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BACKGROUND: High water consumption and the toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewater are key challenges in achieving a more sustainable development. In this sense, it is crucial to develop sustainable ways to reduce the organic pollutants found in wastewater and to promote its reuse. RESULTS: In this study, a simple, low‐cost, and environmentally friendly path for dairy wastewater decontamination through photocatalysis using rod‐shaped α‐Fe2O3/TiO2 type II heterojunctions is reported. The photoreaction of the model solution was evaluated under UVA‐visible irradiation with different amounts of α‐Fe2O3 over TiO2, lactose as pollutant concentrations, Cl− and SO42− anions effects, and oxidant ambient showing up to 42% lactose degradation without the addition of oxidant ambient. Optimized parameters (1.0%wt α‐Fe2O3/TiO2, [catalyst] = 0.5 g L−1, [lactose] = 0.7 g L−1, [H2O2] = 10 mM, [O2] = constant) were used on dairy wastewater, which showed a 63% total organic carbon reduction and a 56% chemical oxygen demand reduction. The composite was easily recovered by decantation with a turbidity reduction of ~ 99%. The photocatalyst reusability was assessed over three successive uses and it maintained its activity with a loss of only 10%. CONCLUSION: This study offers a promising approach for the development of innovative sustainable nanotechnology to efficiently degrade organic pollutants commonly found in dairy wastewater and improve its quality within a shorter timeframe. Our approach could contribute to the development of efficient and cost‐effective complementary technologies for the Sequencing Batch Reactor in the treatment of dairy wastewater, thus contributing to the sustainability of the dairy industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study investigates the integration of a hydro-cyclone decanter into Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) systems to enhance particle segregation during the decanting phase, aiming to improve removal efficiencies of suspended particles in SBR. Methods A hydro-cyclone separator was designed for the SBR reactor, optimizing particles separation using centrifugal forces without extensive process modifications. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance with synthetic and actual wastewater at different concentrations and flow rates. Results and Discussion The hydro-cyclone decanter achieved removal efficiencies of up to 32.3% for synthetic wastewater and approximately 73.2% for actual wastewater, demonstrating significant particle segregation capabilities. However, its impact on dissolved pollutants like total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorus (T-P) was limited. Conclusion Integrating a hydro-cyclone decanter in SBR systems significantly enhances particle segregation, particularly for larger particles, while moderately improving COD removal, suggesting its effective use in wastewater treatment processes.

Manganese (Mn) is an important micronutrient for many living organisms. As a cofactor of numerous enzymes, Mn² demonstrates enormous value to the human body, plants, and animals. Although, at high concentrations Mn² can become a threat for the health of living organisms and environment. Nowadays extensive employment of Mn² for various purpose leads to its excessive emission into the environment. Therefore, Mn element is usually found in wastewaters and drainages of various industries. Drinking water with high concentration of Mn² for a long time may causes problems with attention, memory, and motor skills. "Manganism" is a chronic neurological condition that can be caused by Mn² poisoning. The removal of Mn² is notoriously difficult due to the high stability of the Mn (II). This review first introduces the essentiality, natural and anthropogenic sources and the toxic effect of Mn² pollution, then sheds the light on its bioremediation. The bioremediation treatment of manganese-laden wastewater may include Mn (II) oxidation by various pathways. Bioremediation is a potential alternative for the remediation of Mn² metal pollutants from environments in an eco-friendly and cost-efficient manner through bacteria. This review study provides a scientific basis for the bioremediation of Mn pollutants through bacteria. This study may open an efficient new way to deal with the harmful condition of Mn² toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Soil Sciences & Agricultural Engineering is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the present study, hydrophilic silica aerogel (HPSA) was synthesized by ambient pressure drying method and was successfully used as an adsorbent for the removal of Cationic dyes (Crystal violet- CV) from the aqueous solution. The synthesized sample was characterized and examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Bruner – Emmett – Teller (BET), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Zeta potential pH zp, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer (NMR), and Scanning Electron microscope (SEM). The effect of different parameters such as pH, initial concentration of dyes, contact time, temperature, and their effect on the removal of CV dyes was studied. Silica aerogel synthesized was excellent and 96 % removal of CV dyes on the optimum value of the parameters of 30 min contact time, 303 K temp, 7 pH, 50 mg/l Conc., 0.3 g/l dose of HPSA was obtained. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin,and D-R models were applied in the equilibrium studies and obtained the maximum adsorption capacity 137.17 mg/g. pseudo-first, second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models were employed to indicate the chemisorption behavior in the kinetic study on the adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters showed the adsorption process as Exothermic and spontaneous. Sticking Probability (S*≪1) indicated HPSA as a good adsorbent for the removal of dyes. HPSA has demonstrated the potential for regeneration while affirming its remarkable removal efficiency, Cost effectiveness and Environmental compatibility.

Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is a wild-growing halophyte used in cuisine, traditional medicine or cosmetic products for its beneficial nutritive value and pleasant sensory characteristics. This study aimed to investigate sea fennel essential oils (EOs) from different parts of the plant (flowers, leaves and stems) and the corresponding hydrodistillation by-products (residual water) to validate their potential use and application in different industries. EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while the phenolic profile of the residual water was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometric methods. The EO analysis confirmed the presence of 14 compounds, dominated by sabinene (from 42.55 to 51.47%) and limonene (from 36.28 to 43.58%), while among the 12 detected phenolics, chlorogenic acid and its isomers (cryptochlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid) were found in the highest concentrations. Total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents were concentrated in the order flowers > leaves > stems. Although the sea fennel samples showed differences in chemical profiles, overall they were rich in bioactive compounds with relatively high amounts of key compounds with already proved good biological properties, especially in waste-water, indicating great potential for re-use in accordance with green processing technology trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Biological aerated filter (BAF) is an efficient and economical treatment process to cope with the rapid increasing drainage of aquaculture wastewater. Here, GAC and ceramic, which have the combination advantage, was used as filters of BAF system to treat the aquaculture wastewater. The effect of filters in different sequences was also compared. The BAF with GAC at the bottom is named as GAC‐down BAF, and the BAF at the top is named as GAC‐upper BAF. RESULTS: Results showed that the removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) in GAC‐down BAF was 54.2 ± 1.2% higher than that in GAC‐upper BAF, when the HRT was 3 h and the gas‐water ratio was 5:1. Additionally, it had better phosphorus and COD removal performance in the GAC‐down BAF than those in the GAC‐upper BAF. Microbial community analysis of biofilm attached to different filter layers indicated that the abundances of functional microorganisms like Zoogloea spp., Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Nitrospira spp. on GAC of the GAC‐down BAF were higher than those attached to ceramsite at the same site of GAC‐up BAF. CONCLUSION: It was demonstrated that GAC could provide a suitable niche for the growth of functional microbes at the up‐flow BAF system, and plays a key role in pollutant removals from aquaculture wastewater. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is a wild-growing halophyte used in cuisine, traditional medicine or cosmetic products for its beneficial nutritive value and pleasant sensory characteristics. This study aimed to investigate sea fennel essential oils (EOs) from different parts of the plant (flowers, leaves and stems) and the corresponding hydrodistillation by-products (residual water) to validate their potential use and application in different industries. EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while the phenolic profile of the residual water was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometric methods. The EO analysis confirmed the presence of 14 compounds, dominated by sabinene (from 42.55 to 51.47%) and limonene (from 36.28 to 43.58%), while among the 12 detected phenolics, chlorogenic acid and its isomers (cryptochlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid) were found in the highest concentrations. Total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents were concentrated in the order flowers > leaves > stems. Although the sea fennel samples showed differences in chemical profiles, overall they were rich in bioactive compounds with relatively high amounts of key compounds with already proved good biological properties, especially in waste-water, indicating great potential for re-use in accordance with green processing technology trends.

