A Rapid LC-HRMS Method for the Determination of Domoic Acid in Urine Using a Self-Assembly Pipette Tip Solid-Phase Extraction

In this study, we developed a self-assembly pipette tip solid-phase extraction (PTSPE) method using a high molecular weight polymer material (PAX) as the adsorbent for the determination of domoic acid (DA) in human urine samples by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analysis. The PTSPE cartridge, assembled by packing 9.1 mg of PAX as sorbent into a 200 μL pipette tip, showed high adsorption capacity for DA owing to the strong cationic properties of PAX. Compared with conventional SPE, the PTSPE is simple and fast, and shows some advantages in the aspects of less solvent consumption, low cost, the absence of the evaporation step, and short time requirement. All the parameters influencing the extraction efficiency such as pH, the amount of sorbent, the number of aspirating/dispensing cycles, and the type and volume of eluent in PTSPE were carefully investigated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values of DA were 0.12 μg/L and 0.37 μg/L respectively. The extraction recoveries of DA from the urine samples spiked at four different concentrations were in a range from 88.4% to 102.5%. The intra- and inter-day precisions varied from 2.1% to 7.6% and from 2.6% to 12.7%, respectively. The accuracy ranged from -1.9% to -7.4%.

Development and validation of a novel modeling framework integrating ion exchange and resin regeneration for water treatment

Models have been developed to simulate the process of ion exchange for water treatment. However the modeling of resin regeneration process, which can predict regeneration efficiency and residual stream for determining technology sustainability, was not incorporated into previous models. Therefore a model integrating both ion exchange and resin regeneration considering regeneration efficiency is needed for evaluating and improving ion exchange technology. This study developed an integrated model aiming to simulate ion exchange and resin regeneration in different configurations (fixed bed, fluidized bed) for the first time. The integrated model has been validated via comparing model predictions with experimental data. The impacts of dimensionless groups (i.e. the Péclet number, the diffusion modulus, and the Biot number) on ion exchange breakthrough curve have been analyzed using this model. In addition, this integrated model has been used to optimize the regeneration frequency to improve the overall performance of ion exchange. It demonstrated this integrated model could be a useful tool for further studies in ion exchange technology.

Synthesis of biodiesel from pongamia oil using heterogeneous ion-exchange resin catalyst

Biodiesel is a clean-burning renewable substitute fuel for petroleum. Biodiesel could be effectively produced by transesterification reaction of triglycerides of vegetable oils with short-chain alcohols in the presence of homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. Conventionally, biodiesel manufacturing processes employ strong acids or bases as catalysts. But, separation of the catalyst and the by-product glycerol from the product ester is too expensive to justify the product use as an automobile fuel. Hence heterogeneous catalysts are preferred. In this study, transesterification of pongamia oil with ethanol was performed using a solid ion-exchange resin catalyst. It is a macro porous strongly basic anion exchange resin. The process parameters affecting the ethyl ester yield were investigated. The reaction conditions were optimized for the maximum yield of fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) of pongamia oil. The properties of FAEE were compared with accepted standards of biodiesel. Engine performance was also studied with pongamia oil diesel blend and engine emission characteristics were observed.

Effect of long-term organic removal on ion exchange properties and performance during sewage tertiary treatment by conventional anion exchange resins

