Water quality seasonal variation assessment of the Gongji and Yaksa streams, Chuncheon, South Korea.

Gongji Stream flows into Lake Uiam, a potable water source for the capital region of Chuncheon, South Korea. Algal blooms often occur downstream of the Gongji stream in combination with drastic flow rate variations. Downstream water quality may also be affected by Yaksa stream. Yaksa stream joins Gongji stream before it reaches Uiam Lake, which is a drinking water source for the city. Limited data exists on the Yaksa stream water quality. Therefore, water quality parameters (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorous (T-P), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total coliforms, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentration) were sampled from Gongji (at sites GJ1 and GJ2) and Yaksa (at sites YS1 and YS2) streams from May to September, 2022. The results revealed the overall water quality of both streams was good (BOD = 0.27-3.66 mg/L; TP = 0.003-0.074 mg/L), except on August 3. On August 3, the concentrations of BOD, TP, total coliforms, and E. coli were elevated, with the highest concentrations in samples from GJ2. The recent heavy rainfall potentially caused sewage inflows near GJ2. The correlation analysis revealed positive linear relationships in the 1-day cumulative precipitation with BOD (r = 0.503), total coliforms (r = 0.547), and TP (r = 0.814). The Yaksa stream may be an Anabaena sp. source, which contaminated samples from YS1, YS2, and GJ2, but not at GJ1 (upstream of the tributary).

Experimental and modeling analyses for interactions between graphene oxide and quartz sand.

The aim of this study was to quantify the interactions between graphene oxide (GO) and quartz sand by conducting experimental and modeling analyses. The results show that both GO and quartz sand were negatively charged in the presence of 0-50 mM NaCl and 5 mM CaCl2 (GO = -43.10 to -17.60 mV, quartz sand = -40.97 to -8.44 mV). In the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) energy profiles, the adhesion of GO to quartz sand becomes more favorable with increasing NaCl concentration from 0 to 10 mM because the interaction energy profile was compressed and the primary maximum energy barrier was lowered. At 50 mM NaCl and 5 mM CaCl2, the primary maximum energy barrier even disappeared, resulting in highly favorable conditions for GO retention to quartz sand. In the Maxwell model analysis, the probability of GO adhesion to quartz sand (αm) increased from 2.46 × 10-4 to 9.98 × 10-1 at ionic strengths of 0-10 mM NaCl. In the column experiments (column length = 10 cm, inner diameter = 2.5 cm, flow rate = 0.5 mL min-1), the mass removal (Mr) of GO in quartz sand increased from 5.4% to 97.8% as the NaCl concentration was increased from 0 to 50 mM, indicating that the mobility of GO was high in low ionic strength solutions and decreased with increasing ionic strength. The Mr value of GO at 5 mM CaCl2 was 100%, demonstrating that Ca2+ had a much stronger effect than Na+ on the mobility of GO. In addition, the mobility of GO was lower than that of chloride (Mr = 1.4%) but far higher than that of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Mr = 87.0%) in deionized water. In aluminum oxide-coated sand, the Mr value of GO was 98.1% at 0 mM NaCl, revealing that the mobility of GO was reduced in the presence of metal oxides. The transport model analysis indicates that the value of the dimensionless attachment rate coefficient (Da) increased from 0.11 to 4.47 as the NaCl concentration was increased from 0 to 50 mM. In the colloid filtration model analysis, the probability of GO sticking to quartz sand (αf) increased from 6.23 × 10-3 to 2.52 × 10-1 as the NaCl concentration was increased from 0 to 50 mM.

