Effects of Moisture on Warming of Activated Carbon Bed during VOC Adsorption

Thermal waves resulting from the dynamic adsorption of organic vapor present in air on a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter were studied. An experimental design was carried out to determine the influential factors among the relative humidity of air (0–60%), the initial water content of the activated carbon (0–9.8%), and the volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration (0–50 g?m?3, i.e., 0–20,700 ppmv for acetone). The temperature increase is a function of the initial VOC concentration as well as the energy flux released. The warming of the adsorber is shown to be important for the adsorption of high VOC concentrations on a dry carbon bed, but the thermal amplitude is distinctly reduced when the GAC is initially wet because of water desorption. The moisture content of the air in the range of 0–95% is not found to be a prominent factor affecting both the adsorption capacity and the warming of the GAC bed for the high VOC concentration tested (20,700 ppmv of acetone). Temperature monitoring provides interesting information about the adsorption process, and the mechanisms involved are discussed.     

Removal of Nonbiodegradable Chemicals from Mixtures during Granular Activated Carbon Bioregeneration

The purpose of this research was to better understand the interactions between biodegradable and nonbiodegradable synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs) during bioregeneration of biologically active granular activated carbon (GAC) columns. Continuous-flow GAC bioregeneration experiments were conducted at different empty-bed contact times (EBCTs) using mixtures of a biodegradable (benzene or toluene) and a nonbiodegradable (perchloroethylene or carbon tetrachloride) SOC. The GAC was pre-equilibrated with respect to each combination of SOCs to facilitate the study of bioregeneration. If no dissolved oxygen limitations occurred in the bioregeneration experiments, the effluent biodegradable SOC concentration decreased over time and then remained low, after which the effluent nonbiodegradable SOC concentration also decreased because of the increased availability of adsorption sites on the GAC. Pre- and postexperimental GAC loadings show a marked decrease in the biodegradable SOC loading as well as an increase in the nonbiodegradable SOC loading. Greater degrees of bioregeneration were found for higher SOC equilibrium concentrations and longer EBCTs. Bioregeneration ranged from 28.8 to 45.5% of the initial biodegradable SOC loading after 13–17?days. These results illustrate an increase in GAC adsorption capacity for nonbiodegradable SOCs through bioregeneration of GAC containing biodegradable SOCs.     

Orthophosphate Adsorption Equilibrium and Breakthrough on Filtration Media for Storm-Water Runoff Treatment

Total phosphorus (TP) in storm-water runoff is a common regulatory target for maintaining the quality of receiving surface water. Previous storm-water treatment studies show that it is difficult to consistently achieve TP removal higher than 40%, whereas regulatory goals of 50–65% removal are becoming common. To meet these goals, storm-water filtration technologies utilizing an expanding array of filtration media are being deployed, especially in areas with protected water bodies such as Puget Sound and Chesapeake Bay. One challenge is that if the media has no adsorption capacity, particulate phosphorus can redissolve into solution and form liberal orthophosphate (Ortho-P), resulting in lower overall TP removal. Therefore, effective Ortho-P adsorption capacity in filtration media is crucial to meet more stringent TP removal goals. Additional media characteristics that should be considered include gradation, permeability, surface area, morphology, cost, and toxicity. In response to these requirements, an engineered media (EM) was developed and evaluated by Ortho-P adsorption isotherms and breakthrough in typical storm-water runoff conditions. Three other media, perlite, zeolite, and granular activated carbon (GAC), widely used in storm-water treatment, were also investigated under the same experimental conditions. With adsorption isotherms, EM showed the highest adsorption capacity of 7.82??mg/g, nearly seven times that of GAC (1.16??mg/g). In adsorption breakthrough testing, overall removal efficiency decreases as the number of treated empty bed volumes (EBVs) increases. To reach 50% overall removal, EM provided 838 EBVs, whereas GAC could only treat 12 EBVs. In addition, for the lifetime of media, EM outlasted GAC with 2,297 EBVs, compared to 1,000 EBVs, respectively. Results indicate that EM is an adsorptive filtration media for treating storm-water phosphorus.     

