Removal of selected metals from drinking water using modified powdered block carbon

This paper presents the possible alternative removal options for the development of safe drinking water supply in the trace elements affected areas. Arsenic and chromium are two of the most toxic pollutants, introduced into natural waters from a variety of sources and causes various adverse effects on living bodies. Performance of three filter bed method was evaluated in the laboratory. Experiments have been conducted to investigate the sorption of arsenic and chromium on carbon steel and removal of trace elements from drinking water with a household filtration process. The affinity of the arsenic and chromium species for Fe/Fe₃C (iron/iron carbide) sites is the key factor controlling the removal of the elements. The method is based on the use of powdered block carbon (PBC), powder carbon steel and ball ceramic in the ion-sorption columns as a cleaning process. The PBC modified is a satisfactory and practical sorbent for trace elements (arsenite and chromate) dissolved in water.     

Optimization of As(V) adsorption on Fe-RH-MCM-41-immobilized GAC using Box–Behnken Design: Effects of pH,loadings, and initial concentrations

This work focused on the removal from water of arsenate in the 100 to 500 μg/L range using Fe-RH-MCM-41 immobilized on GAC by a colloidal impregnation method. A Response Surface Method (RSM) based on the Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was used to evaluate the effects of pH, adsorbent loading, and initial arsenate concentrations. The thermal stability of Fe-RH-MCM-41/GAC was greater than 460 °C because Fe-RH-MCM-41 and epoxy resin covered the GAC, preventing GAC weight loss. The rate and capacity for arsenate adsorption on Fe-RH-MCM-41/GAC were higher than for GAC. The effects of pH, adsorbent loading, and initial arsenate concentration showed significant effects on efficiency, in terms of percent arsenate removal. Significant interaction occurred as positive effects between arsenate and arsenate concentrations, and pH and arsenate concentrations, and as negative effects between pH and pH, adsorbent loading and adsorbent loading, and adsorbent loading and arsenate concentrations.     

Simulation of biofilter used for removal of air contaminants (ethanol)

Mathematic modeling and simulation of a biofilter system was developed for biofilters filled by three different packing materials such as granular activated carbon (GAC), compost mixed with diatomaceous earth (DE), and compost, respectively, and the effects of biofilter length, packing material, biological activity and the operation time of system on the removal of ethanol (influent contaminant) were studied. The mathematical model for analysis of mass transport phenomena in the biofilter was solved using a two-step, explicit finite difference approximation technique and computer simulation was carried out. The obtained results show that at the early stage of biofiltration the dominant mechanism is adsorption and after saturation of packing by contaminant, biological processes became the dominant mechanism. GAC packed biofilter needs more time to reach to steady state in comparison to the two other packing. GAC is the best adsorbent for contaminant removal; however, compost provides a better environment for microbial growth and activity. The proposed procedure is applicable to analyze the behavior of a biofiltration system used in removal of volatile organic compounds.     

Carbon steel slag and stainless steel slag for removal of arsenic from stimulant and real groundwater

Arsenic in groundwater is a serious environmental problem. The contamination of groundwater with arsenic has been of utmost concern worldwide. Steel slag is a solid waste generated from steel production. Although steel slags have been used for arsenic removal from water, this process has not been systematically or integratively researched. In this study, the arsenic removal capacity and mechanism were investigated for carbon steel slag, stainless steel slag and Fe-modified stainless steel slag based on an in-depth study. The study also evaluated the potential utilization of different steel slag for regeneration. The maximum adsorption of arsenic on carbon steel slag, stainless steel slag and Fe-modified stainless steel slag was 12.20, 3.17 and 12.82 mg g^?1 at 25 °C, respectively. The modification of stainless steel slag by FeC1₃ can generate more pore structures and larger surface areas, and 300 °C treatment produces the best regeneration efficiency. The ΔG values were negative for all of the steel slags, indicating the spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. The solution pH was a critical parameter for the removal of arsenic for steel slags. Under highly alkaline solution conditions, the mechanism of arsenic removal by carbon steel slag and stainless steel slag can be attributed to chemisorption, including chemical precipitation and coordination reactions, and under weakly alkaline solution conditions, electrostatic interaction and specific adsorption are the arsenic removal mechanisms by Fe-modified stainless steel slag. Regeneration of the Fe-modified stainless steel slag was better achieved than that of the other steel slags in the application of high-temperature treatment.     

