Search

The city-river-reservoir system is an important system for safeguarding drinking water. Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are emerging contaminants in drinking water sources that are gaining attention, and they could pose risks to human health and aquatic organisms. In this study, field studies that lasted four years were conducted to analyze the concentrations, spatial-temporal distribution, and removal effects of six PAEs. The total concentrations of the Σ6PAEs in the water and sediment samples were 0.2-7.4 μg L -1 (mean: 1.3 μg L -1 ) and 9.2-9594.1 ng g -1 (mean: 847.5 ng g -1 ), respectively. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were the predominant congeners, accounting for 57.2 % in the water samples and 94.1 % in the sediment samples. The urban area contributed 72 % of the PAEs in the system. A significant removal effect of PAEs was observed in the wetland, with a removal rate of 40.2 %. The partitioning of PAEs between the water and sediment was attributed to the removal of dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate that occurred during the water phase, while the removal of DBP and DEHP primarily occurred during the sediment phase. The ecological risk calculation based on the sensitivity distribution model indicated that DBP (HQ water = 0.19, HQ sediment = 0.46) and DEHP (HQ water = 0.20, HQ sediment = 0.13) possessed moderate risks according to some water and sediment samples. The ecological projects were verified to be effective engineering strategies to reduce ecological risk in the drinking water source., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Disposal of waste glass and incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA) in landfills is a waste of resources and poses significant environmental risks. This work aims to recycle waste glass and ISSA together to form value-added glass-ceramics. The physical and mechanical properties, leaching behaviour, and microstructure of the glass-ceramics produced with different proportions of waste glass powder (WGP) and ISSA were investigated. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to predict the formation of crystalline phases and the phase transformation involved. The results showed the potential of WGP and ISSA as raw materials in glass-ceramics production. WGP effectively densified the microstructure of the glass-ceramics by forming a viscous phase. As WGP content increased, the total porosity of glass-ceramics decreased whereas the density increased, accompanied by the formed anorthite transforming into wollastonite. The incorporation of WGP densified and refined the pore structure of the glass-ceramics, thereby improving the mechanical properties and reducing the water absorption. The glass-ceramics produced with a 50:50 blend of WGP and ISSA exhibited the highest compressive strength of 43.7 MPa and the lowest water absorption of 0.3 %. All fabricated glass-ceramics exhibited innocuous heavy metal leaching. The co-sintering of ISSA and WGP can produce additive-free glass-ceramics, characterized by reduced energy consumption and notable heavy metal immobilization capacity. These materials hold promise for utilization in construction as building materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Electrocatalytic oxidation is an appealing treatment option for emerging micropollutants in wastewater, however, the limited reactive surface area and short service lifetime of planar electrodes hinder their industrial applications. This study introduces an innovative electrochemical wastewater treatment technology that employs packed bead-electrodes (PBE) as a dynamic electrocatalytic filter on a dimensionally stable anode (DSA) acting as a current collector. By using PBE, the electroactive volume is expanded beyond the vicinity of the common planar anode to the thick porous media of PBE with a vast electrocatalytic surface area. This greatly enhances the efficiency of electrochemical degradation of micropollutants. The O V -SnO 2 -Sb PBE filter achieved a nearly 100 % degradation of moxifloxacin (MOX) in under 2 min of single-pass filtration, with a degradation rate over an order of magnitude higher than the conventional electrochemical oxidation processes. The generation of abundant radical species (•OH) and non-radical species ( 1 O 2 and O 3 ), along with the enhanced direct oxidation, led to the outstanding performance of the charged PBE system in MOX degradation. The O V -SnO 2 -Sb PBE was remarkably stable, and the separation between the electroactive PBE layer and the base Ti anode allows for easy renewal of the bead-electrode materials and scaling up of the system for practical applications. Overall, our study presents a dynamic electroactive PBE that advances the electrocatalytic oxidation technology for effective control of emerging pollutants in the water environment. This technology has the potential to revolutionize electrochemical wastewater treatment and contribute to a more sustainable future environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The microbial community of a sequencing batch reactor operated under feast and famine conditions for production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) was characterized through high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic analysis. The fermented food waste and chemically-enhanced primary sludge was fed in this bioreactor. After acclimation, the PHA yield achieved as high as 0.60-0.69 g COD PHA /g COD S . The complete changes of microbial community structure were found during shifts of feedstock. A synthesis of SCL/MCL-PHAs pathway was established for PHA-producing bioreactor in this mixed-culture system. The structure-performance relationship of PHA-producing microbial community and feedstock composition was investigated. The results showed that microbial community tends to be decentralized and prefer team work for PHA synthesis to consume the multiple substrates and digest inevitable non-VFA contents in fermented liquor. This study also discovered unreported potential PHA producers (e.g., genera Tabrizicola, Nannocystis, Ga0077539, Ga0077559, JOSHI-001, SNC69-320 and UBA2334) subsisting on municipal organic wastes and expands the current knowledge about mixed-culture system that the PHA synthesis pathway is widely existed in activated sludge., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The surfactant-assisted thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP) of waste activated sludge (WAS) was investigated, focusing on the effect of the surfactant addition on the results of sludge disintegration, dewaterability, organic release, and production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) via fermentation. Typical anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) were used for the THP experiments. The supernatant of the THP-treated sludge was anaerobically fermented to determine its potential VFAs yield. The results showed that the surfactant addition, particularly CTAB, enhanced the hydrolysis and organic solubilization of the sludge during THP. CTAB addition led to a 36% increase of dissolved organic and a 27% increase of VFAs production. For the THP-treated sludge with the surfactant addition, its dewaterability was also greatly improved. When the CTAB dosage increased from 0 to 0.10 g/g VSS, the minimum capillary suction time (CST) of the sludge decreased from 205 to 50 s/g TSS, and the sludge particles became smaller and less negative with the zeta potential changing from -12.4 to -8.2 mV. Analysis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the sludge revealed that the surfactant addition increased the sludge disintegration and organic dissolution during the THP process. The surfactant-assisted THP is shown to be a promising technology to enhance the WAS treatment for improved sludge dewaterability, waste reduction, and resource recovery., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel wastewater treatment process, which couples chemically enhanced primary sedimentation (CEPS) of sewage with acidogenic fermentation of sludge in tandem, has recently been developed to improve the removal of pollutants and nutrients, and recover valuable resources such as phosphorus and organics. This study represented the first laboratory-based examination on the level and removal of the emerging contaminants, including retinoids (i.e., retinoic acids (RAs) and their metabolites) and oestrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs; e.g., 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A, etc.), in sewage, sludge and its supernatant during this novel wastewater treatment process. The results showed that 65% of retinoids and 73% of EDCs were removed from sewage after aluminum (Al) based CEPS, while 80% of retinoids and 72% of EDCs were removed after iron (Fe) based CEPS. After acidogenic fermentation of the CEPS sludge, 50% and 58% of retinoids, and 50% and 47% of EDCs were further removed in the supernatants of Al-sludge and Fe-sludge, respectively. While there were comparable removals for these two classes of emerging contaminants during Al- and Fe-based CEPS and sludge fermentation, Fe-based CEPS of sewage and sludge fermentation should be preferentially considered, given the relatively lower production of Fe-sludge and lower accumulation of retinoids in Fe-sludge. The levels of retinoids and EDCs in the supernatant and sludge changed during acidogenic fermentation of Fe-sludge. The removals of at-4-oxo-RA (i.e., the dominant retinoid) and bisphenol A (i.e., the dominant EDC) in the