Phosphate removal from solution using steel slag through magnetic separation

Steel slag with magnetic separation was used to remove phosphate from aqueous solutions. The influence of adsorbent dose, pH, and temperature on phosphate removal was investigated in a series of batch experiments. Phosphate removal increased with the increasing temperature, adsorbent dose and decreased with increasing initial phosphate concentrations, while it was at its peak at pH of 5.5. The phosphate removal predominantly occurred through ion exchange. The specific surface area of the steel slag was 2.09m2/g. The adsorption of phosphate followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The maximum adsorption capacity of the steel slag was 5.3mgP/g. The removal rates of total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved phosphorus (DP) from secondary effluents were 62-79% and 71-82%, respectively. Due to their low cost and high capability, it was concluded that the steel slag may be an efficient adsorbent to remove phosphate both from solution and wastewater.     

Phosphate removal using sludge from fuller's earth production

This study assesses the phosphate removal capacity and mechanism of precipitation or adsorption from aqueous solutions in batch experiments by an industrial sludge containing gypsum (CaSO(4).2H(2)O) obtained as a by-product from a fuller's earth process. The potential capacity for phosphate removal was tested using various solution concentrations, pH values, reaction times, and amount of sludge. The maximum phosphate adsorption capacity calculated using the Langmuir equation was 2.0 g kg(-1). The pH for the maximum adsorption by the sludge was neutral to alkaline (pH 7-12). Over 99% of phosphate was removed from a phosphate solution of 30 mg L(-1) using 0.15 g of sludge in a 9-h reaction. Sulfate (SO(4)(2-)) concentration increased with increasing initial phosphate concentration, possibly because of dissolution of gypsum and adsorption of both sulfate and phosphate. At high phosphate concentration (>1000 mg L(-1)), relative constant concentration of Ca(2+) was not consistent with adsorption of the most important phosphate removal mechanism. Results suggest that precipitation of calcium phosphate is principally responsible for phosphate removal under its high concentration. Agglomerated precipitate in the reaction sludge was observed by SEM and identified as brushite (CaHPO(4).2H(2)O) by XRD, FT-IR, and DTA. Based on thermodynamic considerations, it is suggested that the brushite will readily transform to more stable phases, such as hydroxyapatite (Ca(5)(PO(4))(3).OH).     

Removal of phosphate from aqueous solution with blast furnace slag

Blast furnace slag was used to remove phosphate from aqueous solutions. The influence of pH, temperature, agitation rate, and blast furnace slag dosage on phosphate removal was investigated by conducting a series of batch adsorption experiments. In addition, the yield and mechanisms of phosphate removal were explained on the basis of the results of X-ray spectroscopy, measurements of zeta potential of particles, specific surface area, and images of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the particles before and after adsorption. The specific surface area of the blast furnace slag was 0.4m(2)g(-1). The removal of phosphate predominantly has taken place by a precipitation mechanism and weak physical interactions between the surface of adsorbent and the metallic salts of phosphate. In this study, phosphate removal in excess of 99% was obtained, and it was concluded that blast furnace slag is an efficient adsorbent for the removal of phosphate from solution.     

An investigation on the new operational parameter effective in Cr(VI) removal efficiency: a study on electrocoagulation by alternating pulse current

The performance of an electrocoagulation (EC) process with aluminum/iron electrodes for removal of chromium on laboratory scale was studied. The effect of operational parameters such as initial pH, current density (CD), reaction time, initial concentrations (50, 100, 500, 1000 mg/L), solution conductivity, electrical energy consumption (EEC) and type of circuit were studied in an attempt to reach higher Cr(VI) removal efficiency. Alternating pulse current (APC) was used to prevent the passivity or polarization of electrodes. Important operating parameters were optimized to access higher (99%) Cr(VI) removal efficiency as follows: EEC range: 4-58 kW h/m(3) wastewater, CD: 56-222 A/m(2), operating time: 20-110 min, pH 3-9 (pH(optimum) 5), voltage: 15-25 V. NaCl, KCl, PAC (poly aluminum chloride), NaNO(3) were used as supporting electrolytes. NaCl as well as KCl handled the EC with the best performance in every aspect; however, PAC and NaNO(3) did not have the same results (Applied conductivity is better than literature). The results of this work are comparable with those of recent studies. Equal removal efficiency was obtained in "direct current" (DC) and (APC); however, when "APC" was used, water recovery (0.92 m(3)/m(3) wastewater) was significant and the turbidity was 1 NTU. "APC" amazed our experimental team.     

