Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) for the removal of Hg2+ and Cd2+ from synthetic petrochemical factory wastewater

Petrochemical factories which manufacture vinyl chloride monomer and poly vinyl chloride (PVC) are among the largest industries which produce wastewater contains mercury and cadmium. The objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of a lab-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) to treat a synthetic petrochemical wastewater containing mercury and cadmium. After acclimatization of the system which lasted 60 days, the SBR was introduced to mercury and cadmium in low concentrations which then was increased gradually to 9.03±0.02 mg/L Hg and 15.52±0.02 mg/L Cd until day 110. The SBR performance was assessed by measuring Chemical Oxygen Demand, Total and Volatile Suspended Solids as well as Sludge Volume Index. At maximum concentrations of the heavy metals, the SBR was able to remove 76-90% of Hg(2+) and 96-98% of Cd(2+). The COD removal efficiency and MLVSS (microorganism population) in the SBR was affected by mercury and cadmium concentrations in influent. Different species of microorganisms such as Rhodospirilium-like bacteria, Gomphonema-like algae, and sulfate reducing-like bacteria were identified in the system. While COD removal efficiency and MLVSS concentration declined during addition of heavy metals, the appreciable performance of SBR in removal of Hg(2+) and Cd(2+) implies that the removal in SBR was not only a biological process, but also by the biosorption process of the sludge.     

Stray light correction for diode-array-based spectrometers using a monochromator

Photodiode-array-based spectrometers are increasingly being used in a wide variety of applications. However, the signal measured by this type of instrument often is not what is anticipated by the user and is often subject to contamination from stray light. This paper describes an efficient and low-cost stray light correction approach based on a relatively simple system using a monochromator-based source. The paper further discusses the limitations of using a monochromator instead of a laser, as used by previous researchers, and its impact on the quality of the stray light correction. The reliability and robustness of the stray light correction matrix generated have been studied and are also reported.     

Temperature and nonlinearity corrections for a photodiode array spectrometer used in the field

Temperature and nonlinearity effects are two important factors that limit the use of photodiode array spectrometers. Usually the spectrometer is calibrated at a known temperature against a reference source of a particular spectral radiance, and then it is used at different temperatures to measure sources of different spectral radiances. These factors are expected to be problematic for nontemperature-stabilized instruments used for in-the-field experiments, where the radiant power of the site changes continuously with the sun tilt. This paper describes the effect of ambient temperature on a nontemperature-stabilized linear photodiode array spectrometer over the temperature range from 5?°C to 40?°C. The nonlinearity effects on both signal amplification and different levels of radiant power have also been studied and are presented in this paper.     

Thermal analysis of above-grade wall assembly with low emissivity materials and furred airspace

A 3D numerical model was developed to investigate the effect of foil emissivity on the effective thermal resistance of an above-grade wall assembly with foil bonded to wood fibreboard in a furred assembly having airspace next to the foil. This model solved simultaneously the energy equation in the various material layers, the surface-to-surface radiation equation in the furred airspace assembly, Navier–Stokes equation for the airspace, and Darcy and the Brinkman equations for the porous material layers. In this work, the furring was installed horizontally. In the first phase, the present model was benchmarked against the experimental data generated by a commercial laboratory for an above-grade wall assembly. The wall consists of a conventional wood frame structure sheathed with fibreboard and covered on the interior side with a low emissivity material bonded to wood fibreboard that is adjacent to a furred airspace assembly. The results showed that the predicted R-value was in good agreement with the measured one. After gaining confidence in the present model, it was used to predict the effective thermal resistance of the same above-mentioned wall but having Oriented Strand Board (OSB) sheathing in lieu of wood fibreboard sheathing. In the second phase, the model was used to quantify the contribution on the wall R-value by having a low foil emissivity. The results showed that a low foil emissivity of 0.04 can increase the R-value of this wall to as much as ∼9%. This is on-going research. The present model is being used to investigate the transient thermal response of foundation wall systems with furring installed horizontally and vertically, and subjected to different Canadian climate conditions.     

Cloning and characterization of Schistosoma mansoni fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase isoenzyme

A Schistosoma mansoni cercarial cDNA expression library, constructed in lambda gt11, was screened using the IgG fraction of sera taken from rabbits vaccinated with irradiated cercariae. A positive cDNA clone (1,431 base pairs) was selected and characterized. The amino acid sequence predicted from the cDNA sequence identified a polypeptide of 363 amino acids that showed significant homology to different family members of the enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (EC 1.4.2.13). The identity was 66% and 65% with human C and A isoenzymes, respectively. Active sites and substrate-binding determinant analysis suggest that the isolated enzyme in terms of function resembles type A aldolase. The recombinant protein expressed in the vector pGEX-2T was found to be active enzymatically. Antibodies raised against the purified recombinant protein recognized a 40-kDa band in extracts from cercariae, schistosomula (5 and 25 days), adult worms, and eggs. Using immunocytochemistry, aldolase localized to the tegumental region of the adult worms.     

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of permethrin residues from cucumber using a silica-bonded phase-coated stainless steel fibre

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a rapid, economic and solvent-free sample preparation method for the isolation of an analyte from its matrix. The technique uses a few centimetres of some adsorptive materials such as activated charcoal, polydimethylsiloxane or octadecyl silane coated onto fused silica optical fibres or, more recently, stainless steel fibres mounted into a microsyringe. The proposed method allows the extraction of permethrin from cucumber matrix into the coating, avoiding sample handling and saving evaporation of solvents and concentration steps. Adsorbed permethrin was desorbed in the split/splitless injection port of the gas chromatograph. The time required for each run was about 1.5 h, which gave a preconcentration of several orders of magnitude. The method could separate and quantify cis- and trans-isomers of permethrin. The calibration curve showed linearity in the range 1-9 μg ml^-1, with detection limits of 0.03 and 0.05 μg ml^-1 for the cis- and trans-isomers of permethrin, respectively. The method had a recovery rate of about 70% and a relative standard deviation of less than 13%. Results suggest that this procedure provides a rapid and sensitive alternative method to those currently available.     

Economic dispatch using particle swarm optimization with bacterial foraging effect

This paper presents a novel modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO), which includes advantages of bacterial foraging (BF) and PSO for constrained dynamic economic dispatch (ED) problem. The proposed modified PSO consists of problem dependent four promising values in velocity vector to incorporate repellent advantage of bacterial foraging in PSO for the complex dynamic ED problem. It reliably and accurately tracks a continuously changing solution of the complex cost functions. As there is no differentiation operation in this method, all cost functions can easily be handled. The modified PSO has better balance between local and global search abilities and it can avoid local minima quickly. Finally, a benchmark data set and existing methods are used to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.