supernatant followed the pseudo first-order reaction model, with a half-life of 1.62 days (in the first two days) and 1.55 days (in the whole experiment of seven days), respectively. The results demonstrated the effective removal of emerging contaminants from the sewage and the supernatant during the CEPS and acidogenic sludge fermentation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Iron (Fe)-based chemically enhanced primary sedimentation (CEPS) is an effective process used to remove organic and phosphorus (P) pollutants from wastewater into sludge. In this study, electro-fermentation (EF) technology was developed to treat the organic- and P-rich Fe-sludge for the purposes of sludge reduction and resource recovery. Using a two-chamber bioreactor with a cation exchange membrane and an exterior voltage (0.5-1.0 V) for sludge treatment, the EF system enabled product accumulation and separation during the fermentation process. Compared with the conventional fermentation in a single-chamber reactor, the EF treatment of Fe-sludge significantly improved the efficiency of P dissolution from the sludge from 8% to 56% after 4 d. Meanwhile, about 70% of released ammonium ions and 50% of Fe in the sludge were driven by the current from the sludge suspension into the cathode chamber for potential recovery. With a similar yield of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) but less ammonium remaining, the COD VFA /N NH4 of the sludge supernatant from the EF reactor could reach 67.7, much higher than that from the single-chamber fermenter at 13.0. The protease activity was effectively promoted by the EF treatment, suggesting that both electrochemical and biological hydrolysis effects contributed to the increased P release from the sludge. Microbial community analysis showed that the electrical stimulation increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and facilitated the growth of Acidobacteria. Overall, electro-fermentation was developed as an effective biotechnology for processing Fe-based CEPS sludge with the benefits of recovering organics, phosphorus, ammonium and iron resources., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel phosphorous (P) removal and recovery process using a membrane bioreactor (MBR) with ferric iron dosing and acidogenic co-fermentation was developed for municipal wastewater treatment. The very different solubility of Fe(III)-P and Fe(II)-P complex and the microbial transformation of Fe(III) to Fe(II) were utilized for P removal and recovery. By means of Fe-induced precipitation, chemical P removal was effectively achieved by an MBR with a flat-plate ceramic membrane; however, the Fe(III)-P solids accumulated in the MBR that constituted a significant fraction of the activated sludge. Anaerobic co-fermentation of the MBR sludge and food waste in a side-stream allowed the extraction of P and Fe from the sludge into the supernatant. The P in the supernatant was recovered as a fertilizer resource, while the sludge was returned to the MBR tank. The experimental results show that by adding FeCl 3 at 20 mg Fe/L into the influent of domestic wastewater, about 95.6% of total P could be removed by the MBR. One fifth (20%) of the sludge in the MBR was circulated daily through the side-stream fermenters for co-fermentation with cooked rice as the model food waste. The sludge underwent acidogenesis and dissimilatory iron reduction, resulting in a drop of the pH to below 5.0 and reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). Owing to the high solubility of the Fe(II)-P complex, P and Fe were then dissolved and released from the sludge into the supernatant. By simply adjusting the solution pH to 8.0, the P and Fe(II) in the supernatant readily re-precipitated to form vivianite for the P recovery. Using the iron dosing MBR and side-stream sludge fermentation, an overall P recovery efficiency of 62.1% from wastewater influent can be achieved, and the problem of inorganic build-up in the MBR is effectively alleviated., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Excessive nitrate (NO 3 ) concentration in groundwater raises health and environmental issues that must be addressed by all European Union (EU) member states under the Nitrates Directive and the Water Framework Directive. The identification of NO - ) concentration in groundwater raises health and environmental issues that must be addressed by all European Union (EU) member states under the Nitrates Directive and the Water Framework Directive. The identification of NO 3 - sources is critical to efficiently control or reverse NO 3 - contamination that affects many aquifers. In that respect, the use of stable isotope ratios 15 N/ 14 N and 18 O/ 16 O in NO 3 - (expressed as δ 15 N-NO 3 - and δ 18 O-NO 3 - , respectively) has long shown its value. However, limitations exist in complex environments where multiple nitrogen (N) sources coexist. This two-year study explores a method for improved NO 3 - source investigation in a shallow unconfined aquifer with mixed N inputs and a long established NO 3 - problem. In this tillage-dominated area of free-draining soil and subsoil, suspected NO 3 - sources were diffuse applications of artificial fertiliser and organic point sources (septic tanks and farmyards). Bearing in mind that artificial diffuse sources were ubiquitous, groundwater samples were first classified according to a combination of two indicators relevant of point source contamination: presence/absence of organic point sources (i.e. septic tank and/or farmyard) near sampling wells and exceedance/non-exceedance of a contamination threshold value for sodium (Na + ) in groundwater. This classification identified three contamination groups: agricultural diffuse source but no point source (D+P-), agricultural diffuse and point source (D+P+) and agricultural diffuse but point source occurrence ambiguous (D+P±). Thereafter δ 15 N-NO 3 - and δ 18 O-NO 3 - contamination processes in groundwater for better land use management. We hypothesise that in future research, additional contamination indicators (e.g. pharmaceutical molecules) could also be combined to disentangle NO 15 N-NO 3 - was plotted against δ 18 O-NO 3 - , comparisons were made between the different contamination groups. Overall, both δ variables were significantly and positively correlated (p < 0.0001, r s  = 0.599, slope of 0.5), which was indicative of denitrification. An inspection of the contamination groups revealed that denitrification did not occur in the absence of point source contamination (group D+P-). In fact, strong significant denitrification lines occurred only in the D+P+ and D+P± groups (p < 0.0001, r s  > 0.6, 0.53 ≤ slope ≤ 0.76), i.e. where point source contamination was characterised or suspected. These lines originated from the 2-6‰ range for δ 15 N-NO 3 - , which suggests that i) NO 3 - contamination was dominated by an agricultural diffuse N source (most likely the large organic matter pool that has incorporated 15 N-depleted nitrogen from artificial fertiliser in agricultural soils and whose nitrification is stimulated by ploughing and fertilisation) rather than point sources and ii) denitrification was possibly favoured by high dissolved organic content (DOC) from point sources. Combining contamination indicators and a large stable isotope dataset collected over a large study area could therefore improve our understanding of the NO 3 - contamination processes in groundwater for better land use management. We hypothesise that in future research, additional contamination indicators (e.g. pharmaceutical molecules) could also be combined to disentangle NO 3 - contamination from animal and human wastes., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Numerical simulation and laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the determining factor and the underlying mechanism in aerobic sludge granulation in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). In the numerical simulation, a sectional approach was used to develop a model to describe the biomass dynamics during the granulation process. The growth of different classes of the SBR sludge with different substrate uptake rates and different sludge discharge ratios was simulated. The results indicate that the selective discharge of slow-settling sludge flocs is the key determining factor for granulation. In the laboratory study, experiments were conducted with two identical 2.4-L SBRs, R1 and R2, using different sludge discharge methods - the selective discharge of slow-settling sludge flocs for R1, and mixed, unselective sludge discharge for R2. The SBRs were fed with glucose-based synthetic wastewater at a chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate of 1.5 kg/m(3)-d. The evolution of the microbial community during the experimental process was monitored using the molecular techniques of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone library analysis. Sludge granulation was achieved in less than three weeks in R1, whereas the sludge in R2 remained in the form of flocs. However, some bacterial species had a significant presence in both the R1 granules and the R2 flocs. The results suggest that aerobic granulation may not require the dominance of any particular species. Small and loose sludge flocs were found to have an advantage over larger and dense granules in substrate uptake. Thus, discharge of loose flocs would remove these competitors from the system and makes the substrate more available for uptake and utilisation by biomass in the attached-growth form, resulting in sludge granulation.

Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the evolution of the bacterial community during aerobic sludge granulation. The experiments were conducted in three 2.4L sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) that were seeded with activated sludge and fed with glucose-based synthetic wastewater. Three different influent organic concentrations were introduced into the three SBRs, R1, R2 and R3, resulting in chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rates of 1.5 (R1), 3.0 (R2) and 4.5 (R3)kg/m(3)d, respectively. Changes in bacterial diversity throughout the granulation process were monitored and analysed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) techniques. The experimental results demonstrate that glucose-fed aerobic granules could be formed without significant presence of filamentous bacteria. Granules formed at different loading rates had different morphology, structural properties and bacterial species. A higher loading rate resulted in faster formation of larger and loose granules, while a lower loading rate resulted in slower formation of smaller and more tightly packed granules. The biomass underwent a dynamic transformation in terms of bacterial species richness and dominance during the granulation process. The reactor with the highest substrate loading rate had the lowest species diversity, while the reactor with the lowest substrate loading rate had the highest species diversity. Different dominant species of beta- and gamma-Proteobacteria and Flavobacterium within the granule communities from the three different SBRs were confirmed by analysis of 16S rDNA sequences of the PCR products separated by DGGE. It is apparent that a few common bacterial species play an important role in the formation and growth of aerobic granules and help sustain the granular sludge structure in the bioreactors.

