Biopolymer Flocculants and Oat Hull Biomass To Aid the Removal of Orthophosphate in Wastewater Treatment

Utilization of Bioflocculants from Flaxseed Gum and Fenugreek Gum for the Removal of Arsenicals from Water

Mucilage-based flocculants are an alternative to synthetic flocculants and their use in sustainable water treatment relates to their non-toxic and biodegradable nature. Mucilage extracted from flaxseed (FSG) and fenugreek seed (FGG) was evaluated as natural flocculants in a coagulation-flocculation (CF) process for arsenic removal, and were compared against a commercial xanthan gum (XG). Mucilage materials were characterized by spectroscopy (FT-IR, ¹³C NMR), point-of-zero charge (pH_pzc) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Box-Behnken design (BBD) with response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine optimal conditions for arsenic removal for the CF process for three independent variables: coagulant dosage, flocculant dosage and settling time. Two anionic systems were tested: S1, roxarsone (organic arsenate 50 mg L^-1) at pH 7 and S2 inorganic arsenate (inorganic arsenate 50 mg L^-1) at pH 7.5. Variable arsenic removal (RE, %) was achieved: 92.0 (S1-FSG), 92.3 (S1-FGG), 92.8 (S1-XG), 77.0 (S2-FSG), 69.6 (S2-FGG) and 70.6 (S2-XG) based on the BBD optimization. An in situ kinetic method was used to investigate arsenic removal, where the pseudo-first-order model accounts for the kinetic process. The FSG and FGG materials offer a sustainable alternative for the controlled removal of arsenic in water using a facile CF treatment process with good efficiency, as compared with a commercial xanthan gum.

Chemically enhanced primary treatment of dairy wastewater using chitosan obtained from shrimp wastes: optimization using a Doehlert matrix design

Dairy operations generate large volumes of polluted wastewater that require treatment prior to discharge. Chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) is a widely utilized wastewater treatment strategy; but it requires the use of non-biodegradable coagulants that can lead to toxic-byproducts. In this study, chitin from shrimp shell waste is extracted and converted into chitosan. Chitosan was demonstrated to be a natural, low-cost alternative coagulant compatible with the CEPT. Following treatment, dissolved air flotation allowed for the removal of turbidity, COD, and UV₂₅₄ from the synthetic dairy effluent (SDE). Doehlert matrix was used to optimize the chitosan dosage and pH of the CEPT; as well as to model the process. The mechanisms behind the coagulation-flocculation were revealed using zeta potential analysis. FTIR spectroscopy was utilized to confirm the functional groups present on the chitosan. Chitosan with a degree of deacetylation equal to 81% was obtained. A chitosan dose of 73.34 mg/L at pH 5.00 was found to be optimal for the removal of pollutants. Removals of COD, turbidity and UV₂₅₄ were 77.5%, 97.6%, and 88.8%, respectively. The amount of dry sludge generated to treat 1 m³ of SDE was 0.041 kg. Coagulation-flocculation mechanisms involved in chitosan-mediated treatment of SDE involve the neutralization of electrostatic charges carried on the amine groups present in cationic chitosan at pH 5.00. Doehlert matrix proved to be a useful tool in optimizing parameters throughout the coagulation-flocculation process. Chitosan from shrimp waste is a low-cost, eco-friendly coagulant alternative for the removal pollutants from dairy effluent using the CEPT.

Facilely Synthesized, Highly Permeable, and Efficiently Recyclable Polycationic Gel with Cohesive State Transformations for Purifying Dyeing Wastewater

A highly permeable polycationic gel (PPG) was designed as a new type of absorbent material, which was prepared by a facile cross-linking copolymerization of 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropylmethyldiallylammonium chloride and dimethyldiallylammonium chloride at 45 °C for 3.0 h. When the PPG absorbent was used for purifying dyeing wastewater, it showed high permeability so that the dyes could fully penetrate into the PPG more easily to be absorbed. Moreover, through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy technologies, the structures of PPG before and after absorption were analyzed, showing that the cohesive states of PPG underwent a great transformation during PPG absorption, and the binding energy of N 1S of PPG increased from 401.66 to 402.15 eV. Because of the new absorption effects of the cohesive state transformations of PPG, the absorption capacity of PPG for absorbing a large-sized dye of Reactive Scarlet 3BS reached 1371.04 mg·g-1, which was 2.07-56.35 times than those of other structural forms of similar cationic absorbents and was 761.69 times higher than that of the frequently used activated carbon. This was the greatest improvement level on the absorption ability of PPG versus the existing absorbents. In addition, PPG achieved excellent recyclability with a mild room-temperature desorption technology, and the absorption capacity of the recycled PPG was 606.76 times higher than that of activated carbon.

Application progress of enhanced coagulation in water treatment

Water industries worldwide consider coagulation/flocculation to be one of the major treatment methods for improving the overall efficiency and cost effectiveness of water and wastewater treatment. Enhancing the coagulation process is currently a popular research topic. In this review article, the latest developments in enhanced coagulation are summarized. In addition, the mechanisms of enhanced coagulation and the effect of process parameters on processing efficiency are discussed from the perspective of ballast-enhanced coagulation, preoxidation, ultrasound, and composite coagulants. Finally, improvements and new directions for enhanced coagulation are proposed.

This review summarizes the current situation of enhanced coagulation and looks forward to future development.

Surface-Modified Chitosan: An Adsorption Study of a “Tweezer-Like” Biopolymer with Fluorescein

Tweezer-like adsorbents with enhanced surface area were synthesized by grafting aniline onto the amine sites of a chitosan biopolymer scaffold. The chemical structure and textural properties of the adsorbents were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and spectral methods, including Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H- and, 13C-NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Equilibrium solvent swelling results for the adsorbent materials provided evidence of a more apolar biopolymer surface upon grafting. Equilibrium uptake studies with fluorescein at ambient pH in aqueous media reveal a high monolayer adsorption capacity (Qm) of 61.8 mg·g−1, according to the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic adsorption profiles are described by the pseudo-first order kinetic model. 1D NMR and 2D-NOESY NMR spectra were used to confirm the role of π-π interactions between the adsorbent and adsorbate. Surface modification of the adsorbent using monomeric and dimeric cationic surfactants with long hydrocarbon chains altered the hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of the adsorbent surface, which resulted in attenuated uptake of fluorescein by the chitosan molecular tweezers. This research contributes to a first example of the uptake properties for a tweezer-like chitosan adsorbent and the key role of weak cooperative interactions in controlled adsorption of a model anionic dye.