This study evaluated the long-term dissolved organic matter (DOM), phosphorus and nitrogen removal performance of a commercially available conventional anion exchange resin (AER) from actual secondary effluent (SE) in a sewage treatment plant based on a pilot-scale operation (2.2 m(3) d(-1), 185 cycles, 37,000 bed volume, 1.5 years). Particular emphasis was given to the potential effect of DOM fouling on the ion exchange properties and performance during the long-term operation. Despite the large range of COD (15.6-33.5 mg L(-1)), BOD5 (3.0-5.6 mg L(-1)), DOC (6.5-24.2 mg L(-1)), and UV254 (UV absorption at 254 nm) (0.108-0.229 cm(-1)) levels in the SE, the removal efficiencies of the AER for the aforementioned parameters were 43±12%, 46±15%, 45±9%, and 72±4%, respectively. Based on three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission matrix data, i.e., the fluorescence intensities of four regions (peaks A-D), all organic components of the SE were effectively removed (peak A 74%, peak B 48%, peak C 55%, and peak D 45%) following the adsorption. The AER effluent still has considerable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons' ecological hazard on freshwater fishes when they were significantly removed from SE. The obvious DOM fouling on the AER, identified by color change, had no significant influence on the long-term removal of the representative inorganic anions (averaging 95±4% phosphate, 100±0% SO4(2-), and 62±17% NO3(-)) and AER properties (including total exchange capacity, moisture content, and true density). The conventional AER can produce high quality reclaimed water from SE at a low operational cost.

Determination of low-level radiostrontium, with emphasis on in situ pre-concentration of Sr from large volume of freshwater sample using Powdex resin

An improved analytical method was developed for determining of low levels of radiostrontium in environmental freshwater samples. Emphasis was placed to the in situ pre-concentration of radiostrontium with Powdex resin in large volumes (100-300 L) of freshwater samples from many locations without using of deleterious substances such as NaOH and mineral acids. Measuring electric conductivity (EC) of water samples enabled the estimation of the amount of Powdex resin required for quantitative recovery of Sr from the large water samples in the field. The Powdex resin that adsorbed Sr was brought back to the laboratory, and Sr adsorbed in the resin was eluted by 8 M HNO3 together with Sr carrier added. Strontium was radiochemically separated by the cation exchange method for β counting after removal of most of the Ca using Ca(OH)2 precipitation. Through the procedure the Sr chemical yield was 88% on average. This analytical method was verified by analyzing 170 L of water samples with different salinity values, to which a known amount of (90)Sr was added. The detection limits of (90)Sr activities obtained using the 170 L water samples was estimated to be approximately 0.1 mBq L(-1) for a counting time of 100 min. The method was also applied to environmental samples collected from Ibaraki and Fukushima prefectures; their (90)Sr activities ranged from 0.16 to 0.93 mBq L(-)(1).

New gel-like polymers as selective weak-base anion exchangers

A group of new anion exchangers, based on polyamine podands and of excellent ion-binding capacity, were synthesized. The materials were obtained in reactions between various poly(ethyleneamines) with glycidyl derivatives of cyclotetrasiloxane. The final polymeric, strongly cross-linked materials form gel-like solids. Their structures and interactions with anions adsorbed were studied by spectroscopic methods (CP-MAS NMR, FR-IR, UV-Vis). The sorption isotherms and kinetic parameters were determined for 29 anions. Materials studied show high ion capacity and selectivity towards some important anions, e.g., selenate(VI) or perrhenate.

Integrating tunable anion exchange with reverse osmosis for enhanced recovery during inland brackish water desalination

For inland brackish water desalination by reverse osmosis or RO, concentrate or reject disposal poses a major challenge. However, enhanced recovery and consequent reduction in the reject volume using RO processes is limited by the solubility of ions present in the feedwater. One of the most common and stubborn precipitate formed during desalination is calcium sulfate. Reducing or eliminating the presence of sulfate would allow the process to operate at higher recoveries without threat to membrane scaling. In this research, this goal is accomplished by using an appropriate mixture of self-regenerating anion exchange resins that selectively remove and replace sulfate by chloride prior to the RO unit. Most importantly, the mixed bed of anion exchange resins is self-regenerated with the reject brine from the RO process, thus requiring no addition of external chemicals. The current work demonstrates the reversibility of the hybrid ion exchange and RO (HIX-RO) process with 80% recovery for a brackish water composition representative of groundwater in San Joaquin Valley in California containing approximately 5200 mg/L of total dissolved solids or TDS. Consequently, the reject volume can be reduced by 50% without the threat of sulfate scaling and use of antiscaling chemicals can be eliminated altogether. By appropriately designing or tuning the mixed bed of anion exchange resins, the process can be extended to nearly any composition of brackish water for enhanced recovery and consequent reduction in the reject volume.

