Removal of Selected Micropollutants from Synthetic Wastewater by Electrooxidation Using Oxidized Titanium and Graphite Electrodes

Micropollutants cover a variety of compounds that mainly originate from the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. Even at trace concentrations, the discharge of micropollutants into water bodies pose a serious threat to the environment and human health. Their removal from wastewaters at treatment plants before their discharge into the environment has become one of the leading topics of research. Physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods have been listed in the literature for efficient removal of a variety of pollutants. In this study, seven micropollutants, namely 4‐tert‐octylphenol, atrazine, 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol, fluoxetine, estrone, penconazole, and di‐n‐octyl phthalate, are spiked into municipal simulated synthetic wastewater and treated by a laboratory‐scale electrooxidation (EO) system using oxidized titanium and graphite electrode as anode and cathode, respectively. Sensitive determination of the selected micropollutants by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) before and after treatment is performed after their pre‐concentration using an eco‐friendly switchable solvent liquid‐phase microextraction method (SSLPME). The pH value, applied current, and reaction period are optimized to enhance the removal efficiency of micropollutants. Results show that the highest removal efficiency of all micropollutants is obtained at pH 3, 20 min reaction period, and 3 A applied current. The operational costs are also investigated in this study.     

Algal Cultivation for Treating Wastewater in African Developing Countries: A Review

The tremendous increase in human population and rapid decline in freshwater resources have necessitated the development of innovative and sustainable wastewater treatment methods. Africa as a developing continent is currently backing on sustainable solutions to tackle impending water resource crisis brought forward by wastewater‐induced environmental pollution and climate change. Microalgae‐based wastewater treatment systems represent an emerging technology that is capable of meeting the new demand for improved wastewater treatment and climate change mitigation strategies in an environmentally friendly manner. This review critically looks at the opportunities of Africa in harnessing and exploiting the potential of microalgae for the treatment of various wastewaters based on their capacity to recycle nutrients and for concurrent production of valuable biomass and several useful metabolites. Wastewaters, if improperly/completely untreated and discharged, simultaneously pollute freshwater sources and present significant health and environmental risks. Nutrients in wastewater can be utilized and recovered in the form of marketable biomass and products when integrated with the cultivation of microalgae. Several valuable bioproducts can be generated from wastewater‐grown microalgal biomass including biofuels, biofertilizers, animal feed, and various bioactive compounds. This biorefinery approach would most certainly improve wastewater treatment process economics, enhancing the technical feasibility of algae‐based wastewater remediation in African countries.     

Supported TiO2 on Kaolin,Cordierite, and Calcite for Photocatalytic Removal of Dyes from Wastewater

Kaolin, cordierite, and calcite are investigated as supports for TiO₂. The prepared TiO₂/support samples are examined for the removal of organic dyes from wastewater. The samples are preliminarily investigated to identify the optimal loaded system using synthetic wastewater containing methylene blue (MB). Data indicate that the investigated support significantly affects the photocatalytic activity of the supported TiO₂. Low photocatalytic activity toward MB degradation is observed upon using TiO₂/calcite when compared to the unsupported TiO₂. Interaction between calcite and titania species probably occurrs to produce the less photoactive CaTiO₃ amorphous species. Anatase TiO₂ is obtained upon using kaolin and cordierite as supports. The low photocatalytic performance of the TiO₂/kaolin sample is also observed. A high concentration of MB on TiO₂/kaolin surfaces blocks the photoactive sites. TiO₂/cordierite shows the highest photocatalytic activity compared to the unsupported TiO₂ as well as the other TiO₂/support samples. Rigid cordierite particles suppress the agglomeration of TiO₂ particles during the preparation, leading to a high exposed surface of TiO₂ towards light illumination. TiO₂/cordierite is investigated for the removal of organic dye from real wastewater collected from a textile dyeing factory. Color removal of up to 46% is achieved upon UV irradiation.     

肃北富硅硫磺矿选矿试验研究

肃北硫磺矿床矿石中有用矿物为自然硫,硫品位一般在23%～36%。一直采用土法焚烧熔炼回收硫磺,造成环境污染和硫资源的浪费。通过对硫磺矿石进行物质组成研究和实验室流程选矿试验研究,确定了合理的工艺流程。矿石经一段开路和一段闭路磨矿后,采用最佳配比混合抑制剂及其他优化条件进行浮选,获得回收率为92.46%、含S80.78%的工业用硫磺精矿,为该硫磺矿的合理开发利用提供了科学依据。     

Stable Sulfur Isotopic Evidence for Historical Changes of Sulfur Cycling in Estuarine Sediments from Northern Florida