The results of laboratory studies carried out to identify the possibility and effectiveness of technologies for the complex recycling of components of flue gases and wastewater from thermal power plants and industrial boilers are presented. The following factors were investigated: the degree of saturation of water solutions with CO2, the efficiency of using these solutions for the regeneration of cation exchangers, the properties of regeneration solutions intended for the regeneration of cation exchange filters prepared using components of flue gases obtained from the combustion of organic fuel in the laboratory by saturating water of various compositions, the degree of saturation of condensate and waste-water with components of flue gases, as well as the degree of regeneration of cation exchangers with such regeneration solutions. After research in the laboratory, a laboratory installation was created in an industrial environment to determine the properties of solutions obtained from wastewater and flue gases obtained after production processes at a power plant. The technologies were developed for the complex recycling of flue gases and waste-water from thermal power plants with the production of CO2 with a purity of 99.9%, technical nitrogen with a purity of 95%, special solutions for the regeneration of cation exchangers in water purification plants of industrial enterprises. The results obtained make it possible to minimize the volume of emissions into the atmosphere and the volume of waste-water from thermal power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the requirement for clean water in human population is growing day by day. The different factories and industries like pharmaceutical, textile, food processing, and chemical industries are the major cause of water contamination by adding an organic dyes. The aim of present study is to synthesize the green nanoparticles for the purification waste water. The TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using crude extract of local plant Acacia nilotica. The TiO2 nanoparticles initially were confirmed by color change and later by UV-spectroscopy. The size and shape of TiO2 nanoparticles were assessed by using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometric analysis (EDs) was performed to measure the elements concentrations. Dye removing potential of prepared TiO2 nanoparticles were performed using methylene blue induced dye mixture. The result showed that the synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles were round and spherical in shape ranging from 50-120nm with average of 60 nm. EDs confirmed the TiO2 presence in nanoparticles. The synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles showed 75% dye removing capacity after 2 hours of exposure. In conclusion, TiO2 nanoparticles were highly effective for removing dye from water; therefore these TiO2 nanoparticles can be used as best source for water treatment for removing dyes from waste water.

Waste-water is one of the production process that contains several dangerous mixtures or chemical compositions. One of them is waste-water from monazite processing which is containing radioactive element like uranium (U). Waste-water with radioactive content, mainly uranium, became a hazardeous content if it is released to the environment because of its active nuclide content that effect the environment and community health. Therefore, it is necessary to treat waste-water from monasite processing. The method used is ion exchange process with a cation resin, namely Tulsion T-40 Na, which can reduce uranium content and other cations in waste-water at low concentration. Ion exchanging is conducted through stirring process with resin weight and contact time variations. Measurements on uranium content are carried out using the UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, while measurements on pH and TDS values in waste-water are conducted to determine the characteristics of the waste. The results showed that optimum condition of the ion exchange process at 1.5 g resin weight with 300 minutes contact time is resulting a reduction on uranium content as much as 83.40 %.

The shortage of fuel in the near future and the change in climate due to greenhouse gases are serious challenges of a global concern, thus it is imperious to explore new sustainable ways to overwhelm these challenges. The need of a new sustainable energy sources has increased the importance of the third generation biofuel produced from non-food stocks such as algae, which possibly represent a great opportunity in the long term. The major challenge of the algae based bio-fuel production is their extraordinary cultivation costs, which make their commercialization economically infeasible. Algal spp. especially Chlorella spp. are capable of thriving in waste water and can accumulate high lipid contents. The aim of the current review was to highlight the possible integration of waste water treatment and algae based bio-fuel production, as a sustainable option for cost effective bio-fuel production along with lower environmental impact.

Introduction: Phage therapy has gained interest as a potential alternative for treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. This study aimed to isolate a lytic bacteriophage with the potential to lyse clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methods: Water samples were collected from a hospital waste-water treatment plant in Tehran. The samples were filtered and mixed with an overnight grown culture of K. pneumoniae. (ATCC 10031) followed by incubation at 37°C overnight. Phage titration, latent period, and burst size measurements were carried out by the double-layer agar method using the K. pneumoniae ATCC strain. The isolated phage w:as char:acterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal, pH, and chloroform stability. Susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ESBL producing K. pneumoniae and 51 MDR K. pneumoniae isolates was measured by placing 20 µl of the phage suspension (108 PFU) onto bacterial lawns followed by incubation at 37°C overnight. Formation of clear zones indicated susceptibility. Results: The isolated lytic bacteriophage formed small clear plaques with a latent period of 40 min and a burst time of 52 min, corresponding to 35-40 phage particles per infected cell. TEM results showed that the phage resembled the tailed Siphoviridae family and was designated vB_KpnS-Teh.1. The phage vB_KpnS-Teh.1 was most stable at 37°C, pH 7 and was resistant to chloroform. Conclusion: The isolated lytic phage showed specificity towards K. pneumoniae. Further research will determine its potential in the treatment of K. pneumoniae infections.