Adsorption of bacteriophage MS2 to magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in aqueous solutions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the adsorption of bacteriophage MS2 by magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in aqueous solutions. The characteristics of synthetic nanoparticles were analyzed using various techniques. The adsorption of MS2 to the nanoparticles was examined under various conditions using batch experiments. The results showed that the nanoparticles were mainly composed of maghemite along with goethite. The nanoparticles had a specific surface area of 82.2 m(2) g(-1), with an average pore diameter of 13.2 nm and total pore volume of 0.2703 cm(3) g(-1). The results demonstrated that the removal of MS2 by the nanoparticles was very fast. A 3.15 log removal (99.93%) was achieved within 60 min (adsorbent dose = 2 g L(-1); MS2 concentration = 2.94 × 10(6) pfu mL(-1)). The log removal decreased from 3.52 to 0.36 with increasing MS2 concentration from 1.59 × 10(4) to 5.01 × 10(7) pfu mL(-1). Also, the effect of solution pH on MS2 removal was minimal at pH 4.2-8.4. The removal of MS2 decreased in the presence of anions such as carbonate and phosphate, with the latter showing a greater hindrance effect on removal. This study demonstrated that magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are very effective in the removal of MS2 from aqueous solutions.

Transport and removal of bacteriophages MS2 and PhiX174 in steel slag-amended soils: column experiments and transport model analyses.

The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of bacteriophages MS2 and PhiX174 in soils amended with converter furnace steel slag. Column experiments were performed to examine the bacteriophage removal in slag-amended (slag content: 0%, 25%, and 50%) loam soils. For comparison, column experiments were also conducted with Escherichia coli. In addition, chloride (Cl) was used as a conservative tracer to determine transport characteristics. Results showed mass recoveries of Cl of 98.6 +/- 3.5%, indicating that the experiments were conducted successfully. The mass recovery of MS2 was 86.7% in no slag (100% soil), decreasing to 0% in slag contents of 25% and 50%. The mass recovery of PhiX174 decreased from 87.8% to 51.5% with increasing slag content from 0% to 50%. In the case of E. coli, the mass recoveries decreased from 47.0% to 10.5% with increasing slag content from 0% to 50%. In the transport models analyses, the HYDRUS-1D code was used to quantify the sorption parameters from breakthrough curves. For the 100% soil column, a one-site kinetic sorption model was fitted to the data, whereas a two-site kinetic sorption model was fitted for slag-amended (25% and 50% slag) soil data. Results demonstrate that the addition of steel slag to soil enhances the removal of bacteriophages due to the presence of FeO in the steel slag. However, CaO could not contribute to the bacteriophage removal in our experimental conditions because the effluent pH (7.7-8.9) in slag-amended (25% and 50% slag) soils was not high enough to promote the bacteriophage inactivation.

Coupled adsorption-photocatalysis process for the removal of diclofenac using magnetite/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite.

Diclofenac (DCF) is frequently detected in water bodies (ng/L to g/L) as it is not completely removed by conventional wastewater treatment plants. Adsorption and photocatalysis have been studied as promising methods for treating DCF; however, both processes have limitations. Thus, in this study, the removal efficiency of DCF is evaluated using a magnetite/reduced graphene oxide (Fe3O4/RGO) nanocomposite via a coupled adsorption-catalysis process. The Fe3O4/RGO nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using a microwave-assisted solvothermal method and exhibited a bandgap of 2.60 eV. The kinetic data best fitted the Elovich model (R2 = 0.994, χ2 = 0.29), indicating rapid adsorption. The maximum DCF adsorption capacity calculated using the Langmuir model was 80.33 mg/g. An ultraviolet C (UVC) light source and 0.1 g/L of Fe3O4/RGO nanocomposite were the optimum conditions for the removal of DCF (C0 = 30 mM) by a coupled adsorption-photocatalysis process (first-order rate constant (k) = 0.088/min), which was greater than the single adsorption (k = 0.029/min) and pre-adsorption and post-photocatalysis (k = 0.053/min) processes. This indicates that the adsorbed DCF did not hamper the photocatalytic reaction of the Fe3O4/RGO nanocomposite, but rather enhanced the coupled adsorption-photocatalytic reaction. DCF removal efficiency was higher at acidic conditions (pH 4.3-5.0), because high H+ promotes the generation of certain reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increases of electrostatic interaction. The presence of NaCl and CaCl2 (10 mM) did not notably affect the total DCF removal efficiency; however, Ca2+ affected the initial DCF adsorption affinity. Scavenger experiments demonstrated O2∙- and h+ play a key ROS than ·OH to degrade DCF. The acute toxicity of DCF towards Aliivibrio fischeri gradually decreased with increasing treatment time.

