Evaluation of Phosphate Removal Efficiency from Aqueous Solution by Polypyrrole/BOF Slag Nanocomposite

Sequential treatment of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater using a permeable reactive barrier system

When not properly treated, nitrate and phosphate present in groundwater can damage human health and environments. In this study, laboratory column experiments were performed for sequential treatment of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater. Two columns were set up and connected: one to treat nitrate with organic carbon materials (i.e., woodchips) and the other to treat phosphate with basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag. The columns were operated for a total of 1.6 years. The results showed that nitrate was removed through denitrification and phosphate was removed by precipitation of the phosphate minerals (e.g., hydroxyapatite). BOF slag was effective at removing phosphate, though the high pH (11-12) of the system's effluent water raised a concern for the downgradient areas. Of the three subsequent experiments performed, pH was near neutral when the effluent of the BOF slag column was passed through local soil. Sparging with CO₂ and air, in contrast, resulted in pH levels that were either too low (5 in the case of CO₂) or too high (9.5 in the case of air). The study shows that sequential permeable reactive barrier (PRB) systems consisting of woodchips and BOF slag can be effective for removal of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater and they can be a long-term remedial solution for groundwater contaminated with both nitrate and phosphate.

Conductive Polymers and Their Nanocomposites as Adsorbents in Environmental Applications

Proper treatment and disposal of industrial pollutants of all kinds are a global issue that presents significant techno-economical challenges. The presence of pollutants such as heavy metal ions (HMIs) and organic dyes (ODs) in wastewater is considered a significant problem owing to their carcinogenic and toxic nature. Additionally, industrial gaseous pollutants (GPs) are considered to be harmful to human health and may cause various environmental issues such as global warming, acid rain, smog and air pollution, etc. Conductive polymer-based nanomaterials have gained significant interest in recent years, compared with ceramics and metal-based nanomaterials. The objective of this review is to provide detailed insights into different conductive polymers (CPs) and their nanocomposites that are used as adsorbents for environmental remediation applications. The dominant types of CPs that are being used as adsorbent materials include polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (Ppy), and polythiophene (PTh). The various adsorption mechanisms proposed for the removal of ODs, HMIs, and other GPs by the different CPs are presented, together with their maximum adsorption capacities, experimental conditions, adsorption, and kinetic models reported.

Simultaneous removal of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater using Ca-citrate complex

Eutrophication can be caused by excessive input of nutrients, such as nitrate and phosphate, to surface water. Nutrients in groundwater can enter surface water by means of base flow, requiring treatment before they reach surface water bodies. While some studies have attempted to remove nitrate and phosphate, methods for simultaneous removal in groundwater have rarely been reported. In this study, we propose an innovative treatment method to simultaneously remove nitrate and phosphate in groundwater based on an injection of Ca-citrate complex. A total of five batch experiments with different conditions were conducted to identify the removal mechanisms of nitrate and phosphate and to evaluate the use of alternative organic materials, such as lactate. The results showed that Ca-citrate complex can remove nitrate and phosphate simultaneously. Nitrate was removed through denitrification by denitrifying bacteria which used citrate as a carbon source. The removal mechanisms for phosphate were precipitation of phosphate minerals (e.g., hydroxyapatite) and adsorption. The results also showed that reactive materials based on Ca-lactate complex were able to remove nitrate and phosphate. This study suggests that nitrate and phosphate in groundwater can simultaneously be removed using organic-based calcium complexes, proposing a promising remedial method to alleviate potential eutrophication in surface water as well as groundwater contamination.

Na@La-modified zeolite particles for simultaneous removal of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate from rejected water: performance and mechanism

Rejected water from sludge processing in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is very harmful due to its high concentration of ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus. It is therefore necessary to find a low-cost and convenient technique to simultaneously remove ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus from rejected water. In this study, natural granular zeolite was modified by NaCl and La(OH)₃ to obtain a new material (Na@La-MZP), with several advantages compared with powdered zeolite. Na@La-MZP could remove 92.61% ammonia nitrogen (50 mg/L) and 99.01% phosphate (60 mg/L) at the optimal conditions of dosage 12.5 g/L, initial pH 6.0 and reaction time 12 hours, which enabled the effluent to satisfy the discharge standard (GB 18918-2002) for municipal WWTPs in China. The maximum adsorption capacity of Na@La-MZP was determined as 17.92 mg NH₄⁺-N/g and 9.53 mg P/g by the Langmuir isotherm. Pseudo-second-order kinetics could well illustrate the adsorption process and show that the ammonia nitrogen and phosphate can be degraded by chemical reaction. The characterizations of Na@La-MZP confirmed the removal mechanism of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate. The Na@La-MZP still maintained more than 75% removal efficiency after five reuses. Furthermore, the estimated cost of this treatment method was 0.22 $/m³ rejected water.

