Advanced lignin-acrylamide water treatment agent by pulp and paper industrial sludge: synthesis, properties and application.

A novel flocculant LA (lignin-acrylamide polymer), which was used as aid for aluminum sulfate and polyaluminum chloride in this study, was prepared by grafting acrylamide onto lignin that deriving from pulp and papermaking sludge. Physicochemical properties of LA were measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental outcome indicated acrylamide was grafted onto the lignin backbone successfully. The effects of LA addition were evaluated on coagulation performance and floc characteristics as a function of aluminum (Al) dosage, such as floc size, growth rate, strength and recoverability. Effects of different dosing sequences, Al dosed first and LA dosed first, were also investigated. LA used as coagulant aid markedly enhanced the removal efficiency of turbidity and dissolved organic carbon, especially at low Al dosages. The dissolved organic carbon removal efficiencies of aluminum sulfate and polyaluminum chloride at the Al dosage range selected in this study were improved more than 30% and 5% by LA, respectively. LA dramatically enlarged floc size and it was in the order: Al dosed first > LA dosed first > Al. Floc strength and recoverability were also improved by LA. LA played a significant role in charge neutralization, adsorption and bridging in floc formation.

Detection of emerging HoBi-like Pestivirus (BVD-3) during an epidemiological investigation of bovine viral diarrhea virus in Xinjiang: a first-of-its-kind report.

Xinjiang pastoral area is the second largest pastoral area in China, accounting for 26.8% of the available grassland area in the country, and the geographical advantage of cattle breeding industry is very obvious. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) has always been one of the important viral diseases that have plagued the development of cattle farming industry in the world. As one of the main pastoral areas of China's cattle farming industry, the Xinjiang pastoral area has also been deeply affected. In this study, 6,153 bovine serum samples were collected from 18 large-scale cattle farms in 13 cities in Xinjiang. The antibodies and antigens of 6,153 and 588 serum samples were detected by serological detection methods, respectively. Ten serum samples, which were antigen-positive by ELISA, were randomly selected for RT-PCR detection, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of suspected HoBi-like Pestivirus (HoBiPeV) strains. The results showed that the positive rates of BVDV antibodies and antigens were 53.68% (3,303/6,153) and 6.12% (36/588), respectively. One of the 10 randomly selected seropositive samples was infected with the HoBiPeV strain. HoBiPeV, also referred to as BVDV-3, is an emerging atypical Pestivirus that occurs in cattle and small ruminants, and its clinical signs are similar to those of BVDV infection. Based on the whole genome of the BVDV-3 reference strain (JS12/01) on the GenBank, the homology of the detected strain was 96.02%. The whole genome nucleotide sequence was submitted to the GenBank database, and the gene accession number was obtained: OP210314. The whole genome of isolate OP210314 was 12.239 nucleotides and contained a 5'-UTR of 340 nucleotides, a 3'-UTR of 199 nucleotides, and a large open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein consisting of 3,899 amino acids. In conclusion, the prevalence rate of BVDV infection in Xinjiang dairy cows is high, and the genetic diversity is increasing. This study successfully identified and isolated HoBiPeV in Xinjiang for the first time, posing a potential threat to the cattle industry in Xinjiang.

Fractionation of residual Al in natural water treatment from reservoir with poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC): effect of OH/Al, Si/Al molar ratios and initial pH.

An aluminum fractionation study was conducted for a surface reservoir water treatment to understand the performance of poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC) in terms of the residual Al fractions as a function of initial pH. The coagulation performance expressed as turbidity and organic matter removal was established as supporting data. Some extra data were evaluated in terms of the residual Al ratio of the composite PASiC coagulant. The main residual Al sources were the Al fractions derived from the use of PASiC. The turbidity and organic matter removal ability was optimal at initial pH 6.00-7.00, while the concentrations of various residual Al species and the residual Al ratio of PASiC were minimal at an initial pH range of 7.00-8.00. Under the conditions of OH/Al molar ratio = 2.00 and Si/Al molar ratio = 0.05, PASiC had superior coagulation performance and comparatively low residual Al concentrations. The Al fraction in the composite PASiC coagulant seldom remained under such conditions. Experimental data also indicated that the suspended (filterable) Al fraction was the dominant species, and organic-bound or organo-Al complex Al was considered to be the major species of dissolved Al in water treated by PASiC coagulation. Additionally, the dissolved inorganic monomeric Al species dominated the dissolved monomeric Al fraction.

Functionalized GO Membranes for Efficient Separation of Acid Gases from Natural Gas: A Computational Mechanistic Understanding.