Use of Dubinin–Astakhov Equation to Describe Preloading Effect of Natural Organic Matter

This note presents a simple model to quantify the preloading effect of naturally occurring organic matter (NOM) in water on the adsorption capacity of activated carbon for a trace synthetic organic chemical (SOC). The model was developed from the Dubinin–Astakhov (DA) equation based on the assumption that the NOM preloading irreversibly reduced the limiting adsorption pore volume for the target SOC. Given that the DA-n value equal to one, the model reduces to a form similar to the one obtained by modifying the Freundlich equation directly. By assuming that the reduction of the limiting adsorption pore volume was proportional to the volume of NOM adsorbed, the NOM preloading effect was correlated directly to the amount of total organic carbon preloaded on the carbon. The resulting model was then compared with the experimental data in the literature. This simple model may be useful for certain practical applications that require only the estimation of the NOM preloading effect on the adsorption capacity of a target SOC from natural water.     

Fe(Ⅱ)-H2O2不同温度浸润改性活性炭吸附去除水中砷(V)

Fe(Ⅱ)-H₂O₂不同温度浸润改性活性炭是采用FeSO₄·7H₂0添加H₂O₂在温度100℃下纯浸润24h(Fe(Ⅱ)-24h)和高温蒸发15min(Fe(Ⅱ)-15min)制备.对2类材料进行SEM表征并对其吸附1.1mg/L砷(V)的性能进行比较.SEM显示Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24h(0.485%为Fe(Ⅱ)-24h的铁含量,下同)表面覆盖厚的棒状纳米是基铁,Fe(Ⅱ)(1.35%)-15min表面覆盖薄而烧结扭曲是基铁;高温蒸发15min有利于铁负载;Fe(Ⅱ)-24h(108-142mg/gFe)对坤(V)吸附的铁效率是Fe(Ⅱ)-15min(57-63mg/gFe)的2倍;Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24h在2＜pH＜3.5或9＜pH＜12时对砷(V)的吸附平衡容量高于Fe(Ⅱ)(1.35%)-15min,同时Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24h在不同pH值的条件下铁的溶出量低于Fe(Ⅱ)(1.35%)-15min;SO₄2-、NO₃-、ClO₄-、PO₄3-抑制Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24h对砷(V)的去除,PO₄3-抑制效果更为明显,Cl(100mg/L)和BrO₃-促进其对砷(V)的去除.      

Capture of Organic Vapors Using Adsorption and Electrothermal Regeneration

Activated-carbon-fiber cloth (ACFC) is an alternative adsorbent to granular activated carbon (GAC) for removing and recovering organic vapors from gas streams. Electrothermal desorption (ED) of ACFC provides rapid regeneration while requiring less energy compared to traditional regeneration techniques used with GAC. This paper provides proof-of-concept results from a bench-scale ACFC adsorption system. The automated system captured 1,000 ppmv of hazardous air pollutants/volatile organic compounds (HAPs/VOCs) from air streams and demonstrated the use of ED, using ac voltage, to recover the HAP/VOC as a pure liquid. The desorbed HAP/VOC condensed onto the inner walls of the adsorber and was collected at the bottom of the vessel, without the use of ancillary cooling. Seventy percent of the HAP/VOC was collected per cycle as condensate, with the balance being retained in the regenerated adsorber or recycled to the second adsorber. ED with in-vessel condensation results in minimal N2 consumption and short regeneration cycle times allowing the process to be cost competitive with conventional GAC-based adsorption processes. This technology extends the application of carbon adsorption systems to situations that were previously economically and physically impractical.     

