Sample records for remove waste products

  1. The utilization of waste by-products for removing silicate from mineral processing wastewater via chemical precipitation.

    PubMed

    Kang, Jianhua; Sun, Wei; Hu, Yuehua; Gao, Zhiyong; Liu, Runqing; Zhang, Qingpeng; Liu, Hang; Meng, Xiangsong

    2017-11-15

    This study investigates an environmentally friendly technology that utilizes waste by-products (waste acid and waste alkali liquids) to treat mineral processing wastewater. Chemical precipitation is used to remove silicate from scheelite (CaWO 4 ) cleaning flotation wastewater and the waste by-products are used as a substitute for calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ). A series of laboratory experiments is conducted to explain the removal of silicate and the characterization and formation mechanism of calcium silicate. The results show that silicate removal reaches 90% when the Ca:Si molar ratio exceeds 1.0. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirm the characterization and formation of calcium silicate. The pH is the key factor for silicate removal, and the formation of polysilicic acid with a reduction of pH can effectively improve the silicate removal and reduce the usage of calcium. The economic analysis shows that the treatment costs with waste acid (0.63 $/m 3 ) and waste alkali (1.54 $/m 3 ) are lower than that of calcium chloride (2.38 $/m 3 ). The efficient removal of silicate is confirmed by industrial testing at a plant. The results show that silicate removal reaches 85% in the recycled water from tailings dam. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Strategy of Construction and Demolition Waste Management after Chemical Industry Facilities Removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tashkinova, I. N.; Batrakova, G. M.; Vaisman, Ya I.

    2017-06-01

    Mixed waste products are generated in the process of irrelevant industrial projects’ removal if conventional techniques of their demolition and dismantling are applied. In Russia the number of unused chemical industry facilities including structures with high rate of wear is growing. In removing industrial buildings and production shops it is used conventional techniques of demolition and dismantling in the process of which mixed waste products are generated. The presence of hazardous chemicals in these wastes makes difficulties for their use and leads to the increasing volume of unutilized residues. In the process of chemical industry facilities’ removal this fact takes on special significance as a high level of hazardous chemicals in the waste composition demands for the realization of unprofitable measures aimed at ensuring environmental and industrial safety. The proposed strategy of managing waste originated from the demolition and dismantling of chemical industry facilities is based on the methodology of industrial metabolism which allows identifying separate material flows of recycled, harmful and ballast components, performing separate collection of components during removal and taking necessary preventive measures. This strategy has been tested on the aniline synthesis plant being in the process of removal. As a result, a flow of 10 wt. %, subjected to decontamination, was isolated from the total volume of construction and demolition waste (C&D waste). The considered approach allowed using the resource potential of more than 80wt. % of waste and minimizing the disposed waste volume.

  3. Treating landfill gas hydrogen sulphide with mineral wool waste (MWW) and rod mill waste (RMW).

    PubMed

    Bergersen, Ove; Haarstad, Ketil

    2014-01-01

    Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas is a major odorant at municipal landfills. The gas can be generated from different waste fractions, for example demolition waste containing gypsum based plaster board. The removal of H2S from landfill gas was investigated by filtering it through mineral wool waste products. The flow of gas varied from 0.3 l/min to 3.0 l/min. The gas was typical for landfill gas with a mean H2S concentration of ca. 4500 ppm. The results show that the sulphide gas can effectively be removed by mineral wool waste products. The ratios of the estimated potential for sulphide precipitation were 19:1 for rod mill waste (RMW) and mineral wool waste (MWW). A filter consisting of a mixture of MWW and RMW, with a vertical perforated gas tube through the center of filter material and with a downward gas flow, removed 98% of the sulfide gas over a period of 80 days. A downward gas flow was more efficient in contacting the filter materials. Mineral wool waste products are effective in removing hydrogen sulphide from landfill gas given an adequate contact time and water content in the filter material. Based on the estimated sulphide removal potential of mineral wool and rod mill waste of 14 g/kg and 261 g/kg, and assuming an average sulphide gas concentration of 4500 ppm, the removal capacity in the filter materials has been estimated to last between 11 and 308 days. At the studied location the experimental gas flow was 100 times less than the actual gas flow. We believe that the system described here can be upscaled in order to treat this gas flow. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Chemical Waste and Allied Products.

    PubMed

    Hung, Yung-Tse; Aziz, Hamidi Abdul; Ramli, Siti Fatihah; Yeh, Ruth Yu-Li; Liu, Lian-Huey; Huhnke, Christopher Robert

    2016-10-01

    This review of literature published in 2015 focuses on waste related to chemical and allied products. The topics cover the waste management, physicochemical treatment, aerobic granular, aerobic waste treatment, anaerobic granular, anaerobic waste treatment, chemical waste, chemical wastewater, fertilizer waste, fertilizer wastewater, pesticide wastewater, pharmaceutical wastewater, ozonation. cosmetics waste, groundwater remediation, nutrient removal, nitrification denitrification, membrane biological reactor, and pesticide waste.

  5. Protein removal from waste brines generated during ham salting through acidification and centrifugation.

    PubMed

    Gutiérrez-Martínez, Maria del Rosario; Muñoz-Guerrero, Hernán; Alcaína-Miranda, Maria Isabel; Barat, José Manuel

    2014-03-01

    The salting step in food processes implies the production of large quantities of waste brines, having high organic load, high conductivity, and other pollutants with high oxygen demand. Direct disposal of the residual brine implies salinization of soil and eutrophication of water. Since most of the organic load of the waste brines comes from proteins leaked from the salted product, precipitation of dissolved proteins by acidification and removal by centrifugation is an operation to be used in waste brine cleaning. The aim of this study is optimizing the conditions for carrying out the separation of proteins from waste brines generated in the pork ham salting operation, by studying the influence of pH, centrifugal force, and centrifugation time. Models for determining the removal of proteins depending on the pH, centrifugal force, and time were obtained. The results showed a high efficacy of the proposed treatment for removing proteins, suggesting that this method could be used for waste brine protein removal. The best pH value to be used in an industrial process seems to be 3, while the obtained results indicate that almost 90% of the proteins from the brine can be removed by acidification followed by centrifugation. A further protein removal from the brine should have to be achieved using filtrating techniques, which efficiency could be highly improved as a consequence of the previous treatment through acidification and centrifugation. Waste brines from meat salting have high organic load and electrical conductivity. Proteins can be removed from the waste brine by acidification and centrifugation. The total protein removal can be up to 90% of the initial content of the waste brine. Protein removal is highly dependent on pH, centrifugation rate, and time. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

  6. Production and degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates in waste environment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, S.Y.; Choi, J.

    1999-06-01

    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are energy/carbon storage materials accumulated under unfavorable growth condition in the presence of excess carbon source. PHAs are attracting much attention as substitute for non-degradable petrochemically derived plastics because of their similar material properties to conventional plastics and complete biodegradability under natural environment upon disposal. In this paper, PHA production and degradation in waste environment as well as its role in biological phosphorus removal are reviewed. In biological phosphorus removal process, bacteria accumulating polyphosphate (poly P) uptake carbon substrates and accumulate these as PHA by utilizing energy from breaking down poly P under anaerobic conditions. In the followingmore » aerobic condition, accumulated PHA is utilized for energy generation and for the regeneration of poly P. PHA production from waste has been investigated in order to utilize abundant organic compounds in waste water. Since PHA content and PHA productivity that can be obtained are rather low, PHA production from waste product should be considered as a coupled process for reducing the amount of organic waste. PHAs can be rapidly degraded to completion in municipal anaerobic sludge by various microorganisms.« less

  7. Nucleic acid isolation

    DOEpatents

    Longmire, J.L.; Lewis, A.K.; Hildebrand, C.E.

    1988-01-21

    A method is provided for isolating DNA from eukaryotic cell and flow sorted chromosomes. When DNA is removed from chromosome and cell structure, detergent and proteolytic digestion products remain with the DNA. These products can be removed with organic extraction, but the process steps associated with organic extraction reduces the size of DNA fragments available for experimental use. The present process removes the waste products by dialyzing a solution containing the DNA against a solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG). The waste products dialyze into the PEG leaving isolated DNA. The remaining DNA has been prepared with fragments containing more than 160 kb. The isolated DNA has been used in conventional protocols without effect on the protocol.

  8. Kidney Disease (Nephropathy)

    MedlinePlus

    ... millions of tiny blood vessels that act as filters. Their job is to remove waste products from ... to fail. Failing kidneys lose their ability to filter out waste products, resulting in kidney disease. How ...

  9. Anaerobic microbial dissolution of lead and production of organic acids

    DOEpatents

    Francis, A.J.; Dodge, C.; Chendrayan, K.

    1986-02-28

    The present invention relates to a method of solubilizing lead, in the form of lead oxide, found in industrial wastes, before these wastes are dumped into the environment. The lead is solubilized by dissolving the lead oxide in the wastes through contact with an anaerobic bacterial culture containing the bacterium ATCC No. 53464. The solubilized lead can then be removed from the wastes by chemical separation. It could also be removed by extending the contact period with the bacterial culture. As the culture grows, the solubilized lead is removed from the wastes by bioaccumulation by the microorganism or by immobilization by a polymer-like material produced by the microorganism. At this point, the lead is then removed from the wastes when the waste material is separated from the bacterial culture. If desired, the bacterial culture could be digested at this point to yield relatively pure lead for further industrial use.

  10. Nucleic acid isolation process

    DOEpatents

    Longmire, Jonathan L.; Lewis, Annette K.; Hildebrand, Carl E.

    1990-01-01

    A method is provided for isolating DNA from eukaryotic cell and flow sorted chromosomes. When DNA is removed from chromosome and cell structure, detergent and proteolytic digestion products remain with the DNA. These products can be removed with organic extraction, but the process steps associated with organic extraction reduce the size of DNA fragments available for experimental use. The present process removes the waste products by dialyzing a solution containing the DNA against a solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG). The waste products dialyze into the PEG leaving isolated DNA. The remaining DNA has been prepared with fragments containing more than 160 kb. The isolated DNA has been used in conventional protocols without affect on the protocol.

  11. Cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris in a pilot-scale photobioreactor using real centrate wastewater with waste glycerol for improving microalgae biomass production and wastewater nutrients removal.

    PubMed

    Ren, Hongyan; Tuo, Jinhua; Addy, Min M; Zhang, Renchuan; Lu, Qian; Anderson, Erik; Chen, Paul; Ruan, Roger

    2017-12-01

    To improve nutrients removal from real centrate wastewater and enhance the microalgae biomass production, cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris in lab and a pilot-scale photobioreactor with waste glycerol was studied. The results showed the optimal concentration of the crude glycerol was 1.0gL -1 with the maximum biomass productivity of 460mgL -1 d -1 TVS, the maximum lipid content of 27%, the nutrient removal efficiency of all above 86%, due to more balanced C/N ratio. The synergistic relationship between the wastewater-borne bacteria and the microalgae had significant good influence on nutrient removal. In pilot-scale wastewater-based algae cultivation, with 1gL -1 waste glycerol addition, the average biomass production of 16.7gm -2 d -1 , lipid content of 23.6%, and the removal of 2.4gm -2 d -1 NH 4 + -N, 2.7gm -2 d -1 total nitrogen, 3.0gm -2 d -1 total phosphorous, and 103.0gm -2 d -1 of COD were attained for 34days semi-continuous mode. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Current techniques in rice mill effluent treatment: Emerging opportunities for waste reuse and waste-to-energy conversion.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Anuj; Priyadarshinee, Rashmi; Roy, Abhishek; Dasgupta, Dalia; Mandal, Tamal

    2016-12-01

    Rice mills release huge volumes of wastewater and other by-products when processing paddy rice. The wastewater often contains toxic inorganic and organic contaminants which cause environmental damage when released. Accordingly, cost-effective techniques for removing contaminants are needed. This article reviews current processes for curbing pollution and also reusing and recycling waste products. Novel techniques exist for converting waste products into energy and value-added products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Process for removing thorium and recovering vanadium from titanium chlorinator waste

    DOEpatents

    Olsen, Richard S.; Banks, John T.

    1996-01-01

    A process for removal of thorium from titanium chlorinator waste comprising: (a) leaching an anhydrous titanium chlorinator waste in water or dilute hydrochloric acid solution and filtering to separate insoluble minerals and coke fractions from soluble metal chlorides; (b) beneficiating the insoluble fractions from step (a) on shaking tables to recover recyclable or otherwise useful TiO.sub.2 minerals and coke; and (c) treating filtrate from step (a) with reagents to precipitate and remove thorium by filtration along with acid metals of Ti, Zr, Nb, and Ta by the addition of the filtrate (a), a base and a precipitant to a boiling slurry of reaction products (d); treating filtrate from step (c) with reagents to precipitate and recover an iron vanadate product by the addition of the filtrate (c), a base and an oxidizing agent to a boiling slurry of reaction products; and (e) treating filtrate from step (d) to remove any remaining cations except Na by addition of Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and boiling.

  14. Effects of sludge recirculation rate and mixing time on performance of a prototype single-stage anaerobic digester for conversion of food wastes to biogas and energy recovery.

    PubMed

    Ratanatamskul, Chavalit; Saleart, Tawinan

    2016-04-01

    Food wastes have been recognized as the largest waste stream and accounts for 39.25 % of total municipal solid waste in Thailand. Chulalongkorn University has participated in the program of in situ energy recovery from food wastes under the Ministry of Energy (MOE), Thailand. This research aims to develop a prototype single-stage anaerobic digestion system for biogas production and energy recovery from food wastes inside Chulalongkorn University. Here, the effects of sludge recirculation rate and mixing time were investigated as the main key parameters for the system design and operation. From the results obtained in this study, it was found that the sludge recirculation rate of 100 % and the mixing time of 60 min per day were the most suitable design parameters to achieve high efficiencies in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solids (TS), and total volatile solid (TVS) removal and also biogas production by this prototype anaerobic digester. The obtained biogas production was found to be 0.71 m(3)/kg COD and the composition of methane was 61.6 %. Moreover, the efficiencies of COD removal were as high as 82.9 % and TVS removal could reach 83.9 % at the optimal condition. Therefore, the developed prototype single-stage anaerobic digester can be highly promising for university canteen application to recover energy from food wastes via biogas production.

  15. Non-equilibrium steady states in supramolecular polymerization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sorrenti, Alessandro; Leira-Iglesias, Jorge; Sato, Akihiro; Hermans, Thomas M.

    2017-06-01

    Living systems use fuel-driven supramolecular polymers such as actin to control important cell functions. Fuel molecules like ATP are used to control when and where such polymers should assemble and disassemble. The cell supplies fresh ATP to the cytosol and removes waste products to sustain steady states. Artificial fuel-driven polymers have been developed recently, but keeping them in sustained non-equilibrium steady states (NESS) has proven challenging. Here we show a supramolecular polymer that can be kept in NESS, inside a membrane reactor where ATP is added and waste removed continuously. Assembly and disassembly of our polymer is regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, respectively. Waste products lead to inhibition, causing the reaction cycle to stop. Inside the membrane reactor, however, waste can be removed leading to long-lived NESS conditions. We anticipate that our approach to obtain NESS can be applied to other stimuli-responsive materials to achieve more life-like behaviour.

  16. Sustainable multistage process for enhanced productivity of bioplastics from waste remediation through aerobic dynamic feeding strategy: Process integration for up-scaling.

    PubMed

    Amulya, K; Jukuri, Srinivas; Venkata Mohan, S

    2015-01-01

    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production was evaluated in a multistage operation using food waste as a renewable feedstock. The first step involved the production of bio-hydrogen (bio-H2) via acidogenic fermentation. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) rich effluent from bio-H2 reactor was subsequently used for PHA production, which was carried out in two stages, Stage II (culture enrichment) and Stage III (PHA production). PHA-storing microorganisms were enriched in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), operated at two different cycle lengths (CL-24; CL-12). Higher polymer recovery as well as VFA removal was achieved in CL-12 operation both in Stage II (16.3% dry cell weight (DCW); VFA removal, 84%) and Stage III (23.7% DCW; VFA removal, 88%). The PHA obtained was a co-polymer [P(3HB-co-3HV)] of PHB and PHV. The results obtained indicate that this integrated multistage process offers new opportunities to further leverage large scale PHA production with simultaneous waste remediation in the framework of biorefinery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Production of activated carbons from waste tyres for low temperature NOx control.

    PubMed

    Al-Rahbi, Amal S; Williams, Paul T

    2016-03-01

    Waste tyres were pyrolysed in a bench scale reactor and the product chars were chemically activated with alkali chemical agents, KOH, K2CO3, NaOH and Na2CO3 to produce waste tyre derived activated carbons. The activated carbon products were then examined in terms of their ability to adsorb NOx (NO) at low temperature (25°C) from a simulated industrial process flue gas. This study investigates the influence of surface area and porosity of the carbons produced with the different alkali chemical activating agents on NO capture from the simulated flue gas. The influence of varying the chemical activation conditions on the porous texture and corresponding NO removal from the flue gas was studied. The activated carbon sorbents were characterized in relation to BET surface area, micropore and mesopore volumes and chemical composition. The highest NO removal efficiency for the waste tyre derived activated carbons was ∼75% which was obtained with the adsorbent treated with KOH which correlated with both the highest BET surface area and largest micropore volume. In contrast, the waste tyre derived activated carbons prepared using K2CO3, NaOH and Na2CO3 alkali activating agents appeared to have little influence on NO removal from the flue gases. The results suggest problematic waste tyres, have the potential to be converted to activated carbons with NOx removal efficiency comparable with conventionally produced carbons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Electricity production from municipal solid waste in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Nordi, Guilherme Henrique; Palacios-Bereche, Reynaldo; Gallego, Antonio Garrido; Nebra, Silvia Azucena

    2017-07-01

    Brazil has an increasing production of municipal solid waste that, allied to the current waste management system, makes the search for alternatives of energy recovery essential. Thus, this work aims to study the incineration of municipal solid waste and the electricity production through steam cycles evaluating the influence of municipal solid waste composition. Several scenarios were studied, in which it was assumed that some fractions of municipal solid waste were removed previously. The municipal solid waste generated in Santo André city, São Paulo State, Brazil, was adopted for this study. Simulation results showed that the removal of organic matter and inert components impacts advantageously on the cycle performance, improving their parameters in some cases; in addition, there is the possibility of reusing the separated fractions. The separation of some recyclables, as plastic material, showed disadvantages by the reduction in the electricity generation potential owing to the high calorific value of plastics. Despite the high energy content of them, there are other possible considerations on this subject, because some plastics have a better recovery potential by recycling.

  19. Ozone and biofiltration as an alternative to reverse osmosis for removing PPCPs and micropollutants from treated wastewater.

    PubMed

    Lee, Carson O; Howe, Kerry J; Thomson, Bruce M

    2012-03-15

    This pilot-scale research project investigated and compared the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and other micropollutants from treated wastewater by ozone/biofiltration and reverse osmosis (RO). The reduction in UV254 absorbance as a function of ozone dose correlated well with the reduction in nonbiodegradable dissolved organic carbon and simultaneous production of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC). BDOC analyses demonstrated that ozone does not mineralize organics in treated wastewater and that biofiltration can remove the organic oxidation products of ozonation. Biofiltration is recommended for treatment of ozone contactor effluent to minimize the presence of unknown micropollutant oxidation products in the treated water. Ozone/biofiltration and RO were compared on the basis of micropollutant removal efficiency, energy consumption, and waste production. Ozone doses of 4-8 mg/L were nearly as effective as RO for removing micropollutants. When wider environmental impacts such as energy consumption, water recovery, and waste production are considered, ozone/biofiltration may be a more desirable process than RO for removing PPCPs and other trace organics from treated wastewater. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. [Influence of impurities on waste plastics pyrolysis: products and emissions].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Lei; Wang, Zhong-Hui; Chen, De-Zhen; Ma, Xiao-Bo; Luan, Jian

    2012-01-01

    The study is aimed to evaluate the impact of impurities like food waste, paper, textile and especially soil on the pyrolysis of waste plastics. For this purpose, emissions, gas and liquid products from pyrolysis of waste plastics and impurities were studied, as well as the transfer of element N, Cl, S from the substrates to the pyrolysis products. It was found that the presence of food waste would reduce the heat value of pyrolysis oil to 27 MJ/kg and increase the moisture in the liquid products, therefore the food residue should be removed from waste plastics; and the soil, enhance the waste plastics' pyrolysis by improving the quality of gas and oil products. The presence of food residue, textile and paper leaded to higher gas emissions.

  1. Impact of paper and cardboard suppression on OFMSW anaerobic digestion.

    PubMed

    Fonoll, X; Astals, S; Dosta, J; Mata-Alvarez, J

    2016-10-01

    Mechanical-biological treatment plants treat municipal solid waste to recover recyclable materials, nutrients and energy. Waste paper and cardboard (WP), the second main compound in municipal solid waste (∼30% in weight basis), is typically used for biogas generation. However, its recovery is gaining attention as it can be used to produce add-value products like bioethanol and residual derived fuel. Nevertheless, WP suppression or replacement will impact anaerobic digestion in terms of biogas production, process stability and digestate management. Two lab-scale reactors were used to assess the impact of WP in anaerobic digestion performance. A control reactor was only fed with biowaste (BioW), while a second reactor was fed with two different mixtures of BioW and WP, i.e. 85/15% and 70/30% (weight basis). Results indicate that either replacing half of the WP by BioW or removing half of the WP has little impact on the methane production. When removing half of the WP, methane production could be sustained by a larger waste biodegradability. The replacement of all WP by BioW increased the reactor methane production (∼37%), while removing all WP would have reduced the methane production about 15%. Finally, replacing WP loading rate by BioW led to a system less tolerant to instability periods and with poorer digestate quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Dialysis -- hemodialysis

    MedlinePlus

    ... Dialysis treats end-stage kidney failure . It removes waste from your blood when your kidneys can no ... toxins and extra fluid from your blood. If waste products build up in your body, it can ...

  3. Ion Selective Ceramics for Waste Separations. Input for Annual Accomplishments Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spoerke, Erik David

    This report discusses“Ion-Selective Ceramics for Waste Separations” which aims to develop an electrochemical approach to remove fission product waste (e.g., Cs+ ) from the LiCl-KCl molten salts used in the pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

  4. Eco-friendly process combining physical-chemical and biological technics for the fermented dairy products waste pretreatment and reuse.

    PubMed

    Kasmi, Mariam; Hamdi, Moktar; Trabelsi, Ismail

    2017-01-01

    Residual fermented dairy products resulting from process defects or from expired shelf life products are considered as waste. Thus, dairies wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) suffer high input effluents polluting load. In this study, fermented residuals separation from the plant wastewater is proposed. In the aim to meet the municipal WWTP input limits, a pretreatment combining physical-chemical and biological processes was investigated to reduce residual fermented dairy products polluting effect. Yoghurt (Y) and fermented milk products (RL) were considered. Raw samples chemical oxygen demand (COD) values were assessed at 152 and 246 g.L -1 for Y and RL products, respectively. Following the thermal coagulation, maximum removal rates were recorded at 80 °C. Resulting whey stabilization contributed to the removal rates enhance to reach 72% and 87% for Y and RL samples; respectively. Residual whey sugar content was fermented using Candida strains. Bacterial growth and strains degrading potential were discussed. C. krusei strain achieved the most important removal rates of 78% and 85% with Y and RL medium, respectively. Global COD removal rates exceeded 93%.

  5. Biosorbents for Removing Hazardous Metals and Metalloids †

    PubMed Central

    Inoue, Katsutoshi; Parajuli, Durga; Ghimire, Kedar Nath; Biswas, Biplob Kumar; Kawakita, Hidetaka; Oshima, Tatsuya; Ohto, Keisuke

    2017-01-01

    Biosorbents for remediating aquatic environmental media polluted with hazardous heavy metals and metalloids such as Pb(II), Cr(VI), Sb(III and V), and As(III and V) were prepared from lignin waste, orange and apple juice residues, seaweed and persimmon and grape wastes using simple and cheap methods. A lignophenol gel such as lignocatechol gel was prepared by immobilizing the catechol functional groups onto lignin from sawdust, while lignosulfonate gel was prepared directly from waste liquor generated during pulp production. These gels effectively removed Pb(II). Orange and apple juice residues, which are rich in pectic acid, were easily converted using alkali (e.g., calcium hydroxide) into biosorbents that effectively removed Pb(II). These materials also effectively removed Sb(III and V) and As(III and V) when these were preloaded with multi-valent metal ions such as Zr(IV) and Fe(III). Similar biosorbents were prepared from seaweed waste, which is rich in alginic acid. Other biosorbents, which effectively removed Cr(VI), were prepared by simply treating persimmon and grape wastes with concentrated sulfuric acid. PMID:28773217

  6. Develop Recovery Systems for Separations of Salts from Process Streams for use in Advanced Life Support System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Colon, Guillermo

    1998-01-01

    The main objectives of this project were the development of a four-compartment electrolytic cell using high selective membranes to remove nitrate from crop residue leachate and convert it to nitric acid, and the development of an six compartment electrodialysis cell to remove selectively sodium from urine wastes. The recovery of both plant inedible biomass and human wastes nutrients to sustain a biomass production system are important aspects in the development of a controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) to provide the basic human needs required for life support during long term space missions. A four-compartment electrolytic cell has been proposed to remove selectively nitrate from crop residue and to convert it to nitric acid, which is actually used in the NASA-KSC Controlled Ecological Life Support System to control the pH of the aerobic bioreactors and biomass production chamber. Human activities in a closed system require large amount of air, water and minerals to sustain life and also generate wastes. Before using human wastes as nutrients, these must be treated to reduce organic content and to remove some minerals which have adverse effects on plant growth. Of all the minerals present in human urine, sodium chloride (NACl) is the only one that can not be used as nutrient for most plants. Human activities also requires sodium chloride as part of the diet. Therefore, technology to remove and recover sodium chloride from wastes is highly desirable. A six-compartment electrodialysis cell using high selective membranes has been proposed to remove and recover NaCl from human urine.

  7. Characterization of leaf waste based biochar for cost effective hydrogen sulphide removal from biogas.

    PubMed

    Sahota, Shivali; Vijay, Virendra Kumar; Subbarao, P M V; Chandra, Ram; Ghosh, Pooja; Shah, Goldy; Kapoor, Rimika; Vijay, Vandit; Koutu, Vaibhav; Thakur, Indu Shekhar

    2018-02-01

    Installation of decentralized units for biogas production along with indigenous upgradation systems can be an effective approach to meet growing energy demands of the rural population. Therefore, readily available leaf waste was used to prepare biochar at different temperatures and employed for H 2 S removal from biogas produced via anaerobic digestion plant. It is found that biochar prepared via carbonization of leaf waste at 400 °C effectively removes 84.2% H 2 S (from 1254 ppm to 201 ppm) from raw biogas for 25 min in a continuous adsorption tower. Subsequently, leaf waste biochar compositional, textural and morphological properties before and after H 2 S adsorption have been analyzed using proximate analysis, CHNS, BET surface area, FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX. It is found that BET surface area, pore size, and textural properties of leaf waste biochar plays a crucial role in H 2 S removal from the biogas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Phosphate Removal and Recovery using Drinking Water Plant Waste Residuals

    EPA Science Inventory

    Water treatment plants are used to provide safe drinking water. In parallel, however, they also produce a wide variety of waste products which, in principle, could be possible candidates as resources for different applications. Calcium carbonate is one of such residual waste in ...

  9. Bacterial community dynamics in surface flow constructed wetlands for the treatment of swine waste

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Constructed wetlands are generally used for the removal of waste from contaminated water. In the swine production system, wastes are traditionally flushed into an anaerobic lagoon which is then sprayed on agricultural fields. However, continuous spraying of lagoon wastewater on fields can lead to hi...

  10. Review: Utilization of Waste From Coffee Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blinová, Lenka; Sirotiak, Maroš; Bartošová, Alica; Soldán, Maroš

    2017-06-01

    Coffee is one of the most valuable primary products in the world trade, and also a central and popular part of our culture. However, coffees production generate a lot of coffee wastes and by-products, which, on the one hand, could be used for more applications (sorbent for the removal of heavy metals and dyes from aqueous solutions, production of fuel pellets or briquettes, substrate for biogas, bioethanol or biodiesel production, composting material, production of reusable cups, substrat for mushroom production, source of natural phenolic antioxidants etc.), but, on the other hand, it could be a source of severe contamination posing a serious environmental problem. In this paper, we present an overview of utilising the waste from coffee production.

  11. Removal of chromium(III) from tannery wastewater using activated carbon from sugar industrial waste.

    PubMed

    Fahim, N F; Barsoum, B N; Eid, A E; Khalil, M S

    2006-08-21

    Chromium is commonly found in huge quantities in tannery wastewaters. For this reason, the removal and recovery of the chromium content of tannery wastewaters is crucial for environmental protection and economic reasons. Removal and recovery of chromium were carried out by using low-cost potential adsorbents. For this purpose three types of activated carbon; C1, the waste generated from sugar industry as waste products and the others (C2, C3) are commercial granular activated carbon, were used. The adsorption process and extent of adsorption are dependent on the physical and chemical characteristics of the adsorbent, adsorbate and experimental condition. The effect of pH, particle size and different adsorbent on the adsorption isotherm of Cr(III) was studied in batch system. The sorption data fitted well with Langmuir adsorption model. The efficiencies of activated carbon for the removal of Cr(III) were found to be 98.86, 98.6 and 93 % for C1, C2 and C3, respectively. The order of selectivity is C1>C2>C3 for removal of Cr(III) from tannery wastewater. Carbon "C1" of the highest surface area (520.66 m(2)/g) and calcium content (333.3 mg/l) has the highest adsorptive capacity for removal of Cr(III). The results revealed that the trivalent chromium is significantly adsorbed on activated carbon collected from sugar industry as waste products and the method could be used economically as an efficient technique for removal of Cr(III) and purification of tannery wastewaters.

  12. A batch assay to measure microbial hydrogen sulfide production from sulfur-containing solid wastes.

    PubMed

    Sun, Mei; Sun, Wenjie; Barlaz, Morton A

    2016-05-01

    Large volumes of sulfur-containing wastes enter municipal solid waste landfills each year. Under the anaerobic conditions that prevail in landfills, oxidized forms of sulfur, primarily sulfate, are converted to sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is corrosive to landfill gas collection and treatment systems, and its presence in landfill gas often necessitates the installation of expensive removal systems. For landfill operators to understand the cost of managing sulfur-containing wastes, an estimate of the H2S production potential is needed. The objective of this study was to develop and demonstrate a biochemical sulfide potential (BSP) test to measure the amount of H2S produced by different types of sulfur-containing wastes in a relatively fast (30days) and inexpensive (125mL serum bottles) batch assay. This study confirmed the toxic effect of H2S on both sulfate reduction and methane production in batch systems, and demonstrated that removing accumulated H2S by base adsorption was effective for mitigating inhibition. H2S production potentials of coal combustion fly ash, flue gas desulfurization residual, municipal solid waste combustion ash, and construction and demolition waste were determined in BSP assays. After 30days of incubation, most of the sulfate in the wastes was converted to gaseous or aqueous phase sulfide, with BSPs ranging from 0.8 to 58.8mLH2S/g waste, depending on the chemical composition of the samples. Selected samples contained solid phase sulfide which contributed to the measured H2S yield. A 60day incubation in selected samples resulted in 39-86% additional sulfide production. H2S production measured in BSP assays was compared with that measured in simulated landfill reactors and that calculated from chemical analyses. H2S production in BSP assays and in reactors was lower than the stoichiometric values calculated from chemical composition for all wastes tested, demonstrating the importance of assays to estimate the microbial sulfide production potential of sulfur-containing wastes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Asbestos Utilization Costs on the Example of Functioning Landfill of Hazardous Waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polek, Daria

    2017-12-01

    Asbestos is a trademark of mineral fibres, which are the natural minerals found in nature. Products containing asbestos fibres, in accordance with the national and EU legislation, are covered by the production prohibition and forced to be removed. In Poland, the asbestos removal process started with the adaptation of the EU law by the Council of Ministers Treatment Program of the National Asbestos for the years 2009-2032. The purpose of the dissertation was to analyse the costs associated with the disposal of the costs of collection, transport and disposal of waste. Methodology consisted in obtaining information on the raw materials needed to produce asbestos sheets. The analysis allowed us to determine the asbestos removal cost and include state subsidies in the calculations.

  14. Sustainable conversion of agriculture wastes into activated carbons: energy balance and arsenic removal from water.

    PubMed

    Dieme, M M; Villot, A; Gerente, C; Andres, Y; Diop, S N; Diawara, C K

    2017-02-01

    The aims of this study are to investigate the production of activated carbons (AC) from Senegal agricultural wastes such as cashew shells, millet stalks and rice husks and to implement them in adsorption processes devoted to arsenic (V) removal. AC were produced by a direct physical activation with water steam without other chemicals. This production of AC has also led to co-products (gas and bio-oil) which have been characterized in terms of physical, chemical and thermodynamical properties for energy recovery. Considering the arsenic adsorption results and the energy balance for the three studied biomasses, the first results have shown that the millet stalks seem to be more interesting for arsenate removal from natural water and an energy recovery with a GEE elec of 18.9%. Cashew shells, which have shown the best energy recovery (34.3%), are not suitable for arsenate removal. This global approach is original and contributes to a recycling of biowastes with a joint recovery of energy and material.

  15. Production of biochar from olive mill solid waste for heavy metal removal.

    PubMed

    Abdelhadi, Samya O; Dosoretz, Carlos G; Rytwo, Giora; Gerchman, Yoram; Azaizeh, Hassan

    2017-11-01

    Commercial activated carbon (CAC) and biochar are useful adsorbents for removing heavy metals (HM) from water, but their production is costly. Biochar production from olive solid waste from two olive cultivars (Picual and Souri) and two oil production process (two- or three-phase) and two temperatures (350 and 450°C) was tested. The biochar yield was 24-35% of the biomass, with a surface area of 1.65-8.12m 2 g -1 , as compared to 1100m 2 g -1 for CAC. Picual residue from the two-phase milling technique, pyrolysed at 350°C, had the best cumulative removal capacity for Cu +2 , Pb +2 , Cd +2 , Ni +2 and Zn +2 with more than 85% compared to other biochar types and CAC. These results suggest that surface area cannot be used as a sole predictor of HM removal capacity. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of different functional groups in the different biochar types, which may be related to the differences in absorbing capacities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. [Characteristics and mechanism of sodium removal by the synergistic action of flue gas and waste solid].

    PubMed

    Yi, Yuan-Rong; Han, Min-Fang

    2012-07-01

    The carbon dioxide (CO2) in flue gas was used to remove the sodium in the red mud (RM) , a kind of alkaline solid waste generated during alumina production. The reaction characteristics and mechanism of sodium removal by the synergistic action of CO2 and RM were studied with different medium pH, reaction time and temperature. It was demonstrated that the remove of sodium by RM was actually the result of the synergistic action of sodium-based solid waste in RM with the CO2-H2O and OH(-)-CO2 systems. The sodium removal efficiency was correlated with pH, reaction temperature and time. The characteristics of RM before and after sodium removal were analyzed using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the results showed that the alkaline materials in the red mud reacted with CO2 and the sodium content in solid phases decreased significantly after reaction. The sodium removal efficiency could reach up to 70% with scientific procedure. The results of this research will offer an efficient way for low-cost sodium removal.

  17. Enhancement of sludge reduction and methane production by removing extracellular polymeric substances from waste activated sludge.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Minh Tuan; Mohd Yasin, Nazlina Haiza; Miyazaki, Toshiki; Maeda, Toshinari

    2014-12-01

    The management of waste activated sludge (WAS) recycling is a concern that affects the development of the future low-carbon society, particularly sludge reduction and biomass utilization. In this study, we investigated the effect of removing extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which play important roles in the adhesion and flocculation of WAS, on increased sludge disintegration, thereby enhancing sludge reduction and methane production by anaerobic digestion. EPS removal from WAS by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) significantly enhanced sludge reduction, i.e., 49 ± 5% compared with 27 ± 1% of the control at the end the digestion process. Methane production was also improved in WAS without EPS by 8881 ± 109 CH4 μmol g(-1) dry-weight of sludge. Microbial activity was determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and real-time polymerase chain reaction, which showed that the hydrolysis and acetogenesis stages were enhanced by pretreatment with 2% EDTA, with a larger methanogenic community and better methane production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Optimizing the performance of microbial fuel cells fed a combination of different synthetic organic fractions in municipal solid waste.

    PubMed

    Pendyala, Brahmaiah; Chaganti, Subba Rao; Lalman, Jerald A; Heath, Daniel D

    2016-03-01

    The objective of this study was to establish the impact of different steam exploded organic fractions in municipal solid waste (MSW) on electricity production using microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In particular, the influence of individual steam exploded liquefied waste components (food waste (FW), paper-cardboard waste (PCW) and garden waste (GW)) and their blends on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, columbic efficiency (CE) and microbial diversity was examined using a mixture design. Maximum power densities from 0.56 to 0.83 W m(-2) were observed for MFCs fed with different feedstocks. The maximum COD removed and minimum CE were observed for a GW feed. However, a reverse trend (minimum COD removed and maximum CE) was observed for the FW feed. A maximum COD removal (78%) accompanied with a maximum CE (24%) was observed for a combined feed of FW, PCW plus GW in a 1:1:1 ratio. Lactate, the major byproduct detected, was unutilized by the anodic biofilm community. The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) could serve as a potential feedstock for electricity generation in MFCs; however, elevated protein levels will lead to reduced COD removal. The microbial communities in cultures fed FW and PCW was highly diversified; however, the communities in cultures fed FW or a feed mixture containing high FW levels were similar and dominated by Bacteroidetes and β-proteobacteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Simultaneous utilization of soju industrial waste for silica production and its residue ash as effective cationic dye adsorbent

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Soju industrial waste is an important biomass resource. The present study is aimed to utilize soju industrial waste for silica extraction, and residual ash as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of Methylene Blue (MB) from aqueous solution. High percentage of pure amorphous nanosilica was obtained ...

  20. Commercial Submersible Mixing Pump For SRS Tank Waste Removal - 15223

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hubbard, Mike; Herbert, James E.; Scheele, Patrick W.

    The Savannah River Site Tank Farms have 45 active underground waste tanks used to store and process nuclear waste materials. There are 4 different tank types, ranging in capacity from 2839 m 3 to 4921 m 3 (750,000 to 1,300,000 gallons). Eighteen of the tanks are older style and do not meet all current federal standards for secondary containment. The older style tanks are the initial focus of waste removal efforts for tank closure and are referred to as closure tanks. Of the original 51 underground waste tanks, six of the original 24 older style tanks have completed waste removalmore » and are filled with grout. The insoluble waste fraction that resides within most waste tanks at SRS requires vigorous agitation to suspend the solids within the waste liquid in order to transfer this material for eventual processing into glass filled canisters at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). SRS suspends the solid waste by use of recirculating mixing pumps. Older style tanks generally have limited riser openings which will not support larger mixing pumps, since the riser access is typically 58.4 cm (23 inches) in diameter. Agitation for these tanks has been provided by four long shafted standard slurry pumps (SLP) powered by an above tank 112KW (150 HP) electric motor. The pump shaft is lubricated and cooled in a pressurized water column that is sealed from the surrounding waste in the tank. Closure of four waste tanks has been accomplished utilizing long shafted pump technology combined with heel removal using multiple technologies. Newer style waste tanks at SRS have larger riser openings, allowing the processing of waste solids to be accomplished with four large diameter SLPs equipped with 224KW (300 HP) motors. These tanks are used to process the waste from closure tanks for DWPF. In addition to the SLPs, a 224KW (300 HP) submersible mixer pump (SMP) has also been developed and deployed within older style tanks. The SMPs are product cooled and product lubricated canned motor pumps designed to fit within available risers and have significant agitation capabilities to suspend waste solids. Waste removal and closure of two tanks has been accomplished with agitation provided by 3 SMPs installed within the tanks. In 2012, a team was assembled to investigate alternative solids removal technologies to support waste removal for closing tanks. The goal of the team was to find a more cost effective approach that could be used to replace the current mixing pump technology. This team was unable to identify an alternative technology outside of mixing pumps to support waste agitation and removal from SRS waste tanks. However, the team did identify a potentially lower cost mixing pump compared to the baseline SLPs and SMPs. Rather than using the traditional procurement using an engineering specification, the team proposed to seek commercially available submersible mixer pumps (CSMP) as alternatives to SLPs and SMPs. SLPs and SMPs have a high procurement cost and the actual cost of moving pumps between tanks has shown to be significantly higher than the original estimates that justified the reuse of SMPs and SLPs. The team recommended procurement of “off-the-shelf” industry pumps which may be available for significant savings, but at an increased risk of failure and reduced operating life in the waste tank. The goal of the CSMP program is to obtain mixing pumps that could mix from bulk waste removal through tank closure and then be abandoned in place as part of tank closure. This paper will present the development, progress and relative advantages of the CSMP.« less

  1. Enhancement of ethene removal from waste gas by stimulating nitrification.

    PubMed

    de heyder, B; van Elst, T; van Langenhove, H; Verstraete, W

    1997-01-01

    The treatment of poorly water soluble waste gas compounds, such as ethene, is associated with low substrate concentration levels in the liquid phase. This low concentration level might hamper the optimal development of a microbial population. In this respect, the possible benefit of introducing nitrifying activity in the heterotrophic removal of ethene at moderate concentrations (< 1000 ppm) from a waste gas was investigated. Nitrifying activity is known to be associated with (i) the production of soluble microbial products, which can act as (co-)substrates for heterotrophic micro-organisms and (ii) the co-oxidation of ethene. The used reactor configuration was a packed granular activated carbon biobed inoculated with the heterotrophic strain Mycobacterium E3. The nitrifying activity was introduced by regular submersion in a nitrifying medium prepared from (i) compost or (ii) activated sludge. In both cases a clear enhancement of the volumetric removal rate of ethene could be observed. When combined with a NH3 dosage on a daily basis, a gradual increase of the volumetric removal rate of ethene could be observed. For a volumetric loading rate of 3 kg ethene-COD.m-3.d-1, the volumetric removal rate could thus be increased with a factor 1.8, i.e. from 0.72 to a level of 1.26 kg ethene-COD.m-3.d-1.

  2. What Is a Urea Cycle Disorder?

    MedlinePlus

    ... in which nitrogen, a waste product of protein metabolism, is removed from the blood and converted to a compound called urea in the blood. Normally, the urea is transferred into the urine and removed from the body. In urea cycle ...

  3. Converting citrus wastes into value-added products: Economic and environmently friendly approaches.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Kavita; Mahato, Neelima; Cho, Moo Hwan; Lee, Yong Rok

    2017-02-01

    Citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, tangerines, and mandarins, are among the most widely cultivated fruits around the globe. Its production is increasing every year due to rising consumer demand. Citrus-processing industries generate huge amounts of wastes every year, and citrus peel waste alone accounts for almost 50% of the wet fruit mass. Citrus waste is of immense economic value as it contains an abundance of various flavonoids, carotenoids, dietary fiber, sugars, polyphenols, essential oils, and ascorbic acid, as well as considerable amounts of some trace elements. Citrus waste also contains high levels of sugars suitable for fermentation for bioethanol production. However, compounds such as D-limonene must be removed for efficient bioethanol production. The aim of the present article was to review the latest advances in various popular methods of extraction for obtaining value-added products from citrus waste/byproducts and their potential utility as a source of various functional compounds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Chromium removal from water by activated carbon developed from waste rubber tires.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Vinod Kumar; Ali, Imran; Saleh, Tawfik A; Siddiqui, M N; Agarwal, Shilpi

    2013-03-01

    Because of the continuous production of large amount of waste tires, the disposal of waste tires represents a major environmental issue throughout the world. This paper reports the utilization of waste tires (hard-to-dispose waste) as a precursor in the production of activated carbons (pollution-cleaning adsorbent). In the preparation of activated carbon (AC), waste rubber tire (WRT) was thermally treated and activated. The tire-derived activated carbon was characterized by means of scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, FTIR spectrophotometer, and X-ray diffraction. In the IR spectrum, a number of bands centred at about 3409, 2350, 1710, 1650, and 1300-1000 cm(-1) prove the present of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of AC in addition to C═C double bonds. The developed AC was tested and evaluated as potential adsorbent removal of chromium (III). Experimental parameters, such as contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage and pH were optimized. A rapid uptake of chromium ions was observed and the equilibrium is achieved in 1 h. It was also found that the adsorption process is pH dependent. This work adds to the global discussion of the cost-effective utilization of waste rubber tires for waste water treatment.

  5. Optimization of the anaerobic treatment of a waste stream from an enhanced oil recovery process.

    PubMed

    Alimahmoodi, Mahmood; Mulligan, Catherine N

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this work was to optimize the anaerobic treatment of a waste stream from an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process. The treatment of a simulated waste water containing about 150 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and the saturation level of CO2 was evaluated. A two-step anaerobic system was undertaken in the mesophilic temperature range (30-40°C). The method of evolutionary operation EVOP factorial design was used to optimize pH, temperature and organic loading rate with the target parameters of CO2 reduction and CH4 production in the first reactor and TPH removal in the second reactor. The results showed 98% methanogenic removal of CO2 and CH4 yield of 0.38 L/gCOD in the first reactor and 83% TPH removal in the second reactor. In addition to enhancing CO2 and TPH removal and CH4 production, application of this method showed the degree of importance of the operational variables and their interactive effects for the two reactors in series. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. A study on the optimal hydraulic loading rate and plant ratios in recirculation aquaponic system.

    PubMed

    Endut, Azizah; Jusoh, A; Ali, N; Wan Nik, W B; Hassan, A

    2010-03-01

    The growths of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) were evaluated in recirculation aquaponic system (RAS). Fish production performance, plant growth and nutrient removal were measured and their dependence on hydraulic loading rate (HLR) was assessed. Fish production did not differ significantly between hydraulic loading rates. In contrast to the fish production, the water spinach yield was significantly higher in the lower hydraulic loading rate. Fish production, plant growth and percentage nutrient removal were highest at hydraulic loading rate of 1.28 m/day. The ratio of fish to plant production has been calculated to balance nutrient generation from fish with nutrient removal by plants and the optimum ratio was 15-42 gram of fish feed/m(2) of plant growing area. Each unit in RAS was evaluated in terms of oxygen demand. Using specified feeding regime, mass balance equations were applied to quantify the waste discharges from rearing tanks and treatment units. The waste discharged was found to be strongly dependent on hydraulic loading rate. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Mitigation of the inhibitory effect of soap by magnesium salt treatment of crude glycerol--a novel approach for enhanced biohydrogen production from the biodiesel industry waste.

    PubMed

    Sarma, Saurabh Jyoti; Brar, Satinder Kaur; Le Bihan, Yann; Buelna, Gerardo; Soccol, Carlos Ricardo

    2014-01-01

    Owing to its inhibitory effect on microbial growth, soap present in crude glycerol (CG) is a concern in biological valorization of the biodiesel manufacturing waste. By salting out strategy, up to 42% of the soap has been removed and the approach has beneficial effect on H2 production; however, removal of more than 7% of the soap was found to be inhibitory. Actually, soap is utilized as a co-substrate and due to removal; the carbon-nitrogen ratio of the medium might have decreased to reduce the production. Alternatively, without changing the carbon-nitrogen ratio of CG, MgSO4 treatment can convert the soap to its inactive form (scum). The approach was found to increase the H2 production rate (33.82%), cumulative H2 production (34.70%) as well as glycerol utilization (nearly 2.5-folds). Additionally, the treatment can increase the Mg (a nutrient) content of the medium from 0.57 ppm to 201.92 ppm. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Activated bauxite waste as an adsorbent for removal of Acid Blue 92 from aqueous solutions.