Integration of ion-exchange and nanofiltration processes for recovering Cr(III) salts from synthetic tannery wastewater

This study aims to investigate the possibility of integrating both ion-exchange (IX) and nanofiltration (NF) processes for the recovery of Cr(III) salts from a synthetic solution prepared with concentrations of Cr(III), [Formula: see text] and Cl(-) in the range of industrial effluents of tanneries. Ion exchange should be used as a pre-treatment for uptaking Cl(-) ions from the effluent, and thereafter the treated solution is fed to an NF unit to recover chromium sulphate salt for reuse in the tanning bath. The strong anionic resin Diaion PA316 was selected for evaluating chloride-sulphate ion-exchange equilibrium, with respect to mass of resin, NaCl concentration, temperature and ratio [Formula: see text]. It was observed that the separation factor, [Formula: see text], depends on the total electrolyte concentration and the ratio [Formula: see text] plays a role as well. Moreover, it was determined that the resin prefers sulphate over chloride since [Formula: see text] is less than 1. The performance of the NF process is dependent on [Formula: see text] and the rejection of Cr(III) may decrease from 90% to 70% as the ratio increases from 0.5 to 2. Regarding the integration of both IX and NF, the feed solution after treatement with the resin was fed to NF where the ratio of [Formula: see text] led to the best operating conditions for this process (90% of Cr(III) rejection and up to 77% for [Formula: see text] ions). This strategy may be considered as a sustainable approach since it permits to obtain a solution enriched in Cr(III) salt for reuse in the tanning process, thus contributing to environmental protection.

High-performance liquid chromatography separation of cis-trans anthocyanin isomers from wild Lycium ruthenicum Murr. employing a mixed-mode reversed-phase/strong anion-exchange stationary phase

The cis-trans isomerism is a common phenomenon for acylated anthocyanins. Nevertheless, few studies reported effective methods for the preparation of isomeric anthocyanins from natural products. In this work, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to efficiently purify anthocyanin isomers from Lycium ruthenicum Murr. based on a mixed-mode reversed-phase/strong anion-exchange column (named XCharge C8SAX). Four commercially available columns were evaluated with a pair of isomeric anthocyanins, and the results demonstrated that the XCharge C8SAX column exhibited improved selectivity and column efficiency for the isomers. The chromatographic parameters, including pH, organic content, and ionic strength, were investigated. Optimal separation quality for the anthocyanin isomers was achieved on the XCharge C8SAX column. Six pure anthocyanins, including two pairs of cis-trans isomeric anthocyanins with one new anthocyanin, were purified from L. ruthenicum and identified. All of the results indicated that this method is an effective way to separate anthocyanins, especially for cis-trans isomers.

Enhanced coagulation with powdered activated carbon or MIEX secondary treatment: a comparison of disinfection by-product formation and precursor removal

The removal of both organic and inorganic disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors prior to disinfection is important in mitigating DBP formation, with halide removal being particularly important in salinity-impacted water sources. A matrix of waters of variable alkalinity, halide concentration and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration were treated with enhanced coagulation (EC) followed by anion exchange (MIEX resin) or powdered activated carbon (PAC) and the subsequent disinfection by-product formation potentials (DBP-FPs) assessed and compared to DBP-FPs for untreated samples. Halide and DOC removal were also monitored for both treatment processes. Bromide and iodide adsorption by MIEX treatment ranged from 0 to 53% and 4-78%, respectively. As expected, EC and PAC treatments did not remove halides. DOC removal by EC/PAC was 70 ± 10%, while EC/MIEX enabled a DOC removal of 66 ± 12%. Despite the halide removals achieved by MIEX, increases in brominated disinfection by-product (Br-DBP) formation were observed relative to untreated samples, when favourable Br:DOC ratios were created by the treatment. However, the increases in formation were less than what was observed for the EC/PAC treated waters, which caused large increases in Br-DBP formation when high Br-DBP-forming water quality conditions occurred. The formation potential of fully chlorinated DBPs decreased after treatment in all cases.