A laboratory-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) with a hollow-fibre membrane module was used to investigate membrane fouling under various operational conditions. The results showed that the sludge supernatant inside the SMBR had a consistently higher organic content than the MBR effluent. Detailed analysis revealed a pool of organic substances, classified as biopolymer clusters (BPC), in the SMBR system that were larger in size than the soluble microbial products (SMP). The BPC content in the MBR sludge mixture ranged from 0.7 to 18.8 mg/L in terms of the total organic carbon (TOC), with an average of 5.6+/-3.5mg/L, which was about twice the SMP concentration in the suspension. Under a fluorescent microscope and using DAPI staining, the BPC in the sludge supernatant after centrifugation were found to be particulate organic substances that were independent of the sludge flocs and had a size distribution up to 50 microm. The findings of the experiment suggest that BPC are an important foulant and have a profound effect on membrane fouling. The fouling rate in the reactor, as indicated by the increase in trans-membrane pressure (TMP), correlates to a certain extent with the BPC concentration in the sludge suspension under various conditions. It is argued that BPC are a special form of organic substances that are formed by the adsorption and affinity clustering of mainly SMP within the sludge layer deposited on the membrane surface. The BPC can be detached with the sludge from the membrane and returned to the suspension. The accumulation of BPC in the SMBR sludge mixture would facilitate the formation of a sludge fouling layer on the membrane surface, thus causing a serious fouling problem.