    PubMed

    Norouzi, Sh; Badii, Kh; Doulati Ardejani, F

    2010-01-01

    Bauxite waste, known as red mud, is produced in some industrial processes, such as aluminum production process. In this process, the waste material is produced from leached bauxite as a by product. In this research, the removal of Acid Blue 92 (AB92) dye was investigated from aqueous solution onto the activated bauxite waste (red mud) in a batch equilibration system. Besides, the influences of pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration of dye and temperature have been considered. It was found that the OH group is an effective functional group for the adsorption process. The intensity of the peaks correspond to OH group has been significantly climbed after the activation process. The adsorption kinetics of AB92 can be well described by the pseudo-second-order reaction model. Based on the isotherm data obtained from the fittings of the adsorption kinetics, the Langmuir model appears to fit the adsorption process better than the Freundlich and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) models.

  9. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Russell, Renee L.; Fiskum, Sandra K.; Smoot, Margaret R.

    Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing a Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) to provide low-activity waste (LAW) directly to the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low-Activity Waste Facility for immobilization. The pretreatment that will be conducted on tank waste supernate at the LAWPS facility entails filtration to remove entrained solids and cesium (Cs) ion exchange to remove Cs from the product sent to the WTP. Currently, spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde (sRF) resin (Microbeads AS, Skedsmokorset, Norway) is the Cs ion exchange resin of choice. Most work on Cs ion exchange efficacy in Hanford tank waste has been conductedmore » at nominally 5 M sodium (Na). WRPS is examining the possibility of processing supernatant at high Na concentrations—up to 8 M Na—to maximize processing efficiency through the LAWPS. Minimal Cs ion exchange work has been conducted at 6 M and 8 M Na concentrations..« less

  10. Process waste assessment: Petroleum jelly removal from semiconductor die using trichloroethylene

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Curtin, D.P.

    The process analyzed involves non-production, laboratory environment use of trichloroethylene for the cleaning of semiconductor devices. The option selection centered on the replacement of the trichloroethylene with a non-hazardous material. This process waste assessment was performed as part of a pilot project.

  11. Application of Response Surface Methodology on Leaching of Iron from Partially Laterised Khondalite Rocks: A Bauxite Mining Waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swain, Ranjita; Bhima Rao, R.

    2018-04-01

    In the present investigation, response surface methodology (RSM) is used for a quadratic model that continuously controls the process parameters. This model is used to optimize the removal of iron oxide from Partially Laterised Khondalite (PLK) rocks which is influenced by several independent variables namely acid concentration, time and temperature. Second order response functions are produced for leaching of iron oxide from PLK rocks-a bauxite mining waste. In RSM, Box-Behnken design is used for the process optimization to achieve maximum removal of iron oxide. The influence of the process variables of leaching of iron oxide is presented in the form of 3-D response graphs. The results of this investigation reveals that 3 M hydrochloric acid concentration, 240 min time and 373 K temperature are found to be the best conditions for removal of 99% Fe2O3. The product obtain at this condition contain 80% brightness which is suitable for ceramic and filler industry applications. The novelity of the work is that the waste can be a value added product after suitable physical beneficiation and chemical treatment.

  12. 3,5-Dichlorophenol Removal From Wastewater Using Alternative Adsorbents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kobetičová, Hana; Lipovský, Marek; Wachter, Igor; Soldán, Maroš

    2015-06-01

    The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of 3,5-dichlorophenol removal from wastewater by using alternative low cost adsorbents. Waste from the production and processing of metals (black nickel mud, red mud) and a biosorbent (Lemna minor) were used for this research. Initial concentration of the contaminant was 4 mmol L-1, the contact time of sorbent and waste water was 0 - 48 hrs and the temperature during experiment was 25 ± 0.2 °C. The results show that the highest removal efficiency of 3,5 - dichlorophenol (58.18 %) was reached by the red mud in 48 hours.

  13. Removal of organic impurities in waste glycerol from biodiesel production process through the acidification and coagulation processes.

    PubMed

    Xie, Qiao-Guang; Taweepreda, Wirach; Musikavong, Charongpun; Suksaroj, Chaisri

    2012-01-01

    Treatment of waste glycerol, a by-product of the biodiesel production process, can reduce water pollution and bring significant economic benefits for biodiesel facilities. In the present study, hydrochloric acid (HCl) was used as acidification to convert soaps into salts and free fatty acids which were recovered after treatment. The pH value, dosages of polyaluminum chloride (PACl) and dosage of polyacrylamide (PAM) were considered to be the factors that can influence coagulation efficiency. The pH value of waste glycerol was adjusted to a pH range of 3-9. The PACl and PAM added were in the range of 1-6 g/L and 0.005-0.07 g/L. The results showed best coagulation efficiency occurs at pH 4 when dosage of PACl and PAM were 2 and 0.01 g/L. The removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD(5)), total suspended solids (TSS) and soaps were 80, 68, 97 and 100%, respectively. The compositions of organic matters in the treated waste glycerol were glycerol (288 g/L), methanol (3.8 g/L), and other impurities (0.3 g/L).

  14. Spatial Distribution of Triclosan in a Semi-enclosed Estuarine Embayment, Greenwich Bay, Rhode Island

    EPA Science Inventory

    Triclosan is an anti-microbial agent commonly used in the formulation of many personal care and consumer products. Much of the triclosan used by consumers enters the aqueous waste stream following use and is partially removed in waste water treatment plants (WWTP). However, the...

  15. Removal of heavy metal contamination from peanut skin extracts by waste biomass adsorption

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Polyphenols are a rapidly increasing portion of the nutraceutical and functional food marketplace. Peanut skins are a waste product which have potential as a low-cost source of polyphenols. Extraction and concentration of peanut skin extracts can cause normally innocuous levels of the heavy metal co...

  16. Improved anaerobic digestion of a thermally pretreated mixture of physicochemical sludge; broiler excreta and sugar cane wastes (SCW): Effect on organic matter solubilization, biodegradability and bioenergy production.

    PubMed

    Nava-Valente, Noemí; Alvarado-Lassman, Alejandro; Nativitas-Sandoval, Liliana S; Mendez-Contreras, Juan M

    2016-01-01

    Thermal pretreatment effect of a mixture of organic wastes (physicochemical sludge, excreta of broiler chickens and sugarcane wastes (SCW)) in the solubilization and biodegradability organic matter as well as bioenergy production by anaerobic digestion was evaluated. Two different mixtures of physicochemical sludge, excreta of broiler chickens and SCW (70%, 15%, 15% and 60%, 20%, 20% of VS, respectively) were treated at different temperatures (80 °C, 85 °C and 90 °C) and contact time (30, 60 and 90 min). Results indicate that, organic matter solubilization degree increased from 1.14 to 6.56%; subsequently, in the anaerobic digestion process, an increase of 50% in the volatile solids removal and 10% in biogas production was observed, while, retention time decreased from 23 up to 9 days. The results obtained were similar to pilot-scale. In both experimental scales it showed that the synergy produced by the simultaneous anaerobic digestion of different substrates could increase bioenergy production up to 1.3 L bio g(-1) VS removed and 0.82 L CH4 g(-1) VS removed. The treatment conditions presented in this study allow for large residue quantities to be treated and large bioenergy quantities to be produced (10% higher than during conventional treatment) without increasing the anaerobic digester volume.

  17. Assessment of different pre-treatment methods for the removal of limonene in citrus waste and their effect on methane potential and methane production rate.

    PubMed

    Ruiz, Begoña; de Benito, Amparo; Rivera, José Daniel; Flotats, Xavier

    2016-12-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the limonene removal efficiency of three pre-treatment methods when applied to citrus waste and to evaluate their effects on the biochemical methane potential and the methane production rate using batch anaerobic tests. The methods tested were based on removal (biological pretreatment by fungi) or recovery (steam distillation and ethanol extraction) of limonene. All the treatments decreased the concentration of limonene in orange peel, with average efficiencies of 22%, 44% and 100% for the biological treatment, steam distillation and ethanol extraction, respectively. By-products from limonene biodegradation by fungi exhibited an inhibitory effect also, not making interesting the biological pretreatment. The methane potential and production rate of the treated orange peel increased significantly after applying the recovery strategies, which separated and recovered simultaneously other inhibitory components of the citrus essential oil. Apart from the high recovery efficiency of the ethanol extraction process, it presented a favourable energy balance. © The Author(s) 2016.

  18. Micro-scale energy valorization of grape marcs in winery production plants.

    PubMed

    Fabbri, Andrea; Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Serranti, Silvia

    2015-02-01

    The Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) of winery organic waste, with reference to two Italian red and white grapes (i.e. Nero Buono and Greco) by-products was investigated. The study was carried out to verify the possibility to reduce the production impact in a green-waste-management-chain-perspective. The possibility to efficiently utilize wine-related-by-products for energy production at a micro-scale (i.e. small-medium scale winery production plant) was also verified. Results showed as a good correlation can be established between the percentage of COD removal and the biogas production, as the winery can produce, from its waste methanization, about 7800 kW h year(-1) electrical and 8900 kW h year(-1) thermal. A critical evaluation was performed about the possibility to utilize the proposed approach to realize an optimal biomass waste management and an energetic valorization in a local-energy-production-perspective. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Method for removal of metal atoms from aqueous solution using suspended plant cells

    DOEpatents

    Jackson, Paul J.; Torres, deceased, Agapito P.; Delhaize, Emmanuel

    1992-01-01

    The use of plant suspension cultures to remove ionic metallic species and TNT-based explosives and their oxidation products from aqueous solution is described. Several plant strains were investigated including D. innoxia, Citrus citrus, and Black Mexican Sweet Corn. All showed significant ability to remove metal ions. Ions removed to sub-ppm levels include barium, iron, and plutonium. D. innoxia cells growing in media containing weapons effluent contaminated with Ba.sup.2+ also remove TNT, other explosives and oxidation products thereof from solution. The use of dead, dehydrated cells were also found to be of use in treating waste directly.

  20. Method for removal of explosives from aqueous solution using suspended plant cells

    DOEpatents

    Jackson, Paul J.; Torres, deceased, Agapito P.; Delhaize, Emmanuel

    1994-01-01

    The use of plant suspension cultures to remove ionic metallic species and TNT-based explosives and their oxidation products from aqueous solution is described. Several plant strains were investigated including D. innoxia, Citrus citrus, and Black Mexican Sweet Corn. All showed significant ability to remove metal ions. Ions removed to sub-ppm levels include barium, iron, and plutonium. D. innoxia cells growing in media containing weapons effluent contaminated with Ba.sup.2+ also remove TNT, other explosives and oxidation products thereof from solution. The use of dead, dehydrated cells was also found to be of use in treating waste directly.

  1. Sorption Capacity Measurement of Chlorella Vulgaris and Scenedesmus Acutus to Remove Chromium from Tannery Waste Water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ardila, Liliana; Godoy, Rubén; Montenegro, Luis

    2017-08-01

    Tanning process is a polluting activity due to the release of toxic agents into the environment. One of the most important of those toxic chemicals is chromium. Different alternatives have been proposed for the removal of this metal from tanning waste water which include the optimization of the productive processes, physicochemical and biochemical waste water treatment. In this study, the biological adsorption process of trivalent chromium was carried out in synthetic water and tannery waste water through two types of native green microalgae, called Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus acutus in Free State and immobilized in PVA state. This, considering that cellular wall of microalgae has functional groups like amines and carboxyl that might bind with trivalent chromium. Statistical significance of variables as pH temperature, chromium and algae concentrations was evaluated just like bio sorption capacity of different types of water and kind of bioadsorbent was calculated to determine if this process is a competitive solution comparing to other heavy metal removal processes.

  2. Anaerobic co-digestion of vegetable waste and swine wastewater in high-rate horizontal reactors with fixed bed.

    PubMed

    Mazareli, Raissa Cristina da Silva; Duda, Rose Maria; Leite, Valderi Duarte; Oliveira, Roberto Alves de

    2016-06-01

    Considering the high waste generation that comes from agriculture and livestock farming, as well as the demand for natural gas, it is necessary to develop sustainable technologies which can reduce environmental impact. There is no available literature on the use of high-rate horizontal anaerobic reactors with fixed bed (HARFB) and continuous feed for the co-digestion of vegetable wastes (VW) and swine wastewater (SW). The aim of this work was to evaluate the reactor performance in terms of methane production, organic matter consumption, and removal of total and thermotolerant coliforms under different proportions of SW and VW, and organic loading rates (OLR) of 4.0, 5.2 and 11.0g COD (Ld)(-)(1). The mixture of SW and VW in the proportions of 90:10, 80:20 and 70:30 (SW:VW) with those OLRs provided great buffering capacity, with partial alkalinity reaching 3552mgL(-1), thereby avoiding the inhibition of methane production by volatile fatty acids produced during the fermentation process. Higher proportions of VW and higher OLR improved volumetric methane production with a maximum value of 1.08LCH4 (Ld)(-)(1), organic matter removal rates up to 98% and total and thermotolerant coliform removal rates of 99% were also observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Evaluation of Needle Gun and Abrasive Blasting Technologies in Bridge Paint Removal Practices.

    PubMed

    Randall, Paul M; Kranz, Paul B; Sonntag, Mary L; Stadelmaier, James E

    1998-03-01

    This paper reviews the results of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study that assessed needle gun technology as an alternative to conventional abrasive blasting technology to remove lead-based paint from steel bridges in western New York State. The study analyzed the operational and logistical aspects as they relate to worker health and safety, environmental protection, hazardous waste generation, and costs as compared to those arising from conventional abrasive blasting. In this 1992 EPA study, the costs and the product quality aspects favored conventional abrasive blasting over the needle gun technology for removing lead paint. However, abrasive blasting exposed workers to airborne lead levels that exceeded Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) as established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as emitting high levels of lead-contaminated dusts and debris into the environment. It was estimated that more than 500 lbs of lead-contaminated spent abrasives and paint waste were released into the environment during paint removal operations. The needle gun system reduced (up to 97.5%) the generation of hazardous waste and the airborne concentrations (up to 99%) of respirable dusts and lead-containing particulates generated during paint removal operations. However, labor costs for the needle gun were three times higher than those for abrasive blasting primarily because of slower production rates that necessitated more operating personnel. The higher labor costs of the needle gun are partially offset by the increased costs associated with the expendable abrasive blast media and hazardous waste disposal. In the EPA study, the productivity of the needle gun system was 12.2 ft 2 /hr vs. 147.5 ft 2 /hr for abrasive blasting. A post blast was needed for the needle gun system to meet surface preparation specifications. When factoring in the costs of full containment structures to meet OSHA's 1993 Lead Exposure in Construction regulation, the needle gun system has the potential to be economically competitive with conventional abrasive blasting.

  4. Utilization and recycling of industrial magnesite refractory waste material for removal of certain radionuclides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morcos, T.N.; Tadrous, N.A.; Borai, E.H.

    2007-07-01

    Increased industrialization over the last years in Egypt has resulted in an increased and uncontrolled generation of industrial hazardous waste. The current lack of management of the solid waste in Egypt has created a situation where large parts of the land (especially industrial areas) are covered by un-planned dumps of industrial wastes. Consequently, in the present work, industrial magnesite waste produced in large quantities after production process of magnesium sulfate in Zinc Misr factory, Egypt, was tried to be recycled. Firstly, this material has been characterized applying different analytical techniques such as infrared spectroscopy (IR), surface analyzer (BET), particle sizemore » distribution (PSD), elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The magnesite material has been used as a source of producing aluminum, chromium, and magnesium oxides that has better chemical stability than conventional metal oxides. Secondly, utilization of magnesite material for removal of certain radionuclides was applied. Different factors affecting the removal capability such as pH, contacting time, metal concentration, particle size were systematically investigated. The overall objective was aimed at determining feasible and economic solution to the environmental problems related to re-use of the industrial solid waste for radioactive waste management. (authors)« less

  5. Chemical activation of gasification carbon residue for phosphate removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kilpimaa, Sari; Runtti, Hanna; Lassi, Ulla; Kuokkanen, Toivo

    2012-05-01

    Recycling of waste materials provides an economical and environmentally significant method to reduce the amount of waste. Bioash formed in the gasification process possesses a notable amount of unburned carbon and therefore it can be called a carbon residue. After chemical activation carbon residue could be use to replace activated carbon for example in wastewater purification processes. The effect of chemical activation process variables such as chemical agents and contact time in the chemical activation process were investigated. This study also explored the effectiveness of the chemically activated carbon residue for the removal of phosphate from an aqueous solution. The experimental adsorption study was performed in a batch reactor and the influence of adsorption time, initial phosphate concentration and pH was studied. Due to the carbon residue's low cost and high adsorption capacity, this type of waste has the potential to be utilised for the cost-effective removal of phosphate from wastewaters. Potential adsorbents could be prepared from these carbonaceous by-products and used as an adsorbent for phosphate removal.

  6. Activated carbon from leather shaving wastes and its application in removal of toxic materials.

    PubMed

    Kantarli, Ismail Cem; Yanik, Jale

    2010-07-15

    In this study, utilization of a solid waste as raw material for activated carbon production was investigated. For this purpose, activated carbons were produced from chromium and vegetable tanned leather shaving wastes by physical and chemical activation methods. A detailed analysis of the surface properties of the activated carbons including acidity, total surface area, extent of microporosity and mesoporosity was presented. The activated carbon produced from vegetable tanned leather shaving waste produced has a higher surface area and micropore volume than the activated carbon produced from chromium tanned leather shaving waste. The potential application of activated carbons obtained from vegetable tanned shavings as adsorbent for removal of water pollutants have been checked for phenol, methylene blue, and Cr(VI). Adsorption capacities of activated carbons were found to be comparable to that of activated carbons derived from biomass. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Sequential anaerobic/aerobic digestion for enhanced sludge stabilization: comparison of the process performance for mixed and waste sludge [corrected].

    PubMed

    Tomei, M Concetta; Carozza, Nicola Antonello

    2015-05-01

    Sequential anaerobic-aerobic digestion has been demonstrated as a promising alternative for enhanced sludge stabilization. In this paper, a feasibility study of the sequential digestion applied to real waste activated sludge (WAS) and mixed sludge is presented. Process performance is evaluated in terms of total solid (TS) and volatile solid (VS) removal, biogas production, and dewaterability trend in the anaerobic and double-stage digested sludge. In the proposed digestion lay out, the aerobic stage was operated with intermittent aeration to reduce the nitrogen load recycled to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Experimental results showed a very good performance of the sequential digestion process for both waste and mixed sludge, even if, given its better digestibility, higher efficiencies are observed for mixed sludge. VS removal efficiencies in the anaerobic stage were 48 and 50% for waste and mixed sludge, respectively, while a significant additional improvement of the VS removal of 25% for WAS and 45% for mixed sludge has been obtained in the aerobic stage. The post-aerobic stage, operated with intermittent aeration, was also efficient in nitrogen removal, providing a significant decrease of the nitrogen content in the supernatant: nitrification efficiencies of 90 and 97% and denitrification efficiencies of 62 and 70% have been obtained for secondary and mixed sludges, respectively. A positive effect due to the aerobic stage was also observed on the sludge dewaterability in both cases. Biogas production, expressed as Nm(3)/(kgVSdestroyed), was 0.54 for waste and 0.82 for mixed sludge and is in the range of values reported in the literature in spite of the low anaerobic sludge retention time of 15 days.

  8. Continuous anaerobic digestion of food waste and design of digester with lipid removal.

    PubMed

    Li, Dong; Sun, Yongming; Guo, Yanfeng; Yuan, Zhenhong; Wang, Yao; Zhen, Feng

    2013-01-01

    Separation of municipal solid waste has been implemented in many cities in China. As a major component of municipal solid waste, food waste can be treated by anaerobic digestion (AD) for energy production. To provide reference data for disposing of food waste through engineering applications, continuous AD was carried out under various organic loading rates (OLRs) at 27 +/- 2 degrees C in the laboratory. The anaerobic reactor was stable with pH 7.0-7.1, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations of 206-746 mg/L, and NH4+ -N concentrations of 525-1293 mg/L when the OLR was 1.118-5.588 kg volatile solids (VS)/m(3) x d. The maximum volumetric biogas production rate was 4.41 L/L x d when the OLR was increased to 5.588 kg VS/m(3) x d with a hydraulic retention time of 30 d. When the OLR was increased to 6.706 and 8.382 kg VS/m(3) x d, biogas production was seriously inhibited by VFAs, with maximum total VFA and propionate concentrations of 8738 mg/L and 2864 mg/L, respectively. Due to the incomplete degradation of lipids, the specific methane production rate of 353-488 L/kg VS accounted for 55.2-76.3% of the theoretical methane potential calculated based on the component composition. A retrofitted anaerobic digester with lipid removal was designed to improve the efficiency.

  9. Thermal and chemical remediation of mixed wastes

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, Paul A.; Swift, William M.

    1997-01-01

    A process for treating organic waste materials without venting gaseous emissions to the atmosphere which includes oxidizing the organic waste materials at an elevated temperature not less than about 500.degree. C. with a gas having an oxygen content in the range of from about 20% to about 70% to produce an oxidation product containing CO.sub.2 gas. The gas is then filtered to remove particulates, and then contacted with an aqueous absorbent solution of alkali metal carbonates or alkanolamines to absorb a portion of the CO.sub.2 gas from the particulate-free oxidation product. The CO.sub.2 absorbent is thereafter separated for further processing. A process and system are also disclosed in which the waste materials are contacted with a reactive medium such as lime and product treatment as described.

  10. Process to separate transuranic elements from nuclear waste

    DOEpatents

    Johnson, T.R.; Ackerman, J.P.; Tomczuk, Z.; Fischer, D.F.

    1989-03-21

    A process is described for removing transuranic elements from a waste chloride electrolytic salt containing transuranic elements in addition to rare earth and other fission product elements so the salt waste may be disposed of more easily and the valuable transuranic elements may be recovered for reuse. The salt is contacted with a cadmium-uranium alloy which selectively extracts the transuranic elements from the salt. The waste salt is generated during the reprocessing of nuclear fuel associated with the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR). 2 figs.

  11. Process to separate transuranic elements from nuclear waste

    DOEpatents

    Johnson, T.R.; Ackerman, J.P.; Tomczuk, Z.; Fischer, D.F.

    1988-07-12

    A process for removing transuranic elements from a waste chloride electrolytic salt containing transuranic elements in addition to rare earth and other fission product elements so the salt waste may be disposed of more easily and the valuable transuranic elements may be recovered for reuse. The salt is contacted with a cadmium-uranium alloy which selectively extracts the transuranic elements from the salt. The waste salt is generated during the reprocessing of nuclear fuel associated with the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR). 2 figs.

  12. Process to separate transuranic elements from nuclear waste

    DOEpatents

    Johnson, Terry R.; Ackerman, John P.; Tomczuk, Zygmunt; Fischer, Donald F.

    1989-01-01

    A process for removing transuranic elements from a waste chloride electrolytic salt containing transuranic elements in addition to rare earth and other fission product elements so the salt waste may be disposed of more easily and the valuable transuranic elements may be recovered for reuse. The salt is contacted with a cadmium-uranium alloy which selectively extracts the transuranic elements from the salt. The waste salt is generated during the reprocessing of nuclear fuel associated with the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR).

  13. Removing Chlorides From Metallurgical-Grade Silicon

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Breneman, W. C.; Coleman, L. M.

    1982-01-01

    Process for making low-cost silicon for solar cells is further improved. Silane product recycled to feed stripper column converts some of heavy impurities to volatile ones that pass off at top of column with light wastes. Impurities--chlorides of arsenic, phosphorus, and boron-would otherwise be carried to subsequent distillations where they would be difficult to remove. Since only a small amount of silane is recycled, silicon production efficiency remains high.

  14. Dry halide method for separating the components of spent nuclear fuels

    DOEpatents

    Christian, Jerry Dale; Thomas, Thomas Russell; Kessinger, Glen F.

    1998-01-01

    The invention is a nonaqueous, single method for processing multiple spent nuclear fuel types by separating the fission- and transuranic products from the nonradioactive and fissile uranium product. The invention has four major operations: exposing the spent fuels to chlorine gas at temperatures preferably greater than 1200.degree. C. to form volatile metal chlorides; removal of the fission product chlorides, transuranic product chlorides, and any nickel chloride and chromium chloride in a molten salt scrubber at approximately 400.degree. C.; fractional condensation of the remaining volatile chlorides at temperatures ranging from 164.degree. C. to 2.degree. C.; and regeneration and recovery of the transferred spent molten salt by vacuum distillation. The residual fission products, transuranic products, and nickel- and chromium chlorides are converted to fluorides or oxides for vitrification. The method offers the significant advantages of a single, compact process that is applicable to most of the diverse nuclear fuels, minimizes secondary wastes, segregates fissile uranium from the high level wastes to resolve potential criticality concerns, segregates nonradioactive wastes from the high level wastes for volume reduction, and produces a common waste form glass or glass-ceramic.

  15. Dry halide method for separating the components of spent nuclear fuels

    DOEpatents

    Christian, J.D.; Thomas, T.R.; Kessinger, G.F.

    1998-06-30

    The invention is a nonaqueous, single method for processing multiple spent nuclear fuel types by separating the fission and transuranic products from the nonradioactive and fissile uranium product. The invention has four major operations: exposing the spent fuels to chlorine gas at temperatures preferably greater than 1200 C to form volatile metal chlorides; removal of the fission product chlorides, transuranic product chlorides, and any nickel chloride and chromium chloride in a molten salt scrubber at approximately 400 C; fractional condensation of the remaining volatile chlorides at temperatures ranging from 164 to 2 C; and regeneration and recovery of the transferred spent molten salt by vacuum distillation. The residual fission products, transuranic products, and nickel- and chromium chlorides are converted to fluorides or oxides for vitrification. The method offers the significant advantages of a single, compact process that is applicable to most of the diverse nuclear fuels, minimizes secondary wastes, segregates fissile uranium from the high level wastes to resolve potential criticality concerns, segregates nonradioactive wastes from the high level wastes for volume reduction, and produces a common waste form glass or glass-ceramic. 3 figs.

  16. NAICS Impact on Small Business Set-Asides

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-01

    APPENDIX C. AIRFIELD DEMOLITION SOLICITATION ...............................83 APPENDIX D. HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC WASTE REMOVAL SOLICITATION...Suitability for Transfer GPE government-wide point of entry GSA General Services Administration HTW hazardous and toxic waste HUBZone...Oilseed (except Soybean) Farming $0.75 111130 Dry Pea and Bean Farming $0.75 Subsector 112 – Animal Production 112111 Beef Cattle

  17. Manufacturing of novel low-cost adsorbent: Co-granulation of limestone and coffee waste.

    PubMed

    Iakovleva, Evgenia; Sillanpää, Mika; Maydannik, Philipp; Liu, Jiang Tao; Allen, Stephen; Albadarin, Ahmad B; Mangwandi, Chirangano

    2017-12-01

    Limestone and coffee waste were used during the wet co-granulation process for the production of efficient adsorbents to be used in the removal of anionic and cationic dyes. The adsorbents were characterized using different analytical techniques such as XRD, SEM, FTIR, organic elemental analysis, the nitrogen adsorption method, with wettability, strength and adsorption tests. The adsorption capacity of granules was determined by removal of methylene blue (MB) and orange II (OR) from single and mixed solutions. In the mixed solution, co-granules removed 100% of MB and 85% of OR. The equilibria were established after 6 and 480 h for MB and OR, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Enzymatic production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil in a packed-bed reactor: an engineering approach to separation of hydrophilic impurities.

    PubMed

    Hama, Shinji; Yoshida, Ayumi; Tamadani, Naoki; Noda, Hideo; Kondo, Akihiko

    2013-05-01

    An engineering approach was applied to an efficient biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. In this work, an enzymatic packed-bed reactor (PBR) was integrated with a glycerol-separating system and used successfully for methanolysis, yielding a methyl ester content of 94.3% and glycerol removal of 99.7%. In the glycerol-separating system with enhanced retention time, the effluent contained lesser amounts of glycerol and methanol than those in the unmodified system, suggesting its promising ability to remove hydrophilic impurities from the oil layer. The PBR system was also applied to oils with high acid values, in which fatty acids could be esterified and the large amount of water was extracted using the glycerol-separating system. The long-term operation demonstrated the high lipase stability affording less than 0.2% residual triglyceride in 22 batches. Therefore, the PBR system, which facilitates the separation of hydrophilic impurities, is applicable to the enzymatic biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A bio-hybrid anaerobic treatment of papaya processing wastes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, P.Y.; Chou, C.Y.

    1987-01-01

    Hybrid anaerobic treatment of papaya processing wastes is technically feasible. At 30/sup 0/C, the optimal organic loading rates for maximizing organic removal efficiency and methane production are 1.3 and 4.8 g TCOD/1/day, respectively. Elimination of post-handling and treatment of digested effluent can also be achieved. The system is more suitable for those processing plants with a waste amount of more than 3,000 metric tons per year.

  20. Evaluating the biogas potential of the dry fraction from pretreatment of food waste from households

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Murto, Marika, E-mail: marika.murto@biotek.lu.se; Björnsson, Lovisa, E-mail: lovisa.bjornsson@miljo.lth.se; Environmental and Energy Systems Studies, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund

    2013-05-15

    Highlights: ► A novel approach for biogas production from a waste fraction that today is incinerated. ► Biogas production is possible in spite of the impurities of the waste. ► Tracer studies are applied in a novel way. ► Structural material is needed to improve the flow pattern of the waste. ► We provide a solution to biological treatment for the complex waste fraction. - Abstract: At the waste handling company NSR, Helsingborg, Sweden, the food waste fraction of source separated municipal solid waste is pretreated to obtain a liquid fraction, which is used for biogas production, and a drymore » fraction, which is at present incinerated. This pretreatment and separation is performed to remove impurities, however also some of the organic material is removed. The possibility of realising the methane potential of the dry fraction through batch-wise dry anaerobic digestion was investigated. The anaerobic digestion technique used was a two-stage process consisting of a static leach bed reactor and a methane reactor. Treatment of the dry fraction alone and in a mixture with structural material was tested to investigate the effect on the porosity of the leach bed. A tracer experiment was carried out to investigate the liquid flow through the leach beds, and this method proved useful in demonstrating a more homogenous flow through the leach bed when structural material was added. Addition of structural material to the dry fraction was needed to achieve a functional digestion process. A methane yield of 98 m{sup 3}/ton was obtained from the dry fraction mixed with structural material after 76 days of digestion. This was in the same range as obtained in the laboratory scale biochemical methane potential test, showing that it was possible to extract the organic content in the dry fraction in this type of dry digestion system for the production of methane.« less

  1. Thermal and chemical remediation of mixed wastes

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, P.A.; Swift, W.M.

    1997-12-16

    A process is described for treating organic waste materials without venting gaseous emissions to the atmosphere which includes oxidizing the organic waste materials at an elevated temperature not less than about 500 C with a gas having an oxygen content in the range of from about 20% to about 70% to produce an oxidation product containing CO{sub 2} gas. The gas is then filtered to remove particulates, and then contacted with an aqueous absorbent solution of alkali metal carbonates or alkanolamines to absorb a portion of the CO{sub 2} gas from the particulate-free oxidation product. The CO{sub 2} absorbent is thereafter separated for further processing. A process and system are also disclosed in which the waste materials are contacted with a reactive medium such as lime and product treatment as described. 8 figs.

  2. Evaluating the effects of activated carbon on methane generation and the fate of antibiotic resistant genes and class I integrons during anaerobic digestion of solid organic wastes.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jingxin; Mao, Feijian; Loh, Kai-Chee; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong; Dai, Yanjun; Tong, Yen Wah

    2018-02-01

    The effects of activated carbon (AC) on methane production and the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were evaluated through comparing the anaerobic digestion performance and transformation of ARGs among anaerobic mono-digestion of food waste, co-digestion of food waste and chicken manure, and co-digestion of food waste and waste activated sludge. Results showed that adding AC in anaerobic digesters improved methane yield by at least double through the enrichment of bacteria and archaea. Conventional digestion process showed ability in removing certain types of ARGs, such as tetA, tetX, sul1, sul2, cmlA, floR, and intl1. Supplementing AC in anaerobic digester enhanced the removal of most of the ARGs in mono-digestion of food waste. The effects tended to be minimal in co-digestion of co-substrates such as chicken manure and waste activated sludge, both of which contain a certain amount of antibiotics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Non-woven Textile Materials from Waste Fibers for Cleanup of Waters Polluted with Petroleum and Oil Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neznakomova, Margarita; Boteva, Silvena; Tzankov, Luben; Elhag, Mohamed

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility of using non-woven materials (NWM) from waste fibers for oil spill cleanup and their subsequent recovery. Manufacture of textile and readymade products generates a significant amount of solid waste. A major part of it is deposited in landfills or disposed of uncontrollably. This slowly degradable waste causes environmental problems. In the present study are used two types of NWM obtained by methods where waste fibers are utilized. Thus, real textile products are produced (blankets) with which spills are covered and removed by adsorption. These products are produced by two methods: the strengthening of the covering from recovered fibers is made by entanglement when needles of special design pass through layers (needle-punching) or by stitching with thread (technology Maliwatt). Regardless of the random nature of the fiber mixture, the investigated products are good adsorbents of petroleum products. The nature of their structure (a significant void volume and developed surface) leads to a rapid recovery of the spilled petroleum products without sinking of the fiber layer for the sampled times. The used NWM can be burned under special conditions.

  4. [Decolorization of dyestuff and dying waste water by laccase solution with self-flocculent mycelial pellets of Coriolus versicolor].

    PubMed

    Wu, Mianbin; Xia, Liming

    2002-06-01

    Both laccase production by the white-rot fungus Coriolus versicolor and decolorization of dyestuff and dying waste water with crude solution of laccase were studied in this work. Laccase production meets the definition of secondary metabolism. For laccase production the optimum initial pH is 4.5. Addition of veratryl alcohol or elevated trace metals could both enhance the laccase activity, while Tween80 showed some inhibition. The immobilized mycelia of C. versicolor in polyurethane foam had less laccase production ability than mycelial pellets. A repeated batch cultivation process was found to be a very economical way for laccase harvest. The same pellets could be used for at least 14 times and average laccase activity of each batch could maintain 6.72 IU/mL. This method reduces the enzyme production course, medium consumption and the possibility of contamination, showing high efficient and great economic benefit. Good results were also obtained in decolorization experiments with the crude solution of laccase. With 3.3 IU/mL initial laccase activity, color removal of Acid Orange reached 98.5% after 24 h reaction. Also with 2.6 IU/mL initial laccase activity, color removal of dying waste water reached 93% after 24 h reaction.

  5. Bacterial community dynamics in surface flow constructed wetlands for the treatment of swine waste.

    PubMed

    Ibekwe, A M; Ma, J; Murinda, Shelton; Reddy, G B

    2016-02-15

    Constructed wetlands are generally used for the removal of waste from contaminated water. In the swine production system, wastes are traditionally flushed into an anaerobic lagoon which is then sprayed on agricultural fields. However, continuous spraying of lagoon wastewater on fields can lead to high N and P accumulations in soil or lead to runoff which may contaminate surface or ground water with pathogens and nutrients. In this study, continuous marsh constructed wetland was used for the removal of contaminants from swine waste. Using pyrosequencing, we assessed bacterial composition within the wetland using principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) which showed that bacterial composition from manure influent and lagoon water were significantly different (P=0.001) from the storage pond to the final effluent. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that different bacterial populations were significantly impacted by ammonium--NH4 (P=0.035), phosphate--PO4(3-) (P=0.010), chemical oxygen demand--COD (P=0.0165), total solids--TS (P=0.030), and dissolved solids--DS (P=0.030) removal, with 54% of the removal rate explained by NH4+PO4(3-) according to a partial CCA. Our results showed that different bacterial groups were responsible for the composition of different wetland nutrients and decomposition process. This may be the major reason why most wetlands are very efficient in waste decomposition. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. 40 CFR 425.02 - General definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... following wet processes: retan, bleach, color, and fatliquor. (d) “Hair pulp” means the removal of hair by chemical dissolution. (e) “Hair save” means the physical or mechanical removal of hair which has not been chemically dissolved, and either selling the hair as a by-product or disposing of it as a solid waste. (f...

  7. Dairy manure biochar as a phosphorus fertilizer

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Future manure management practices will need to remove large amounts of organic waste as well as harness energy to generate value-added products. Manures can be processed using thermochemical conversion technologies to generate a solid product called biochar. Dairy manure biochars contain sufficient...

  8. Indigenous Halomonas spp., the Potential Nitrifying Bacteria for Saline Ammonium Waste Water Treatment.

    PubMed

    Sangnoi, Yutthapong; Chankaew, Sunipa; O-Thong, Sompong

    2017-01-01

    Toxic nitrogen compounds are one cause decreasing of shrimp production and water pollution. Indigenous Halomonas spp., isolated from Pacific white shrimp farm are benefitted for saline ammonium waste water treatment. This study aimed to isolate the heterotrophic-halophilic Halomonas spp. and investigate their ammonium removal efficiency. Halomonas spp., were isolated by culturing of samples collected from shrimp farm into modified Pep-Beef-AOM medium. Ammonium converting ability was tested and monitored by nitrite reagent. Ammonium removal efficiency was measured by the standard colorimetric method. Identification and classification of Halomonas spp., were studied by morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics as well as molecular information. There were 5 strains of heterotrophic-halophilic nitrifying bacteria including SKNB2, SKNB4, SKNB17, SKNB20 and SKNB22 were isolated. The identification result based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that all 5 strains were Halomonas spp., with sequence similarity values of 91-99 %. Ammonium removal efficiency of all strains showed a range of 23-71%. The production of nitrite was low detected of 0.01-0.15 mg-N L-1, while the amount of nitrate was almost undetectable. This might suggest that the indigenous Halomonas spp., as nitrifying bacteria involved biological nitrification process for decreasing and transforming of ammonia. Due to being heterotrophic, halophilic and ammonium removing bacteria, these Halomonas spp., could be developed for use in treatment of saline ammonium waste water.

  9. Effect of mixture ratio, solids concentration and hydraulic retention time on the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

    PubMed

    Fongsatitkul, Prayoon; Elefsiniotis, Panagiotis; Wareham, David G

    2010-09-01

    This paper describes how the degradation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is affected through codigestion with varying amounts of return activated sludge (RAS). Solid waste that had its inorganic fraction selectively removed was mixed with RAS in ratios of 100% OFMSW, 50% OFMSW/50% RAS, and 25% OFMSW/75% RAS. The total solids (TS) concentration was held at 8% and three anaerobic digester systems treating the mixtures were held (for the first run) at a total hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 28 days. Increasing amounts of RAS did not however improve the mixture's digestability, as indicated by little change and/or a drop in the main performance indices [including percentage volatile solids (VS) removal and specific gas production]. The optimum ratio in this research therefore appeared to be 100% OFMSW with an associated 85.1 ± 0.6% VS removal and 0.72 ± 0.01 L total gas g(- 1) VS. In the second run, the effect of increasing percentage of TS (8, 12% and 15%) at a system HRT of 28 days was observed to yield no improvement in the main performance indices (i.e. percentage VS removal and specific gas production). Finally, during the third run, variations in the total system HRT were investigated at an 8% TS, again using 100% OFMSW. Of the HRTs explored (23, 28 and 33 days), the longest HRT yielded the best performance overall, particularly in terms of specific gas production (0.77 ± 0.01 L total gas g(-1) VS).

  10. System for chemically digesting low level radioactive, solid waste material

    DOEpatents

    Cowan, Richard G.; Blasewitz, Albert G.

    1982-01-01

    An improved method and system for chemically digesting low level radioactive, solid waste material having a high through-put. The solid waste material is added to an annular vessel (10) substantially filled with concentrated sulfuric acid. Concentrated nitric acid or nitrogen dioxide is added to the sulfuric acid within the annular vessel while the sulfuric acid is reacting with the solid waste. The solid waste is mixed within the sulfuric acid so that the solid waste is substantilly fully immersed during the reaction. The off gas from the reaction and the products slurry residue is removed from the vessel during the reaction.

  11. Valorization of Waste Obtained from Oil Extraction in Moringa Oleifera Seeds: Coagulation of Reactive Dyes in Textile Effluents.

    PubMed

    Vilaseca, Mercè; López-Grimau, Víctor; Gutiérrez-Bouzán, Carmen

    2014-09-12

    Moringa oleifera seeds contain about 40% of highly valued oil due to its wide range of applications, from nutritional issues to cosmetics or biodiesel production. The extraction of Moringa oil generates a waste (65%-75% of seeds weight) which contains a water soluble protein able to be used either in drinking water clarification or wastewater treatment. In this paper, the waste of Moringa oleifera extraction was used as coagulant to remove five reactive dyes from synthetic textile effluents. This waste constitutes a natural coagulant which was demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of industrial reactive dyestuff effluents, characterized by alkaline pH, high NaCl content and hydrolyzed dyes. The coagulation yield increased at high NaCl concentration, whereas the pH did not show any significant effect on dye removal. Moringa oleifera showed better results for dye removal than the conventional treatment of coagulation-flocculation with FeCl₃ and polyelectrolyte. Treated water can be reused in new dyeing processes of cotton fabrics with high quality results.

  12. Valorization of Waste Obtained from Oil Extraction in Moringa Oleifera Seeds: Coagulation of Reactive Dyes in Textile Effluents

    PubMed Central

    Vilaseca, Mercè; López-Grimau, Víctor; Gutiérrez-Bouzán, Carmen

    2014-01-01

    Moringa oleifera seeds contain about 40% of highly valued oil due to its wide range of applications, from nutritional issues to cosmetics or biodiesel production. The extraction of Moringa oil generates a waste (65%–75% of seeds weight) which contains a water soluble protein able to be used either in drinking water clarification or wastewater treatment. In this paper, the waste of Moringa oleifera extraction was used as coagulant to remove five reactive dyes from synthetic textile effluents. This waste constitutes a natural coagulant which was demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of industrial reactive dyestuff effluents, characterized by alkaline pH, high NaCl content and hydrolyzed dyes. The coagulation yield increased at high NaCl concentration, whereas the pH did not show any significant effect on dye removal. Moringa oleifera showed better results for dye removal than the conventional treatment of coagulation-flocculation with FeCl3 and polyelectrolyte. Treated water can be reused in new dyeing processes of cotton fabrics with high quality results. PMID:28788199

  13. Using weeds to fight wastes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1992-10-01

    Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and New Mexico State University have discovered that jimson weed and wild tomato plants can remove the toxic wastes in wastewater associated with the production of trinitrotoluene (TNT). According to Wolfgang F. Mueller of New Mexico State, tissue-cultured cells of jimson weed rapidly absorb and break down toxic and carcinogenic elements in {open_quotes}pink water,{close_quotes} a by-product of the manufacture of TNT. Mueller and his colleagues have found similar results with the wild tomato plant.

  14. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from waste.

    PubMed

    Rhu, D H; Lee, W H; Kim, J Y; Choi, E

    2003-01-01

    PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) production was attempted with SBRs from food waste. Seed microbes were collected from a sewage treatment plant with a biological nutrient removal process, and acclimated with synthetic substrate prior to the application of the fermented food waste. Laboratory SBRs were used to produce PHA with limited oxygen and nutrients. The maximum content of 51% PHA was obtained with an anaerobic/aerobic cycle with P limitation, and the yield was estimated to be about 0.05 gPHA(produced)/gCOD(applied) or 25 kg PHA/dry ton of food waste, assuming more than 40% of the PHA contents were recoverable. PHB/PHA ratios were 0.74 to 0.77 due to the higher acetate concentrations. Economical analysis seemed to suggest the PHA produced from the food waste could be an alternative material to produce the biodegradable plastic to be used for the collection bags for solid waste.

  15. Combining woody biomass for combustion with green waste composting: Effect of removal of woody biomass on compost quality.

    PubMed

    Vandecasteele, Bart; Boogaerts, Christophe; Vandaele, Elke

    2016-12-01

    The question was tackled on how the green waste compost industry can optimally apply the available biomass resources for producing both bioenergy by combustion of the woody fraction, and high quality soil improvers as renewable sources of carbon and nutrients. Compost trials with removal of woody biomass before or after composting were run at 9 compost facilities during 3 seasons to include seasonal variability of feedstock. The project focused on the changes in feedstock and the effect on the end product characteristics (both compost and recovered woody biomass) of this woody biomass removal. The season of collection during the year clearly affected the biochemical and chemical characteristics of feedstock, woody biomass and compost. On one hand the effect of removal of the woody fraction before composting did not significantly affect compost quality when compared to the scenario where the woody biomass was sieved from the compost at the end of the composting process. On the other hand, quality of the woody biomass was not strongly affected by extraction before or after composting. The holocellulose:lignin ratio was used in this study as an indicator for (a) the decomposition potential of the feedstock mixture and (b) to assess the stability of the composts at the end of the process. Higher microbial activity in green waste composts (indicated by higher oxygen consumption) and thus a lower compost stability resulted in higher N immobilization in the compost. Removal of woody biomass from the green waste before composting did not negatively affect the compost quality when more intensive composting was applied. The effect of removal of the woody fraction on the characteristics of the green waste feedstock and the extracted woody biomass is depending on the season of collection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Mercury Reduction and Removal from High Level Waste at the Defense Waste Processing Facility - 12511

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Behrouzi, Aria; Zamecnik, Jack

    2012-07-01

    The Defense Waste Processing Facility processes legacy nuclear waste generated at the Savannah River Site during production of enriched uranium and plutonium required by the Cold War. The nuclear waste is first treated via a complex sequence of controlled chemical reactions and then vitrified into a borosilicate glass form and poured into stainless steel canisters. Converting the nuclear waste into borosilicate glass is a safe, effective way to reduce the volume of the waste and stabilize the radionuclides. One of the constituents in the nuclear waste is mercury, which is present because it served as a catalyst in the dissolutionmore » of uranium-aluminum alloy fuel rods. At high temperatures mercury is corrosive to off-gas equipment, this poses a major challenge to the overall vitrification process in separating mercury from the waste stream prior to feeding the high temperature melter. Mercury is currently removed during the chemical process via formic acid reduction followed by steam stripping, which allows elemental mercury to be evaporated with the water vapor generated during boiling. The vapors are then condensed and sent to a hold tank where mercury coalesces and is recovered in the tank's sump via gravity settling. Next, mercury is transferred from the tank sump to a purification cell where it is washed with water and nitric acid and removed from the facility. Throughout the chemical processing cell, compounds of mercury exist in the sludge, condensate, and off-gas; all of which present unique challenges. Mercury removal from sludge waste being fed to the DWPF melter is required to avoid exhausting it to the environment or any negative impacts to the Melter Off-Gas system. The mercury concentration must be reduced to a level of 0.8 wt% or less before being introduced to the melter. Even though this is being successfully accomplished, the material balances accounting for incoming and collected mercury are not equal. In addition, mercury has not been effectively purified and collected in the Mercury Purification Cell (MPC) since 2008. A significant cleaning campaign aims to bring the MPC back up to facility housekeeping standards. Two significant investigations are being undertaken to restore mercury collection. The SMECT mercury pump has been removed from the tank and will be functionally tested. Also, research is being conducted by the Savannah River National Laboratory to determine the effects of antifoam addition on the behavior of mercury. These path forward items will help us better understand what is occurring in the mercury collection system and ultimately lead to an improved DWPF production rate and mercury recovery rate. (authors)« less

  17. Respiratory Issues in OI

    MedlinePlus

    Respiratory Issues in Osteogenesis Imperfecta \\ Introduction The respiratory system’s job is to bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide, the waste product of breathing. Because oxygen is the fuel ...