BACKGROUND A good colloidal stability of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) dispersion is of utmost importance for its environmentally related applications. In the present work, a water‐soluble anionic polyelectrolyte, poly(sodium 4‐styrene sulfonate) (PSS), was used to stabilize dispersions of MNPs in a pH‐dependent aqueous medium. RESULTS: An excellent methylene blue (MB) dye removal efficiency at equilibrium of up to 94% has been observed by the colloidally stabilized nano‐magnetites. Dynamic light scattering and electrophoretic analysis showed that the PSS‐coated MNPs exhibited better colloidal stability, with an almost constant hydrodynamic diameter of ~150 nm and insignificant clustering behavior throughout the measuring time scale of 5 h. Transmission electron microscopy evidenced the success coating of PSS onto MNPs. In terms of its chemical resistance, the PSS‐coated MNPs were able to tolerate a wide pH range from 2 to 10. This work depicts a simple physiochemical coating method to stabilize dispersions of nano‐magnetites, which promoted a better MB adsorption capacity of PSS‐coated MNPs at 14.9 mg g–1 than the naked MNPs at 10.38 mg g–1. The adsorption process follows Langmuir isotherm and pseudo‐second‐order reaction kinetics with both correlations R2 > 0.99. PSS‐coated MNPs demonstrated outstanding regeneration capacity for four batch adsorption cycles with an almost consistent MB removal efficiency higher than 85%. CONCLUSION: This in‐house developed nano‐sorbent has potential in economical applications with a less budgeted adsorbent replacement (at least 4 cycles of regeneration) for low‐cost separation of pollutants, such as MB from polluted water. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the requirement for clean water in human population is growing day by day. The different factories and industries like pharmaceutical, textile, food processing, and chemical industries are the major cause of water contamination by adding an organic dyes. The aim of present study is to synthesize the green nanoparticles for the purification waste water. The TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using crude extract of local plant Acacia nilotica. The TiO2 nanoparticles initially were confirmed by color change and later by UVspectroscopy. The size and shape of TiO2 nanoparticles were assessed by using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometric analysis (EDs) was performed to measure the elements concentrations. Dye removing potential of prepared TiO2 nanoparticles were performed using methylene blue induced dye mixture. The result showed that the synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles were round and spherical in shape ranging from 50-120nm with average of 60 nm. EDs confirmed the TiO2 presence in nanoparticles. The synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles showed 75% dye removing capacity after 2 hours of exposure. In conclusion, TiO2 nanoparticles were highly effective for removing dye from water; therefore these TiO2 nanoparticles can be used as best source for water treatment for removing dyes from waste water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In this study, silica xerogel was synthesized using volcanic tuff instead of expensive silica precursors at ambient pressure drying. The mesoporous silica xerogel with unique structural and textural properties was evaluated as an adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solution. Taguchi method was applied to optimize controllable factors (contact time, initial MB concentration, silica xerogel dose, temperature and pH) for MB removal. RESULTS: The temperature was determined as the most significant factor with percentage contribution of 54.50%. MB removal efficiency was 96.18% at optimum conditions (contact time: 60 min, initial MB concentration: 20 ppm, silica xerogel dose: 0.0016 g mL−1, temperature: 40 °C, pH: 5). The experimental data fitted with the Langmuir isotherm, yielding a maximum adsorption capacity of 51.967 mg g−1. MB desorption process was performed depending on eluent concentration and contact time. Maximum desorption efficiency was specified as 88% using 1 M hydrochloric acid for 4 h. The silica xerogel was easily recycled with retaining approximately 70% of adsorption efficiency after five cycles. CONCLUSION: In the light of the promising results, the silica xerogel can be used as an effective adsorbent in many environmental applications. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Immobilization of enzyme on a solid support can improve its stability, however, this is often accompanied by a decrease of the initial catalytic activity. The design and preparation of immobilized enzyme with simultaneous high activity and stability is a challenge. RESULTS: A hierarchically porous metal organic framework H‐MOF(Zr) which was prepared by 'crystal defect' strategy was very stable in aqueous solution and possessed well‐defined, tunable and adjacent hierarchical pores. When using the H‐MOF(Zr) as support for enzyme immobilization, a single array of enzyme in a single mesoporous channel was achieved so as to avoid aggregation of the enzyme. Meanwhile the micropores can be utilized to concentrate substrates, resulting in a decrease in the mass transfer resistance of substrate compared with that in the bulk buffer due to the enzymes and substrates closely embedded on the same support. The prepared immobilized enzyme CPO/HRP@H‐MOF(Zr) was more stable at elevated temparatures, showing 58.2% enhanced activity compared with free enzymes at 70 °C for 1 h incubation. After 12 cycles, 70.7% of activity remained. When the CPO/HRP@H‐MOF(Zr) was applied in the treatment of wastewater containing isoproturon and 2,4‐dichlorophenol, complete degradation was achieved in only 15 min. CONCLUSION: Both high activity and stability under harsh reaction conditions give the CPO/HRP@H‐MOF(Zr) composites potential for practical application in wastewater treatment. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water Crisis is one of the most important environmental issues of Iran in the recent years which has been taken in to consideration by the state and different social groups. The farmers have realized the water crisis more than others, and therefore, for solving the problem of water, they have used alternatives waters such as wastewater. However, the use of wastewater has limitations in terms of product and the land.This article, by using grounded theory Method seeks to clarify the interpretation, meaning and behavior of farmers in the use of wastewater. The statistical society of the current research is all the farmers engaged in the agricultural lands of Varamin plain, which through theoretical sampling and available sample method, the theoretical saturation was obtained through interview with 38 people. The results of interpreting the farmer approach toward the state policy making about the waste water, shows the distrust toward the state policies and its impact on the incorrect function of the farmers in using waste water. In addition, the results of this study show that the personality universality and individuality manner in an atmosphere of insecurity, conflict between the agency in the selection of irrigation methods and lack of accountability are the results of this phenomenon. Core category that include general categories, is “community rupture from the national policies".

The need to organize waste-free use of recyclable milk raw is due to its adverse environmental effects when released as part of waste water and the presence in it of valuable food components, which can be used in main production. The most promising method for carrying out complex processing of whey is based on the use of high-molecular liquid poly-disperse system ultrafiltration. However, the permeability of polymeric membranes recommended for use in the food industry, leading to the related equipment performance is not high enough. This is the main factor that prevents the dairy industry from the widespread adoption of this method. The working hypothesis of the research is as follows: the effectiveness of baromembrane separation of recyclable milk raw material (quark whey) increases via pre-cleaning of systems undergoing separation from proteins with natural polysaccharides, the source of which is the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers. Analysis of the results obtained confirmed the validity of the hypothesis. Adding stevia components into quark whey may improve organoleptic characteristics of the latter, enrich the composition of food and change the physical - chemical properties of the whey as the object to ultrafiltration. Technology of quark whey processing based of its composition modification through the addition of the natural plant sweetener (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) components, and its subsequent ultrafiltration improves the efficiency of using this type of recyclable milk raw materials in food production.

