Attenuation of trace elements in coal fly ash leachates by surfactant-modified zeolite

Application of zeolites in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for in-situ groundwater remediation: A critical review

Permeable reactive barrier (PRB) is one of the most promising in-situ groundwater remediation technologies due to its low costs and wide immobilization suitability for multiple contaminants. Reactive medium is a key component of PRBs and their selection needs to consider removal effectiveness as well as permeability. Zeolites have been extensively reported as reactive media owing to their high adsorption capacity, diverse pore structure and high stability. Moreover, the application of zeolites can reduce the PRBs fouling and clogging compared to reductants like zero-valence iron (ZVI) due to no formation of secondary precipitates, such as iron monosulfide, in spite of their reactivity to remove organics. This study gives a detailed review of lab-scale applications of zeolites in PRBs in terms of sorption characteristics, mechanisms, column performance and desorption features, as well as their field-scale applications to point out their application tendency in PRBs for contaminated groundwater remediation. On this basis, future prospects and suggestions for using zeolites in PRBs for groundwater remediation were put forward. This study provides a comprehensive and critical review of the lab-scale and field-scale applications of zeolites in PRBs and is expected to guide the future design and applications of adsorbents-based PRBs for groundwater remediation.

Effect and mechanisms of synthesis conditions on the cadmium adsorption capacity of modified fly ash

In this study, modified coal fly ash (NMFA) was prepared by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with low-temperature hydrothermal method. The differences of the ash to alkali mass ratio (5:3, 5:4, 5:5, 5:6), calcination temperature (100 ℃, 200 ℃, 300 ℃), and calcination time (1 h, 3 h, 5 h) were investigated. The adsorption experiments obtained the optimal result with the ash to base ratio of 5:5, calcination temperature of 200 ℃, and calcination time of 3 h, adsorbing 90.27 mg/g of Cd²⁺. The characterization results (SEM-EDS, FTIR, XRD, and XPS) also confirmed the effective adsorption of Cd²⁺ by NMFA. The functional groups of Si-O, Al-O, and Fe-O played an important role in Cd²⁺ removal. Meanwhile, the influences of dosage, different pH, and co-existing cations were also investigated. Quasi-secondary adsorption kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model were also referred to the Cd²⁺ adsorption by NMFA. Therefore, the good adsorption of NMFA-3 on Cd²⁺ provided new ideas for the safe utilization of fly ash and heavy metal purification in wastewater.

Leachability and adverse effects of coal fly ash: A review

Coal fly ash (CFA) is a valuable industrial solid waste, but conventional methods used for its disposal can lead to serious and long-lasting environmental issues. The study of technologies for CFA recycling has been of major concern, while the harm caused by CFA is only partially understood, limiting its reuse. In this review, the basic physico-chemical properties of CFA are introduced, followed by a systematic summary and discussion of the leachability of CFA via different leaching methods and the chemical speciation of some typical metal elements in CFA, which is related to its harmful effects. The specific harm that CFA causes to humans, wild animals, and plants and the study status of magnetic property of CFA are presented. Because of the pervasive concerns of many people, the utilisation of CFA in the USA and Europe and an economic and environmental analysis of its disposal is provided and discussed. Finally, some possible directions for future research involving CFA are proposed.

Kinetic and equilibrium modelling of MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) adsorption on ZSM-5 zeolite: Batch and column studies

The intensive use of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as a gasoline additive has resulted in serious environmental problems due to its high solubility, volatility and recalcitrance. The feasibility of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) with ZSM-5 type zeolite as a reactive medium was explored for MTBE contaminated groundwater remediation. Batch adsorption studies showed that the MTBE adsorption onto ZSM-5 follows the Langmuir model and obeys the pseudo-second-order model with an adsorption capacity of 53.55 mg g^-1. The adsorption process reached equilibrium within 24 h, and MTBE was barely desorbed with initial MTBE concentration of 300 mg L^-1. The mass transfer process is found to be primarily controlled by pore diffusion for MTBE concentrations from 100 to 600 mg L^-1. pH has little effect on the maximum adsorption capacity in the pH range of 2-10, while the presence of nickel reduces the capacity with Ni concentrations of 2.5-25 mg L^-1. In fixed-bed column tests, the Dose-Response model fits the breakthrough curve well, showing a saturation time of ∼320 min and a removal capacity of ∼18.71 mg g^-1 under the conditions of this study. Therefore, ZSM-5 is an extremely effective adsorbent for MTBE removal and has a huge potential to be used as a reactive medium in PRBs.

