Xingwen Lu

Selective removals of heavy metals (Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+) from wastewater by gelation with alginate for effective metal recovery

A novel method that uses the aqueous sodium alginate solution for direct gelation with metal ions is developed for effective removal and recovery of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The experimental study was conducted on Pb(2+), Cu(2+), and Cd(2+) as the model heavy metals. The results show that gels can be formed rapidly between the metals and alginate in less than 10 min and the gelation rates fit well with the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The optimum dosing ratio of alginate to the metal ions was found to be between 2:1 and 3:1 for removing Pb(2+) and around 4:1 for removing Cu(2+) and Cd(2+) from wastewater, and the metal removal efficiency by gelation increased as the solution pH increased. Alginate exhibited a higher gelation affinity toward Pb(2+) than Cu(2+) and Cd(2+), which allowed a selective removal of Pb(2+) from the wastewater in the presence of Cu(2+) and Cd(2+) ions. Chemical analysis of the gels suggests that the gelation mainly occurred between the metal ions and the -COO(-) and -OH groups on alginate. By simple calcination of the metal-laden gels at 700 °C for 1 h, the heavy metals can be well recovered as valuable resources. The metals obtained after the thermal treatment are in the form of PbO, CuO, and CdO nanopowders with crystal sizes of around 150, 50, and 100 nm, respectively.

CO(2)-driven ocean acidification alters and weakens integrity of the calcareous tubes produced by the serpulid tubeworm, Hydroides elegans.

As a consequence of anthropogenic CO2-driven ocean acidification (OA), coastal waters are becoming increasingly challenging for calcifiers due to reductions in saturation states of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals. The response of calcification rate is one of the most frequently investigated symptoms of OA. However, OA may also result in poor quality calcareous products through impaired calcification processes despite there being no observed change in calcification rate. The mineralogy and ultrastructure of the calcareous products under OA conditions may be altered, resulting in changes to the mechanical properties of calcified structures. Here, the warm water biofouling tubeworm, Hydroides elegans, was reared from larva to early juvenile stage at the aragonite saturation state (ΩA) for the current pCO2 level (ambient) and those predicted for the years 2050, 2100 and 2300. Composition, ultrastructure and mechanical strength of the calcareous tubes produced by those early juvenile tubeworms were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoindentation. Juvenile tubes were composed primarily of the highly soluble CaCO3 mineral form, aragonite. Tubes produced in seawater with aragonite saturation states near or below one had significantly higher proportions of the crystalline precursor, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and the calcite/aragonite ratio dramatically increased. These alterations in tube mineralogy resulted in a holistic deterioration of the tube hardness and elasticity. Thus, in conditions where ΩA is near or below one, the aragonite-producing juvenile tubeworms may no longer be able to maintain the integrity of their calcification products, and may result in reduced survivorship due to the weakened tube protection.

Extraction of Metallic Lead from Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Funnel Glass by Thermal Reduction with Metallic Iron

A novel and effective process of thermal reduction treatment with the addition of metallic iron (Fe(0)) to recover lead from cathode ray tube (CRT) funnel glass is introduced. The key technological breakthrough of this process is the use of a relatively lower temperature and an inexpensive reducing agent to extract the metallic lead. The influences of temperature, the reducing agent content, and the holding time for lead reduction were examined to determine the optimal extraction efficiency. The lead extraction efficiency first increased and then decreased with increasing temperature. The maximum lead extraction efficiency occurred at 700 °C. The growth of crystalline lead first increased significantly with an increase in the Fe content, reaching maximum growth at an Fe addition of 50 wt %. The most effective treatment time was determined to be 30 min, as the vitrification of lead back to the glass matrix occurred under longer treatment times. The experimentally derived results indicate that a 58 wt % lead extraction can be achieved with the optimized operational parameters (50 wt % Fe addition, heating at 700 °C for 30 min) in a single extraction operation.

Lead glass-ceramics produced from the beneficial use of waterworks sludge.