Kinetics analysis of zinc sorption in fixed bed column using a strongly basic anionic exchange resin

The aim of this study was to examine the capacity of anionic resins to remove zinc as zinc chloride complexes in fixed bed. The applicability of the kinetics models and the characteristics of the bed (sorption capacity, breakthrough curve, depth of the adsorption zone) were taken into account. The influence of the process parameters, such as resin quantity (bed height) and zinc initial concentration, on the removal process was also considered. The obtained results (Amberlite IRA410) were analyzed using sorption kinetic models such as Thomas, Adam-Bohart, and Clark, by linear regression analysis. Similarly, the concept of the mass transfer zone was applied in order to properly design the fixed bed adsorption process. By comparing various resins, the following series was depicted based on sorption capacities: Amberlite IRA410>Purolite A103S>Purolite NRW700>Purolite A400MBOH. The experimental data were in good agreement with the Clark model, while for the other models, lower correlation coefficients were obtained under the same experimental conditions. The MTZ height and rate of movement increased with increasing initial concentration.

Ion-exchange selectivity of diclofenac, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen in ureolyzed human urine

This research advances the knowledge of ion-exchange of four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - diclofenac (DCF), ibuprofen (IBP), ketoprofen (KTP), and naproxen (NPX) - and one analgesic drug-paracetamol (PCM) - by strong-base anion exchange resin (AER) in synthetic ureolyzed urine. Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin-Astakhov, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models were fit to experimental equilibrium data using nonlinear least squares method. Favorable ion-exchange was observed for DCF, KTP, and NPX, whereas unfavorable ion-exchange was observed for IBP and PCM. The ion-exchange selectivity of the AER was enhanced by van der Waals interactions between the pharmaceutical and AER as well as the hydrophobicity of the pharmaceutical. For instance, the high selectivity of the AER for DCF was due to the combination of Coulombic interactions between quaternary ammonium functional group of resin and carboxylate functional group of DCF, van der Waals interactions between polystyrene resin matrix and benzene rings of DCF, and possibly hydrogen bonding between dimethylethanol amine functional group side chain and carboxylate and amine functional groups of DCF. Based on analysis of covariance, the presence of multiple pharmaceuticals did not have a significant effect on ion-exchange removal when the NSAIDs were combined in solution. The AER reached saturation of the pharmaceuticals in a continuous-flow column at varying bed volumes following a decreasing order of DCF > NPX ≈ KTP > IBP. Complete regeneration of the column was achieved using a 5% (m/m) NaCl, equal-volume water-methanol solution. Results from multiple treatment and regeneration cycles provide insight into the practical application of pharmaceutical ion-exchange in ureolyzed urine using AER.

Applications and limits of theoretical adsorption models for predicting the adsorption properties of adsorbents

The objective of this study is to evaluate the applicability of adsorption models for predicting the properties of adsorbents. The kinetics of the adsorption of NO3- ions on a PP-g-AA-Am non-woven fabric have been investigated under equilibrium conditions in both batch and fixed bed column processes. The adsorption equilibrium experiments in the batch process were carried out under different adsorbate concentration and adsorbent dosage conditions and the results were analyzed using adsorption isotherm models, energy models, and kinetic models. The results of the analysis indicate that the adsorption occurring at a fixed adsorbate concentration with a varying adsorbent dosage occur more easily compared to those under a fixed adsorbent dosage with a varying adsorbate concentration. In the second part of the study, the experimental data obtained using fixed bed columns were fit to Bed Depth Service Time, Bohart-Adams, Clark, and Wolborska models, to predict the breakthrough curves and determine the column kinetic parameters. The adsorption properties of the NO3- ions on the PP-g-AA-Am non-woven fabric were differently described by different models for both the batch and fixed bed column process. Therefore, it appears reasonable to assume that the adsorption properties were dominated by multiple mechanisms, depending on the experimental conditions.

