Oxidation of sulphite originating from flue gas desulphurization waste in soil

The rate of catalyzed oxidation of sulphite originating from flue gas desulphurization (FGD) waste was studied under varying conditions. The pH dependence was examined in aqueous solution at the pH range of 5 to 8, the effect of soil moisture was studied in sieved soil of different moisture contents, and the oxidation of sulphite to a soil as FGD waste, was measured at different depths in a field experiment. The experiments that the half-lives of sulphite in aqueous solution were between 0.5 and 2 hours and that the oxidation rate was highest at the lowest pH. In sieved soil the half-lives of sulphite were in the range of 3 to 20 days with the oxidation rate at the highest moisture content, indication that oxygen availability was the limiting factor. The slowest decrease of the sulphite concentration was found at a soil depth of 8–10 cm which was the where the highest background concentration of sulphite was found in control plots, too.Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 1988,10(1), 26–30     

Inorganic element uptake by barley from soil supplemented with flue gas desulphurization waste and fly ash

To evaluate the influence of waste products from coal- and oil-fired power plants on the inorganic element content of plants, barley was grown in pots each with 22 kg of sandy loam supplied with increasing amounts of six waste products. The plants were harvested at maturity and analysed for a number of inorganic elements. The salinity of the soil was the limiting factor for the amount added in terms of plant growth. Concerning the quality of the plants as fodder, addition of the waste to the soil at levels of about 0.5% by weight increased the Se concentration of the barley from a level deficient for animals to that approaching sufficiency for animals. The increase in Cd from the flue gas desulphurization (FGD) products was deemed undesirable, even though the concentrations following this single addition were far from toxic. All other increases in element concentrations were without any biological significance.Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 1988,10(1), 21–25     

Ispra Mark 13A,a new process for flue gas desulphurization

A new regenerative wet scrubbing process for flue gas desulphurization, Ispra Mark 13A, is presented. The process produces two useful products, concentrated sulphuric acid and hydrogen. Process flow schemes and process principles are discussed.     

The disposal of flue gas desulphurisation waste: sulphur gas emissions and their control

Flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) equipment to be fitted to UK coal-fired power stations will produce more than 0.8 Mtonnes of calcium sulphate, as gypsum. Most gypsum should be of commercial quality, but any low grade material disposed as waste has the potential to generate a range of sulphur gases, including H₂S, COS, CS₂, DMS and DMDS. Literature data from the USA indicates that well-oxidised waste with a high proportion of calcium sulphate (the main UK product of FGD) has relatively low emissions of sulphur gases, which are comparable to background levels from inland soils. However, sulphur gas fluxes are greatly enhanced where reducing conditions become established within the waste, hence disposal strategies should be formulated to prevent the sub-surface consumption of oxygen.     

Mercury removal from flue gas using nitrate as an electron acceptor in a membrane biofilm reactor

Membrane bioreactor achieved mercury removal using nitrate as an electron acceptor. The biological mercury oxidation increased with the increase of oxygen concentration. Ferrous sulfide could make both Hg²⁺ and MeHg transform into HgS-like substances. Nitrate drives mercury oxidation through katE, katG, nar, nir, nor, and nos. Mercury (Hg⁰) is a hazardous air pollutant for its toxicity, and bioaccumulation. This study reported that membrane biofilm reactor achieved mercury removal from flue gas using nitrate as the electron acceptor. Hg⁰ removal efficiency was up to 88.7% in 280 days of operation. Oxygen content in flue gas affected mercury redox reactions, mercury biooxidation and microbial methylation. The biological mercury oxidation increased with the increase of oxygen concentration (2%‒17%), methylation of mercury reduced with the increase of oxygen concentration. The dominant bacteria at oxygen concentration of 2%, 6%, 17%, 21% were Halomonas, Anaerobacillus, Halomonas and Pseudomonas, respectively. The addition of ferrous sulfide could immobilize Hg²⁺ effectively, and make both Hg²⁺ and MeHg transform into HgS-like substances, which could achieve the inhibition effect of methylation, and promote conversion of mercury. The dominant bacteria changed from Halomonas to Planctopirus after FeS addition. Nitrate drives mercury oxidation through katE, katG, nar, nir, nor, and nos for Hg⁰ removal in flue gas.     