Characteristics and Reactivity of Algae-Produced Dissolved Organic Carbon

Algae (green, blue–green, and diatom) grown in inorganic media produced particulate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). DOC produced by a green-alga contains 25% hydrophobic acids. DOC from all algae had specific ultraviolet absorbance values less than 2.0?m?1?(mg/L)?1. Algae-produced DOC was biologically labile; greater than 60% degraded in bioreactors within 5 days. The biodegradable material likely included carbohydrates, amino acids, and amino sugars, which were present in hydrophobic acid isolates. Chlorination of algal DOC formed disinfection by-products; DOC from the green alga, Scenedesmus quadricauda, produced chloroform [0.53?micromole?per?mg?carbon?(μmol/mg?C)], dichloroacetic acid (0.27?μmol/mg?C), and trichloroacetic acid (0.14?μmol/mg?C). This work complements other studies, which focused on algal total organic carbon (DOC and cellular material), and clearly demonstrates the importance of identifying algae-derived sources of DOC in water supplies and removing such DOC in water treatment plants prior to chlorination.     

Fe(Ⅱ)-H_2O_2不同温度浸润改性活性炭吸附去除水中砷(Ⅴ)

Fe(Ⅱ)-H2O2不同温度浸润改性活性炭是采用FeSO4·7H2O添加H2O2在温度100℃下纯浸润24 h(Fe(Ⅱ)-24 h)和高温蒸发15 min(Fe(Ⅱ)-15 min)制备.对2类材料进行SEM表征并对其吸附1.1 mg/L砷(Ⅴ)的性能进行比较.SEM显示Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24 h(0.485%为Fe(Ⅱ)-24 h的铁含量,下同)表面覆盖厚的棒状纳米羟基铁,Fe(Ⅱ)(1.35%)-15 min表面覆盖薄而烧结扭曲羟基铁;高温蒸发15 min有利于铁负载;Fe(Ⅱ)-24 h(108~142 mg/gFe)对砷(Ⅴ)吸附的铁效率是Fe(Ⅱ)-15 min(57~63 mg/gFe)的2倍;Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24 h在2pH3.5或9pH12时对砷(Ⅴ)的吸附平衡容量高于Fe(Ⅱ)(1.35%)-15 min,同时Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24 h在不同pH值的条件下铁的溶出量低于Fe(Ⅱ)(1.35%)-15 min;SO42-、NO3-、ClO4-、PO43-抑制Fe(Ⅱ)(0.485%)-24 h对砷(Ⅴ)的去除,PO43-抑制效果更为明显,Cl-(100 mg/L)和BrO3-促进其对砷(Ⅴ)的去除.     

Prediction of Carbon BTEX Adsorption Capacity Using Field Monitoring Data

The need for predicting adsorption capacity for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) onto granular-activated carbon (GAC) is a problem commonly associated with petroleum-spill remediation. In this study, monitoring data are compiled from operational records of ground-water pump and treat remediation sites where GAC adsorption is utilized as a primary treatment mechanism for BTEX. The monitoring data are reduced to adsorbed and equilibrium concentrations from which Freundlich isotherms and various linear and multivariate models are calibrated for prediction of BTEX capacity on GAC. The models are employed by themselves and with Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory to predict capacity for total BTEX and benzene. Several models are selected based on prediction ability and are tested with independent data. Two simple models, a multivariate model and a Freundlich isotherm, are recommended. Complex empirical models and Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory did not perform as well as the selected models and were rejected. From the Freundlich isotherm, new Freundlich constants are reported that describe adsorption of total BTEX on GAC from gasoline-contaminated ground water.     

Adsorption of RDX and HMX in Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests: Implications for Full-Scale Adsorbers

The high explosive (HE) compounds royal demolition explosive or hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazocine (RDX) and high melting explosive or octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) have been detected as groundwater contaminants at many military facilities. This research evaluated adsorption of RDX and HMX with granular activated carbon (GAC) to provide guidance for the design and operation of GAC adsorbers for treatment of HE-contaminated groundwater. Five GACs were screened using rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs), after which additional tests were performed with the two GACs that most effectively treated mixtures of RDX and HMX (Calgon F400 and Northwestern LB-830). GAC service life as a function of empty-bed contact time (EBCT) was determined using RSSCTs for a range of simulated full scale EBCTs with influent concentrations of 2,200 μg RDX/L and 350 μg HMX/L. Increasing the influent concentration of either contaminant significantly reduced the predicted service life, as did preloading GAC with groundwater natural organic matter. In batch isotherm tests, RDX was less adsorbable than HMX under all conditions studied. Concurrent loading of natural organic matter reduced the Freundlich K for RDX, whereas adsorption of HMX was not affected. Of the GACs tested, Calgon F400 most effectively removed RDX and HMX.     