Membrane separation technology is applied in natural gas processing, while a high-performance membrane is highly in demand. This paper considers the bright future of functionalized graphene oxide (GO) membranes in acid gas removal from natural gas. By molecular simulations, the adsorption and diffusion behaviors of several unary gases (N2, CH4, CO2, H2S, and SO2) are explored in the 1,4-phenylenediamine-2-sulfonate (PDASA)-doped GO channels. Molecular insights show that the multilayer adsorption of acid gases evaluates well by the Redlich-Peterson model. A tiny amount of PDASA promotes the solubility coefficient of CO2 and H2S, respectively, up to 4.5 and 5.3 mmol·g-1·kPa-1, nearly 2.5 times higher than those of a pure GO membrane, which is due to the improved binding affinity, great isosteric heat, and hydrogen bonds, while N2 and CH4 only show single-layer adsorption with solubility coefficients lower than 0.002 mmol·g-1·kPa-1, and their weak adsorption is insusceptible to PDASA. Although acid gas diffusivity in GO channels is inhibited below 20 × 10-6 cm2·s-1 by PDASA, the solubility coefficient of acid gases is certainly high enough to ensure their separation efficiency. As a result, the permeabilities (P) of acid gases and their selectivities (α) over CH4 are simultaneously improved (PCO2 = 7265.5 Barrer, αCO2/CH4 = 95.7; P(H2S+CO2) = 42075.1 Barrer, αH2S/CH4 = 243.8), which outperforms most of the ever-reported membranes. This theoretical study gives a mechanistic understanding of acid gas separation and provides a unique design strategy to develop high-performance GO membranes toward efficient natural gas processing.

Light-dependent enhancement of sulfadiazine detoxification and mineralization by non-photosynthetic methanotrophs.

Co-metabolism and photodegradation are two approaches for remediating trace organic compounds (TOrCs), however, interactions between the two with regards to TOrCs degradation have not been elucidated. In this study, sulfadiazine (SDZ) was chosen as a representative TOrC and Methylocystis bryophila as a typical strain. Under light conditions, about 80.6% of SDZ was removed by M. bryophila, but only 7.6% or 28.9% of SDZ was eliminated by either individual photodegradation or by co-metabolism. The SDZ stimulated more extracellular organic matter (EOM) production by M. bryophila. The enhanced SDZ degradation was attributed to indirect photolysis caused by the excited triplet state of EOM (3EOM*) and co-metabolism. The UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis showed that due to co-metabolism, the pyrimidine ring was broken and could further be oxidized into smaller molecules under light conditions, such as formic and acetic acids. The SDZ mineralization ratio increased from 9.9% under the co-metabolic condition alone to 36.5% under co-metabolism coupled with photodegradation. The Ames tests confirmed that the SDZ degradation products by co-metabolism were mutagenic, however, their toxicity was ameliorated by light during co-metabolism. In conclusion, light plays a crucial role in co-metabolic processes of TOrCs.

Influence of low air pressure on combined nitritation and anaerobic ammonium oxidation process.

At high altitude, wastewater aeration efficiency is low, which is detrimental to nitrification in conventional biological nitrogen removal. The combined partial nitritation and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (CPNA) process requires little oxygen and can be appropriate in low-pressure conditions. As such, in this study, we investigated the effect of air pressure on CPNA using a laboratory-scale reactor. We found that low air pressure promoted the removal of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), achieving a TIN removal rate of 43,000 mg·N/(kg·VSS·d). The secretion of extracellular polymeric substances under low air pressure was not significantly different from that under ordinary air pressure, indicating no adverse effects on microbial aggregation ability, stability, or settleability. The abundance of aerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AeAOB) increased from 0.2% to 5.6%, and the activity of anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) enhanced, giving AeAOB and AnAOB a competitive advantage over nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, thus forming a microbial community structure favorable to the CPNA process. Our further analysis of the results of batch tests in serum bottles confirmed the positive effect of low air pressure on the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process, with a 28.5% ± 1.9% improvement in the specific anammox rate at 70 kPa compared with 100 kPa. AnAOB activity increased, which was reflected in the intracellular heme content increasing from 0.56 ± 0.18 µmol/(g·VSS) at 100 kPa to 2.56 ± 0.20 µmol/(g·VSS) at 70 kPa. We clarified the CPNA-process-promoting effect of low air pressure, which shows potential for nitrogen removal in high-altitude regions.

Simultaneous removal of sulfamethoxazole and enhanced denitrification process from simulated municipal wastewater by a novel 3D-BER system.

