Domenico Petruzzelli

Photocatalytic Oxidation of Organic Micro-Pollutants: Pilot Plant Investigation and Mechanistic Aspects of the Degradation Reaction

An innovative pilot plant based on UVB and TiO2 (Anatase) allowed for photocatalytic degradation of organic micro-pollutants. The catalyst was immobilized onto a channel through which the solution containing a target molecule (methylene blue, MB) was re-circulated. Due to the cationic nature of the MB substrate, the adsorption reaction onto the catalyst surface provided a significant contribution to the overall degradation mechanism due to the negatively charged surface at neutral pH (TiO2 pHzpc = 6.8). The influence of the initial MB concentration was investigated in the range 0.3–2.0 mg L−1 with the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) model showing good data correlations at concentrations up to 0.7 mg L−1, whereas at higher concentrations a pure zero-order (catalytic) kinetic trend was observed. Flow rate of the re-circulating solution sensibly influenced kinetics after the larger volumes of liquid exposed to UVB/TiO2 and to the better oxygen saturation in the liquid phase. UV−vis and HPLC-MS/MS experimental determinations allowed for identification of MB residual concentration and by-products.

Sorption of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) From Single- and Multimetal Solutions by Recycled Waste Porous Glass

Selective sorption of lead, cadmium, and nickel ions on recycled waste porous glass beads was investigated. Single-metal equilibrations were carried out in demineralized water and ternary metal equilibrations were carried out in demi- and tap water. Freundlich isotherm gave a good correlation of the experimental data. Maximum metal retention (qmax) in single-ion solutions were 18.66 mg/gRPWG (0.090 mmol/gRPWG), 4.83 mg/gRPWG (0.043 mmol/gRPWG), 4.00 mg/gRPWG (0.068 mmol/gRPWG), respectively, for Pb+2, Cd+2, and Ni+2, and lower figures were in the case of ternary systems: 13.50 mg/gRPWG(0.065 mmol/gRPWG), 2.23 (0.020 mmol/gRPWG), 2.05 mg/gRPWG(0.034 mmol/gRPWG), respectively, for Pb+2, Cd+2, and Ni+2, with further drastic reduction in tap water. Metal exhausted beads were used as thermal insulators in cement mortars, minimizing their potential impact in the environment.

Online wastewater monitoring system using solid state sensor

Water and wastewater monitoring management is a task of paramount importance for the environmental control operations in the framework of the Adaptive Water Management policies enforced by the current EU legislation. Water resources management, on one side, and efficient water/wastewater treatment and control operations, on the other, must be carried-out timely and synergistically for best results. It is well known that conventional field sampling operations condition significantly data reliability from both qualitative and quantitative aspects. To overcome this problem, speditive field analysis, carried-out by the use of low-cost devices with solid-state gas sensors (e-nose), may offer a solution to the sampling, transport and deferred laboratory operations. The proposed devices do not require consumable and may be easily connected to data acquisition network.