Ultrasonic-assisted cloud point extraction for determination of nickel in water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A novel method for the determination of nickel was established by ultrasonic-assisted cloud point extraction (UA-CPE) prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) analysis. The nickel reacted with N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-ethanediamine (BSE) to form hydrophobic chelates, which were extracted into the micelles of alpha-[3,5-dimethyl-1-(2-methylpropyl)hexyl]-omega- poly(oxy-2-ethanediyl) (Tergitol TMN-6). Tergitol TMN-6 was used as green nonionic surfactant. BSE was synthesized and checked by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. The phase diagrams of the binary system, water-surfactant (Tergitol TMN-6), and the ternary systems, water-surfactant-salt, were determined. The effects of experimental conditions including pH of sample solution, concentration of chelating agent and surfactant, ultrasonic power, equilibration temperature and incubation time were evaluated in order to enhance sensitivity of the method. Under the optimal conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 10-500 μg L(-1). The values obtained for the limit of detection and enrichment factor were 1.0 μg L(-1) and 30, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of nickel in water samples.     

膨润土对水泥固化体中Pb(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) 及Cr(VI)浸出的影响

为了确保含重金属废弃物在水泥基材料中的安全资源化利用,研究了在不同p H条件下纯水泥对Pb(Ⅱ)、Zn(Ⅱ)、Cd(Ⅱ)及Cr(Ⅵ)等重金属的固化效果及加入膨润土后的影响。结果表明:除Cr(Ⅵ)之外,纯水泥对Pb(Ⅱ)、Zn(Ⅱ)及Cd(Ⅱ)的固化效果较好,当重金属的掺量达到5‰时,即便在p H=3的强酸条件下,其浸出毒性仍然低于国家标准。加入膨润土后,可进一步降低水泥基材料中各重金属的浸出率,当膨润土掺量为30%、酸性条件下,28d龄期固化体中Zn(Ⅱ)、Cd(Ⅱ)、Cr(Ⅵ)的浸出浓度分别降低了60.9%、51.3%及53.3%,CH峰值下降、AFt峰值明显增高,但膨润土对Pb(Ⅱ)有负效应,酸性溶液中的浸出量高于中性溶液。     

Use of sesame stalk biomass for the removal of Ni(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions

In this study an agricultural residue, sesame stalk, was evaluated for the removal of Ni(II) and Zn(II) metal ions from aqueous solutions. Biosorption studies were carried out at different pH, biosorbent dosage, initial metal ion concentrations, contact time, and solution temperature to determine the optimum conditions. The experimental data were modeled by Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) and Temkin isotherm models. Langmuir model resulted in the best fit of the biosorption data. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were used to describe the kinetic data and to evaluate rate constants. The best correlation was provided by the second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were calculated for predicting the nature of adsorption. The experimental results showed that sesame stalk can be used as an effective and low-cost biosorbent precursor for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions.     

Combined membrane bioreactor (MBR) and reverse osmosis (RO) system for thin-film transistor-liquid crystal display TFT-LCD, industrial wastewater recycling.

In TFT-LCD industry, water plays a variety of roles as a cleaning agent and reaction solvent. As good quality water is increasingly a scarce resource and wastewater treatment costs rises, the once-through use of industrial water is becoming uneconomical and environmentally unacceptable. Instead, recycling of TFT-LCD industrial wastewater is become more attractive from both an economic and environmental perspective. This research is mainly to explore the capacity of TFT-LCD industrial wastewater recycling by the process combined with membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis processes. Over the whole experimental period, the MBR process achieved a satisfactory organic removal. The COD could be removed with an average of over 97.3%. For TOC and BOD5 items, the average removal efficiencies were 97.8 and 99.4% respectively. The stable effluent quality and satisfactory removal performance were ensured by the efficient interception performance of the UF membrane device incorporated with biological reactor. Moreover, the MBR effluent did not contain any suspended solids and the SDI value was under 3. After treatment of RO, excellent water quality of permeate were under 5 mg/l, 2.5 mg/l and 150 micros/cm for COD, TOC and conductivity respectively. The treated water can be recycled for the cooling tower make-up water or other purposes.     

Removal of lead(II) and copper(II) from aqueous solution using foitite from Linshou mine in Hebei, China

Foitite from Linshou mine in China's Hebei province was investigated as an adsorbent to remove Pb(II) and Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The results showed that foitite can readily remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. The data shows that the metal uptake for Pb(II) increases rapidly, accounting for 74.47% when contact time was 2 min. In contrast to Pb(ll), there was a worse capability for adsorption of Cu(II). In the first 4 min, the metal uptake accounted for 34.7%. According to the analytical results obtained from X-ray diffraction, laser Raman spectrum, X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer, and Zeta potential, the removal mechanism of Pb(II) and Cu(II) by using foitite can be explained as following: firstly, the existence of an electrostatic field around foitite particles can attract heavy metal ions and consequently combine heavy metal ions with OH; secondly, heavy metal ions in the solution are exchanged with the Fe3+ and Al3+ in the foitite.     

Distribution of Pb, As, Cd, Sn and Hg in soil, sediment and surface water of the tropical river watershed, Terengganu (Malaysia)

Hydrogeochemistry and distribution of Pb, As, Cd, Sn and Hg in soils (n = 53), sediments (n = 42) and surface waters (n = 51) of the tropical Terengganu River basin, northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia, were investigated. The order of abundance of the elements in soils followed granite > metasedimentary > Quaternary deposit ? volcanic with slight enrichment as compared to the upper continental crust. Both soils and sediments registered the order of concentration of Pb > Sn > As ? Cd ? Hg with an enrichment factor (EF) < 6 for sediments indicating slight enrichment representing the regional background and less likely due to the anthropogenic activity related input. SEM analysis revealed the presence of Malayaite (CaSnOSiO₄) explaining elevated Sn concentration (up to ∼34 mg/kg; 3 times the upper continental crust) in soils. Soil Pb distribution showed the geology as the primary control.Dissolved concentrations of As showed an increasing and Cd decreasing with distance from upstream to downstream along the river flow path. Lake surface waters registered 16 times higher Cd concentrations (average ∼ 14.21 μg/L) than the river waters, but lake sediments registered lower Cd concentration than the river sediments (average ∼ 0.45 mg/kg) revealing Eh, pH and TDS control. Dissolved average Hg concentration (∼0.04 μg/L) was measured to be lower than the tropical river waters from the Central Africa river, but higher than the Mekong and the Amazon Rivers.     

Effects of ORP, recycling rate, and HRT on simultaneous sulfate reduction and sulfur production in expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors under micro-aerobic conditions for treating molasses distillery wastewater

An expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor was adopted to incubate the sludge biogranule that could simultaneously achieve sulfate reduction and sulfide reoxidization to elemental sulfur for treating molasses distillery wastewater. The EGSB reactor was operated for 175 days at 35 °C with a pH value of 7.0, chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate of 4.8 kg COD/(m3 d), and sulfate loading rate of 0.384 kg SO(4)(2-)/(m3 d). The optimal operation parameters, including the oxidation reduction potential (ORP), recycling rate, and hydraulic retention time (HRT), were established to obtain stable and acceptable removal efficiencies of COD, sulfate, and higher elemental sulfur production. With an ORP of -440 mV, a recycling rate of 300%, and HRT of 15 h, the COD and sulfate removal efficiencies were 73.4 and 61.3%, respectively. The elemental sulfur production ratio reached 30.1% when the elemental sulfur concentration in the effluent was 48.1 mg/L. The performance results were also confirmed by the mass balance calculation of sulfate, sulfide, and elemental sulfur over the EGSB reactor.