Synthesis of recyclable and light-weight graphene oxide/chitosan/genipin sponges for the adsorption of diclofenac, triclosan, and microplastics.

Emerging micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics (MPs), have become a pressing water environmental concern. The aim of this study is to synthesize chitosan sponges using graphene oxide (GO) and genipin (GP) for the removal of pharmaceuticals (diclofenac (DCF) and triclosan (TCS)) and MPs, verify their adsorption mechanisms, evaluate the effects of temperature, pH, and salinity on their adsorption capacities, and determine their reusability. The GO5/CS/GP sponge exhibited a macroporous nature (porosity = 95%, density = 32.6 mg/cm3). GO and cross-linker GP enhanced the adsorption of DCF, TCS, and polystyrene (PS) MPs onto the CS sponges. The adsorption of DCF, TCS, and PS MPs involved multiple steps: surface diffusion and pore diffusion of the sponge. The adsorption isotherms demonstrated that Langmuir model was the most fitted well model to explain adsorption of TCS (qm = 7.08 mg/g) and PS MPs (qm = 7.42 mg/g) on GO5/CS/GP sponge, while Freundlich model suited for DCF adsorption (qm = 48.58 mg/g). DCF adsorption was thermodynamically spontaneous and endothermic; however, the adsorption of TCS and PS MPs was exothermic (283-313 K). The optimal pH was 5.5-7 due to the surface charge of the GO5/CS/GP sponge (pHzpc = 5.76) and ionization of DCF, TCS, and PS MPs. As the salinity increased, DCF removal efficiency drastically decreased due to the weakening of electrostatic interactions; however, TCS removal efficiency remained stable because TCS adsorption was mainly caused by hydrophobic and π-π interactions rather than electrostatic interaction. The removal of PS MPs was enhanced by the electrostatic screening effects of high Na+ ions. PS nanoplastics (average size = 26 nm) were removed by the GO5/CS/GP sponge at a rate of 73.0%, which was better than that of PS MPs (41.5%). In addition, the GO5/CS/GP sponge could be recycled over five adsorption-desorption cycles.

Recent advances in microbial and enzymatic engineering for the biodegradation of micro- and nanoplastics.

This review examines the escalating issue of plastic pollution, specifically highlighting the detrimental effects on the environment and human health caused by microplastics and nanoplastics. The extensive use of synthetic polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS) has raised significant environmental concerns because of their long-lasting and non-degradable characteristics. This review delves into the role of enzymatic and microbial strategies in breaking down these polymers, showcasing recent advancements in the field. The intricacies of enzymatic degradation are thoroughly examined, including the effectiveness of enzymes such as PETase and MHETase, as well as the contribution of microbial pathways in breaking down resilient polymers into more benign substances. The paper also discusses the impact of chemical composition on plastic degradation kinetics and emphasizes the need for an approach to managing the environmental impact of synthetic polymers. The review highlights the significance of comprehending the physical characteristics and long-term impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in different ecosystems. Furthermore, it points out the environmental and health consequences of these contaminants, such as their ability to cause cancer and interfere with the endocrine system. The paper emphasizes the need for advanced analytical methods and effective strategies for enzymatic degradation, as well as continued research and development in this area. This review highlights the crucial role of enzymatic and microbial strategies in addressing plastic pollution and proposes methods to create effective and environmentally friendly solutions.

Adhesion of bacteria to pyrophyllite clay in aqueous solution.

