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Roy TM, Nazari E, Strong OKL, Pede PR, Vreugdenhil AJ. The effect of adsorbent textural and functional properties on model naphthenic acid adsorption. J Environ Sci (China) 2025; 148:27-37. [PMID: 39095163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Naphthenic acids, NAs, are a major contaminant of concern and a focus of much research around remediation of oil sand process affected waters, OSPW. Using activated carbon adsorbents are an attractive option given their low cost of fabrication and implementation. A deeper evaluation of the effect NA structural differences have on uptake affinity is warranted. Here we provide an in-depth exploration of NA adsorption including many more model NA species than have been assessed previously with evaluation of adsorption kinetics and isotherms at the relevant alkaline pH of OSPW using several different carbon adsorbents with pH buffering to simulate the behaviour of real OSPW. Uptake for the NA varied considerably regardless of the activated carbon used, ranging from 350 mg/g to near zero highlighting recalcitrant NAs. The equilibrium data was explored to identify structural features of these species and key physiochemical properties that influence adsorption. We found that certain NA will be resistant to adsorption when hydrophobic adsorbents are used. Adsorption isotherm modelling helped explore interactions occurring at the interface between NA and adsorbent surfaces. We identified the importance of NA hydrophobicity for activated carbon uptake. Evidence is also presented that indicates favorable hydrogen bonding between certain NA and surface site hydroxyl groups, demonstrating the importance of adsorbent surface functionality for NA uptake. This research highlights the challenges associated with removing NAs from OSPW through adsorption and also identifies how adsorbent surface chemistry modification can be used to increase the removal efficiency of recalcitrant NA species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler M Roy
- Material Science, Department of Chemistry, Trent University, 1600 West Bank, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Elmira Nazari
- Material Science, Department of Chemistry, Trent University, 1600 West Bank, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Oliver K L Strong
- Material Science, Department of Chemistry, Trent University, 1600 West Bank, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Paul R Pede
- Carbonix, 690 Mountain Rd, Suite 200, Fort William First Nation, Ontario P7J 1G8 Canada
| | - Andrew J Vreugdenhil
- Material Science, Department of Chemistry, Trent University, 1600 West Bank, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada.
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2
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Lv X, Li D, Yu X, McPhedran KN, Huang R. Tungsten sulfide highly boosted Fe(III)/peroxymonosulfate system for rapid degradation of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid: Performance, mechanisms, and applications. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 361:142556. [PMID: 38851499 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
In this study, the Fe(III)/WS2/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system was found to remove up to 97% of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (CHA) within 10 min. CHA is a model compound for naphthenic acids (NAs), which are prevalent in petroleum industrial wastewater. The addition of WS2 effectively activated the Fe(III)/PMS system, significantly enhancing its ability to produce reactive oxidative species (ROS) for the oxidation of CHA. Further experimental results and characterization analyses demonstrated that the metallic element W(IV) in WS2 could provide electrons for the direct reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II), thus rapidly activating PMS and initiating a chain redox process to produce ROS (SO4•-, •OH, and 1O2). Repeated tests and practical exploratory experiments indicated that WS2 exhibited excellent catalytic performance, reusability and anti-interference capacity, achieving efficient degradation of commercial NAs mixtures. Therefore, applying WS2 to catalyze the Fe(III)/PMS system can overcome speed limitations and facilitate simple, economical engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lv
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Universities on Environmental Science and Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Dazhen Li
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Universities on Environmental Science and Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Xi Yu
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Universities on Environmental Science and Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Kerry N McPhedran
- Department of Civil, Geological & Environmental Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada; Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada.
