In this work we have conducted a study along these rivers where surface water samples have been collected. Field measurements, total dissolved metals and Fe and inorganic As speciation analysis were performed. The average total concentration of As in the Tinto river (1975 μg L⁻¹) is larger than in the Odiel river (441 μg L⁻¹); however, the mean concentration of As(III) is almost four times higher in the Odiel. In wet seasons the mean pH levels of both rivers (2.4 and 3.2 for the Tinto and Odiel, respectively) increase slightly and the amount of dissolved total arsenic tend to decrease, while the As(III)/(V) ratio strongly increase. Besides, the concentration of the reduced As species increase along the water course. As a result, As(III)/(V) ratio can be up to 100 times higher in the lower part of the basins. An estimation of the As(III) load transported by both rivers into the Atlantic Ocean has been performed, resulting in about 60 kg yr⁻¹ and 2.7 t yr⁻¹ by the Tinto and Odiel rivers, respectively.     

The reactions of paraquat and divalent metal ions with humic acid: Factors influencing stoichiometry 2

Abstract

Laurentide humic acid has been titrated with paraquat and with selected divalent metal ions. In some cases, the humic acid was spiked with one cation before titration with another one. Several equivalence points were determined for the binding of the divalent cations, including paraquat. Three equivalence points agreed well with values predicted from the acidic properties of the humic acid. Eight independent experiments gave nine replicate values for an equivalence point that corresponds to 79.2 mole % of the total pairs of carboxyl groups. It is postulated that this represents a large molecular weight or structural fraction of the humic acid. The remaining 20.8 mole % can either bind one divalent cation to two carboxylate anions or bind one divalent cation to one carboxylate anion, with another anion providing for charge balance. Aggregation ‐ disaggregation and dissolution ‐precipitation phenomena may determine which case prevails, and they in turn are sensitive to the chemical compositions of samples. It should be possible to develop analytical chemical methods for characterizing the stoichiometric properties of humic acid samples.     

Socio-economic predictors of domestic wood use in an Atlantic forest area (north-east Brazil): a tool for directing conservation efforts

Given the excessive use pressure on forests, characterisation of the major users of forest resources can help guide conservation efforts. This study examines whether socio-economic variables explain domestic wood use in an area of Atlantic forest in the community of Três Ladeiras (Pernambuco, north-east Brazil). Socio-economic data were collected from 62 households, and geometric measurements of wood products in each household were taken to calculate the wood volume. An informant in each household indicated the average replacement time for each type of wood use. Data were analysed for static volume (wood volume found at the time of the visit) and dynamic volume (rate of wood consumption, calculated as the ratio between volume and replacement time). Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the relationships between wood volume (static and dynamic) and the number of species used; independent variables including monthly family income, number of residents, average age of heads of the household, age of oldest household member, average residence time of heads of the household, average education level of heads of the household and education level of the most educated household member. Monthly income was inversely related to the static wood volume (adjusted R ² = 17.6%, p < 0.001), rate of wood consumption (adjusted R ² = 23.0%, p < 0.001) and number of species used (adjusted R ² = 22.3%, p < 0.001) and was the most important predictive variable for these three outcomes. Other factors such as average education level and average age of heads of the household were also explanatory variables of the total rate of wood consumption, as these two variables, together with monthly family income, explain 31.3% of the total dynamic volume. Given the high importance of income in our study, we suggest that future conservation strategies give special attention to the poorest members of the community.     

土壤酸化对温室气体排放影响的培育实验研究

利用不同pH值的模拟酸雨(SAR)淋洗处理42个月获得具有不同累积酸化程度土壤,对其进行室内培养并研究了土壤温室气体CO₂、CH₄和N₂O的排放特征.结果表明,一定的酸化累积促进CO₂排放,而累积到某值时(如pH3.0₅酸化累积程度的加深而增加.相关分析显示,土壤pH值不是造成不同累积酸化程度土壤温室气体排放差异的直接原因;CO₂和CH₄排放差异主要是由于酸化累积过程导致土壤碳、氮以及其他养分元素含量的差异造成的,而导致N₂O排放差异的产生原因却十分复杂.     

土壤-植物系统中模拟酸雨与Cd复合污染的短期环境效应--黄豆盆栽试验

通过盆栽实验,研究了在黄豆(Glycne max)的一个生长周期内,模拟酸雨与Cd复合污染对土壤基本性质的影响,模拟酸雨作用下土壤-植物系统中Cd的迁移转化规律以及模拟酸雨与Cd复合污染对黄豆生长与生理特性的影响,探讨了土壤-植物系统中这种复合污染的短期环境效应.结果表明,短期内模拟酸雨和Cd污染对土壤-植物系统都有致害作用,但Cd污染的效应大于模拟酸雨的效应,模拟酸雨与Cd复合污染环境效应大于这2种污染物的单因素效应,且表现出明显的协同作用.在本试验条件下,pH值为3.5的模拟酸雨和20 mg·kg-1Cd的处理组合对土壤-植物系统的危害最严重.尽管在短期内,协同作用仅在土壤交换态Cd含量、黄豆茎和根中的Cd含量这3项指标上得到一定程度的体现,但这种复合污染的化学机制和环境效应值得关注,这2种污染物长时期共同作用对土壤-植物系统的影响也值得深入研究.     