Petrochemical wastewater treatment by means of clean electrochemical technologies

The removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, phenol, hydrocarbon and grease from petrochemical wastewater (PCWW) was experimentally done by using electroflotation (EF) and electrocoagulation (EC). In the EF unit, a graphite anode and a stainless steel mesh as cathode were used. In the EC unit, iron and aluminium were used simultaneously as materials for two blocks of alternating electrodes. The reactor voltage was 12 V, current density (CD) was varied from 5 to 15 mA cm^–2, and the residence time varied in the limits of 2–20 min for EF and 1–10 min for EC. The results have shown that EC removes the mentioned contaminants from PCWW more effectively than EF. Turbidity removal in the process of PCWW purification was estimated as 83% for EF and 88% for EC. The yields of phenol, hydrocarbon and grease removal by EC were examined under different values of residence time, CD, and with iron and aluminium as materials for electrodes.     

Removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions and sewage using natural and surface modified coir pith

Iron impregnated coir pith (CP-Fe-I) can be effectively used for the removal of phosphate from aqueous streams and sewage. Iron impregnation on natural coir pith was carried out by drop by drop addition method. The effect of various factors such as pH, initial concentration of phosphate, contact time and adsorbent dose on phosphate adsorption was studied by batch technique. The pH at 3.0 favored the maximum adsorption of phosphate from aqueous solutions. The effect of pH on phosphate adsorption was explained by pH(zpc), phosphate speciation in solution and affinity of anions towards the adsorbent sites. A comparative study of the adsorption of phosphate using CP-Fe-I and CP (coir pith) was made and results show that the former one is five to six times more effective than the latter. Kinetic studies revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model. Adsorption followed Langmuir isotherm model. Column studies were conducted to examine the utility of the investigated adsorbent for the removal of phosphate from continuously flowing aqueous solutions.     

Removal mechanism of phosphate from aqueous solution by fly ash

This work studied the effectiveness of fly ash in removing phosphate from aqueous solution and its related removal mechanism. The adsorption and precipitation of phosphate by fly ash were investigated separately in order to evaluate their role in the removal of phosphate. Results showed that the removal of phosphate by fly ash was rapid. The removal percentage of phosphate in the first 5min reached 68-96% of the maximum removal of phosphate by fly ash. The removal processes of phosphate by fly ash included a fast and large removal representing precipitation, then a slower and longer removal due to adsorption. The adsorption of phosphate on fly ash could be described well by Freundlich isotherm equation. The pH and Ca2+ concentration of fly ash suspension were decreased with the addition of phosphate, which suggests that calcium phosphate precipitation is a major mechanism of the phosphate removal. Comparison of the relative contribution of the adsorption and precipitation to the total removal of phosphate by fly ash showed that the adsorption accounted for 30-34% of the total removal of phosphate, depending on the content of CaO in fly ash. XRD patterns of the fly ash before and after phosphate adsorption revealed that phosphate salt (CaHPO4 x 2H2O) was formed in the adsorption process. Therefore, the removal of phosphate by fly ash can be attributed to the formation of phosphate precipitation as a brushite and the adsorption on hydroxylated oxides. The results suggested that the use of fly ash could be a promising solution to the removal of phosphate in the wastewater treatment and pollution control.     