The aim of this study was to investigate the adhesion of bacteria (Escherichia coli) to pyrophyllite clay using batch and flow-through column experiments. Batch results demonstrated that pyrophyllite was effective in removing bacteria (94.5 +/- 2.0%) from aqueous solution (1 mM NaCl solution; pyrophyllite dose of 1 g/ml). At solution pH 7.1, negatively-charged bacteria could be removed due to their adhesion to positively-charged surfaces of pyrophyllite (point of zero charge = 9.2). Column results showed that pyrophyllite (per cent removal of 94.1 +/- 2.3%) was far more effective in bacterial adhesion than quartz sand (53.6 +/- 5.3%) under the given experimental conditions (flow rate of 0.3 ml/min; solution of 1 mM NaCl + 0.1 mM NaHCO3). Bacterial removal in pyrophyllite columns increased from 90 to 100% with decreasing flow rate from 0.6 to 0.15 ml/min due to increasing contact time between bacteria and filter materials. In addition, bacterial removal remained relatively constant at 94-97% even though NaHCO3 concentration increased from 0.1 to 10 mM (flow rate of 0.3 ml/min). This could be related to the fact that pyrophyllite remained positively-charged even though the solution conditions changed. This study demonstrates that pyrophyllite could be used as adsorptive filter materials in the removal of bacteria.

Degradation of oxytetracycline and doxycycline by ozonation: Degradation pathways and toxicity assessment.

Tetracyclines are one of the antibiotics widely employed worldwide and frequently detected in surface waters because of incomplete removal from wastewater treatment. Various advanced oxidation processes have been investigated for tetracyclines degradation and their transformation products (TPs) have recently gained more attention. Studies on ozonation are however seldom for the degradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and doxycycline (DTC). In the present study, a lower O3 inlet gas concentration (4.67 ± 0.13 mg/L), supplied at a flow rate of 0.27 L/min, was shown to be more effective at removing OTC than the same dose of ozone applied at higher inlet gas concentration (up to 6.29 mg/L) over a shorter time at the same flow rate. The use of pCBA and t-BuOH indicated that ozone plays a more important role in the degradation of OTC than HO•. The DTC degradation was less efficient than for OTC, with 99 % removal requiring twice the amount of ozone. OTC had almost no inhibition of Vibrio fischeri, however, the inhibition ratio was increased to 37 % (5-min) and 46 % (15-min) within 1 min of ozonation. Contrastly, DTC had toxic effects on V. fischeri (inhibition rate5min of 84 %) and sustained toxicity in samples treated for up to 40-min. The observed toxicities after treatment could be explained by the identified TPs (26 TPs for OTC and 23 for DTC, some identified for the first time) and their quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis data. Several TPs showed toxic or extremely toxic predicted effects on fish, daphnid, and green algae, corresponding with the V. fischeri inhibition results. Among the possible degradation pathways, aromatic ring hydroxylation and ring-opening pathways could lead to the formation of TPs less harmful to the environment.

Adsorption behavior of triclosan on microplastics and their combined acute toxicity to D. magna.

Microplastics (MP) have been recently identified as emerging water contaminants in worldwide. Owing to its physicochemical properties, MP have been considered as a vector of other micropollutants and may affect their fate and ecological toxicity in the water environment. In this study, triclosan (TCS), which is a widely-used bactericide, and three frequently found types of MP (PS-MP, PE-MP, and PP-MP) were investigated. The adsorption behavior of TCS on MP was investigated by the effect of reaction time, initial concentration of TCS, and other water chemistry factors. Elovich model and Temkin model are the most fitted well with kinetics and adsorption isotherms, respectively. The maximum TCS adsorption capacities were calculated for PS-MP (9.36 mg/g), PP-MP (8.23 mg/g), and PE-MP (6.47 mg/g). PS-MP had higher affinity to TCS owing to hydrophobic and π-π interaction. The TCS adsorption on PS-MP was inhibited by decreasing concentrations of cations, and increasing concentration of anion, pH, and NOM concentration. At pH 10, only 0.22 mg/g of adsorption capacity was obtained because of the isoelectric point (3.75) of PS-MP and pKa (7.9) of TCS. And almost no TCS adsorption occurred at NOM concentration of 11.8 mg/L. Only PS-MP had no acute toxic effect on D. magna, whereas TCS showed acute toxicity (EC50,24h of TCS = 0.36 ± 0.4 mg/L). Although survival rate increased when TCS with PS-MP due to lower the TCS concentration in solution via adsorption, PS-MP was observed in intestine and body surface of D. magna. Our findings can contribute to understanding the combined potential effects of MP fragment and TCS to aquatic biota.