In this study, at an electric current intensity at 60 mA, more than 90.50 ± 4.76% of Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was degraded. The strengthening of bacterial metabolisms and the sustainment of electrical stimulation contributed to the rapid removal of SMX and nitrates from simulated wastewater by a novel 3D-BER system. From the literature, very few studies have been performed to investigate the high risk of nitrates and antibiotics SMX found in wastewater treatment. The highest antibiotic SMX and nitrogen removal efficiency was 96.45 ± 2.4% (nitrate-N), 99.5 ± 1.5% (nitrite-N), 88.45 ± 1.4% (ammonia-N), 78.6 ± 1.0% (total nitrogen), and SMX (90.50 ± 4.76%), respectively. These results were significantly higher as compared to control system (p < 0.05). The highest denitrification efficiency was achieved at the pH level of 7.0 ± 0.20 - 7.5 ± 0.31. Lower or higher pH value can effect on an approach of heterotrophic-autotrophic denitrification. Moreover, low current intensity did not show any significant effect on the degradation, however, enhanced the removal rate of nitrate or nitrite as well as antibiotic SMX. Based on the results of HPLC and LC-MS/MS analysis, the intermediate products were proposed after efficient biodegradation of SMX. Finally, these results is expected to provide some new insights towards the high electric currents, changes the bacterial community structure, and the activated sludge which played an important role in the biodegradation of SMX and nitrates removal more efficiently.

Removal of Sulfamethoxazole, Sulfathiazole and Sulfamethazine in their Mixed Solution by UV/H2O2 Process.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), sulfathiazole (STZ) and sulfamethazine (SMT) are typical sulfonamides, which are widespread in aqueous environments and have aroused great concern in recent years. In this study, the photochemical oxidation of SMZ, STZ and SMT in their mixed solution using UV/H2O2 process was innovatively investigated. The result showed that the sulfonamides could be completely decomposed in the UV/H2O2 system, and each contaminant in the co-existence system fitted the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The removal of sulfonamides was influenced by the initial concentration of the mixed solution, the intensity of UV light irradiation, the dosage of H2O2 and the initial pH of the solution. The increase of UV light intensity and H2O2 dosage substantially enhanced the decomposition efficiency, while a higher initial concentration of mixed solution heavily suppressed the decomposition rate. The decomposition of SMZ and SMT during the UV/H2O2 process was favorable under neutral and acidic conditions. Moreover, the generated intermediates of SMZ, STZ and SMT during the UV/H2O2 process were identified in depth, and a corresponding degradation pathway was proposed.

[Coagulation characteristics of polyferric chloride-poly (epichlorohydrin-dimethylamine) composite flocculant for simulated water treatment].

Polyferric chloride (PFC) and poly (epichlorohydrin-dimethylamine) [P(EPI-DMA)] were applied as raw materials to prepare a novel inorganic-organic flocculant [PFC-P(EPI-DMA)] with various intrinsic viscosities (eta), basicity (B, OH/Fe molar ratio), and organic component fractions [omega(E)]. The PFC-P(EPI-DMA) prepared was then evaluated for the coagulation treatment of synthetic active dying wastewater and simulated ground water. Effects of B, and omega (E) on the Fe speciation distribution and coagulation performance of PFC-P(EPI-DMA) were comparatively examined as a function of coagulant dosage. The coagulation mechanism of PFC-P(EPI-DMA) was also discussed in this paper. Experimental results indicated the interaction effect of PFC and P (EPI-DMA) component in composite PFC-P (EPI-DMA). The effective Fe speciation content of PFC-EPI-DMA decreased with increasing omega(E), while it was maximized when eta = 850 mPa x As B value increased gradually, the Fe(b) concentration initially increased and then decreased, but the Fe(c) concentration kept continuously increasing. To some extent, higher eta and lower B value was favorable for the improvement of coagulation performance for coagulation treatment of both synthetic dyeing wastewater and simulated ground water. The omega (E) influence on the coagulation performance of PFC-P(EPI-DMA) was related to the treatment target. Both charge neutralization and adsorption bridging effect played roles in the coagulation process of the composite PFC-P(EPI-DMA).

Removal of acid and direct dye by epichlorohydrin-dimethylamine: flocculation performance and floc aggregation properties.