Fundamental aspects related to batch and fixed-bed sulfate sorption by the macroporous type 1 strong base ion exchange resin Purolite A500

Acid mine drainage is a natural process occurring when sulfide minerals such as pyrite are exposed to water and oxygen. The bacterially catalyzed oxidation of pyrite is particularly common in coal mining operations and usually results in a low-pH water polluted with toxic metals and sulfate. Although high sulfate concentrations can be reduced by gypsum precipitation, removing lower concentrations (below 1200 mg/L) remains a challenge. Therefore, this work sought to investigate the application of ion exchange resins for sulfate sorption. The macroporous type 1 strong base IX resin Purolite A500 was selected for bath and fixed-bed sorption experiments using synthetic sulfate solutions. Equilibrium experiments showed that sulfate loading on the resin can be described by the Langmuir isotherm with a maximum uptake of 59 mg mL-resin(-1). The enthalpy of sorption was determined as +2.83 kJ mol(-1), implying an endothermic physisorption process that occurred with decreasing entropy (-15.5 J mol(-1).K(-1)). Fixed-bed experiments were performed at different bed depths, flow rates, and initial sulfate concentrations. The Miura and Hashimoto model predicted a maximum bed loading of 25-30 g L-bed(-1) and indicated that both film diffusion (3.2 × 10(-3) cm s(-1) to 22.6 × 10(-3) cm s(-1)) and surface diffusion (1.46 × 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1) to 5.64 × 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1)) resistances control the sorption process. It was shown that IX resins are an alternative for the removal of sulfate from mine waters; they ensure very low residual concentrations, particularly in effluents where the sulfate concentration is below the gypsum solubility threshold.

Aminoglycoside antibiotic-derived anion-exchange microbeads for plasmid DNA binding and in situ DNA capture

Plasmid DNA (pDNA) therapeutics are being investigated for gene therapy and DNA vaccines against diseases including cancer, cystic fibrosis and AIDS. In addition, several applications in modern biotechnology require pDNA for transient protein production. Here, we describe the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of microbeads ("Amikabeads") derived from the aminoglycoside antibiotic amikacin for pDNA binding and in situ DNA capture from mammalian cells. The parental aminoglycoside-derived microbeads (Amikabeads-P) acted as anion-exchange materials, and demonstrated high capacities for binding pDNA. Binding of pDNA was significantly enhanced following quaternization of the amines on the microbeads (Amikabeads-Q). Amikabeads were further employed for the disruption and extraction of DNA from mammalian cells, indicating their utility for in situ DNA capture. Our results indicate that Amikabeads are a novel material, with multiple reactive groups for further conjugation, and can have several applications in plasmid DNA biotechnology.

Dissolved organic matter removal using magnetic anion exchange resin treatment on biological effluent of textile dyeing wastewater

This study investigated the removal of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from real dyeing bio-treatment effluents (DBEs) with the use of a novel magnetic anion exchange resin (NDMP). DOMs in two typical DBEs were fractionized using DAX-8/XAD-4 resin and ultrafiltration membranes. The hydrophilic fractions and the low molecular weight (MW) (<3kDa) DOM fractions constituted a major portion (>50%) of DOMs for the two effluents. The hydrophilic and low MW fractions of both effluents were the greatest contributors of specific UV254 absorbance (SUVA254), and the SUVA254 of DOM fractions decreased with hydrophobicity and MW. Two DBEs exhibited acute and chronic biotoxicities. Both acute and chronic toxicities of DOM fractions increased linearly with the increase of SUVA254 value. Kinetics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal via NDMP treatment was performed by comparing it with that of particle active carbon (PAC). Results indicated that the removal of DOC from DBEs via NDMP was 60%, whereas DOC removals by PAC were lower than 15%. Acidic organics could be significantly removed with the use of NDMP. DOM with large MW in DBE could be removed significantly by using the same means. Removal efficiency of NDMP for DOM decreased with the decrease of MW. Compared with PAC, NDMP could significantly reduce the acute and chronic bio-toxicities of DBEs. NaCl/NaOH mixture regenerants, with selected concentrations of 10% NaCl (m/m)/1% NaOH (m/m), could improve desorption efficiency.