Advantage of almond green hull over its resultant ash for chromium(VI) removal from aqueous solutions

The discharge of industrial effluents containing hexavalent chromium can be very harmful for the environment. Therefore, Cr(VI) should be removed from contaminated water, and especially from wastewater, to prevent its discharge into the environment. This study is aimed at analyzing the factors that affect the removal of Cr(VI) with the use of almond green hull and ash adsorbent. The effects of pH (2–10), adsorbent dose (2–24 g/L), Cr(VI) concentration (10–100 mg/L), exposure time (1–60 min), and temperature (5–50 °C) were examined. The surface morphology, pore size of adsorbent surfaces were characterized with SEM, EDX, FTIR. Maximum removal occurred at pH = 2. Results showed that the removal yield increased with the rise of exposure time and temperature. The data indicate that due to limited site on adsorbent surface, the removal efficiency decreased as initial Cr(VI) concentration increased. When the adsorbent dose was increased, the removal yield increased in the case of the bioadsorbent as well; however, in the ash adsorbent, there was an increase followed by a decreasing trend. The study highlights that almond green hull can be more efficient than its ash in the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. As a general result of study, it can be argued that almond green hull bioadsorbent and the obtained carbon are able to remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions; thus, they can be used as efficient and economical substitutes for existing adsorbents like activated carbon, for the removal of chromium from polluted aqueous solutions.     

Hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions by using low-cost biological wastes: equilibrium and kinetic studies

The batch removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions using almond shell, activated sawdust, and activated carbon, which are low-cost biological wastes under different experimental conditions, was investigated in this study. The influences of initial concentration, adsorbent dose, adsorbent particle size, agitation speed, temperature, contact time, and pH of solution were investigated. The adsorption was solution pH dependent and the maximum adsorption was observed at a solution pH of 2.0. The capacity of chromium adsorption under equilibrium conditions increased with the decrease in particle sizes. The equilibrium was achieved for chromium ion after 30?min. Experimental results showed that low-cost biosorbents are effective for the removal of pollutants from aqueous solution. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model gave a better fit of the experimental data as compared to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Experimental data showed a good fit with the Freundlich isotherm model. Changes in the thermodynamic parameters, including Gibbs free energy (??G_o), enthalpy (??H_o), and entropy (??S_o), indicated that the biosorption of hexavalent chromium onto almond shell, activated sawdust, and activated carbon was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic in the temperature range 28?C50?°C.     

Remediation of ground water containing chlorinated and brominated hydrocarbons, benzene and chromate by sequential treatment using ZVI and GAC

A laboratory experiment with two sequenced columns was performed as a preliminary study for the installation of a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) at a site where a mixed ground water contamination exists. The first column contained granular zero valent iron (ZVI), the second column was filled with granular activated carbon (GAC). Trichloromethane (TCM, 930 μg/l) and chlorobenzene (MCB, 260 μg/l) were added to the ground water from the site as the main contaminants. Smaller amounts (<60 μg/l) of benzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA), 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE), trichloroethene (TCE), tetrachloroethene (PCE), 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), tribromomethane (TBM), vinyl chloride and chromate were also added to the water to simulate the complex contamination pattern at the site of interest. PCE, TCE, 1,1-DCE, DBCM, BDCM, TBM, MCB and chromate were remediated in contact with ZVI, while the remaining contaminants showed incomplete degradation. A fraction of 8–16.5% TCM was converted to dichloromethane (DCM). Remaining contaminant concentrations were efficiently sorbed by the GAC until breakthrough of DCM was observed after 1,230 exchanged pore volumes in the GAC. The results show that the complex mixture of contaminants can be remediated by a sequenced PRB consisting of ZVI and GAC and that DCM sorption capacity is the critical parameter for the dimensions of the GAC reactor.     