This study quantified the effects of lead stabilization by blending lead-containing sludge into glass-ceramics through sintering with aluminum- and silica-rich precursors. Using lead oxide (PbO) to simulate lead-laden sludge under thermal conditions, the predominant PbAl(2)O(4) phase was found at temperatures of 900-1000 °C while sintering with γ-Al(2)O(3) for 3 h. To analyze the influence of silica, amorphous SiO(2) and quartz were blended with γ-Al(2)O(3) for lead stabilization. The results revealed both silica precursors could crystallochemically incorporate lead into the PbAl(2)Si(2)O(8) structure, and the weight percentage of the PbAl(2)Si(2)O(8) phase ranged from 30% to 40% in the product after 3 h of sintering at 1000 °C. Furthermore, the calcined waterworks sludge was applied as a sintering precursor and found to result in 46 wt.% of PbAl(2)Si(2)O(8) in the sintered product, suggesting an effective and feasible waste-to-resource strategy for the beneficial use of waterworks sludge. Finally, a prolonged acid leaching experiment (lasting 23 d) evaluated the stability of lead in the PbAl(2)O(4) and PbAl(2)Si(2)O(8) phases. The concentration of lead in the PbAl(2)O(4) leachate was 30-times higher than that in the PbAl(2)Si(2)O(8) leachate at the end of the experiment, suggesting a preferred lead stabilization strategy of forming the PbAl(2)Si(2)O(8) phase.

Mineralization Behavior of Fluorine in Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) during Thermal Treatment of Lime-Conditioned Sludge

The fate and transport of the fluorine in perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) during the thermal treatment of lime-conditioned sludge were observed using both qualitative and quantitative X-ray diffraction techniques. Two main fluorine mineralization mechanisms leading to the substantial formation of CaF2 and Ca5(PO4)3F phases were observed. They had a close relationship with the thermal treatment condition and the PFOS content of the sludge. At low temperatures (300-600 °C), CaF2 dominated in the product and increases in treatment time and temperature generally enhanced the fluorine transformation. However, at higher temperatures (700-900 °C), increases in treatment time and temperature had a negative effect on the overall efficiency of the fluorine crystallization. The results suggest that in the high temperature environment there were greater losses of gaseous products such as HF and SiF4 in the transformation of CaF2 to Ca5(PO4)3F, the hydrolysis of CaF2, and the reaction with SiO2. The quantitative analysis also showed that when treating sludge with low PFOS content at high temperatures, the formation of Ca5(PO4)3F may be the primary mechanism for the mineralization of the fluorine in PFOS. The overall results clearly indicate the variations in the fate and transport of fluorine in PFOS when the sludge is subject to different PFOS contents and treatment types, such as heat drying or incineration.

Phase transformation and its role in stabilizing simulated lead-laden sludge in aluminum-rich ceramics.

This study investigated the mechanisms of stabilizing lead-laden sludge by blending it into the production process of aluminum-rich ceramics, and quantitatively evaluated the prolonged leachability of the product phases. Sintering experiments were performed using powder mixtures of lead oxide and γ-alumina with different Pb/Al molar ratios within the temperature range of 600-1000 °C. By mixing lead oxide with γ-alumina at a Pb/Al molar ratio of 0.5, the formation of PbAl2O4 is initiated at 700 °C, but an effective formation was observed when the temperature was above 750 °C for a 3-h sintering time. The formation and decomposition of the intermediate phase, Pb9Al8O21, was detected in this system within the temperature range of 800-900 °C. When the lead oxide and γ-alumina mixture was sintered with a Pb/Al molar ratio of 1:12, the PbAl12O19 phase was found at 950 °C and effectively formed at 1000 °C. In this system, an intermediate phase Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2 was observed at the temperature range of 700-950 °C. Over longer leaching periods, both PbAl2O4 and PbAl12O19 were superior to lead oxide in immobilizing lead. Comparing the leaching results of PbAl2O4 and PbAl12O19 demonstrated the higher intrinsic resistance of PbAl12O19 against acid attack. To reduce metal mobility, this study demonstrated a preferred mechanism of stabilizing lead in the aluminate structures by adding metal-bearing waste sludge to the ceramic processing of aluminum-rich products.