Synthetic resins are shown to be effective in removing uranium from contaminated groundwater. Batch and field column tests showed that strong-base anion-exchange resins were more effective in removing uranium from both near-neutral-pH (6.5)- and high-pH (8)-low-nitrate-containing groundwaters, than metal-chelating resins, which removed more uranium from acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater from the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Y-12 S-3 Ponds area in Tennessee, USA. Dowex 1-X8 and Purolite A-520E anion-exchange resins removed more uranium from high-pH (8)-low-nitrate-containing synthetic groundwater in batch tests than metal-chelating resins. The Dowex 21K anion-exchange resin achieved a cumulative loading capacity of 49.8 mg g(-1) before breakthrough in a field column test using near-neutral-pH (6.5)-low-nitrate-containing groundwater. However, in an acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater, metal-chelating resins Diphonix and Chelex-100 removed more uranium than anion-exchange resins. In 15 m L of acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater spiked with 20 mg L(-1) uranium, the uranium concentrations ranged from 0.95 mg L(-1) at 1-h equilibrium to 0.08 mg L(-1) at 24-h equilibrium for Diphonix and 0.17 mg L(-1) at 1-h equilibrium to 0.03 mg L(-1) at 24-h equilibrium for Chelex-100. Chelex-100 removed more uranium in the first 10 min in the 100mL of acidic-(pH 5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater ( approximately 5 mg L(-1) uranium); however, after 10 min, Diphonix equaled or out-performed Chelex-100. This study presents an improved understanding of the selectivity and sorption kenetics of a range of ion-exchange resins that remove uranium from both low- and high-nitrate-containing groundwaters with varying pHs.

Laboratory experiments on the activated sludge (AS) process were carried out to investigate the influence of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), on biomass flocculation, sludge settlement and dewaterability. The heat EPS extraction method was modified to include a mild step and a harsh step for extracting the LB-EPS and TB-EPS, respectively, from the sludge suspension. Six lab-scale AS reactors were used to grow AS with different carbon sources of glucose and sodium acetate, and different sludge retention times (SRTs) of 5, 10 and 20 days. The variation in the bioreactor condition produced sludge with different abundances of EPS and different flocculation and separation characteristics. The sludge that was fed on glucose had more EPS than the sludge that was fed on acetate. For any of the feeding substrates, the sludge had a nearly consistent TB-EPS value regardless of the SRT, and an LB-EPS content that decreased with the SRT. The acetate-fed sludge performed better than the glucose-fed sludge in terms of bioflocculation, sludge sedimentation and compression, and sludge dewaterability. The sludge flocculation and separation improved considerably as the SRT lengthened. The results demonstrate that the LB-EPS had a negative effect on bioflocculation and sludge-water separation. The parameters for the performance of sludge-water separation were much more closely correlated with the amount of LB-EPS than with the amount of TB-EPS. It is argued that although EPS is essential to sludge floc formation, excessive EPS in the form of LB-EPS could weaken cell attachment and the floc structure, resulting in poor bioflocculation, greater cell erosion and retarded sludge-water separation.