Photooxidative removal of the herbicide Acid Blue 9 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide: modeling of the reaction for evaluation of electrical energy per order (EEO)

The present work deals with photooxidative removal of the herbicide, Acid Blue 9 (AB9), in water in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) under UV light illumination (30 W). The influence of the basic operational parameters such as amount of H₂O₂, irradiation time and initial concentration of AB9 on the photodegradation efficiency of the herbicide was investigated. The degradation rate of AB9 was not appreciably high when the photolysis was carried out in the absence of H₂O₂ and it was negligible in the absence of UV light. The photooxidative removal of the herbicide was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetic, and hence the figure-of-merit electrical energy per order (E_Eo) was considered appropriate for estimating the electrical energy efficiency. A mathematical relation between the apparent reaction rate constant and H₂O₂ used was applied for prediction of the electricity consumption in the photooxidative removal of AB9. The results indicated that this kinetic model, based on the initial rates of degradation, provided good prediction of the E_Eo values for a variety of conditions. The results also indicated that the UV/H₂O₂ process was appropriate as the effective treatment method for removal of AB9 from the contaminated wastewater.     

Winter Hydrology and NO3− Concentrations in a Forested Watershed: A Detailed Field Study in the Adirondack Mountains of New York1

Abstract: More than 85% of NO₃^? losses from watersheds in the northeastern United States are exported during winter months (October 1 to May 30). Interannual variability in NO₃^? loads to individual streams is closely related to interannual climatic variations, particularly during the winter. The objective of our study was to understand how climatic and hydrogeological factors influence NO₃^? dynamics in small watersheds during the winter. Physical parameters including snow depth, soil temperature, stream discharge, and water table elevation were monitored during the 2007‐2008 winter in two small catchments in the Adirondack Mountains, New York State. Snowpack persisted from mid‐December to mid‐April, insulating soils such that only two isolated instances of soil frost were observed during the study period. NO₃^? export during a mid‐winter rain‐on‐snowmelt event comprised between 8 and 16% of the total stream NO₃^? load for the four‐month winter study period. This can be compared with the NO₃^? exported during the final spring melt, which comprised between 38 and 45% of the total four‐month winter NO₃^? load. Our findings indicate that minor melt events were detectable with changes in soil temperature, streamflow, groundwater level, and snow depth. But, based on loading, these events were relatively minor contributors to winter NO₃^? loss. A warmer climate and fluctuating snowpack may result in more major mid‐winter melt events and greater NO₃^? export to surface waters.     

铅锌尾矿中重金属在模拟酸雨淋溶下的浸出规律

重金属尾矿污染是世界性难题,污染水体、大气和土壤,对周边的生态环境和人体健康造成严重危害。在我国酸雨范围大且酸雨问题比较严重的背景下,探讨酸雨淋溶下尾矿中重金属的浸出规律将有利于加强我国重金属尾矿的污染控制和管理。采用湖南桃林铅锌尾矿库中的尾矿模拟酸雨条件进行淋溶实验,研究发现重金属Pb、Zn、Cu、Mn含量分别为1252.5,849.4,363.1,280.0mg/kg。其中,Pb、Zn主要以残渣态存在,分别占69.7%和53.8%;Cu主要以有机结合态存在,占67.0%;Mn主要以铁锰氧化态、有机结合态和残渣态存在,共占90.0%。在静态淋溶实验中,固液比越大、模拟酸雨pH值越小,重金属的浸出浓度越大。在动态淋溶实验中,Zn、Mn浸出浓度随时间呈现减小趋势,而Pb和Cu浸出浓度随时间先增大,后减小。     

纳米铁降解水中偶氮染料酸性红B的动力学研究

采用硼氢化钠与硫酸亚铁液相还原法制备纳米铁,用制得的纳米铁降解水中偶氮染料酸性红B,对降解动力学规律进行了探讨。结果表明,纳米铁对酸性红B的降解过程符合表观一级反应动力学规律,表观速率常数随纳米铁用量的增加、pH的降低和反应温度的升高而增大。表观活化能为25.68kJ/mol。在相同实验条件下,纳米铁对酸性红B的降解速率比普通铁提高了4.7倍,反应活化能降低了65%。