Microbially mediated clinoptilolite regeneration in a multifunctional permeable reactive barrier used to remove ammonium from landfill leachate contamination: laboratory column evaluation

Characterizing laboratory-scale clinoptilolite bio-columns for removal and nitrification of ammoniacal nitrogen in simulated stormwater

Due to the diverse speciation and biochemical characteristics of nitrogen in urban runoff, excess nitrogen continues to be a major source of eutrophication in receiving waters. The performance of a nitrifying-sorptive Clinoptilolite (ZT) was examined for use in a media-based stormwater control measure (SCM) for ammonium removal. Results suggested that columns operated under continuous feed showed more nitrification as the media approached ammonium exhaustion. Influent concentrations of 2.5 and 5 mg NH₄ ⁺ -N/L tested under continuous flow regimes both showed steady-state operation after media exhaustion, with the average effluent [NO₃ ^- N] of 1.2 and 1.7 mg/L, respectively. The performance of the media under intermittent flow regime showed lower effluent ammonium, nitrification between simulated saturated periods, and could treat an additional 70 bed volumes of simulated runoff when compared to a column receiving identical continuous feed. However, nitrification was not sufficient to prevent desorption of ammonium during drops in influent NH₄ ⁺ -N concentrations. Use of Clinoptilolite for ammonium sorption/nitrification is a systematic approach for capture and transformation of incoming/mineralized ammonium to nitrate prior to reaching an anoxic/denitrifying zone within SCMs. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Clinoptilolite can accumulate stormwater ammonium, allowing it to be nitrified. Ammonium nitrification will regenerate exchange sites on the clinoptilolite. Intermittent flow conditions allowed more nitrification between stormwater events.

Combination of zeolite barrier and bio sparging techniques to enhance efficiency of organic hydrocarbon remediation in a model of shallow groundwater

Adsorption and bioremediation are effective processes for remediation of benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene (BTE) through Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs). A few researches focus on adsorption of natural zeolite because of its hydrophilic property. On the other hand, PRBs need to be replaced by fresh materials after a while when all the possible absorption positions were filled up. We tried to find a way to increase the efficiency of PRB, elongation of its replacement period and of course decreasing the cost of remediation. Equipping of PRB with microbial degradation system was the idea. The present study describes the performances of natural Clinoptilolite-Heulandite Zeolite (CH-Z) and three new strains (safe and low-cost media) utilized in a PRB for removing BTE from contaminated shallow groundwater. First, batch tests were conducted to recognize the optimal removal conditions for utilization of C-HZ and strains to remediate BTE compounds. Then, an aerobic PRB system filled with a natural zeolite was designed and investigated in a continuous flow sand-tank model to assess the efficiency of combined PRBs (zeolite + biosparging), for BTE-contaminated groundwater. Batch experiments showed that the BTE removal of zeolite was 89%, as well as, a consortium of three bacterial strains, Variovorax sp. OT16, Pseudomonas balearica OT17, and Ornithinibacillus sp. OT18 efficiently removed the BTE mixture. The process of BTE removal in the PRB under continuous-flow condition was divided into three phases: Phase I, in which the barrier was made of the only zeolite, and in Phases II and III the reactor was fed by microorganisms. This experiment revealed that in Phases I, the concentrations of BTE decrease (92%) due to zeolite adsorption. In Phase II and III, the degradation process became the principal removal mechanism (68% and 81%, respectively). Consequently, this research showed high ability of C-HZ in the BTE treatment, and a combination of Natural Zeolite, with a biological degradation system (CH-Z -PRB) improves the efficiency of BTE remediation. However, the slow biodegradation rates and the continuous injection of BTE in the model confirmed that longer time was needed for the PRB to function optimally. Finally, the combined method of CH-Z- BIO PRB showed the great potential in the restriction of the BTE migration that can be used at the field-scale after up-scaling.

Simultaneous removal of ammonium nitrogen, dissolved chemical oxygen demand and color from sanitary landfill leachate using natural zeolite

In this study, natural zeolite with maximum adsorption capacity of 3.59 mg g^-1 was used for the simultaneous removal of ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), dissolved chemical oxygen demand (d-COD) and color from raw sanitary landfill leachate (SLL). Saturation, desorption and regeneration tests of zeolite were performed. Optimum adsorption conditions were found for particle size 0.930 µm, stirring rate of 1.18 m s^-1, zeolite dosage of 133 g L^-1 and pH 8. NH₄⁺-N removal efficiency reached 51.63 ± 0.80% within 2.5 min of contact. NH₄⁺-N adsorption follows mostly the linear pseudo-second order model, with intra-particle diffusion. NH₄⁺-N desorption follows the linear pseudo-second order model. Adsorption data fitted to the Temkin Isotherm in linear and nonlinear forms. Saturation tests showed that zeolite can be efficiently used in three successive adsorption cycles. NH₄⁺-N release from the saturated zeolite was not completely reversible, suggesting that the zeolite may be used as slow ΝΗ₄⁺-Ν releasing fertilizer and an attractive low cost material for the treatment of SLL. NH₄⁺-N removal with the regenerated zeolite exceeded 40% of the initial concentration in the fluid within 2.5 min. SEM analysis showed significant changes through saturation and regeneration. XPS revealed that adsorption of ΝΗ₄⁺-Ν to the zeolite was accompanied by ion exchange.