Influence of calcium hydroxide on the fate of perfluorooctanesulfonate under thermal conditions

To explore the potential fate and transport of perfluorochemicals in the thermal treatment of sludge, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), a perfluorochemical species commonly dominant in wastewater sludge, was mixed with hydrated lime (Ca(OH)(2)) to quantitatively observe their interaction under different temperatures. The phase compositions of the mixtures after the reactions were qualitatively identified and quantitatively determined using X-ray diffraction technique. The results of the thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicate that PFOS gasified directly during the thermal treatment process when the temperature was increased to around 425 °C. However, the formation of CaF(2) at 350 °C suggests that the presence of Ca(OH)(2) in the mixture can lead to the decomposition of PFOS at 350 °C, which is lower than the decomposition temperature of PFOS alone (425 °C). The increase of temperature promoted a solid state reaction between PFOS and Ca(OH)(2), and also enhanced the interaction between the gaseous products of PFOS and CaO (or Ca(OH)(2)). The preferred Ca/F molar ratio to achieve fluorine stabilization by Ca(OH)(2) was above 1:1 in the experiment involving 400 °C and 600 °C treatment. It also showed that equilibrium efficiency is achieved within 5 min at 400 °C and within 1 min above 600°C.

Global distribution of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in potential human exposure source–A review

Human exposure to perfluorochemicals (PFCs) has attracted mounting attention due to their potential harmful effects. Breathing, dietary intake, and drinking are believed to be the main routes for PFC entering into human body. Thus, we profiled PFC compositions and concentrations in indoor air and dust, food, and drinking water with detailed analysis of literature data published after 2010. Concentrations of PFCs in air and dust samples collected from home, office, and vehicle were outlined. The results showed that neutral PFCs (e.g., fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and perfluorooctane sulfonamide ethanols (FOSEs)) should be given attention in addition to PFOS and PFOA. We summarized PFC concentrations in various food items, including vegetables, dairy products, beverages, eggs, meat products, fish, and shellfish. We showed that humans are subject to the dietary PFC exposure mostly through fish and shellfish consumption. Concentrations of PFCs in different drinking water samples collected from various countries were analyzed. Well water and tap water contained relatively higher PFC concentrations than other types of drinking water. Furthermore, PFC contamination in drinking water was influenced by the techniques for drinking water treatment and bottle-originating pollution.

Formation of lead-aluminate ceramics: Reaction mechanisms in immobilizing the simulated lead sludge

We investigated a strategy of blending lead-laden sludge and an aluminum-rich precursor to reduce the release of hazardous lead from the stabilized end products. To quantify lead transformation and determine its incorporation behavior, PbO was used to simulate the lead-laden sludge fired with γ-Al2O3 by Pb/Al molar ratios of 1/2 and 1/12 at 600-1000 °C for 0.25-10 h. The sintered products were identified and quantified using Rietveld refinement analysis of X-ray diffraction data from the products generated under different conditions. The results indicated that the different crystallochemical incorporations of hazardous lead occurred through the formation of PbAl2O4 and PbAl12O19 in systems with Pb/Al ratios of 1/2 and 1/12, respectively. PbAl2O4 was observed as the only product phase at temperature of 950 °C for 3h heating in Pb/Al of 1/2 system. For Pb/Al of 1/12 system, significant growth of the PbAl12O19 phase clearly occurred at 1000 °C for 3 h sintering. Different product microstructures were found in the sintered products between the systems with the Pb/Al ratios 1/2 and 1/12. The leaching performances of the PbO, Pb9Al8O21, PbAl2O4 and PbAl12O19 phases were compared using a constant pH 4.9 leaching test over 92 h. The leachability data indicated that the incorporation of lead into PbAl12O19 crystal is a preferred stabilization mechanism in aluminate-ceramics.

Interaction of toxic chemicals with microplastics: A critical review

Occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment has attracted great attention as it has become a global concern. This review aims to systematically demonstrate the role of marine microplastic as a novel medium for environmental partitioning of chemicals in the ocean, which can cause toxic effects in the ecological environment. This review assimilated and analyzed available data published between 1972 and 2017 on the interaction between MPs and selected chemicals. Firstly, the review analyzes the occurrence of chemicals in MPs and outlines their distribution patterns. Then possible mechanisms of the interaction between MPs and organic chemicals and potential controlling factors were critically studied. Finally, the hazards of MPs and affiliated organic chemicals to marine organisms were shortly summarized.