Adsorption of Hg(II) on polyethyleneimine-functionalized carboxymethylcellulose beads: Characterization, toxicity tests, and adsorption experiments.

Mercury (Hg) is widely used in many industrial processes and is released into the environment. Therefore, efficient removal of Hg from water is of vital importance worldwide. Here, we explored the adsorption characteristics of Hg(II) on polyethyleneimine-functionalized carboxymethylcellulose (PEI-CMC) beads and studied the toxicity of the beads toward Daphnia magna and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. The PEI-CMC beads had an average particle size of 2.04 ± 0.25 mm, a point of zero charge (pHpzc) of 5.8, and a swelling ratio of 2.45. Acute toxicity tests demonstrated that the PEI-CMC beads had no toxic effects on D. magna. The growth inhibition tests revealed that growth inhibition of P. subcapitata could be attributed to adsorption of trace elements in growth media on the PEI-CMC beads. The adsorption experiments exhibited that the Matthews and Weber model best described the kinetic data, whereas the Redlich-Peterson model was well fitted to the isotherm data. The theoretical maximum Hg(II) adsorption capacity of the PEI-CMC beads was 313.1 mg/g. The thermodynamic experiments showed endothermic nature of the Hg(II) adsorption on the PEI-CMC beads at 10-40 °C. The adsorption experiments exhibited that the Hg(II) adsorption capacity decreased gradually as pH increased from 2 to 12. The adsorption of Hg(II) on the PEI-CMC beads can occur through chelation and electrostatic attraction. The FTIR and XPS spectra before and after Hg(II) adsorption confirmed that chelation of neutral Hg(II) species (HgCl2, HgClOH, and Hg(OH)2) can occur with amino and oxygen-containing functional groups on the PEI-CMC beads. Considering species distribution of Hg(II) and the pHpzc of the PEI-CMC beads, electrostatic attraction between the positively-charged beads and anionic Hg(II) species (HgCl3- and HgCl42-) can take place in highly acidic solutions. The PEI-CMC beads were regenerated and reused for Hg(II) adsorption using 0.1 M HCl.

Mg/Al layered double hydroxide for bacteriophage removal in aqueous solution.

The objective of this study was to investigate the removal of bacteriophages in Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH). Batch experiments were performed with bacteriophage MS2 in a powder form of Mg/Al LDH under various LDH doses. Column experiments were also performed under flow-through condition with bacteriophages MS2 and phiX174 in Mg/Al LDH immobilized on sand surfaces. Batch tests demonstrated that the powder form of Mg/Al LDH was effective in removing MS2 with the removal capacity of 2.2 × 10(8) plaque forming unit (pfu)/g under the given experimental conditions (LDH dose = 2 g/L; initial MS2 concentration = 4.61 × 10(5) pfu/mL). Column experiments showed that the log removal of phiX174 was 4.40 in columns containing 100% Mg/Al LDH-coated sand while it was 0.05 in 100% quartz sand. These findings indicated that Mg/Al LDH-coated sand was effective in removing bacteriophages compared with sand. A more than 4 log removal (=5.44) of MS2 was achieved in 100% Mg/Al LDH-coated sand. This study demonstrates the potential application of Mg/Al LDH for virus removal in water treatment.

Bacteriophage removal by Ni/Al layered double hydroxide in batch and flow-through column experiments.