EDTA, NTA, Alkylphenol Ethoxylate and DOC Attenuation during Soil Aquifer Treatment

Removals of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and carboxylated alkylphenol polyethoxylate metabolites (APECs) were studied at the Sweetwater (Tucson, Ariz.) soil aquifer treatment site that treated chlorinated secondary effluent. The site was operated in a first phase by flooding irregularly for weeks interrupted by days of drying and in a second phase by a regular schedule of flooding for 3 days and drying for 4 days. The average hydraulic loading rates were 0.13 and 0.17?m/day in the first and second phases, respectively. During drying, oxygen intruded at least 3?m deep into the unsaturated subsurface causing nitrification of the ammonium that was retained in the top layer during flooding. Nitrification increased nitrate concentrations to >200?mg/L but most was removed to <10?mg/L during transport to 38?m depth. At 38?m depth, removals of DOC, EDTA, NTA, and APECs during the first phase were 85, 80, 90, and 98%, slightly higher (<7%) than during the second phase. Most of the DOC removal occurred during transport to 3?m and most of the trace organics removal occurred during transport from 3 to 38?m depth.     

Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption of 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB): Pilot- and Laboratory-Scale Evaluations

Pilot- and laboratory-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) studies were conducted to determine the extent of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) removal from two conventionally treated waters. Two different GACs were evaluated, a wood-based carbon and a coal-based carbon. Greater MIB removal was observed with the wood-based GAC which contradicts previous studies using the powdered forms of the carbons. Equilibrium and kinetic parameters were derived from laboratory-scale adsorption isotherm and short bed adsorber (SBA) experiments, respectively, and used to describe the adsorption of MIB. However, the derived parameters were unable to accurately predict the removal of MIB in the pilot-scale columns using the homogenous surface diffusion model. This suggested that there were inherent limitations with the SBA experiments, in particular, the small volume of GAC and high filtration rates employed. Larger laboratory column experiments were shown to accurately simulate the pilot-scale columns. Adsorption still played a vital role in the removal of MIB, even though the GAC had been exhausted for the removal of organics in terms of dissolved organic carbon and ultraviolet absorbance measurements. Even after a 6-month operation, complete MIB removal was observed with up to 80% attributed to adsorption, and the remaining 20% attributed to biodegradation.     

Adsorption of Carbon Disulfide (CS2) in Water by Different Types of Activated Carbon—Equilibrium, Dynamics, and Mathematical Modeling

Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of carbon disulfide in water by granular activated carbon (GAC), powdered activated carbon (PAC), and activated carbon fiber (ACF) were investigated and compared in an effort to elucidate the fundamentals for optimizing the control process design. It has been shown that the BET expression can satisfactorily describe the adsorption equilibrium of carbon disulfide (CS2) on GAC, PAC, and ACF and the corresponding kinetic experimental data properly correlated with the second-order kinetic model, which indicates that the CS2 adsorption is the rate-limiting step. A two-phase mathematical model was developed to simulate CS2 transfer in fixed-bed operation filled with the GAC, PAC, and ACF, and the equilibrium and kinetics information is subsequently used in the model to characterize the dynamics of adsorption. The model includes mechanisms such as axial dispersion, advection, liquid-to-solid mass transport, and intraparticle mass transport by pore and surface diffusion. It is manifested that the model was able to predict the dynamic breakthrough curve of CS2 in a fixed-bed adsorption column filled with GAC, PAC, and ACF at varied conditions (standard deviations for 1.5?cm/min is 12.13% and for 2.2?cm/min is 16.12%), based on BET-3 equilibrium and second-order kinetics, which indicates that the methodology proposed by this work could be employed for adsorbents selection, adsorption design, and process optimization for CS2 waste-water emission control.     