A new polymer-based laccase for decolorization of AO7: long-term storage and mediator reuse

To address the bottlenecks of laccase-based catalysis, i.e., poor long-term stability and potential secondary pollution caused by synthetic mediator, we fabricated a new biocatalyst (N-PS-Lac) through adsorption of laccase onto polystyrene anion exchangers (N-PS) binding quaternary ammonium groups. After 2-year storage, the residual activity of N-PS-Lac remained as high as 101.7%, while that for native laccase was only 14.6%. Also, N-PS-Lac exhibited improved durability against pH variation and thermal treatment at 60°C. Gaussian curve fitting of FT-IR spectra indicated that laccase conformation of N-PS-Lac was rigidified, possibly because of the host geometric restriction and the host-laccase electrostatic attraction. A two-step method, i.e., adsorption of an azo dye AO7 by N-PS and then ectopic degradation by the immobilized laccase, was proposed to reuse the mediator HOBT for seven cyclic runs, where N-PS-Lac kept the constant decolorization efficiency. AO7 solution was detoxified completely after decolorization by the two-step method.

Understanding and modeling removal of anionic organic contaminants (AOCs) by anion exchange resins

Ionic organic contaminants (OCs) are a growing concern for water treatment and the environment and are removed inefficiently by many existing technologies. This study examined removal of anionic OCs by anion exchange resins (AXRs) as a promising alternative. Results indicate that two polystyrene AXRs (IRA910 and IRA96) have higher sorption capacities and selectivity than a polyacrylate resin (A860). For the polystyrene resins, selectivity follows: phenolates ≥ aromatic dicarboxylates > aromatic monocarboxylates > benzenesulfonate > aliphatic carboxylates. This trend can be explained based on hydration energy, the number of exchange groups, and aromaticity and hydrophobicity of the nonpolar moiety (NPM) of the anions. For A860, selectivity only varies within a narrow range (0.13-1.64). Despite the importance of the NPM of the anions, neutral solutes were sorbed much less, indicating synergistic combinations of electrostatic and nonelectrostatic interactions in the overall sorption. By conducting multiple linear regression between Abraham's descriptors and nature log of selectivity, induced dipole-related interactions and electrostatic interactions were found to be the most important interaction forces for sorption of the anions, while solute H-bond basicity has a negative effect. A predictive model was then developed for carboxylates and phenolates based on the poly parameter linear free energy relationships established for a diverse range of 16 anions and 5 neutral solutes, and was validated by accurate prediction of sorption of five test solutes within a wide range of equilibrium concentrations and that of benzoate at different pH.

Simultaneous removal of dissolved organic matter and bromide from drinking water source by anion exchange resins for controlling disinfection by-products

Anion exchange resins (AERs) with different properties were evaluated for their ability to remove dissolved organic matter (DOM) and bromide, and to reduce disinfection by-product (DBP) formation potentials of water collected from a eutrophic surface water source in Japan. DOM and bromide were simultaneously removed by all selected AERs in batch adsorption experiments. A polyacrylic magnetic ion exchange resin (MIEX®) showed faster dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal than other AERs because it had the smallest resin bead size. Aromatic DOM fractions with molecular weight larger than 1600 Da and fluorescent organic fractions of fulvic acid- and humic acid-like compounds were efficiently removed by all AERs. Polystyrene AERs were more effective in bromide removal than polyacrylic AERs. This result implied that the properties of AERs, i.e. material and resin size, influenced not only DOM removal but also bromide removal efficiency. MIEX® showed significant chlorinated DBP removal because it had the highest DOC removal within 30 min, whereas polystyrene AERs efficiently removed brominated DBPs, especially brominated trihalomethane species. The results suggested that, depending on source water DOM and bromide concentration, selecting a suitable AER is a key factor in effective control of chlorinated and brominated DBPs in drinking water.