| | - Rongfu Huang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Universities on Environmental Science and Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
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Astuti MP, Taylor WS, Lewis GD, Padhye LP. Surface-modified activated carbon for N-nitrosodimethylamine removal in the continuous flow biological activated carbon columns. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 455:131518. [PMID: 37172385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The carcinogenic nitrogenous disinfection by-product, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), is challenging to adsorb due to its high polarity and solubility. Our previous research demonstrated that the adsorptive removal of NDMA can be improved using surface-modified activated carbon (AC800). The current study evaluated the efficacy of AC800 in removing NDMA in a continuous-flow column over 75 days, using both granular activated carbon (GAC) and biologically activated carbon (BAC) columns. The AC800 GAC column demonstrated extended breakthrough and exhaustion times of 10 days and 22 days, respectively, compared to the conventional GAC column at 4 days and 10.5 days. The surface modification effect persisted for 25 days before the removal trends became indistinguishable. The AC800 BAC column outperformed the conventional BAC column with a longer breakthrough time of 11.3 days compared to 7.4 days. BAC columns consistently showed greater NDMA removal, emphasizing the role of biodegradation in NDMA removal on carbon. The higher NDMA removal in the inoculated columns was attributed to increased microbial diversity and the dominance of six specific genera, Methylobacterium, Phyllobacterium, Curvibacter, Acidovorax, Variovorax, and Rhodoferax. This study provides new insights into using modified activated carbon as GAC and BAC media in a real-world continuous-flow setup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryani P Astuti
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Environmental Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, President University, Bekasi, Indonesia
| | - William S Taylor
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Gillian D Lewis
- School of Biological Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lokesh P Padhye
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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4
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Medeiros DCCDS, Chelme-Ayala P, Gamal El-Din M. Sorption and desorption of naphthenic acids on reclamation materials: Mechanisms and selectivity of naphthenic acids from oil sands process water. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 326:138462. [PMID: 36963589 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the application of materials peat-mineral mix (PT) and Pleistocene fluvial sands from different location (PF-1 and PF-2) obtained from surface mining of oil sands as sorbents of naphthenic acids (NAs) from oil sands process water (OSPW). To understand the sorption properties and mechanisms of NAs in the materials, sorption and desorption studies were performed using decanoic acid (DA) and 5-phenylvaleric acid (PVA). Additionally, the removal efficiency was evaluated using real OSPW to understand the effect of NA structure on sorption. Equilibrium of DA and PVA was reached at 2 days for PT, and 3 and 6 days for PF materials, respectively. Langmuir isotherm best fitted the equilibrium data. Maximum sorption capacities for DA and PVA were, respectively, 16.8 × 103 and 104 mg/kg for PT, 142.9 and 81.3 mg/kg for PF-1, and 600 and 476.2 mg/kg for PF-2. Hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and π-π interaction were the main sorption mechanisms. Desorption of model compounds from post-sorption materials was not observed for 14 days. The removal of NAs from real OSPW ranged from 20 to 54%. PT is the most promising sorbent of NAs from OSPW because it partially removed NAs with a wide range of molecular weights and structures at very low dosage. Sorption of NAs was affected by the total organic carbon of the materials, emphasizing the hydrophobic interaction as an important sorption mechanism. The results suggest that some mobility of NAs is expected to take place if the reclamation materials come in contact with OSPW, which might occur in an oil sands reclamation landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pamela Chelme-Ayala
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada.
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5
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Wei T, Wang Z, Yang Y, Xiang W, Liu Y, Wu B, Cui X, Guo B, Zhou Y. Microbial niches and dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes in a bio-enhanced granular-activated carbon biofilm treating greywater. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 331:138774. [PMID: 37100251 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in greywater treatment systems present risks for its reuse. In this study, a gravity flow self-supplying oxygen (O2) bio-enhanced granular activated carbon dynamic biofilm reactor (BhGAC-DBfR) was developed to treat greywater. Maximum removal efficiencies were achieved at saturated/unsaturated ratios (RSt/Ust) of 1:1.1 for chemical oxygen demand (97.6 ± 1.5%), linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) (99.2 ± 0.5%), NH4+-N (99.3 ± 0.7%) and total nitrogen (85.3 ± 3.2%). Microbial communities were significantly different at various RSt/Ust and reactor positions (P < 0.05). The unsaturated zone with low RSt/Ust showed more abundant microorganisms than the saturated zone with high RSt/Ust. The reactor-top community was predominant by aerobic nitrification (Nitrospira) and LAS biodegradation (Pseudomonas, Rhodobacter and Hydrogenophaga) related genera; but reactor-bottom community was predominant by anaerobic denitrification and organics removal related genera (Dechloromonas and Desulfovibrio). Most of the ARGs (e.g., intI-1, sul1, sul2 and korB) were accumulated in the biofilm, which were closely associated with microbial communities at reactor top and stratification. The saturated zone can achieve over 80% removal of the tested ARGs at all operation Phases. Results suggested that BhGAC-DBfR can provide assistance in blocking the environment dissemination of ARGs during greywater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wei
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ying Yang
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wanchen Xiang
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ying Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Beibei Wu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiaocai Cui
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Bing Guo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Surrey, Surrey, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.