Intensification of supercritical water oxidation (ScWO) process for landfill leachate treatment through ion exchange with zeolite

Over the past few years, supercritical water oxidation (ScWO) has shown great potential for application to landfill leachate treatment, providing substantial organic matter degradation in terms of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC). However, the conversion of ammonia, which is present at high concentrations in leachates, is the rate-limiting step during ScWO and usually requires large amounts of oxidants, the addition of catalysts, or severe operating conditions. Aiming at proposing a treatment system that effectively removes both organic matter and ammonia from leachate, this paper evaluates the intensification of the ScWO process through ion exchange with zeolite. Thus, ScWO was operated under a pressure of 23 MPa at 600 and 700 °C, without the addition of oxidants. The zeolite (clinoptilolite) was used without any modification inside a glass column. The ScWO (600 °C)/zeolite system removed 90% ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N), 100% nitrite (NO₂-N), 98% nitrate (NO₃-N), color, and turbidity, 81% TOC, and 74% COD, suggesting that this system is a promising alternative for leachate treatment. However, the final NH₃-N and COD values were slightly above the limits (20 and 200 mg L^-1, respectively) stipulated by the Brazilian environmental legislation. These results suggest that further improvements are still required for the application of the intensified ScWO to be feasible. Notably, ammonium-saturated clinoptilolite is amenable for regeneration or can be applied to soil as a slow-release fertilizer.

Removal of ammonium-nitrogen from groundwater using a fully passive permeable reactive barrier with oxygen-releasing compound and clinoptilolite

A novel fully passive permeable reactive barrier (PRB) with oxygen-releasing compound (ORC) and clinoptilolite was proposed for the removal of ammonium-nitrogen from groundwater. The PRB involves a combination of oxygen release, biological nitrification, ion exchange, and bioregeneration. A pilot-scale performance comparison experiment was carried out employing three parallel columns to assess the proposed PRB. The results showed that the PRB achieved nearly complete [Formula: see text] depletion (>99%). [Formula: see text] of 5.23-10.88 mg/L was removed, and [Formula: see text] of <1.93 mg/L and [Formula: see text] of 2.03-19.67 mg/L were generated. Ion exchange and biological nitrification both contributed to [Formula: see text] removal, and the latter played a dominant role under the condition of sufficient oxygen. Biological nitrification favored a delay in sorption saturation and a release of exchange sites. The ORC could sufficiently, efficiently supply oxygen for approximately 120 pore volumes. The clinoptilolite ensured a robust [Formula: see text] removal in case of temporary insufficient biological activities. No external alkalinity sources had to be supplied and no inhibition of aerobic metabolism occurred. The ceramicite had a negligible effect on the biomass growth. Based on the research findings, a full-scale continuous wall PRB was installed in Shenyang, China in 2012.

Laboratory column study for evaluating a multimedia permeable reactive barrier for the remediation of ammonium contaminated groundwater

In order to remediate ammonium contaminated groundwater, an innovative multimedia permeable reactive barrier (M-PRB) was proposed, which consisted of sequential columns combining oxygen releasing compound (ORC), zeolite, spongy iron and pine bark in the laboratory scale. Results showed that both ammonium and nitrate could be reduced to levels below the regulatory discharge limits through ion exchange and microbial degradation (nitrification and denitrification) in different compartments of the M-PRB system. The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) increased from 2 to above 20 mg/L after the simulated groundwater flowed through the oxygen releasing column packed with ORC, demonstrating that ORC could supply sufficient oxygen for subsequent microbial nitrification. Ammonium was efficiently removed from about 10 to below 0.5 mg N/L in the aerobic reaction column which was filled with biological zeolite. After 54 operating days, more than 70% ammonium could be removed by microbial nitrification in the aerobic reaction column, indicating that the combined use of ion exchange and nitrification by biological zeolite could ensure high and sustainable ammonium removal efficiency. To avoid the second pollution of nitrate produced by the former nitrification, spongy iron and pine bark were used to remove oxygen and supply organic carbon for heterotrophic denitrification in the oxygen removal column and anaerobic reaction column separately. The concentration of nitrate decreased from 14 to below 5 mg N/L through spongy iron-based chemical reduction and microbial denitrification.

Ammonium-nitrogen-contaminated groundwater remediation by a sequential three-zone permeable reactive barrier (multibarrier) with oxygen-releasing compound (ORC)/clinoptilolite/spongy iron: column studies

A novel sequential permeable reactive barrier (multibarrier), composed of oxygen-releasing compound (ORC)/clinoptilolite/spongy iron zones in series, was proposed for ammonium-nitrogen-contaminated groundwater remediation. Column experiments were performed to: (1) evaluate the overall NH4(+)-N removal performance of the proposed multibarrier, (2) investigate nitrogen transformation in the three zones, (3) determine the reaction front progress, and (4) explore cleanup mechanisms for inorganic nitrogens. The results showed that NH4 (+)-N percent removal by the multibarrier increased up to 90.43 % after 21 pore volumes (PVs) at the influent dissolved oxygen of 0.68∼2.45 mg/L and pH of 6.76∼7.42. NH4(+)-N of 4.06∼10.49 mg/L was depleted and NOx(-)-N (i.e., NO3 (-)-N + NO2(-)-N) of 4.26∼9.63 mg/L was formed before 98 PVs in the ORC zone. NH4(+)-N of ≤4.76 mg/L was eliminated in the clinoptilolite zone. NOx(-)-N of 10.44∼12.80 mg/L was lost before 21 PVs in the spongy iron zone. The clinoptilolite zone length should be reduced to 30 cm. Microbial nitrification played a dominant role in NH4(+)-N removal in the ORC zone. Ion exchange was majorly responsible for NH4(+)-N elimination in the clinoptilolite zone. Chemical reduction and hydrogenotrophic denitrification both contributed to NOx(-)-N transformation, but the chemical reduction capacity decreased after 21 PVs in the spongy iron.