Mineralization and Biodegradability Enhancement of Low Level p-Nitrophenol in Water Using Fenton’s Reagent

This study presents the use of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) to indicate the degree of mineralization and biodegradability (BDOC/DOC) change of a dilute p-nitrophenol aqueous solution (initial DOC of 8.5 MG/L) induced by Fenton’s reagent. Fe2+:H2O2:DOC ratios of 1:10:1, 10:10:1, and 10:100:1 and pH of 2, 3, and 4 were tested. Mineralization of p-nitrophenol of 5–35% was observed along with biodegradability increase. The best conditions for maximum mineralization were Fe2+:H2O2:DOC of 10:10:1 and pH of 4 while the optimum conditions for highest biodegradability increase were Fe2+:H2O2:DOC of 10:10:1 and pH of 3. Under the optimal conditions, the biodegradability was enhanced from 8 to 80%. More than 95% of total DOC removal and BDOC formation was observed in the first 10 min of the reaction. Results further indicated that Fe2+:H2O2:DOC of 10:10:1 and pH of 4 were optimal for a combination of the maximum DOC elimination and biodegradability increase.     

Effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the bioconcentration of organic chemicals in aquatic organisms--a review

Current knowledge on the effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the bioconcentration of organic chemicals in aquatic animals (water fleas, mussels, amphipods and fish) is summarized. A graphical representation of the available data gives an overview of the magnitude of the observed effects. Most of the studies have shown decreases in bioconcentration in the presence of DOM (2 to 98% relative to DOM-free controls). However, at low DOM levels, up to 10 mg/L, also enhancements of bioconcentration due to DOM, ranging from 2 to 303% have been reported. Generally, the change in BCFW (Bioconcentration factor on a wet weight basis) per mg/L DOC was most pronounced at low levels of DOC. The data also show that DOM from different sources with different characteristics and quality can lead to substantial variations in the bioconcentration of organic compounds at comparable levels of DOC. While decreases in bioconcentration have generally been attributed to a lack of bioavailability of DOM-bound chemical, no mechanisms have been proposed to explain increased uptake of xenobiotics caused by DOM.     

Equilibrium versus Nonequilibrium Treatment Modeling in the Optimal Design of Pump-and-Treat Groundwater Remediation Systems

The present work proposes that the incorporation of granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment model that accounts for nonequilibrium adsorption into the optimal design of pump-and-treat systems will result in more realistic costs and better-engineered remediation systems. It was found that, when nonequilibrium GAC adsorption effects are considered, the predicted cost of optimal remediation strategies increases consistently when compared to costs obtained assuming equilibrium GAC adsorption, for a wide range of cleanup goals. This finding implies that when simpler equilibrium models are used for GAC adsorption, cleanup costs will be underestimated. GAC treatment costs are shown to be particularly sensitive to the degree of mass transfer limitations in the aquifer–contaminant system, especially when nonequilibrium GAC adsorption is accounted for. Time-varying pumping rates are shown to produce more efficient remediation solutions; the increase in efficiency is even more pronounced when nonequilibrium GAC adsorption is accounted for. Further results show that the optimal remediation designs can be significantly more efficient when the number of GAC adsorber units is selected through optimization.     