固定化生物技术在合成染料废水处理中的应用

在多级折流板反应器生物处理装置中,采用活性炭为载体人工固定化生物处理合成染料废水,出水水质稳定, 出水中的烷烃肽链变短;其对COD_Cr和BOD₅的去除率可达96.46%、99.77% ;对SO^2-₄和钙镁总量的去除效率超过80.37%、78.66%;折流板反应器的容积负荷率N_v可达2.8 kg COD/(d•m³)。活性炭经生物固定化后,不仅不会影响它的处理效果,还会延长活性炭的使用寿命;当冲击性有机负荷发生时,固定化生物活性炭能够承受并能很快恢复。     

Potential biosorbents for treatment of chromium(VI)-contaminated water discharged into Asopos River

The present study reports on the preliminary investigation of three low-cost natural materials with respect to their chromium(VI) removal efficiency from contaminated water. The tested materials were reed, in milled and chopped form, compost, and dewatered sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The chromium(VI) removal capacity of the aforementioned materials was investigated by simulating the physicochemical conditions prevailing in a stormwater outfall flowing into the Asopos River in Inofyta, Central Greece. Thus, batch and column experiments were carried out using solutions of 3–5 mg/L chromium(VI) and pH value 8.5 ± 0.5. The results showed that the tested materials were capable of removing 3 mg/L chromium(VI), however by allowing different contact times for each material. The chromium(VI) removal kinetics were studied through batch experiments, and reed was found to be the most efficient material. Therefore, at a second series of batch and up-flow column experiments, the effect of the liquid-to-solid ratio, pH, and contact time on chromium(VI) removal using chopped reed was investigated. Chromium(VI) removal took place through both reduction and adsorption mechanisms, while the released soluble organic matter from reed seemed to favor the reduction mechanism. As a result, reed is a potential biosorbent capable of treating heavily chromium(VI)-contaminated water flows, although a high mass of reed is required for a treatment process, such in the case of the stormwater discharged into Asopos River.     

Application of zeolitic volcanic rocks for arsenic removal from water

Natural zeolitic rocks consisting mainly of chabazite-phillipsite, clinoptilolite, and volcanic glass have been evaluated by means of batch methods to remove arsenic from waters with different mineralization degree (from deionized water to natural water with a specific conductivity of 1,600 μS cm^− 1). Arsenic was previously spiked in the studied waters at concentrations of about 100 µg l^− 1 to simulate actual cases. The compositional range of natural waters is representative of large hydrogeochemical regions around the world. The experiments were focussed on the application of natural common zeolitic rocks to water treatment for human consumption. The removal efficiency observed rises, in the better cases, 60–80% for chabazite-phillipsite raw materials whereas is 40–60% for clinoptilolite-bearing ones. The arsenic removal tends to increase with water mineralization degree, independently of the zeolitic rock type. A large zeolitic content in the chabazite-phillipsite raw materials increase the removal. Instead, the inverse situation is observed in the clinoptilolite-bearing rocks. The relevance of the quantitative mineralogical analysis, determining also the content of volcanic glass, as well as the use of natural waters in the removal tests has been demonstrated.     

Bioregeneration of granular activated carbon loaded with phenolic compounds: effects of biological and physico-chemical factors