The contamination of water represents a major problem in many parts of the world. Endocrine disrupting compounds belong to the water contaminants and affect, besides other things, hormonal equilibrium in the living organisms. Such compounds are of different chemical structures and there is a demand for their fast determination in water samples. In our work, we focused on the development of a simple and fast method for separation and determination of five model hormone antagonists, exemestane, toremifene, letrozole, anastrozole, and mifepristone, by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Within the best conditions, 50 mM sodium borate pH 9.5, 50 mM SDS, 15% 1-propanol, 20 kV, the separation of all the compounds lasted 8 min. The method was successfully validated with LODs of 1.2-7.7 µg mL−1, LOQs of 4.0-25.6 µg mL−1 and intraday repeatability of peak areas of 0.8-1.1%. Moreover, it was applied to the analysis of spiked water samples from a local waste-water treatment plant using SPE as a pretreatment step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Even though the nitrification process is inhibited in the presence of sulfide and organic matter, few efforts have been reported to overcome this weakness. The present work has the goal of determining the effect of zeolite (2.5, 5, 10 and 15 g L‐1) as an improver of the nitrification process in the presence of sulfide and organic matter in a batch system. RESULTS: The inhibitory effect of both sulfide and organic matter on the nitrification process was decreased by 53% when using zeolite, with the best results at a zeolite concentration of 15 g L‐1. No total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) adsorption on the zeolite was observed under these conditions, with TAN removal taking place mainly by biological oxidation. Specific nitrate production rate increased by 37.73% compared with the control. Sulfide was oxidized chemically in all the assays, with sulfate as the main product, while COD reduction and VSS production were not affected by zeolite. CONCLUSIONS: Zeolite can be used to improve nitrification in batch systems in the presence of sulfur and organic matter, obtaining a faster TAN removal rate and higher specific nitrate production compared with the controls. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compared the performance of the ethanol yield after alcoholic fermentation with samples of rejected (RW) and permeate water (PW), RW and PW treated by oxidation with ozone (O3) (5 and 15 min) and evaporation, aiming the recirculation back to the bioethanol process. RW and PW were collected after an anaerobic bioreactor (AnBR) used for stillage treatment. Nine types of fermentations were made, where one used 100% tap water (control) and the remaining used 80% of recycled water and 20% of tap water. Comparing with the control (15.68%), evaporated permeate water and permeate water oxidized for 15 min achieved the highest and closest ethanol concentrations in v/v with 14.68 and 14.08% respectively. RW and PW had the lowest ethanol results with 8.43 and 8.68%. The studied methods for water treatment are effective to recycle water taking into consideration the ethanol yield, allowing a good possibility of recirculation. Chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen and phosphate content did not strongly affect the ethanol yield in all samples treated, with similar results. Oxidation was more environmental friendly and cheaper if performed in 5 min. Further research in the monitoring of the fermentation, ethanol quality and in the number of cycles of fermentation with recycled water is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The electrochemical recovery of copper from diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and C12–DTPA (a surface‐active derivative of DTPA) complex solutions was investigated in a membrane flow cell. Electrolysis time, solution flow rate, applied current density, and solution pH were evaluated. RESULTS: The chelating surfactant C12‐DTPA can promote the kinetics of copper electrodeposition more than DTPA depending on the experimental conditions. At a current density of 30 A m–2, a solution flow rate of 0.6 L min–1, and pH 10 after 180 min treatment, the copper recovery and current efficiency were 50% and 43.3%, respectively, in the Cu(II)‐DTPA system and about 65% and 53.6%, respectively, in the Cu(II)‐C12‐DTPA system. The differences in the amount of recovery could be explained in terms of differences in the diffusion of copper complexes with DTPA and C12‐DTPA to the cathode, as well as their solution behavior and pH‐dependent conditional stability constants (log10 K'CuDTPA3‐). CONCLUSION: Electrochemical methods could be effectively combined with foam flotation for the chelating surfactant C12‐DTPA, to recover copper and C12‐DTPA. This makes the overall treatment more sustainable, and can be helpful in complying with the increasingly stringent environmental regulations. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an effort to introduce application of Long period fiber grating (LPG) sensors in perpetual monitoring of industrial waste water effluent. A change in ambient refractive index (RI) of an LPG causes a shift in its resonant wavelength. This RI sensitivity of LPG has been used to design a simple and highly sensitive chemical sensor to determine the concentration of Chloride (Cl) and Iron (Fe) ions present in the treated waste water effluent of sugar factories. The concentrations of Cl and Fe ions in the effluent sample determined by our sensor are 97.85 ppm and 0.274 ppm respectively. The results are in good agreement with that of two standard techniques used for the purpose, thus proving the reliability of the LPG sensor. Limit of detection of Cl and Fe ions are found to be as low as 0.038 ppm and 0.007 ppm per pm shift in wavelength respectively, reflecting enormous potential of the sensor in detection of trace elements in waste water with accuracy. Sensitivity of the sensor for Fe ions being about 5 times greater than that for Cl ions, suggests a higher sensitivity of sensor in lower range of concentration in ppm. Miniaturization, cost-effectiveness and ability of online measurement are the most important features of LPG chemical sensors that give them an edge over existing techniques for the purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The integrated free-floating biofilm and activated sludge (IFFAS) process is an ideal candidate for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). However, traditional carriers have their inherent drawbacks, such as the weak hydrophilicity and negative charges on the surface. In this study, novel carriers with favorable hydrophilicity and electrophilicity were prepared and implemented in an IFFAS-based SND reactor. RESULTS Compared with traditional carriers, the water contact angle of the novel carriers dropped to 60.2° and positive charges on the surface (+11.7 mV, pH 7.0) were acquired. Through accurate control of dissolved oxygen (DO), it took only 30 days to start SND, with a total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of 80.2%. In contrast, the start-up period was 42 days with weaker TN removal capacity in a control reactor filled with traditional carriers. Novel carriers provided a favorable niche for more types of bacteria to survive, of which Nitrosomonadales and Nitrospirale were identified as nitrifiers while anoxic denitrifiers, aerobic denitrifiers and anammox bacteria also co-existed in the system, contributing to TN removal. CONCLUSION Novel carriers with favorable hydrophilicity and electrophilicity were successfully prepared through a relatively facile approach, and a novel carriers-based SND process enabled a shorter start-up period, higher biomass and better TN removal efficiency. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Water purification is challenged by the co-presence of contaminants, some of which are too toxic for bacteria or too opaque for photocatalytic processes. This challenge may be overcome by utilizing two types of reactors (for example biological and photocatalytic) operating in sequence. Realization of this approach should be based on a steady state model for calculating the optimal design under nominal conditions, a non-steady state responding to fluctuating conditions and fast measurement of toxicity and turbidity. RESULTS A steady-state model, examining the effect of coexisting toxicity and turbidity on the optimal sequence, on the relative retention times in the two reactors and on the effect of recycling, under an estimated cost function constraint is presented. It was found that the optimal sequence depends on the relative importance of toxicity and turbidity, that a single branch operation is likely to be more cost effective than dual branch (Bio→photocatalytic in parallel with photocatalytic→Bio) system. CONCLUSION It is recommended to add the possibility for altering flow direction to account for operation under non-nominal conditions. To decrease instability during flow-direction switching, a recycling option should be added. Recycling may also be beneficial in particular when the activated biological medium has sluggish kinetics. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry faces increasing problems in dealing with waste products resulting from production processes. One specific problem is that of waste-water, where the management of production process waste often imposes costs, not only to the firm, but also to society. This article addresses the management of industry waste-water, from the perspective of both the individual firm and society in general, by analysing a case study of a dairy factory. Construction costs of horizontal subsurface flow wetlands of a sufficient size to treat a dairy factory’s process waste-waters are estimated. Short-term profitability objectives do not prompt project development, however, over the long term, some of the project options modelled reveal both a net private benefit and a net social benefit. In the absence of estimated externalities, projects become viable after 11 years (2 per cent discount rate), and 16 years (7 per cent discount rate). Without some form of environmental policy, no project options will be considered because of the company’s four-year return on investment rule. This highlights the policy dilemma associated with sharing the burden of the costs of improved environmental outcomes between the private and public sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

BACKGROUND A new Fe/ AC heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst was prepared using a dipping-sintering method. The prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The decolorization of Sunset Yellow was conducted in a self-designed pulsed high-voltage discharge system by the catalysis of the prepared heterogeneous catalyst. Effects of preparation conditions of catalyst (carrier material, sintering temperature and dipping time) and operating conditions (catalyst dosage, pH and treatment method) on decolorization efficiency were investigated. RESULTS Spherical activated carbon ( AC) was selected as the carrier material and the optimal dipping time and sintering temperature were 8 h and 350 °C, respectively. The efficiency of decolorization of Sunset Yellow was above 90% after 30 min of a pulsed high-voltage discharge process with 5 g heterogeneous catalyst and at pH 2.00. The utilization of copper mesh not only enhanced the decolorization of Sunset Yellow but also facilitated the reusability of the prepared heterogeneous catalyst. The efficiency of decolorization of Sunset Yellow with prepared Fe/ AC heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst (5 g) was even a little higher than that with homogeneous catalyst (1.635 mmol L−1 Fe2+). The decolorization efficiency remained above 90% after ten recycles of the catalyst, indicating that the prepared heterogeneous catalyst has good stability and reusability. In addition, a possible catalytic mechanism for the decolorization reaction in a pulsed high-voltage discharge system with prepared Fe/ AC heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst was proposed by determination of H2O2 and · OH concentrations in deionized water. CONCLUSIONS The prepared Fe/ AC heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst efficiently degrades Sunset Yellow wastewater in a pulsed high-voltage discharge system. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Phosphorus and nitrogen recovery from municipal and/or industrial wastewater treatment plants in the form of magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate ( MgNH4PO4· 6H2O, MAP, Struvite) is an attractive alternative for the valorization of wastes. Although efforts have been focused on the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from wastewater at alkaline pH, removal of these nutrients in weakly acid pH is still challenging. The advantage of acid pH is that the precipitation of heavy metals in the form of insoluble hydroxides is avoided provided that their concentrations are relatively low. RESULTS The metastable zone width of solutions, supersaturated with respect to MAP at pH 6.50 was investigated. The kinetics of MAP formation both in unseeded and in seeded solutions was investigated in batch reactors at constant supersaturation. The rates of crystal growth of MAP on seed crystals showed a parabolic dependence on the relative supersaturation. The concentration of the inoculating seed crystals affected the rates of crystal growth. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to crystallize MAP at pH values of 6.50 provided that the supersaturation is sufficient. From the rate dependence on relative supersaturation (parabolic) it was concluded that the crystal growth mechanism was surface diffusion controlled for the integration of the growth units at the active crystal growth sites. Secondary nucleation, depending on the solution supersaturation, was observed within the stable domain of the metastable zone. The morphology of MAP seed crystals remained unchanged, while the mean particle size increased reaching comparable sizes irrespective of the degree of supersaturation. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Chemically different types of dyes have been proven to be degraded by peroxidases of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Hydrogen peroxide is required as a co-substrate for peroxidases during the oxidation process. RESULTS Investigating the effect of glucose oxidase ( GOx) ( EC 1.1.3.4) on treatment of textile effluent containing recalcitrant diazo and azo dyes by P. chrysosporium was the main aim of this research. The effects of glucose, GOx and Mn2+ on chemical oxygen demand ( COD), decolorization and manganese peroxidase ( MnP) activity were evaluated in repeated batch operations. At the end of the fifth batch, the decolorization efficiency increased 4.18-fold compared with reference batches (i.e. no additive received batches). An increase in MnP activity and COD removal percentage by 4.5- and 5-fold, respectively, were observed when introducing GOx+glucose. CONCLUSION In vivo addition of GOx+glucose could increase the decolorization efficiency of real sample effluent not only by providing H2O2 for catalytic activity of peroxidases but also by providing gluconic acid, favoring the pH of the medium and increasing peroxidase activity as well. Also, these findings may be useful for discerning the role of manganese ions and oxidases of fungi as well as their interaction in the decolorization process. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leather industries generate large amounts of biocollagenic wastes that need to be processed. Moreover, the presence of aromatic organic pollutants produced by different industries (pharmaceutical, food, perfume,…) is increasing in surface and groundwater and this is seriously affecting the environment. The purpose of this study is to use biocollagenic wastes (shavings, trimmings and buffing dust) and their pyrolyzed products as bioprecursors of activated carbons for future waste water applications. Activated carbons were prepared by KOH and K 2 CO 3 chemical activation at different temperatures. The characteristics of the precursors and the influence of the activating temperature and activating agent on the process were studied and discussed. The obtained materials and two commercial activated carbons (WAC and YAO) were used as adsorbents to remove the following aromatic organic pollutants from the water: acetanilide, aniline, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, methyl benzoate and phenol. The results obtained show that an increase in the activating temperature led to a higher textural development in the adsorbents. The best activated carbons were obtained by means of KOH chemical activation resulting in S BET and V TOT values of up to 1664 m 2 g −1 and 0.735 cm 3 g −1 respectively. All the adsorbents were predominantly microporous with a certain degree of mesoporosity and a significant amount of nitrogen (up to 3%). The main adsorption mechanism proposed for the different organic pollutants was dispersive interaction influenced by a hydrogen mechanism. Moreover, an increase in the nitrogen content of the adsorbents decreased the adsorption capacity of acetanilide, benzoic acid and aniline, whereas electrostatic influences reduced the adsorption capacity of benzoic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The electrochemical recovery of copper and chelating agent from their complex solution using a membrane flow cell was investigated. The parameters electrolysis time, solution pH, current density, and temperature were investigated. RESULTS Electrochemical investigation indicated that chelating ligands can be recovered by the electrodeposition of copper ions on the cathode. For copper and EDTA recovery, the results indicated that recovery efficiency was affected by time, current density, and temperature. The recovery process was not influenced by pH in the range studied ( pH 8-12), which can be explained by the low variation in the conditional stability constant, i.e. Δlog10 K' ≤ 0.7, over the pH range. However, when NTA, EDTA, and DTPA were compared, the results indicated that the recovery efficiency decreased as the conditional stability constant of the chelating agent-Cu( II) complex increased. The maximum current efficiency of copper and EDTA recovery after 5 h of treatment was approximately 85%, whereas the recovery was 80% of the initial concentration (0.05 mol L−1) at a current density of 1 A dm−2, temperature of 333 K, and pH of 10. CONCLUSION Relatively high recovery efficiency makes the process fairly sustainable and hinders the discharge of copper ions and chelating ligands as pollutants into the environment. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The study focused on the biodegradation of pretreated olive mill wastewater ( OMW) properly diluted in and mixed with a biodegradable substrate and/or domestic sewage stream. It utilized the permeate of a chemically conditioned two-stage ultrafiltration/nanofiltration system with COD of 5700 mg L−1 and a total phenol content of 100 mg L−1. Peptone mixture with similar characteristics to domestic sewage was adopted as the biodegradable synthetic substrate. The study relied on two sets of microbial culture; one acclimated to peptone and the other to a mixture of peptone and domestic sewage. Respirometric analyses were conducted on pretreated OMW diluted in the selected substrate using corresponding biomass seeding. RESULTS Model evaluation of the oxygen uptake rate profiles indicated that the pretreated OMW was fully consumed in the respirometric tests. There were no inhibitory/toxic impacts of OMW dosing on the biomass. The entire biomass participated in the utilization of OMW/substrate with no metabolic adjustment problems. CONCLUSION Experimental results provided conclusive evidence that co-treatment with a domestic sewage stream is a viable option for OMW management, after a chemically conditioned two-stage filtration used as the pretreatment step. Pretreatment removes the recalcitrant nature of the wastewater, which becomes fully biodegradable under appropriate dilution and mixing conditions. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global increases in the generation of waste streams, including liquid, gaseous, and solid waste, have been posing serious challenges for waste management as a result of their potential impacts on receiving environments and climate change. The conversion of waste streams into useful bioenergy, biofuels, and bioproducts through recycling and/or recovery has been presented as a promising alternative. Coupling the bioremediation of waste streams with microalgae-based biofuel production, offers an alternative strategy to achieve waste-to-biofuel and bioenergy. A group of unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes, microalgae require relatively simple nutrients and inorganic carbon sources to support their growth, while accumulating several biofuel precursors, such as starch or storage lipids. This review summarizes the current approaches to microalgal biomass production using waste streams, including waste-water; waste or CO2-enriched gas (flue gas and biogas); waste organics (i.e., crude glycerol); and waste heat, as well as the primary common operational challenges and corresponding mitigation strategies involved in cultivation approaches. Moreover, microalgal metabolic pathways supporting the biosynthesis of energy-rich molecules such as triacylglycerides ( TAG) and starch are discussed. Metabolic constraints and potential approaches for the enhancement of microalgal TAG accumulation are systematically and critically analyzed. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocoagulation is a group of various procedures used for removing contaminants from water by electrochemically dissolving aluminum or iron. The contaminants of the solution may be incorporated in the in situ forming metal hydroxide flocs, which can be filtered as a precipitate or skimmed as a float. The main features of the procedure are highlighted on the example of cleaning of an oily waste-water. Design parameters of a 1 m3/h waste-water cleaning system are calculated from the results of small-scale experiments.

During the investigation it was observed that waste water regularly (WWR) used for irrigation of crop show adverse effect on plants growth and yield, thus significantly increased the disease intensity as compared to occasionally used waste water (WWO) and ground water (GW). WWR suppressed the growth of fennel plant and showed highest increase in disease intensity but the yield of crop was decreased gradually. The highest disease intensity was observed in Fusarium wilt disease caused by Fusarium sp. followed by stem gall. WWO showed the moderate (++) plant growth in comparison to normal growth of plants irrigated with GW and suppressed growth of crop irrigated by WWR. The WWO increased the total yield of crop followed by GW and showed the slightly decreased disease intensity except Fusarium wilt due to their composition of minerals which is necessary for plant growth. The study reveals that the high quantity of inorganic minerals was presented in WW followed by soil and GW respectively. The regular irrigation of crop by WWR showed the high accumulation of soil toxins and inorganic minerals in the field caused high disease intensity and poor growth yield of fennel crop as compared to irrigation by WWO and GW.