| | - Yun Zhou
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Cancelli AM, Gobas FAPC. Treatment of naphthenic acids in oil sands process-affected waters with a surface flow treatment wetland: mass removal, half-life, and toxicity-reduction. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 213:113755. [PMID: 35753377 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study is the first to investigate the removal of naphthenic acids in a full-scale constructed wetland within the Alberta Oil Sands region. The average mass-removal efficiency for all O2-naphthenic acids measured in three separate deployments in the wetland ranged from 7.5% to 68.9% and appeared sensitive to physicochemical properties of the naphthenic acids, environmental conditions, and water quality. Treatment efficiency of individual naphthenic acids was found to increase with increasing carbon number and decreasing number of double bond equivalents in the molecule. Treatment efficiency was also found to increase with both higher initial turbidity in OSPW entering the wetland, and warmer average OSPW temperatures during wetland operation. Half-life times of naphthenic acids in the treatment wetland ranged between 8.9 and 39 days and were substantially lower than those in tailings ponds (i.e., 12.9-13.6 years) and laboratory studies focussed on bench-scale aerobic microbial biodegradation (i.e., 44-315 days). Using published dose-response data, biomimetic extraction measurements using solid phase microextraction fibers indicate that 14 days of wetland treatment resulted in a reduction in (4 d) deformity of Danio rerio from 50 to 16%, while exhibiting less than 1% toxic response for less sensitive toxic endpoints. The study concludes that wetland treatment is a feasible and productive treatment method for naphthenic acids in oil sands process-affected water due to a combination of sorption and biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Cancelli
- The School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Frank A P C Gobas
- The School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
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Hess A, Morgenroth E. Biological activated carbon filter for greywater post-treatment: Long-term TOC removal with adsorption and biodegradation. WATER RESEARCH X 2021; 13:100113. [PMID: 34611621 PMCID: PMC8476437 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2021.100113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Biological activated carbon (BAC) filters can be used to remove residual total organic carbon (TOC) from greywater after a membrane bioreactor. The two main TOC removal processes are adsorption to the granular activated carbon (GAC) and biological degradation. Biodegradation leads to the growth of microorganisms in the filter bed, which can lead to increased pressure loss over the filter bed. However, the roles of sorption and biodegradation in long-term TOC removal and how they complement each other are unclear. We monitored TOC removal from greywater in a BAC filter installed following a membrane bioreactor over more than 900 days. Removal performance depended on the operational time of the BAC filter, the influent TOC concentration, and in the upper part of the filter on the empty bed contact time (EBCT). Across the overall filter, the EBCT did not significantly influence TOC removal, showing that the filter was sufficiently large for the range of flow rates observed. Analysis of the long-term data revealed the equal importance of sorption and biodegradation over the whole operation period and the whole filter bed. Most of the TOC was removed in the upper part of the filter, where biodegradation was the dominant mechanism. In the lower part of the filter, sorption capacity remained and allowed high influent TOC concentrations to be buffered. The generous filter design with low average filtration rates ensured long-term TOC removal. The only maintenance needed was backwashing, which was required only after more than 800 days of operation. Backwashing effectively reduced the pressure loss but had no significant influence on the effluent water quality. Our study shows that BAC filters are a suitable post-treatment step for the treatment of greywater with highly variable flow and TOC concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Hess
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eberhard Morgenroth
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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Zhang L, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Gamal El-Din M. Application of an indigenous microorganisms-based fixed-bed GAC-biofilm reactor for passive and sustainable treatment of oil sands process water through combined adsorption and biodegradation processes. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 280:130635. [PMID: 33964752 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a fixed-bed biofilm reactor (biofilter) was developed and applied for oil sands process water (OSPW) remediation by using granular activated carbon (GAC) as packing media. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection, the total bacterial copy number (16S) in the GAC biofiltration system was found to reach a relatively stable level (1.3 ± 0.2 × 109 copies/g GAC) after 62 days of operation, and the thickness of biofilm on GAC surface was 26.7 ± 4.3 μm based on the scan of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The established GAC-biofilter showed 95.4% naphthenic acids (NAs) removal from raw OSPW after 2 months of operation. The GAC-biofilter also showed 88.3% NAs removal after a long operation time (2 years), indicating its sustainable bioremediation capacity for OSPW. 16S and 18S rRNA gene-targeted metagenomic sequencing showed that the microbial community in the GAC biofilter had higher diversity and richness than that found in the sand biofilter which was used for OSPW treatment previously. Comamonadaceae and Saccharomycotina were found to be the dominant bacterial and fungal families in the GAC biofilter, respectively. Xenobiotic metabolism function of the microbial community may contribute significantly to the biodegradation of NAs. The GAC biofiltration process is a promising passive OSPW treatment approach that can be used in-situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada; Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310051, PR China
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, United States
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310051, PR China
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada.
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Rashed Y, Messele SA, Zeng H, Gamal El-Din M. Mesoporous carbon xerogel material for the adsorption of model naphthenic acids: structure effect and kinetics modelling. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2020; 41:3534-3543. [PMID: 31046640 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2019.1615130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The study examined the preparation, characterization and the use of carbon xerogel (CX) material for the adsorption of three model naphthenic acids (NAs); such as, heptanoic acid (HPA), 5-cyclohexanepentanoic acid (CHPA), and 5-phenylvaleric acid (PVA). CX was synthesized by sol-gel method from resorcinol and formaldehyde. The characterization results showed that CX was a mesoporous material with large surface area (573 m2/g) and high pore volume (1.55 cm3/g), which was mainly composed of carbon (93.20%) and oxygen (6.71%). Adsorption studies revealed that PVA, the NA having an aromatic ring was adsorbed more easily by CX (87 mg/g) due to π-π interactions, followed by HPA (65 mg/g) and CHPA (61 mg/g). In addition, by studying the effect of solution pH, the result confirmed that repulsion greatly hindered the adsorption of HPA onto CX at pHs above that of the pHPZC and at lower pHs attractive electrostatic forces promoted adsorption. Adsorption kinetics fitted the pseudo-first-order model, which suggested that physisorption was most likely the means of adsorption. For the intraparticle diffusion model, the rate of film diffusion was higher than the rate of pore diffusion for each model compound regardless of their structure. Accordingly, this confirmed that pore diffusion was the rate-limiting step, although film diffusion still maintained a significant role in the rate of diffusion. In general, CX exhibited excellent adsorption performance due to its highly mesoporous character so it could be used as a passive treatment method in tailing ponds for removal of organic matters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara Rashed
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Hongbo Zeng
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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Zhang Y, Guo B, Zhang L, Liu Y. Key syntrophic partnerships identified in a granular activated carbon amended UASB treating municipal sewage under low temperature conditions. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 312:123556. [PMID: 32464511 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Two laboratory-scale up-flow anaerobic sludge blankets (UASB) reactors, one with and one without granular activated carbon (GAC), were operated for municipal sewage treatment at low temperatures (16.5 ± 2.0 °C). During the 120-day operation, the GAC-amended reactor significantly enhanced COD removal (from 62% to 75%, P < 0.05) and methane production (from 87 to 218 mg CH4-COD/reactor/d) than the non-GAC reactor. Bacterial communities were significantly different between the two reactors (P < 0.05). Geobacter, a key indicator for direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), had the highest differential score (LEfSe analysis), showing significantly higher abundances in the GAC-amended reactor (3.7-8.8%) than the non-GAC reactor (0.9-4.0%). GAC also enriched syntrophic bacteria, Syntrophomonas, Syntrophus and sulfate reducing bacteria. Methanobacterium dominated the archaeal community in the GAC-amended reactor sludge (35.7%) and GAC-biofilm (75.3%), and was less abundant in the non-GAC reactor (9.9%). It indicates that GAC enriched microbial syntrophic partners with potential electro-activities in the anaerobic digestion process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingdi Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Bing Guo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada.
