Enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency by in situ fabrication of BiOBr/BiVO4 surface junctions

Surface junctions between Bi OBr and BiVO_4 were synthesized. The BiOBr/BiVO_4 with 1 wt.%of Bi OBr exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity in the degradation of Rh B under visible-light irradiation. It was found that the highly efficient adsorption of Rh B molecules via the electrostatic attraction between Br-and cationic \N(Et)_2 group played a key role for the high photocatalytic activities of BiOBr/BiVO_4. This efficient adsorption promoted the N-deethylation of Rh B and thus accelerated the photocatalytic degradation of Rh B.Moreover, the metal-to-metal charge transfer(MMCT) mechanism was proposed, which revealed the concrete path paved with Bi–O–Bi chains for the carrier migration in BiOBr/BiVO_4. The interaction between photoexcited Rh B* and the Bi~(3+) in BiVO_4 provided the driving force for the migration of photo-generated carriers along the Bi–O–Bi chains. This work has not only demonstrated the important role of efficient adsorption in the photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants, but also developed a facile strategy to improve the efficiency of photocatalysts.     

Synthesis of a novel illite@carbon nanocomposite adsorbent for removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater

A novel illite@carbon (I@C) nanocomposite adsorbent has been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal carbonization process (HTC) using glucose as carbonaceous source and illite as the carrier. The morphology, microstructure and surface properties of the prepared nanocomposite adsorbent were analyzed by FESEM, TGA, XRD, FT-IR and Zeta potential measurements. Batch experiments were carried out on the adsorption of Cr(VI) to determine the adsorption properties of the composite. The adsorption of Cr(VI) onto the I@C nanocomposite was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm. Compared with the illite and carbon material (SC) separately, the prepared I@C nanocomposite adsorbent exhibited enhanced adsorption performance for Cr(VI) with a maximum adsorption capacity of 149.25 mg/g, which was higher than that of most reported adsorbents. In addition, the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic based on the adsorption thermodynamics study. The adsorption of Cr(VI) by I@C was highly pH-dependent and the optimum adsorption occurred at pH 2.0. The Zeta potential analysis results indicated that the electrostatic interactions between anionic Cr(VI) and the positively charged surface of the adsorbent might be critical to the adsorption mechanism. This study demonstrated that the I@C nanocomposite should be a promising candidate for a low-cost, environmental friendly and highly efficient adsorbent for the removal of toxic Cr(VI) from wastewater.     

Complex interplay between formation routes and natural organic matter modification controls capabilities of C60 nanoparticles (nC60) to accumulate organic contaminants

Accumulation of organic contaminants on fullerene nanoparticles (nC₆₀) may significantly affect the risks of C₆₀ in the environment. The objective of this study was to further understand how the interplay of nC₆₀ formation routes and humic acid modification affects contaminant adsorption of nC₆₀. Specifically, adsorption of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (a model nonionic, hydrophobic organic contaminant) on nC₆₀ was greatly affected by nC₆₀ formation route – the formation route significantly affected the aggregation properties of nC₆₀, thus affecting the available surface area and the extent of adsorption via the pore-filling mechanism. Depending on whether nC₆₀ was formed via the “top-down” route (i.e., sonicating C₆₀ powder in aqueous solution) or “bottom-up” route (i.e., phase transfer from an organic solvent) and the type of solvent involved (toluene versus tetrahydrofuran), modification of nC₆₀ with Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA) could either enhance or inhibit the adsorption affinity of nC₆₀. The net effect depended on the specific way in which SRHA interacted with C₆₀ monomers and/or C₆₀ aggregates of different sizes and morphology, which determined the relative importance of enhanced adsorption from SRHA modification via preventing C₆₀ aggregation and inhibited adsorption through blocking available adsorption sites. The findings further demonstrate the complex mechanisms controlling interactions between nC₆₀ and organic contaminants, and may have significant implications for the life-cycle analysis and risk assessment of C₆₀.     

活性污泥胞外聚合物的组成与结构特点及环境行为

在活性污泥处理系统中,微生物大多以污泥絮体的形式悬浮在水中。胞外聚合物(EPS)作为污泥絮体的重要组成部分,以其独特的聚合结构和化学组成,在污水生物处理系统中起到重要作用。为了更好的描述EPS的环境行为,文章综合了近年来国内外相关的研究成果,首先分析了EPS的来源、化学组成及结构分布,得出EPS中包含蛋白质、多糖、腐殖酸、核酸、糖醛酸及脂类大分子等化学物质,其中蛋白质和多糖之和占总有机物含量的70%~80%;在结构上,EPS分为SB-EPS、LB-EPS和TB-EPS,三者与细胞结合的紧密程度递增,其中所含化学成分比例的不同将使其具有不同的理化特性。其次,文章对EPS的理化特征对污水处理系统的影响,如对系统中微生物降解特性的影响、磷和重金属的吸附等进行了讨论,并总结了EPS中相关的官能团对上述环境行为的贡献。同时,文章还论述了EPS中官能团的亲疏水特性及化学成分对污泥絮体的脱水性、絮凝沉降性能的影响。     

Iron and aluminium based adsorption strategies for removing arsenic from water

Arsenic is a commonly occurring toxic metal in natural systems and is the root cause of many diseases and disorders. Occurrence of arsenic contaminated water is reported from several countries all over the world. A great deal of research over recent decades has been motivated by the requirement to lower the concentration of arsenic in drinking water and the need to develop low cost techniques which can be widely applied for arsenic removal from contaminated water. This review briefly presents iron and aluminium based adsorbents for arsenic removal. Studies carried out on oxidation of arsenic(III) to arsenic(V) employing various oxidising agents to facilitate arsenic removal are briefly mentioned. Effects of competing ions, As:Fe ratios, arsenic(V) vs. arsenic(III) removal using ferrihydrite as the adsorbent have been discussed. Recent efforts made for investigating arsenic adsorption on iron hydroxides/oxyhydroxides/oxides such as granular ferric hydroxide, goethite, akaganeite, magnetite and haematite have been reviewed. The adsorption behaviours of activated alumina, gibbsite, bauxite, activated bauxite, layered double hydroxides are discussed. Point-of-use adsorptive remediation methods indicate that Sono Arsenic filter and Kanchan™ Arsenic filter are in operation at various locations of Bangladesh and Nepal. The relative merits and demerits of such filters have been discussed. Evaluation of kits used for at-site arsenic estimation by various researchers also forms a part of this review.     