Data on abundance and isotopic composition of porewater and sedimentary sulfur species are reported for relatively uncontaminated and highly contaminated fine-grained anoxic sediments of St. Andrew Bay, Florida. A strong contrast in amount and composition of sedimentary organic matter at the two sites allows a comparative study of the historical effects of increased organic loading on sulfur cycling and sulfur isotopic fractionation. In the contaminated sediments, an increase in organic loading caused increased sedimentary carbon/sulfur ratios and resulted in higher rates of bacterial sulfate reduction, but a lower efficiency of sulfide oxidation. These differences are well reflected in the isotopic composition of dissolved sulfate, sulfide, and sedimentary pyrite. Concentration and isotopic profiles of dissolved sulfate, organic carbon, and total sulfur suggest that the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter is most active in the upper 8cm but proceeds at very slow rates below this depth. The rapid formation of more than 90% of pyrite in the uppermost 2 cm which corresponds to about 3 years of sediment deposition allows the use of pyrite isotopic composition for tracing changing diagenetic conditions. Sediment profiles of the sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite reflect present-day higher rates of bacterial sulfate reduction and lower rates of sulfide oxidation, and record a profound change in the diagenetic cycling of sulfur in the contaminated sediments coincident with urban and industrial development of the St. Andrew Bay area.     

UASB处理猪粪废水启动试验研究

通过UASB反应器处理猪粪废水试验,研究了UASB处理猪粪废水的启动过程。在水浴35℃时,接种处理啤酒废水的厌氧颗粒污泥,通过控制较低的表面水力负荷,经逐步驯化66 d,完成了启动过程。结果表明:UASB反应器对COD的去除率为88.5%,其容积负荷达到10.9 kg/(m3.d),SS去除率为90.0%或以上。试验可为农村地区资源化技术提供一定的科学依据和借鉴。     

Research on heavy metals in Ruditapes philippinarum and soda industry wastes

Heavy metals pollution in Jiaozhou Bay was studied in Ruditapes. philippinarum, a bioindicator of seawater pollution. Heavy metals in soda industry wastes “white mud” were also studied. Comparison of microwave digestion method with general digestion method revealed that microwave digestion is superior to general digestion in precision, recovery, digestion speed and efficiency, etc. Cd concentration in Hongdao R.philippinarum samples exceeded the national standard by 0.046 mg/kg, that of Yinghai sample by 0.02 mg/kg,and that of Hongshiya sample by 0.22 mg/kg. Sample Pb concentration in Hongshiya was found to exceed the national standard by 0.02 mg/kg. However the heavy metals concentration in R. philippinarum near the Qingdao Alkaline Factory was complied with the standard. This was proved by Penaeus chinensis culture experiment.Therefore, the possible contamination source may come from other land areas.     

厌氧接触消化技术处理高浓度淀粉废水研究

实验采用厌氧接触消化技术，分别在中温（３２℃）和自然温度条件下处理淀粉厂的高浓度废水。结果表明，采用中温厌氧消化可取得较好的处理效果，原水不调ｐＨ（原水ｐＨ为４．０～４．９）直接进反应器，容积负荷最高达５．０６ｋｇＣＯＤｃｒ／ｍ３·ｄ，进水ＣＯＤｃｒ平均１１．６０４×１０３ｍｇ／ｌ，出水ＣＯＤｃｒ平均１．７７８×１０３ｍｇ／ｌ，ＣＯＤｃｒ去除率达８５．８％，出水ｐＨ提高到６．４～７．０。采用自然温度消化，当气温大于２４℃时，可取得较好的处理效果     

Estimating the influence of increased nitrate loads from wastewater on phosphorus mobility in river sediments

Research on the sediment‐surface water transition zone in three study site regions, different in hydrological conditions, was conducted to estimate to which extent nitrate in surface water can contribute to riverbed sediment oxidation and thus prevent release of sediment phosphorus to surface water. Consequently, the Du tch Flow Model (DUFLOW) based water quality model “Spreewald” and results from the emission model “ Mo delling N utrient E missions in Ri ver S ystems” (MONERIS) were used to estimate to which extent wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could contribute to the NO₃^– concentration in surface waters if they were operated without denitrification. It is demonstrated that an effective phosphorus retention in sediments by means of surface water NO₃^– is possible only under specific conditions, i. e. (i) a sufficient supply of surface water to the sediment by advective fluxes, (ii) a sufficient amount of sediment iron to provide phosphorus binding sites in the case of sediment oxidation, (iii) a redox system not leading to a rapid NO₃^– and FeOOH depletion and to phosphorus release from organic pools by high microbial activities. Model results show that in‐stream denitrification processes counteract a significant increase of NO₃^– surface water concentrations from WWTPs operated without denitrification during summer, when eutrophication risk through phosphorus is highest. The increase of NO₃^– surface water concentrations in winter due to decreased denitrification in the surface water is of minor relevance for phosphorus release from sediments.     

糖蜜酒精废液中色素提取工艺的研究

研究了用膜分离技术从糖蜜酒精废液中提取焦糖色素的方法，实验证明，运用该方法色素总回收率为78.18%。通过对提取的色素性质的详细研究，认为回收色素已达到GB8871-2001标准要求，可供开发和利用。