Hazardous waste solidification as a multiple barrier concept

The GFS process of waste solidification using pozzolanic material is described. This process is most successful for hazardous particulates. Final products have better landfilling properties in terms of fixing the hazardous contents of wastes, reducing leachates and improving the geo‐physical strength of particulates than the starting waste materials. Furthermore, recycling of metals from sludges of industrial processes as well as of biomass from municipal sewage sludges for agricultural purposes are improved.     

水稻小麦种植模式下长期定位施肥土壤氮的垂直变化及氮储量

为了研究不同的施肥方式对土壤全氮变化及氮储量的影响,1981年在湖北省农业科学院南湖试验站设置了施用有机肥与化肥的长期定位田间试验,2006年水稻收获后田间取样分析每个处理不同土层的全氮含量与氮储量。研究结果表明：与对照相比,单施化肥与单施有机肥0～20cm土层土壤的容重下降,化肥添加有机肥比相应的单施化肥的容重要低一些。除了对照之外,其它处理都是0～20cm土层土壤全氮含量高于其它土层,氮肥配施有机肥处理0～20cm土层土壤全氮含量最高。除了氮磷钾肥配施过量有机肥处理外,化肥配施有机肥处理土壤的全氮含量都高于单施化肥或单施有机肥处理,20～40cm土层土壤全氮含量具有相似的规律。在0～20cm土层,与对照相比,单施氮肥及氮磷肥不能增加土壤全氮储量,但是化肥配施有机肥能够增加土壤全氮的储量。单施氮磷钾肥及单施有机肥也能够增加土壤全氮的储量。在0～20cm土层,氮肥配施有机肥处理的土壤全氮储量最多,达8.82t·hm-2,而氮肥处理的氮储量最低,仅为5.38t·hm-2。在100cm深度,与单施化肥及单施有机肥相比,化肥配施有机肥都增加了土壤全氮的储量。     

Silicon carbide waste as a source of mixture materials for cement mortar

This paper presents an investigation of the feasibility of recycling silicon carbide waste (SCW) as a source of mixture materials in the production of cement mortar. Mortars with SCW were prepared by replacing different amounts of cement with SCW, and the properties of the resulting mortars, such as the fluidity, strength and shrinkage, were studied in this work. Thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy were employed to understand the reasons for the property changes of the mortars. The results indicate that SCW decreases the initial and 1-h fluidity of fresh mortar but improves the loss of fluidity. The mortar with SCWexhibits a lower strength at 3 d and 7 d but a higher strength at 28 d and 56 d compared to the control. The shrinkage rate of cement mortar with SCW shows an obvious decrease as the replacement ratio increases. In addition, the content of calcium hydroxide in hardened paste also shows that SCW has some impact on the hydration of the cement-SCW system. The microstructures of the hardened paste also show evidence for a later strength change of mortar containing SCW. This work provides a strategic reference for possibly applying SCW as a mixture material in the production of cement mortar.

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Urea as a nitrogen source for the phytoplankton in the Oslofjord

Ambient concentrations of urea in the inner Oslofjord, Norway, showed a pronounced yearly cycle in 1980, with values in the range 0.1 to 10.0 μg-at N l^-1; this cycle resemble that of ammonia although urea concentrations were usually lower. The uptake of urea by phytoplankton was investigated using ¹⁵N. Urea was usually a less important N source than NH ₄ ⁺ , and accounted for 0 to 53% (mean 19%) of summed NH ₄ ⁺ +NO ₃ ^- + urea uptake rates from April to October. Absolute as well as relative (specific) uptake rates of urea were higher in the summer (June–August) than at other times. Uptake of urea was inhibited by NH ₄ ⁺ concentrations higher than 1 to 2 μg-at N l^-1. The summed NH ₄ ⁺ +NO ₃ ^- + urea uptake rate was exponentially related to temperature.     

A regional market for rights to use fertilizer as a means of achieving water quality standards

The attributes and effects of one possible arrangement of a market for rights to use fertilizer are discussed in this article. Because of some similarities in effect, this type of policy is compared with the imposition of a fixed per unit excise tax on fertilizer. Some empirical results for the establishment of a market for rights to use nitrogen fertilizer and for the imposition of a tax on nitrogen fertilizer only in Illinois are presented. These results are derived from a national spatial equilibrium model of crop production in the United States.     