Effect of template in MCM-41 on the adsorption of aniline from aqueous solution

The effect of the surfactant template cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in MCM-41 on the adsorption of aniline was investigated. Various MCM-41 samples were prepared by controlling template removal using an extraction method. The samples were then used as adsorbents for the removal of aniline from aqueous solution. The results showed that the MCM-41 samples with the template partially removed (denoted as C-MCM-41) exhibited better adsorption performance than MCM-41 with the template completely removed (denoted as MCM-41). The reason for this difference may be that the C-MCM-41 samples had stronger hydrophobic properties and selectivity for aniline because of the presence of the template. The porosity and cationic sites generated by the template play an important role in the adsorption process. The optimal adsorbent with moderate template was achieved by changing the ratio of extractant; it has the potential for promising applications in the field of water pollution control.     

Adsorptive removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions by using Turkish illitic clay

The ability of Turkish illitic clay (TIC) in removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions has been examined in a batch adsorption process with respect to several experimental conditions including initial solution pH, contact time, initial metal ions concentration, temperature, ionic strength, and TIC concentration, etc. The characterization of TIC was performed by using FTIR, XRD and XRF techniques. The maximum uptake of Cd(II) (11.25 mg g⁻¹) and Pb(II) (238.98 mg g⁻¹) was observed when used 1.0 g L⁻¹ of TIC suspension, 50 mg L⁻¹ of initial Cd(II) and 250 mg L⁻¹ of initial Pb(II) concentration at initial pH 4.0 and contact time of 240 min at room temperature. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models. The monolayer adsorption capacity of TIC was found to be 13.09 mg g⁻¹ and 53.76 mg g⁻¹ for Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively. The kinetics of the adsorption was tested using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich and intraparticle diffusion models. The results showed that the adsorption of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions onto TIC proceeds according to the pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic parameters including the Gibbs free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS) changes indicated that the present adsorption process was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in the temperature range of 5–40 °C.     

SO2 gas adsorption by modified kaolin clays: influence of previous heating and time acid treatments

Modified kaolin clays were used as adsorbents for SO(2) gas adsorptions. The clays were heated up to 900 °C previous to acid treatments with 0.5 N sulfuric acid solutions at boiling temperature during different times up to 1440 min. Equilibrium adsorption at 25 °C and 0.1 MPa was carried out by using a volumetric apparatus. The samples were characterized by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and infrared analysis. The heating of the clays followed by acid treatment improved the adsorption capacity of the kaolin clays. The presence of amorphous silica and hydroxyl in the final products improved SO(2) adsorption capacity. Better properties for SO(2) adsorption were found in kaolin rich in not well ordered kaolinite clay mineral.     

An Assessment of U(VI) removal from groundwater using biochar produced from hydrothermal carbonization

The ever-increasing growth of biorefineries is expected to produce huge amounts of lignocellulosic biochar as a byproduct. The hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process to produce biochar from lignocellulosic biomass is getting more attention due to its inherent advantage of using wet biomass. In the present study, biochar was produced from switchgrass at 300 °C in subcritical water and characterized using X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, scanning electron micrcoscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The physiochemical properties indicated that biochar could serve as an excellent adsorbent to remove uranium from groundwater. A batch adsorption experiment at the natural pH (~3.9) of biochar indicated an H-type isotherm. The adsorption data was fitted using a Langmuir isotherm model and the sorption capacity was estimated to be ca. 2.12 mg of U g(-1) of biochar. The adsorption process was highly dependent on the pH of the system. An increase towards circumneutral pH resulted in the maximum adsorption of ca. 4 mg U g(-1) of biochar. The adsorption mechanism of U(VI) onto biochar was strongly related to its pH-dependent aqueous speciation. The results of the column study indicate that biochar could be used as an effective adsorbent for U(VI), as a reactive barrier medium. Overall, the biochar produced via HTC is environmentally benign, carbon neutral, and efficient in removing U(VI) from groundwater.     

Preparation of novel activated carbons from H2SO4-pretreated corncob hulls with KOH activation for quick adsorption of dye and 4-chlorophenol

Corncob hull was immersed in 25 wt% H(2)SO(4) and was carbonized in an oven at 290 °C for 2h to obtain the char. The char was then activated for 1h at 780 °C by KOH at weight ratio of KOH/char of 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5. SEM photos of the carbons revealed that the cell wall of corncob hull was etched into thin film structure. It was shown that the adsorption isotherms of methylene blue and 4-chlorophenol on the carbons were well fitted by the Langmuir equation. Moreover, the adsorption kinetics could be satisfactorily described by the Elovich equation. The normalized standard deviations are less than 2.8%. The high fraction of adsorption amount adsorbed within 1 min to that at saturation demonstrated the advantage of the prepared activated carbons. The fraction of adsorption amount within 1 min to that at saturation (q(1)/q(mon)) for the adsorption of 4-CP is high up to 0.807. Such quick adsorption behavior was mainly attributed to the presence of the thin film structure of carbons.