Removal of lead from aqueous solutions by activated phosphate

The potential of using activated phosphate as a new adsorbent for the removal of Pb from aqueous solutions was investigated. The kinetic of lead adsorption and the adsorption process were compared for natural phosphate (NP) and activated phosphate (AP). The results indicate that equilibrium was established in about 1h for NP and 3 h for AP. The effect of the pH was examined in the range 2-6. The maximum removal obtained is between two and three for NP and between three and four for AP. The maximum adsorption capacities at 25 degrees C are 155.04 and 115.34 mg/g for AP and NP, respectively. The effect of temperature has been carried out at 25, 35 and 45 degrees C. The data obtained from adsorption isotherms of lead at different temperatures fit to linear form of Langmuir adsorption equation. The thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy (DeltaH), free energy (DeltaG) and entropy (DeltaS) were calculated. They show that adsorption of lead on NP and AP is an endothermic process more effective at high temperatures. These results show that AP is a good adsorbent for heavy metals from aqueous solutions and could be used as a purifier for water and wastewater.     

Characteristics and mechanisms of phosphate adsorption onto basic oxygen furnace slag

The adsorption characteristics of phosphate adsorption on the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag were identified as a function of pH and ion strengths in solution. In addition, adsorption mechanisms were investigated by conducting batch tests on both the hydrolysis and phosphate adsorption process of the BOF slag, and making a comparative analysis to gain newer insights into understanding the adsorption process. Results show that the adsorption capacity from 4.97 to 3.71 mgP/g slag when the solution pH was increased from 2.0 to 13.0 and phosphate initial concentration was 50 mg/L, indicating that adsorption capacity is largely dependent upon the pH of the system. The results of the competitive adsorption between phosphate and typical anions found in wastewater, such as NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-) and Cl(-), onto BOF slag reveal that BOF slag can selectively adsorb phosphate ions. The insignificant effect of NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-) and Cl(-) on phosphate adsorption capacity indicates that phosphate adsorption is through a kind of inner-sphere complex reaction. During the adsorption process, the decrease of phosphate concentration in solution accompanied with an increase in pH values and concentrations of NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-) and Cl(-) suggests that phosphate replaced the functional groups from the surface of BOF slag which infers that ligand exchange is the dominating mechanism for phosphate removal. At the same time, the simultaneous decreases in PO(4)(3-) and total calcium, magnesium and aluminum concentration in solution indicate that chemical reaction and precipitation are other mechanisms of phosphate removal.     

Hybrid processes for the treatment of cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater using aluminum and iron electrodes

Electrocoagulation (EC) of cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater, which is characterized by (i) high turbidity (up to 340 Nephelometric turbidity units), (ii) increased chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration (4200 mg L(-1)), and (iii) a dark color, was investigated with the purpose of lowering the turbidity and COD concentration to levels below the permitted direct-discharge limits. Iron and aluminum were used as electrode materials. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of current density, initial pH, and supporting electrolyte (Na(2)SO(4)) dosage on the performance of the system. COD removal increased with increase in current density. The original pH of wastewater (7.8) was found to be preferable for both the electrode materials. Higher concentrations of Na(2)SO(4) caused an increase in COD removal efficiency, and energy consumption was considerably reduced with increasing conductivity. Hybrid processes were applied in this work to achieve higher COD removal efficiencies. In the case of aluminum electrode, polyaluminum chloride (PAC) was used as the coagulant aid for the aforesaid purpose. COD removal of 94.4% was obtained by adding 0.75 g L(-1) PAC. This removal efficiency corresponded to effluent COD concentration of 237 mg L(-1), which meets the legal requirement for discharge from slaughterhouses in Turkey. In the case of iron electrode, EC was conducted concurrent with the Fenton process. As a result, 81.1% COD removal was achieved by adding 9% H(2)O(2). Consequently, hybrid processes are inferred to be superior to EC alone for the removal of both COD and turbidity from cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater.     