Effect of basic oxygen furnace slag addition on enhanced alkaline sludge fermentation and simultaneous phosphate removal

This study presents a promising approach that enhances the sludge fermentation by using basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag as an alkaline source for the first time. BOF slag added to the reactors could maintain a stable alkaline condition due to continuous release of Ca(OH)₂ from slag. The reactor pH could be adjusted to a target value by the choice of the BOF slag dose. Concentrations of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) and short-chain carboxylates (SCCs) were substantially increased in the presence of BOF slag. At a BOF slag mass to sludge volume ratio of 1/10 g slag/L sludge, the reactor pH was maintained at 10 and the concentration of SCCs produced was the highest (i.e., 3510 mg COD L^-1 from 14,000 mg VS L^-1 of sludge mixture), followed by B/S ratios of 1/20, 1.50, 1/5, and 1/2.5 g slag L^-1 sludge with reactor pH of 9.4, 8.9, 10.5, and 11, respectively. Our data suggest that the pH value that best facilitates the degradation of sludge into SCCs and inhibit the conversion of SCCs into biogas is around 10. Interestingly, compositions of the accumulated SCCs varied greatly depending on the BOF slag dose. BOF slag showed phosphorus removal ability due to enhanced precipitation of Ca-PO₄^3--P complexes, which significantly lowered PO₄^3- concentration of the reactor effluent.

Investigation of Phosphate Removal Capability of Blast Furnace Slag in Wastewater Treatment

Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) is a by-product of iron making with a potential to be used in different applications. In this research, BFS is used to investigate the phosphate removal ability in wastewater. BFS has the required concentrations of surface calcium to potentially precipitate phosphate from wastewater. Removal of phosphate from wastewater depends on variety of conditions, such as the size of BFS particles, adsorbent dose, contact time and pH. The conditions responsible for phosphate removal from wastewater with BFS were analysed and the phosphate removal capacity optimised according to the BFS chemical content. The results in this work demonstrated that the basicity (CaO/SiO₂) of BFS has a reverse effect on phosphate removal capacity. High basicity reduces the capability of BFS for removal of phosphate. BFS composition before and after phosphate removal was determined with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The results revealed that the slag samples added varying concentrations of trace metals Al, Cd, Co and Hg into the treated water, which will need to be further conditioned by dilution with unpolluted water or other treatments before disposal or re-use.

Effect of phosphate concentration, anions, heavy metals, and organic matter on phosphate adsorption from wastewater using anodized iron oxide nanoflakes

Phosphorus is a necessary nutrient for the growth and survival of living beings. Nevertheless, an oversupply of phosphorus in wastewater results in eutrophication. Therefore, its removal from wastewater is important. However, coexisting components, such as anions, heavy metals, and organic matter, might inhibit the phosphate-adsorption mechanism by competing for the active surface sites of the adsorbent. In this study, iron oxide nanoflakes (INFs) were fabricated on iron foil via anodization. The rate of phosphate adsorption from wastewater onto INFs in the presence of three different coexisting components-anions, heavy metals, and organic matter-was evaluated. The morphology of the INFs was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The phosphate adsorption equilibrium time using INFs was found to be 1 h. The Elovich model (R² > 0.99) and the Langmuir model (R² >0.95) respectively provided the best description of the adsorption kinetics and isotherm, suggesting the chemisorption nature of adsorption. The estimated adsorption capacity of the INFs was 21.5 mg-P g^-1. The effect of anions (chloride, sulfate, nitrate, and carbonate) and heavy metals (Cd, As, Cr, and Pb) was studied at three different molar ratios (0.5:1, 1:1, and 1.5:1). The effect of different types of organic matter, such as citric acid, humic acid, and oxalic acid at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg L^-1, was also examined. In five regeneration cycles, the total amount of phosphate adsorbed and desorbed, and the recovery percentage were 6.51 mg-P g^-1, 5.16 mg-P g^-1, and 79.24%, respectively.