  18. Recycling acetic acid from polarizing film of waste liquid crystal display panels by sub/supercritical water treatments.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ruixue; Chen, Ya; Xu, Zhenming

    2015-05-19

    Waste liquid crystal display (LCD) panels mainly contain inorganic materials (glass substrate) and organic materials (polarizing film and liquid crystal). The organic materials should be removed first since containing polarizing film and liquid crystal is to the disadvantage of the indium recycling process. In the present study, an efficient and environmentally friendly process to obtain acetic acid from waste LCD panels by sub/supercritical water treatments is investigated. Furthermore, a well-founded reaction mechanism is proposed. Several highlights of this study are summarized as follows: (i) 99.77% of organic matters are removed, which means the present technology is quite efficient to recycle the organic matters; (ii) a yield of 78.23% acetic acid, a quite important fossil energy based chemical product is obtained, which can reduce the consumption of fossil energy for producing acetic acid; (iii) supercritical water acts as an ideal solvent, a requisite reactant as well as an efficient acid-base catalyst, and this is quite significant in accordance with the "Principles of Green Chemistry". In a word, the organic matters of waste LCD panels are recycled without environmental pollution. Meanwhile, this study provides new opportunities for alternating fossil-based chemical products for sustainable development, converting "waste" into "fossil-based chemicals".

  19. Delignification of disposable wooden chopsticks waste for fermentative hydrogen production by an enriched culture from a hot spring.

    PubMed

    Phummala, Kanthima; Imai, Tsuyoshi; Reungsang, Alissara; Chairattanamanokorn, Prapaipid; Sekine, Masahiko; Higuchi, Takaya; Yamamoto, Koichi; Kanno, Ariyo

    2014-06-01

    Hydrogen (H2) production from lignocellulosic materials may be enhanced by removing lignin and increasing the porosity of the material prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. Alkaline pretreatment conditions, used to delignify disposable wooden chopsticks (DWC) waste, were investigated. The effects of NaOH concentration, temperature and retention time were examined and it was found that retention time had no effect on lignin removal or carbohydrate released in enzymatic hydrolysate. The highest percentage of lignin removal (41%) was obtained with 2% NaOH at 100°C, correlated with the highest carbohydrate released (67 mg/g pretreated DWC) in the hydrolysate. An enriched culture from a hot spring was used as inoculum for fermentative H2 production, and its optimum initial pH and temperature were determined to be 7.0 and 50°C, respectively. Furthermore, enzymatic hydrolysate from pretreated DWC was successfully demonstrated as a substrate for fermentative H2 production by the enriched culture. The maximum H2 yield and production rate were achieved at 195 mL H2/g total sugars consumed and 116 mL H2/(L·day), respectively. Copyright © 2014 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Mineral assemblage transformation of a metakaolin-based waste form after geopolymer encapsulation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Williams, Benjamin D.; Neeway, James J.; Snyder, Michelle M. V.

    2016-05-01

    Current plans for nuclear waste vitrification at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) lack the capacity to treat all of the low activity waste (LAW) that is not encapsulated in the vitrified product. Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is one of the supplemental technologies under consideration to fill this gap. The FBSR process results in a granular product mainly composed of feldspathoid mineral phases that encapsulate the LAW and other contaminants of concern (COCs). In order to better understand the characteristics of the FBSR product, characterization testing has been performed on the granular product as well asmore » the granular product encapsulated in a monolithic geopolymer binder. The non-radioactive simulated tank waste samples created for use in this study are the result of a 2008 Department of Energy sponsored Engineering Scale Technology Demonstration (ESTD) in 2008. These samples were created from waste simulant that was chemically shimmed to resemble actual tank waste, and rhenium has been used as a substitute for technetium. Another set of samples was created by the Savannah River Site Bench-Scale Reformer (BSR) using a chemical shim of Savannah River Site Tank 50 waste in order to simulate a blend of 68 Hanford tank wastes. This paper presents results from coal and moisture removal tests along with XRD, SEM, and BET analyses showing that the major mineral components are predominantly sodium aluminosilicate minerals and that the mineral product is highly porous. Results also show that the materials pass the short-term leach tests: the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and Product Consistency Test (PCT).« less

  1. Improvement of biogas production from orange peel waste by leaching of limonene.

    PubMed

    Wikandari, Rachma; Nguyen, Huong; Millati, Ria; Niklasson, Claes; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

    2015-01-01

    Limonene is present in orange peel wastes and is known as an antimicrobial agent, which impedes biogas production when digesting the peels. In this work, pretreatment of the peels to remove limonene under mild condition was proposed by leaching of limonene using hexane as solvent. The pretreatments were carried out with homogenized or chopped orange peel at 20-40°C with orange peel waste and hexane ratio (w/v) ranging from 1 : 2 to 1 : 12 for 10 to 300 min. The pretreated peels were then digested in batch reactors for 33 days. The highest biogas production was achieved by treating chopped orange peel waste and hexane ratio of 12 : 1 at 20°C for 10 min corresponding to more than threefold increase of biogas production from 0.061 to 0.217 m(3) methane/kg VS. The solvent recovery was 90% using vacuum filtration and needs further separation using evaporation. The hexane residue in the peel had a negative impact on biogas production as shown by 28.6% reduction of methane and lower methane production of pretreated orange peel waste in semicontinuous digestion system compared to that of untreated peel.

  2. Integration of Waste Valorization for Sustainable Production of Chemicals and Materials via Algal Cultivation.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yong; Sun, Li-Ping; Liu, Zhi-Hui; Martin, Greg; Sun, Zheng

    2017-11-27

    Managing waste is an increasing problem globally. Microalgae have the potential to help remove contaminants from a range of waste streams and convert them into useful biomass. This article presents a critical review of recent technological developments in the production of chemicals and other materials from microalgae grown using different types of waste. A range of novel approaches are examined for efficiently capturing CO 2 in flue gas via photosynthetic microalgal cultivation. Strategies for using microalgae to assimilate nitrogen, organic carbon, phosphorus, and metal ions from wastewater are considered in relation to modes of production. Generally, more economical open cultivation systems such as raceway ponds are better suited for waste conversion than more expensive closed photobioreactor systems, which might have use for higher-value products. The effect of cultivation methods and the properties of the waste streams on the composition the microalgal biomass is discussed relative to its utilization. Possibilities include the production of biodiesel via lipid extraction, biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction, and bioethanol or biogas from microbial conversion. Microalgal biomass produced from wastes may also find use in higher-value applications including protein feeds or for the production of bioactive compounds such as astaxanthin or omega-3 fatty acids. However, for some waste streams, further consideration of how to manage potential microbial and chemical contaminants is needed for food or health applications. The use of microalgae for waste valorization holds promise. Widespread implementation of the available technologies will likely follow from further improvements to reduce costs, as well as the increasing pressure to effectively manage waste.

  3. Applicability of Perinereis aibuhitensis Grube for fish waste removal from fish cages in Sanggou Bay, P. R. China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Jinghui; Jiang, Zengjie; Jansen, Henrice M.; Hu, Fawen; Fang, Jianguang; Liu, Yi; Gao, Yaping; Du, Meirong

    2017-04-01

    The present study investigated the applicability of integrated polychaete-fish culture for fish waste removal to offset negative impact induced by organic benthic enrichment. A field study demonstrated that deposition rate was significantly higher underneath the fish farm than that in control area. The material settling under the farm was characterized by a high amount of fish feces (45%) and uneaten feed (27%). Both feeding rate (FR) and apparent digestibility rate (ADR) increased with decreasing body weight, as was indicated by significantly a higher rate observed for the groups containing smaller individuals in a lab study. The nutrient in fresh deposited material (De) was higher than that in sediments collected under the farm (Se), resulting in lower feces production but higher apparent digestibility rate for the De group as feeding rate was similar. Consequently, higher nutrient removal efficiency was observed in the De group. A mass balance approach indicated that approximately 400-500 individuals m-2 is required for removing all waste materials deposited underneath the fish farm, whereas abundance can be lower (about 300-350 individuals m-2) when only the fish waste needs to be removed. The results showed that a significant amount of waste had been accumulated in the fish cages in Sanggou Bay. The integration of fish with P. aibuhitensis seems promising for preventing organic pollution in the sediment and therefore is an effective strategy for mitigating negative effect of fish farms. Thus such integration can become a new IMTA (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture) model in Sanggou Bay.

  4. The Effect of Body Posture on Brain Glymphatic Transport.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hedok; Xie, Lulu; Yu, Mei; Kang, Hongyi; Feng, Tian; Deane, Rashid; Logan, Jean; Nedergaard, Maiken; Benveniste, Helene

    2015-08-05

    The glymphatic pathway expedites clearance of waste, including soluble amyloid β (Aβ) from the brain. Transport through this pathway is controlled by the brain's arousal level because, during sleep or anesthesia, the brain's interstitial space volume expands (compared with wakefulness), resulting in faster waste removal. Humans, as well as animals, exhibit different body postures during sleep, which may also affect waste removal. Therefore, not only the level of consciousness, but also body posture, might affect CSF-interstitial fluid (ISF) exchange efficiency. We used dynamic-contrast-enhanced MRI and kinetic modeling to quantify CSF-ISF exchange rates in anesthetized rodents' brains in supine, prone, or lateral positions. To validate the MRI data and to assess specifically the influence of body posture on clearance of Aβ, we used fluorescence microscopy and radioactive tracers, respectively. The analysis showed that glymphatic transport was most efficient in the lateral position compared with the supine or prone positions. In the prone position, in which the rat's head was in the most upright position (mimicking posture during the awake state), transport was characterized by "retention" of the tracer, slower clearance, and more CSF efflux along larger caliber cervical vessels. The optical imaging and radiotracer studies confirmed that glymphatic transport and Aβ clearance were superior in the lateral and supine positions. We propose that the most popular sleep posture (lateral) has evolved to optimize waste removal during sleep and that posture must be considered in diagnostic imaging procedures developed in the future to assess CSF-ISF transport in humans. The rodent brain removes waste better during sleep or anesthesia compared with the awake state. Animals exhibit different body posture during the awake and sleep states, which might affect the brain's waste removal efficiency. We investigated the influence of body posture on brainwide transport of inert tracers of anesthetized rodents. The major finding of our study was that waste, including Aβ, removal was most efficient in the lateral position (compared with the prone position), which mimics the natural resting/sleeping position of rodents. Although our finding awaits testing in humans, we speculate that the lateral position during sleep has advantage with regard to the removal of waste products including Aβ, because clinical studies have shown that sleep drives Aβ clearance from the brain. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3511034-11$15.00/0.

  5. The Effect of Body Posture on Brain Glymphatic Transport

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hedok; Xie, Lulu; Yu, Mei; Kang, Hongyi; Feng, Tian; Deane, Rashid; Logan, Jean; Nedergaard, Maiken

    2015-01-01

    The glymphatic pathway expedites clearance of waste, including soluble amyloid β (Aβ) from the brain. Transport through this pathway is controlled by the brain's arousal level because, during sleep or anesthesia, the brain's interstitial space volume expands (compared with wakefulness), resulting in faster waste removal. Humans, as well as animals, exhibit different body postures during sleep, which may also affect waste removal. Therefore, not only the level of consciousness, but also body posture, might affect CSF–interstitial fluid (ISF) exchange efficiency. We used dynamic-contrast-enhanced MRI and kinetic modeling to quantify CSF-ISF exchange rates in anesthetized rodents' brains in supine, prone, or lateral positions. To validate the MRI data and to assess specifically the influence of body posture on clearance of Aβ, we used fluorescence microscopy and radioactive tracers, respectively. The analysis showed that glymphatic transport was most efficient in the lateral position compared with the supine or prone positions. In the prone position, in which the rat's head was in the most upright position (mimicking posture during the awake state), transport was characterized by “retention” of the tracer, slower clearance, and more CSF efflux along larger caliber cervical vessels. The optical imaging and radiotracer studies confirmed that glymphatic transport and Aβ clearance were superior in the lateral and supine positions. We propose that the most popular sleep posture (lateral) has evolved to optimize waste removal during sleep and that posture must be considered in diagnostic imaging procedures developed in the future to assess CSF-ISF transport in humans. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The rodent brain removes waste better during sleep or anesthesia compared with the awake state. Animals exhibit different body posture during the awake and sleep states, which might affect the brain's waste removal efficiency. We investigated the influence of body posture on brainwide transport of inert tracers of anesthetized rodents. The major finding of our study was that waste, including Aβ, removal was most efficient in the lateral position (compared with the prone position), which mimics the natural resting/sleeping position of rodents. Although our finding awaits testing in humans, we speculate that the lateral position during sleep has advantage with regard to the removal of waste products including Aβ, because clinical studies have shown that sleep drives Aβ clearance from the brain. PMID:26245965

  6. Non-catalytic alcoholysis process for production of biodiesel fuel by using bubble column reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hagiwara, S.; Nabetani, H.; Nakajima, M.

    2015-04-01

    Biodiesel fuel is a replacement for diesel as a fuel produced from biomass resources. It is usually defined as a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) derived from vegetable oil or animal fat. In European countries, such as Germany and France, biodiesel fuel is commercially produced mainly from rapeseed oil, whereas in the United States and Argentina, soybean oil is more frequently used. In many other countries such as Japan and countries in Southeast Asia, lipids that cannot be used as a food source could be more suitable materials for the production of biodiesel fuel because its production from edible oils could result in an increase in the price of edible oils, thereby increasing the cost of some foodstuffs. Therefore, used edible oil, lipids contained in waste effluent from the oil milling process, byproducts from oil refining process and crude oils from industrial crops such as jatropha could be more promising materials in these countries. The materials available in Japan and Southeast Asia for the production of biodiesel fuel have common characteristics; they contain considerable amount of impurities and are high in free fatty acids (FFA). Superheated methanol vapor (SMV) reactor might be a promising method for biodiesel fuel production utilizing oil feedstock containing FFA such as waste vegetable oil and crude vegetable oil. In the conventional method using alkaline catalyst, FFA contained in waste vegetable oil is known to react with alkaline catalyst such as NaOH and KOH generating saponification products and to inactivate it. Therefore, the FFA needs to be removed from the feedstock prior to the reaction. Removal of the alkaline catalyst after the reaction is also required. In the case of the SMV reactor, the processes for removing FFA prior to the reaction and catalyst after the reaction can be omitted because it requires no catalyst. Nevertheless, detailed study on the productivity of biodiesel fuel produced from waste vegetable oils and other non-edible lipids by use of the SMV reactor has not been examined yet. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the productivity of biodiesel produced from waste vegetable oils using the SMV reactor. Biodiesel fuel is a replacement for diesel as a fuel produced from biomass resources. It is generally produced as a FAME derived from vegetable oil by using alkaline catalyzed alcoholysis process. This alkaline method requires deacidification process prior to the reaction process and the alkaline catalyst removal process after the reaction. Those process increases the total cost of biodiesel fuel production. In order to solve the problems in the conventional alkaline catalyzed alcoholysis process, the authors proposed a non-catalytic alcoholysis process called the Superheated Methanol Vapor (SMV) method with bubble column reactor. So, this study aims to investigate the productivity of biodiesel produced from vegetable oils and other lipids using the SMV method with bubble column reactor.

  7. Separation science and technology. Semiannual progress report, October 1993--March 1994

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vandegrift, G.F.; Aase, S.B.; Buchholz, B.

    1997-12-01

    This document reports on the work done by the Separations Science and Technology Programs of the Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), in the period October 1993-March 1994. This effort is mainly concerned with developing the TRUEX process for removing and concentrating actinides from acidic waste streams contaminated with transuranic (TRU) elements. The objectives of TRUEX processing are to recover valuable TRU elements and to lower disposal costs for the nonTRU waste product of the process. Other projects are underway with the objective of developing (1) evaporation technology for concentrating radioactive waste and product streams such as those generatedmore » by the TRUEX process, (2) treatment schemes for liquid wastes stored are being generated at ANL, (3) a process based on sorbing modified TRUEX solvent on magnetic beads to be used for separation of contaminants from radioactive and hazardous waste streams, and (4) a process that uses low-enriched uranium targets for production of {sup 99}Mo for nuclear medicine uses.« less

  8. An integrated AMBBR and IFAS-SBR process for municipal wastewater treatment towards enhanced energy recovery, reduced energy consumption and sludge production.

    PubMed

    Gu, Jun; Xu, Guangjing; Liu, Yu

    2017-03-01

    The conventional activated sludge (CAS) process has been widely employed for wastewater treatment for more than one hundred years. Recently, more and more concerns have been raised on the CAS process due to its high energy consumption and production of huge amount of waste activated sludge, which are inevitably linked to the issue of environmental sustainability and global climate change. Facing to such emerging and challenging situation, this study reported a novel A-B process in which an anaerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (AMBBR) served a lead A-stage for COD capture towards biogas production and an integrated fixed-biofilm and activated sludge sequencing batch reactor (IFAS-SBR) was employed as B-stage for biological nitrogen removal. Results showed that about 85% of wastewater COD was removed in the steady-state AMBBR with a total energy production rate of 0.28 kWh/m 3 wastewater treated, while 85% of N-removal was achieved when the stable nitrite shunt was established in the IFAS-SBR. Moreover, 90% of dissolved methane in the AMBBR effluent could be removed by the proposed flash chamber at the lower energy demand of 0.12 kWh/m 3 which could be offset by the potential energy harvested from produced methane. Compared to the CAS process, the production of waste sludge was reduced by about 75% in the proposed A-B process due to the efficient COD capture at the A-stage, leading to significant energy savings from aeration for COD oxidation and post-treatment of waste sludge at the B-stage. Consequently, this study offers in-depth insights into A-B process which should be considered as an ideal candidate for achieving the energy-neutral or even energy positive operation of a municipal wastewater treatment. Given the complex situation in A-B process, future study is needed to look into the system optimization towards the operational synergy between A- and B-stage in terms of energy recovery and nitrogen removal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Biomass and lipid production of Chlorella protothecoides under heterotrophic cultivation on a mixed waste substrate of brewer fermentation and crude glycerol.

    PubMed

    Feng, Xiaoyu; Walker, Terry H; Bridges, William C; Thornton, Charles; Gopalakrishnan, Karthik

    2014-08-01

    Biomass and lipid accumulation of heterotrophic microalgae Chlorella protothecoides by supplying mixed waste substrate of brewer fermentation and crude glycerol were investigated. The biomass concentrations of the old and the new C. protothecoides strains on day 6 reached 14.07 and 12.73 g/L, respectively, which were comparable to those in basal medium with supplement of glucose and yeast extract (BM-GY) (14.47 g/L for old strains and 11.43 g/L for new strains) (P>0.05). Approximately 81.5% of total organic carbon and 65.1% of total nitrogen in the mixed waste were effectively removed. The accumulated lipid productivities of the old and the new C. protothecoides strains in BM-GY were 2.07 and 1.61 g/L/day, respectively, whereas in the mixed waste, lipid productivities could reach 2.12 and 1.81 g/L/day, respectively. Our result highlights a new approach of mixing carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich wastes as economical and practical alternative substrates for biofuel production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Fate of triclocarban, triclosan and methyltriclosan during wastewater and biosolids treatment processes

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Triclocarban (TCC) and Triclosan (TCS) are two antibacterial chemicals present in household and personal care products. Methyltriclosan is a biodegradation product of TCS formed under aerobic conditions. TCC and TCS are discharged to Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) where they are removed from ...

  11. Valorization of winery waste vs. the costs of not recycling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Devesa-Rey, R., E-mail: rosa.devesa.rey@uvigo.es; Vecino, X.; Varela-Alende, J.L.

    Graphical abstract: Highlights: > Lactic acid, biosurfactants, xylitol or ethanol may be obtained from wine residues. > By-products valorization turns wine wastes into products with industrial applications. > The costs of waste disposal enhances the search of economically viable solutions for valorizing residues. - Abstract: Wine production generates huge amounts of waste. Before the 1990s, the most economical option for waste removal was the payment of a disposal fee usually being of around 3000 Euros. However, in recent years the disposal fee and fines for unauthorized discharges have increased considerably, often reaching 30,000-40,000 Euros, and a prison sentence is sometimesmore » also imposed. Some environmental friendly technologies have been proposed for the valorization of winery waste products. Fermentation of grape marc, trimming vine shoot or vinification lees has been reported to produce lactic acid, biosurfactants, xylitol, ethanol and other compounds. Furthermore, grape marc and seeds are rich in phenolic compounds, which have antioxidants properties, and vinasse contains tartaric acid that can be extracted and commercialized. Companies must therefore invest in new technologies to decrease the impact of agro-industrial residues on the environment and to establish new processes that will provide additional sources of income.« less

  12. Green and Sustainable Separation of Natural Products from Agro-Industrial Waste: Challenges, Potentialities, and Perspectives on Emerging Approaches.

    PubMed

    Zuin, Vânia G; Ramin, Luize Z

    2018-01-17

    New generations of biorefinery combine innovative biomass waste resources from different origins, chemical extraction and/or synthesis of biomaterials, biofuels, and bioenergy via green and sustainable processes. From the very beginning, identifying and evaluating all potentially high value-added chemicals that could be removed from available renewable feedstocks requires robust, efficient, selective, reproducible, and benign analytical approaches. With this in mind, green and sustainable separation of natural products from agro-industrial waste is clearly attractive considering both socio-environmental and economic aspects. In this paper, the concepts of green and sustainable separation of natural products will be discussed, highlighting the main studies conducted on this topic over the last 10 years. The principal analytical techniques (such as solvent, microwave, ultrasound, and supercritical treatments), by-products (e.g., citrus, coffee, corn, and sugarcane waste) and target compounds (polyphenols, proteins, essential oils, etc.) will be presented, including the emerging green and sustainable separation approaches towards bioeconomy and circular economy contexts.

  13. Development and testing of a wet oxidation waste processing system. [for waste treatment aboard manned spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weitzmann, A. L.

    1977-01-01

    The wet oxidation process is considered as a potential treatment method for wastes aboard manned spacecraft for these reasons: (1) Fecal and urine wastes are processed to sterile water and CO2 gas. However, the water requires post-treatment to remove salts and odor; (2) the residual ash is negligible in quantity, sterile and easily collected; and (3) the product CO2 gas can be processed through a reduction step to aid in material balance if needed. Reaction of waste materials with oxygen at elevated temperature and pressure also produces some nitrous oxide, as well as trace amounts of a few other gases.

  14. Energy efficacy used to score organic refuse pretreatment processes for hydrogen anaerobic production.

    PubMed

    Ruggeri, Bernardo; Luongo Malave, Andrea C; Bernardi, Milena; Fino, Debora

    2013-11-01

    The production of hydrogen through Anaerobic Digestion (AD) has been investigated to verify the efficacy of several pretreatment processes. Three types of waste with different carbon structures have been tested to obtain an extensive representation of the behavior of the materials present in Organic Waste (OW). The following types of waste were selected: Sweet Product Residue (SPR), i.e., confectionary residue removed from the market after the expiration date, Organic Waste Market (OWM) refuse from a local fruit and vegetable market, and Coffee Seed Skin (CSS) waste from a coffee production plant. Several pretreatment processes have been applied, including physical, chemical, thermal, and ultrasonic processes and a combination of these processes. Two methods have been used for the SPR to remove the packaging, manual (SPR) and mechanical (SPRex). A pilot plant that is able to extrude the refuse to 200atm was utilized. Two parameters have been used to score the different pretreatment processes: efficiency (ξ), which takes into account the amount of energy produced in the form of hydrogen compared with the available energy embedded in the refuse, and efficacy (η), which compares the efficiency obtained using the pretreated refuse with that obtained using the untreated refuse. The best result obtained for the SPR was the basic pretreatment, with η=6.4, whereas the thermal basic pretreatment gave the highest value, η=17.0 for SPRex. The best result for the OWM was obtained through a combination of basic/thermal pretreatments with η=9.9; lastly, the CSS residue with ultrasonic pretreatment produced the highest quantity of hydrogen, η=5.2. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Butanol biorefineries: simultaneous product removal & process integration for conversion of biomass & food waste to biofuel

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Butanol, a superior biofuel, packs 30% more energy than ethanol on a per gallon basis. It can be produced from various carbohydrates and lignocellulosic (biomass) feedstocks. For cost effective production of this renewable and high energy biofuel, inexpensive feedstocks and economical process techno...

  16. 76 FR 42124 - Availability of the Incident Waste Management Planning and Response Tool

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-18

    ... to stabilize agriculture production, the food supply, and the economy, rapidly remove and effectively dispose of contaminated agriculture and food products or infected plants and animals, and decontaminate... further contamination or spread of disease. The IWMPRT is a suite of decision support tools developed by...

  17. Brain and Nervous System

    MedlinePlus

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Brain and Nervous System KidsHealth / For Parents / Brain and ... healthy, and remove waste products. All About the Brain The brain is made up of three main ...

  18. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) of artichoke waste: the inoculum effect.

    PubMed

    Fabbri, Andrea; Serranti, Silvia; Bonifazi, Giuseppe

    2014-03-01

    The aim of this work was to investigate anaerobic digestibility of artichoke waste resulting from industrial transformation. A series of batch anaerobic digestion tests was performed in order to evaluate the biochemical methane potential of the matrix in respect of the process. A comparison of the different performances of the laboratory-scale reactors operating in mesophilic conditions and utilizing three different values of the inoculum/substrate ratio was carried out. The best performance was achieved with an inoculum/substrate ratio of 2. Artichoke-processing byproducts showed a classical organic waste decomposition behaviour: a fast start-up phase, an acclimation stage, and a final stabilization phase. Following this approach, artichoke waste reached chemical oxygen demand removal of about 90% in 40 days. The high methane yield (average 408.62 mL CH4 gvs (-1) voltatile solids), makes artichoke waste a good product to be utilized in anaerobic digestion plants for biogas production.

  19. Biogas production from the mechanically pretreated, liquid fraction of sorted organic municipal solid wastes.

    PubMed

    Alvarado-Lassman, A; Méndez-Contreras, J M; Martínez-Sibaja, A; Rosas-Mendoza, E S; Vallejo-Cantú, N A

    2017-06-01

    The high liquid content in fruit and vegetable wastes makes it convenient to mechanically separate these wastes into mostly liquid and solid fractions by means of pretreatment. Then, the liquid fraction can be treated using a high-rate anaerobic biofilm reactor to produce biogas, simultaneously reducing the amount of solids that must be landfilled. In this work, the specific composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) in a public market was determined; then, the sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste was treated mechanically to separate and characterize the mostly liquid and solid fractions. Then, the mesophilic anaerobic digestion for biogas production of the first fraction was evaluated. The anaerobic digestion resulted in a reduced hydraulic retention time of two days with high removal of chemical oxygen demand, that is, 88% on average, with the additional benefit of reducing the mass of the solids that had to be landfilled by about 80%.

  20. Removal of arsenic, phosphates and ammonia from well water using electrochemical/chemical methods and advanced oxidation: a pilot plant approach.

    PubMed

    Orescanin, Visnja; Kollar, Robert; Nad, Karlo; Halkijevic, Ivan; Kuspilic, Marin; Findri Gustek, Stefica

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this work was to develop a pilot plant purification system and apply it to groundwater used for human consumption, containing high concentrations of arsenic and increased levels of phosphates, ammonia, mercury and color. The groundwater used was obtained from the production well in the Vinkovci County (Eastern Croatia). Due to a complex composition of the treated water, the purification system involved a combined electrochemical treatment, using iron and aluminum electrode plates with simultaneous ozonation, followed by a post-treatment with UV, ozone and hydrogen peroxide. The removal of the contaminant with the waste sludge collected during the electrochemical treatment was also tested. The combined electrochemical and advanced oxidation treatment resulted in the complete removal of arsenic, phosphates, color, turbidity, suspended solids and ammonia, while the removal of other contaminants of interest was up to 96.7%. Comparable removal efficiencies were obtained by using waste sludge as a coagulant.

  1. Muscle Contraction and Force: the Importance of an Ancillary Network, Nutrient Supply and Waste Removal

    PubMed Central

    Brüggemann, Dagmar A.; Risbo, Jens; Pierzynowski, Stefan G.; Harrison, Adrian P.

    2008-01-01

    Muscle contraction studies often focus solely on myofibres and the proteins known to be involved in the processes of sarcomere shortening and cross-bridge cycling, but skeletal muscle also comprises a very elaborate ancillary network of capillaries, which not only play a vital role in terms of nutrient delivery and waste product removal, but are also tethered to surrounding fibres by collagen ”wires”. This paper therefore addresses aspects of the ancillary network of skeletal muscle at both a microscopic and functional level in order to better understand its role holistically as a considerable contributor to force transfer within muscular tissue. PMID:19325816

  2. Arsenic: a roadblock to potential animal waste management solutions.

    PubMed

    Nachman, Keeve E; Graham, Jay P; Price, Lance B; Silbergeld, Ellen K

    2005-09-01

    The localization and intensification of the poultry industry over the past 50 years have incidentally created a largely ignored environmental management crisis. As a result of these changes in poultry production, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) produce far more waste than can be managed by land disposal within the regions where it is produced. As a result, alternative waste management practices are currently being implemented, including incineration and pelletization of waste. However, organic arsenicals used in poultry feed are converted to inorganic arsenicals in poultry waste, limiting the feasibility of waste management alternatives. The presence of inorganic arsenic in incinerator ash and pelletized waste sold as fertilizer creates opportunities for population exposures that did not previously exist. The removal of arsenic from animal feed is a critical step toward safe poultry waste management.

  3. Potential of diatom consortium developed by nutrient enrichment for biodiesel production and simultaneous nutrient removal from waste water.

    PubMed

    Marella, Thomas Kiran; Parine, Narasimha Reddy; Tiwari, Archana

    2018-05-01

    Because of the decreasing fossil fuel supply and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, microalgae have been identified as a viable and sustainable feedstock for biofuel production. The major effect of the release of wastewater rich in organic compounds has led to the eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems. A combined approach of freshwater diatom cultivation with urban sewage water treatment is a promising solution for nutrient removal and biofuel production. In this study, urban wastewater from eutrophic Hussain Sagar Lake was used to cultivate a diatom algae consortium, and the effects of silica and trace metal enrichment on growth, nutrient removal, and lipid production were evaluated. The nano-silica-based micronutrient mixture Nualgi containing Si, Fe, and metal ions was used to optimize diatom growth. Respectively, N and P reductions of 95.1% and 88.9%, COD and BOD reductions of 91% and 51% with a biomass yield of 122.5 mg L -1  day -1 and lipid productivity of 37 mg L -1  day -1 were observed for cultures grown in waste water using Nualgi. Fatty acid profiles revealed 13 different fatty acids with slight differences in their percentage of dry cell weight (DCW) depending on enrichment level. These results demonstrate the potential of diatom algae grown in wastewater to produce feedstock for renewable biodiesel production. Enhanced carbon and excess nutrient utilization makes diatoms ideal candidates for co-processes such as CO 2 sequestration, biodiesel production, and wastewater phycoremediation.

  4. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fabbri, Andrea; Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Serranti, Silvia, E-mail: silvia.serranti@uniroma1.it

    Highlights: • BioMethane Potential of grape marcs was investigated. • Grape marcs were characterized to realize a micro-scale energy recovery. • Comparative BMP batch-tests utilizing lab-scale reactors were performed. • Biogas valorization by grape marcs anaerobic digestion at small scale is evaluated. - Abstract: The BiochemicalMethanePotential (BMP) of winery organic waste, with reference to two Italian red and white grapes (i.e. Nero Buono and Greco) by-products was investigated. The study was carried out to verify the possibility to reduce the production impact in a green-waste-management-chain-perspective. The possibility to efficiently utilize wine-related-by-products for energy production at a micro-scale (i.e. small-medium scalemore » winery production plant) was also verified. Results showed as a good correlation can be established between the percentage of COD removal and the biogas production, as the winery can produce, from its waste methanization, about 7800 kW h year{sup −1} electrical and 8900 kW h year{sup −1} thermal. A critical evaluation was performed about the possibility to utilize the proposed approach to realize an optimal biomass waste management and an energetic valorization in a local-energy-production-perspective.« less

  5. Enhanced P, N and C removal from domestic wastewater using constructed wetland employing construction solid waste (CSW) as main substrate.

    PubMed

    Yang, Y; Wang, Z M; Liu, C; Guo, X C

    2012-01-01

    Construction solid waste (CSW), an inescapable by-product of the construction and demolition process, was used as main substrate in a four-stage vertical subsurface flow constructed wetland system to improve phosphorus P removal from domestic wastewater. A 'tidal flow' operation was also employed in the treatment system. Under a hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of 0.76 m3/m2 d for 1st and 3rd stage and HLR of 0.04 m3/m2 d for 2nd and 4th stage of the constructed wetland system respectively and tidal flow operation strategy, average removal efficiencies of 99.4% for P, 95.4% for ammoniacal-nitrogen, 56.5% for total nitrogen and 84.5% for total chemical oxygen demand were achieved during the operation period. The CSW-based constructed wetland system presents excellent P removal performance. The adoption of tidal flow strategy creates the aerobic/anoxic condition intermittently in the treatment system. This can achieve better oxygen transfer and hence lead to more complete nitrification and organic matter removal and enhanced denitrification. Overall, the CSW-based tidal flow constructed wetland system holds great promise for enabling high rate removal of P, ammoniacal-nitrogen and organic matter from domestic wastewater, and transforms CSW from a waste into a useful material.

  6. Improvement of Biogas Production from Orange Peel Waste by Leaching of Limonene

    PubMed Central

    Wikandari, Rachma; Nguyen, Huong; Millati, Ria; Niklasson, Claes; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J.

    2015-01-01

    Limonene is present in orange peel wastes and is known as an antimicrobial agent, which impedes biogas production when digesting the peels. In this work, pretreatment of the peels to remove limonene under mild condition was proposed by leaching of limonene using hexane as solvent. The pretreatments were carried out with homogenized or chopped orange peel at 20–40°C with orange peel waste and hexane ratio (w/v) ranging from 1 : 2 to 1 : 12 for 10 to 300 min. The pretreated peels were then digested in batch reactors for 33 days. The highest biogas production was achieved by treating chopped orange peel waste and hexane ratio of 12 : 1 at 20°C for 10 min corresponding to more than threefold increase of biogas production from 0.061 to 0.217 m3 methane/kg VS. The solvent recovery was 90% using vacuum filtration and needs further separation using evaporation. The hexane residue in the peel had a negative impact on biogas production as shown by 28.6% reduction of methane and lower methane production of pretreated orange peel waste in semicontinuous digestion system compared to that of untreated peel. PMID:25866787

  7. Technological aspects of the microbial treatment of sulfide-rich wastewaters: a case study.

    PubMed

    Sublette, K L; Kolhatkar, R; Raterman, K

    1998-01-01

    Thiobacillus denitrificans has been shown to be an effective biocatalyst for the treatment of a variety of sulfide-laden waste streams including sour water, sour gases, and refinery spent-sulfidic caustics. The term 'sour' originated in the petroleum industry to describe a waste contaminated with hydrogen sulfide or salts of sulfide and bisulfide. The microbial treatment of sour waste streams resulting from the production or refining of natural gas and crude oil have been investigated in this laboratory for many years. The application of this technology to the treatment of sour wastes on a commercially useful scale has presented several technical barriers including substrate inhibition (sulfide), product inhibition (sulfate), the need for septic operation, biomass recycle and recovery, mixed waste issues, and the need for large-scale cultivation of the organism for process startup. The removal of these barriers through process improvements are discussed in terms of a case study of the full-scale treatment of sulfide-rich wastewater. The ability of T. denitrificans to deodorize and detoxify an oil-field produced water containing sulfides was evaluated under full-scale field conditions at Amoco Production Co. Salt Creek Field in Midwest, WY. More than 800 m3/d of produced water containing 100 mg/L sulfide and total dissolved solids of 4800 mg/L were successfully biotreated in an earthen pit (3000 m3) over a six-month period. Complete removal of sulfides and elimination of associated odors were observed. The system could be upset by severe hydraulic disturbances; however, the system recovered rapidly when normal influent flow rates were restored.

  8. Removal of common organic solvents from aqueous waste streams via supercritical C02 extraction: a potential green approach to sustainable waste management in the pharmaceutical industry.

    PubMed

    Leazer, Johnnie L; Gant, Sean; Houck, Anthony; Leonard, William; Welch, Christopher J

    2009-03-15

    Supercritical CO2 extraction of aqueous streams is a convenient and effective method to remove commonly used solvents of varying polarities from aqueous waste streams. The resulting aqueous layers can potentially be sewered; whereas the organic layer can be recovered for potential reuse. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is a technology that is increasingly being used in commercial processes (1). Supercritical fluids are well suited for extraction of a variety of media, including solids, natural products, and liquid products. Many supercritical fluids have low critical temperatures, allowing for extractions to be done at modestly low temperatures, thus avoiding any potential thermal decomposition of the solutes under study (2). Furthermore, the CO2 solvent strength is easily tuned by adjusting the density of the supercritical fluid (The density is proportional to the pressure of the extraction process). Since many supercritical fluids are gases at ambient temperature, the extract can be concentrated by simply venting the reaction mixture to a cyclone collection vessel, using appropriate safety protocols.

  9. 10 CFR 850.30 - Housekeeping.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... beryllium dusts and waste must not exceed a removable contamination level of 3 µg/100 cm2 during non..., that avoid the production of airborne dust. Compressed air or dry methods must not be used for such...

  10. Ion Exchange Modeling of Crystalline Silicotitanate (IONSIV(R) IE-911) Column for Cesium Removal from Argentine Waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hang, T.

    2003-07-16

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Energy Commission of Argentina (CNEA) have a collaborative project to separate cesium/strontium from waste resulting from the production of Mo-99. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is assisting DOE on this joint project by providing technical guidance to CNEA scientists. As part of the collaboration, PNNL staff works with staff at the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) to run the VERSE-LC model for removal of cesium from the Mo-99 waste using the crystalline silicotitanate (CST) material (IONSIV(R) IE-911, UOP LLC, DesPlaines, IL) based on technical data provided by CNEA. This reportmore » discusses the VERSE-LC ion-exchange-column model and the predicted results of CNEA test cases.« less

  11. Alternatives Generation and Analysis for Heat Removal from High Level Waste Tanks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    WILLIS, W.L.

    This document addresses the preferred combination of design and operational configurations to provide heat removal from high-level waste tanks during Phase 1 waste feed delivery to prevent the waste temperature from exceeding tank safety requirement limits. An interim decision for the preferred method to remove the heat from the high-level waste tanks during waste feed delivery operations is presented herein.

  12. RESULTS OF INITIAL AMMONIA OXIDATION TESTING

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nash, C.; Fowley, M.

    This memo presents an experimental survey of aqueous phase chemical processes to remove aqueous ammonia from waste process streams. Ammonia is generated in both the current Hanford waste flowsheet and in future waste processing. Much ammonia will be generated in the Low Activity Waste (LAW) melters.i Testing with simulants in glass melters at Catholic University has demonstrated the significant ammonia production.ii The primary reaction there is the reducing action of sugar on nitrate in the melter cold cap. Ammonia has been found to be a problem in secondary waste stabilization. Ammonia vapors are noxious and destruction of ammonia could reducemore » hazards to waste treatment process personnel. It is easily evolved especially when ammonia-bearing solutions are adjusted to high pH.« less

  13. 40 CFR 270.230 - May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the area where the remediation wastes originated... management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the area where the remediation wastes originated? (a) You may request a RAP for remediation waste management activities at a location removed from the...

  14. 40 CFR 270.230 - May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the area where the remediation wastes originated... management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the area where the remediation wastes originated? (a) You may request a RAP for remediation waste management activities at a location removed from the...

  15. Experimental digester facility modifications and digester gas upgrading research

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Srivastava, V.J.; Biljetina, R.; Akin, C.

    1989-01-01

    The Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) has been participating in an experimental program at the Community Waste Research Facility (CWRF) located at the Walt Disney World Resort Complex, Orlando, Florida. Four institutions have formed a team to provide solutions to community waste treatment and disposal programs. Of primary importance to this research effort is the implementation of low-cost, energy-efficient waste treatment and recovery technologies and the net production of energy (methane) from biomass and waste resources. The production of methane is being studied in a novel, high-rate digester. During 1988, we were responsible for modifying the Experimental Test Unit (ETU)more » to permit dry solids feeding of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and for conducting bench-scale experiments to evaluate techniques for efficient removal of carbon dioxide produced during anaerobic digestion.« less

  16. A comparative study on the alternating mesophilic and thermophilic two-stage anaerobic digestion of food waste.

    PubMed

    Ventura, Jey-R Sabado; Lee, Jehoon; Jahng, Deokjin

    2014-06-01

    An alternating mesophilic and thermophilic two stage anaerobic digestion (AD) process was conducted. The temperature of the acidogenic (A) and methanogenic (M) reactors was controlled as follows: System 1 (S1) mesophilic A-mesophilic M; (S2) mesophilic A-thermophilic M; and (S3) thermophilic A-mesophilic M. Initially, the AD reactor was acclimatized and inoculated with digester sludge. Food waste was added with the soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) concentrations of 41.4-47.0 g/L and volatile fatty acids of 2.0-3.2 g/L. Based on the results, the highest total chemical oxygen demand removal (86.6%) was recorded in S2 while S3 exhibited the highest SCOD removal (96.6%). Comparing S1 with S2, total solids removal increased by 0.5%; S3 on the other hand decreased by 0.1 % as compared to S1. However, volatile solids (VS) removal in S1, S2, and S3 was 78.5%, 81.7%, and 79.2%, respectively. S2 also exhibited the highest CH4 content, yield, and production rate of 70.7%, 0.44 L CH4/g VSadded, and 1.23 L CH4/(L·day), respectively. Bacterial community structure revealed that the richness, diversity, evenness, and dominance of S2 were high except for the archaeal community. The terminal restriction fragments dendrogram also revealed that the microbial community of the acidogenic and methanogenic reactors in S2 was distinct. Therefore, S2 was the best among the systems for the operation of two-stage AD of food waste in terms of CH4 production, nutrient removal, and microbial community structure. Copyright © 2014 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Benzene destruction in aqueous waste—I. Bench-scale gamma irradiation experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooper, William J.; Dougal, Roger A.; Nickelsen, Michael G.; Waite, Thomas D.; Kurucz, Charles N.; Lin, Kaijin; Bibler, Jane P.

    1996-07-01

    Destruction of the benzene component of a simulated low-level mixed aqueous waste stream by high energy irradiation was explored. This work was motivated by the fact that mixed waste, containing both radionuclides and regulated (non-radioactive) chemicals, is more difficult and more expensive to dispose of than only radioactive waste. After the benzene is destroyed, the waste can then be listed only as radiological waste instead of mixed waste, simplifying its disposal. This study quantifies the removal of benzene, and the formation and destruction of reaction products in a relatively complex waste stream matrix consisting of NO 3-, SO 42-, PO 43-, Fe 2+ and detergent at a pH of 3. All of the experiments were conducted at a bench scale using a 60Co gamma source.

  18. Recovery of biogas as a source of renewable energy from ice-cream production residues and wastewater.

    PubMed

    Demirel, Burak; Orok, Murat; Hot, Elif; Erkişi, Selin; Albükrek, Metin; Onay, Turgut T

    2013-01-01

    Proper management of waste streams and residues from agro-industry is very important to prevent environmental pollution. In particular, the anaerobic co-digestion process can be used as an important tool for safe disposal and energy recovery from agro-industry waste streams and residues. The primary objective of this laboratory-scale study was to determine whether it was possible to recover energy (biogas) from ice-cream production residues and wastewater, through a mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion process. A high methane yield of 0.338 L CH4/gCOD(removed) could be achieved from anaerobic digestion of ice-cream wastewater alone, with almost 70% of methane in biogas, while anaerobic digestion of ice-cream production residue alone did not seem feasible. When wastewater and ice-cream production residue were anaerobically co-digested at a ratio of 9:1 by weight, the highest methane yield of 0.131 L CH4/gCOD(removed) was observed. Buffering capacity seemed to be imperative in energy recovery from these substrates in the anaerobic digestion process.

  19. Processing waste fats into a fuel oil substitute

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pudel, F.; Lengenfeld, P.

    1993-12-31

    Waste fats have a high energy potential. They also contain impurities. For example, fats used for deep-frying contain high contents of solids, water, and chlorides. The process described in this paper removes the impurities by simple processing such as screening, washing, separating, drying, and filtering. The final quality of processed fat allows its use as a fuel oil substitute, and also as a raw material for chemical production.

  20. GUIDE TO CLEANER TECHNOLOGIES: ORGANIC COATING REMOVAL

    EPA Science Inventory

    A cleaner technology is a source reduction or recycle method |applied to eliminate or significantly reduce hazardous waste generation. Source reduction includes product changes and source control. Source control can be further characterized as input material changes, technology...

  1. An eco-compatible process for the depuration of wastewater from olive mill industry.

    PubMed

    Ena, A; Pintucci, C; Faraloni, C; Torzillo, G

    2009-01-01

    Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is the by-product of olive oil industrial production. It is characterized by a dark brownish color and a strong odor and is considered one of the most polluted agricultural wastes. In this paper we briefly describe an innovative procedure for the depuration of olive mill wastewater. With this procedure it is also possible to recover valuable substances such as phenolic compounds which have important commercial applications: they can be used in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and as antiviral, antioxidant and antitumor agents. The proposed OMW treatment uses two different packed vegetable matrices which remove most of the pollutant substances by absorption. After filtration of OMW on the matrices the pollutant load of the waste is greatly reduced: the organic content (COD) is reduced more than 80% and the phenol compounds are completely removed.

  2. Feasibility study of bioremediation of a drilling-waste-polluted soil: stimulation of microbial activities and hydrocarbon removal.

    PubMed

    Rojas-Avelizapa, Norma; Olvera-Barrera, Erika; Fernández-Linares, Luis

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of bioremediation as a treatment option for an aged and chronically polluted drilling waste soil located at the Southeast of Mexico. The polluted drilling-waste site with a mean total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration (TPHs) of 39,397 +/- 858 mg/kg was treated with one dose of a nutrient-surfactant commercial product at 40 mg/kg soil and two doses of H2O2 (50 and 100 mg H2O2/kg soil). In this study, the parameters that were monitored include soil respiration, heterotrophic and hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria as biological indicators, catalase and dehydrogenase activities, and TPHs degradation as decontamination parameters. The results demonstrated that the microbial activities can be stimulated in a polluted drilling-waste site by the addition of H2O2 and commercial product, thereby resulting in increasing TPHs degradation. These aspects must be taken into account when biodegradation studies involve the application of a commercial product.