Investigation of acetaminophen adsorption with a biosorbent as a purification method of aqueous solution

ABSTRACT

Pharmaceutical compounds are considered emerging environmental pollutants that have a potential harmful impact on environment and human health. In this study, the spiky green horse-chestnut shell was used for the biosorption and removal of acetaminophen from aqueous solution. It was analysed how the parameters, like contact time, pH, mass of biosorbent and temperature, influence the effectiveness of acetaminophen removal from aqueous solutions. The equilibrium was quickly achieved after 10?min (～60%). The amount of acetaminophen adsorption slightly increased with the increase of the mass of biosorbent, and for example for an aqueous solution containing 10?mg/L of acetaminophen adsorption was increased from 62% to 81%. The promising results obtained at pH ranged between 2 and 9, which shows that the adsorption of acetaminophen did not depend on the pH and it may be a consequence of the predominant microporous sorbent and its surface charge. The result is better correlated to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model of type 2 (r ²?=?0.9992) than pseudo-first-order. A sorption mechanism of acetaminophen on biosorbent was also proposed. The sorption of acetaminophen over biosorbent is mainly preceded by hydrophilic interactions between hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in pharmaceutical molecules and hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of biosorbent.     

氮肥运筹和少免耕对麦田氮素径流流失的影响

采用田间小区定位试验研究了自然降雨条件下氮肥运筹和少免耕措施对稻麦两熟农田麦季氮素径流流失特征的影响。结果表明：自然降雨后麦田耕层土壤平均水分质量分数26.34%为径流事件发生的临界土壤水分质量分数。常规施肥（T0）条件下,麦季径流水量达2185.05 m3·hm-2,径流侵蚀泥沙量达716.08 kg.hm-2,少免耕（T2）处理增加麦田径流水量达29.67%,减少径流侵蚀泥沙量达13.96%,而肥料运筹（T1）与T0处理差异不显著;就整个麦季而言,T0处理条件下,径流水全氮（TN）平均质量浓度和径流侵蚀泥沙TN平均质量分数分别为10.51 mg·L-1和1.19 g·kg-1,T1处理显著降低径流水TN质量浓度和侵蚀泥沙TN质量分数分别达11.63%和5.93%,T2处理显著降低径流侵蚀泥沙TN质量分数达7.95%;麦季氮素径流流失主要集中在小麦生育前期,包括径流水氮素流失量和径流侵蚀过程中由泥沙流失的氮素量。T0处理条件下,氮素流失总量达31.76 kg·hm-2,其中,径流水氮素流失量占麦季氮素总流失量95%以上,T1处理减少麦季氮素总流失量达9.25%,而T2处理则增加麦季氮素总流失量达16.75%。     

Synthesis of vinasse-dolomite nanocomposite biochar via a novel developed functionalization method to recover phosphate as a potential fertilizer substitute

• Nanocomposites were prepared by adding dolomite to vinasse at different ratio. • Textural and morphological features of adsorbents were studied in detail. • CCD based RSM was used for investigation of P ion removal by nanocomposite. • The q_m based on Langmuir model for modified vinasse biochar was 178.57 mg/g. • P loaded nanocomposite improved plant growth and could be utilized as P-fertilizer. The effectiveness of phosphate (P) removal from aqueous solutions was investigated by novel low-cost biochars synthesized from vinasse and functionalized with calcined dolomite. The vinasse-derived biochar, synthesized via pyrolysis at different temperatures, showed easy preparation and a large surface area. The novel vinasse biochar nanocomposites were prepared by adding dolomite to the vinasse biochars with different weight percentages (10, 20 and 30%). The characteristics of the prepared materials were identified for further understanding of the inherent adsorption mechanism between P ions and vinasse biochars. Vinasse-dolomite nanocomposite was very effective in the adsorption of P species from aqueous media. The effect of the operational factors on Vinasse-dolomite nanocomposite was explored by applying response surface methodology (RSM). According to RSM results, the optimum condition was achieved to be contact time 90 (min), 250 (mg/L) of P concentration and pH 7. Thermodynamic isotherm and kinetic studies were applied on experimental data to understand the adsorption behavior. The Vinasse-dolomite nanocomposite revealed preferential P species adsorption in the presence of co-existing anions. The P species could be recovered by 1.0 M HCl where the efficiency was not affected up to the fifth cycle. The P-loaded Vinasse-dolomite nanocomposite was successfully tested on a plant; it significantly improved its growth and proved its potency as a P-based fertilizer substitute.     