Characterization of aqueous lead removal by phosphatic clay: equilibrium and kinetic studies

Immobilization of heavy metals from contaminated environments is an emerging field of interest from both resource conservation and environmental remediation points of view. This study investigated the feasibility of using phosphatic clay, a waste by-product of the phosphate mining industry, as an effective sorbent for Pb from aqueous effluents. The major parameters controlling aqueous Pb removal, viz. initial metal ion concentrations, solution pH, sorbent amounts, ionic strength and presence of both inorganic and organic ligands were evaluated using batch experiments. Results demonstrated that aqueous Pb removal efficiency of phosphatic clay is controlled mainly by dissolution of phosphatic clay associated fluoroapatite [Ca(10)(PO(4))(5)CaCO(3)(F,Cl,OH)(2)], followed by subsequent precipitation of geochemically stable pyromorphite [Pb(10)(PO(4))(6)(F,Cl,OH)(2)], which was confirmed by both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Lead removal efficiency of phosphatic clay increased with increasing pH, sorbent amount and decreasing ionic strength. It also depends on the nature of complexing ligands. Formation of insoluble calcium oxalate and lead oxalate in the presence of oxalic acid explained high uptake of Pb by phosphatic clay from aqueous solution. However, Pb sorption kinetics onto phosphatic clay were biphasic, with initially fast reactions followed by slow and continuous Pb removal reactions. The slow reactions may include surface sorption, co-precipitation and diffusion. The exceptional capability of phosphatic clay to remove aqueous Pb demonstrated its potential as a cost effective way to remediate Pb-contaminated water, soils and sediments.     

Biosorption of chromate anions from aqueous solution by a cationic surfactant-modified lichen (Cladonia rangiformis (L.))

Biosorption has been appearing as a useful alternative to conventional treatment systems for the removal of toxic metals from aqueous stream. The batch removal of chromate anions (CrO(4)(2-)) from wastewater under different experimental conditions using a cationic surfactant-modified lichen (Cladonia rangiformis (L.)) was investigated in this study. Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was used for biomass modification. The results of the experiments showed that biomass modification substantially improved the biosorption efficiency. Effects of pH, biosorption time, initial CrO(4)(2-) concentration, biosorbent dosage, and the existence of the surfactant on the biosorption of CrO(4)(2-) anions were studied. Studies up to date have shown that the biosorption efficiency of chromium increased as the pH of the solution decreased. In the present study, the removal of chromate anions from aqueous solutions at high pH values with surfactant-modified lichen was investigated. From the results of the experiments it was seen that the removal of chromate anions by modified lichen was 61% at the solution natural pH (pH 5.11) but at the same pH value the removal of chromate anions by unmodified lichen was 6%. Also concentrations ranging from 30 to 150 mg/L Cr(IV) were tested and the biosorptive removal efficiency of the metal ions from aqueous solution at high pH was achieved more than 98%.     

Treatment of dairy wastewaters by electrocoagulation using mild steel electrodes

The removal of COD and oil-grease from dairy wastewater was experimentally investigated using direct current (DC) electrocoagulation (EC). In the EC of dairy wastewater, the effects of initial pH, electrolysis time, initial concentration of COD, conductivity and current density were examined. The COD and oil-grease in the aqueous phase were effectively removed when iron was used as sacrificial anode. The optimum operating range for each operating variable was experimentally determined. The batch experimental results revealed that COD and oil-grease in aqueous phase was effectively removed. The overall COD and oil-grease removal efficiencies reached 98 and 99%, respectively. The optimum current density, pH and electrolysis time for 18,300 mg COD/L and 4570 mg oil-grease/L were 0.6 mA/cm2, 7 and 1 min, respectively. Mean energy consumption was 0.003 kWh/kg of COD.     

Investigation of aqueous stability of taxol in different release media

In the present study, the aqueous stability of taxol in different aqueous media and immiscible aqueous/organic systems at 37?°C was investigated. The aqueous media included phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and PBS containing 10% methanol, 10% ethanol, 10% hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (HP-βCD), 1% sodium citrate and 1% Tween 80. The immiscible systems consisted of PBS/octanol, PBS/dichloromethane, PBS/chloroform and PBS/ethyl acetate. The concentrations of taxol and related derivatives in each of the media were determined through the high-performance liquid chromatography assay. Results showed that hydrolysis and epimerization were two major types of degradation for taxol in the aqueous media starting from the initial hours of contact (6 hours). Addition of Tween 80 to PBS moderately increased the aqueous stability of taxol. As well, using PBS containing 10% HP-βCD inhibited the taxol hydrolysis, while epimerization still in process. In the case of immiscible systems, except for PBS/ethyl acetate system, no evidences of taxol hydrolysis were observed. Meanwhile, epimerization of taxol in PBS/dichloromethane and PBS/chloroform systems underwent due to the ability of C–Cl bonds to form hydrogen bonding with the hydroxyl group of C7 of taxol.     