  3. Performance evaluation of an anaerobic/aerobic landfill-based digester using yard waste for energy and compost production

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yazdani, Ramin, E-mail: ryazdani@sbcglobal.net; Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Ghausi Hall, Davis, CA 95616; Barlaz, Morton A., E-mail: barlaz@eos.ncsu.edu

    2012-05-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Biochemical methane potential decreased by 83% during the two-stage operation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Net energy produced was 84.3 MWh or 46 kWh per million metric tons (Mg). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The average removal efficiency of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was 96-99%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The average removal efficiency of non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) was 68-99%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The two-stage batch digester proved to be simple to operate and cost-effective. - Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate a new alternative for yard waste management by constructing, operating and monitoring a landfill-based two-stage batch digester (anaerobic/aerobic) with the recovery of energy and compost. Themore » system was initially operated under anaerobic conditions for 366 days, after which the yard waste was aerated for an additional 191 days. Off gas generated from the aerobic stage was treated by biofilters. Net energy recovery was 84.3 MWh, or 46 kWh per million metric tons of wet waste (as received), and the biochemical methane potential of the treated waste decreased by 83% during the two-stage operation. The average removal efficiencies of volatile organic compounds and non-methane organic compounds in the biofilters were 96-99% and 68-99%, respectively.« less

  4. Removal of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) from Municipal Waste Water with Integrated Membrane Systems, MBR-RO/NF

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yonggang; Wang, Xu; Li, Mingwei; Dong, Jing; Sun, Changhong; Chen, Guanyi

    2018-01-01

    This study focuses on the application of combining membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment with reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) membrane treatment for removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in municipal wastewater. Twenty-seven PPCPs were measured in real influent with lowest average concentration being trimethoprim (7.12 ng/L) and the highest being caffeine (18.4 ng/L). The results suggest that the MBR system effectively removes the PPCPs with an efficiency of between 41.08% and 95.41%, and that the integrated membrane systems, MBR-RO/NF, can achieve even higher removal rates of above 95% for most of them. The results also suggest that, due to the differences in removal mechanisms of NF/RO membrane, differences of removal rates exist. In this study, the combination of MBR-NF resulted in the removal of 13 compounds to below detection limits and MBR-RO achieved even better results with removal of 20 compounds to below detection limits. PMID:29401723

  5. Removal of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) from Municipal Waste Water with Integrated Membrane Systems, MBR-RO/NF.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yonggang; Wang, Xu; Li, Mingwei; Dong, Jing; Sun, Changhong; Chen, Guanyi

    2018-02-05

    This study focuses on the application of combining membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment with reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) membrane treatment for removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in municipal wastewater. Twenty-seven PPCPs were measured in real influent with lowest average concentration being trimethoprim (7.12 ng/L) and the highest being caffeine (18.4 ng/L). The results suggest that the MBR system effectively removes the PPCPs with an efficiency of between 41.08% and 95.41%, and that the integrated membrane systems, MBR-RO/NF, can achieve even higher removal rates of above 95% for most of them. The results also suggest that, due to the differences in removal mechanisms of NF/RO membrane, differences of removal rates exist. In this study, the combination of MBR-NF resulted in the removal of 13 compounds to below detection limits and MBR-RO achieved even better results with removal of 20 compounds to below detection limits.

  6. An environmental friendly animal waste disposal process with ammonia recovery and energy production: Experimental study and economic analysis.

    PubMed

    Shen, Ye; Tan, Michelle Ting Ting; Chong, Clive; Xiao, Wende; Wang, Chi-Hwa

    2017-10-01

    Animal manure waste is considered as an environmental challenge especially in farming areas mainly because of gaseous emission and water pollution. Among all the pollutants emitted from manure waste, ammonia is of greatest concern as it could contribute to formation of aerosols in the air and could hardly be controlled by traditional disposal methods like landfill or composting. On the other hand, manure waste is also a renewable source for energy production. In this work, an environmental friendly animal waste disposal process with combined ammonia recovery and energy production was proposed and investigated both experimentally and economically. Lab-scale feasibility study results showed that 70% of ammonia in the manure waste could be converted to struvite as fertilizer, while solid manure waste was successfully gasified in a 10kW downdraft fixed-bed gasifier producing syngas with the higher heating value of 4.9MJ/(Nm 3 ). Based on experimental results, economic study for the system was carried out using a cost-benefit analysis to investigate the financial feasibility based on a Singapore case study. In addition, for comparison, schemes of gasification without ammonia removal and incineration were also studied for manure waste disposal. The results showed that the proposed gasification-based manure waste treatment process integrated with ammonia recovery was most financially viable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Mercury contamination extraction

    DOEpatents

    Fuhrmann, Mark [Silver Spring, MD; Heiser, John [Bayport, NY; Kalb, Paul [Wading River, NY

    2009-09-15

    Mercury is removed from contaminated waste by firstly applying a sulfur reagent to the waste. Mercury in the waste is then permitted to migrate to the reagent and is stabilized in a mercury sulfide compound. The stable compound may then be removed from the waste which itself remains in situ following mercury removal therefrom.

  8. Effects of Inoculated Bacillus subtilis on Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol Removal in Suspended Growth Reactors Using Aquacultural Waste for Biofloc Production.

    PubMed

    Luo, Guozhi; Wang, Jiao; Ma, Niannian; Liu, Zefeng; Tan, Hongxin

    2016-08-28

    Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) are two of the most common taint compounds that adversely affect the quality of aquacultural animals. In the present study, 94% of geosmin and 97% of 2-MIB in suspended growth reactors producing bioflocs (SGRs) with aquaculture waste were removed after inoculation with Bacillus subtilis, significantly higher than that of control SGRs (70% of geosmin and 86.4% of 2-MIB). The lowest concentrations of geosmin and 2-MIB achieved in the effluent of the SGRs were 2.43 ± 0.42 ng/l and 2.23 ± 0.15 ng/l, respectively. The crude protein content of the bioflocs produced in the SGRs was 35 ± 4%. The NH4(+)-N and NO2(-)-N concentrations in the effluent of the reactors were 1.13 ± 0.21 mg/l and 0.42 ± 0.04 mg/l, respectively. These results suggest that inoculated with Bacillus subtilis, SGRs have a better performance to reuse the nitrogen in fish waste and to remove geosmin and 2-MIB from the culture water efficiently.

  9. Pilot-scale anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste and waste activated sludge in China: Effect of organic loading rate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu Xiao, E-mail: liuxiao07@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn; Wang Wei; Shi Yunchun

    2012-11-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Co-digestion of municipal biomass waste (MBW) and waste activated sludge (WAS) was examined on a pilot-scale reactor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer System performance and stability under OLR of 1.2, 2.4, 3.6, 4.8, 6.0 and 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} were analyzed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A maximum methane production rate of 2.94 m{sup 3} (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} was achieved at OLR of 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} and HRT of 15d. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer With the increasing OLRs, pH values, VS removal rate and methane concentration decreased and VFA increased. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The changing of biogas production rate can be a practicalmore » approach to monitor and control anaerobic digestion system. - Abstract: The effects of organic loading rate on the performance and stability of anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste (MBW) and waste activated sludge (WAS) were investigated on a pilot-scale reactor. The results showed that stable operation was achieved with organic loading rates (OLR) of 1.2-8.0 kg volatile solid (VS) (m{sup 3} d){sup -1}, with VS reduction rates of 61.7-69.9%, and volumetric biogas production of 0.89-5.28 m{sup 3} (m{sup 3} d){sup -1}. A maximum methane production rate of 2.94 m{sup 3} (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} was achieved at OLR of 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} and hydraulic retention time of 15 days. With increasing OLRs, the anaerobic reactor showed a decrease in VS removal rate, average pH value and methane concentration, and a increase of volatile fatty acid concentration. By monitoring the biogas production rate (BPR), the anaerobic digestion system has a higher acidification risk under an OLR of 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1}. This result remarks the possibility of relating bioreactor performance with BPR in order to better understand and monitor anaerobic digestion process.« less

  10. Biosurfactant production by Mucor circinelloides on waste frying oil and possible uses in crude oil remediation.

    PubMed

    Hasanizadeh, Parvin; Moghimi, Hamid; Hamedi, Javad

    2017-10-01

    Biosurfactants are biocompatible surface active agents which many microorganisms produce. This study investigated the production of biosurfactants by Mucor circinelloides. The effects of different factors on biosurfactant production, including carbon sources and concentrations, nitrogen sources, and iron (II) concentration, were studied and the optimum condition determined. Finally, the strain's ability to remove the crude oil and its relationship with biosurfactant production was evaluated. The results showed that M. circinelloides could reduce the surface tension of the culture medium to 26.6 mN/m and create a clear zone of 12.9 cm diameter in an oil-spreading test. The maximum surface tension reduction was recorded 3 days after incubation. The optimum condition for biosurfactant production was achieved in the presence of 8% waste frying oil as a carbon source, 2 g/L yeast extract as a nitrogen source, and 0.01 mM FeSO 4 . M. circinelloides could consume 8% waste frying oil in 5 days of incubation, and 87.6% crude oil in 12 days of incubation. A direct correlation was observed between oil degradation and surface tension reduction in the first 3 days of fungal growth. The results showed that the waste frying oil could be recommended as an inexpensive oily waste substance for biosurfactant production, and M. circinelloides could have the potential to treat waste frying oil. According to the results, the produced crude biosurfactant or fungal strain could be directly used for the mycoremediation of crude oil contamination in oil fields.

  11. Processing methods, characteristics and adsorption behavior of tire derived carbons: a review.

    PubMed

    Saleh, Tawfik A; Gupta, Vinod Kumar

    2014-09-01

    The remarkable increase in the number of vehicles worldwide; and the lack of both technical and economical mechanisms of disposal make waste tires to be a serious source of pollution. One potential recycling process is pyrolysis followed by chemical activation process to produce porous activated carbons. Many researchers have recently proved the capability of such carbons as adsorbents to remove various types of pollutants including organic and inorganic species. This review attempts to compile relevant knowledge about the production methods of carbon from waste rubber tires. The effects of various process parameters including temperature and heating rate, on the pyrolysis stage; activation temperature and time, activation agent and activating gas are reviewed. This review highlights the use of waste-tires derived carbon to remove various types of pollutants like heavy metals, dye, pesticides and others from aqueous media. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Multi-phased anaerobic baffled reactor treating food waste.

    PubMed

    Ahamed, A; Chen, C-L; Rajagopal, R; Wu, D; Mao, Y; Ho, I J R; Lim, J W; Wang, J-Y

    2015-04-01

    This study was conducted to identify the performance of a multi-phased anaerobic baffled reactor (MP-ABR) with food waste (FW) as the substrate for biogas production and thereby to promote an efficient energy recovery and treatment method for the wastes with high organic solid content through phase separation. A four-chambered ABR was operated at an HRT of 30 days with an OLR of 0.5-1.0 g-VS/Ld for a period of 175 days at 35 ± 1°C. Consistent overall removal efficiencies of 85.3% (CODt), 94.5% (CODs), 89.6% (VFA) and 86.4% (VS) were observed throughout the experiment displaying a great potential to treat FW. Biogas generated was 215.57 mL/g-VS removed d. Phase separation was observed and supported by the COD and VFA trends, and an efficient recovery of bioenergy from FW was achieved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Removal of phosphorus from agricultural wastewaters using adsorption media prepared from acid mine drainage sludge

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sibrell, Philip L.; Montgomery, Gary A.; Ritenour, Kelsey L.; Tucker, Travis W.

    2009-01-01

    Excess phosphorus in wastewaters promotes eutrophication in receiving waterways. A??cost-effective method for the removal of phosphorus from water would significantly reduce the impact of such wastewaters on the environment. Acid mine drainage sludge is a waste product produced by the neutralization of acid mine drainage, and consists mainly of the same metal hydroxides used in traditional wastewater treatment for the removal of phosphorus. In this paper, we describe a method for the drying and pelletization of acid mine drainage sludge that results in a particulate media, which we have termed Ferroxysorb, for the removal of phosphorus from wastewater in an efficient packed bed contactor. Adsorption capacities are high, and kinetics rapid, such that a contact time of less than 5 min is sufficient for removal of 60-90% of the phosphorus, depending on the feed concentration and time in service. In addition, the adsorption capacity of the Ferroxysorb media was increased dramatically by using two columns in an alternating sequence so that each sludge bed receives alternating rest and adsorption cycles. A stripping procedure based on treatment with dilute sodium hydroxide was also developed that allows for recovery of the P from the media, with the possibility of generating a marketable fertilizer product. These results indicate that acid mine drainage sludges - hitherto thought of as undesirable wastes - can be used to remove phosphorus from wastewater, thus offsetting a portion of acid mine drainage treatment costs while at the same time improving water quality in sensitive watersheds.

  14. Simultaneous treatment of food-waste recycling wastewater and cultivation of Tetraselmis suecica for biodiesel production.

    PubMed

    Heo, Sung-Woon; Ryu, Byung-Gon; Nam, Kibok; Kim, Woong; Yang, Ji-Won

    2015-07-01

    There is an increasing interest in the use of cultivated microalgae to simultaneously produce biodiesel and remove nutrients from various wastewaters. For this purpose, Tetraselmis suecica was cultivated in flasks and fermenters using diluted food-waste recycling wastewater (FRW). The effect of FRW dilution on T. suecica growth and nutrient removal was initially tested in flasks. The maximal microalgal concentration after 14 days was in medium with a twofold dilution (28.3 × 10(6) cells/mL) and a fivefold dilution (25.5 × 10(6) cells/mL). When fivefold diluted medium was used in fermenters, the final dry cell weight of T. suecica was 2.0 g/L. The removal efficiencies of ammonium and phosphate in the fermenters were 99.0 and 52.3%, respectively. In comparison with the results of previous studies, the growth data of T. suecica in the FRW medium indicate that microalgal cultivation system incorporating removal of nutrients in FRW is feasible at the field level.

  15. River Corridor Cleanup Contract Fiscal Year 2006 Detailed Work Plan: D4 Project/Reactor ISS Closure Projects Field Remediation Project Waste Operations Project End State and Final Closure Project Mission/General Support, Volume 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Project Integration

    2005-09-26

    The Hanford Site contains many surplus facilities and waste sites that remain from plutonium production activities. These contaminated facilities and sites must either be stabilized and maintained, or removed, to prevent the escape of potentially hazardous contaminants into the environment and exposure to workers and the public.

  16. Development of a Plastic Melt Waste Compactor for Space Missions Experiments and Prototype Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pace, Gregory; Wignarajah, Kanapathipillai; Pisharody, Suresh; Fisher, John

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes development at NASA Ames Research Center of a heat melt compactor that can be used on both near term and far term missions. Experiments have been performed to characterize the behavior of composite wastes that are representative of the types of wastes produced on current and previous space missions such as International Space Station, Space Shuttle, MIR and Skylab. Experiments were conducted to characterize the volume reduction, bonding, encapsulation and biological stability of the waste composite and also to investigate other key design issues such as plastic extrusion, noxious off-gassing and removal of the of the plastic waste product from the processor. The experiments provided the data needed to design a prototype plastic melt waste processor, a description of which is included in the paper.

  17. Effects of moisture content and initial pH in composting process on heavy metal removal characteristics of grass clipping compost used for stormwater filtration.

    PubMed

    Khan, Eakalak; Khaodhir, Sutha; Ruangrote, Darin

    2009-10-01

    Heavy metals are common contaminants in stormwater runoff. One of the devices that can be used to effectively and economically remove heavy metals from runoff is a yard waste compost stormwater filter. The primary goal of composting is to reduce waste volume rather than to produce stormwater filter media. Moisture content (MC) and initial pH, the two important parameters in composting, were studied for their effects on yard waste volume reduction and heavy metal adsorption performances of the compost. The main objective of this investigation was to examine whether the conditions that provided high yard waste volume reduction would also result in compost with good heavy metal removal performances. Manila grass was composted at different initial pHs (5-9) and MCs (30-70%) and the composts were used to adsorb cadmium, copper, lead and zinc from water. Results indicated that MC is more critical than initial pH for both volume reduction and production of compost with high metal adsorption performances. The most optimal conditions for the two attributes were not exactly the same but lower MCs of 30-40% and pH 7 or higher tended to satisfy both high volume reduction and effective metal adsorption.

  18. Overview of waste reduction techniques leading to pollution prevention

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hunt, G.E.

    Liquid, solid, and/or gaseous waste materials are always generated during the manufacture of any product. In addition to creating environmental hazards, these wastes represent losses of valuable materials and energy from the production process and require a significant investment in pollution control. Traditionally, pollution control relies on ``end-of-the-pipe`` and ``out-the-back-door`` management approaches that require labor hours, energy, materials, and capital expenditures. Such an approach removes pollutants from one source, such as wastewater, but places them somewhere else, such as in a landfill. More regulations, higher disposal expenses, increased liability costs, and increased public awareness have caused industrial and governmental leadersmore » to begin critical examinations of end-of-the-pipe control technologies. The value of reducing waste during the manufacturing process has become apparent to many industries. These companies are looking at broader environmental management objectives, rather than concentrating solely on pollution control. Waste reduction not only is very often economically beneficial for an industry, it also improves the quality of the environment.« less

  19. Removal of mercury from aqueous solutions using activated carbon prepared from agricultural by-product/waste.

    PubMed

    Rao, M Madhava; Reddy, D H K Kumar; Venkateswarlu, Padala; Seshaiah, K

    2009-01-01

    Removal of mercury from aqueous solutions using activated carbon prepared from Ceiba pentandra hulls, Phaseolus aureus hulls and Cicer arietinum waste was investigated. The influence of various parameters such as effect of pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and adsorbent dose for the removal of mercury was studied using a batch process. The experiments demonstrated that the adsorption process corresponds to the pseudo-second-order-kinetic models and the equilibrium adsorption data fit the Freundlich isotherm model well. The prepared adsorbents ACCPH, ACPAH and ACCAW had removal capacities of 25.88 mg/g, 23.66 mg/g and 22.88 mg/g, respectively, at an initial Hg(II) concentration of 40 mg/L. The order of Hg(II) removal capacities of these three adsorbents was ACCPH>ACPAH>ACCAW. The adsorption behavior of the activated carbon is explained on the basis of its chemical nature. The feasibility of regeneration of spent activated carbon adsorbents for recovery of Hg(II) and reuse of the adsorbent was determined using HCl solution.

  20. Synthetic Musk Fragrances in a Conventional Drinking Water Treatment Plant with Lime Softening

    PubMed Central

    Wombacher, William D.; Hornbuckle, Keri C.

    2009-01-01

    Synthetic musk fragrances are common personal care product additives and wastewater contaminants that are routinely detected in the environment. This study examines the presence eight synthetic musk fragrances (AHTN, HHCB, ATII, ADBI, AHMI, musk xylene, and musk ketone) in source water and the removal of these compounds as they flow through a Midwestern conventional drinking water plant with lime softening. The compounds were measured in water, waste sludge, and air throughout the plant. HHCB and AHTN were detected in 100% of the samples and at the highest concentrations. A mass balance on HHCB and AHTN was performed under warm and cold weather conditions. The total removal efficiency for HHCB and AHTN, which averaged between 67% to 89%, is dominated by adsorption to water softener sludge and its consequent removal by sludge wasting and media filtration. Volatilization, chlorine disinfection, and the disposal of backwash water play a minor role in the removal of both compounds. As a result of inefficient overall removal, HHCB and AHTN are a constant presence at low levels in finished drinking water. PMID:20126513

  1. Synthetic Musk Fragrances in a Conventional Drinking Water Treatment Plant with Lime Softening.

    PubMed

    Wombacher, William D; Hornbuckle, Keri C

    2009-11-01

    Synthetic musk fragrances are common personal care product additives and wastewater contaminants that are routinely detected in the environment. This study examines the presence eight synthetic musk fragrances (AHTN, HHCB, ATII, ADBI, AHMI, musk xylene, and musk ketone) in source water and the removal of these compounds as they flow through a Midwestern conventional drinking water plant with lime softening. The compounds were measured in water, waste sludge, and air throughout the plant. HHCB and AHTN were detected in 100% of the samples and at the highest concentrations. A mass balance on HHCB and AHTN was performed under warm and cold weather conditions. The total removal efficiency for HHCB and AHTN, which averaged between 67% to 89%, is dominated by adsorption to water softener sludge and its consequent removal by sludge wasting and media filtration. Volatilization, chlorine disinfection, and the disposal of backwash water play a minor role in the removal of both compounds. As a result of inefficient overall removal, HHCB and AHTN are a constant presence at low levels in finished drinking water.

  2. The DNAPL Remediation Challenge: Is There a Case for Source Depletion?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-12-01

    fermentation products acting as electron donors to promote reductive dechlorination of chlorinated solvents (e.g., see discussion on Sages and Bachman...has been primarily used to remove organic contamination in the vadose zone (see e.g., Stegemeier and Vinegar , 2001). Signifi cant removals of...Stegemeier, G.L., and H.J. Vinegar . 2001. Thermal conduction heating for in-situ thermal desorption of soils. In: Hazardous and Radioactive Waste Treatment

  3. Removal of batteries from solid waste using trommel separation.

    PubMed

    Lau, S T; Cheung, W H; Kwong, C K; Wan, C P; Choy, K K H; Leung, C C; Porter, J F; Hui, C W; Mc Kay, G

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes the design and testing of a trommel for separation of batteries from solid waste. A trommel is a cylindrical separation device that rotates and performs size separation. It has also been used in areas such as municipal solid waste (MSW) processing, classifying construction and demolition debris, screening mass-burn incinerator ash and compost processing. A trommel has been designed based on size separation to separate household batteries from solid waste, which can then be used as feedstock for alternative applications of solid waste combustion, particularly where the metal content of the product is also a critical parameter, such as the Co-Co process for integrated cement and power production. This trommel has been tested with batches of university office and restaurant wastes against various factors. The recovery efficiency of batteries increases with decreasing inclination angle of the trommel and decreasing rotational speed. A physical characterization of the university solid waste has been performed with a 20-kg sample of the tested waste. It was found that there is a trend of decreasing recovery of batteries with increasing paper composition, and a trend of increasing recovery of batteries with increasing organic materials composition.

  4. Removal of boron (B) from waste liquors.

    PubMed

    Jiang, J Q; Xu, Y; Simon, J; Quill, K; Shettle, K

    2006-01-01

    This paper explores the use of electrocoagulation to remove boron from waste effluent in comparison with alum coagulation. In treating model test wastes, greater boron removals were achieved with electrocoagulation at low doses than conventional alum coagulation when reaction was undertaken for the same conditions (pH 8.5, and initial boron concentration was 500 mg/L). Al electrocoagulation can achieve good boron removal performance (68.3%) at a dose of 2.1 (as molar ratio of Al:B, and for current density of 62.1 A/m2), while alum coagulation can only achieve the maximum boron removal of 56% at a dose of 2.4. Also, Al electrocoagulation can remove 15-20% more boron than alum coagulation for the same dose compared in the treatment of both model test wastes and industry effluent. The estimation of running costs shows that to achieve 75% boron removal from industry waste effluent, i.e. removing 150 g of boron from 1 m3 of effluent, electrocoagulation was 6.2 times cheaper than alum coagulation. The economic advantage of electrocoagulation in the treatment of boron-containing waste effluent is thus significant.

  5. I-NERI-2007-004-K, DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NEW HIGH-LEVEL WASTE FORMS FOR ACHIEVING WASTE MINIMIZATION FROM PYROPROCESSING

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    S.M. Frank

    Work describe in this report represents the final year activities for the 3-year International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI) project: Development and Characterization of New High-Level Waste Forms for Achieving Waste Minimization from Pyroprocessing. Used electrorefiner salt that contained actinide chlorides and was highly loaded with surrogate fission products was processed into three candidate waste forms. The first waste form, a high-loaded ceramic waste form is a variant to the CWF produced during the treatment of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II used fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The two other waste forms were developed by researchers at the Korean Atomicmore » Energy Research Institute (KAERI). These materials are based on a silica-alumina-phosphate matrix and a zinc/titanium oxide matrix. The proposed waste forms, and the processes to fabricate them, were designed to immobilize spent electrorefiner chloride salts containing alkali, alkaline earth, lanthanide, and halide fission products that accumulate in the salt during the processing of used nuclear fuel. This aspect of the I-NERI project was to demonstrate 'hot cell' fabrication and characterization of the proposed waste forms. The outline of the report includes the processing of the spent electrorefiner salt and the fabrication of each of the three waste forms. Also described is the characterization of the waste forms, and chemical durability testing of the material. While waste form fabrication and sample preparation for characterization must be accomplished in a radiological hot cell facility due to hazardous radioactivity levels, smaller quantities of each waste form were removed from the hot cell to perform various analyses. Characterization included density measurement, elemental analysis, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and the Product Consistency Test, which is a leaching method to measure chemical durability. Favorable results from this demonstration project will provide additional options for fission product immobilization and waste management associated the electrochemical/pyrometallurgical processing of used nuclear fuel.« less

  6. BICARBONATE OF SODA BLASTING TECHNOLOGY FOR AIRCRAFT WHEEL PAINTING

    EPA Science Inventory

    This evaluation addressed product quality, waste reduction/pollution prevention and economics in replacing chemical solvent strippers with a bicarbonate of soda blasting technology for removal of paint from aircraft wheels. The evaluation was conducted in the Paint Stripping Sho...

  7. FERRATE TREATMENT FOR REMOVING CHROMIUM FROM HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE TANK WASTE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sylvester, Paul; Rutherford, Andy; Gonzalez-Martin, Anuncia

    2000-12-01

    A method has been developed for removing chromium from alkaline high-level radioactive tank waste. Removing chromium from these wastes is critical in reducing the volume of waste requiring expensive immobilization and deep geologic disposition. The method developed is based on the oxidation of insoluble chromium(III) compounds to soluble chromate using ferrate. The tests conducted with a simulated Hanford tank sludge indicate that the chromium removal with ferrate is more efficient at 5 M NaOH than at 3 M NaOH. Chromium removal increases with increasing Fe(VI)/Cr(III) molar ratio, but the chromium removal tends to level out for Fe(VI)/Cr(III) greater than 10.more » Increasing temperature leads to better chromium removal, but higher temperatures also led to more rapid ferrate decomposition. Tests with radioactive Hanford tank waste generally confirmed the simulant results. In all cases examined, ferrate enhanced the chromium removal, with a typical removal of around 60-70% of the total chromium present in the washed sludge solids. The ferrate leachate solutions did not contain significant concentrations of transuranic elements, so these solutions could be handled as low-activity waste.« less

  8. Nutrient recovery from swine waste and protein biomass production using duckweed ponds (Landoltia punctata): southern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Mohedano, R A; Velho, V F; Costa, R H R; Hofmann, S M; Belli Filho, P

    2012-01-01

    Brazil is one of the most important countries in pork production worldwide, ranking third. This activity has an important role in the national economic scenario. However, the fast growth of this activity has caused major environmental impacts, especially in developing countries. The large amount of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds found in pig manure has caused ecological imbalances, with eutrophication of major river basins in the producing regions. Moreover, much of the pig production in developing countries occurs on small farms, and therefore causes diffuse pollution. Therefore, duckweed pond have been successfully used in the swine waste polishing, generating further a biomass with high protein content. The present study evaluated the efficiency of two full scale duckweed ponds for the polishing of a small pig farm effluent, biomass yield and crude protein (CP) content. Duckweed pond series received the effluent from a biodigester-storage pond, with a flow rate of 1 m(3)/day (chemical oxygen demand rate = 186 kg/ha day) produced by 300 animals. After 1 year a great improvement of effluent quality was observed, with removal of 96% of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and 89% of total phosphorus (TP), on average. Nitrogen removal rate is one of the highest ever found (4.4 g TKN/m(2) day). Also, the dissolved oxygen rose from 0.0 to 3.0 mg/L. The two ponds produced together over 13 tons of fresh biomass (90.5% moisture), with 35% of CP content, which represents a productivity of 24 tonsCP/ha year. Due to the high rate of nutrient removal, and also the high protein biomass production, duckweed ponds revealed, under the presented conditions, a great potential for the polishing and valorization of swine waste. Nevertheless, this technology should be better exploited to improve the sustainability of small pig farms in order to minimize the impacts of this activity on the environment.

  9. Ethanol production from food waste at high solids content with vacuum recovery technology.

    PubMed

    Huang, Haibo; Qureshi, Nasib; Chen, Ming-Hsu; Liu, Wei; Singh, Vijay

    2015-03-18

    Ethanol production from food wastes does not only solve environmental issues but also provides renewable biofuels. This study investigated the feasibility of producing ethanol from food wastes at high solids content (35%, w/w). A vacuum recovery system was developed and applied to remove ethanol from fermentation broth to reduce yeast ethanol inhibition. A high concentration of ethanol (144 g/L) was produced by the conventional fermentation of food waste without a vacuum recovery system. When the vacuum recovery is applied to the fermentation process, the ethanol concentration in the fermentation broth was controlled below 100 g/L, thus reducing yeast ethanol inhibition. At the end of the conventional fermentation, the residual glucose in the fermentation broth was 5.7 g/L, indicating incomplete utilization of glucose, while the vacuum fermentation allowed for complete utilization of glucose. The ethanol yield for the vacuum fermentation was found to be 358 g/kg of food waste (dry basis), higher than that for the conventional fermentation at 327 g/kg of food waste (dry basis).

  10. Trash track--active location sensing for evaluating e-waste transportation.

    PubMed

    Offenhuber, Dietmar; Wolf, Malima I; Ratti, Carlo

    2013-02-01

    Waste and recycling systems are complex and far-reaching, but its mechanisms are poorly understood by the public, in some cases government organizations and even the waste management sector itself. The lack of empirical data makes it challenging to assess the environmental impact of trash collection, removal and disposal. This is especially the case for the global movement of electronic wastes. Senseable City Lab's Trash Track project tackles this scarcity of data by following the trajectories of individual objects. The project presents a methodology involving active location sensors that were placed on end-of-life products donated by volunteers in the Seattle, Washington area. These tags sent location messages chronicling their journey, some over the course of a month or more. In this paper, the authors focus on the analysis of traces acquired from 146 items of electronic waste, estimating evaluating the environmental impact, including the travel distances and end-of-life treatments for the products. Combining this information with impact evaluation from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Waste Reduction Model (WARM) allows for the creation of environmental impact profiles for individual pieces of trash.

  11. Effect of medium components on the production of a biosurfactant from Candida tropicalis applied to the removal of hydrophobic contaminants in soil.

    PubMed

    Batista, Ranielly M; Rufino, Raquel D; Luna, Juliana M; de Souza, José Edson G; Sarubbo, Leonie A

    2010-05-01

    The influence of medium constituents on the production of biosurfactants by Candida tropicalis cultivated in waste frying oil was investigated according to a fractional factorial 2(5-1) design. The combined effect of the C/N(inorganic), C/Fe, C/Mg, and C/P ratios and yeast extract on surface tension reduction, biosurfactant yield, emulsification activity, and biomass were studied. The highest biosurfactant yield was reached when low C/Mg and low C/P ratio variables were combined, while the cell growth was favored by increasing the nitrogen concentration. The highest surface tension net decrease, on the other hand, was observed at low yeast extract concentration, low C/Fe, and high C/P ratios. Emulsification indices against lubrication and automobile waste oil of approximately 65 to 95% were observed. The crude biosurfactant produced in the medium--formulated with 2% waste frying oil, 0.067% NH4Cl, 0.025% MgSO4.7H2O, 0.067% KH2PO4, and 0.0026% FeCl3.6H2O--removed approximately 78 to 97% of the petroleum and motor oil adsorbed in sand samples.

  12. Sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification with eggshell for nitrate-contaminated synthetic groundwater treatment.

    PubMed

    Xu, Yaxian; Chen, Nan; Feng, Chuanping; Hao, Chunbo; Peng, Tong

    2016-12-01

    Eggshell is considered to be a waste and a significant quantity of eggshell waste is generated from food processing, baking and hatching industries. In this study, the effect of different sulfur/eggshell (w/w) ratios and temperatures was investigated to evaluate the feasibility of the sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification with eggshell (SADE) process for nitrate removal. The results showed eggshell can maintain a neutral condition in a range of pH 7.05-7.74 in the SADE process, and remove 97% of nitrate in synthetic groundwater. Compared with oyster shell and limestone, eggshell was found to be a desirable alkaline material for sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification (SAD) with no nitrite accumulation and insignificant sulfate production. Denitrification reaction was found to follow the first-order kinetic models (R(2) > .9) having nitrate removal rate constants of 0.85 and 0.93 d(-1) for raw eggshell and boiled eggshell, respectively. Sulfur/eggshell ratio of 2:3 provided the best efficiency on nitrate removal. Nitrate was removed completely by the SADE process at a low temperature of 15°C. Eggshell could be used for the SAD process due to its good effect for nitrate removal from groundwater.

  13. High level radioactive waste vitrification process equipment component testing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siemens, D. H.; Health, W. C.; Larson, D. E.; Craig, S. N.; Berger, D. N.; Goles, R. W.

    1985-04-01

    Remote operability and maintainability of vitrification equipment were assessment under shielded cell conditions. The equipment tested will be applied to immobilize high level and transuranic liquid waste slurries that resulted from plutonium production for defense weapons. Equipment tested included: a turntable for handling waste canisters under the melter; a removable discharge cone in the melter overflow section; a thermocouple jumper that extends into a shielded cell; remote instrument and electrical connectors; remote, mechanical, and heat transfer aspects of the melter glass overflow section; a reamer to clean out plugged nozzles in the melter top; a closed circuit camera to view the melter interior; and a device to retrieve samples of the glass product. A test was also conduucted to evaluate liquid metals for use in a liquid metal sealing system.

  14. Oyster Shell Recycling and Bone Waste Treatment Using Plasma Pyrolysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jae, Ou Chae; Knak, S. P.; Knak, A. N.; Koo, H. J.; Ravi, V.

    2006-11-01

    Investigations on the recycling of oyster shells and bone waste treatment using the plasma pyrolysis technique are presented in this paper. A arc based plasma torch operated at 25 kW was employed for the experiments. Fresh oyster shells were recycled using the plasma torch to convert them to a useful product such as CaO. Bone waste was treated to remove the infectious organic part and to vitrify the inorganic part. The time required for treatment in both cases was significantly short. Significant reduction in the weight of the samples was observed in both cases.

  15. The use of waste mussel shells for the adsorption of dyes and heavy metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papadimitriou, Chrysi A.; Krey, Grigorios; Stamatis, Nikolaos; Kallaniotis, Argyris

    2016-04-01

    Mussel culture is very important sector of the Greek agricultural economy. The majority of mussel culture activities take place in the area of Central Macedonia, Greece, 60% of total mussel production in Greece producing almost 12 tons of waste mussels shells on a daily basis. Currently there is no legislation concerning the disposal of mussel shells. In the present study the waste shells were used for the removal of dyes and heavy metals from aqueous solutions while powdered mussel shells were added in activated sludge processes for the removal of hexavalent chromium. Mussel shells were cleaned, dried and then crushed in order to form a powder. Powdered mussels shells were used in standard adsorption experiments for the removal of methylene blue and methyl red as well as for the removal of Cr (VI), Cd and Cu. Moreover the powdered mussel shells were added in laboratory scale activated sludge reactors treating synthetic wastewater with hexavalent chromium, in order investigate the effects in activated sludge processes and their potential attribution to the removal of hexavalent chromium. Adsorption experiments indicated almost 100% color removal, while adsorption was directly proportional to the amount of powdered mussel shells added in each case. The isotherms calculated for the case of methylene blue indicated similar adsorption capacity and properties to those of the commercially available activated carbon SAE 2, Norit. High removal efficiencies were observed for the metals, especially in the case of chromium and copper. The addition of powdered mussel shells in the activated sludge processes enhanced the removal of chromium and phosphorus, while enabled the formation of heavier activated sludge flocs and thus enhanced the settling properties of the activated sludge.

  16. Ferrate treatment for removing chromium from high-level radioactive tank waste.

    PubMed

    Sylvester, P; Rutherford, L A; Gonzalez-Martin, A; Kim, J; Rapko, B M; Lumetta, G J

    2001-01-01

    A method has been developed for removing chromium from alkaline high-level radioactive tank waste. Removing chromium from these wastes is critical in reducing the volume of waste requiring expensive immobilization and deep geologic disposition. The method developed is based on the oxidation of insoluble chromium(III) compounds to soluble chromate using ferrate. This method could be generally applicable to removing chromium from chromium-contaminated solids, when coupled with a subsequent reduction of the separated chromate back to chromium(III). The tests conducted with a simulated Hanford tank sludge indicate that the chromium removal with ferrate is more efficient at 5 M NaOH than at 3 M NaOH. Chromium removal increases with increasing Fe(VI)/Cr(II) molar ratio, but the chromium removal tends to level out for Fe(VI)/ Cr(III) greaterthan 10. Increasingtemperature leadsto better chromium removal, but higher temperatures also led to more rapid ferrate decomposition. Tests with radioactive Hanford tank waste generally confirmed the simulant results. In all cases examined, ferrate enhanced the chromium removal, with a typical removal of around 60-70% of the total chromium present in the washed sludge solids. The ferrate leachate solutions did not contain significant concentrations of transuranic elements, so these solutions could be disposed as low-activity waste.

  17. Fluid and mass transport modelling to drive the design of cell-packed hollow fibre bioreactors for tissue engineering applications.

    PubMed

    Shipley, Rebecca J; Waters, Sarah L

    2012-12-01

    A model for fluid and mass transport in a single module of a tissue engineering hollow fibre bioreactor (HFB) is developed. Cells are seeded in alginate throughout the extra-capillary space (ECS), and fluid is pumped through a central lumen to feed the cells and remove waste products. Fluid transport is described using Navier-Stokes or Darcy equations as appropriate; this is overlaid with models of mass transport in the form of advection-diffusion-reaction equations that describe the distribution and uptake/production of nutrients/waste products. The small aspect ratio of a module is exploited and the option of opening an ECS port is explored. By proceeding analytically, operating equations are determined that enable a tissue engineer to prescribe the geometry and operation of the HFB by ensuring the nutrient and waste product concentrations are consistent with a functional cell population. Finally, results for chondrocyte and cardiomyocyte cell populations are presented, typifying two extremes of oxygen uptake rates.

  18. Fed-batch anaerobic valorization of slaughterhouse by-products with mesophilic microbial consortia without methane production.

    PubMed

    Pessiot, J; Nouaille, R; Jobard, M; Singhania, R R; Bournilhas, A; Christophe, G; Fontanille, P; Peyret, P; Fonty, G; Larroche, C

    2012-07-01

    This work aimed at setting up a fully instrumented, laboratory-scale bioreactor enabling anaerobic valorization of solid substrates through hydrogen and/or volatile fatty acid (VFA) production using mixed microbial populations (consortia). The substrate used was made of meat-based wastes, especially from slaughterhouses, which are becoming available in large amounts as a consequence of the growing constraints for waste disposal from meat industry. A reconstituted microbial mesophilic consortium without Archaebacteria (methanogens), named PBr, was cultivated in a 5-L anaerobic bioreactor on slaughterhouse wastes. The experiments were carried out with sequential fed-batch operations, including liquid medium removal from the bioreactor and addition of fresh substrate. VFAs and nitrogen were the main metabolites observed, while hydrogen accumulation was very low and no methane production was evidenced. After 1,300 h of culture, yields obtained for VFAs reached 0.38 g/g dry matter. Strain composition of the microbial consortium was also characterized using molecular tools (temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and gene sequencing).

  19. Sustainable biobutanol production from pineapple waste by using Clostridium acetobutylicum B 527: Drying kinetics study.

    PubMed

    Khedkar, Manisha A; Nimbalkar, Pranhita R; Gaikwad, Shashank G; Chavan, Prakash V; Bankar, Sandip B

    2017-02-01

    Present investigation explores the use of pineapple peel, a food industry waste, for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) production using Clostridium acetobutylicum B 527. Proximate analysis of pineapple peel shows that it contains 35% cellulose, 19% hemicellulose, and 16% lignin on dry basis. Drying experiments on pineapple peel waste were carried out in the temperature range of 60-120°C and experimental drying data was modeled using moisture diffusion control model to study its effect on ABE production. The production of ABE was further accomplished via acid hydrolysis, detoxification, and fermentation process. Maximum total sugar release obtained by using acid hydrolysis was 97g/L with 95-97% and 10-50% removal of phenolics and acetic acid, respectively during detoxification process. The maximum ABE titer obtained was 5.23g/L with 55.6% substrate consumption when samples dried at 120°C were used as a substrate (after detoxification). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Combined energy production and waste management in manned spacecraft utilizing on-demand hydrogen production and fuel cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elitzur, Shani; Rosenband, Valery; Gany, Alon

    2016-11-01

    Energy supply and waste management are among the most significant challenges in human spacecraft. Great efforts are invested in managing solid waste, recycling grey water and urine, cleaning the atmosphere, removing CO2, generating and saving energy, and making further use of components and products. This paper describes and investigates a concept for managing waste water and urine to simultaneously produce electric and heat energies as well as fresh water. It utilizes an original technique for aluminum activation to react spontaneously with water at room temperature to produce hydrogen on-site and on-demand. This reaction has further been proven to be effective also when using waste water and urine. Applying the hydrogen produced in a fuel cell, one obtains electric energy as well as fresh (drinking) water. The method was compared to the traditional energy production technology of the Space Shuttle, which is based on storing the fuel cell reactants, hydrogen and oxygen, in cryogenic tanks. It is shown that the alternative concept presented here may provide improved safety, compactness (reduction of more than one half of the volume of the hydrogen storage system), and management of waste liquids for energy generation and drinking water production. Nevertheless, it adds mass compared to the cryogenic hydrogen technology. It is concluded that the proposed method may be used as an emergency and backup power system as well as an additional hydrogen source for extended missions in human spacecraft.

  1. Valorization of solid waste products from olive oil industry as potential adsorbents for water pollution control--a review.

    PubMed

    Bhatnagar, Amit; Kaczala, Fabio; Hogland, William; Marques, Marcia; Paraskeva, Christakis A; Papadakis, Vagelis G; Sillanpää, Mika

    2014-01-01

    The global olive oil production for 2010 is estimated to be 2,881,500 metric tons. The European Union countries produce 78.5% of the total olive oil, which stands for an average production of 2,136,000 tons. The worldwide consumption of olive oil increased of 78% between 1990 and 2010. The increase in olive oil production implies a proportional increase in olive mill wastes. As a consequence of such increasing trend, olive mills are facing severe environmental problems due to lack of feasible and/or cost-effective solutions to olive-mill waste management. Therefore, immediate attention is required to find a proper way of management to deal with olive mill waste materials in order to minimize environmental pollution and associated health risks. One of the interesting uses of solid wastes generated from olive mills is to convert them as inexpensive adsorbents for water pollution control. In this review paper, an extensive list of adsorbents (prepared by utilizing different types of olive mill solid waste materials) from vast literature has been compiled, and their adsorption capacities for various aquatic pollutants removal are presented. Different physicochemical methods that have been used to convert olive mill solid wastes into efficient adsorbents have also been discussed. Characterization of olive-based adsorbents and adsorption mechanisms of various aquatic pollutants on these developed olive-based adsorbents have also been discussed in detail. Conclusions have been drawn from the literature reviewed, and suggestions for future research are proposed.

  2. Removal of radioactive and other hazardous material from fluid waste

    DOEpatents

    Tranter, Troy J [Idaho Falls, ID; Knecht, Dieter A [Idaho Falls, ID; Todd, Terry A [Aberdeen, ID; Burchfield, Larry A [W. Richland, WA; Anshits, Alexander G [Krasnoyarsk, RU; Vereshchagina, Tatiana [Krasnoyarsk, RU; Tretyakov, Alexander A [Zheleznogorsk, RU; Aloy, Albert S [St. Petersburg, RU; Sapozhnikova, Natalia V [St. Petersburg, RU

    2006-10-03

    Hollow glass microspheres obtained from fly ash (cenospheres) are impregnated with extractants/ion-exchangers and used to remove hazardous material from fluid waste. In a preferred embodiment the microsphere material is loaded with ammonium molybdophosphonate (AMP) and used to remove radioactive ions, such as cesium-137, from acidic liquid wastes. In another preferred embodiment, the microsphere material is loaded with octyl(phenyl)-N-N-diisobutyl-carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) and used to remove americium and plutonium from acidic liquid wastes.

  3. Methane production from cattle manure supplemented with crude glycerin from the biodiesel industry in CSTR and IBR.

    PubMed

    Castrillón, L; Fernández-Nava, Y; Ormaechea, P; Marañón, E

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the present research work was to optimise biogas production from cattle manure by adding crude glycerin from the biodiesel industry. For this purpose, 6%v/v crude glycerin (the optimum amount according to previous research) was added to ground manure and the mixture was sonicated to enhance biodegradability prior to anaerobic co-digestion at 55 °C. Two different reactors were used: continuously stirred (CSTR) and induced bed (IBR). The methanol and pure glycerin contents of the crude glycerin used in this study were 5.6% and 49.4% (w/w), respectively. The best results when operating in CSTR were obtained for an organic loading rate (OLR) of 5.4 kg COD/m(3) day, obtaining 53.2m(3) biogas/t wet waste and 80.7% COD removal. When operating in IBR, the best results were obtained for an OLR of 6.44 kg COD/m(3)day, obtaining 89.6% COD removal and a biogas production of 56.5m(3)/t wet waste. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Preliminary trial on degradation of waste activated sludge and simultaneous hydrogen production in a newly-developed solar photocatalytic reactor with AgX/TiO2-coated glass tubes.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chunguang; Lei, Zhongfang; Yang, Yingnan; Zhang, Zhenya

    2013-09-15

    A solar fluidized tubular photocatalytic reactor (SFTPR) with simple and efficient light collector was developed to degrade waste activated sludge (WAS) and simultaneously produce hydrogen. The photocatalyst was a TiO2 film doped by silver and silver compounds (AgX). The synthesized photocatalyst, AgX/TiO2, exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than TiO2 (99.5% and 30.6% of methyl orange removal, respectively). The installation of light collector could increase light intensity by 26%. For WAS treatment using the SFTPR, 69.1% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and 7866.7 μmol H2/l-sludge of hydrogen production were achieved after solar photocatalysis for 72 h. The SFTPR could be a promising photocatalysis reactor to effectively degrade WAS with simultaneous hydrogen production. The results can also provide a useful base and reference for the application of photocatalysis on WAS degradation in practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Potential and optimization of two-phase anaerobic digestion of oil refinery waste activated sludge and microbial community study

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Qinghong; Liang, Ying; Zhao, Peng; Li, Qing X.; Guo, Shaohui; Chen, Chunmao

    2016-01-01

    Oil refinery waste activated sludge produced from oil wastewater biological treatment is a major industrial sludge. Two-phase anaerobic digestion of oil refinery waste activated sludge was studied for the first time. Thermal pretreatment under 170 °C is effective on sludge solubilization. At the optimum hydrolytic-acidogenic condition which was pH of 6.5, temperature of 55 °C and HRT of 2 days, 2754 mg/L volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were produced and acetic acid and butyric acid were the key components. Comparative studies of single-phase and two-phase anaerobic digestion in terms of organic removal, biogas production and methane concentration were conducted. The cumulative methane production and soluble COD (SCOD) removal efficiency in the two-phase system were 228 mL/g COD added and 77.8%, respectively, which were 1.6 and 2.1 times higher than those in single-phase anaerobic digestion. Such improved performance is attributed to intensification of dominant microbial population in separated reactors. Caloramator, Ureibacillus, Dechloromonas, Petrobacter, and T78 played important roles in hydrolytic-acidification and oil-organics degradation. Syntrophic bacteria in the family Porphyromonadaceae and the genus Anaerobranca provide acetate for methanogen. The results demonstrated the potential and operating condition of two-phase anaerobic digestion in treatment of oil refinery waste activated sludge. PMID:27905538

  6. Potential and optimization of two-phase anaerobic digestion of oil refinery waste activated sludge and microbial community study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qinghong; Liang, Ying; Zhao, Peng; Li, Qing X.; Guo, Shaohui; Chen, Chunmao

    2016-12-01

    Oil refinery waste activated sludge produced from oil wastewater biological treatment is a major industrial sludge. Two-phase anaerobic digestion of oil refinery waste activated sludge was studied for the first time. Thermal pretreatment under 170 °C is effective on sludge solubilization. At the optimum hydrolytic-acidogenic condition which was pH of 6.5, temperature of 55 °C and HRT of 2 days, 2754 mg/L volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were produced and acetic acid and butyric acid were the key components. Comparative studies of single-phase and two-phase anaerobic digestion in terms of organic removal, biogas production and methane concentration were conducted. The cumulative methane production and soluble COD (SCOD) removal efficiency in the two-phase system were 228 mL/g COD added and 77.8%, respectively, which were 1.6 and 2.1 times higher than those in single-phase anaerobic digestion. Such improved performance is attributed to intensification of dominant microbial population in separated reactors. Caloramator, Ureibacillus, Dechloromonas, Petrobacter, and T78 played important roles in hydrolytic-acidification and oil-organics degradation. Syntrophic bacteria in the family Porphyromonadaceae and the genus Anaerobranca provide acetate for methanogen. The results demonstrated the potential and operating condition of two-phase anaerobic digestion in treatment of oil refinery waste activated sludge.