Benzene degradation in waste gas by photolysis and photolysis-ozonation: experiments and modeling

A photochemical model of benzene degradation compares well with experimental data obtained in the Lab. 62 reactions were needed to fully describe benzene degradation. A feasibility study shows that the photolysis of benzene is a cost-effective process. Experimental data and modeling results show that the degradation efficiency will increase when the combination of UV light and ozone is used. The degradation of benzene, a carcinogenic air pollutant, was studied in a gas-phase photochemical reactor with an amalgam lamp emitting ultraviolet light at 185 and 254 nm. Efficient benzene degradation (>70%) was possible for benzene mass flow rates of up to 1.5 mg·min⁻¹. Adding ozone allowed benzene mass flow rates of up to 5 mg·min⁻¹ to be treated with the same efficiency. In terms of energy consumption, ozone doubles the efficiency of the process. A comprehensive mechanistic simulation model was developed incorporating a chemical kinetics model (62 reactions involving 47 chemical species), a material balance model incorporating diffusion and flow, a flow velocity model, and a light field model. The model successfully predicted the efficiency of the reactor, generally within 20%, which indicates that the model is sound, and can be used for feasibility studies. The prediction of the reactor efficiency in the presence of ozone was less successful, with systematically overestimated efficiency. Condensation of reaction products in the reactor is thought to be the main cause of model inaccuracy. Both experimental data and model predictions show that there is a synergistic effect between ozonation and ultraviolet degradation.     

Products of denitrification by a marine bacterium as revealed by gas chromatography

Gas chromatography was used to analyse the gases released by growing cultures of the denitrifying marine bacterium Pseudomonas perjectomarinus. When nitrate was provided as final oxidant, CO₂ was the first detectable gas released. Following the peak rate of release of CO₂ at approximately 16 h, N₂ liheration began and peaked at 30 h. When N₂O was provided as terminal oxidant, CO₂ and N₂ release began within a few hours and the rate of liberation of both increased for 45 to 50 h before leveling. Cell-free extracts of bacteria from denitrifying cultures of P. perfectomarinus were incubated anaerobically with nitrate, malic acid and electron transfer cofactors provided, and the gases in the atmosphere above the reaction mixtures were analysed. NO was found to be present transiently, and N₂O was discerned after prolonged incubation. The applicability of gas chromatography to analyses of marine ecosystems and the need for better means of sampling the atmosphere above enzymatic reaction mixtures were disoussed.     

Calcium carbonate waste from an integrated pulp and paper mill as a potential liming agent

Calcium carbonate is used in large amounts in the pulp and paper industry as a paper filler. When it is manufactured, the calcium carbonate waste is purged from the process. Here we demonstrate that, due to the elevated calcium concentration of 168.5 g kg⁻¹ dry weight (dw), alkaline pH of 12.6 and neutralizing (liming) effect value of 42.4% expressed as Ca equivalents, this waste is a potential liming agent and a pH buffer. The heavy metal concentrations in the waste were lower than the new Finnish limit values for fertilizers used in agriculture, as well as for a material, e.g. ash, used as an earth construction agent. These limit values came into force in March 2007 and in June 2006, respectively.     

烟气脱硫菌株的筛选与烟气脱硫效率的影响因素

为了寻找烟道气中SO2的微生物转化方法,为微生物脱硫技术的工业化应用提供一定的技术依据,进行了烟气脱硫菌株的筛选和影响烟气脱硫效率有关因素的实验研究,结果表明,单一菌株中,5-2-1菌株的脱硫效率最高.培养12 d后,脱硫率达67.20%,与单一菌株相比,混合菌株有更好的脱硫能力;重金属、有机物、氟化物质对菌株脱硫能力的影响结果表明,在菌液中添加Fe3 、Mn2 不仅能促进菌株生长,还能提高生物菌株的脱硫能力;通过正交实验得出,影响生物菌株脱硫能力大小的因素顺序为:Fe3 >Mn2 >联苯>SO2 浓度>Cr3 >pb2 >pH,通过F显著性检验得知,Fe3 、Mn2、联苯的作用是显著的.