Bioregeneration is a process of restoring the adsorptive capacity of the spent adsorbents through microbial action. In this study, the effects of acclimated biomass concentration, biomass acclimation concentration, dosage of granular activated carbon (GAC) and type of GAC on the bioregeneration efficiency (BE) of GAC loaded with phenol and p-nitrophenol (PNP), respectively, were investigated. The quantification was conducted by monitoring the time courses of adsorbed substrate amount during bioregeneration under the sequential adsorption and biodegradation approach. The mean BEs of phenol- and PNP-loaded GAC were found to be 78 ± 2 and 77 ± 1%, respectively. The results revealed that increasing acclimated biomass concentration and adsorbent dosage did not have an observable effect on the BEs of phenol- and PNP-loaded GAC. Additionally, the BEs were found to be almost the same for the bioregeneration of phenol-loaded GAC using biomass acclimated to 350 and 600 mg/L of phenol, respectively. The BEs of phenol-loaded GAC 830 (thermal-activated) and GAC 1240+ (thermal- and acid-activated) did not show any observable difference, but the BE of PNP-loaded GAC 1240+ was found to be greater than that of PNP-loaded GAC 830 indicating that the improvement of BE of spent GAC through further chemical activation was dependent on the type of adsorbate.     

Isopropylxanthate ions uptake by modified natural zeolite and removal by dissolved air flotation

This work describes a laboratory study concerning the adsorption of isopropylxanthate ions onto modified zeolites particles. The separation of the loaded carrier and their removal, from aqueous solutions, was conducted by flocculation followed by dissolved air flotation, DAF. The zeolite employed was a natural sample (approximately 48% clinoptilolite and 30% mordenite) which was previously treated with sodium ions (activation) and modified with copper ions (Cu–Z) before the xanthate ions uptake. Adsorption capacities (q_m) for Cu–Z were 0.34 meq g^− 1 for the powdered form, and 1.12 meq g^− 1 for the floc form. The adsorption capacity for the floc form appears to involve an enhanced electrostatic adsorption due to the positive sites on the floc surface. In all cases, the isopropylxanthate concentration in the treated water was found to be negligible (< 0.04 mg L^{− 1}). The flotation technique showed to be a fast process, requires a low recycle ratio (20%) in air saturated water, and the treated water ended up with a very low residual turbidity (6.8 NTU). It is believed that this adsorption–flotation technique, here named adsorptive particulate flotation, using activated and modified natural zeolite has a high potential as an alternative for pollutants removal (copper and isopropylxanthate ions) from waste mining effluents.     

Petrographic evaluation of xylite activated carbon

Xylites are promising materials for activated carbon manufacturing due to their low rank, low inorganic content, and structural characteristics similar to the strong consistence of wood. These are similar to the classical adsorbents used for waste water purification, and available and profitable in the long term. This study has been undertaken to provide by means of petrographic data, new information on the porous structure development in chars during direct heating carbonization and physical activation. The xylite petrographic composition is very important, mainly due to the existence of structured wooden material – textinite with round and elongated cells – that influences the development of the structure and texture during carbonization and activation. The charcoal microstructure reveals some interesting aspects about the carbonization process with regard to evolution, efficiency and pore development. In the xylite activated carbon, the adsorption surface development by means of the highly porous system depends on the type of petrographical components, raw material grain size, and carbonization parameters.     

Removal of cyanide from aqueous solutions by plain and metal-impregnated granular activated carbons

In this study, the removal of free cyanide from aqueous solutions by activated carbon was investigated. Effects of metal impregnation (Cu and Ag), aeration, and concentrations of adsorbent and cyanide on the rate and extent of the removal of cyanide were studied. The results have shown that the capacity of activated carbon for the removal of cyanide can be significantly improved (up to 6.3-fold) via impregnation of activated carbon with metals such as copper and silver. Silver-impregnated activated carbon was found to be the most effective at the reduction of cyanide level in solution. This appeared to be coupled with its comparatively high metal content after impregnation process where silver (5.07%) could be more readily loaded on activated carbon than copper (0.43%). Kinetics and equilibrium data for cyanide removal by plain and metal-impregnated activated carbons were determined to be consistent with the pseudo second-order kinetics and the Langmuir adsorption isotherms, respectively. Aeration (0.27 l/min) was found to exert a profound effect on the process leading to a 5.5–49.1% enhancement in the performances of plain and metal-impregnated activated carbons. This enhancement could be attributed to the increase in the availability of active sites on activated carbon for adsorption and the catalytic oxidising activity of activated carbon in the presence of oxygen. Practical limiting capacity of plain, copper- and silver-impregnated activated carbons for the removal of cyanide were experimentally determined to be 19.7, 22.4 and 29.6 mg/g, respectively.     