  7. The As removal from arsenopyrite-bearing mine waste by microwave

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Hyun Soo; Myung, Eun Ji; Hack Lim, Dae; Kim, Bong Ju; Park, Cheon Young

    2016-04-01

    Penalties incurred by miners for arsenic in concentrates have increased significantly because the removal and disposal of arsenic is difficult and costly for smelters and because the environmental challenges are increasing worldwide. Typically miners incur penalties on arsenic in concentrates above 0.2% As with smelter rejection limits of 0.5%. Therefore, finding an effective solution for removing As during primary mining activities is necessary to avoid penalty. The aim of this study was to investigate the As removal from mine waste using microwave process. The mine waste samples were characterized by chemical and XRD analysis. To determine of As removal from the microwave experiments, aqua regia digestion was performed according to Korean environmental standard method(KESM) and the As removal effect were evaluated using the standard EPA toxicity characteristic leaching procedure(TCLP, EPA 1311 method). The result of mineralogical character for mine waste using XRD was detected arsenopyrite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and quartz. The chemical analysis of As, Pb, Zn contents in the mine waste measured 13,896.0, 896.1 and 1,054.6 mg/kg, respectively. The As removal of experiments was conducted to examine the effects of microwave exposure time(1~15min). The results showed that the As removal in mine waste (exposure time = 10min) was 92.90%, and the temperature of mine waste by microwave heating was 886℃. The TCLP leaching of treated mine waste by microwave measured values were below the EPA's current regulatory threshold(As, Pb, Zn : 5 mg/L). The optimum condition of microwave exposure for As removal from arsenopyrite-bearing mine waste was obtained at 800W, 2450MHz, 10min. Acknowledgment : This work was supported by the Energy and Resources Engineering Program Grant funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea

  8. Waste policies gone soft: An analysis of European and Swedish waste prevention plans.

    PubMed

    Johansson, Nils; Corvellec, Hervé

    2018-04-30

    This paper presents an analysis of European and Swedish national and municipal waste prevention plans to determine their capability of preventing the generation of waste. An analysis of the stated objectives in these waste prevention plans and the measures they propose to realize them exposes six problematic features: (1) These plans ignore what drives waste generation, such as consumption, and (2) rely as much on conventional waste management goals as they do on goals with the aim of preventing the generation of waste at the source. The Swedish national and local plans (3) focus on small waste streams, such as food waste, rather than large ones, such as industrial and commercial waste. Suggested waste prevention measures at all levels are (4) soft rather than constraining, for example, these plans focus on information campaigns rather than taxes and bans, and (5) not clearly connected to incentives and consequences for the actors involved. The responsibility for waste prevention has been (6) entrusted to non-governmental actors in the market such as companies that are then free to define which proposals suit them best rather than their being guided by planners. For improved waste prevention regulation, two strategies are proposed. First, focus primarily not on household-related waste, but on consumption and production of products with high environmental impact and toxicity as waste. Second, remove waste prevention from the waste hierarchy to make clear that, by definition, waste prevention is not about the management of waste. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Low-head saltwater recirculating aquaculture systems utilized for juvenile red drum production

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Recirculating aquaculture systems reuse water with mechanical and biological treatment between each use and thus require wastewater treatment techniques for continuous waste removal. However, the traditional techniques and equipment utilized in recirculating aquaculture systems are expensive. The d...

  10. Lyophilization -Solid Waste Treatment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Litwiller, Eric; Flynn, Michael; Fisher, John; Reinhard, Martin

    2004-01-01

    This paper discusses the development of a solid waste treatment system that has been designed for a Mars transit exploration mission. The technology described is an energy-efficient lyophilization technique that is designed to recover water from spacecraft solid wastes. Candidate wastes include feces, concentrated brines from water processors, and other solid wastes that contain free water. The system is designed to operate as a stand-alone process or to be integrated into the International Space Station Waste Collection System. In the lyophilization process, water in an aqueous waste is frozen and then sublimed, separating the waste into a dried solid material and liquid water. The sublimed water is then condensed in a solid ice phase and then melted to generate a liquid product. In the subject system the waste solids are contained within a 0.2 micron bio-guard bag and after drying are removed from the system and stored in a secondary container. This technology is ideally suited to applications such as the Mars Reference Mission, where water recovery rates approaching 100% are desirable but production of CO2 is not. The system is designed to minimize power consumption through the use of thermoelectric heat pumps. The results of preliminary testing of a prototype system and testing of the final configuration are provided. A mathematical model of the system is also described.

  11. Enzymatic saccharification and fermentation of cellulosic date palm wastes to glucose and lactic acid.

    PubMed

    Alrumman, Sulaiman A

    2016-01-01

    The bioconversion of cellulosic wastes into high-value bio-products by saccharification and fermentation processes is an important step that can reduce the environmental pollution caused by agricultural wastes. In this study, enzymatic saccharification of treated and untreated date palm cellulosic wastes by the cellulases from Geobacillus stearothermophilus was optimized. The alkaline pre-treatment of the date palm wastes was found to be effective in increasing the saccharification percentage. The maximum rate of saccharification was found at a substrate concentration of 4% and enzyme concentration of 30 FPU/g of substrate. The optimum pH and temperature for the bioconversions were 5.0 and 50°C, respectively, after 24h of incubation, with a yield of 31.56mg/mL of glucose at a saccharification degree of 71.03%. The saccharification was increased to 94.88% by removal of the hydrolysate after 24h by using a two-step hydrolysis. Significant lactic acid production (27.8mg/mL) was obtained by separate saccharification and fermentation after 72h of incubation. The results indicate that production of fermentable sugar and lactic acid is feasible and may reduce environmental pollution by using date palm wastes as a cheap substrate. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  12. Enzymatic saccharification and fermentation of cellulosic date palm wastes to glucose and lactic acid

    PubMed Central

    Alrumman, Sulaiman A.

    2016-01-01

    The bioconversion of cellulosic wastes into high-value bio-products by saccharification and fermentation processes is an important step that can reduce the environmental pollution caused by agricultural wastes. In this study, enzymatic saccharification of treated and untreated date palm cellulosic wastes by the cellulases from Geobacillus stearothermophilus was optimized. The alkaline pre-treatment of the date palm wastes was found to be effective in increasing the saccharification percentage. The maximum rate of saccharification was found at a substrate concentration of 4% and enzyme concentration of 30 FPU/g of substrate. The optimum pH and temperature for the bioconversions were 5.0 and 50 °C, respectively, after 24 h of incubation, with a yield of 31.56 mg/mL of glucose at a saccharification degree of 71.03%. The saccharification was increased to 94.88% by removal of the hydrolysate after 24 h by using a two-step hydrolysis. Significant lactic acid production (27.8 mg/mL) was obtained by separate saccharification and fermentation after 72 h of incubation. The results indicate that production of fermentable sugar and lactic acid is feasible and may reduce environmental pollution by using date palm wastes as a cheap substrate. PMID:26887233

  13. LITERATURE REVIEWS TO SUPPORT ION EXCHANGE TECHNOLOGY SELECTION FOR MODULAR SALT PROCESSING

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    King, W

    2007-11-30

    This report summarizes the results of literature reviews conducted to support the selection of a cesium removal technology for application in a small column ion exchange (SCIX) unit supported within a high level waste tank. SCIX is being considered as a technology for the treatment of radioactive salt solutions in order to accelerate closure of waste tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS) as part of the Modular Salt Processing (MSP) technology development program. Two ion exchange materials, spherical Resorcinol-Formaldehyde (RF) and engineered Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST), are being considered for use within the SCIX unit. Both ion exchange materials havemore » been studied extensively and are known to have high affinities for cesium ions in caustic tank waste supernates. RF is an elutable organic resin and CST is a non-elutable inorganic material. Waste treatment processes developed for the two technologies will differ with regard to solutions processed, secondary waste streams generated, optimum column size, and waste throughput. Pertinent references, anticipated processing sequences for utilization in waste treatment, gaps in the available data, and technical comparisons will be provided for the two ion exchange materials to assist in technology selection for SCIX. The engineered, granular form of CST (UOP IE-911) was the baseline ion exchange material used for the initial development and design of the SRS SCIX process (McCabe, 2005). To date, in-tank SCIX has not been implemented for treatment of radioactive waste solutions at SRS. Since initial development and consideration of SCIX for SRS waste treatment an alternative technology has been developed as part of the River Protection Project Waste Treatment Plant (RPP-WTP) Research and Technology program (Thorson, 2006). Spherical RF resin is the baseline media for cesium removal in the RPP-WTP, which was designed for the treatment of radioactive waste supernates and is currently under construction in Hanford, WA. Application of RF for cesium removal in the Hanford WTP does not involve in-riser columns but does utilize the resin in large scale column configurations in a waste treatment facility. The basic conceptual design for SCIX involves the dissolution of saltcake in SRS Tanks 1-3 to give approximately 6 M sodium solutions and the treatment of these solutions for cesium removal using one or two columns supported within a high level waste tank. Prior to ion exchange treatment, the solutions will be filtered for removal of entrained solids. In addition to Tanks 1-3, solutions in two other tanks (37 and 41) will require treatment for cesium removal in the SCIX unit. The previous SCIX design (McCabe, 2005) utilized CST for cesium removal with downflow supernate processing and included a CST grinder following cesium loading. Grinding of CST was necessary to make the cesium-loaded material suitable for vitrification in the SRS Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Because RF resin is elutable (and reusable) and processing requires conversion between sodium and hydrogen forms using caustic and acidic solutions more liquid processing steps are involved. The WTP baseline process involves a series of caustic and acidic solutions (downflow processing) with water washes between pH transitions across neutral. In addition, due to resin swelling during conversion from hydrogen to sodium form an upflow caustic regeneration step is required. Presumably, one of these basic processes (or some variation) will be utilized for MSP for the appropriate ion exchange technology selected. CST processing involves two primary waste products: loaded CST and decontaminated salt solution (DSS). RF processing involves three primary waste products: spent RF resin, DSS, and acidic cesium eluate, although the resin is reusable and typically does not require replacement until completion of multiple treatment cycles. CST processing requires grinding of the ion exchange media, handling of solids with high cesium loading, and handling of liquid wash and conditioning solutions. RF processing requires handling and evaporation of cesium eluates, disposal of spent organic resin, and handling of the various liquid wash and regenerate solutions used. In both cases, the DSS will be immobilized in a low activity waste form. It appears that both technologies are mature, well studied, and generally suitable for this application. Technology selection will likely be based on downstream impacts or preferences between the various processing options for the two materials rather than on some unacceptable performance property identified for one material. As a result, the following detailed technical review and summary of the two technologies should be useful to assist in technology selection for SCIX.« less

  14. Electrochemical decomposition of fluorinated wetting agents in plating industry waste water.

    PubMed

    Fath, Andreas; Sacher, Frank; McCaskie, John E

    2016-01-01

    Electrochemical decomposition of fluorinated surfactants (PFAS, perfluorinated alkyl substances) used in the plating industry was analyzed and the decomposition process parameters optimized at the laboratory scale and production scale of a 500-liter reactor using lead electrodes. The method and system was successfully demonstrated under production conditions to treat PFAS) with up to 99% efficiency in the concentration range of 1,000-20,000 μg/l (1 ppm-20 ppm). The treatment also reduced hexavalent chromium (Cr(6+)) ions to trivalent chromium (Cr(3+)) ions in the wastewater. If the PFAS-containing wastewater is mixed with other wastewater streams, specifically from nickel plating drag out solution or when pH values >5, the treatment process is ineffective. For the short chain PFAS, (perfluorobutylsulfonate) the process was less efficient than C6-C8 PFAS. The process is automated and has safety procedures and controls to prevent hazards. The PFAS were decomposed to hydrogen fluoride (HF) under the strong acid electrochemical operating conditions. Analytical tests showed no evidence of organic waste products remaining from the process. Conventional alternative PFAS removal systems were tested on the waste streams and compared with each other and with the-E-destruct (electrochemical oxidation) process. For example, ion exchange resin (IX resin) treatment of wastewater to complex and remove PFAS was found to be seven times more efficient when compared to the conventional activated carbon absorption (C-treat) process. However, the E-destruct process is higher in capacity, exhibits longer service life and lower operating costs than either IX or C-treat methods for elimination of PFAS from these electroplating waste streams.

  15. Application of the Evacuated Canister System for Removing Residual Molten Glass From the West Valley Demonstration Project High-Level Waste Melter

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    May, Joseph J.; Dombrowski, David J.; Valenti, Paul J.

    The principal mission of the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) is to meet a series of objectives defined in the West Valley Demonstration Project Act (Public Law 96-368). Chief among these is the objective to solidify liquid high-level waste (HLW) at the WVDP site into a form suitable for disposal in a federal geologic repository. In 1982, the Secretary of Energy formally selected vitrification as the technology to be used to solidify HLW at the WVDP. One of the first steps in meeting the HLW solidification objective involved designing, constructing and operating the Vitrification (Vit) Facility, the WVDP facility thatmore » houses the systems and subsystems used to process HLW into stainless steel canisters of borosilicate waste-glass that satisfy waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for disposal in a federal geologic repository. HLW processing and canister production began in 1996. The final step in meeting the HLW solidification objective involved ending Vit system operations and shut ting down the Vit Facility. This was accomplished by conducting a discrete series of activities to remove as much residual material as practical from the primary process vessels, components, and associated piping used in HLW canister production before declaring a formal end to Vit system operations. Flushing was the primary method used to remove residual radioactive material from the vitrification system. The inventory of radioactivity contained within the entire primary processing system diminished by conducting the flushing activities. At the completion of flushing activities, the composition of residual molten material remaining in the melter (the primary system component used in glass production) consisted of a small quantity of radioactive material and large quantities of glass former materials needed to produce borosilicate waste-glass. A special system developed during the pre-operational and testing phase of Vit Facility operation, the Evacuated Canister System (ECS), was deployed at the West Valley Demonstration Project to remove this radioactively dilute, residual molten material from the melter before Vit system operations were brought to a formal end. The ECS consists of a stainless steel canister of the same size and dimensions as a standard HLW canister that is equipped with a special L-shaped snorkel assembly made of 304L stainless steel. Both the canister and snorkel assembly fit into a stainless steel cage that allows the entire canister assembly to be positioned over the melter as molten glass is drawn out by a vacuum applied to the canister. This paper describes the process used to prepare and apply the ECS to complete molten glass removal before declaring a formal end to Vit system operations and placing the Vit Facility into a safe standby mode awaiting potential deactivation.« less

  16. Pretreatment of food waste with high voltage pulse discharge towards methane production enhancement.

    PubMed

    Zou, Lianpei; Ma, Chaonan; Liu, Jianyong; Li, Mingfei; Ye, Min; Qian, Guangren

    2016-12-01

    Anaerobic batch tests were performed to investigate the methane production enhancement and solid transformation rates from food waste (FW) by high voltage pulse discharge (HVPD) pretreatment. The total cumulative methane production with HVPD pretreatment was 134% higher than that of the control. The final volatile solids transformation rates of FW with and without HVPD pretreatment were 54.3% and 32.3%, respectively. Comparison study on HVPD pretreatment with acid, alkali and ultrasonic pretreatments showed that the methane production and COD removal rates of FW pretreated with HVPD were more than 100% higher than the control, but only about 50% higher can be obtained with other pretreatments. HVPD pretreatment could be a promising pretreatment method in the application of energy recovery from FW. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. A Review on overboard CEOR discharged produced water treatment and remediation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rawindran, H.; Krishnan, S.; Sinnathambi, C. M.

    2017-06-01

    Produced water is a waste by-product generated during oil and gas recovery operations. It contains the mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. Produced water management is a challenge faced by the petroleum practitioners worldwide. Build-up of chemical wastes from produced water causes huge footprint, which results in high CapEx and OpEx. Different technologies are practiced by various practitioners to treat the produced waste water. However, the constituents removed by each technology and the degree of organic compound removal has to be considered to identify the potential and effective treatment technologies for offshore industrial applications. Current produced water technologies and their successful applications have advantages and disadvantages and can be ranked on the basis of several factors, such as their discharge limit into water bodies, reinjection in producing well, or for any miscellaneous beneficial use. This paper attempts to provide a review of existing physical and chemical treatment technologies used for management of produced water. Based on our analysis, suitable methods will be recommended for offshore waste water treatment technologies.

  18. Assessment of biogas production in Argentina from co-digestion of sludge and municipal solid waste.

    PubMed

    Morero, Betzabet; Vicentin, Rocio; Campanella, Enrique A

    2017-03-01

    In Argentina, there is an important potential to utilize organic waste to generate bioenergy. This work analyzes the environmental impacts and the energetic and economic requirements of the biogas produced by digesting the sewage sludge (SS) produced in a wastewater treatment plant in a medium city in Argentina. The SS is co-digested with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), and the basis of this study is the life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA is performed according to ISO 14040-44 using the SimaPro simulator. First, the transport of the raw materials to the biogas plant was defined. Then, the co-digestion and the biogas treatment for final use were evaluated. The co-digestion was improved with glycerol, and the generation of biogas was estimated using the GPS-X software. Two alternatives for the end use of biogas were considered: combined heat and power (CHP) and biomethane generation. For the first, H 2 S and water vapor were removed from the raw biogas stream, and for the second, also CO 2 was removed. The H 2 S removal process was simulated in the SuperPro software by anaerobic biofiltration. The same software was used to simulate the removal of CO 2 absorption-desorption with water as solvent. Finally, the environmental impacts related to the end use of biogas (CHP and biomethane) were evaluated. The environmental, energetic and economic analyses showed that the co-digestion of SS and OFMSW has great potential for reducing the environmental impacts and increasing the economic and energetic value of the substances via the production of biomethane, electricity and, potentially, fertilizer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Water hyacinths for water quality improvement and biomass production

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reddy, K.R.; Sutton, D.L.

    The potential use of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms) for biomass production and for nutrient removal from waste waters is discussed. Warm climates in tropical and subtropical areas are conducive for establishing waste water treatment systems and biomass production farms with water hyacinth. Sources of nutrients available to culture water hyacinths include sewage effluent, agricultural drainage water, runoff from animal waste operations, methane digestor effluent, and water from eutrophic lakes and rivers. Growth rates of water hyacinths were found to be influenced by the nutrient composition of the water, plant density, solar radiation, and temperature. Annual yields of watermore » hyacinth biomass were found to range from 47 to 106 Mg dry wt ha/sup -1/ y/sup -1/, with approximately 50% of the biomass produced during May through August. A pond with a surface area of 2.65 ha and 1.0 m in depth containing 15 to 30 kg wet wt of water hyacinth per square meter (750-1500 g dry wt m/sup -2/) and a detention period of 7 d is adequate to treat 3785 m/sup 3/ d/sup -1/ (million gallons per day (mdg)) of sewage effluent. This hypothetical system would achieve 70 to 80% N removal, 40 to 50% P removal, and would produce a biomass yield of 690 to 1060 kg dry wt d/sup -1/ (13-20 g dry wt m/sup -2/ d/sup -1/). The biomass upon anaerobic digestion would yield 180 to 280 m/sup 3/ of methane/d. This is equivalent to 549 to 843 GJ ha/sup -1/ of energy from water hyacinth produced at a rate of 48 to 73 Mg dry wt ha/sup -1/ y/sup -1/.« less

  20. Integrated bioethanol and biomanure production from potato waste.

    PubMed

    Chintagunta, Anjani Devi; Jacob, Samuel; Banerjee, Rintu

    2016-03-01

    Disposal of potato processing waste and the problem of pollution associated with it is a vital issue that is being faced by the potato processing plants. The conventional peeling methods presently followed in the processing plants for removing the potato peel, also result in the loss of some portion of the mash which is rich in starch. Indiscriminate discharge of the waste causes detrimental effects in the environment, so this problem can be resolved by successful utilization of the waste for the generation of value added products. Hence, the present work focuses on integrated production of bioethanol and biomanure to utilize the waste completely leading to zero waste generation. The first part of the work describes a comparative study of ethanol production from potato peel and mash wastes by employing co-culture of Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae at various incubation time (24-120 h) instead of application of enzymes. The solid state fermentation of potato peel and mash inoculated with co-culture, resulted in bioethanol production of 6.18% (v/v) and 9.30% (v/v) respectively. In the second part of the work, the residue obtained after ethanol production was inoculated with seven different microorganisms (Nostoc muscorum, Fischerella muscicola, Anabaena variabilis, Aulosira fertilissima, Cylindrospermum muscicola, Azospirillium lipoferum, Azotobacter chroococcum) and mixture of all the organisms in equal ratio for nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) enrichment. Among them, A. variabilis was found to enrich N, P and K content of the residue by nearly 7.66, 21.66 and 15 fold than that of the initial content, ultimately leading to improved N:P:K ratio of approximately 2:1:1. The application of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for the conversion of potato waste to ethanol and enrichment of residue obtained after ethanol production with microorganisms to be used as manure envisages environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Corrosion Management of the Hanford High-Level Nuclear Waste Tanks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beavers, John A.; Sridhar, Narasi; Boomer, Kayle D.

    2014-03-01

    The Hanford site is located in southeastern Washington State and stores more than 200,000 m3 (55 million gallons) of high-level radioactive waste resulting from the production and processing of plutonium. The waste is stored in large carbon steel tanks that were constructed between 1943 and 1986. The leak and structurally integrity of the more recently constructed double-shell tanks must be maintained until the waste can be removed from the tanks and encapsulated in glass logs for final disposal in a repository. There are a number of corrosion-related threats to the waste tanks, including stress-corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion, and corrosion at the liquid-air interface and in the vapor space. This article summarizes the corrosion management program at Hanford to mitigate these threats.

  2. Nutrient removal and starch production through cultivation of Wolffia arrhiza.

    PubMed

    Fujita, M; Mori, K; Kodera, T

    1999-01-01

    Wolffia arrhiza, a small weed found mostly in tropical and subtropical water environments, exhibits a high growth rate and consequently absorbs large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. Its vegetative frond contains 40% protein on a dry weight basis and its turion, which is the dormant form, has a similar starch content. The applicability of this weed to nutrient removal from secondary-treated waste water combined with starch resource production was evaluated. The nitrogen and phosphorus removal capabilities of the vegetative frond and the optimal conditions for inducing of the formation of turions from harvested biomass of vegetative fronds for the production of starch were investigated using artificial nutrient solutions. The vegetative frond showed high contents of nitrogen (6-7% of the total dry weight) and phosphorus (1-2% of the total dry weight). The nutrient removal rates of the vegetative frond were estimated to be 126 mg-N/m(2)/d and 38 mg-P/m(2)/d under a continuous flow condition. For turion formation from the vegetative fronds, a low nutrient concentration and a high plant density were most effective. Under the optimum conditions, the starch production rate was estimated to be 6 g-starch/m(2) (nutrient removal tank)/d.

  3. Using wastewater and high-rate algal ponds for nutrient removal and the production of bioenergy and biofuels.

    PubMed

    Batten, David; Beer, Tom; Freischmidt, George; Grant, Tim; Liffman, Kurt; Paterson, David; Priestley, Tony; Rye, Lucas; Threlfall, Greg

    2013-01-01

    This paper projects a positive outcome for large-scale algal biofuel and energy production when wastewater treatment is the primary goal. Such a view arises partly from a recent change in emphasis in wastewater treatment technology, from simply oxidising the organic matter in the waste (i.e. removing the biological oxygen demand) to removing the nutrients - specifically nitrogen and phosphorus - which are the root cause of eutrophication of inland waterways and coastal zones. A growing need for nutrient removal greatly improves the prospects for using new algal ponds in wastewater treatment, since microalgae are particularly efficient in capturing and removing such nutrients. Using a spreadsheet model, four scenarios combining algae biomass production with the making of biodiesel, biogas and other products were assessed for two of Australia's largest wastewater treatment plants. The results showed that super critical water reactors and anaerobic digesters could be attractive pathway options, the latter providing significant savings in greenhouse gas emissions. Combining anaerobic digestion with oil extraction and the internal economies derived from cheap land and recycling of water and nutrients on-site could allow algal oil to be produced for less than US$1 per litre.

  4. New systems for treatment of manure from confined animal production

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    New swine waste management systems developed in North Carolina to replace the anaerobic lagoons need to meet the strict performance standards of an environmentally superior technology (EST). These technologies must be able to substantially remove nutrients, heavy metals, emissions of ammonia, odors,...

  5. Effect of torrefaction on yield and quality of pyrolytic products of arecanut husk: An agro-processing wastes.

    PubMed

    Gogoi, Debajeet; Bordoloi, Neonjyoti; Goswami, Ritusmita; Narzari, Rumi; Saikia, Ruprekha; Sut, Debashis; Gogoi, Lina; Kataki, Rupam

    2017-10-01

    In the present study, arecanut husk, an agro-processing waste of areca plam industry highly prevalent in the north-eastern region of India, was investigated for its suitability as a prospective bioenergy feedstock for thermo-chemical conversion. Pretreatment of areca husk using torrefaction was performed in a fixed bed reactor with varying reaction temperature (200, 225, 250 and 275°C). The torrefied areca husk was subsequently pyrolyzed from temperature range of 300-600°C with heating rate of 40°C/min to obtain biooil and biochar. The torrefied areca husk, pyrolysis products were characterized by using different techniques. The energy and mass yield of torrefied biomass were found to be decreased with an increase in the torrefaction temperature. Further, biochar were found to be effective in removal of As (V) from aqueous solutions but efficiency of removal was better in case of torrefied biochar. Chemical composition of bio-oil is also influenced by torrefaction process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The use of urban wood waste as an energy resource

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khudyakova, G. I.; Danilova, D. A.; Khasanov, R. R.

    2017-06-01

    The capabilities use of wood waste in the Ekaterinburg city, generated during the felling of trees and sanitation in the care of green plantations in the streets, parks, squares, forest parks was investigated in this study. In the cities at the moment, all the wood, that is removed from city streets turns into waste completely. Wood waste is brought to the landfill of solid household waste, and moreover sorting and evaluation of the quantitative composition of wood waste is not carried out. Several technical solutions that are used in different countries have been proposed for the energy use of wood waste: heat and electrical energy generation, liquid and solid biofuel production. An estimation of the energy potential of the city wood waste was made, for total and for produced heat and electrical energy based on modern engineering developments. According to our estimates total energy potential of wood waste in the city measure up more 340 thousand GJ per year.

  7. A method countries can use to estimate changes in carbon stored in harvested wood products and the uncertainty of such estimates

    Treesearch

    Kenneth E. Skog; Kim Pingoud; James E. Smith

    2004-01-01

    A method is suggested for estimating additions to carbon stored in harvested wood products (HWP) and for evaluating uncertainty. The method uses data on HWP production and trade from several decades and tracks annual additions to pools of HWP in use, removals from use, additions to solid waste disposal sites (SWDS), and decay from SWDS. The method is consistent with...

  8. A new recycling technique for the waste tires reuse.

    PubMed

    Derakhshan, Zahra; Ghaneian, Mohammad Taghi; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Oliveri Conti, Gea; Faramarzian, Mohammad; Dehghani, Mansooreh; Ferrante, Margherita

    2017-10-01

    In this series of laboratory experiments, the feasibility of using fixed bed biofilm carriers (FBBC) manufactured from existing reclaimed waste tires (RWTs) for wastewater treatment was evaluated. To assess polyamide yarn waste tires as a media, the fixed bed sequence batch reactor (FBSBR) was evaluated under different organic loading rate (OLRs). An experimental model was used to study the kinetics of substrate consumption in biofilm. Removal efficiency of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) ranged by 76-98% for the FBSBR compared to 71-96% in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Removal efficiency of FBBC was significantly increased by inoculating these RWTs carriers. The results revealed that the sludge production yield (Y obs ) was significantly less in the FBSBR compared to the SBR (p < 0.01). It also produced less sludge and recorded a lower stabilization ratio (VSS/TSS). The findings show that the Stover-Kincannon model was the best fit (R 2 > 99%) in a FBSBR. Results from this study suggest that RWTs to support biological activity for a variety of wastewater treatment applications as a biofilm carrier have high potential that better performance as COD and TSS removal and sludge settling properties and effluent quality supported these findings. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Synthetic polymers blend used in the production of high activated carbon for pesticides removals from liquid phase.

    PubMed

    Belo, Cristóvão Ramiro; Cansado, Isabel Pestana da Paixão; Mourão, Paulo Alexandre Mira

    2017-02-01

    For the activated carbon (AC) production, we used the most common industrial and consumer solid waste, namely polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), alone or blended with other synthetic polymer such polyacrylonitrile (PAN). By mixing PET, with PAN, an improvement in the yield of the AC production was found and the basic character and some textural and chemical properties were enhanced. The PET-PAN mixture was subjected to carbonisation, with a pyrolysis yield of 31.9%, between that obtained with PET (16.9%) or PAN (42.6%) separately. The AC revealed a high surface area (1400, 1230 and 1117 m 2  g -1 ) and pore volume (0.46, 0.56 and 0.50 cm 3  g -1 ), respectively, for PET, PAN and PET-PAN precursors. Selected ACs were successfully tested for 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and diuron removal from the liquid phase, showing a higher adsorption capacity (1.7 and 1.2 mmol g -1 , respectively, for MCPA and diuron) and good fits with the Langmuir (PET) and Freundlich equation (PAN and PET-PAN blend). With MCPA, the controlling factor to the adsorption capacity was the porous volume and the average pore size. Concerning diuron, the adsorption was controlled essentially by the external diffusion. A remarkable result is the use of different synthetic polymers wastes, as precursors for the production of carbon materials, with high potential application on the pesticides removals from the liquid phase.

  10. Release and Removal of Microorganisms from Land-Deposited Animal Waste and Animal Manures: A Review of Data and Models.

    PubMed

    Blaustein, Ryan A; Pachepsky, Yakov A; Shelton, Daniel R; Hill, Robert L

    2015-09-01

    Microbial pathogens present a leading cause of impairment to rivers, bays, and estuaries in the United States, and agriculture is often viewed as the major contributor to such contamination. Microbial indicators and pathogens are released from land-applied animal manure during precipitation and irrigation events and are carried in overland and subsurface flow that can reach and contaminate surface waters and ground water used for human recreation and food production. Simulating the release and removal of manure-borne pathogens and indicator microorganisms is an essential component of microbial fate and transport modeling regarding food safety and water quality. Although microbial release controls the quantities of available pathogens and indicators that move toward human exposure, a literature review on this topic is lacking. This critical review on microbial release and subsequent removal from manure and animal waste application areas includes sections on microbial release processes and release-affecting factors, such as differences in the release of microbial species or groups; bacterial attachment in turbid suspensions; animal source; animal waste composition; waste aging; manure application method; manure treatment effect; rainfall intensity, duration, and energy; rainfall recurrence; dissolved salts and temperature; vegetation and soil; and spatial and temporal scale. Differences in microbial release from liquid and solid manures are illustrated, and the influential processes are discussed. Models used for simulating release and removal and current knowledge gaps are presented, and avenues for future research are suggested. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  11. The use of food wastes as feed ingredients for culturing grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Choi, W M; Lam, C L; Mo, W Y; Wong, M H

    2016-04-01

    Different types of food wastes, e.g., meats, bones, cereals, fruits, and vegetables, were collected from hotels in Hong Kong, mixed in different ratio, and processed into feed pellets (food wastes (FWs) A, B, and C) for feeding trials in aquaculture species. Grass carp fed with cereal-dominant feed (FW A) showed the best growth (in terms of specific growth rate, relative weight gain, and protein efficiency ratio), among all food waste feeds. However, the growth rates of food waste groups especially the meat product-contained feeds (FW B and FW C) were lower than the commercial feed, Jinfeng(®) 613 formulation (control). The results indicated that grass carp utilized plant proteins better than animal proteins and preferred carbohydrate as a major energy source than lipid. The high-lipid content in feed containing meat products was also a possible reason for hindering growth and resulted high body lipid. It is suggested that lipid should be removed in the preparation of food waste feed or further investigations by implementing supplements, e.g., enzymes in feed to enhance lipid or protein utilization by fish. This utilization of food waste could be an effective and practical way to deal with these wastes in this densely populated city.

  12. Fundamental Studies of Irradiation-Induced Defect Formation and Fission Product Dynamics in Oxide Fuels

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stubbins, James

    2012-12-19

    The objective of this research program is to address major nuclear fuels performance issues for the design and use of oxide-type fuels in the current and advanced nuclear reactor applications. Fuel performance is a major issue for extending fuel burn-up which has the added advantage of reducing the used fuel waste stream. It will also be a significant issue with respect to developing advanced fuel cycle processes where it may be possible to incorporate minor actinides in various fuel forms so that they can be 'burned' rather than join the used fuel waste stream. The potential to fission or transmutemore » minor actinides and certain long-lived fission product isotopes would transform the high level waste storage strategy by removing the need to consider fuel storage on the millennium time scale.« less

  13. The Auburn Engineering Technical Assistance Program investigation of polyvinyl alcohol film developments pertaining to radioactive particle decontamination and industrial waste minimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mole, Tracey Lawrence

    In this work, an effective and systematic model is devised to synthesize the optimal formulation for an explicit engineering application in the nuclear industry, i.e. radioactive decontamination and waste reduction. Identification of an optimal formulation that is suitable for the desired system requires integration of all the interlacing behaviors of the product constituents. This work is unique not only in product design, but also in these design techniques. The common practice of new product development is to design the optimized product for a particular industrial niche and then subsequent research for the production process is conducted, developed and optimized separately from the product formulation. In this proposed optimization design technique, the development process, disposal technique and product formulation is optimized simultaneously to improve production profit, product behavior and disposal emissions. This "cradle to grave" optimization approach allowed a complex product formulation development process to be drastically simplified. The utilization of these modeling techniques took an industrial idea to full scale testing and production in under 18 months by reducing the number of subsequent laboratory trials required to optimize the formula, production and waste treatment aspects of the product simultaneously. This particular development material involves the use of a polymer matrix that is applied to surfaces as part of a decontamination system. The polymer coating serves to initially "fix" the contaminants in place for detection and ultimate elimination. Upon mechanical entrapment and removal, the polymer coating containing the radioactive isotopes can be dissolved in a solvent processor, where separation of the radioactive metallic particles can take place. Ultimately, only the collection of divided solids should be disposed of as nuclear waste. This creates an attractive alternative to direct land filling or incineration. This philosophy also provides waste generators a way to significantly reduce waste and associated costs, and help meet regulatory, safety and environmental requirements. In order for the polymeric film exhibit the desired performance, a combination of discrete constraints must be fulfilled. These interacting characteristics include the choice of polymer used for construction, drying time, storage constraints, decontamination ability, removal behavior, application process, coating strength and dissolvability processes. Identification of an optimized formulation that is suitable for this entire decontamination system requires integration of all the interlacing characteristics of the coating composition that affect the film behavior. A novel systematic method for developing quantitative values for theses qualitative characteristics is being developed in order to simultaneously optimize the design formulation subject to the discrete product specifications. This synthesis procedure encompasses intrinsic characteristics vital to successful product development, which allows for implementation of the derived model optimizations to operate independent of the polymer film application. This contribution illustrates the optimized synthesis example by which a large range of polymeric compounds and mixtures can be completed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

  14. Removal of Waste Anesthetics Exhaust.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1995-12-01

    Filter 580 ST manufactured by Auer (MSA) in Germany. This filter contains Hopcalite (a mixture of MnO2, CuO, C0203 and Ag20) which oxidizes carbon...exhaust of dental patients. A C2 canister coupled downstream to the Hopcalite -containing filter may be used to remove the oxidation products such as nitric...components of this Hopcalite - type catalyst consist of 60-75% manganese oxide, 11-14% copper oxide and 15-16% aluminum oxide. f. Penetrant-Protective

  15. Method for removing hydrocarbon contaminants from solid materials

    DOEpatents

    Bala, Gregory A.; Thomas, Charles P.

    1995-01-01

    A system for removing hydrocarbons from solid materials. Contaminated solids are combined with a solvent (preferably terpene based) to produce a mixture. The mixture is washed with water to generate a purified solid product (which is removed from the system) and a drainage product. The drainage product is separated into a first fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a second fraction (containing solids and water). The first fraction is separated into a third fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a fourth fraction (containing residual solids and water). The fourth fraction is combined with the second fraction to produce a sludge which is separated into a fifth fraction (containing water which is ultimately reused) and a sixth fraction (containing solids). The third fraction is then separated into a seventh fraction (consisting of recovered solvent which is ultimately reused) and an eighth fraction (containing hydrocarbon waste).

  16. Method for removing hydrocarbon contaminants from solid materials

    DOEpatents

    Bala, G.A.; Thomas, C.P.

    1995-10-03

    A system is described for removing hydrocarbons from solid materials. Contaminated solids are combined with a solvent (preferably terpene based) to produce a mixture. The mixture is washed with water to generate a purified solid product (which is removed from the system) and a drainage product. The drainage product is separated into a first fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a second fraction (containing solids and water). The first fraction is separated into a third fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a fourth fraction (containing residual solids and water). The fourth fraction is combined with the second fraction to produce a sludge which is separated into a fifth fraction (containing water which is ultimately reused) and a sixth fraction (containing solids). The third fraction is then separated into a seventh fraction (consisting of recovered solvent which is ultimately reused) and an eighth fraction (containing hydrocarbon waste). 4 figs.

  17. Apparatus for removing hydrocarbon contaminants from solid materials

    DOEpatents

    Bala, G.A.; Thomas, C.P.

    1996-02-13

    A system is described for removing hydrocarbons from solid materials. Contaminated solids are combined with a solvent (preferably terpene based) to produce a mixture. The mixture is washed with water to generate a purified solid product (which is removed from the system) and a drainage product. The drainage product is separated into a first fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a second fraction (containing solids and water). The first fraction is separated into a third fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a fourth fraction (containing residual solids and water). The fourth fraction is combined with the second fraction to produce a sludge which is separated into a fifth fraction (containing water which is ultimately reused) and a sixth fraction (containing solids). The third fraction is then separated into a seventh fraction (consisting of recovered solvent which is ultimately reused) and an eighth fraction (containing hydrocarbon waste). 4 figs.

  18. Apparatus for removing hydrocarbon contaminants from solid materials

    DOEpatents

    Bala, Gregory A.; Thomas, Charles P.

    1996-01-01

    A system for removing hydrocarbons from solid materials. Contaminated solids are combined with a solvent (preferably terpene based) to produce a mixture. The mixture is washed with water to generate a purified solid product (which is removed from the system) and a drainage product. The drainage product is separated into a first fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a second fraction (containing solids and water). The first fraction is separated into a third fraction (consisting mostly of contaminated solvent) and a fourth fraction (containing residual solids and water). The fourth fraction is combined with the second fraction to produce a sludge which is separated into a fifth fraction (containing water which is ultimately reused) and a sixth fraction (containing solids). The third fraction is then separated into a seventh fraction (consisting of recovered solvent which is ultimately reused) and an eighth fraction (containing hydrocarbon waste).

  19. Microwave remediation of electronic circuitry waste and the resulting gaseous emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schulz, Rebecca L.

    The global community has become increasingly dependent on computer and electronic technology. As a result, society is faced with an increasing amount of obsolete equipment and electronic circuitry waste. Electronic waste is generally disposed of in landfills. While convenient, this action causes a substantial loss of finite resources and poses an environmental threat as the circuit board components breakdown and are exposed to the elements. Hazardous compounds such as lead, mercury and cadmium may leach from the circuitry and find their way into the groundwater supply. For this dissertation, a microwave waste remediation system was developed. The system was designed to remove the organic components from a wide variety of electronic circuitry. Upon additional heating of the resulting ash material in an industrial microwave, a glass and metal product can be recovered. Analysis of the metal reveals the presence of precious metals (gold, silver) that can be sold to provide a return on investment. a glass and metal product can be recovered. Analysis of the metal reveals the presence of precious metals (gold, silver) that can be sold to provide a return on investment. Gaseous organic compounds that were generated as a result of organic removal were treated in a microwave off gas system that effectively reduced the concentration of the products emitted by several orders of magnitude, and in some cases completely destroying the waste gas. Upon further heating in an industrial microwave, a glass and metal product were recovered. In order to better understand the effects of processing parameters on the efficiency of the off-gas system, a parametric study was developed. The study tested the microwave system at 3 flow rates (10, 30, and 50 ft 3/min) and three temperatures (400, 700 and 1000°C. In order to test the effects of microwave energy, the experiments were repeated using a conventional furnace. While microwave energy is widely used, the mechanisms of interaction with materials is not well understood. In an effort to better understand how microwaves couple with materials, a newly developed molecular orbital model was investigated. The model proposed an interaction mechanism associated with the development of coupled oscillators upon application of microwave energy. The model was used to model several of the waste gases that appear in the waste stream. Results from experimentation support the data generated thus far.

  20. Evidence of norovirus (NV)in a major produce production region watershed and a low density microarray strategy for detecting NV(Abstract)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The presence of Norovirus (NV) in watersheds in the vicinity of raw produce production is a concern. This could occur due to leaking septic systems, improper RV waste removal, improperly treated recycled wastewater, or other unknown factors. We used a qRT-PCR method to test for NV in rinsates from M...

  1. Dry ice blasting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lonergan, Jeffrey M.

    1992-04-01

    As legal and societal pressures against the use of hazardous waste generating materials has increased, so has the motivation to find safe, effective, and permanent replacements. Dry ice blasting is a technology which uses CO2 pellets as a blasting medium. The use of CO2 for cleaning and stripping operations offers potential for significant environmental, safety, and productivity improvements over grit blasting, plastic media blasting, and chemical solvent cleaning. Because CO2 pellets break up and sublime upon impact, there is no expended media to dispose of. Unlike grit or plastic media blasting which produce large quantities of expended media, the only waste produced by CO2 blasting is the material removed. The quantity of hazardous waste produced, and thus the cost of hazardous waste disposal is significantly reduced.

  2. Simultaneous improvement of waste gas purification and nitrogen removal using a novel aerated vertical flow constructed wetland.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xinwen; Hu, Zhen; Ngo, Huu Hao; Zhang, Jian; Guo, Wenshan; Liang, Shuang; Xie, Huijun

    2018-03-01

    Insufficient oxygen supply is identified as one of the major factors limiting organic pollutant and nitrogen (N) removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). This study designed a novel aerated vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW) using waste gas from biological wastewater treatment systems to improve pollutant removal in CWs, its potential in purifying waste gas was also identified. Compared with unaerated VFCW, the introduction of waste gas significantly improved NH 4 + -N and TN removal efficiencies by 128.48 ± 3.13% and 59.09 ± 2.26%, respectively. Furthermore, the waste gas ingredients, including H 2 S, NH 3 , greenhouse gas (N 2 O) and microbial aerosols, were remarkably reduced after passing through the VFCW. The removal efficiencies of H 2 S, NH 3 and N 2 O were 77.78 ± 3.46%, 52.17 ± 2.53%, and 87.40 ± 3.89%, respectively. In addition, the bacterial and fungal aerosols in waste gas were effectively removed with removal efficiencies of 42.72 ± 3.21% and 47.89 ± 2.82%, respectively. Microbial analysis results revealed that the high microbial community abundance in the VFCW, caused by the introduction of waste gas from the sequencing batch reactor (SBR), led to its optimized nitrogen transformation processes. These results suggested that the VFCW intermittently aerated with waste gas may have potential application for purifying wastewater treatment plant effluent and waste gas, simultaneously. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Features of Golenkinia sp. and microbial fuel cells used for the treatment of anaerobically digested effluent from kitchen waste at different dilutions.

    PubMed

    Hou, Qingjie; Cheng, Juan; Nie, Changliang; Pei, Haiyan; Jiang, Liqun; Zhang, Lijie; Yang, Zhigang

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this work was to study Golenkinia sp. and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for the treatment of anaerobically digested effluent from kitchen waste (ADE-KW) with different dilution factors. A dual-chamber MFC was fabricated for treating ADE-KW in the two chambers of the MFC and harvesting Golenkinia sp. All the anodic TN was removed more than 80%. COD removal efficiency increased from 48.2% to 76% when the dilution factor increased from 1 to 4. Maximum COD and TN removal rates were 3.56 and 3.71mg·L -1 ·h -1 when ADE-KW was treated without dilution in the anodic chamber. All the cathodic TN and TP removal efficiencies were approximately 90%. The highest open circuit voltage (OCV) and power density were approximately 400mV and 400mW when ADE-KW was treated directly (undiluted) in the MFC, with the highest biomass and total lipid content production of Golenkinia sp. in the cathodic chamber. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Removal of chromium from synthetic plating waste by zero-valent iron and sulfate-reducing bacteria.

    PubMed

    Guha, Saumyen; Bhargava, Puja

    2005-01-01

    Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential of zero-valent iron and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) for reduction and removal of chromium from synthetic electroplating waste. The zero-valent iron shows promising results as a reductant of hexavalent chromium (Cr+6) to trivalent chromium (Cr+3), capable of 100% reduction. The required iron concentration was a function of chromium concentration in the waste stream. Removal of Cr+3 by adsorption or precipitation on iron leads to complete removal of chromium from the waste and was a slower process than the reduction of Cr+6. Presence SRB in a completely mixed batch reactor inhibited the reduction of Cr+6. In a fixed-bed column reactor, SRB enhanced chromium removal and showed promising results for the treatment of wastes with low chromium concentrations. It is proposed that, for waste with high chromium concentration, zero-valent iron is an efficient reductant and can be used for reduction of Cr+6. For low chromium concentrations, a SRB augmented zero-valent iron and sand column is capable of removing chromium completely.

  5. [Mechanism of the organic pollutant degradation in water by hybrid gas-liquid electrical discharge].

    PubMed

    Zhu, Li-nan; Ma, Jun; Yang, Shi-dong

    2007-09-01

    The method of hybrid gas-liquid electrical discharge was investigated for the removal of phenol. The results indicate that this new method can remove phenol in water effectively. The removal rate increases with increasing voltage and air aeration. The production quantity of H2O2 and O3 is measured respectively in the discharge region and the production quantity increases with increasing of voltage and air aeration. The energy consumption analysis indicates that with increasing the voltage, the increase extent of the phenol removal rate is smaller than the energy's, so the increase of energy efficiency is very small. Air aeration increases the energy consumption. At the same time, a considerable part of energy in the overall input energy makes the temperature of the solution increase, and more energy is transformed into heat, which leads to the waste of energy.

  6. Catalytic processes for space station waste conversion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schoonover, M. W.; Madsen, R. A.