In this study, fish scales (Pomadasys kaakan's scales) were used as new biosorbent for removing Ni2+ and Cu2+ ions from wastewater. The effects of electric and magnetic fields on the absorption efficiency were also investigated. The effects of sorbent content, ion concentration, contact time, pH, electric field (EF), and magnetic field (MF) on absorption efficiency were assertained. In addition, the isotherm of absorption was studied in this work. This study revealed that electric field and magnetic field have significant effects on the absorption efficiency of ions from wastewater. An increase in the electric field enhanced the removal percentage of the ions and accelerated the absorption process by up to 40% in comparison with the same condition without an electric field or a magnetic field. By increasing contact time from 10 to 120 min, the removal of Ni2+ ions was increased from 1% to 40% and for Cu2+ ions, the removal increased from 20% to almost 95%, respectively. In addition, increasing pH, ion concentration and scales dose increased removal percentage effectively. The results indicated that using fish scales for Cu2+ ions absorption is ideal due to the very high removal percentage (approximately 95%) without using either an electric or magnetic field. [Display omitted] • Fish scales were used as a new efficient biosorbent for removing Ni2+ and Cu2+ ions from wastewater. • Approximately 95% Cu2+ ions removal was obtained using fish scales as a biosorbent without using a magnetic or electric field. • A 40% increase in the absorption process was obtained using electric and magnetic field. • Magnetic and electric field have a significant effect on the absorption process of Ni2+ ions. • Biosorption is an emerging green, cost-effective and efficient alternative technology for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-algal bio-fuel is the most potential alternative of fossil fuel. There is not any commercially feasible algal-fuel technology available till now. Therefore, to make algal bio-fuel commercial, cumulating cheap raw materials and compelling down streaming of product with consummate utilization of biomass ought have to be applied. Coupling utilization of waste-water and flue gasses to algal development decreases production cost as well as give waste-water treatment and reduces air pollution. Therefore, this review focuses on potential outcome of consolidating waste-water, flue gasses with micro-algae production and to develop algal bio-fuel generation technology in the future course of study. This technology will address three major problems of the world viz. Energy depletion, global warming and water pollution. Hence, with the help of in-situ single process, three main aims of algal-fuel generation, remediation of industrial waste-water and flue gases may be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study was aimed to appraise the potential of free and immobilized manganese peroxidase (MnP) for the decolorization and detoxification of textile effluent. MnP was immobilized in Ca-alginate beads at optimized conditions of sodium alginate, calcium chloride and enzyme concentrations. Maximum effluent decolorization of 87.4% was achieved in the presence of H 2 O 2 (1 mmol l −1 ), 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (1 mmol l −1 ), pH (5.0) and temperature (40 °C) for 5 h of incubation time. The effluent treated at optimized conditions was subjected to toxicity evaluation. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using Allium cepa , brine shrimp and heamolytic bioassays; whereas mutagenicity was tested using Ames test of both treated and untreated effluent. The cytotoxicity of treated sample reduced significantly and A. cepa showed increase in root length, root count and mitotic index up to 38.46%, 43.47% and 41.83%, respectively, whereas red blood cells (RBCs) lysis reduced 69.84% and brine shrimp nauplii death reduced up to 63.64% in immobilized MnP treated effluent. The mutagenicity reduced up to 73.44% and 75.43% for TA98 and TA100 strains, respectively. The Ca-alginate beads encapsulated MnP revealed promising bio-catalytic efficiency and could be used for the decolorization and detoxification of textile effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the feasibility of Zr(IV) removal and recovery from aqueous solutions by novel biosorbents prepared from selected agricultural wastes. Sugarcane bagasse was selected for further investigation after showing increased biosorption capacity during the initial screening experiment. The biosorption efficiency of native (untreated), SDS-treated and immobilised bagasse for Zr(IV) removal was studied and optimization of the experimental conditions carried out including pH, biosorbent weight, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and temperature to maximise adsorption. Sorbent–sorbate reaction behaviour was estimated by fitting equilibrium data by non-linear and transformed linear forms of the Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson isotherms as well as pseudo-first and second-order kinetic models. The best fitting isothermal or kinetic model was optimized by comparing linear and non-linear R 2 value and non-linear regression error functions. H 2 SO 4 proved to be the most effective desorbing agent in recovery of the sorbed Zr(IV) ions from all forms of bagasse. Biosorbent characterisation and effectiveness of the process was confirmed by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The data illustrate that native (untreated), SDS-treated and immobilised bagasse have great potential to remove and recover Zr from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The large-scale organic pollutants discharged from various industries tend to persist in aquatic habitats and pose a serious threat to ecological and human health. Photocatalysis has proven to be an efficient tool to detoxify such contaminants present in water. For effective utilization of abundant and untapped sunlight, a photocatalyst should possess good visible light response. In addition, an efficient catalyst should restrain the recombination of e−/h+ pairs. In this context, a series of visible light driven photocatalysts were prepared by substituting both cation (Cu2+/Ag+) and anion ( N3−) into Na2Ti6O13 ( NTO) by simple ion exchange and solid state methods, respectively. RESULTS The as-prepared catalysts retained the skeleton structure of parent NTO. The bandgap energies of all catalysts ranged from 3.67 to 2.51 eV. Photocatalytic activity of all samples was evaluated by studying the degradation of methyl orange ( MO) and 4-chlorophenol ( 4CP) under visible light irradiation. The best activity was observed for silver/nitrogen co-doped NTO against both MO and 4CP. CONCLUSION The superior activity of silver/nitrogen co-doped NTO is ascribed to its narrow bandgap energy, higher surface area and lower rate of recombination of charge carriers. This study demonstrates the efficient pathway of cation/anion doping to improve the photocatalytic performance of Na2Ti6O13. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Surfactants are always used as collectors to form complexes with the hazardous materials of wastewaters in foam fractionation. An important topic is how to reuse the surfactants in the process of recovering the hazardous materials. In this work, a novel technology of foam fractionation coupled with adsorption separation was developed for separating streptomycin sulfate ( SS) from its simulated wastewater and reusing the collector sodium dodecyl sulfate ( SDS). RESULTS D 152 resin had a high SS adsorption capacity and a low SDS adsorption capacity using adsorption separation. A high SS desorption percentage of 96.0% was obtained while SDS was not desorbed. The desorbed resin still had the same high SS adsorption capacity as a fresh one and SDS was not adsorbed. From the coupling technology, the SS recovery percentage reached as high as 94.1% which was better than foam fractionation or adsorption separation, respectively and 93.7% of SDS was reused. CONCLUSION It was effective for the coupling technology not only to separate SS from the wastewaters, but also to reuse SDS in foam fractionation. The coupling technology gave a novel and effective method for treating wastewaters. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) ( SPEEK) membranes and their modifications are viewed as arguably the most promising in microbial fuel cell (MFC) applications due to their non-fluorinated base, superior chemical stability, and lower costs compared with Nafion membranes. In this work, SPEEK membranes with different degrees of sulfonation ( DSs) (60% to 76%) and blended with charged surface modifying macromolecule (cSMM) were used as electrolytes in an MFC for simultaneous electricity generation and wastewater treatment. RESULTS Performance evaluation of newly fabricated membranes was carried out and was compared with that of Nafion 117. The MFC with SPEEK76/cSMM generated about 16.5% higher maximum power density (172.1 mW m−2) than that with Nafion 117 (143.7 mW m−2). In addition, the SPEEK76/ cSMM exhibited the highest coulombic efficiency (CE) of 17.6%, which was 21.6% higher than that of Nafion 117 (13.8%). Chemical oxygen demand ( COD) removal of all characterized membranes was above 80% in our particular MFC. CONCLUSION MFC is a suitable method for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. SPEEK76/ cSMM is a promising membrane to be applied in MFC. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Washing wheat for a clean and hygienic product is a critical step in cereal processing plants. High amounts of water are used and discharged without any treatment in these plants. This study claims that wastewater of a cereal processing plant can be reused by the treatment columns. In this study, washing (20°C) was made using water (ratio of water to wheat, 1:2). The waste-water of wheat washing was treated with filtration, centrifugation, column (containing sand, activated carbon and resin), and UV. The properties of water (DO, BOD5, color values (CIE L*, CIE a*, CIE b*, CIE Yl), pH, turbidity, conductivity, total solid content (TSC), Brix and microbial load) were measured to determine the effectiveness of the recovering treatments. Results indicated that the treatments were significantly (P<0.05) effective on the reduction of the BOD5 values from 311.5 to 169.9 mg/L. The treatments improved the color of water. Decrease in TSC, Brix, conductivity and turbidity values illustrated the removal of wastes with the treatments. Overall water recovery was 53%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND In this work, novel multisensitive composites of poly( N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid-co-cobalt tetra( N-carbonylacrylic) aminophthalocyanine))/ TiO2 (poly( NIPAM- co- AAc- co- CoMPc)/ TiO2) were prepared to address the problems of low efficiency for utilizing solar light and difficult separation and recovery of nanometer sized TiO2 particles in the photocatalytic degradation of dinitro butyl phenol ( DNBP) in wastewater. RESULTS The results showed that nanometer sized TiO2 particles were successfully encapsulated in multisensitive polymer carriers of spherical shape and that the composite photocatalyst can be activated by both ultraviolet and visible light. The synthesized composites exhibited high sensitivity to external temperature and pH stimuli. The satisfactory removal of DNBP from aqueous solution can be achieved at pH 5.62 with catalyst concentration of 6 g L−1 under visible light irradiation for 5 h. The multisensitive composites prepared in this study have repeatability. CONCLUSION The synthesized multisensitive composites can be used to perform 'on-off' photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water under visible light irradiation by controlling temperature or pH. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND In this work, industrial wastewaters with an average tetrahydrofuran ( THF) concentration of 688 ± 140 mg L−1 were treated by electrooxidation. Four anodic materials were tested: RuO2, Pt, PbO2 and boron-doped diamond ( BDD). Bench scale experiments (volume treated 1 L, anode area 140 cm2) and pilot scale tests (volume treated 200 L, anode area 2800 cm2) were performed, and the influence of the applied current density, in the range 300 < japp <1200 A m−2, was assessed. RESULTS BDD was the only anodic material that enabled fast THF degradation and mineralization, using sodium sulfate as electrolyte. Dimensionally stable oxides such as RuO2 with sodium chloride as electrolyte did not achieve mineralization of the organic pollutants. Bench scale experiments allowed the kinetics of THF degradation to be described. The electrooxidation process, under mass transfer control, was enhanced by the contribution of electrogenerated secondary oxidants. The kinetic model and parameters used for the process scale up were fully validated by the excellent matching between the model predictions and the experimental results obtained at pilot scale. CONCLUSIONS The electrochemical treatment using BDD anodes allows the removal and mineralization of tetrahydrofuran contained in industrial wastewaters generated in rubber manufacturing. Process scale-up, based on the kinetic model obtained from bench scale data, was successfully achieved. Energy consumption can be optimized by applying current modulation strategies. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecules with antibiotic properties, produced by various microbes, have been around long before mankind recognized their usefulness in preventing and treating bacterial infections. Bacteria have therefore been exposed to selection pressures from antibiotics for very long times, however, generally only on a micro-scale within the immediate vicinity of the antibiotic-producing organisms. In the twentieth century we began mass-producing antibiotics, mainly synthetic derivatives of naturally produced antibiotic molecules, but also a few entirely synthetic compounds. As a consequence, entire bacterial communities became exposed to unprecedented antibiotic selection pressures, which in turn led to the rapid resistance development we are facing today among many pathogens. We are, rightly, concerned about the direct selection pressures of antibiotics on the microbial communities that reside in or on our bodies. However, other environments, outside of our bodies, may also be exposed to antibiotics through different routes, most often unintentionally. There are concerns that increased selection pressures from antibiotics in the environment can contribute to the recruitment of resistance factors from the environmental resistome to human pathogens. This paper attempts to 1) provide a brief overview of environmental exposure routes of antibiotics, 2) provide some thoughts about our current knowledge of the associated risks for humans as well as ecosystems, and 3) indicate management options to reduce risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The press juices resulting from a compacting operation on fish by-products were subjected to a depuration treatment in order to reduce the high COD (120 g O2 L-1). The process included an initial de-particulation step by means of two metallic filter cartridges of 465 µm and 250 µm, followed by concentration with a 200 nm ultrafiltration ceramic membrane. The polishing efficiency of each unit was assessed in terms of COD and protein removal. RESULTS Dead-end metallic filtration of the press waters reduced their suspended matter content by 28%, but achieved only 5.6% decrease in chemical oxygen demand ( COD), which suggested further processing by membrane ultrafiltration. The de-particulated stream was then subjected to ultrafiltration for 8 h in batch concentration mode, attaining a COD reduction of 87%. The observed flux of permeate was successfully fitted to a cake-forming model adapted to cross-flow filtration. The permeability of the fouled membrane was completely restored (99.87%) by a cleaning treatment comprising an alkali step with NaOH and a final disinfection with NaOCl. CONCLUSIONS The treatment proposed has proved to be a feasible technology, able to render a final permeate with reduced organic load. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, duck feather fiber was treated by alkaline solution first, then its Cu2+ sorption capacity was tested, and the sorption mechanism was studied by utilizing infrared spectrum (FTIR) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, desorption properties of the treated duck feather fiber were investigated in order to exploit it as a recycled industrial effluent treatment material. Finally, the duck feather fiber was air-laid and thermal-bonded into a composite nonwoven fabric by adding bicomponent low melt PE/PP binder fiber.. It was found that the alkaline treated duck feather/bicomponent PE/PP nonwoven fabrics exhibit good mechanical properties and Cu2+ and Cr6+ sorption capacity is a promising material for textile dyeing effluent treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]