保水剂与活性炭改良白云岩石漠化坡地土壤促进植物生长的盆栽试验研究

文章分析了白云岩坡地岩土组构特点,针对白云岩坡地土壤易漏水、漏肥的原因,提出利用保水剂的保水功能和活性炭的吸附与缓释功能对白云岩坡地土壤进行改良的思路和方法,并开展相关盆栽试验,研究保水剂保水、活性炭保肥对促进植物生长的作用,取得了良好效果。研究结果表明:（1）减少水分渗漏,利用保水剂的吸水性,是促进白云岩坡地植被生物量提高的重要措施。加入保水剂含量比例为0.5%时,总生物量比不加保水剂处理增加51.2%。加入保水剂含量比例为1%时,总生物量比不加保水剂处理增加111.2%;（2）同等添加0.5%保水剂情况下,随着活性炭加入比例的提高,生物量增长显著。加入3%的活性炭处理相比未加入活性炭处理,总生物量提高31.2%;加入5%的活性炭处理相比未加入活性炭处理总生物量提高78.6%。初步论证了利用活性炭的吸附与缓释功能改良白云岩糖砂层土壤,缓解养分渗漏的可行性。（3）白云岩土壤改良前后,植被生长差异显著。加入0.5%保水剂和5%的活性炭的处理比无添加的对比实验,总生物量提高101.2%,其中地上部分与地下部分分别增长90.9%和205.8%。此研究为白云岩石漠化坡地提高土地生产力, 缓解人地矛盾, 促进白云岩石漠化坡地植被恢复及土地的开发利用探索了新途径,是一种待之有效的土壤改良方法。      

Integrated hydrochemical method of water quality assessment for irrigation in arid areas: application to the Jilh aquifer, Saudi Arabia

Water samples from 72 wells tapping the Jilh aquifer were collected and analyzed for 10 different water quality parameters. Using these data, a regional irrigation water quality was assessed using three techniques: (i) United States Department of Agriculture method (USDA), (ii) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines for water quality assessment, and (iii) Water-Types approach. The USDA method revealed that the aquifer water salinity, as represented by electrical conductivity, EC_w, ranges from high salinity (C3: EC_w > 0.75–2.25 dS/m) to a very high salinity (C4: EC_w > 2.25 dS/m). The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) varied from low (S1) to very high (S4) sodicity. Therefore, the water of the Jilh aquifer is dominantly of the C4–S2 class representing 56% of the total wells followed by C4–S1, C4–S3, C3–S1 and C4–S4 classes at 19%, 14%, 8%, and 3% of the wells respectively. The FAO system indicated moderate to severe restriction on the use for irrigation and slight to moderate ion toxicities for Na⁺, Cl⁻, B⁺, NO₃⁻ and HCO₃⁻. It is clear that, both USDA and FAO systems condemn the Jilh groundwater as hazardous for irrigation due to its high salt content, unless certain measures for salinity control are undertaken. The dominant salt constituents in the water are Mg–Cl₂, Na–Cl and Ca–Cl₂ as per the Water-Types method. However, due to the complexity in classifying the aquifer groundwater for irrigation, a simplified approach acknowledging three class groups (I-suitable water, II-conditionally suitable water and III-unsuitable water) adopted from the three methods, is suggested in this paper. The simplified approach combines C–S classes of the USDA method among these three groups according to the lowest ratings. The salinity of the FAO method has been split arbitrarily into slight and moderate subclasses with values of 0.7–2.25 and >2.25 dS/m, respectively; to match with the C3-class of the USDA system. The Water-Types were classified assuming that Ca–Cl₂ is the least hazardous salt, followed by Mg–Cl₂ and Na–Cl. Using this integrated hydrochemical method, the majority of the wells (92%) contain unsuitable water for irrigation (Group III) while the remaining wells (8%) are in Group II with water considered conditionally suitable for irrigation.     