    1986-01-01

    Catalytic techniques for processing waste products onboard space vehicles were evaluated. The goal of the study was the conversion of waste to carbon, wash water, oxygen and nitrogen. However, the ultimate goal is conversion to plant nutrients and other materials useful in closure of an ecological life support system for extended planetary missions. The resulting process studied involves hydrolysis at 250 C and 600 psia to break down and compact cellulose material, distillation at 100 C to remove water, coking at 450 C and atmospheric pressure, and catalytic oxidation at 450 to 600 C and atmospheric pressure. Tests were conducted with a model waste to characterize the hydrolysis and coking processes. An oxidizer reactor was sized based on automotive catalytic conversion experience. Products obtained from the hydrolysis and coking steps included a solid residue, gases, water condensate streams, and a volatile coker oil. Based on the data obtained, sufficient component sizing was performed to make a preliminary comparison of the catalytic technique with oxidation for processing waste for a six-man spacecraft. Wet oxidation seems to be the preferred technique from the standpoint of both component simplicity and power consumption.

  7. Pretreatment of Hanford medium-curie wastes by fractional crystallization.

    PubMed

    Nassif, Laurent; Dumont, George; Alysouri, Hatem; Rousseau, Ronald W

    2008-07-01

    Acceleration of the schedule for decontamination of the Hanford site using bulk vitrification requires implementation of a pretreatment operation. Medium-curie waste must be separated into two fractions: one is to go to a waste treatment and immobilization plant and a second, which is low-activity waste, is to be processed by bulk vitrification. The work described here reports research on using fractional crystallization for that pretreatment. Sodium salts are crystallized by evaporation of water from solutions simulating those removed from single-shell tanks, while leaving cesium in solution. The crystalline products are then recovered and qualified as low-activity waste, which is suitable upon redissolution for processing by bulk vitrification. The experimental program used semibatch operation in which a feed solution was continuously added to maintain a constant level in the crystallizer while evaporating water. The slurry recovered at the end of a run was filtered to recover product crystals, which were then analyzed to determine their composition. The results demonstrated that targets on cesium separation from the solids, fractional recovery of sodium salts, and sulfate content of the recovered salts can be achieved by the process tested.

  8. Bioelectricity production from food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells: effect of NaCl and pH.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiao Min; Cheng, Ka Yu; Wong, Jonathan W C

    2013-12-01

    Microbial fuel cells are a promising technology for simultaneous treatment and energy recovery from food waste leachate. This study evaluates the effects of NaCl (0-150 mM) and pH on the treatment of food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells. The food waste leachate amended with 100mM NaCl enabled the highest maximum power density (1000 mW/m(3)) and lowest internal resistance (371Ω). Increasing the anodic pH gradually from acidic to alkaline conditions (pH 4-9) resulted in a gradual increase in maximum power density to 9956 mW/m(3) and decrease in internal cell resistance to 35.3Ω. The coulombic efficiency obtained under acidic conditions was only 17.8%, but increased significantly to 60.0% and 63.4% in the neutral and alkaline pH's MFCs, respectively. Maintaining a narrow pH window (6.3-7.6) was essential for efficient bioelectricity production and COD removal using microbial fuel cells for the treatment of food waste leachate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Application of alkaline solid residue of electric arc furnace dust for neutralization/purification of electroplating wastewaters.

    PubMed

    Elez, Loris; Orescanin, Visnja; Sofilic, Tahir; Mikulic, Nenad; Ruk, Damir

    2008-10-01

    The purpose of this work was development of an appropriate procedure for the neutralization/purification of electroplating wastewater (EWW) with alkaline solid residue (ASR) by-product of the alkaline extraction of zinc and lead from electric arc furnace dust (EAFD). Removal efficiency of ASR at optimum purification conditions (pH 8 and mixing time; 20 minutes) for the elements Pb, Cr (VI), Cr (III), Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn were 94.92%, 97.58%, 99.59%, 99.48%, 97.25% and 99.97%, respectively. The concentrations of all elements in the purified wastewater were significantly lower in relation to the upper permissible limit for wastewaters suitable for discharge into the environment. The remaining waste mud was regenerated in the strong alkaline medium and successfully applied once again for the neutralization/purification of EWW. Removal efficiencies of heavy metals accomplished with regenerated waste mud were comparable to these achieved by original ASR. Elemental concentrations in the leachates of the waste mud were in accordance with regulated values.

  10. Process for removing sulfate anions from waste water

    DOEpatents

    Nilsen, David N.; Galvan, Gloria J.; Hundley, Gary L.; Wright, John B.

    1997-01-01

    A liquid emulsion membrane process for removing sulfate anions from waste water is disclosed. The liquid emulsion membrane process includes the steps of: (a) providing a liquid emulsion formed from an aqueous strip solution and an organic phase that contains an extractant capable of removing sulfate anions from waste water; (b) dispersing the liquid emulsion in globule form into a quantity of waste water containing sulfate anions to allow the organic phase in each globule of the emulsion to extract and absorb sulfate anions from the waste water and (c) separating the emulsion including its organic phase and absorbed sulfate anions from the waste water to provide waste water containing substantially no sulfate anions.

  11. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Petersen, C.A., Westinghouse Hanford

    The overall objective of this report is to provide a technical basis to support a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission determination to classify the low-activity waste from the Hanford Site single-shell and double-shell tanks as `incidental` wastes after removal of additional radionuclides and immobilization.The proposed processing method, in addition to the previous radionuclide removal efforts, will remove the largest practical amount of total site radioactivity, attributable to high-level wastes, for disposal in a deep geologic repository. The remainder of the waste would be considered `incidental` waste and could be disposed onsite.

  12. Improved Method of Purifying Carbon Nanotubes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Delzeit, Lance D.

    2004-01-01

    An improved method of removing the residues of fabrication from carbon nanotubes has been invented. These residues comprise amorphous carbon and metal particles that are produced during the growth process. Prior methods of removing the residues include a variety of processes that involved the use of halogens, oxygen, or air in both thermal and plasma processes. Each of the prior methods entails one or more disadvantages, including non-selectivity (removal or damage of nanotubes in addition to removal of the residues), the need to dispose of toxic wastes, and/or processing times as long as 24 hours or more. In contrast, the process described here does not include the use of toxic chemicals, the generation of toxic wastes, causes little or no damage to the carbon nanotubes, and involves processing times of less than 1 hour. In the improved method, purification is accomplished by flowing water vapor through the reaction chamber at elevated temperatures and ambient pressures. The impurities are converted to gaseous waste products by the selective hydrogenation and hydroxylation by the water in a reaction chamber. This process could be performed either immediately after growth or in a post-growth purification process. The water used needs to be substantially free of oxygen and can be obtained by a repeated freeze-pump-thaw process. The presence of oxygen will non-selectively attach the carbon nanotubes in addition to the amorphous carbon.

  13. Valorization of winery waste vs. the costs of not recycling.

    PubMed

    Devesa-Rey, R; Vecino, X; Varela-Alende, J L; Barral, M T; Cruz, J M; Moldes, A B

    2011-11-01

    Wine production generates huge amounts of waste. Before the 1990s, the most economical option for waste removal was the payment of a disposal fee usually being of around 3000 Euros. However, in recent years the disposal fee and fines for unauthorized discharges have increased considerably, often reaching 30,000-40,000 Euros, and a prison sentence is sometimes also imposed. Some environmental friendly technologies have been proposed for the valorization of winery waste products. Fermentation of grape marc, trimming vine shoot or vinification lees has been reported to produce lactic acid, biosurfactants, xylitol, ethanol and other compounds. Furthermore, grape marc and seeds are rich in phenolic compounds, which have antioxidants properties, and vinasse contains tartaric acid that can be extracted and commercialized. Companies must therefore invest in new technologies to decrease the impact of agro-industrial residues on the environment and to establish new processes that will provide additional sources of income. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Carbonized waste for the cut-down of environmental pollution with heavy metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gmucová, K.; Morvová, M.; Havránek, E.; Kliman, J.; Košinár, I.; Kunecová, D.; Malakhov, A. I.; Anisimov, Yu. S.; Morva, I.; Siváček, I.; Sýkorová, M.; Šatka, A.

    2011-07-01

    Nowadays, an increasing concern about the treatment and disposal of waters contaminated by toxic heavy metals is noticed. The toxic pollutants must be removed from the sewage water which then is fed back into the materials cycle. Any candidate technology should result in reusable by-products. With this in mind, the aim of the present study is to test a low cost procedure for utilization of the carbonized waste, a product of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles pyrolysis on sand bedding, for this purpose. Both the water present in PET bottles waste and combustion exhaust probably contribute to the conversion of carbon char to activated carbon directly within the pyrolysis oven. Preliminary results, obtained for several heavy metal ions under laboratory conditions are presented and discussed. Adsorption of heavy metals on the carbonized PET waste is tested by both the electrochemical methods and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. A simple desorption procedure for the regeneration of prepared active carbon is proposed.

  15. Sustainable waste management through end-of-waste criteria development.

    PubMed

    Zorpas, Antonis A

    2016-04-01

    The Waste Framework Directive 2000/98 (WFD) contains specific requirements to define end-of-waste criteria (EWC). The main goal of EWC is to remove and eliminate the administrative loads of waste legislation for safe and high-quality waste materials, thereby facilitating and assisting recycling. The target is to produce effective with high quality of recyclables materials, promoting product standardization and quality and safety assurance, and improving harmonization and legal certainty in the recyclable material markets. At the same time, those objectives aim to develop a plan in order to improve the development and wider use of environmental technologies, which reduce pressure on environment and at the same time address the three dimensions of the Lisbon strategy: growth, jobs and environment. This paper presents the importance of EWC, and the approach of setting EWC as EWC affect several management systems as well as sustainable and clean technologies.

  16. Exploiting Self-organization in Bioengineered Systems: A Computational Approach.

    PubMed

    Davis, Delin; Doloman, Anna; Podgorski, Gregory J; Vargis, Elizabeth; Flann, Nicholas S

    2017-01-01

    The productivity of bioengineered cell factories is limited by inefficiencies in nutrient delivery and waste and product removal. Current solution approaches explore changes in the physical configurations of the bioreactors. This work investigates the possibilities of exploiting self-organizing vascular networks to support producer cells within the factory. A computational model simulates de novo vascular development of endothelial-like cells and the resultant network functioning to deliver nutrients and extract product and waste from the cell culture. Microbial factories with vascular networks are evaluated for their scalability, robustness, and productivity compared to the cell factories without a vascular network. Initial studies demonstrate that at least an order of magnitude increase in production is possible, the system can be scaled up, and the self-organization of an efficient vascular network is robust. The work suggests that bioengineered multicellularity may offer efficiency improvements difficult to achieve with physical engineering approaches.

  17. Enhancement of Anaerobic Digestion to Treat Saline Sludge from Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Guo-zhi; Ma, Niannian; Li, Ping; Tan, Hong-xin; Liu, Wenchang

    2015-01-01

    The effectiveness of carbohydrate addition and the use of ultrasonication as a pretreatment for the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of saline aquacultural sludge was assessed. Analyses were conducted using an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR), which included stopped gas production attributed to the saline inhibition. After increasing the C : N ratio, gas production was observed, and the total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal efficiency increased from 75% to 80%. The TCOD removal efficiency of the sonication period was approximately 85%, compared to 75% for the untreated waste. Ultrasonication of aquaculture sludge was also found to enhance the gas production rate and the TCOD removal efficiency. The average volatile fatty acid (VFA) to alkalinity ratios ranged from 0.1 to 0.05, confirming the stability of the digesters. Furthermore, soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), VFA, and PO4 3− concentrations increased in the effluents. There was a 114% greater gas generation during the ultrasonication period, with an average production of 0.08 g COD/L·day−1. PMID:26301258

  18. Evaluation of Sorbents for Acetylene Separation in Atmosphere Revitalization Loop Closure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abney, Morgan B.; Miller, Lee A.; Barton, Katherine

    2012-01-01

    State-of-the-art carbon dioxide reduction technology uses a Sabatier reactor to recover water from metabolic carbon dioxide. In order to maximize oxygen loop closure, a byproduct of the system, methane, must be reduced to recover hydrogen. NASA is currently exploring a microwave plasma methane pyrolysis system for this purpose. The resulting product stream of this technology includes unreacted methane, product hydrogen, and acetylene. The hydrogen and the small amount of unreacted methane resulting from the pyrolysis process can be returned to the Sabatier reactor thereby substantially improving the overall efficiency of the system. However, the acetylene is a waste product that must be removed from the pyrolysis product. Two materials have been identified as potential sorbents for acetylene removal: zeolite 4A, a commonly available commercial sorbent, and HKUST-1, a newly developed microporous metal. This paper provides an explanation of the rationale behind acetylene removal and the results of separation testing with both materials

  19. Evaluation of Sorbents for Acetylene Separation in Atmosphere Revitalization Loop Closure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abney, Morgan B.; Miller, Lee A.; Barton, Katherine

    2011-01-01

    State-of-the-art carbon dioxide reduction technology uses a Sabatier reactor to recover water from metabolic carbon dioxide. In order to maximize oxygen loop closure, a byproduct of the system, methane, must be reduced to recover hydrogen. NASA is currently exploring a microwave plasma methane pyrolysis system for this purpose. The resulting product stream of this technology includes unreacted methane, product hydrogen, and acetylene. The hydrogen and the small amount of unreacted methane resulting from the pyrolysis process can be returned to the Sabatier reactor thereby substantially improving the overall efficiency of the system. However, the acetylene is a waste product that must be removed from the pyrolysis product. Two materials have been identified as potential sorbents for acetylene removal: zeolite 4A, a commonly available commercial sorbent, and HKUST-1, a newly developed microporous metal. This paper provides an explanation of the rationale behind acetylene removal and the results of separation testing with both materials.

  20. Anaerobic microbial dissolution of lead and production of organic acids

    DOEpatents

    Francis, Arokiasamy J.; Dodge, Cleveland; Chendrayan, Krishnachetty; Quinby, Helen L.

    1988-01-01

    The present invention relates to an anaerobic bacterial culture of Clostridium sp. ATCC No. 53464 which solubilizes lead oxide under anaerobic conditions in coal and industrial wastes and therefore presents a method of removing lead from such wastes before they are dumped into the environment. The rate of lead dissolution during logarithmic growth of the bacteria in 40 ml medium containing 3.32 .mu.moles of lead as lead oxide was 0.042 .mu.moles ml.sup.-1 hr.sup.-1. Dissolution of lead oxide by the bacterial isolate is due to the production of metabolites and acidity in the culture medium. The major metabolites are acetic, butyric and lactic acid. Clostridium sp. ATCC No. 53464 can be used in the recovery of strategic metals from ores and wastes and also for the production of lactic acid for commercial purposes. The process yields large quantities of lactic acid as well as lead complexed in a stable form with said acids.

  1. Mercury removal from water streams through the ion exchange membrane bioreactor concept.

    PubMed

    Oehmen, Adrian; Vergel, Dario; Fradinho, Joana; Reis, Maria A M; Crespo, João G; Velizarov, Svetlozar

    2014-01-15

    Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that causes human health problems and environmental contamination. In this study, an ion exchange membrane bioreactor (IEMB) process was developed to achieve Hg(II) removal from drinking water and industrial effluents. Hg(II) transport through a cation exchange membrane was coupled with its bioreduction to Hg(0) in order to achieve Hg removal from concentrated streams, with minimal production of contaminated by-products observed. This study involves (1) membrane selection, (2) demonstration of process effectiveness for removing Hg from drinking water to below the 1ppb recommended limit, and (3) process application for treatment of concentrated water streams, where >98% of the Hg was removed, and the throughput of contaminated water was optimised through membrane pre-treatment. The IEMB process represents a novel mercury treatment technology with minimal generation of contaminated waste, thereby reducing the overall environmental impact of the process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Lauryl Amine as heavy metal collector of boiler ash from pulp and paper mill waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sembiring, M. P.; Kaban, J.; Bangun, N.; Saputra, E.

    2018-04-01

    Theincreasing of demand of pulp and paper products, will following with the growing the pulp and paper industryand generate significant mill waste. The total waste reached 1/3 of the amount raw materials used and ash boiler is the waste with the largest percentage of 52%. For that it takes effort to manage the existing waste. The boiler ash contained the chemical elements, it can be utilized such as fertilizer, because it also contains transition metals in form of heavy metal such as Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Chrome (Cr), Cupprum (Cu), Ferrum (Fe), Nickel (Ni), and Zinc (Zn), the use of boiler ash must follow the threshold specified by the Government. Several studies have been undertaken to reduce and extract heavy metals from ash and sand of the boiler by using carbon dioxide as its ligand. Eelectrochemical method was used to remove and recovery of heavy metals from the incenerator. This study focused on removal of heavy metals using Lauryl Amine as collector and three solvents namely Dichloromethane, Ethanol and n-Hexane. The treatmentswas able to extract the heavy metal and generally reduce the heavy metal content of ash boiler pulp and paper mill waste. The combination treatment used toreduce the heavy metal content of 5 gram Lauryl Amine collector in Dichloromethane solvent for 4 hours process time.

  3. Evaluating the biogas potential of the dry fraction from pretreatment of food waste from households.

    PubMed

    Murto, Marika; Björnsson, Lovisa; Rosqvist, Håkan; Bohn, Irene

    2013-05-01

    At the waste handling company NSR, Helsingborg, Sweden, the food waste fraction of source separated municipal solid waste is pretreated to obtain a liquid fraction, which is used for biogas production, and a dry fraction, which is at present incinerated. This pretreatment and separation is performed to remove impurities, however also some of the organic material is removed. The possibility of realising the methane potential of the dry fraction through batch-wise dry anaerobic digestion was investigated. The anaerobic digestion technique used was a two-stage process consisting of a static leach bed reactor and a methane reactor. Treatment of the dry fraction alone and in a mixture with structural material was tested to investigate the effect on the porosity of the leach bed. A tracer experiment was carried out to investigate the liquid flow through the leach beds, and this method proved useful in demonstrating a more homogenous flow through the leach bed when structural material was added. Addition of structural material to the dry fraction was needed to achieve a functional digestion process. A methane yield of 98 m3/ton was obtained from the dry fraction mixed with structural material after 76 days of digestion. This was in the same range as obtained in the laboratory scale biochemical methane potential test, showing that it was possible to extract the organic content in the dry fraction in this type of dry digestion system for the production of methane. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Denitrification of combustion gases. [Patent application

    DOEpatents

    Yang, R.T.

    1980-10-09

    A method for treating waste combustion gas to remove the nitrogen oxygen gases therefrom is disclosed wherein the waste gas is first contacted with calcium oxide which absorbs and chemically reacts with the nitrogen oxide gases therein at a temperature from about 100/sup 0/ to 430/sup 0/C. The thus reacted calcium oxide (now calcium nitrate) is then heated at a temperature range between about 430/sup 0/ and 900/sup 0/C, resulting in regeneration of the calcium oxide and production of the decomposition gas composed of nitrogen and nitrogen oxide gas. The decomposition gases can be recycled to the calcium oxide contacting step to minimize the amount of nitrogen oxide gases in the final product gas.

  5. Biologically removing sulfur from dilute gas flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruitenberg, R.; Dijkman, H.; Buisman, C. J. N.

    1999-05-01

    A biological process has been developed to clean off-gases containing sulfur dioxide from industrial installations. The sulfur dioxide is converted into hydrogen sulfide, which can then be oxidized to elemental sulfur if not used on-site. The process produces no waste products that require disposal and has a low reagent consumption.

  6. ALPS- A potential new automated lumber processing system

    Treesearch

    Charles W. McMillin; Richard W. Conners; Henry A. Huber

    1984-01-01

    During conventional production of solid wood furniture parts, logs are first sawed into lumber having defects randomly located throughout the board. The lumber is then remanufactured and the defects removed by ripping and crosscutting. The process is labor intensive, and saw kerf losses alone waste substantial volumes of lumber.

  7. Fate of triclocarban in agricultural soils after biosolid applications

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Triclocarban [N-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) urea] (TCC), is an antimicrobial agent utilized in a variety of consumer products. It is commonly released into domestic wastewaters and is not fully removed in the waste water treatment plants (WWTP). Most of the TCC is still present after th...

  8. Energy Recovery from Army Ammunition Plant Solid Waste by Pyrolysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-03-01

    the bottom. Pyroly - sis gases are removed, cooled in stages, and the hydrocarbon products recovered. The oil recovered is similar to a Bunker C fuel...technical details were available. The system uses a modified plastic extruder as a pyroly - zer and it appears to have some unique capabilities. The

  9. Treatment efficiency and stoichiometry of a high-strength graywater.

    PubMed

    Morse, Audra; Khatri, Sukrut; Jackson, W Andrew

    2007-12-01

    The transit mission wastewater may represent a future graywater, in which toilet waste is separated from other household waste streams, and dilution water is minimal. A loading rate study indicated that denitrification is stoichiometrically limited, and nitrification was kinetically limited. Denitrification stoichiometry was developed by deriving hypothetical molecular formulas of organic carbon inputs to be represented by the relative proportions of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The derived stoichiometry was validated against experimental data by adjusting the values of fe and fs and multiplying the total dissolved organic carbon loss across the system by the overall R equation and then comparing the total nitrogen removed in the reaction to experimentally observed total nitrogen removal. The nitrification stoichiometry was similarly validated by multiplying the R equation by the ammonium-nitrogen removed and then comparing the NO(x)-N formed in the equation to actual NO(x)-N production values. The fs values for the denitrifying and nitrifying bacteria were 0.33 and 0.15, respectively.

  10. Carbon balance in bioregenerative life support systems: some effects of system closure, waste management, and crop harvest index

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wheeler, Raymond M.

    2003-01-01

    In Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems with bioregenerative components, plant photosynthesis would be used to produce O2 and food, while removing CO2. Much of the plant biomass would be inedible and hence must be considered in waste management. This waste could be oxidized (e.g., incinerated or aerobically digested) to resupply CO2 to the plants, but this would not be needed unless the system were highly closed with regard to food. For example, in a partially closed system where some of the food is grown and some is imported, CO2 from oxidized waste when combined with crew and microbial respiration could exceed the CO2 removal capability of the plants. Moreover, it would consume some O2 produced from photosynthesis that could have been used by the crew. For partially closed systems it would be more appropriate to store or find other uses for the inedible biomass and excess carbon, such as generating soils or growing woody plants (e.g., dwarf fruit trees). Regardless of system closure, high harvest crops (i.e., crops with a high edible to total biomass ratio) would increase food production per unit area and O2 yields for systems where waste biomass is oxidized to recycle CO2. Such interlinking effects between the plants and waste treatment strategies point out the importance of oxidizing only that amount of waste needed to optimize system performance. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

  11. Carbon balance in bioregenerative life support systems: some effects of system closure, waste management, and crop harvest index.

    PubMed

    Wheeler, Raymond M

    2003-01-01

    In Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems with bioregenerative components, plant photosynthesis would be used to produce O2 and food, while removing CO2. Much of the plant biomass would be inedible and hence must be considered in waste management. This waste could be oxidized (e.g., incinerated or aerobically digested) to resupply CO2 to the plants, but this would not be needed unless the system were highly closed with regard to food. For example, in a partially closed system where some of the food is grown and some is imported, CO2 from oxidized waste when combined with crew and microbial respiration could exceed the CO2 removal capability of the plants. Moreover, it would consume some O2 produced from photosynthesis that could have been used by the crew. For partially closed systems it would be more appropriate to store or find other uses for the inedible biomass and excess carbon, such as generating soils or growing woody plants (e.g., dwarf fruit trees). Regardless of system closure, high harvest crops (i.e., crops with a high edible to total biomass ratio) would increase food production per unit area and O2 yields for systems where waste biomass is oxidized to recycle CO2. Such interlinking effects between the plants and waste treatment strategies point out the importance of oxidizing only that amount of waste needed to optimize system performance. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

  12. Carbon balance in bioregenerative life support systems: Some effects of system closure, waste management, and crop harvest index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wheeler, Raymond M.

    In Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems with bioregenerative components, plant photosynthesis would be used to produce O2 and food, while removing CO2. Much of the plant biomass would be inedible and hence must be considered in waste management. This waste could be oxidized (e.g., incinerated or aerobically digested) to resupply CO2 to the plants, but this would not be needed unless the system were highly closed with regard to food. For example, in a partially closed system where some of the food is grown and some is imported, CO2 from oxidized waste when combined with crew and microbial respiration could exceed the CO2 removal capability of the plants. Moreover, it would consume some O2 produced from photosynthesis that could have been used by the crew. For partially closed systems it would be more appropriate to store or find other uses for the inedible biomass and excess carbon, such as generating soils or growing woody plants (e.g., dwarf fruit trees). Regardless of system closure, high harvest crops (i.e., crops with a high edible to total biomass ratio) would increase food production per unit area and O2 yields for systems where waste biomass is oxidized to recycle CO2. Such interlinking effects between the plants and waste treatment strategies point out the importance of oxidizing only that amount of waste needed to optimize system performance.

  13. Nuclear waste solidification

    DOEpatents

    Bjorklund, William J.

    1977-01-01

    High level liquid waste solidification is achieved on a continuous basis by atomizing the liquid waste and introducing the atomized liquid waste into a reaction chamber including a fluidized, heated inert bed to effect calcination of the atomized waste and removal of the calcined waste by overflow removal and by attrition and elutriation from the reaction chamber, and feeding additional inert bed particles to the fluidized bed to maintain the inert bed composition.

  14. Dry method for recycling iodine-loaded silver zeolite

    DOEpatents

    Thomas, Thomas R.; Staples, Bruce A.; Murphy, Llewellyn P.

    1978-05-09

    Fission product iodine is removed from a waste gas stream and stored by passing the gas stream through a bed of silver-exchanged zeolite until the zeolite is loaded with iodine, passing dry hydrogen gas through the bed to remove the iodine and regenerate the bed, and passing the hydrogen stream containing the hydrogen iodide thus formed through a lead-exchanged zeolite which adsorbs the radioactive iodine from the gas stream and permanently storing the lead-exchanged zeolite loaded with radioactive iodine.

  15. Sequential chemical treatment of radium species in TENORM waste sludge produced from oil and natural gas production.

    PubMed

    El Afifi, E M; Awwad, N S; Hilal, M A

    2009-01-30

    This paper is dedicated to the treatment of sludge occurring in frame of the Egyptian produced from oil and gas production. The activity levels of three radium isotopes: Ra-226 (of U-series), Ra-228 and Ra-224 (of Th-series) in the solid TENORM waste (sludge) were first evaluated and followed by a sequential treatment for all radium species (fractions) presented in TENORM. The sequential treatment was carried out based on two approaches 'A' and 'B' using different chemical solutions. The results obtained indicate that the activity levels of all radium isotopes (Ra-226, Ra-228 and Ra-224) of the environmental interest in the TENORM waste sludge were elevated with regard to exemption levels established by IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International basic safety standards for the protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources. GOV/2715/Vienna, 1994]. Each approach of the sequential treatment was performed through four steps using different chemical solutions to reduce the activity concentration of radium in a large extent. Most of the leached radium was found as an oxidizable Ra species. The actual removal % leached using approach B was relatively efficient compared to A. It is observed that the actual removal percentages (%) of Ra-226, Ra-228 and Ra-224 using approach A are 78+/-2.8, 64.8+/-4.1 and 76.4+/-5.2%, respectively. Whereas in approach A, the overall removal % of Ra-226, Ra-228 and Ra-228 was increased to approximately 91+/-3.5, 87+/-4.1 and 90+/-6.2%, respectively.

  16. DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSOLUBLE SALT SIMULANT TO SUPPORT ENHANCED CHEMICAL CLEANING TESTS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eibling, R

    The closure process for high level waste tanks at the Savannah River Site will require dissolution of the crystallized salts that are currently stored in many of the tanks. The insoluble residue from salt dissolution is planned to be removed by an Enhanced Chemical Cleaning (ECC) process. Development of a chemical cleaning process requires an insoluble salt simulant to support evaluation tests of different cleaning methods. The Process Science and Engineering section of SRNL has been asked to develop an insoluble salt simulant for use in testing potential ECC processes (HLE-TTR-2007-017). An insoluble salt simulant has been developed based uponmore » the residues from salt dissolution of saltcake core samples from Tank 28F. The simulant was developed for use in testing SRS waste tank chemical cleaning methods. Based on the results of the simulant development process, the following observations were developed: (1) A composition based on the presence of 10.35 grams oxalate and 4.68 grams carbonate per 100 grams solids produces a sufficiently insoluble solids simulant. (2) Aluminum observed in the solids remaining from actual waste salt dissolution tests is probably precipitated from sodium aluminate due to the low hydroxide content of the saltcake. (3) In-situ generation of aluminum hydroxide (by use of aluminate as the Al source) appears to trap additional salts in the simulant in a manner similar to that expected for actual waste samples. (4) Alternative compositions are possible with higher oxalate levels and lower carbonate levels. (5) The maximum oxalate level is limited by the required Na content of the insoluble solids. (6) Periodic mixing may help to limit crystal growth in this type of salt simulant. (7) Long term storage of an insoluble salt simulant is likely to produce a material that can not be easily removed from the storage container. Production of a relatively fresh simulant is best if pumping the simulant is necessary for testing purposes. The insoluble salt simulant described in this report represents the initial attempt to represent the material which may be encountered during final waste removal and tank cleaning. The final selected simulant was produced by heating and evaporation of a salt slurry sample to remove excess water and promote formation and precipitation of solids with solubility characteristics which are consistent with actual tank insoluble salt samples. The exact anion composition of the final product solids is not explicitly known since the chemical components in the final product are distributed between the solid and liquid phases. By combining the liquid phase analyses and total solids analysis with mass balance requirements a calculated composition of assumed simple compounds was obtained and is shown in Table 0-1. Additional improvements to and further characterization of the insoluble salt simulant are possible. During the development of these simulants it was recognized that: (1) Additional waste characterization on the residues from salt dissolution tests with actual waste samples to determine the amount of species such as carbonate, oxalate and aluminosilicate would allow fewer assumptions to be made in constructing an insoluble salt simulant. (2) The tank history will impact the amount and type of insoluble solids that exist in the salt dissolution solids. Varying the method of simulant production (elevated temperature processing time, degree of evaporation, amount of mixing (shear) during preparation, etc.) should be tested.« less

  17. Biological nutrients removal from the supernatant originating from the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

    PubMed

    Malamis, S; Katsou, E; Di Fabio, S; Bolzonella, D; Fatone, F

    2014-09-01

    This study critically evaluates the biological processes and techniques applied to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the anaerobic supernatant produced from the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and from its co-digestion with other biodegradable organic waste (BOW) streams. The wide application of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of several organic waste streams results in the production of high quantities of anaerobic effluents. Such effluents are characterized by high nutrient content, because organic and particulate nitrogen and phosphorus are hydrolyzed in the anaerobic digestion process. Consequently, adequate post-treatment is required in order to comply with the existing land application and discharge legislation in the European Union countries. This may include physicochemical and biological processes, with the latter being more advantageous due to their lower cost. Nitrogen removal is accomplished through the conventional nitrification/denitrification, nitritation/denitritation and the complete autotrophic nitrogen removal process; the latter is accomplished by nitritation coupled with the anoxic ammonium oxidation process. As anaerobic digestion effluents are characterized by low COD/TKN ratio, conventional denitrification/nitrification is not an attractive option; short-cut nitrogen removal processes are more promising. Both suspended and attached growth processes have been employed to treat the anaerobic supernatant. Specifically, the sequencing batch reactor, the membrane bioreactor, the conventional activated sludge and the moving bed biofilm reactor processes have been investigated. Physicochemical phosphorus removal via struvite precipitation has been extensively examined. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal from the anaerobic supernatant can take place through the sequencing anaerobic/aerobic process. More recently, denitrifying phosphorus removal via nitrite or nitrate has been explored. The removal of phosphorus from the anaerobic supernatant of OFMSW is an interesting research topic that has not yet been explored. At the moment, standardization in the design of facilities that treat anaerobic supernatant produced from the treatment of OFMSW is still under development. To move toward this direction, it is first necessary to assess the performance of alternative treatment options. It study concentrates existing data regarding the characteristics of the anaerobic supernatant produced from the treatment of OFMSW and from their co-digestion with other BOW. This provides data documenting the effect of the anaerobic digestion operating conditions on the supernatant quality and critically evaluates alternative options for the post-treatment of the liquid fraction produced from the anaerobic digestion process.

  18. An examination of the treatment of iron-dosed waste activated sludge by anaerobic digestion.

    PubMed

    Johnson, D K; Carliell-Marquet, C M; Forster, C F

    2003-08-01

    Anaerobic digestion is an important sludge treatment process enabling stabilisation of the organic fraction of sewage sludge prior to land application. Any practice which might retard the anaerobic digestion process will jeopardize the stability of the resulting digested sludge. This paper reports on an investigation into the relative digestibility of iron-dosed waste activated sludge (WAS) from a sewage treatment works (STW) with chemical phosphorus removal (CPR), in comparison to WAS from a works without phosphorus removal. Two laboratory scale anaerobic digesters (51) were fed initially with non iron-dosed WAS (Works M) at a solids retention time of 19 days. After 2 months the iron-dosed CPR sludge (Works R) was introduced into the second digester, resulting in a 32% decrease in biogas production and an increase in the methane content of the biogas from an average of 74% to 81%. Pre-treatment of the CPR sludge with sodium sulphide and shear, both alone and in combination, caused the gas production to deteriorate further. Pre-acidification and pre-treatment with EDTA did result in an enhanced gas production but it was still not comparable with that of the digester being fed with non-iron-dosed sludge. The daily gas production was found to be linearly related to the amount of bound iron in the sludge.

  19. Composting of waste algae: a review.

    PubMed

    Han, Wei; Clarke, William; Pratt, Steven

    2014-07-01

    Although composting has been successfully used at pilot scale to manage waste algae removed from eutrophied water environments and the compost product applied as a fertiliser, clear guidelines are not available for full scale algae composting. The review reports on the application of composting to stabilize waste algae, which to date has mainly been macro-algae, and identifies the peculiarities of algae as a composting feedstock, these being: relatively low carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio, which can result in nitrogen loss as NH3 and even N2O; high moisture content and low porosity, which together make aeration challenging; potentially high salinity, which can have adverse consequence for composting; and potentially have high metals and toxin content, which can affect application of the product as a fertiliser. To overcome the challenges that these peculiarities impose co-compost materials can be employed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Assessing the impacts of changes in treatment technology on energy and greenhouse gas balances for organic waste and wastewater treatment using historical data.

    PubMed

    Poulsen, Tjalfe G; Hansen, Jens Aage

    2009-11-01

    Historical data on organic waste and wastewater treatment during the period of 1970-2020 were used to assess the impact of treatment on energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) balances. The assessment included the waste fractions: Sewage sludge, food waste, yard waste and other organic waste (paper, plastic, etc.). Data were collected from Aalborg, a municipality located in Northern Denmark. During the period from 1970-2005, Aalborg Municipality has changed its waste treatment strategy from landfilling of all wastes toward composting of yard waste and incineration with combined heat and power production from the remaining organic municipal waste. Wastewater treatment has changed from direct discharge of untreated wastewater to full organic matter and nutrient (N, P) removal combined with anaerobic digestion of the sludge for biogas production with power and heat generation. These changes in treatment technology have resulted in the waste and wastewater treatment systems in Aalborg progressing from being net consumers of energy and net emitters of GHG, to becoming net producers of energy and net savers of GHG emissions (due to substitution of fossil fuels elsewhere). If it is assumed that the organic waste quantity and composition is the same in 1970 and 2005, the technology change over this time period has resulted in a progression from a net annual GHG emission of 200 kg CO( 2)-eq. capita(-1) in 1970 to a net saving of 170 kg CO(2)-eq. capita(-1) in 2005 for management of urban organic wastes.

  1. Dye and its removal from aqueous solution by adsorption: a review.

    PubMed

    Yagub, Mustafa T; Sen, Tushar Kanti; Afroze, Sharmeen; Ang, H M

    2014-07-01

    In this review article the authors presented up to-date development on the application of adsorption in the removal of dyes from aqueous solution. This review article provides extensive literature information about dyes, its classification and toxicity, various treatment methods, and dye adsorption characteristics by various adsorbents. One of the objectives of this review article is to organise the scattered available information on various aspects on a wide range of potentially effective adsorbents in the removal of dyes. Therefore, an extensive list of various adsorbents such as natural materials, waste materials from industry, agricultural by-products, and biomass based activated carbon in the removal of various dyes has been compiled here. Dye bearing waste treatment by adsorption using low cost alternative adsorbent is a demanding area as it has double benefits i.e. water treatment and waste management. Further, activated carbon from biomass has the advantage of offering an effected low cost replacement for non-renewable coal based granular activated carbon provided that they have similar or better adsorption on efficiency. The effectiveness of various adsorbents under different physico-chemical process parameters and their comparative adsorption capacity towards dye adsorption has also been presented. This review paper also includes the affective adsorption factors of dye such as solution pH, initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. The applicability of various adsorption kinetic models and isotherm models for dye removal by wide range of adsorbents is also reported here. Conclusions have been drawn from the literature reviewed and few suggestions for future research are proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Evolution of N-converting bacteria during the start-up of anaerobic digestion coupled biological nitrogen removal pilot-scale bioreactors treating high-strength animal waste slurry.

    PubMed

    Anceno, Alfredo J; Rouseau, Pierre; Béline, Fabrice; Shipin, Oleg V; Dabert, Patrick

    2009-07-01

    Animal wastes have been successfully employed in anaerobic biogas production, viewed as a pragmatic approach to rationalize energy costs in animal farms. Effluents resulting from that process however are still high in nitrogen such that attempts were made to couple biological nitrogen removal (BNR) with anaerobic digestion (AD). The demand for organic substrate in such system is partitioned between the anaerobic metabolism in AD and the heterotrophic denitrification cascade following the autotrophic nitrification in BNR. Investigation of underlying N-converting taxa with respect to process conditions is therefore critical in optimizing N-removal in such treatment system. In this study, a pilot-scale intermittently aerated BNR bioreactor was started up either independently or in series with the AD bioreactor to treat high-strength swine waste slurry. The compositions of NH(3)-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), NO(2)(-)-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and denitrifiers (nosZ gene) were profiled by polymerase chain reaction-capillary electrophoresis/single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-CE/SSCP) technique and clone library analysis. Performance data suggested that these two process configurations significantly differ in the modes of biological N-removal. PCR-CE/SSCP based profiling of the underlying nitrifying bacteria also revealed the selection of distinct taxa between process configurations. Under the investigated process conditions, correlation of performance data and composition of underlying nitrifiers suggest that the stand-alone BNR bioreactor tended to favor N-removal via NO(3)(-) whereas the coupled bioreactors could be optimized to achieve the same via a NO(2)(-) shortcut.

  3. Co-metabolic enhancement of organic removal from waste water in the presence of high levels of alkyl paraben constituents of cosmetic and personal care products.

    PubMed

    Fan, Chihhao; Wang, Shin-Chih

    2017-07-01

    The enhanced removal of organic material from municipal waste water containing 50 mg/L of chemical oxygen demand and a given amount of alkyl paraben using a biofilm system was investigated. The parabens used were methyl, ethyl, and propyl paraben. The experiments were conducted at influent paraben concentrations of 10 and 50 mg/L. The influent pH was measured around 4.6 because of paraben hydrolysis. The effluent pH increased due to hydrogen consumption and small molecular acid generation. The higher removal rates were observed for the paraben with longer alkyl chains, which were more hydrophobic and capable of penetrating into microbial cells. The co-existing organic constituents in municipal waste water were found to be competitive with paraben molecules for microbial degradation at low paraben loading (i.e., 10 mg/L). Instead, the co-metabolic effect was observed at a higher paraben loading (i.e., 50 mg/L) due to more active enzymatic catalysis, implying the possible enhancement or organic removal in the presence of high levels of parabens. The difference in BOD and TOC removing ratios for parabens decreased with increasing HRT, implying their better mineralization than that of municipal organic constituents. This was because the microbial organism became more adapted to the reacting system with longer HRT, and more oxygenase was produced to facilitate the catechol formation and ring-opening reactions, causing apparent enhancement in mineralization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Methods of silver recovery from radiographs - comparative study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Canda, L. R.; Ardelean, E.; Hepuţ, T.

    2018-01-01

    Management and recovery of waste are activities with multiple impacts: technologically (by using waste on current production flows, thus replacing poor raw materials), economically (can substantially reduce manufacturing costs by recycling waste), social (by creating new jobs where it is necessary to process the waste in a form more suited to technological flows) and ecologically (by removing waste that is currently produced or already stored - but poses a threat to the health of the population and / or to the environment). This is also the case for medical waste, for example radiographs, which are currently produced in large quantities, for which replacement solutions are sought, but are currently stored by archiving in hospital units. The paper presents two methods used for this kind of waste management, the result being the recovery of silver, material with applications and with increasing price, but also the proper disposal of the polymeric support. This analysis aims at developing a more efficient recycling technology for medical radiographs.

  5. Towards the development of a novel construction solid waste (CSW) based constructed wetland system for tertiary treatment of secondary sewage effluents.

    PubMed

    Yang, Y; Zhang, L; Zhao, Y Q; Wang, S P; Guo, X C; Guo, Y; Wang, L; Ren, Y X; Wang, X C

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted to examine the possibility of using construction solid waste (CSW), an inevitable by-product of the construction and demolition process, as the main substrate in a laboratory scale multi-stage constructed wetland system (CWs) to improve phosphorus (P) removal from secondary sewage effluent. A tidal-flow operation strategy was employed to enhance the wetland aeration. This will stimulate aerobic biological processes and benefit the organic pollutants decomposition and nitrification process for ammoniacal-nitrogen (NH(+)(4)-N) removal. The results showed that the average P concentration in the secondary sewage effluent was reduced from 1.90 mg-P/L to 0.04 mg-P/L. CSW presents excellent P removal performance. The average NH(+)(4)-N concentration was reduced from 9.94 mg-N/L to 1.0 mg-N/L through nitrification in the system. The concentration of resultant nitrite and nitrate in the effluent of the CSW based CWs ranged from 0.1 to 2.4 mg-N/L and 0.01 to 0.8 mg-N/L, respectively. The outcome of this study has shown that CSW can be successfully used to act as main substrate in CWs. The application of CSW based CWs on improving N and P removals from secondary sewage effluent presents a win-win scenario. Such the reuse of CSW will benefit both the CSW disposal and nutrient control from wastewater. More significantly, such the application can transfer the CSW from a 'waste' to 'useful' material and can ease the pressure of construction waste solid management. Meanwhile, the final effluent from the CSW-based CWs can be used as non-potable water source in landscape irrigation, agriculture and industrial process.

  6. I-NERI Annual Technical Progress Report 2007-004-K Development and Characterization of New High-Level Waste Forms for Achieving Waste Minimization from Pyroprocessing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    S. Frank

    The current method for the immobilization of fission products that accumulate in electrorefiner salt during the electrochemical processing of used metallic nuclear fuel is to encapsulate the electrorefiner salt in a glass-bonded sodalite ceramic waste form. This process was developed by Argonne National Laboratory in the USA and is currently performed at the Idaho National Laboratory for the treatment of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) used fuel. This process utilizes a “once-through” option for the disposal of spent electrorefiner salt; where, after the treatment of the EBR-II fuel, the electrorefiner salt containing the active fission products will be disposed of inmore » the ceramic waste form (CWF). The CWF produced will have low fission product loading of approximately 2 to 5 weight percent due to the limited fuel inventory currently being processed. However; the design and implementation of advanced electrochemical processing facilities to treat used fuel would process much greater quantities fuel. With an advanced processing facility, it would be necessary to selectively remove fission products from the electrorefiner salt for salt recycle and to concentrate the fission products to reduce the volume of high-level waste from the treatment facility. The Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute and the Idaho National Laboratory have been collaborating on I-NERI research projects for a number of years to investigate both aspects of selective fission product separation from electrorefiner salt, and to develop advanced waste forms for the immobilization of the collected fission products. The first joint KAERI/INL I-NERI project titled: 2006-002-K, Separation of Fission Products from Molten LiCl-KCl Salt Used for Electrorefining of Metal Fuels, was successfully completed in 2009 by concentrating and isolating fission products from actual electrorefiner salt used for the treated used EBR-II fuel. Two separation methods were tested and from these tests were produced concentrated salt products that acted as the feed material for development of advanced waste forms investigated in this proposal. Accomplishments from the first year activities associated with this I-NERI project included the down selection of candidate waste forms to immobilize fission products separated from electrorefiner salt, and the design of equipment to fabricate actual waste forms in the Hot Fuels Examination Facility (HFEF) at the INL. Reported in this document are accomplishments from the second year (FY10) work performed at the INL, and includes the testing of waste form fabrication equipment, repeating the fission product precipitation experiment, and initial waste form fabrication efforts.« less

  7. Method for aqueous radioactive waste treatment

    DOEpatents

    Bray, L.A.; Burger, L.L.

    1994-03-29

    Plutonium, strontium, and cesium found in aqueous waste solutions resulting from nuclear fuel processing are removed by contacting the waste solutions with synthetic zeolite incorporating up to about 5 wt % titanium as sodium titanate in an ion exchange system. More than 99.9% of the plutonium, strontium, and cesium are removed from the waste solutions. 3 figures.

  8. Method for aqueous radioactive waste treatment

    DOEpatents

    Bray, Lane A.; Burger, Leland L.

    1994-01-01

    Plutonium, strontium, and cesium found in aqueous waste solutions resulting from nuclear fuel processing are removed by contacting the waste solutions with synthetic zeolite incorporating up to about 5 wt % titanium as sodium titanate in an ion exchange system. More than 99.9% of the plutonium, strontium, and cesium are removed from the waste solutions.

  9. Electrochemical/Pyrometallurgical Waste Stream Processing and Waste Form Fabrication

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Steven Frank; Hwan Seo Park; Yung Zun Cho

    This report summarizes treatment and waste form options being evaluated for waste streams resulting from the electrochemical/pyrometallurgical (pyro ) processing of used oxide nuclear fuel. The technologies that are described are South Korean (Republic of Korea – ROK) and United States of America (US) ‘centric’ in the approach to treating pyroprocessing wastes and are based on the decade long collaborations between US and ROK researchers. Some of the general and advanced technologies described in this report will be demonstrated during the Integrated Recycle Test (IRT) to be conducted as a part of the Joint Fuel Cycle Study (JFCS) collaboration betweenmore » US Department of Energy (DOE) and ROK national laboratories. The JFCS means to specifically address and evaluated the technological, economic, and safe guard issues associated with the treatment of used nuclear fuel by pyroprocessing. The IRT will involve the processing of commercial, used oxide fuel to recover uranium and transuranics. The recovered transuranics will then be fabricated into metallic fuel and irradiated to transmutate, or burn the transuranic elements to shorter lived radionuclides. In addition, the various process streams will be evaluated and tested for fission product removal, electrolytic salt recycle, minimization of actinide loss to waste streams and waste form fabrication and characterization. This report specifically addresses the production and testing of those waste forms to demonstrate their compatibility with treatment options and suitability for disposal.« less

  10. Microbial desalination cell for enhanced biodegradation of waste engine oil using a novel bacterial strain Bacillus subtilis moh3.

    PubMed

    Sabina, K; Fayidh, Mohammed A; Archana, G; Sivarajan, M; Babuskin, S; Babu, P Azhagu Saravana; Radha, K Krishnan; Sukumar, M

    2014-01-01

    Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a bioelectrochemical system developed recently from microbial fuel cells (MFCs), for producing green energy from organic wastes along with desalination of saltwater. MDC is proved to be a better performer than MFC in terms of power output and chemical oxygen demand removal, with desalination as an additional feature. This study investigates the application potential of MDC for integrated biodegradation of waste engine oil. This study showed, for the first time, that waste engine oil could be used as an organic substrate in MDC, achieving biodegradation of engine oil along with considerable desalination and power production. Utilization of these wastes in MDC can protect the environment from waste engine oil contamination. Indigenous oil-degrading bacteria were isolated and identified from engine oil contaminated sludge. Degradation of waste engine oil by these novel isolates was studied in batch cultures and optimized the growth conditions. The same cultures when used in MDC, gave enhanced biodegradation (70.1 +/- 0.5%) along with desalination (68.3 +/- 0.6%) and power production (3.1 +/- 0.3 mW/m2). Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses were performed to characterize the degradation metabolites in the anolyte of MDC which clearly indicated the biodegradation of long chain, branched and cyclic hydrocarbons present in waste engine oil.