In this study, carbon tetrabromide (CTB), bromoform (BF) and dibromomethane (DBM) were the target compounds investigated for their reduction kinetics and pathways with nano-scale Fe and Ni/Fe particles synthesized in laboratory. The BET surface areas of these nano-scale particles were around two orders of magnitude higher than that of the commercial micro-scale Fe particles. Batch reduction experiments were carried out with a metal loading of 2.5gl(-1) for the nano-scale particles, and 125gl(-1) for the commercial micro-scale Fe. The nano-scale Ni/Fe was the most reactive for reductive dehalogenation of the brominated methanes. The rates of bromide ion liberated during the reduction of the brominated methanes were usually higher than the disappearance rates of the parent compounds, indicating occurrence of concerted debromination mechanism. Analysis of the reduction kinetics showed that CTB and BF were mainly reduced through hydrogenolysis reaction, while over 76% of DBM was reduced through concerted reductive debromination to methane. Addition of Ni to Fe increased the specific reduction rates of the target compounds and reactive intermediates, but only marginally changed the distribution of their end products. Through comprehensive kinetic and mechanistic examinations of the reduction dehalogenation of various brominated methanes, a scheme summarizing their overall reduction pathways with the nano-scale Fe and Ni/Fe is proposed.

Laboratory experiments were carried out on the kinetics and pathways of the electrochemical (EC) degradation of phenol at three different types of anodes, Ti/SnO2-Sb, Ti/RuO2, and Pt. Although phenol was oxidised by all of the anodes at a current density of 20 mA/cm2 or a cell voltage of 4.6 V, there was a considerable difference between the three anode types in the effectiveness and performance of EC organic degradation. Phenol was readily mineralized at the Ti/SnO2-Sb anode, but its degradation was much slower at the Ti/RuO2 and Pt anodes. The analytical results of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) indicated that the intermediate products of EC phenol degradation, including benzoquinone and organic acids, were subsequently oxidised rapidly by the Ti/SnO2-Sb anode, but accumulated in the cells of Ti/RuO2 and Pt. There was also a formation of dark-coloured polymeric compounds and precipitates in the solutions electrolyzed by the Ti/RuO2 and Pt anodes, which was not observed for the Ti/SnO2-Sb cells. It is argued that anodic property not only affects the reaction kinetics of various steps of EC organic oxidation, but also alters the pathway of phenol electrolysis. Favourable surface treatment, such as the SnO2-Sb coating, provides the anode with an apparent catalytic function for rapid organic oxidation that is probably brought about by hydroxyl radicals generated from anodic water electrolysis.

An upflow anaerobic digestor was fed dried algal biomass as a carbon source to establish the feasibility of using micro-algal biomass as the sole carbon source for biological sulphate reduction. The effect of the COD:SO4 ratio on substrate consumption and sulphate removal efficiencies were assessed by varying the organic carbon content of the media. Similar COD removal efficiencies were obtained irrespective of the influent COD:SO4 ratios, which were 8.1, 11.2 and 15.0. However, the rates of COD removal did differ with influent COD:SO4 ratios. The percentage sulphate removed decreased as the ratio of COD:SO4 increased. Not all of the COD was used for sulphate reduction, with only 31% being accounted for.

Tannery effluent was assessed as a carbon source for biological sulphate reduction in a pilot-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), stirred tank reactor (STR) and trench reactor (TR). Sulphate removals of between 60-80% were obtained in all three reactors at total sulphate feed levels of up to 1800 mg l(-1). Sulphate removal in the TR (400-500 mg SO4 l(-1) day(-1)) and UASB (up to 600 mg SO4 l(-1) day(-1)) were higher than those obtained in the STR (250 mg SO4 l(1) day(-1)). A change in operation mode from a UASB to a STR had a large impact on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies. COD removal rates decreased by 25% from 600-700 mg COD l(-1) day(-1) to 200-600 mg COD l(-1) day(-1). The TR had an average COD removal rate of 500 mg COD l(-1) day(-1). Large quantities of sulphide were produced in the reactors (up to 1500 mg l(-1)). However due to the elevated pH in the reactor, only a small amount was in the form of H2S and thus the odour problem normally associated with biological sulphate reduction was not present.