The objective of this study was to investigate the removal of the bacteriophage MS2 by Ni/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH). Batch experiments were performed using a powder form of Ni/Al LDH under various conditions. Column experiments were also performed under flow-through conditions with Ni/Al LDH coated sand. Batch tests showed that the powder form of Ni/Al LDH was effective for bacteriophage removal under the given experimental conditions (LDH dose of 2.5 g L(-1); initial MS2 concentration of 1.35 × 10(5) plaque forming unit (pfu) mL(-1)) with a removal capacity of 5.5 × 10(7) pfu g(-1). The results also indicated that the effect of the solution pH on the bacteriophage removal was minimal at pH 4.3-9.4. The influence of divalent anions (SO(2-) (4), CO(2-) (3), HPO(2-) (4); concentrations 1-100 mM) on the removal of the bacteriophage was significant, while the effects of monovalent anions (NO(-) (3), Cl(-)) were negligible. Column experiments showed that the log removal of MS2 was 4.51 in columns containing 100% Ni/Al LDH-coated sand, while it was 0.02 in columns containing 100% quartz sand (initial MS2 concentration of approximately 7.0 × 10(5) pfu mL(-1); flow rate of 0.5 mL min(-1)). These findings indicated that Ni/Al LDH-coated sand was far more effective at removing bacteriophage than sand alone. This study demonstrates that Ni/Al LDH can be used for virus removal in water treatment and filtration applications.

Passive sampling and in vitro assays to monitor antiandrogens in a river affected by wastewater discharge.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, antibiotics, estrogens, and antiandrogens are found widely in aquatic environments. Monitoring studies by sampling surface water and effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been conducted recently to monitor antiandrogens, which, along with estrogens, cause endocrine disruption. However, few studies have investigated antiandrogenic activity (AA) combined with a chemical analyses of emerging antiandrogens. Therefore, we analyzed the presence and persistence of 12 types of antiandrogens, atrazine, and carbamazepine using grab sampling and polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) along a river affected by WWTP discharges. Water and sediment samples were collected from the WWTP effluent (WW), as well as upstream (US) and downstream (DS) of the WWTP. We detected only tebuconazole, triclosan, propiconazole, and fluconazole during the two sampling campaigns in 2016 and 2017. Grab sampling of the site WW detected tebuconazole (7-77 ng/L), propiconazole (5-47 ng/L), and fluconazole (6-45 ng/L). However, the concentrations in the river water were below the detection limits. Nevertheless, fluconazole and triclosan were detected by POCIS in the site WW (45.7 and 26.8 ng/L, respectively) and all river samples ranges of 0.3-9.3 and 2.4-3.7, respectively. This detection was attributed to the limit of quantification of POCIS being lower than that of grab sampling. Nilutamide and triclosan were detected in the river sediment, suggesting that their concentrations in the water column were at least partly attenuated through sediment sorption. We also observed AA by analyzing POCIS extracts with the yeast androgen screen assay. The highest AA was found in the site WW and it was still observable several kilometers downstream of the point of discharge despite decreasing. Therefore, the WWTP effluent was most likely contributor to the persistent AA in the river.

Removal of bacteriophage MS2 from aqueous solution using Mg-Fe layered double hydroxides.

The objective of this study was to investigate the removal of bacteriophage MS2 from aqueous solution using Mg-Fe layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Batch experiments were performed under various experimental conditions to examine bacteriophage removal with LDHs. The bacteriophage was enumerated by the plaque assay method. Results showed that among the Mg-Fe LDHs calcined at different temperatures (105, 300, 500, 700 ° C), Mg-Fe-300 LDH had the highest removal capacity at (2.34 ± 0.01) × 10(8) pfu/g with a removal percent of 99.44 ± 0.48 %. This result could be attributed to the fact that calcination could alter chemical compositions and physical properties of Mg-Fe LDHs. Kinetic experiments indicated that the removal of MS2 by Mg-Fe-300 LDH was a fast process, reaching equilibrium within 60 min. Results also showed that the effect of solution pH on MS2 removal by Mg-Fe-300 LDH was minimal at pH 4.0-9.0. The influence of anions (NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-), CO(3)(2-), HPO(4(2-); concentrations 1-100 mg/L) on the removal of bacteriophage was important. SO(4)(2-), CO(3)(2-), and HPO(4)(2-) influenced removal due to their competition with bacteriophage at the sorption sites, while the effect of NO(3)(-) was negligible. Generally, the impact of the anions was in the order of NO(3)(-) < SO(4)(2-) < CO(3) (2-) < HPO(4)(4) (2-). This study improves our knowledge of potential applications of LDHs as adsorbents for virus removal in water treatment.