  11. Impact of heavy metals on hydrogen production from organic fraction of municipal solid waste using co-culture of Enterobacter aerogenes and E. Coli.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Preeti; Melkania, Uma

    2018-05-01

    In the present study, the effect of heavy metals (lead, mercury, copper, and chromium) on the hydrogen production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was investigated using co-culture of facultative anaerobes Enterobacter aerogenes and E. coli. Heavy metals were applied at concentration range of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 mg/L. The results revealed that lead, mercury, and chromium negatively affected hydrogen production for the range of concentrations applied. Application of copper slightly enhanced hydrogen production at low concentration and resulted in the hydrogen yield of 36.0 mLH 2 /gCarbo initial with 10 mg/L copper supplementation as compared to 24.2 mLH 2 /gCarbo initial in control. However, the higher concentration of copper (>10 mg/L) declined hydrogen production. Hydrogen production inhibition potential of heavy metals can be arranged in the following increasing order: Cu 2+  < Cr 6+  < Pb 2+  < Hg 2+ . COD removal rate and volatile fatty acid generation efficiencies were also significantly affected by heavy metal addition. Thus, the present study reveals that the presence of heavy metals in the feedstock is detrimental for the hydrogen production. Therefore, it is essential to remove the toxic heavy metals prior to anaerobic digestion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Process control plan for 242-A Evaporator Campaign 95-1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Le, E.Q.; Guthrie, M.D.

    1995-05-18

    The wastes from tanks 106-AP, 107-AP, and 106-AW have been selected to be candidate feed wastes for Evaporator Campaign 95-1. The wastes in tank 106-AP and 107-AP are primarily from B-Plant strontium processing and PUREX neutralized cladding removal, respectively. The waste in tank 106-AW originated primarily from the partially concentrated product from 242-A Evaporator Campaign 94-2. Approximately 8.67 million liters of waste from these tanks will be transferred to tank 102-AW during the campaign. Tank 102-AW is the dedicated waste feed tank for the evaporator and currently contains 647,000 liters of processable waste. The purpose of the 242-A Evaporator Campaignmore » 95-1 Process Control Plan (hereafter referred to as PCP) is to certify that the wastes in tanks 106-AP, 107-AP, 102-AW, and 106-AW are acceptable for processing through evaporator and provide a general description of process strategies and activities which will take place during Campaign 95-1. The PCP also summarizes and presents a comprehensive characterization of the wastes in these tanks.« less

  13. Process for whole cell saccharification of lignocelluloses to sugars using a dual bioreactor system

    DOEpatents

    Lu, Jue [Okemos, MI; Okeke, Benedict [Montgomery, AL

    2012-03-27

    The present invention describes a process for saccharification of lignocelluloses to sugars using whole microbial cells, which are enriched from cultures inoculated with paper mill waste water, wood processing waste and soil. A three-member bacterial consortium is selected as a potent microbial inocula and immobilized on inedible plant fibers for biomass saccharification. The present invention further relates the design of a dual bioreactor system, with various biocarriers for enzyme immobilization and repeated use. Sugars are continuously removed eliminating end-product inhibition and consumption by cell.

  14. Thermal Pretreatment For TRU Waste Sorting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sasaki, T.; Aoyama, Y.; Miyamoto, Y.

    2008-07-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Agency conducted a study on thermal treatment of TRU waste to develop a removal technology for materials that are forbidden for disposal. The thermal pretreatment in which hot nitrogen and/or air is introduced to the waste is a process of removing combustibles, liquids, and low melting point metals from PVC wrapped TRU waste. In this study, thermal pretreatment of simulated waste was conducted using a desktop thermal treatment vessel and a laboratory scale thermal pretreatment system. Combustibles and low melting point metals are effectively separated from wastes by choosing appropriate temperature of flowing gases. Combustibles such asmore » papers, PVC, oil, etc. were removed and low melting point metals such as zinc, lead, and aluminum were separated from the simulated waste by the thermal pretreatment. (authors)« less

  15. Identification of Sources of Endotoxin Exposure as Input for Effective Exposure Control Strategies.

    PubMed

    van Duuren-Stuurman, Birgit; Gröllers-Mulderij, Mariska; van de Runstraat, Annemieke; Duisterwinkel, Anton; Terwoert, Jeroen; Spaan, Suzanne

    2018-02-13

    Aim of the present study is to investigate the levels of endotoxins on product samples from potatoes, onions, and seeds, representing a relevant part of the agro-food industry in the Netherlands, to gather valuable insights in possibilities for exposure control measures early in the process of industrial processing of these products. Endotoxin levels on 330 products samples from companies representing the potato, onion, and seed (processing) industry (four potato-packaging companies, five potato-processing companies, five onion-packaging companies, and four seed-processing companies) were assessed using the Limulus Amboecyte Lysate (LAL) assay. As variation in growth conditions (type of soil, growth type) and product characteristics (surface roughness, dustiness, size, species) are assumed to influence the level of endotoxin on products, different types, and growth conditions were considered when collecting the samples. Additionally, waste material, rotten products, felt material (used for drying), and process water were collected. A large variation in the endotoxin levels was found on samples of potatoes, onions, and seeds (overall geometric standard deviation 17), in the range between 0.7 EU g-1 to 16400000 EU g-1. The highest geometric mean endotoxin levels were found in plant material (319600 EU g-1), followed by soil material (49100 EU g-1) and the outer side of products (9300 EU g-1), indicating that removal of plant and soil material early in the process would be an effective exposure control strategy. The high levels of endotoxins found in the limited number of samples from rotten onions indicate that these rotten onions should also be removed early in the process. Mean endotoxin levels found in waste material (only available for seed processing) is similar to the level found in soil material, although the range is much larger. On uncleaned seeds, higher endotoxin levels were found than on cleaned seeds, indicating that cleaning processes are important control measures and also that the waste material should be handled with care. Although endotoxin levels in batches of to-be-processed potatoes, onions, and seeds vary quite dramatically, it could be concluded that rotten products, plant material, and waste material contain particularly high endotoxin levels. This information was used to propose control measures to reduce exposure to endotoxins of workers during the production process. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

  16. Zero valent iron significantly enhances methane production from waste activated sludge by improving biochemical methane potential rather than hydrolysis rate.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yiwen; Wang, Qilin; Zhang, Yaobin; Ni, Bing-Jie

    2015-02-05

    Anaerobic digestion has been widely applied for waste activated sludge (WAS) treatment. However, methane production from anaerobic digestion of WAS is usually limited by the slow hydrolysis rate and/or poor biochemical methane potential of WAS. This work systematically studied the effects of three different types of zero valent iron (i.e., iron powder, clean scrap and rusty scrap) on methane production from WAS in anaerobic digestion, by using both experimental and mathematical approaches. The results demonstrated that both the clean and the rusty iron scrap were more effective than the iron powder for improving methane production from WAS. Model-based analysis showed that ZVI addition significantly enhanced methane production from WAS through improving the biochemical methane potential of WAS rather than its hydrolysis rate. Economic analysis indicated that the ZVI-based technology for enhancing methane production from WAS is economically attractive, particularly considering that iron scrap can be freely acquired from industrial waste. Based on these results, the ZVI-based anaerobic digestion process of this work could be easily integrated with the conventional chemical phosphorus removal process in wastewater treatment plant to form a cost-effective and environment-friendly approach, enabling maximum resource recovery/reuse while achieving enhanced methane production in wastewater treatment system.

  17. Zero Valent Iron Significantly Enhances Methane Production from Waste Activated Sludge by Improving Biochemical Methane Potential Rather Than Hydrolysis Rate

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yiwen; Wang, Qilin; Zhang, Yaobin; Ni, Bing-Jie

    2015-01-01

    Anaerobic digestion has been widely applied for waste activated sludge (WAS) treatment. However, methane production from anaerobic digestion of WAS is usually limited by the slow hydrolysis rate and/or poor biochemical methane potential of WAS. This work systematically studied the effects of three different types of zero valent iron (i.e., iron powder, clean scrap and rusty scrap) on methane production from WAS in anaerobic digestion, by using both experimental and mathematical approaches. The results demonstrated that both the clean and the rusty iron scrap were more effective than the iron powder for improving methane production from WAS. Model-based analysis showed that ZVI addition significantly enhanced methane production from WAS through improving the biochemical methane potential of WAS rather than its hydrolysis rate. Economic analysis indicated that the ZVI-based technology for enhancing methane production from WAS is economically attractive, particularly considering that iron scrap can be freely acquired from industrial waste. Based on these results, the ZVI-based anaerobic digestion process of this work could be easily integrated with the conventional chemical phosphorus removal process in wastewater treatment plant to form a cost-effective and environment-friendly approach, enabling maximum resource recovery/reuse while achieving enhanced methane production in wastewater treatment system. PMID:25652244

  18. Zero Valent Iron Significantly Enhances Methane Production from Waste Activated Sludge by Improving Biochemical Methane Potential Rather Than Hydrolysis Rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yiwen; Wang, Qilin; Zhang, Yaobin; Ni, Bing-Jie

    2015-02-01

    Anaerobic digestion has been widely applied for waste activated sludge (WAS) treatment. However, methane production from anaerobic digestion of WAS is usually limited by the slow hydrolysis rate and/or poor biochemical methane potential of WAS. This work systematically studied the effects of three different types of zero valent iron (i.e., iron powder, clean scrap and rusty scrap) on methane production from WAS in anaerobic digestion, by using both experimental and mathematical approaches. The results demonstrated that both the clean and the rusty iron scrap were more effective than the iron powder for improving methane production from WAS. Model-based analysis showed that ZVI addition significantly enhanced methane production from WAS through improving the biochemical methane potential of WAS rather than its hydrolysis rate. Economic analysis indicated that the ZVI-based technology for enhancing methane production from WAS is economically attractive, particularly considering that iron scrap can be freely acquired from industrial waste. Based on these results, the ZVI-based anaerobic digestion process of this work could be easily integrated with the conventional chemical phosphorus removal process in wastewater treatment plant to form a cost-effective and environment-friendly approach, enabling maximum resource recovery/reuse while achieving enhanced methane production in wastewater treatment system.

  19. Preparation of biochar from sewage sludge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nieto, Aurora; María Méndez, Ana; Gascó, Gabriel

    2013-04-01

    Biomass waste materials appropriate for biochar production include crop residues (both field residues and processing residues such as nut shells, fruit pits, bagasse, etc), as well as yard, food and forestry wastes, and animal manures. Biochar can and should be made from biomass waste materials and must not contain unacceptable levels of toxins such as heavy metals which can be found in sewage sludge and industrial or landfill waste. Making biochar from biomass waste materials should create no competition for land with any other land use option—such as food production or leaving the land in its pristine state. Large amounts of agricultural, municipal and forestry biomass are currently burned or left to decompose and release CO2 and methane back into the atmosphere. They also can pollute local ground and surface waters—a large issue for livestock wastes. Using these materials to make biochar not only removes them from a pollution cycle, but biochar can be obtained as a by-product of producing energy from this biomass. Sewage sludge is a by-product from wastewater treatment plants, and contains significant amounts of heavy metals, organic toxins and pathogenic microorganisms, which are considered to be harmful to the environment and all living organisms. Agricultural use, land filling and incineration are commonly used as disposal methods. It was, however, reported that sewage sludge applications in agriculture gives rise to an accumulation of harmful components (heavy metals and organic compounds) in soil. For this reason, pyrolysis can be considered as a promising technique to treat the sewage sludge including the production of fuels. The objective of this work is to study the advantages of the biochar prepared from sewage sludge.

  20. Solid phase bio-electrofermentation of food waste to harvest value-added products associated with waste remediation.

    PubMed

    Chandrasekhar, K; Amulya, K; Mohan, S Venkata

    2015-11-01

    A novel solid state bio-electrofermentation system (SBES), which can function on the self-driven bioelectrogenic activity was designed and fabricated in the laboratory. SBES was operated with food waste as substrate and evaluated for simultaneous production of electrofuels viz., bioelectricity, biohydrogen (H2) and bioethanol. The system illustrated maximum open circuit voltage and power density of 443 mV and 162.4 mW/m(2), respectively on 9 th day of operation while higher H2 production rate (21.9 ml/h) was observed on 19th day of operation. SBES system also documented 4.85% w/v bioethanol production on 20th day of operation. The analysis of end products confirmed that H2 production could be generally attributed to a mixed acetate/butyrate-type of fermentation. Nevertheless, the presence of additional metabolites in SBES, including formate, lactate, propionate and ethanol, also suggested that other metabolic pathways were active during the process, lowering the conversion of substrate into H2. SBES also documented 72% substrate (COD) removal efficiency along with value added product generation. Continuous evolution of volatile fatty acids as intermediary metabolites resulted in pH drop and depicted its negative influence on SBES performance. Bio-electrocatalytic analysis was carried out to evaluate the redox catalytic capabilities of the biocatalyst. Experimental data illustrated that solid-state fermentation can be effectively integrated in SBES for the production of value added products with the possibility of simultaneous solid waste remediation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Performance of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) on fermentative biohydrogen production from melon waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cahyari, K.; Sarto; Syamsiah, S.; Prasetya, A.

    2016-11-01

    This research was meant to investigate performance of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) as bioreactor for producing biohydrogen from melon waste through dark fermentation method. Melon waste are commonly generated from agricultural processing stages i.e. cultivation, post-harvesting, industrial processing, and transportation. It accounted for more than 50% of total harvested fruit. Feedstock of melon waste was fed regularly to CSTR according to organic loading rate at value 1.2 - 3.6 g VS/ (l.d). Optimum condition was achieved at OLR 2.4 g VS/ (l.d) with the highest total gas volume 196 ml STP. Implication of higher OLR value is reduction of total gas volume due to accumulation of acids (pH 4.0), and lower substrate volatile solid removal. In summary, application of this method might valorize melon waste and generates renewable energy sources.

  2. Transformation of arsenic in the presence of cow dung and arsenic sludge disposal and management strategy in Bangladesh

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Mohammad Azizur; Jalil, Md. Abdul; Ali, M. Ashraf

    2014-10-01

    With increasing use of arsenic (As) removal units for treatment of As-contaminated groundwater in rural Bangladesh, concerns have been raised regarding safe disposal of the As-rich wastes from such units and possible contamination of the environment. In the absence of any clear guideline for safe disposal of wastes generated from As removal units, the wastes are usually disposed of in the open environment, often on cow dung beds in the backyard. Short term (up to 6 weeks) batch experiments performed in this study suggest that bio-chemical (e.g., bio-methylation) processes in the presence of only fresh cow dung may lead to a significant removal of As, both from aqueous solution and As-rich treatment wastes. Arsenic removal appears to increase with decreasing As to cow dung weight ratio. This study also suggests that arsenate transforms to arsenite before removal from aqueous As solution in the presence of cow dung. In most cases majority of As removal takes place during first few days. Removal of As under cap-open (to facilitate aerobic condition) and cap-closed conditions (to facilitate aerobic condition) were found to be similar. No significant variation was observed in the removal As from aqueous solution and from treatment wastes (As bound to iron solids). This study concludes that disposal of As-rich treatment wastes to cow dung pits could be an effective option of As sludge disposal and management in rural areas of Bangladesh.

  3. Enhancement of anaerobic digestibility of waste activated sludge using photo-Fenton pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Heng, Gan Chin; Isa, Mohamed Hasnain; Lim, Jun-Wei; Ho, Yeek-Chia; Zinatizadeh, Ali Akbar Lorestani

    2017-12-01

    Biological treatments, such as activated sludge process, are common methods to treat municipal and industrial wastewaters. However, they produce huge amounts of waste activated sludge (WAS). The excess sludge treatment and disposal are a challenge for wastewater treatment plants due to economic, environmental, and regulatory factors. In this study, photo-Fenton pretreatment (oxidation using hydrogen peroxide and iron catalyst aided with UV light) was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) to determine the effects of three operating parameters (H 2 O 2 dosage, H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ molar ratio, and irradiation time) on disintegration and dewaterability of WAS. MLVSS removal, capillary suction time (CST) reduction, sCOD, and EPS were obtained as 70%, 25%, 12,000 mg/L, and 500 mg/L, respectively, at the optimal conditions, i.e., 725 g H 2 O 2 /kg TS, H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ molar ratio 80, and irradiation time 40 min. Two batch-fed completely mixed mesophilic anaerobic digesters were then operated at 15-day solid retention time (SRT) and 37 ± 0.5 °C to compare the digestibility of untreated and photo-Fenton pretreated sludge in terms of volatile solids (VS) reduction, COD removal, and biogas production at steady-state operations. Photo-Fenton pretreatment followed by anaerobic digestion of WAS was very effective and yielded 75.7% total VS reduction, 81.5% COD removal, and 0.29-0.31 m 3 /kg VS fed ·d biogas production rate, compared to 40.7% total VS solid reduction, 54.7% COD removal, and 0.12-0.17 m 3 /kg VS fed ·d biogas production rate for control. Thus, photo-Fenton can be a useful pretreatment step in sludge management.

  4. 30 CFR 817.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 817.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 817.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 817.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  5. 30 CFR 816.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 816.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 816.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 816.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  6. 30 CFR 817.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 817.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 817.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 817.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  7. 30 CFR 816.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 816.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 816.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 816.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  8. 30 CFR 817.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 817.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 817.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 817.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  9. 30 CFR 816.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 816.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 816.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 816.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  10. 30 CFR 816.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 816.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 816.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 816.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  11. 30 CFR 816.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 816.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 816.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 816.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  12. 30 CFR 817.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 817.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 817.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 817.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  13. 30 CFR 817.83 - Coal mine waste: Refuse piles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. 817.83 Section... ACTIVITIES § 817.83 Coal mine waste: Refuse piles. Refuse piles shall meet the requirements of § 817.81, the... removed from the disposal area prior to placement of coal mine waste. Topsoil shall be removed, segregated...

  14. Methanation of gas streams containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen

    DOEpatents

    Frost, Albert C.

    1983-01-01

    Carbon monoxide-containing gas streams having a relatively high concentration of hydrogen are pretreated so as to remove the hydrogen in a recoverable form for use in the second step of a cyclic, essentially two-step process for the production of methane. The thus-treated streams are then passed over a catalyst to deposit a surface layer of active surface carbon thereon essentially without the formation of inactive coke. This active carbon is reacted with said hydrogen removed from the feed gas stream to form methane. The utilization of the CO in the feed gas stream is appreciably increased, enhancing the overall process for the production of relatively pure, low-cost methane from CO-containing waste gas streams.

  15. Effect of thermal pretreatment on the biogas production and microbial communities balance during anaerobic digestion of urban and industrial waste activated sludge.

    PubMed

    Ennouri, Hajer; Miladi, Baligh; Diaz, Soraya Zahedi; Güelfo, Luis Alberto Fernández; Solera, Rosario; Hamdi, Moktar; Bouallagui, Hassib

    2016-08-01

    The effect of thermal pre-treatment on the microbial populations balance and biogas production was studied during anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) coming from urban (US: urban sludge) and industrial (IS: industrial sludge) wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The highest biogas yields of 0.42l/gvolatile solid (VS) removed and 0.37l/gVS removed were obtained with urban and industrial sludge pre-treated at 120°C, respectively. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to quantify the major Bacteria and Archaea groups. Compared to control trails without pretreatment, Archaea content increased from 34% to 86% and from 46% to 83% for pretreated IS and US, respectively. In fact, the thermal pre-treatment of WAS enhanced the growth of hydrogen-using methanogens (HUMs), which consume rapidly the H2 generated to allow the acetogenesis. Therefore, the stable and better performance of digesters was observed involving the balance and syntrophic associations between the different microbial populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Enhancing anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge by the combined use of NaOH and Mg(OH)2: Performance evaluation and mechanism study.

    PubMed

    Huang, Cheng; Lai, Jia; Sun, Xiuyun; Li, Jiansheng; Shen, Jinyou; Han, Weiqing; Wang, Lianjun

    2016-11-01

    In this study, the combination treatment of NaOH and Mg(OH)2 was applied to anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) for simultaneously enhancement of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production, nutrients removal and sludge dewaterability. The maximum VFAs production (461mg COD/g VSS) was obtained at the NaOH/Mg(OH)2 ratio of 75:25, which was much higher than that of the blank or sole NaOH. Moreover, nutrients removal and sludge dewaterability were improved by the combined using of NaOH and Mg(OH)2. Mechanism investigations revealed that the presence of Mg(OH)2 could maintain alkaline environment, which contributed to inhibit the activity of methanogens. Also, the bridging between Mg(2+) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) plays an important role in the solubilization and dewatering of sludge. High-throughput sequencing analysis demonstrated that the abundance of bacteria involved in sludge hydrolysis and VFAs accumulation was greatly enriched with the mixtures of NaOH and Mg(OH)2. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Water recovery and solid waste processing for aerospace and domestic applications. Volume 2: Appendices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Murray, R. W.

    1973-01-01

    Water and sewage treatment systems are presented with concentration on the filtration of water. Equipment is described for organic removal, solids removal, nutrient removal, inorganic removal, and disinfection of the water. Such things as aseline hardware, additional piping connections, waste disposal, and costs involved are also reported.

  18. Optimization of VFAs and ethanol production with waste sludge used as the denitrification carbon source.

    PubMed

    Guo, Liang; Zhang, Jiawen; Yin, Li; Zhao, Yangguo; Gao, Mengchun; She, Zonglian

    2015-01-01

    An acidification metabolite such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ethanol could be used as denitrification carbon sources for solving the difficult problem of carbon source shortages and low nitrogen removal efficiency. A proper control of environmental factors could be essential for obtaining the optimal contents of VFAs and ethanol. In this study, suspended solids (SS), oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and shaking rate were chosen to investigate the interactive effects on VFAs and ethanol production with waste sludge. It was indicated that T-VFA yield could be enhanced at lower ORP and shaking rate. Changing the SS, ORP and shaking rate could influence the distribution of acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric acids and ethanol. The optimal conditions for VFAs and ethanol production used as a denitrification carbon source were predicted by analyzing response surface methodology (RSM).

  19. An Ultra-Precise Method for the Nano Thin-Film Removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pa, P. S.

    In this research an electrode-set is used to investigate via an ultra-precise method for the removal of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin-film microstructure from defective display panels to conquer the low yield rate in display panel production as to from imperfect Indium Tin Oxide layer deposition is well known. This process, which involves the removal of ITO layer substructure by means of an electrochemical removal (ECMR), is of major interest to the optoelectronics semiconductor industry. In this electro machining process a high current flow and high feed rate of the display (color filter) achieves complete and efficient removal of the ITO layer. The ITO thin-film can be removed completely by a proper combination of feed rate and electric power. A small gap between the diameter cathode virtual rotation circle and the diameter virtual rotation circle also corresponds to a higher removal rate. A small anode edge radius with a small cathode edge radius effectively improves dregs discharge and is an advantage when associated with a high workpiece feed rate. This precision method for the recycling of defective display screen color filters is presented as an effective tool for use in the screen manufacturing process. The defective Indium Tin Oxide thin-film can be removed easily and cleanly in a short time. The complete removal of the ITO layer makes it possible to put these panels back into the production line for reuse with a considerable reduction of both waste and production cost.

  20. Bio-extraction of precious metals from urban solid waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Subhabrata; Natarajan, Gayathri; Ting, Yen-Peng

    2017-01-01

    Reduced product lifecycle and increasing demand for electronic devices have resulted in the generation of huge volumes of electronic waste (e-waste). E-wastes contain high concentrations of toxic heavy metals, which have detrimental effects on health and the environment. However, e-wastes also contain significant concentrations of precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium, which can be a major driving force for recycling of urban waste. Cyanogenic bacteria such as Chromobacterium violaceum generate cyanide as a secondary metabolite which mobilizes gold into solution via a soluble gold-cyanide complex. However, compared to conventional technology for metal recovery, this approach is not effective, owing largely to the low concentration of lixiviants produced by the bacteria. To overcome the challenges of bioleaching of gold from e-waste, several strategies were adopted to enhance gold recovery rates. These included (i) pretreatment of e-waste to remove competing metal ions, (ii) mutation to adapt the bacteria to high pH environment, (iii) metabolic engineering to produce higher cyanide lixiviant, and (iv) spent medium leaching with adjusted initial pH. Compared to 7.1 % recovery by the wild type bacteria, these strategies achieved gold recoveries of 11.3%, 22.5%, 30% and 30% respectively at 0.5% w/v pulp density respectively. Bioleached gold was finally mineralized and precipitated as gold nanoparticles using the bacterium Delftia acidovorans. This study demonstrates the potential for enhancement of biocyanide production and gold recovery from electronic waste through different strategies, and extraction of solid gold from bioleached leachate.

  1. Gravity packaging final waste recovery based on gravity separation and chemical imaging control.

    PubMed

    Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Serranti, Silvia; Potenza, Fabio; Luciani, Valentina; Di Maio, Francesco

    2017-02-01

    Plastic polymers are characterized by a high calorific value. Post-consumer plastic waste can be thus considered, in many cases, as a typical secondary solid fuels according to the European Commission directive on End of Waste (EoW). In Europe the practice of incineration is considered one of the solutions for waste disposal waste, for energy recovery and, as a consequence, for the reduction of waste sent to landfill. A full characterization of these products represents the first step to profitably and correctly utilize them. Several techniques have been investigated in this paper in order to separate and characterize post-consumer plastic packaging waste fulfilling the previous goals, that is: gravity separation (i.e. Reflux Classifier), FT-IR spectroscopy, NIR HyperSpectralImaging (HSI) based techniques and calorimetric test. The study demonstrated as the proposed separation technique and the HyperSpectral NIR Imaging approach allow to separate and recognize the different polymers (i.e. PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC), PolyStyrene (PS), PolyEthylene (PE), PoliEtilene Tereftalato (PET), PolyPropylene (PP)) in order to maximize the removal of the PVC fraction from plastic waste and to perform the full quality control of the resulting products, can be profitably utilized to set up analytical/control strategies finalized to obtain a low content of PVC in the final Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), thus enhancing SRF quality, increasing its value and reducing the "final waste". Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Global challenges for e-waste management: the societal implications.

    PubMed

    Magalini, Federico

    2016-03-01

    Over the last decades the electronics industry and ICT Industry in particular has revolutionized the world: electrical and electronic products have become ubiquitous in today's life around the planet. After use, those products are discarded, sometimes after re-use cycles in countries different from those where they were initially sold; becoming what is commonly called e-waste. Compared to other traditional waste streams, e-waste handling poses unique and complex challenges. e-Waste is usually regarded as a waste problem, which can cause environmental damage and severe human health consequences if not safely managed. e-Waste contains significant amounts of toxic and environmentally sensitive materials and is, thus, extremely hazardous to humans and the environment if not properly disposed of or recycled. On the other hand, e-waste is often seen as a potential source of income for individuals and entrepreneurs who aim to recover the valuable materials (metals in particular) contained in discarded equipment. Recently, for a growing number of people, in developing countries in particular, recycling and separation of e-waste has become their main source of income. In most cases, this is done informally, with no or hardly any health and safety standards, exposing workers and the surrounding neighborhoods to extensive health dangers as well as leading to substantial environmental pollution. Treatment processes of e-waste aim to remove the hazardous components and recover as much reusable material (e.g. metals, glass and plastics) as possible; achieving both objectives is most desired. The paper discuss societal implications of proper e-waste management and key elements to be considered in the policy design at country level.

  3. Removal of algal blooms from freshwater by the coagulation-magnetic separation method.

    PubMed

    Liu, Dan; Wang, Peng; Wei, Guanran; Dong, Wenbo; Hui, Franck

    2013-01-01

    This research investigated the feasibility of changing waste into useful materials for water treatment and proposed a coagulation-magnetic separation technique. This technique was rapid and highly effective for clearing up harmful algal blooms in freshwater and mitigating lake eutrophication. A magnetic coagulant was synthesized by compounding acid-modified fly ash with magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)). Its removal effects on algal cells and dissolved organics in water were studied. After mixing, coagulation, and magnetic separation, the flocs obtained from the magnet surface were examined by SEM. Treated samples were withdrawn for the content determination of chlorophyll-a, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. More than 99 % of algal cells were removed within 5 min after the addition of magnetic coagulant at optimal loadings (200 mg L(-1)). The removal efficiencies of COD, total nitrogen, and phosphorus were 93, 91, and 94 %, respectively. The mechanism of algal removal explored preliminarily showed that the magnetic coagulant played multiple roles in mesoporous adsorption, netting and bridging, as well as high magnetic responsiveness to a magnetic field. The magnetic-coagulation separation method can rapidly and effectively remove algae from water bodies and greatly mitigate eutrophication of freshwater using a new magnetic coagulant. The method has good performance, is low cost, can turn waste into something valuable, and provides reference and directions for future pilot and production scale-ups.

  4. Plants for water recycling, oxygen regeneration and food production

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bubenheim, D. L.

    1991-01-01

    During long-duration space missions that require recycling and regeneration of life support materials the major human wastes to be converted to usable forms are CO2, hygiene water, urine and feces. A Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) relies on the air revitalization, water purification and food production capabilities of higher plants to rejuvenate human wastes and replenish the life support materials. The key processes in such a system are photosynthesis, whereby green plants utilize light energy to produce food and oxygen while removing CO2 from the atmosphere, and transpiration, the evaporation of water from the plant. CELSS research has emphasized the food production capacity and efforts to minimize the area/volume of higher plants required to satisfy all human life support needs. Plants are a dynamic system capable of being manipulated to favour the supply of individual products as desired. The size and energy required for a CELSS that provides virtually all human needs are determined by the food production capacity. Growing conditions maximizing food production do not maximize transpiration of water; conditions favoring transpiration and scaling to recycle only water significantly reduces the area, volume, and energy inputs per person. Likewise, system size can be adjusted to satisfy the air regeneration needs. Requirements of a waste management system supplying inputs to maintain maximum plant productivity are clear. The ability of plants to play an active role in waste processing and the consequence in terms of degraded plant performance are not well characterized. Plant-based life support systems represent the only potential for self sufficiency and food production in an extra-terrestrial habitat.

  5. Evaluation of uranium removal by Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle from low level nuclear waste under laboratory conditions.

    PubMed

    Srivastava, Sudhakar; Bhainsa, K C

    2016-02-01

    The present study evaluated uranium (U) removal ability and tolerance to low level nuclear waste (LLNW) of an aquatic weed Hydrilla verticillata. Plants were screened for growth in 10%-50% waste treatments up to 3 d. Treatments of 20% and 50% waste imposed increasing toxicity with duration assessed in terms of change in fresh weight and in the levels of photosynthetic pigments and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. U concentration, however, did not show a progressive increase and was about 42 μg g(-1) dw from 20% to 50% waste at 3 d. This suggested that a saturation stage was reached with respect to U removal due to increasing toxicity. However, in another experiment with 10% waste and 10% waste+10 ppm U treatments, plants showed an increase in U concentration with the maximum level approaching 426 μg g(-1) dw at 3 d without showing any toxicity as compared to that at 20% and 50% waste treatments. Hence, plants possessed significant potential to take up U and toxicity of LLNW limited their U removal ability. This implies that the use of Hydrilla plants for U removal from LLNW is feasible at low concentrations and would require repeated harvesting at short intervals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Leachate from market refuse and biomethanation study.

    PubMed

    Mukherjee, S N; Kumar, Sunil

    2007-12-01

    The market place is considered to be an important centre of daily life of campus community. In India, as in Europe and the USA, other forms of shopping have emerged significantly and now predominate, for instance department stores and supermarkets. Though, it is suffered from poor waste management, but the place could be a potential source for obtaining non-conventional energy. The present study examined the quality of market waste management of the Indian Institute of Technology Campus along with the feasibility of biogas production from leachate generated in the waste. Solid wastes from different storage locations of the market place were collected and analyzed. The characteristics of solid wastes were found to be degradable in nature. The wastes, composed of 85% of vegetable origin, were placed in a container and water was added to to generate leachate. The self-purification efficiency of leachate was also studied in the Indian environment and compared with research findings in the USA under an identical moisture application rate. Leachate characterization was investigated both under saturated and submerged conditions. The treatability of leachate was studied in a laboratory-scale up-flow anaerobic filter with hollow burnt clay rings as packing media. It was observed that 4,000-6,000 mg/l would be the optimum range of inlet chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration for leachate treatment because of the inhibitory effect of ammonia, sulphide, volatile fatty acids and toxic metals in high concentrations at higher strengths of leachate. The gas production rate was found to be at a maximum at 38 degrees C and containing 70-75% methane. From experimental data, it was revealed that 83% COD was removed with input COD concentration of 5,475 mg/l at 2 days hydraulic retention time with biogas yield coefficients of 0.61. The present study also investigated the removal efficiency of chloride, ammonia, sulphide and nitrate.

  7. Demonstration of the TRUEX process for partitioning of actinides from actual ICPP tank waste using centrifugal contactors in a shielded cell facility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Law, J.D.; Brewer, K.N.; Herbst, R.S.

    1996-09-01

    TRUEX is being evaluated at Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) for separating actinides from acidic radioactive waste stored at ICPP; efforts have culminated in a recent demonstration with actual tank waste. A continuous countercurrent flowsheet test was successfully completed at ICPP using waste from tank WM-183. This demonstration was performed using 24 states of 2-cm dia centrifugal contactors in the shielded hot cell at the ICPP Remote Analytical Laboratory. The flowsheet had 8 extraction stages, 5 scrub stages, 6 strip stages, 3 solvent wash stages, and 2 acid rinse stages. A centrifugal contactor stage in the scrub section was notmore » working during testing, and the scrub feed (aqueous) solution followed the solvent into the strip section, eliminating the scrub section in the flowsheet. An overall removal efficiency of 99.97% was obtained for the actinides, reducing the activity from 457 nCi/g in the feed to 0.12 nCi/g in the aqueous raffinate, well below the NRC Class A LLW requirement of 10 nCi/g for non-TRU waste.The 0.04 M HEDPA strip section back-extracted 99.9998% of the actinide from the TRUEX solvent. Removal efficiencies of >99. 90, 99.96, 99.98, >98.89, 93.3, and 89% were obtained for {sup 241}Am, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239}Pu, {sup 235}U, {sup 238}U, and {sup 99}Tc. Fe was partially extracted by the TRUEX solvent, resulting in 23% of the Fe exiting in the strip product. Hg was also extracted by the TRUEX solvent (73%) and stripped from the solvent in the 0.25 M Na2CO3 wash section. Only 1.4% of the Hg exited with the high activity waste strip product.« less

  8. Struvite crystallization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barak, Phillip W. (Inventor); Tabanpour, Menachem E. (Inventor); Meyer, Juliane M. (Inventor); Avila-Segura, Mauricio (Inventor)

    2007-01-01

    The present invention provides a method and apparatus for removing phosphorus from phosphorus containing waste. In one embodiment, the method is preferably carried out by contacting the phosphorus containing waste with a non-cellular membrane and precipitating phosphorus from the waste as struvite. Another aspect of the invention includes a method of removing phosphorus from phosphorus containing sewage comprising filtrates and biosolids. The removal of phosphorus as struvite occurs in two stages as primary and secondary removal. In the primary removal process, the sewage from a dewatering unit is contacted with a first polymeric membrane reactor and the phosphorus is removed as primary struvite. Subsequently Mg is added so as promote struvite formation and the secondary removal process of struvite. In the secondary removal process, the sewage from GBT Filtrate well or Centrifuge Liquor well is contacted with a second monomolecular membrane and the phosphorus is removed as secondary struvite.

  9. Precipitation process for the removal of technetium values from nuclear waste solutions

    DOEpatents

    Walker, D.D.; Ebra, M.A.

    1985-11-21

    High efficiency removal of techetium values from a nuclear waste stream is achieved by addition to the waste stream of a precipitant contributing tetraphenylphosphonium cation, such that a substantial portion of the technetium values are precipitated as an insoluble pertechnetate salt.

  10. Method for processing aqueous wastes

    DOEpatents

    Pickett, John B.; Martin, Hollis L.; Langton, Christine A.; Harley, Willie W.

    1993-01-01

    A method for treating waste water such as that from an industrial processing facility comprising the separation of the waste water into a dilute waste stream and a concentrated waste stream. The concentrated waste stream is treated chemically to enhance precipitation and then allowed to separate into a sludge and a supernate. The supernate is skimmed or filtered from the sludge and blended with the dilute waste stream to form a second dilute waste stream. The sludge remaining is mixed with cementitious material, rinsed to dissolve soluble components, then pressed to remove excess water and dissolved solids before being allowed to cure. The dilute waste stream is also chemically treated to decompose carbonate complexes and metal ions and then mixed with cationic polymer to cause the precipitated solids to flocculate. Filtration of the flocculant removes sufficient solids to allow the waste water to be discharged to the surface of a stream. The filtered material is added to the sludge of the concentrated waste stream. The method is also applicable to the treatment and removal of soluble uranium from aqueous streams, such that the treated stream may be used as a potable water supply.

  11. Getters for improved technetium containment in cementitious waste forms

    DOE PAGES

    Asmussen, R. Matthew; Pearce, Carolyn I.; Miller, Brian W.; ...

    2017-07-26

    A cementitious waste form, Cast Stone, is a possible candidate technology for the immobilization of low activity nuclear waste (LAW) at the Hanford site. This paper focuses on the addition of getter materials to Cast Stone that can sequester Tc from the LAW, and in turn, lower Tc release from the Cast Stone. Two getters which produce different products upon sequestering Tc from LAW were tested: Sn(II) apatite (Sn-A) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-oxide and potassium metal sulfide (KMS-2) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-sulfide species, allowing for a comparison of stability of the form of Tc upon enteringmore » the waste form. The Cast Stone with KMS-2 getter had the best performance with addition equivalent to ~0.08 wt% of the total waste form mass. The observed diffusion (D obs) of Tc decreased from 4.6 ± 0.2 × 10 -12 cm 2/s for Cast Stone that did not contain a getter to 5.4 ± 0.4 × 10 -13 cm 2/s for KMS-2 containing Cast Stone. Finally, it was found that Tc-sulfide species are more stable against re-oxidation within getter containing Cast Stone compared with Tc-oxide and is the origin of the decrease in Tc D obs when using the KMS-2.« less

  12. Getters for improved technetium containment in cementitious waste forms.

    PubMed

    Asmussen, R Matthew; Pearce, Carolyn I; Miller, Brian W; Lawter, Amanda R; Neeway, James J; Lukens, Wayne W; Bowden, Mark E; Miller, Micah A; Buck, Edgar C; Serne, R Jeffery; Qafoku, Nikolla P

    2018-01-05

    A cementitious waste form, Cast Stone, is a possible candidate technology for the immobilization of low activity nuclear waste (LAW) at the Hanford site. This work focuses on the addition of getter materials to Cast Stone that can sequester Tc from the LAW, and in turn, lower Tc release from the Cast Stone. Two getters which produce different products upon sequestering Tc from LAW were tested: Sn(II) apatite (Sn-A) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-oxide and potassium metal sulfide (KMS-2) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-sulfide species, allowing for a comparison of stability of the form of Tc upon entering the waste form. The Cast Stone with KMS-2 getter had the best performance with addition equivalent to ∼0.08wt% of the total waste form mass. The observed diffusion (D obs ) of Tc decreased from 4.6±0.2×10 -12 cm 2 /s for Cast Stone that did not contain a getter to 5.4±0.4×10 -13 cm 2 /s for KMS-2 containing Cast Stone. It was found that Tc-sulfide species are more stable against re-oxidation within getter containing Cast Stone compared with Tc-oxide and is the origin of the decrease in Tc D obs when using the KMS-2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. 40 CFR 270.230 - May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... assumed to be in compliance with this requirement. (e) These alternative locations are remediation waste... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the area where the remediation wastes originated...

  14. 40 CFR 270.230 - May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... assumed to be in compliance with this requirement. (e) These alternative locations are remediation waste... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the area where the remediation wastes originated...

  15. Photochemical oxidation: A solution for the mixed waste dilemma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Prellberg, J.W.; Thornton, L.M.; Cheuvront, D.A.

    1995-12-31

    Numerous technologies are available to remove organic contamination from water or wastewater. A variety of techniques also exist that are used to neutralize radioactive waste. However, few technologies can satisfactorily address the treatment of mixed organic/radioactive waste without creating unacceptable secondary waste products or resulting in extremely high treatment costs. An innovative solution to the mixed waste problem is on-site photochemical oxidation. Liquid-phase photochemical oxidation has a long- standing history of successful application to the destruction of organic compounds. By using photochemical oxidation, the organic contaminants are destroyed on-site leaving the water, with radionuclides, that can be reused or disposedmore » of as appropriate. This technology offers advantages that include zero air emissions, no solid or liquid waste formation, and relatively low treatment cost. Discussion of the photochemical process will be described, and several case histories from recent design testing, including cost analyses for the resulting full-scale installations, will be presented as examples.« less

  16. Short mechanical biological treatment of municipal solid waste allows landfill impact reduction saving waste energy content.

    PubMed

    Scaglia, Barbara; Salati, Silvia; Di Gregorio, Alessandra; Carrera, Alberto; Tambone, Fulvia; Adani, Fabrizio

    2013-09-01

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of full scale MBT process (28 d) in removing inhibition condition for successive biogas (ABP) production in landfill and in reducing total waste impact. For this purpose the organic fraction of MSW was treated in a full-scale MBT plant and successively incubated vs. untreated waste, in simulated landfills for one year. Results showed that untreated landfilled-waste gave a total ABP reduction that was null. On the contrary MBT process reduced ABP of 44%, but successive incubation for one year in landfill gave a total ABP reduction of 86%. This ABP reduction corresponded to a MBT process of 22 weeks length, according to the predictive regression developed for ABP reduction vs. MBT-time. Therefore short MBT allowed reducing landfill impact, preserving energy content (ABP) to be produced successively by bioreactor technology since pre-treatment avoided process inhibition because of partial waste biostabilization. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Determination of biological removal of recalcitrant organic contaminants in coal gasification waste water.

    PubMed

    Ji, Qinhong; Tabassum, Salma; Yu, Guangxin; Chu, Chunfeng; Zhang, Zhenjia

    2015-01-01

    Coal gasification waste water treatment needed a sustainable and affordable plan to eliminate the organic contaminants in order to lower the potential environmental and human health risk. In this paper, a laboratory-scale anaerobic-aerobic intermittent system carried out 66 operational cycles together for the treatment of coal gasification waste water and the removal capacity of each organic pollutant. Contaminants included phenols, carboxylic acids, long-chain hydrocarbons, and heterocyclic compounds, wherein the relative content of phenol is up to 57.86%. The long-term removal of 77 organic contaminants was evaluated at different hydraulic retention time (anaerobic24 h + aerobic48 h and anaerobic48 h +aerobic48 h). Contaminant removal ranged from no measurable removal to near-complete removal with effluent concentrations below the detection limit. Contaminant removals followed one of four trends: steady-state removal throughout, increasing removal to steady state (acclimation), decreasing removal, and no removal. Organic degradation and transformation in the reaction were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technology.

  18. PROCESSING ALTERNATIVES FOR DESTRUCTION OF TETRAPHENYLBORATE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lambert, D; Thomas Peters, T; Samuel Fink, S

    Two processes were chosen in the 1980's at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to decontaminate the soluble High Level Waste (HLW). The In Tank Precipitation (ITP) process (1,2) was developed at SRS for the removal of radioactive cesium and actinides from the soluble HLW. Sodium tetraphenylborate was added to the waste to precipitate cesium and monosodium titanate (MST) was added to adsorb actinides, primarily uranium and plutonium. Two products of this process were a low activity waste stream and a concentrated organic stream containing cesium tetraphenylborate and actinides adsorbed on monosodium titanate (MST). A copper catalyzed acid hydrolysis process wasmore » built to process (3, 4) the Tank 48H cesium tetraphenylborate waste in the SRS's Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Operation of the DWPF would have resulted in the production of benzene for incineration in SRS's Consolidated Incineration Facility. This process was abandoned together with the ITP process in 1998 due to high benzene in ITP caused by decomposition of excess sodium tetraphenylborate. Processing in ITP resulted in the production of approximately 1.0 million liters of HLW. SRS has chosen a solvent extraction process combined with adsorption of the actinides to decontaminate the soluble HLW stream (5). However, the waste in Tank 48H is incompatible with existing waste processing facilities. As a result, a processing facility is needed to disposition the HLW in Tank 48H. This paper will describe the process for searching for processing options by SRS task teams for the disposition of the waste in Tank 48H. In addition, attempts to develop a caustic hydrolysis process for in tank destruction of tetraphenylborate will be presented. Lastly, the development of both a caustic and acidic copper catalyzed peroxide oxidation process will be discussed.« less

  19. Improve protective clothing and reduce radwaste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johnstone, G.A.; Fryer, J.; Smith, J.M.

    1995-12-31

    Nuclear power plants have been reducing radioactive waste production through aggressive volume reduction and control at the point of generation. Waste reduction efforts may, however, have reached a plateau. Certain items, such as protective clothing, are a necessary part of plant operations and cannot be eliminated. There are more than 800,000 sets of protective clothing currently in use at U.S. nuclear plants. Since up to 25% of these garments are removed from service each year, spent protective wear accounts for {approximately}100,000 ft{sup 3} of prevolume reduced waste annually. Furthermore, up to 10% of dry active waste produced at commercial powermore » reactor sites is comprised of exhausted protective clothing and related goods. This report describes the design of protective clothing which lasts longer and is lighter than traditional fabrics.« less

  20. Removal of arsenic from aqueous solutions using waste iron columns inoculated with iron bacteria.

    PubMed

    Azhdarpoor, Abooalfazl; Nikmanesh, Roya; Samaei, Mohammad Reza

    2015-01-01

    Arsenic contamination of water resources is one of the serious risks threatening natural ecosystems and human health. This study investigates arsenic removal using a waste iron column with and without iron bacteria in continuous and batch phases. In batch experiments, the effects of pH, contact time, initial concentration of arsenic and adsorbent dose were investigated. Results indicated that the highest arsenate removal efficiency occurred at pH 7 (96.76%). On increasing the amount of waste iron from 0.25 to 1 g, the removal rate changed from about 42.37%-96.70%. The results of continuous experiments on the column containing waste iron showed that as the empty bed contact time increased from 5 to 60 min, the secondary arsenate concentration changed from 23 to 6 µg/l. In experiments involving a waste iron column with iron bacteria, an increase in residence time from 5 to 60 min decreased the secondary arsenate concentration from 14.97 to 4.86 µg/l. The results of this study showed that waste iron containing iron bacteria is a good adsorbent for removal of arsenic from contaminated water.