Adsorptive removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) onto mixed-waste activated carbon: kinetic,thermodynamic, and competitive studies and application to real wastewater samples

This work aimed to investigate the adsorption characteristics, both kinetically and thermodynamically, of Cu(II) and Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions onto mixed-waste activated carbon, as well as to study the competitive behavior found in mixed heavy metal solution systems. This study shows that activated carbon prepared from mixed waste is an effective adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions, with the aim of detoxifying industrial effluents before their safe disposal onto water surfaces. The adsorption process was characterized in terms of kinetic and thermodynamic studies. In addition, the influence of presence of Cu(II) and Pb(II) in a competitive system was investigated. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacities were gained at a pH of 6 with a contact time of 180 min, a metal solution concentration of 300 ppm, and an adsorbent dose of 0.3 g/L. The adsorption process was found to follow a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG ^o, ΔH ^o, and ΔS ^o showed that the sorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. A competitive study demonstrated the applicability of mixed-waste activated carbon to adsorb Cu(II) and Pb(II) from a solution of mixed metals. In addition, the adsorption capacity was found to be as effective as other adsorbents reported in the literature. The developed adsorptive removal procedure was applied for treatment of real wastewater samples and showed high removal efficiency.     

Evolution of Isotopic Carbon Dioxide–Water Systems in Lithogenesis: Communication 2. Catagenesis

Principal regular patterns in the formation of carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions in carbon dioxide–water systems are considered in application to a wide range of postdiagenetic carbonates. Carbonates produced under conditions of freshwater infiltration, elision catagenesis, and brine-induced catagenesis are characterized in terms of isotope studies.     

Sand-supported bio-adsorbent column of activated carbon for removal of coliform bacteria and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> from water

New bio-adsorbent carbon materials were synthesized from the leaves and veins of Mucuna pruriens and Manihot esculenta plants, which are locally available in abundance. The synthesized carbons were activated using 0.01N HNO₃. Surface area of the activated carbons from M. pruriens and M. esculenta plants was found to be quite high, i.e., 918 and 865 m²/g, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the carbons reflects complex disorganized surface structures of different open pore sizes, shapes and dimensions. These properties of the newly synthesized activated carbons led to the development of a sand-supported carbon column, for its possible use in the removal of coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (E. Coli) from raw water samples. The removal percentage of E. coli was found to be 100% with both the types of carbon adsorbents, as confirmed from the McCardy most probable number table. Similarly, the removal percentage of coliform bacteria was found to be 99 and 98.7% by M. pruriens and M. esculenta carbon columns, respectively. These activated carbons synthesized from locally available plants possess the characteristics of good low-cost adsorbents which can be easily used for the removal of bacteria from water by adsorption method.     

Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Environmental Pollutants on Graphene Oxide

Graphene oxide, as an emerging material for contaminants removal,possesses relatively large specific surface area, and it shows good dispersion in water phase due to the hydrophilicessence resulted from abundant oxygen-containing functional groups on the edge, thus leading to a potential excellent adsorbent. Current studies revealthat, because graphene oxide is negatively-charged in a wide range of pHs, the removal efficiency of heavy metals and cationic dyes by graphene oxide is significantly higher than by traditional adsorbents, like activated carbon. However, its applications are still limited due to its structural defects. For example, its π domain is destructed during fabrication process. Therefore, certain structural modifications need to be conducted on the purpose of improving its performance, achieving a better result in water purification. This paper presented the preparation and structure of graphene oxide, and reviewed the adsorption behaviors, adsorption mechanisms, adsorption models and influence factors of heavy metals and organic pollutants on graphene oxide and its composites, respectively. In view of unresolved issues, further research should focus on comprehensive adsorption mechanisms, more facile and effectivemethods for structural modifications and the treatment of graphene oxide after adsorption process.