Bacterial attachment and detachment in aluminum-coated quartz sand in response to ionic strength change.

Column experiments were performed to investigate the effect of ionic strength on the attachment and detachment of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 10537 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 in aluminum-coated quartz sand. Results showed that the average mass recovery decreased from 80.7 to 45.3% in quartz sand and remained constant in aluminum-coated sand with increasing ionic concentrations of sodium chloride solution from 1 to 100 mmol/L. As the ionic concentrations of leaching solution changed from 100 to 0.1 mmol/L, average mass recovery of 39.1% was obtained from quartz sand (bacterial release), but no detachment was observed from aluminum-coated sand. This lack of detachment can be attributed to inner-sphere complexes between bacteria and aluminum-coated sand, which are minimally affected by ionic strength. This research indicates that aluminum-coated sand has advantages over quartz sand in bacteria removal in water filtration systems.

Arsenic removal from water using iron-impregnated granular activated carbon in the presence of bacteria.

This study investigated the adsorption of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] to iron-impregnated granular activated carbon (Fe-GAC), focusing on the effects of bacteria on arsenic removal. Characteristics of Fe-GAC were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy along with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Batch experiments were performed under various experimental conditions to determine the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) to Fe-GAC in the absence and presence of bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, or Bacillus subtilis). In addition, biosorption of As(III) and As(V) to bacteria was observed with batch experiments. Experimental results showed that Fe-GAC was characterized by mosaic-like deposition layers separated by interspacing on the surface. Iron impregnation increased the removal of As(III) and As(V) in GAC. Biosorption experiments indicated that a small amount of As(V) adsorbed to bacteria while no adsorption of As(III) was observed. This phenomenon can be attributed to interactions of anionic As(V) with positively-charged amine groups present on bacterial surfaces. Results also showed that the influence of bacteria on arsenic removal in Fe-GAC was not eminent in our experimental conditions even though bacteria could occupy surface adsorption sites on iron (hydr)oxides. This study demonstrated that hindrance effects of bacteria on arsenic adsorption to the surfaces of Fe-GAC were minimal.

Metal-organic framework MIL-100(Fe) for dye removal in aqueous solutions: Prediction by artificial neural network and response surface methodology modeling.

In this study, a metal organic framework MIL-100(Fe) was synthesized for rhodamine B (RB) removal from aqueous solutions. An experimental design was conducted using a central composite design (CCD) method to obtain the RB adsorption data (n = 30) from batch experiments. In the CCD approach, solution pH, adsorbent dose, and initial RB concentration were included as input variables, whereas RB removal rate was employed as an output variable. Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling were performed using the adsorption data. In RSM modeling, the cubic regression model was developed, which was adequate to describe the RB adsorption according to analysis of variance. Meanwhile, the ANN model with the topology of 3:8:1 (three input variables, eight neurons in one hidden layer, and one output variable) was developed. In order to further compare the performance between the RSM and ANN models, additional adsorption data (n = 8) were produced under experimental conditions, which were randomly selected in the range of the input variables employed in the CCD matrix. The analysis showed that the ANN model (R2 = 0.821) had better predictability than the RSM model (R2 = 0.733) for the RB removal rate. Based on the ANN model, the optimum RB removal rate (>99.9%) was predicted at pH 5.3, adsorbent dose 2.0 g L-1, and initial RB concentration 73 mg L-1. In addition, pH was determined to be the most important input variable affecting the RB removal rate. This study demonstrated that the ANN model could be successfully employed to model and optimize RB adsorption to the MIL-100(Fe).