Numerical simulations were carried out to determine the particle size distribution (PSD) in marine waters by accounting for particle influx, coagulation, sedimentation and breakage. Instead of the conventional rectilinear model and Euclidean geometry, a curvilinear collision model and fractal scaling mathematics were used in the models. A steady-state PSD can be achieved after a period of simulation regardless of the initial conditions. The cumulative PSD in the steady state follows a power-law function, which has three linear regions after log-log transformation, with different slopes corresponding to the three collision mechanisms, Brownian motion, fluid shear and differential sedimentation. The PSD slope varies from -3.5 to -1.2 as a function of the size range and the fractal dimension of the particles concerned. The environmental conditions do not significantly alter the PSD slope, although they may change the position of the PSD and related particle concentrations. The simulation demonstrates a generality in the shape of the steady-state PSD in the ocean, which is in agreement with many field observations. Breakage does not affect the size distribution of small particles, while a strong shear may cause a notable change in the PSD for larger and fractal particles only. The simplified approach of previous works using dimensional analysis still offers valuable approximations for the PSD slopes, although the previous solutions do not always agree with the simulation results. The variation in the PSD slope observed in field investigations can be reproduced numerically. It is argued that non-steady-state conditions in natural waters could be the main reason for the deviation of PSD slopes. A change in the nature of the particles, such as stickiness, and environmental variables, such as particle input and shear intensity, could force the PSD to shift from one steady state to another. During such a transition, the PSD slope may vary to some extent with the particle population dynamics.

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been employed in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment for decades. However, the long start-up period required for the development of anaerobic granules seriously limits the application of this technology. In order to develop the strategy for rapid UASB start-up, the mechanisms for anaerobic granulation should be understood. This paper attempts to provide a up-to-date review on the existing mechanisms and models for anaerobic granulation in the UASB reactor, which include inert nuclei model, selection pressure model, multi-valence positive ion-bonding model, synthetic and natural polymer-bonding model, Capetown's model, spaghetti theory, syntrophic microcolony model, multi-layer model, secondary minimum adhesion model, local dehydration and hydrophobic interaction model, surface tension model, proton translocation-dehydration theory, cellular automaton model and cell-to-cell communication model. Based on those previous works, a general model for anaerobic granulation is also proposed. It is expected that this paper would be helpful for researchers to further develop a unified theory for anaerobic granulation and technology for expediting the formation of the UASB granules.

Biofilm and granular sludge processes are promising biotechnology for wastewater treatment. The formation, structure and metabolism of immobilized microbial community are associated very closely with hydrodynamic shear force in reactors. Therefore, this paper attempts to review the essential role of shear force in the formation and performance of biofilm and granular sludge. More compact, stable and denser biofilms, aerobic and anaerobic granules form at relatively higher hydrodynamic shear force. It is clearly shown that shear force has significant influences on the structure, mass transfer, production of exopolysaccharides, metabolic/genetic behaviours of biofilms, aerobic and anaerobic granules. In an engineering sense, hydrodynamic shear force can be manipulated, as a control parameter, to enhance microbial granulation process. It can be concluded that the knowledge regarding the effects of hydrodynamic shear force on biofilms and granules is far from complete and much research is still needed to fully understand the relevant mechanisms. Some of these future research niches are therefore outlined.

In this study, combinations of applied pressure, pressing time and polymer dose were examined in an air pressure plate apparatus to explore their integrated influence on the dewatering of an alum sludge. Results of the investigation demonstrated that dewatering can be enhanced by increases in pressure and time. However, a point is reached at which continued increases in pressure and time offer little benefit. The data also confirmed that polymer affects the rate of water release rather than the extent of dewatering. Increased rates of water release due to increasing polymer dose can be attributed to the aggregation of sludge particles by polymer addition. It was also evident in this study that the initial sludge depth has a major impact on the average cake moisture content at a given dewatering time. It was apparent that once the initial sludge thickness exceeds about 2 cm, the water release follows a fairly similar pattern, which can be represented by a simple empirical model.

Six upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors were concurrently operated for 146 d to examine the effects of calcium on the sludge granulation process during start-up. Introduction of Ca2+ at concentrations from 150 to 300 mg/l enhanced the biomass accumulation and granulation process. The calcium concentration in the granules was nearly proportional to the calcium concentration in the feed, and calcium carbonate was the main calcium precipitate in the granules. The specific activity of granules decreased with increasing influent calcium concentration. The optimum calcium concentration for the granulation was from 150 to 300 mg/l. The addition of low-concentration calcium to the UASB reactors appeared to enhance the three steps of sludge granulation: adsorption, adhesion and multiplication, but it did not lead to a different proliferation of predominant microorganisms in the granules.