Evaluation of toxic and genotoxic potential of a wet gas scrubber effluent obtained from wooden-based biomass furnaces: A case study in the red ceramic industry in southern Brazil

Red ceramic industry in southern Brazil commonly uses wood biomass as furnace fuel generating great amounts of gas emissions and ash. To avoid their impact on atmospheric environment, wet scrubbing is currently being applied in several plants. However, the water leachate formed could be potentially toxic and not managed as a common water-based effluent, since the resulting wastewater could carry many toxic compounds derived from wood pyrolysis. There is a lack of studies regarding this kind of effluent obtained specifically and strictly from wooden-based biomass furnaces. Therefore, we conducted an evaluation of toxic and genotoxic potentials of this particular type of wet gas scrubber effluent. Physical-chemical analysis showed high contents of several contaminants, including phenols, sulphates and ammoniacal nitrogen, as well as the total and suspended solids. The effluent cause significant toxicity towards microcrustacean Artemia sp. (LC50 = 34.4%) and Daphnia magna (Toxicity Factor = 6 on average) and to higher plants (Lactuca sativa L. and Allium cepa L.) with acute and sub-acute effects in several parameters. Besides, using plasmid DNA, significant damage was observed in concentrations 12.5% and higher. In cellular DNA, concentrations starting from 12.5% and 6.25% showed significant increase in Damage Index (DI) and Damage Frequency (DF), respectively. The results altogether suggest that the effluent components, such phenols, produced by wood combustion can be volatilized, water scrubbed, resulting in a toxic and genotoxic effluent which could contaminate the environment.

Preparation and characterization of surfactant-modified hydroxyapatite/zeolite composite and its adsorption behavior toward humic acid and copper(II)

A novel composite material, i.e., surfactant-modified hydroxyapatite/zeolite composite, was used as an adsorbent to remove humic acid (HA) and copper(II) from aqueous solution. Hydroxyapatite/zeolite composite (HZC) and surfactant-modified HZC (SMHZC) were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscope. The adsorption of HA and copper(II) on SMHZC was investigated. For comparison purposes, HA adsorption onto HZC was also investigated. SMHZC exhibited much higher HA adsorption capacity than HZC. The HA adsorption capacity for SMHZC decreased slightly with increasing pH from 3 to 8 but decreased significantly with increasing pH from 8 to 12. The copper(II) adsorption capacity for SMHZC increased with increasing pH from 3 to 6.5. The adsorption kinetic data of HA and copper(II) on SMHZC obeyed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption of HA and copper(II) on SMHZC took place in three different stages: fast external surface adsorption, gradual adsorption controlled by both film and intra-particle diffusions, and final equilibrium stage. The equilibrium adsorption data of HA on SMHZC better fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model than the Freundlich isotherm model. The equilibrium adsorption data of copper(II) on SMHZC could be described by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The presence of copper(II) in solution enhanced HA adsorption onto SMHZC. The presence of HA in solution enhanced copper(II) adsorption onto SMHZC. The mechanisms for the adsorption of HA on SMHZC at pH 7 may include electrostatic attraction, organic partitioning, hydrogen bonding, and Lewis acid-base interaction. The mechanisms for the adsorption of copper(II) on SMHZC at pH 6 may include surface complexation, ion exchange, and dissolution-precipitation. The obtained results indicate that SMHZC can be used as an effective adsorbent to simultaneously remove HA and copper(II) from water.