Improving Gluconobacter oxydans performance in the in situ removal of the inhibitor for asymmetric resolution of racemic 1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol

Gluconobacter oxydans DSM2003 was used to catalyze the oxidation of racemic 1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol (PED) for the production of (S)-enantiomer. The oxidative product mandelic acid produced strong inhibition to this reaction and largely reduced the activity of biocatalyst, which was the key problem in the reaction. In order to overcome this bottleneck, an anion exchange resin was selected and introduced as adsorbent for the in situ removal of the inhibitor from the reaction system. This method increased the substrate concentration from 12 to 60 g/L and the yield of (S)-PED by approximately five times from 4.9 g/L, on the premise that the enantiomeric excess (ee) value of (S)-PED remained above 96% and the reaction time was no more than 20 h. Moreover, the final space-time yield was over 1.2g/L/h, which was higher than that reported from previous studies.

[Effects and mechanism on removing organics and reduction of membrane fouling using granular macro-porous anion exchange resin in drinking water treatment]

A granular macro-porous anion exchange resin combined with coagulation was used as pretreatment of microfiltration membrane, and their effects and mechanism on removing organics and reduction of membrane fouling were evaluated. The results showed that resin could be effective in removing organics with medium and small molecular weight ( Mr) but ineffective in removing organics with large Mr, while couagulation could significantly remove organics with large Mr, with a limited removal for organics with medium and small Mr. Using resin alone as pretreatment could be effective in removal of organics but limited in reduction of membrane fouling. With combination of coagulation and resin as pretreatment of microfiltration, not only organics could be removed effectively, but also membrane fouling could be reduced.

Kinetic study of the removal of dimethyl phthalate from an aqueous solution using an anion exchange resin

Phthalate acid esters are becoming an important class of pollutants in wastewaters. This study addresses the kinetics of removal of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) using the anion exchange resin D201-OH from an aqueous solution. The effects of various factors on the removal rate and efficiency were investigated. An overall initial removal rate (OIRR) law and a pseudo first-order kinetic (PFOK) model were also developed. The internal diffusion of DMP within the resin phase of D201-OH is the rate-controlling step. Optimization of the particle size and pore structure of the resin D201-OH, the DMP concentration, and the reaction temperature can improve the DMP removal rate. The hydrolysis reaction of DMP catalyzed by D201-OH indicates an overall reaction order of 1.76, a value that is between the first order and the second order. The apparent activation energy of the reaction is 34.6 kJ/mol, which is below the homogeneous alkaline hydrolysis activation energy of 44.3 kJ/mol. The OIRR law can quantify the initial removal rate under different conditions. The results also show that the theoretical DMP removal efficiency predicted by the PFOK model agrees well with the experimentally determined values. Our research provides valuable insights into the primary parameters influencing the kinetic process, which enables a focused improvement in the removal or hydrolysis rate for similar processes.