Removal of heavy metals using different polymer matrixes as support for bacterial immobilisation

Great attention is focused on the microbial treatment of metal contaminated environments. Three bacterial strains, 1C2, 1ZP4 and EC30, belonging to genera Cupriavidus, Sphingobacterium and Alcaligenes, respectively, showing high tolerance to Zn and Cd, up to concentrations of 1000ppm, were isolated from a contaminated area in Northern Portugal. Their contribution to Zn and Cd removal from aqueous streams using immobilised alginate, pectate and a synthetic cross-linked polymer was assessed. In most cases, matrices with immobilised bacteria showed better metal removal than the non-inoculated material alone. For the immobilisation with all the polymers, 1C2 was the strain that increased the removal of Zn the most, whereas EC30 was the most promising for Cd removal, especially when combined with the synthetic polymer with up to a ca. 11-fold increase in metal removal when compared to the polymer alone. Removal of individual metals from binary mixtures showed that there was differential immobilisation. There was greater removal of Cd than Zn (removals up to 40% higher than those showed for Zn). The results show that metal contaminated environments constitute a reservoir of microorganisms resistant/tolerant to heavy metals that have the capacity to be exploited in bioremediation strategies. Capsule immobilisation of bacteria in the naturally occurring alginate and pectate and in a synthetic cross-linked polymer increased the Zn and Cd removal abilities from single and binary contaminated waters; the applications with the synthetic polymer were the most promising for Cd and Zn removal in single and binary mixtures.     

Synthesis, characterization, and performance of a benzimidazole-based membrane in removal of phosphate: first lab-scale experimental results

Poly(2,5-benzimidazole) membrane (ABPBI) was investigated for the removal of phosphate species from aqueous solution. This work was conducted to provide fundamental information from the study of equilibrium adsorption isotherms, and to investigate the adsorption mechanisms in the removal of phosphate species using ABPBI. Batch experiments were performed under various conditions of initial phosphate concentration, pH, and contact time. The Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity of ABPBI was calculated as 87.90 mg/g. The pseudo-first-order kinetic, pseudo-second-order kinetic, and the intra-particle diffusion models were used to describe the kinetic data and rate constants were evaluated. The activation energy for degradation estimated by Kissinger method for ABPBI was found to be 62.6 kJ/mol in air atmosphere. The physicochemical properties of ABPBI were investigated by FT-IR, TGA, and SEM techniques.     

Electrocoagulation of a real reactive dyebath effluent using aluminum and stainless steel electrodes

Treatment of real reactive dyebath effluent comprising of an exhausted reactive dyebath and its sequential rinses with electrocoagulation (EC) using aluminum (Al) and stainless steel (SS) electrodes was investigated. The experimental study focused on the effect of applied current density (22-87 mA/cm(2); at an initial, optimum pH of 5.5) on decolorization and COD removal rates using Al and SS as electrode materials. Results have indicated that the treatment efficiency was enhanced appreciably by increasing the applied current density when Al electrodes were used for EC, whereas no clear correlation existed between current density and removal rates for EC with SS electrodes the treatment efficiency could only be improved when the applied current density was in the range of 33-65 mA/cm(2). It was established that EC with SS electrodes was superior in terms of decolorization kinetics (99-100% color removal after 10-15 min EC at all studied current densities), whereas EC with Al electrodes was more beneficial for COD removal in terms of electrical energy consumption (5 kWh/m(3) wastewater for EC with Al electrodes instead of 9 kWh/m(3) wastewater for EC with SS electrodes).     