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11
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Zhang L, Zhang Y, Patterson J, Arslan M, Zhang Y, Gamal El-Din M. Biofiltration of oil sands process water in fixed-bed biofilm reactors shapes microbial community structure for enhanced degradation of naphthenic acids. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 718:137028. [PMID: 32109809 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Naphthenic acids (NAs) are a complex mixture of carboxylic acids present in oil sands process water (OSPW). Their recalcitrant nature makes them difficult to be removed from the environment using conventional remediation strategies. This study hypothesized that, upon continuous operation, biofiltration of OSPW in fixed-bed biofilm reactors would allow the development of NA-degrading microbial community within the biofilter following successful removal. Both raw and ozonated OSPW were treated in the biofilters and changes in microbial community were tested via 16S/18S amplicon sequencing and metatranscriptomics. Through switch from suspended growth to attached growth, a shift in indigenous microbial community was seen following by an increase in alpha diversity. Concomitantly, improved degradation of NAs was monitored, i.e., 35.8% and 69.4% of NAs were removed from raw and ozonated OSPW, respectively. Metatranscriptomics analysis suggested the presence of genes involved in the degradation of organic acids and petroleum-related compounds. Specifically, functional abundance of aromatic compounds' metabolism improved from 0.05% to 0.76%; whereas abundance of benzoate transport and degradation pathway increased from 0.04% to 0.64%. These changes conclude that continuous operation of OSPW in the bioreactors was in favor of shaping the overall microbiome towards better NA degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada; Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310051, PR China
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, United States
| | - Jordan Patterson
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Muhammad Arslan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310051, PR China
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada.
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Devi P, Dalai AK, Chaurasia SP. Activity and stability of biochar in hydrogen peroxide based oxidation system for degradation of naphthenic acid. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 241:125007. [PMID: 31600623 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the stability and catalytic activity of wheat straw biochar (WS), hardwood biochar (HW) and commercial activated carbon (AC) in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) based oxidation system for degradation of model naphthenic acids compound, 1-methyl-1- cyclohexane carboxylic acid (MCCA). WS showed excellent catalytic activity for decomposition of H2O2 and MCCA degradation as demonstrated by high H2O2 decomposition rate (2.0*10-4 M-1s-1), amount of hydroxyl (OH) radicals generated (182 mg/L) and degradation efficiency of MCCA (100% at Co - 100 mg/L). 2-Methyl pentatonic acid was identified as reaction intermediate and 99% mineralization of MCCA was obtained within 4 h. The real wastewater conditions were simulated by addition of chloride (Cl-) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) and found that lower concentrations of Cl- and HCO3- have minimal influence on MCCA removal. Overall, biochar catalyzed H2O2 based oxidation process has great potential and can be applied for degradation of NAs in oil-sand processed water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parmila Devi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A9, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Ajay K Dalai
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A9, Saskatoon, Canada.