Removal of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Sanitary Gravity Sewer

Utilization of dissolved organic matter in a 1.5 km section of a sanitary gravity concrete sewer with an inner diameter of 450 mm constructed on a slope of 0.0075 was studied. Continuous measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, and flow rate were performed along the sewer. About 14% of the DOC was removed in an 18-min retention time. A slower flow rate in the sewer would favor higher DOC removal efficiency because it offers a longer retention time. Oxygen was not a limiting factor as the dissolved oxygen level was at least 1 mg∕L. Batch tests using raw sewage and either suspended solids or settled sediments yielded specific DOC rates of 1.3 mg and 2.6 mg DOC∕mg dry wt/day for the sewage phase and sediment phase, respectively. Adenosine triphosphate content analysis of the suspended solids and sediment samples confirmed that both contained substantial amounts of active biomass. In the 1.5-km sewer system, it is estimated that 39.13 kg of DOC can be stabilized∕day; the sewage phase contributes 40% while the sediment phase contributes 60%.     

Comparison of Arsenate, Lead, and Cadmium Adsorption onto Aged Biofilter Media

Many biological water treatment plants for removal of iron and manganese from groundwater are in place for quite a long time, and thus their filters are aged—naturally coated with metal oxides and associated biomass. The particular reactivity and high adsorption capacity of these biogenic surface coatings make them potentially applicable for cost effective removal of arsenic and other heavy metals from contaminated water. However, the nature of interaction between various toxic elements and the composite materials in biological filters is not well understood. This study combines macroadsorption experiments with electron probe analysis to evaluate the adsorption properties of the biogenic surface coatings of an aged biofilter medium (BFM) for cationic lead and cadmium as well as arsenate anion. Results of batch adsorption showed that BFM has higher adsorption capacity for lead and cadmium as compared to arsenate anion. At pH 5.5, the maximum adsorption capacities of the medium for As(V), Pb(II), and Cd(II) were 17.03-, 80.77-, and 179.05-mg/g surface coatings, respectively. However, the column performance of BFM for Cd(II) was rather low. In particular, the breakthrough adsorption capacities (qb) of the BFM for As(V), Pb(II), and Cd(II) were 0.247-, 31.168-, and 4.084-mg/g surface coatings, respectively. These values represent about 1.5, 38.6, and 2.3% of the respective theoretical maximum adsorption capacities (qmax) of BFM for these metals. Data from the X-ray electron probe analysis corroborated well with that of the macroadsorption experiments. Results of this study strongly suggest that the Mn/Fe ratio and the presence of preadsorbed competing ions were two of the principal characteristics of the BFM, governing its affinity and adsorption capacity for different toxic metals.     

Use of Membrane Bioreactor for Biodegradation of MTBE in Contaminated Water

An ultrafiltation membrane bioreactor was evaluated for biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in contaminated water. The system was fed 5 mg/L MTBE in granular activated carbon (GAC) treated Cincinnati tap water containing ample buffer and nutrients. Within 120 days the culture had adapted to membrane operational conditions and was consistently achieving greater than 99.95% biological removal of both MTBE and tert-butyl alcohol. This condition was steadily maintained for the next 200 days of study. Effluent dissolved organic carbon values remained at or below concentrations of the feed GAC treated tap water alone. An increase in biomass concentration as measured by volatile suspended solids was observed to correlate with an increase in MTBE removal efficiency. Some operational observations, including fouling, recovery from an accident, and overall performance, are described.     

Zeta Potential, Dissolved Organic Carbon, and Removal of Cryptosporidium Oocysts by Coagulation and Sedimentation

This study evaluated the removal of viable Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and changes in zeta potential during alum coagulation and sedimentation. Experiments were designed to evaluate oocyst removal and oocyst zeta potential at three initial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and a wide range of alum doses and coagulation pH values. The study showed that changes in the initial DOC concentration affected the zeta potential of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and the removal of oocysts. Oocysts did not appear to be removed by a charge neutralization mechanism under the conditions used in this research. Sweep flocculation appeared to be the primary removal mechanism at the lowest DOC concentration tested in this study. For the highest DOC concentration tested, optimal coagulation conditions for oocyst removal coincided with optimal coagulation conditions for natural organic matter (NOM) removal, suggesting that NOM played a key role in the interaction between oocysts and the aluminum hydroxide precipitate.