Decolorization of dye solution containing Acid Red 14 by electrocoagulation with a comparative investigation of different electrode connections

This study was performed to investigate the variables that influence the efficiency of decolorization of a solution containing an azo dye (Acid Red 14) by electrocoagulation (EC) in order to compare the efficiency of different electrode connections for color removal. Current density, time of electrolysis, interelectrode distance, and pH of the solution were the variables that most influenced color removal. Initially, a simple electrochemical cell was prepared with an anode and a cathode. Then the effect of each variable was studied separately using synthetic wastewater in a batch mode. The efficiency of the method tested was determined by measurement of color removal and reduction of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). For dye solutions with COD of approximately 30 ppm and dye concentrations less than 150 ppm, high color removal (93%) was obtained when the pH ranged from 6 to 9, time of electrolysis was approximately 4 min, current density was approximately 80 A/m2, the temperature was approximately 300 K, and interelectrode distance was 1 cm. During the EC process under these conditions, the COD decreased by more than 85%. In the second series of experiment, the efficiency of EC cells with monopolar electrodes in series and parallel connections and an EC cell with bipolar electrodes were compared with results using a simple electrochemical cell. The experimental results showed that an EC cell with several electrodes was more effective than a simple electrochemical cell in color removal. The results also showed that an EC cell with monopolar electrodes had a higher color removal efficiency than an EC cell with bipolar electrodes. Furthermore, within an EC cell, the series connection of the monopolar electrodes was more effective for the treatment process than the parallel connection in color removal.     

Sorption of aqueous phosphorus onto bituminous and lignitous coal ashes

Aiming at the development of a phosphorus removal technology for waste water, phosphate (PO(4)(3-)) retention behavior of bituminous and lignitous coal ashes was investigated using a batch reactor. Ash samples, including fresh and weathered fly and bottom ashes, were studied for their sorption isotherms and reversibility. Fly ashes had a much higher phosphate retention capacity (4000-30,000mgP/kg) than bottom ashes (15-600mgP/kg). Lignitous coal ashes were more capable of retaining phosphate than bituminous coal ashes. The retention process was largely irreversible, and the irreversibility increased with the increase in the retention capacity. Weathering enlarged the retention capacity of the bituminous bottom ash, but substantially lowered that of the fly ash, likely due to the difference in the weather-induced changes between the fly and bottom ashes. Sorption isotherms of fly ashes were found to be adequately represented by the Langmuir model while those of bottom ashes fitted better to the Freundlich model. Concentrations of Ca(2+) and PO(4)(3-) in the aqueous phase were measured at the end of sorption and desorption experiments, and were compared with solubilities of three calcium phosphate minerals. The aqueous solutions were saturated or super-saturated with respect to tricalcium phosphate (Ca(3)(PO(4))(2)) and hydroxyapatite (Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)OH), and slightly under-saturated with respect to amorphous calcium phosphate. It is concluded that precipitation of calcium phosphate is the predominant mechanism for phosphate retention by coal ash under the conditions studied. There is a strong and positive correlation between alkalinity and phosphate sorption capacity. Consequently, acid neutralization capacity (ANC) can be used as an indicator of phosphate sorption capacity of coal ashes.     

Extraction of rare-earth and transplutonium elements with dibutyl hydrogen phosphate in <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-nitrobenzotrifluoride

The extraction of rare-earth (REE) and transplutonium (TPE) elements, with Ce, Eu, and Am as examples, from aqueous HNO₃ with dibutyl hydrogen phosphate (HDBP) in m-nitrobenzotrifluoride (MNBTF) was studied. The diluent effect on the Eu and Am extraction with dibutyl hydrogen phosphate was examined at various HNO₃ concentrations in the aqueous phase. Based on the data obtained, a mechanism of REE extraction was suggested and the parameters of extraction equations for the initial lanthanide concentrations in the aqueous phase from 0.1 to 100 g l^?1 (counting on metal), HDBP concentration in MNBTF of 0.1–2 M, and HNO₃ concentration in the range 0.5–8 M were calculated. Isotherms of HNO₃ extraction with HDBP solutions of various concentrations were obtained. The possibility of attaining higher concentrations of REE solvates in their extraction with HDBP in MNBTF was demonstrated.