| | - S P Chaurasia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, 302017, India
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13
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Song T, Li S, Jin J, Yin Z, Lu Y, Bao M, Li Y. Enhanced hydrolyzed polyacrylamide removal from water by an aerobic biofilm reactor-ozone reactor-aerobic biofilm reactor hybrid treatment system: Performance, key enzymes and functional microorganisms. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 291:121811. [PMID: 31344634 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-containing (HPAM-containing) wastewater was investigated in a lab-scale aerobic-ozonic-aerobic hybrid treatment system. When the HPAM concentration was 500 mg L-1 and the ozone dose was 25 g O3/g TOC, the HPAM removal rate reached 90.79%. Experimental results obtained from gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and rheometer indicated that the refractory HPAM was decomposed into small-molecule compounds. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that there was no acrylamide (AM) in the effluent of the system. Microbial communities in two aerobic biofilm reactors (ABRs) were analyzed by Illumina MiSeq Sequencing, which indicated that norank_f_Cytophagaceae, Meiothermus, Bacillus, etc. were keystone functional bacterial genera and Methanobacterium, norank_p_Bathyarchaeota, norank_c_Marine_Group_Ⅰ, etc. were dominant functional archaeal groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to treat HPAM-containing wastewater using an aerobic-ozonic-aerobic hybrid process. Good removal efficiencies and presence of functional microorganisms demonstrated that the hybrid treatment system was practical for treating HPAM-containing wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianwen Song
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jiafeng Jin
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Zichao Yin
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yifeng Lu
- Department of Environmental Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mutai Bao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group), Beijing 100728, China
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14
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Valdes Labrada GM, Nemati M. Biodegradation of surrogate naphthenic acids and electricity generation in microbial fuel cells: bioelectrochemical and microbial characterizations. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2018; 41:1635-1649. [PMID: 30046898 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-018-1989-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Waters contaminated with naphthenic acids (NAs) and associated tailings are one of the major environmental challenges associated with the processing of oil sands and production of heavy oil. In the current work biodegradation of linear and cyclic naphthenic acids, namely octanoic acid and 4-methyl-1-cyclohexane carboxylic acid (trans-4MCHCA), individually and in mixture were evaluated in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In batch MFCs with single rod electrodes and freely suspended bacteria, biodegradation rate increased as NA initial concentration increased from 100 to 250 mg L-1 with no further improvement when a concentration of 500 mg L-1 was evaluated. During the co-biodegradation, diauxic microbial growth and preferential use of octanoic acid were observed. Moreover, the presence of octanoic acid enhanced the biodegradation of trans-4MCHCA. In the continuous flow MFCs with granular graphite electrodes and biofilm, increases in NA concentration and loading rate led to higher biodegradation rates and improvement of electrochemical output. Furthermore, MFC operated with octanoic acid outperformed its counterpart that was fed with trans-4MCHCA, with the maximum biodegradation rate, current and power densities for octanoic acid and trans-4MCHCA being 49.9 and 36.5 mg L-1 h-1, 6000.0 and 4296.3 mA m-3, and 963.0 and 481.5 mW m-3, respectively. Co-biodegradation of NAs in continuous flow MFCs with biofilm acclimated to octanoic acid or trans-4MCHCA revealed development of distinctly different microbial communities, simultaneous biodegradation of NAs albeit at faster rates for octanoic acid, and superior performance of MFC with the biofilm developed with trans-4MCHCA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehdi Nemati
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5A9, Canada.
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15
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Islam MS, McPhedran KN, Messele SA, Liu Y, Gamal El-Din M. Isotherm and kinetic studies on adsorption of oil sands process-affected water organic compounds using granular activated carbon. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 202:716-725. [PMID: 29604558 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The production of oil from oil sands in northern Alberta has led to the generation of large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) that was reported to be toxic to aquatic and other living organisms. The toxicity of OSPW has been attributed to the complex nature of OSPW matrix including the inorganic and organic compounds primarily naphthenic acids (NAs: CnH2n+ZOx). In the present study, granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption was investigated for its potential use to treat raw and ozonated OSPW. The results indicated that NA species removal increased with carbon number (n) for a fixed Z number; however, the NA species removal decreased with Z number for a fixed carbon number. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained from Langmuir adsorption isotherm based on acid-extractable fraction (AEF) and NAs were 98.5 mg and 60.9 mg AEF/g GAC and 60 mg and 37 mg NA/g GAC for raw and ozonated OSPW, respectively. It was found that the Freundlich isotherm model best fits the AEF and NA equilibrium data (r2 ≥ 0.88). The adsorption kinetics showed that the pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion models were both appropriate in modeling the adsorption kinetics of AEF and NAs to GAC (r2 ≥ 0.97). Although pore diffusion was the rate limiting step, film diffusion was still significant for assessing the rate of diffusion of NAs. This study could be helpful to model, design and optimize the adsorption treatment technologies of OSPW and to assess the performance of other adsorbents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shahinoor Islam
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Kerry N McPhedran
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Selamawit A Messele
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada.