Anion exchange HPLC isolation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and on-line estimation of proinflammatory HDL

Proinflammatory high-density lipoprotein (p-HDL) is a biomarker of cardiovascular disease. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by chronic states of oxidative stress that many consider to play a role in forming p-HDL. To measure p-HDL, apolipoprotein (apo) B containing lipoproteins are precipitated. Supernatant HDL is incubated with an oxidant/LDL or an oxidant alone and rates of HDL oxidation monitored with dichlorofluorescein (DCFH). Although apoB precipitation is convenient for isolating HDL, the resulting supernatant matrix likely influences HDL oxidation. To determine effects of supernatants on p-HDL measurements we purified HDL from plasma from SCD subjects by anion exchange (AE) chromatography, determined its rate of oxidation relative to supernatant HDL. SCD decreased total cholesterol but not triglycerides or HDL and increased cell-free (cf) hemoglobin (Hb) and xanthine oxidase (XO). HDL isolated by AE-HPLC had lower p-HDL levels than HDL in supernatants after apoB precipitation. XO+xanthine (X) and cf Hb accelerated purified HDL oxidation. Although the plate and AE-HPLC assays both showed p-HDL directly correlated with cf-Hb in SCD plasma, the plate assay yielded p-HDL data that was influenced more by cf-Hb than AE-HPLC generated p-HDL data. The AE-HPLC p-HDL assay reduces the influence of the supernatants and shows that SCD increases p-HDL.

Antimony(V) removal from water by hydrated ferric oxides supported by calcite sand and polymeric anion exchanger

We fabricated and characterized two hybrid adsorbents originated from hydrated ferric oxides (HFOs) using a polymeric anion exchanger D201 and calcite as host. The resultant adsorbents (denoted as HFO-201 and IOCCS) were employed for Sb(V) removal from water. Increasing solution pH from 3 to 9 apparently weakened Sb(V) removal by both composites, while increasing temperature from 293 to 313 K only improved Sb(V) uptake by IOCCS. HFO-201 exhibited much higher capacity for Sb(V) than for IOCCS in the absence of other anions in solution. Increasing ionic strength from 0.01 to 0.1 mol/L NaNO3 would result in a significant drop of the capacity of HFO-201 in the studied pH ranges; however, negligible effect was observed for IOCCS under similar conditions. Similarly, the competing chloride and sulfate pose more negative effect on Sb(V) adsorption by HFO-201 than by IOCCS, and the presence of silicate greatly decreased their adsorption simultaneously, while calcium ions were found to promote the adsorption of both adsorbents. XPS analysis further demonstrated that preferable Sb(V) adsorption by both hybrids was attributed to the inner sphere complexation of Sb(V) and HFO, and Ca(II) induced adsorption enhancement possibly resulted from the formation of HFO-Ca-Sb complexes. Column adsorption runs proved that Sb(V) in the synthetic water could be effectively removed from 30 microg/L to below 5 microg/L (the drinking water standard regulated by China), and the effective treatable volume of IOCCS was around 6 times as that of HFO-201, implying that HFO coatings onto calcite might be a more effective approach than immobilization inside D201.

Bioregeneration of spent anion exchange resin for treatment of nitrate in water

Anion exchange resin treatment is a commonly used technique for removal of nitrate from water. However, spent anion exchange resins are themselves regenerated using brine solution, which produces spent solution containing a high concentration of nitrate and salt. The present study developed a bioregeneration technique for conversion of nitrate on the spent resins to nitrogen gas while eliminating the use of brine solutions. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of biomass content, pH, salinity, and molar ratio of exogenous organic carbon to nitrate on the kinetics of bioregeneration. The bioregeneration rate decreased when pH increased from 7 to 10. It increased with increasing microbial concentration from 8.3 to 13.8 g/L as volatile suspended solid (VSS) and with decreasing conductivity of the regeneration suspension from 31 to 9 mS/cm. Spent exchange resins were effectively regenerated within 5 h under the optimal conditions and the regenerated resins could be used repeatedly for filtration removal of nitrate from water. A desorption-denitrification model was developed to describe bioregeneration kinetics. Modeling results indicated that the bioregeneration was through desorption of nitrate from the spent resin and subsequent denitrification of the soluble nitrate. Denitrification was the rate-limiting process. This research demonstrated the feasibility of using a biological process to regenerate nitrate-saturated resins.