A cationic organic flocculant epichlorohydrin-dimethylamine (EPI-DMA) was employed for the treatment of acid and direct dye. The study aims at investigating the flocculation performance of EPI-DMA for the model dye, and corresponding floc aggregation properties, which were determined by jar test and photometric dispersion analysis, respectively. The interactions between cationic flocculant and anionic dye were investigated through spectra analysis. The results showed that EPI-DMA effectively decolorized the tested acid and direct dye. The viscosity and cationicity of EPI-DMA had different influence on the removal of different dye. Chemical interaction was observed between quaternary ammonium of EPI-DMA and sulfonic group of dye. The flocculation dynamic process showed that flocs with better aggregation and sedimentation properties were produced by EPI-DMA with higher viscosity and cationicity for acid dye. Contrarily, flocs with the best aggregation and sedimentation properties were produced by EPI-DMA with the lowest viscosity and cationicity for direct dye.

Effect of OH-/Al3+ and Si/Al molar ratios on the coagulation performance and residual Al speciation during surface water treatment with poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC).

Coagulation performance, mechanism of poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC) and residual Al speciation in the effluent with respect to a specific surface water treatment in China were comprehensively investigated in this study. The impact of OH(-)/Al(3+) and Si/Al molar ratios on the coagulation performance, mechanism and residual Al speciation of PASiC in surface water treatment was discussed as a function of coagulant dosage. It was intended to provide an insight into the relationship between coagulation performance and residual Al. Experimental results revealed that when OH(-)/Al(3+) molar ratio = 2.00 and Si/Al molar ratio = 0.0500 in PASiC coagulant, PASiC exhibited beneficial coagulation property and relatively lower content of residual Al. Surface bridging and entrapment was more effective compared with charge neutralization during the specific surface water treatment. The majority of residual Al in the effluent existed in the form of insoluble suspended or particulate Al. Dissolved organically bound Al was almost the major speciation in dissolved Al and dissolved inorganically bound monomeric Al was the only component in dissolved monomeric Al. Al in PASiC remained abundant at lower dosages and residual Al concentration could be effectively reduced at the dosages of 12.0-15.0mg/L as Al.

The impact of pH on floc structure characteristic of polyferric chloride in a low DOC and high alkalinity surface water treatment.

The adjustment of pH is an important way to enhance removal efficiency in coagulation units, and in this process, the floc size, strength and structure can be changed, influencing the subsequent solid/liquid separation effect. In this study, an inorganic polymer coagulant, polyferric chloride (PFC) was used in a low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and high alkalinity surface water treatment. The influence of coagulation pH on removal efficiency, floc growth, strength, re-growth capability and fractal dimension was examined. The optimum dosage was predetermined as 0.150 mmol/L, and excellent particle and organic matter removal appeared in the pH range of 5.50-5.75. The structure characteristics of flocs formed under four pH conditions were investigated through the analysis of floc size, effect of shear and particle scattering properties by a laser scattering instrument. The results indicated that flocs formed at neutral pH condition gave the largest floc size and the highest growth rate. During the coagulation period, the fractal dimension of floc aggregates increased in the first minutes and then decreased and larger flocs generally had smaller fractal dimensions. The floc strength, which was assessed by the relationship of floc diameter and velocity gradient, decreased with the increase of coagulation pH. Flocs formed at pH 4.00 had better recovery capability when exposed to lower shear forces, while flocs formed at neutral and alkaline conditions had better performance under higher shear forces.

[Relationship among coagulation effect of Al-based coagulant, content and speciation of residual aluminum].

The application of AlCl3, Al2 (SO4)3 and poly-aluminum chloride (PAC) in humic acid-kaolin simulated water was studied in this article. It is intended to discuss the relationship among coagulation effect of Al-based coagulants in humic acid-kaolin simulated water and content and speciation of residual aluminum. It was found that, the turbidity removal efficiency and UV254 removal efficiency could reach about 90% at the tested dosage. At higher dosage, PAC gave better coagulation effect. The residual total aluminum content and residual aluminum ratio of PAC, which was 0.9 mg/L and - 3.0% or so respectively, were greatly lower than those of AlCl3 and Al2 (SO4)3. The residual total dissolved aluminum was the predominant content in the effluent after coagulation and sedimentation by the three Al-based coagulants. For the total dissolved aluminum, the proportion of dissolved organic aluminum was significantly higher than that of other aluminum speciation. With respect to humic acid-kaolin simulated water, the content of residual total aluminum in the effluent after coagulation and sedimentation by PAC decreased obviously compared to AlCl3 and Al2 (SO4)3. PAC could effectively decrease the content of residual dissolved aluminum speciation which has higher toxicity. The content of residual total dissolved aluminum in the effluent after coagulation and sedimentation by PAC was about 0.6 mg/L.