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16
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Aher A, Papp J, Colburn A, Wan H, Hatakeyama E, Prakash P, Weaver B, Bhattacharyya D. Naphthenic acids removal from high TDS produced water by persulfate mediated iron oxide functionalized catalytic membrane, and by nanofiltration. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL (LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND : 1996) 2017; 327:573-583. [PMID: 29398952 PMCID: PMC5791545 DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2017.06.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Oil industries generate large amounts of produced water containing organic contaminants, such as naphthenic acids (NA) and very high concentrations of inorganic salts. Recovery of potable water from produced water can be highly energy intensive is some cases due to its high salt concentration, and safe discharge is more suitable. Here, we explored catalytic properties of iron oxide (FexOy nanoparticles) functionalized membranes in oxidizing NA from water containing high concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) using persulfate as an oxidizing agent. Catalytic decomposition of persulfate by FexOy functionalized membranes followed pseudo-first order kinetics with an apparent activation energy of 18 Kcal/mol. FexOy functionalized membranes were capable of lowering the NA concentrations to less than discharge limits of 10 ppm at 40 °C. Oxidation state of iron during reaction was quantified. Membrane performance was investigated for extended period of time. A coupled process of advanced oxidation catalyzed by membrane and nanofiltration was also evaluated. Commercially available nanofiltration membranes were found capable of retaining NA from water containing high concentrations of dissolved salts. Commercial NF membranes, Dow NF270 (Dow), and NF8 (Nanostone) had NA rejection of 79% and 82%, respectively. Retentate for the nanofiltration was further treated with advanced oxidation catalyzed by FexOy functionalized membrane for removal of NA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Aher
- Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
| | - Joseph Papp
- Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
| | - Andrew Colburn
- Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
| | - Hongyi Wan
- Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
| | | | | | | | - Dibakar Bhattacharyya
- Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
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17
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Bhuiyan TI, Tak JK, Sessarego S, Harfield D, Hill JM. Adsorption of acid-extractable organics from oil sands process-affected water onto biomass-based biochar: Metal content matters. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 168:1337-1344. [PMID: 27919534 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.11.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The impact of biochar properties on acid-extractable organics (AEO) adsorption from oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) was studied. Biochar from wheat straw with the highest ash content (14%) had the highest adsorption capacity (0.59 mg/g) followed by biochar from pulp mill sludge, switchgrass, mountain pine, hemp shives, and aspen wood. The adsorption capacity had no obvious trend with surface area, total pore volume, bulk polarity and aromaticity. The large impact of metal content was consistent with the carboxylates (i.e., naphthenate species) in the OSPW binding to the metals (mainly Al and Fe) on the carbon substrate. Although the capacity of biochar is still approximately two orders of magnitude lower than that of a commercial activated carbon, confirming the property (i.e., metal content) that most influenced AEO adsorption, may allow biochar to become competitive with activated carbon after normalizing for cost, especially if this cost includes environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tazul I Bhuiyan
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jin K Tak
- Thermochemical Processing, InnoTech Alberta, P.O. Bag 4000, Vegreville, T9C 1T4, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sebastian Sessarego
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Don Harfield
- Thermochemical Processing, InnoTech Alberta, P.O. Bag 4000, Vegreville, T9C 1T4, Alberta, Canada
| | - Josephine M Hill
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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