Oxidation of tetracycline and oxytetracycline for the photo-Fenton process: Their transformation products and toxicity assessment.

Advanced oxidation processes have gained significant attention for treating tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline (OTC), however, their oxidation using the photo-Fenton process has not been sufficiently studied. Although degradations of TC and OTC were enhanced by increasing H2O2 and Fe2+ within the ranges investigated (H2O2 = 20-50 mg/L and Fe = 1-10 mg/L) under UV irradiation, further experiments for the photo-Fenton process were conducted with 20 mg/L of H2O2 and 5 mg/L of Fe2+ to balance efficiency and cost. The photo-Fenton process (UV/H2O2/Fe2+) was shown to be more effective to remove TC and OTC than H2O2, ultraviolet (UV), and UV/H2O2 at the same doses of oxidants. Inorganic anions and cations were shown to inhibit the degradation of TC and OTC during the photo-Fenton process, in the following order: HPO42- > HCO3- â‰« SO42- > Cl- and Cu2+ ≫ Ca2+ > Na+. The TC and OTC degradation are generally improved by increasing pH, which is opposite to the kpCBA,obs values, caused by increasing the deprotonation degree of TC and OTC. Four and nine transformation products of TC and OTC, respectively, were detected over the treatment period. Among the transformation products, m/z 443.14 (C22H22N2O8) formed during TC degradation, and m/z 433.16 (C20H20N2O9) and m/z 415.15 (C20H18N2O8) formed during OTC degradation, were reported for the first time. Vibrio fischeri toxicity assessment indicated that the inhibition ratio was decreased with a decreasing TC concentration, while, OTC transformation lead to higher toxicity. The product (m/z 477.15b) was determined to be the compound causing toxicity during degradation of OTC by using the quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR). This toxic transformation product caused higher inhibition ratios than its parental compound (OTC), but its further oxidization resulted in decreasing the inhibition ratios.

Investigating Microcystin-LR adsorption mechanisms on mesoporous carbon, mesoporous silica, and their amino-functionalized form: Surface chemistry, pore structures, and molecular characteristics.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is the most common cyanotoxin released from algal-blooms. The study investigated the MC-LR adsorption mechanisms by comparing adsorption performance of protonated mesoporous carbon/silica (MC-H, MS-H) and their amino-functionalized forms (MC-NH2 and MS-NH2) considering surface chemistry and pore characteristics. The maximum MC-LR adsorption capacity (Langmuir model) of MC-H (37.87 mg/g) was the highest followed by MC-NH2 (29.25 mg/g) and MS-NH2 (23.03 mg/g), because pore structure is partly damaged during amino-functionalization. However, MC-NH2 (k2 = 0.042 g/mg/min) reacted faster with MC-LR than MC-H during early-stage adsorption due to enhancing electrostatic interactions. Intra-particle diffusion model fit indicated Kp,1 of MC-H (2.11 mg/g/min1/2) was greater than MC-NH2 due to its greater surface area and pore volume. Also, large mesopore diameters are favorable to MC-LR adsorption by pore diffusion. The effect of adsorbate molecular size on adsorption trend against MC-H, MC-NH2 and MS-NH2 was determined by kinetic experiments using two dyes, reactive blue and acid orange: MS-NH2 achieved the highest adsorption for both dyes due to the large number of amino groups on its surface (41.2 NH2/nm2). Overall, it was demonstrated that adsorption of MC-LR on mesoporous materials is governed by (meso-)pore diffusion and π - π (and hydrophobic) interactions induced by carbon materials; in addition, positively-charged grafted amino groups enhance initial MC-LR adsorption rate.