  1. A Leptolyngbya-based microbial consortium for agro-industrial wastewaters treatment and biodiesel production.

    PubMed

    Tsolcha, Olga N; Tekerlekopoulou, Athanasia G; Akratos, Christos S; Antonopoulou, Georgia; Aggelis, George; Genitsaris, Savvas; Moustaka-Gouni, Maria; Vayenas, Dimitrios V

    2018-04-22

    A mixed cyanobacterial-mixotrophic algal population, dominated by the filamentous cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. and the microalga Ochromonas (which contributed to the total photosynthetic population with rates of less than 5%), was studied under non-aseptic conditions for its efficiency to remove organic and inorganic compounds from different types of wastes/wastewaters while simultaneously producing lipids. Second cheese whey, poplar sawdust, and grass hydrolysates were used in lab-scale experiments, in photobioreactors that operated under aerobic conditions with different initial nutrient (C, N and P) concentrations. Nutrient removal rates, biomass productivity, and the maximum oil production rates were determined. The highest lipid production was achieved using the biologically treated dairy effluent (up to 14.8% oil in dry biomass corresponding to 124 mg L -1 ) which also led to high nutrient removal rates (up to 94%). Lipids synthesized by the microbial consortium contained high percentages of saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (up to 75% in total lipids) for all the substrates tested, which implies that the produced biomass may be harnessed as a source of biodiesel.

  2. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Herman, D.

    The Savannah River Site (SRS) Actinide Removal Process has been processing salt waste since 2008. This process includes a filtration step in the 512-S facility. Initial operations included the addition, or strike, of monosodium titanate (MST) to remove soluble actinides and strontium. The added MST and any entrained sludge solids were then separated from the supernate by cross flow filtration. During this time, the filter operations have, on many occasions, been the bottleneck process limiting the rate of salt processing. Recently, 512-S- has started operations utilizing “No-MST” where the MST actinide removal strike was not performed and the supernate wasmore » simply pre-filtered prior to Cs removal processing. Direct filtration of decanted tank supernate, as demonstrated in 512-S, is the proposed method of operation for the Hanford Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) facility. Processing decanted supernate without MST solids has been demonstrated for cross flow filtration to provide a significant improvement in production with the SRS Salt Batches 8 and 9 feed chemistries. The average filtration rate for the first 512-S batch processing cycle using No-MST has increased filtrate production by over 35% of the historical average. The increase was sustained for more than double the amount of filtrate batches processed before cleaning of the filter was necessary. While there are differences in the design of the 512-S and Hanford filter systems, the 512-S system should provide a reasonable indication of LAWPS filter performance with similar feed properties. Based on the data from the 512-S facility and with favorable feed properties, the LAWPS filter, as currently sized at over twice the size of the 512-S filter (532 square feet filtration area versus 235 square feet), has the potential to provide sustained filtrate production at the upper range of the planned LAWPS production rate of 17 gpm.« less

  3. Electrolytic Removal of Nitrate From CELSS Crop Residues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Colon, Guillermo; Sager, John

    1996-01-01

    The controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) resource recovery system is a waste processing system using aerobic and anaerobic bioreactors to recover plant nutrients and secondary foods from inedible biomass. Crop residues contain significant amounts of nitrate which presents two problems: (1) both CELSS biomass production and resource recovery consume large quantities of nitric acid, (2) nitrate causes a variety of problems in both aerobic and anaerobic bioreactors. A technique was proposed to remove the nitrate from potato inedible biomass leachate and to satisfy the nitric acid demand using a four compartment electrolytic cell.

  4. Control of infection in an international airline.

    PubMed

    Kelly, M

    1993-05-01

    The paper examines the possible sources of infection on an international aircraft, including the provision of food, the supply of drinking water, and the removal of waste. It considers aspects of control, and explains some of the steps which have to be taken by a major international carrier to ensure that the high quality expected by the customer is provided in all areas of the world, even those where natural resources and expertise may be limited. The emphasis is on providing a safe product, and removing any possible risk of infection of the passengers.

  5. Anaerobic microbial dissolution of lead and production of organic acids

    DOEpatents

    Francis, A.J.; Dodge, C.; Chendrayan, K.; Quinby, H.L.

    1987-04-16

    The present invention related to an anaerobic bacterial culture of Clostridium sp. ATCC No. 53464 which solubilizes lead oxide under anaerobic conditions in coal and industrial wastes and therefore presents a method of removing lead from such wastes before they are dumped into the environment. The rat of lead dissolution during logarithmic growth of the bacteria in 40 ml medium containing 3.32 ..mu..moles of lead as lead oxide was 0.042 ..mu..moles m1/sup /-/1/ hr/sup /-/1/. Dissolution of lead oxide by the bacterial isolate is due to the production of metabolites and acidity in the culture medium. The major metabolites are acetic, butyric and lactic acid. The major metabolites are acetic, butyric and lactic acid. Clostridium sp. ATCC No. 53464 can be used in the recovery of the strategic metals from ores and wastes and also for the production of lactic acid for commercial purposes. The process yields large quantities of lactic acid as well as lead complexed in a stable form with said acids. 4 figs., 3 tabs.

  6. Utilization of solid and liquid waste generated during ethanol fermentation process for production of gaseous fuel through anaerobic digestion--a zero waste approach.

    PubMed

    Narra, Madhuri; Balasubramanian, Velmurugan

    2015-03-01

    Preliminary investigations were performed in the laboratory using batch reactors at 10% solid concentration for the assessment of the biogas production at thermophilic and mesophilic temperatures using solid residues generated during ethanol fermentation process. One kg of solid residues (left after enzyme extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis) from thermophilic reactors (TR1 and TR2) produced around 131 and 84L of biogas, respectively, whereas biogas production from mesophilic reactors (MR1 and MR2) was 86 and 62L, respectively. After 20 and 35days of retention time, the TS and VS reductions from TR1, TR2 and MR1, MR2 were found to be 39.2% and 35.0%, 67.3% and 61.0%, 21.0% and 18.0%, 34.7% and 27.8%, respectively. Whereas the liquid waste was treated using four laboratory anaerobic hybrid reactors (AHRs) with two different natural and synthetic packing media at 15-3days HRTs. AHRs packed with natural media showed better COD removal efficiency and methane yield. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Chemical and toxicological evaluation of transformation products during advanced oxidation processes.

    PubMed

    vom Eyser, C; Börgers, A; Richard, J; Dopp, E; Janzen, N; Bester, K; Tuerk, J

    2013-01-01

    The entry of pharmaceuticals into the water cycle from sewage treatment plants is of growing concern because environmental effects are evident at trace levels. Ozonation, UV- and UV/H(2)O(2)-treatment were tested as an additional step in waste water treatment because they have been proven to be effective in eliminating aqueous organic contaminants. The pharmaceuticals carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, diclofenac, metoprolol and sulfamethoxazole as well as the personal care products galaxolide and tonalide were investigated in terms of degradation efficiency and by-product formation in consideration of toxic effects. The substances were largely removed from treatment plant effluent by ozonation, UV- and UV/H(2)O(2)-treatment. Transformation products were detected in all tested treatment processes. Accompanying analysis showed no genotoxic, cytotoxic or estrogenic potential for the investigated compounds after oxidative treatment of real waste waters. The results indicate that by-product formation from ozonation and advanced oxidation processes does not have any negative environmental impact.

  8. Effect of moisture content on fed batch composting reactor of vegetable and fruit wastes.

    PubMed

    Jolanun, B; Tripetchkul, S; Chiemchaisri, C; Chaiprasert, P; Towprayoon, S

    2005-03-01

    Vegetable and fruit wastes mixed with sawdust were composted in a laboratory scale reactor by controlling the waste feeding rate at 21 kg m(-3) day(-1) and aeration rate at 10.6 l m(-3) min(-1). The effects of initial moisture content on organic matter degradation and process performance of fed batch composting were investigated. The absolute amount of removal, removal percentage, and removal rate of dry mass obtained were substantially different among the initial moisture contents. The rapid rise of moisture content and the lowest absolute amount of removal observed were achieved in the 50% condition. The initial moisture content yielding the largest absolute amount of removal in both feeding and curing stage was 30% whereas the removal percentage and rate constant of waste decomposition were highest in the 50% condition. Examined by traditional soil physics method, the moisture content at 50-55% was suitable for satisfying the degree of free air space (65-70%) of compost during the fed batch composting. Most degradable organic matter was mainly consumed in the feeding stage as indicated by a higher removal rate of dry mass in all cases. It is recommended that the initial moisture content of 30% and mode of aeration and agitation should be adopted for achieving practical fed batch composting of vegetable and fruit wastes. The study also demonstrated that the composting kinetics of vegetable and fruit wastes mixed with sawdust can be described by a first order model.

  9. Development of an Alternative Treatment Scheme for Sr/TRU Removal: Permanganate Treatment of AN-107 Waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    RT Hallen; SA Bryan; FV Hoopes

    A number of Hanford tanks received waste containing organic complexants, which increase the volubility of Sr-90 and transuranic (TRU) elements. Wastes from these tanks require additional pretreatment to remove Sr-90 and TRU for immobilization as low activity waste (Waste Envelope C). The baseline pretreatment process for Sr/TRU removal was isotopic exchange and precipitation with added strontium and iron. However, studies at both Battelle and Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) have shown that the Sr/Fe precipitates were very difficult to filter. This was a result of the formation of poor filtering iron solids. An alternate treatment technology was needed for Sr/TRUmore » removal. Battelle had demonstrated that permanganate treatment was effective for decontaminating waste samples from Hanford Tank SY-101 and proposed that permanganate be examined as an alternative Sr/TRU removal scheme for complexant-containing tank wastes such as AW107. Battelle conducted preliminary small-scale experiments to determine the effectiveness of permanganate treatment with AN-107 waste samples that had been archived at Battelle from earlier studies. Three series of experiments were performed to evaluate conditions that provided adequate Sr/TRU decontamination using permanganate treatment. The final series included experiments with actual AN-107 diluted feed that had been obtained specifically for BNFL process testing. Conditions that provided adequate Sr/TRU decontamination were identified. A free hydroxide concentration of 0.5M provided adequate decontamination with added Sr of 0.05M and permanganate of 0.03M for archived AN-107. The best results were obtained when reagents were added in the sequence Sr followed by permanganate with the waste at ambient temperature. The reaction conditions for Sr/TRU removal will be further evaluated with a 1-L batch of archived AN-107, which will provide a large enough volume of waste to conduct crossflow filtration studies (Hallen et al. 2000a).« less

  10. Air ionization as a control technology for off-gas emissions of volatile organic compounds.

    PubMed

    Kim, Ki-Hyun; Szulejko, Jan E; Kumar, Pawan; Kwon, Eilhann E; Adelodun, Adedeji A; Reddy, Police Anil Kumar

    2017-06-01

    High energy electron-impact ionizers have found applications mainly in industry to reduce off-gas emissions from waste gas streams at low cost and high efficiency because of their ability to oxidize many airborne organic pollutants (e.g., volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) to CO 2 and H 2 O. Applications of air ionizers in indoor air quality management are limited due to poor removal efficiency and production of noxious side products, e.g., ozone (O 3 ). In this paper, we provide a critical evaluation of the pollutant removal performance of air ionizing system through comprehensive review of the literature. In particular, we focus on removal of VOCs and odorants. We also discuss the generation of unwanted air ionization byproducts such as O 3 , NOx, and VOC oxidation intermediates that limit the use of air-ionizers in indoor air quality management. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. 40 CFR 270.230 - May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May I perform remediation waste management activities under a RAP at a location removed from the area where the remediation wastes originated... Plans (RAPs) Obtaining A Rap for An Off-Site Location § 270.230 May I perform remediation waste...

  12. Database Assessment of the Health and Environmental Effects of Munition Production Waste Products

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-08-01

    manufacture heavy metals are apparently leached P from the nitrating vessels as a result of the action of the nitrating acid mixture. Attempts to remove...characterize these inorganic pollu- tants, but two reports (Chen et al. 1981 and Ribaudo et al. 1981) iden- tify heavy metals and inorganic ions present...in wastewater effluents from munition plants. Three of the heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, and copper) are of concern because of their known toxic

  13. Stimulation of the anaerobic digestion of the dry organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with carbon-based conductive materials.

    PubMed

    Dang, Yan; Sun, Dezhi; Woodard, Trevor L; Wang, Li-Ying; Nevin, Kelly P; Holmes, Dawn E

    2017-08-01

    Growth of bacterial and archaeal species capable of interspecies electron exchange was stimulated by addition of conductive materials (carbon cloth or granular activated carbon (GAC)) to anaerobic digesters treating dog food (a substitute for the dry-organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW)). Methane production (772-1428mmol vs <80mmol), volatile solids removal (78%-81% vs 54%-64%) and COD removal efficiencies (∼80% vs 20%-30%) were all significantly higher in reactors amended with GAC or carbon cloth than controls. OFMSW degradation was also significantly accelerated and VFA concentrations were substantially lower in reactors amended with conductive materials. These results suggest that both conductive materials (carbon cloth and GAC) can promote conversion of OFMSW to methane even in the presence of extremely high VFA concentrations (∼500mM). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. And never the twain shall meet? Integrating revenue cycle and supply chain functions.

    PubMed

    Matjucha, Karen A; Chung, Bianca

    2008-09-01

    Four initial steps to implementing a profit and loss management model are: Identify the supplies clinicians are using. Empower stakeholders to remove items that are not commonly used. Reduce factors driving wasted product. Review the chargemaster to ensure that supplies used in selected procedures are represented. Strategically set prices that optimize maximum allowable reimbursement.

  15. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Asmussen, R. Matthew; Pearce, Carolyn I.; Miller, Brian W.

    A cementitious waste form, Cast Stone, is a possible candidate technology for the immobilization of low activity nuclear waste (LAW) at the Hanford site. This paper focuses on the addition of getter materials to Cast Stone that can sequester Tc from the LAW, and in turn, lower Tc release from the Cast Stone. Two getters which produce different products upon sequestering Tc from LAW were tested: Sn(II) apatite (Sn-A) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-oxide and potassium metal sulfide (KMS-2) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-sulfide species, allowing for a comparison of stability of the form of Tc upon enteringmore » the waste form. The Cast Stone with KMS-2 getter had the best performance with addition equivalent to ~0.08 wt% of the total waste form mass. The observed diffusion (D obs) of Tc decreased from 4.6 ± 0.2 × 10 -12 cm 2/s for Cast Stone that did not contain a getter to 5.4 ± 0.4 × 10 -13 cm 2/s for KMS-2 containing Cast Stone. Finally, it was found that Tc-sulfide species are more stable against re-oxidation within getter containing Cast Stone compared with Tc-oxide and is the origin of the decrease in Tc D obs when using the KMS-2.« less

  16. Removal of brominated flame retardant from electrical and electronic waste plastic by solvothermal technique.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Cong-Cong; Zhang, Fu-Shen

    2012-06-30

    Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in electrical and electronic (E&E) waste plastic are toxic, bioaccumulative and recalcitrant. In the present study, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) contained in this type of plastic was tentatively subjected to solvothermal treatment so as to obtain bromine-free plastic. Methanol, ethanol and isopropanol were examined as solvents for solvothermal treatment and it was found that methanol was the optimal solvent for TBBPA removal. The optimum temperature, time and liquid to solid ratio for solvothermal treatment to remove TBBPA were 90°C, 2h and 15:1, respectively. After the treatment with various alcohol solvents, it was found that TBBPA was finally transferred into the solvents and bromine in the extract was debrominated catalyzed by metallic copper. Bisphenol A and cuprous bromide were the main products after debromination. The morphology and FTIR properties of the plastic were generally unchanged after the solvothermal treatment indicating that the structure of the plastic maintained after the process. This work provides a clean and applicable process for BFRs-containing plastic disposal. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 1): Baird and McGuire, MA. (Third remedial action), September 1989

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1989-09-14

    The Baird and McGuire site is a former chemical manufacturing facility in northwest Holbrook, Massachusetts, approximately 14 miles south of Boston. From 1912 to 1983 the company operated a chemical manufacturing and batching facility on the property. Manufactured products included herbicides, pesticides, disinfectants, soaps, floor waxes and solvents. Waste disposal methods at the site included direct discharge into the soil, nearby brook and wetlands, and a former gravel pit (now covered) in the eastern portion of the site. EPA conducted a removal action at the site in 1983 after a waste lagoon overflowed spreading contaminants into the Cochato River. Themore » company ceased operating shortly thereafter. A second removal action was conducted in 1985, following the discovery of dioxin in site soils. EPA also conducted an Initial Remedial Measure at the site from 1985 through 1987 which involved constructing a new water main to direct water away from the site, removing building structures, and installing a temporary cap. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the sediment are organics including PAHs and pesticides, and metals including arsenic.« less

  18. Performance of calcium peroxide for removal of endocrine-disrupting compounds in waste activated sludge and promotion of sludge solubilization.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ai; Wang, Jie; Li, Yongmei

    2015-03-15

    Removal of six phenolic endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) (estrone, 17β-estradiol, 17α-ethinylestradiol, estriol, bisphenol A, and 4-nonylphenols) from waste activated sludge (WAS) was investigated using calcium peroxide (CaO2) oxidation. Effects of initial pH and CaO2 dosage were investigated. The impacts of CaO2 treatment on sludge solubilization and anaerobic digestion were also evaluated. Specifically, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in EDC degradation during CaO2 oxidation was tested. Effects of 6 metal ions contained in the sludge matrix on EDC degradation were also evaluated. The results showed that CaO2 treatment can be a promising technology for EDC removal and facilitating sludge reuse. The EDC removal efficiencies increased with the increase in CaO2 dosage. At CaO2 doses of more than 0.34 g per gram of total solid (g g(-1) TS), more than 50% of EDCs were removed in a wide pH range of 2-12. Higher removal efficiencies were achieved at initial pH values of 12 and 2. The products of EDCs during CaO2 oxidation had less estrogenic activity than the originals. Under the conditions of neutral pH and CaO2 dosage = 0.34 g g(-1) TS, the sludge solubilization can be improved by increasing the soluble total organic carbon (STOC) and volatile suspended solids (VSS) reduction by 25% and 27% in 7 d, respectively; the volatile fatty acid (VFA) production was enhanced by 96% in the 15 d following anaerobic digestion. The ROS released by CaO2 are the main factors contributing to EDC removal, among which, hydroxyl radicals (OH) play the most important role. Metal ions contained in the sludge matrix also affected EDC removal. For most cases, Fe, Cu, and Zn had positive effects; Mn and Ag had negative effects; and Mg had an insignificant effect on EDC removal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Enhancement of lipase catalyzed-fatty acid methyl esters production from waste activated bleaching earth by nullification of lipase inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Dwiarti, Lies; Ali, Ehsan; Park, Enoch Y

    2010-01-01

    This study sought to identify inhibitory factors of lipase catalyzed-fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) production from waste activated bleaching earth (wABE). During the vegetable oil refinery process, activated bleaching earth (ABE) is used for removing the impure compounds, but adsorbs vegetable oil up to 35-40% as on a weight basis, and then the wABE is discarded as waste material. The impurities were extracted from the wABE with methanol and evaluated by infra-red (IR) spectroscopy, which revealed that some were chlorophyll-plant pigments. The chlorophylls inhibited the lipase during FAME conversion from wABE. The inhibition by a mixture of chlorophyll a and b was found to be competitive. The inhibition of the enzymatic hydrolysis of waste vegetable oil contained in wABE by chlorophyll a alone was competitive, while the inhibition by chlorophyll b alone was non-competitive. Furthermore, the addition of a small amount of alkali nullified this inhibitory effect and accelerated the FAME production rate. When 0.9% KOH (w/w wABE) was added to the transesterification reaction with only 0.05% lipase (w/w wABE), the maximum FAME production rate improved 120-fold, as compared to that without the addition of KOH. The alkali-combined lipase significantly enhanced the FAME production rate from wABE, in spite of the presence of the plant pigments, and even when a lower amount of lipase was used as a catalyst.

  20. Nitrite addition to acidified sludge significantly improves digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Fangzhou; Keller, Jürg; Yuan, Zhiguo; Batstone, Damien J.; Freguia, Stefano; Pikaar, Ilje

    2016-12-01

    Sludge management is a major issue for water utilities globally. Poor digestibility and dewaterability are the main factors determining the cost for sludge management, whereas pathogen and toxic metal concentrations limit beneficial reuse. In this study, the effects of low level nitrite addition to acidified sludge to simultaneously enhance digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction were investigated. Waste activated sludge (WAS) from a full-scale waste water treatment plant was treated at pH 2 with 10 mg NO2--N/L for 5 h. Biochemical methane potential tests showed an increase in the methane production of 28%, corresponding to an improvement from 247 ± 8 L CH4/kg VS to 317 ± 1 L CH4/kg VS. The enhanced removal of toxic metals further increased the methane production by another 18% to 360 ± 6 L CH4/kg VS (a total increase of 46%). The solids content of dewatered sludge increased from 14.6 ± 1.4% in the control to 18.2 ± 0.8%. A 4-log reduction for both total coliforms and E. coli was achieved. Overall, this study highlights the potential of acidification with low level nitrite addition as an effective and simple method achieving multiple improvements in terms of sludge management.

  1. Two-stage conversion of crude glycerol to energy using dark fermentation linked with microbial fuel cell or microbial electrolysis cell.

    PubMed

    Chookaew, Teera; Prasertsan, Poonsuk; Ren, Zhiyong Jason

    2014-03-25

    Crude glycerol is a main byproduct of the biodiesel industry, and the beneficial use of waste glycerol has been a major challenge. This study characterises the conversion of crude glycerol into bioenergy such as H2 and electricity using a two-stage process linking dark fermentation with a microbial fuel cell (MFC) or microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). The results showed that fermentation achieved a maximum H2 rate of 332 mL/L and a yield of 0.55 mol H2/mol glycerol, accompanied by 20% of organic removal. Fed with the raw fermentation products with an initial COD of 7610 mg/L, a two-chamber MFC produced 92 mW/m(2) in power density and removed 50% of COD. The Columbic efficiency was 14%. When fed with 50% diluted fermentation product, a similar power output (90m W/m(2)) and COD removal (49%) were obtained, but the CE doubled to 27%. Similar substrates were used to produce H2 in two-chamber MECs, and the diluted influent had a higher performance, with the highest yield at 106 mL H2/g COD and a CE of 24%. These results demonstrate that dark fermentation linked with MFC/MEC can be a feasible option for conversion of waste glycerol into bioenergy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Nitrite addition to acidified sludge significantly improves digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction

    PubMed Central

    Du, Fangzhou; Keller, Jürg; Yuan, Zhiguo; Batstone, Damien J.; Freguia, Stefano; Pikaar, Ilje

    2016-01-01

    Sludge management is a major issue for water utilities globally. Poor digestibility and dewaterability are the main factors determining the cost for sludge management, whereas pathogen and toxic metal concentrations limit beneficial reuse. In this study, the effects of low level nitrite addition to acidified sludge to simultaneously enhance digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction were investigated. Waste activated sludge (WAS) from a full-scale waste water treatment plant was treated at pH 2 with 10 mg NO2−-N/L for 5 h. Biochemical methane potential tests showed an increase in the methane production of 28%, corresponding to an improvement from 247 ± 8 L CH4/kg VS to 317 ± 1 L CH4/kg VS. The enhanced removal of toxic metals further increased the methane production by another 18% to 360 ± 6 L CH4/kg VS (a total increase of 46%). The solids content of dewatered sludge increased from 14.6 ± 1.4% in the control to 18.2 ± 0.8%. A 4-log reduction for both total coliforms and E. coli was achieved. Overall, this study highlights the potential of acidification with low level nitrite addition as an effective and simple method achieving multiple improvements in terms of sludge management. PMID:28004811

  3. Sequential anaerobic/aerobic digestion of waste activated sludge: analysis of the process performance and kinetic study.

    PubMed

    Tomei, M Concetta; Rita, Sara; Mininni, Giuseppe

    2011-12-15

    Sequential anaerobic-aerobic digestion was applied to waste activated sludge (WAS) of a full scale wastewater treatment plant. The study was performed with the objective of testing the sequential digestion process on WAS, which is characterized by worse digestibility in comparison with the mixed sludge. Process performance was evaluated in terms of biogas production, volatile solids (VS) and COD reduction, and patterns of biopolymers (proteins and polysaccharides) in the subsequent digestion stages. VS removal efficiency of 40%, in the anaerobic phase, and an additional removal of 26%, in the aerobic one, were observed. For total COD removal efficiencies of 35% and 25% for anaerobic and aerobic stage respectively, were obtained. Kinetics of VS degradation process was analyzed by assuming a first order equation with respect to VS concentration. Evaluated kinetic parameters were 0.44 ± 0.20 d(-1) and 0.25 ± 0.15 d(-1) for the anaerobic stage and aerobic stage, respectively. With regard to biopolymers, in the anaerobic phase the content of proteins and polysaccharides increased to 50% and 69%, respectively, whereas in the subsequent aerobic phase, a decrease of 71% for proteins and 67% for polysaccharides was observed. The average specific biogas production 0.74 m(3)/(kg VS destroyed), was in the range of values reported in the specialized literature for conventional anaerobic mesophilic WAS digestion. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Health physics challenges involved with opening a "seventeen-inch" concrete waste vault.

    PubMed

    Sullivan, Patrick T; Pizzulli, Michelle

    2005-05-01

    This paper describes the various activities involved with opening a sealed legacy "Seventeen-inch" concrete vault and the health physics challenges and solutions employed. As part of a legacy waste stream that was removed from the former Hazardous Waste Management Facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the "Seventeen-inch" concrete vault labeled 1-95 was moved to the new Waste Management Facility for ultimate disposal. Because the vault contained 239Pu foils with a total activity in excess of the transuranic waste limits, the foils needed to be removed and repackaged for disposal. Conventional diamond wire saws could not be used because of facility constraints, so this project relied mainly on manual techniques. The planning and engineering controls put in place enabled personnel to open the vault and remove the waste while keeping dose as low as reasonably achievable.

  5. Separation of motor oils, oily wastes and hydrocarbons from contaminated water by sorption on chrome shavings.

    PubMed

    Gammoun, A; Tahiri, S; Albizane, A; Azzi, M; Moros, J; Garrigues, S; de la Guardia, M

    2007-06-25

    In this paper, the ability of chrome shavings to remove motor oils, oily wastes and hydrocarbons from water has been studied. To determine amount of hydrocarbons sorbed on tanned wastes, a FT-NIR methodology was used and a multivariate calibration based on partial least squares (PLS) was employed for data treatment. The light density, porous tanned waste granules float on the surface of water and remove hydrocarbons and oil films. Wastes fibers from tannery industry have high sorption capacity. These tanned solid wastes are capable of absorbing many times their weight in oil or hydrocarbons (6.5-7.6g of oil and 6.3g of hydrocarbons per gram of chrome shavings). The removal efficiency of the pollutants from water is complete. The sorption of pollutants is a quasi-instantaneous process.

  6. Electrokinetic removal of charged contaminant species from soil and other media using moderately conductive adsorptive materials

    DOEpatents

    Lindgren, Eric R.; Mattson, Earl D.

    2001-01-01

    Method for collecting and concentrating charged species, specifically, contaminant species in a medium, preferably soil. The method utilizes electrokinesis to drive contaminant species into and through a bed adjacent to a drive electrode. The bed comprises a moderately electrically conductive adsorbent material which is porous and is infused with water or other solvent capable of conducting electrical current. The bed material, preferably activated carbon, is easily removed and disposed of. Preferably, where activated carbon is used, after contaminant species are collected and concentrated, the mixture of activated carbon and contaminant species is removed and burned to form a stable and easily disposable waste product.

  7. The growth and lipid accumulation of Scenedesmus quadricauda during batch mixotrophic/heterotrophic cultivation using xylose as a carbon source.

    PubMed

    Song, Mingming; Pei, Haiyan

    2018-05-10

    To overcome the bottlenecks of high cost and low production yields that restrict the commercial production of microalgae biodiesel, the use of xylose was evaluate by Scenedesmus quadricauda FACHB-1297, which was shown to be capable of mixotrophic and heterotrophic growth and lipid production on xylose, rich in the waste streams from pulp and paper industry, with increases in lipid productivities of 35.8-fold (mixotrophic) and 9.2-fold (heterotrophic) in comparison to photoautotrophic lipid yields. Five doses of xylose were tested to determine the effects and mechanisms of the carbon source on microalgae in mixotrophic mode. At the optimal xylose dosage of 4 g/L, the highest lipid content (38.61%) and productivity (139.55 mg/L/d) were achieved besides maximum biomass productivity (361.4 mg/L/d), nutrient removal efficiency of 68.4% (nitrogen), 97.2% (phosphorus) and 35.2% (xylose). Those indicated that S. quadricauda FACHB-1297 was suitable for further development of using xylose from certain waste streams for biofuel production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Development of silver nanoparticle-doped adsorbents for the separation and recovery of radioactive iodine from alkaline solutions.

    PubMed

    Kim, Taewoon; Lee, Seung-Kon; Lee, Suseung; Lee, Jun Sig; Kim, Sang Wook

    2017-11-01

    Removing radioactive iodine from solutions containing fission products is essential for nuclear facility decontamination, radioactive waste treatment, and medical isotope production. For example, the production of high-purity fission 99 Mo by irradiation of 235 U with neutrons involves the removal of iodine from an alkaline solution of the irradiated target (which contains numerous fission products and a large quantity of aluminate ions) using silver-based materials or anion-exchange resins. To be practically applicable, the utilized iodine adsorbent should exhibit a decontamination factor of at least 200. Herein, the separation of radioactive iodine from alkaline solutions was achieved using alumina doped with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Ag NPs have a larger surface area than Ag powder/wires and can thus adsorb iodine more effectively and economically, whereas alumina is a suitable inert support that does not adsorb 99 Mo and is stable under basic conditions. The developed adsorbents with less impurities achieved iodine removal and recovery efficiencies of 99.7 and 62%, respectively, thus being useful for the production of 131 I, a useful medical isotope. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Large-scale purification of 90Sr from nuclear waste materials for production of 90Y, a therapeutic medical radioisotope.

    PubMed

    Wester, Dennis W; Steele, Richard T; Rinehart, Donald E; DesChane, Jaquetta R; Carson, Katharine J; Rapko, Brian M; Tenforde, Thomas S

    2003-07-01

    A major limitation on the supply of the short-lived medical isotope 90Y (t1/2 = 64 h) is the available quantity of highly purified 90Sr generator material. A radiochemical production campaign was therefore undertaken to purify 1,500 Ci of 90Sr that had been isolated from fission waste materials. A series of alkaline precipitation steps removed all detectable traces of 137Cs, alpha emitters, and uranium and transuranic elements. Technical obstacles such as the buildup of gas pressure generated upon mixing large quantities of acid with solid 90Sr carbonate were overcome through safety features incorporated into the custom-built equipment used for 90Sr purification. Methods are described for analyzing the chemical and radiochemical purity of the final product and for accurately determining by gravimetry the quantities of 90Sr immobilized on stainless steel filters for future use.

  10. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seiple, Timothy E.; Coleman, André M.; Skaggs, Richard L.

    Within the United States and Puerto Rico, publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) process 130.5 Gl/d (34.5 Bgal/d) of wastewater, producing sludge as a waste product. Emerging technologies offer novel waste-to-energy pathways through whole sludge conversion into biofuels. Assessing the feasibility, scalability and tradeoffs of various energy conversion pathways is difficult in the absence of highly spatially resolved estimates of sludge production. In this study, average wastewater solids concentrations and removal rates, and site specific daily average influent flow are used to estimate site specific annual sludge production on a dry weight basis for >15,000 POTWs. Current beneficial uses, regional productionmore » hotspots and feedstock aggregation potential are also assessed. Analyses indicate 1) POTWs capture 12.56 Tg/y (13.84 MT/y) of dry solids; 2) 50% are not beneficially utilized, and 3) POTWs can support seven regions that aggregate >910 Mg/d (1000 T/d) of sludge within a travel distance of 100 km.« less

  11. Recycling of Pre-Washed Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Fly Ash in the Manufacturing of Low Temperature Setting Geopolymer Materials

    PubMed Central

    Ferone, Claudio; Colangelo, Francesco; Messina, Francesco; Santoro, Luciano; Cioffi, Raffaele

    2013-01-01

    In this work, three samples of municipal solid waste incinerators fly ash (MSWI-FA) have been stabilized in systems containing coal fly ash to create geopolymers through a polycondensation reaction. Monolithic products have been obtained with both MSWI fly ash as received and after the partial removal of chloride and sulfate by water washing. The polycondensation products have been characterized qualitatively by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and quantitatively, through the determination of the volume of reacted water and silicate. Furthermore, the heavy metals and chloride releases together with the physico-mechanical properties have been evaluated on the hardened products. In conclusion, considering the technological and environmental performances of the obtained geopolymers, they could be suitable for many non-structural applications, such as backfilling of abandoned quarries, decorative materials or brick fireplaces, hearths, patios, etc. PMID:28811443

  12. Bacterial cellulose production from cotton-based waste textiles: enzymatic saccharification enhanced by ionic liquid pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Hong, Feng; Guo, Xiang; Zhang, Shuo; Han, Shi-fen; Yang, Guang; Jönsson, Leif J

    2012-01-01

    Cotton-based waste textiles were explored as alternative feedstock for production of bacterial cellulose (BC) by Gluconacetobacter xylinus. The cellulosic fabrics were treated with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIM]Cl). [AMIM]Cl caused 25% inactivation of cellulase activity at a concentration as low as of 0.02 g/mL and decreased BC production during fermentation when present in concentrations higher than 0.0005 g/mL. Therefore, removal of residual IL by washing with hot water was highly beneficial to enzymatic saccharification as well as BC production. IL-treated fabrics exhibited a 5-7-fold higher enzymatic hydrolysis rate and gave a seven times larger yield of fermentable sugars than untreated fabrics. BC from cotton cloth hydrolysate was obtained at an yield of 10.8 g/L which was 83% higher than that from the culture grown on glucose-based medium. The BC from G. xylinus grown on IL-treated fabric hydrolysate had a 79% higher tensile strength than BC from glucose-based culture medium which suggests that waste cotton pretreated with [AMIM]Cl has potential to serve as a high-quality carbon source for BC production. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Method for processing aqueous wastes

    DOEpatents

    Pickett, J.B.; Martin, H.L.; Langton, C.A.; Harley, W.W.

    1993-12-28

    A method is presented for treating waste water such as that from an industrial processing facility comprising the separation of the waste water into a dilute waste stream and a concentrated waste stream. The concentrated waste stream is treated chemically to enhance precipitation and then allowed to separate into a sludge and a supernate. The supernate is skimmed or filtered from the sludge and blended with the dilute waste stream to form a second dilute waste stream. The sludge remaining is mixed with cementitious material, rinsed to dissolve soluble components, then pressed to remove excess water and dissolved solids before being allowed to cure. The dilute waste stream is also chemically treated to decompose carbonate complexes and metal ions and then mixed with cationic polymer to cause the precipitated solids to flocculate. Filtration of the flocculant removes sufficient solids to allow the waste water to be discharged to the surface of a stream. The filtered material is added to the sludge of the concentrated waste stream. The method is also applicable to the treatment and removal of soluble uranium from aqueous streams, such that the treated stream may be used as a potable water supply. 4 figures.

  14. Potential utilization of sorghum field waste for fuel ethanol production employing Pachysolen tannophilus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Sathesh-Prabu, C; Murugesan, A G

    2011-02-01

    In this study, we demonstrate that the sorghum field waste, sorghum stover could be used to produce fuel grade ethanol. The alkaline treatment of 2% NaOH for 8h removed 64% of lignin from sorghum stover. Maximum of 68 and 56 g/L of ethanol yield were obtained by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MTCC 173) and Pachysolen tannophilus (MTCC 1077) from sorghum stover under optimized condition, respectively. pH and temperature were optimized for the better growth of S. cerevisiae and P. tannophilus. A total of 51% and 48% more ethanol yield was obtained at initial sugar concentration of 200 g/L than 150 g/L by P. tannophilus and S. cerevisiae, respectively. Respiratory deficiency and ethanol tolerance of the organisms were studied. This investigation showed that sorghum field waste could be effectively used for the production of fuel ethanol to avoid conflicts between human food use and industrial use of crops. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. IgA Nephropathy

    MedlinePlus

    ... the tiny working units of the kidneys that filter wastes and remove extra fluid from the blood. ... the tiny working units of the kidneys that filter wastes and remove extra fluid from the blood. ...

  16. Waste Water Management and Infectious Disease. Part II: Impact of Waste Water Treatment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Robert C.

    1975-01-01

    The ability of various treatment processes, such as oxidation ponds, chemical coagulation and filtration, and the soil mantle, to remove the agents of infectious disease found in waste water is discussed. The literature concerning the efficiency of removal of these organisms by various treatment processes is reviewed. (BT)

  17. 40 CFR 761.207 - The manifest-general requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., AND USE PROHIBITIONS PCB Waste Disposal Records and Reports § 761.207 The manifest—general..., the earliest date of removal from service for disposal, and the weight in kilograms of the PCB waste..., the date of removal from service for disposal, and weight in kilograms of the PCB waste in each PCB...

  18. 40 CFR 761.207 - The manifest-general requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ..., AND USE PROHIBITIONS PCB Waste Disposal Records and Reports § 761.207 The manifest—general..., the earliest date of removal from service for disposal, and the weight in kilograms of the PCB waste..., the date of removal from service for disposal, and weight in kilograms of the PCB waste in each PCB...

  19. Removal of plutonium and americium from alkaline waste solutions

    DOEpatents

    Schulz, Wallace W.

    1979-01-01

    High salt content, alkaline waste solutions containing plutonium and americium are contacted with a sodium titanate compound to effect removal of the plutonium and americium from the alkaline waste solution onto the sodium titanate and provide an effluent having a radiation level of less than 10 nCi per gram alpha emitters.

  20. Analysis of an algae-based CELSS. I - Model development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holtzapple, Mark T.; Little, Frank E.; Makela, Merry E.; Patterson, C. O.

    1989-01-01

    A steady state chemical model and computer program have been developed for a life support system and applied to trade-off studies. The model is based on human demand for food and oxygen determined from crew metabolic needs. The model includes modules for water recycle, waste treatment, CO2 removal and treatment, and food production. The computer program calculates rates of use and material balance for food, O2, the recycle of human waste and trash, H2O, N2, and food production/supply. A simple noniterative solution for the model has been developed using the steady state rate equations for the chemical reactions. The model and program have been used in system sizing and subsystem trade-off studies of a partially closed life support system.

  1. Analysis of an algae-based CELSS. Part 1: model development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holtzapple, M. T.; Little, F. E.; Makela, M. E.; Patterson, C. O.

    1989-01-01

    A steady state chemical model and computer program have been developed for a life support system and applied to trade-off studies. The model is based on human demand for food and oxygen determined from crew metabolic needs. The model includes modules for water recycle, waste treatment, CO2 removal and treatment, and food production. The computer program calculates rates of use and material balance for food. O2, the recycle of human waste and trash, H2O, N2, and food production supply. A simple non-iterative solution for the model has been developed using the steady state rate equations for the chemical reactions. The model and program have been used in system sizing and subsystem trade-off studies of a partially closed life support system.

  2. Use of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ashes in alkali-activated materials, ceramics and granular applications: A review.

    PubMed

    Silva, R V; de Brito, J; Lynn, C J; Dhir, R K

    2017-10-01

    This paper presents a literature review on the incorporation of municipal solid waste incinerated bottom ash as raw material in several markets, other than those where it is conventionally used, such as geotechnical applications and road pavement construction. The main findings of an ample selection of experimental investigations on the use of the bottom ash as precursor of alkali-activated materials, as an adsorbent material for the removal of hazardous elements from wastewater and landfill gases, as soil replacement in agricultural activities, as partial or complete substitute of raw materials for the manufacture of ceramic-based products, as landfill cover and as biogas production enhancer, were gathered, collated and analysed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Color removal from dye-containing wastewater by magnesium chloride.

    PubMed

    Gao, Bao-Yu; Yue, Qin-Yan; Wang, Yan; Zhou, Wei-Zhi

    2007-01-01

    Color removal by MgCl(2) when treating synthetic waste containing pure dyes was studied. The color removal efficiency of MgCl(2)/Ca(OH)(2) was compared with that of Al(2)(SO(4))(3), polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and FeSO(4)/Ca(OH)(2). The mechanism of color removal by MgCl(2) was also investigated. The experimental results show that the color removal efficiency of MgCl(2) is related to the type of dye and depends on the pH of the waste and the dosage of the coagulants used. Treatment of waste containing reactive dye or dispersed dye with MgCl(2) yielded an optimum color removal ratio when the pH of the solution was equal to or above 12.0. For both the reactive and dispersed dye waste, MgCl(2)/Ca(OH)(2) was shown to be superior to MgCl(2)/NaOH, Al(2)(SO(4))(3), PAC and FeSO(4)/Ca(OH)(2) for color removal. A magnesium hydroxide precipitate formed at pH values greater than 12.0, which provided a large adsorptive surface area and a positive electrostatic surface charge, enabling it to remove the dyes through charge neutralization and an adsorptive coagulating mechanism. So, the MgCl(2)/Ca(OH)(2) system is a viable alternative to some of the more conventional forms of chemical treatment, especially for treating actual textile waste with high natural pH.

  4. Bio-Refineries Bioprocess Technologies for Waste-Water Treatment, Energy and Product Valorization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keith Cowan, A.

    2010-04-01

    Increasing pressure is being exerted on communities and nations to source energy from forms other than fossil fuels. Also, potable water is becoming a scarce resource in many parts of the world, and there remains a large divide in the demand and utilization of plant products derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and non-GMOs. The most extensive user and manager of terrestrial ecosystems is agriculture which is also the de facto steward of natural resources. As stated by Miller (2008) no other industry or institution comes close to the comparative advantage held for this vital responsibility while simultaneously providing food, fiber, and other biology-based products, including energy. Since modern commercial agriculture is transitioning from the production of bulk commodities to the provision of standardized products and specific-attribute raw materials for differentiated markets, we can argue that processes such as mass cultivation of microalgae and the concept of bio-refineries be seen as part of a `new' agronomy. EBRU is currently exploring the integration of bioprocess technologies using microalgae as biocatalysts to achieve waste-water treatment, water polishing and endocrine disruptor (EDC) removal, sustainable energy production, and exploitation of the resultant biomass in agriculture as foliar fertilizer and seed coatings, and for commercial extraction of bulk commodities such as bio-oils and lecithin. This presentation will address efforts to establish a fully operational solar-driven microalgae bio-refinery for use not only in waste remediation but to transform waste and biomass to energy, fuels, and other useful materials (valorisation), with particular focus on environmental quality and sustainability goals.

  5. Efficiency Evaluation of Food Waste Materials for the Removal of Metals and Metalloids from Complex Multi-Element Solutions

    PubMed Central

    Giuliano, Antonella; Astolfi, Maria Luisa; Congedo, Rossana; Masotti, Andrea; Canepari, Silvia

    2018-01-01

    Recent studies have shown the potential of food waste materials as low cost adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals and toxic elements from wastewater. However, the adsorption experiments have been performed in heterogeneous conditions, consequently it is difficult to compare the efficiency of the individual adsorbents. In this study, the adsorption capacities of 12 food waste materials were evaluated by comparing the adsorbents’ efficiency for the removal of 23 elements from complex multi-element solutions, maintaining homogeneous experimental conditions. The examined materials resulted to be extremely efficient for the adsorption of many elements from synthetic multi-element solutions as well as from a heavy metal wastewater. The 12 adsorbent surfaces were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and showed different types and amounts of functional groups, which demonstrated to act as adsorption active sites for various elements. By multivariate statistical computations of the obtained data, the 12 food waste materials were grouped in five clusters characterized by different elements’ removal efficiency which resulted to be in correlation with the specific adsorbents’ chemical structures. Banana peel, watermelon peel and grape waste resulted the least selective and the most efficient food waste materials for the removal of most of the elements. PMID:29495363

  6. Efficiency Evaluation of Food Waste Materials for the Removal of Metals and Metalloids from Complex Multi-Element Solutions.

    PubMed

    Massimi, Lorenzo; Giuliano, Antonella; Astolfi, Maria Luisa; Congedo, Rossana; Masotti, Andrea; Canepari, Silvia

    2018-02-26

    Recent studies have shown the potential of food waste materials as low cost adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals and toxic elements from wastewater. However, the adsorption experiments have been performed in heterogeneous conditions, consequently it is difficult to compare the efficiency of the individual adsorbents. In this study, the adsorption capacities of 12 food waste materials were evaluated by comparing the adsorbents' efficiency for the removal of 23 elements from complex multi-element solutions, maintaining homogeneous experimental conditions. The examined materials resulted to be extremely efficient for the adsorption of many elements from synthetic multi-element solutions as well as from a heavy metal wastewater. The 12 adsorbent surfaces were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and showed different types and amounts of functional groups, which demonstrated to act as adsorption active sites for various elements. By multivariate statistical computations of the obtained data, the 12 food waste materials were grouped in five clusters characterized by different elements' removal efficiency which resulted to be in correlation with the specific adsorbents' chemical structures. Banana peel, watermelon peel and grape waste resulted the least selective and the most efficient food waste materials for the removal of most of the elements.

  7. Early Implementation of Large Scale Carbon Dioxide Removal Projects through the Cement Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeman, F. S.

    2014-12-01

    The development of large-scale carbon dioxide reduction projects requires high purity CO2and a reactive cation source. A project seeking to provide both of these requirements will likely face cost barriers with current carbon prices. The cement industry is a suitable early implementation site for such projects by virtue of the properties of its exhaust gases and those of waste concrete. Cement plants are the second largest source of industrial CO2 emissions, globally. It is also the second largest commodity after water, has no ready substitute and is literally the foundation of society. Finally, half of the CO2 emissions originate from process reactions rather than fossil fuel combustion resulting in higher flue gas CO2concentrations. These properties, with the co-benefits of oxygen combustion, create a favorable environment for spatially suitable projects. Oxygen combustion involves substituting produced oxygen for air in a combustion reaction. The absence of gaseous N2 necessitates the recirculation of exhaust gases to maintain kiln temperatures, which increase the CO2 concentrations from 28% to 80% or more. Gas exit temperatures are also elevated (>300oC) and can reach higher temperatures if the multi stage pre-heater towers, that recover heat, are re-designed in light of FGR. A ready source of cations can be found in waste concrete, a by-product of construction and demolition activities. These wastes can be processed to remove cations and then reacted with atmospheric CO2 to produce carbonate minerals. While not carbon negative, they represent a demonstration opportunity for binding atmospheric CO2while producing a saleable product (precipitated calcium carbonate). This paper will present experimental results on PCC production from waste concrete along with modeling results for oxygen combustion at cement facilities. The results will be presented with a view to mineral sequestration process design and implementation.

  8. Removal of Legacy Low-Level Waste Reactor Moderator De-ionizer Resins Highly Contaminated with Carbon-14 from the 'Waste with no Path to Disposal List' Through Innovative Technical Analysis and Performance Assessment Techniques

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Goldston, W.T.; Hiergesell, R.A.; Kaplan, D.I.

    2006-07-01

    At the Savannah River Site (SRS), nuclear production reactors used de-ionizers to control the chemistry of the reactor moderator during their operation to produce nuclear materials primarily for the weapons program. These de-ionizers were removed from the reactors and stored as a legacy waste and due to the relatively high carbon-14 (C-14) contamination (i.e., on the order of 740 giga becquerel (GBq) (20 curies) per de-ionizer) were considered a legacy 'waste with no path to disposal'. Considerable progress has been made in consideration of a disposal path for the legacy reactor de-ionizers. Presently, 48 - 50 de-ionizers being stored atmore » SRS have 'no path to disposal' because the disposal limit for C-14 in the SRS's low-level waste disposal facility's Intermediate Level Vault (ILV) is only 160 GBq (4.2 curies) per vault. The current C-14 ILV disposal limit is based on a very conservative analysis of the air pathway. The paper will describe the alternatives that were investigated that resulted in the selection of a route to pursue. This paper will then describe SRS's efforts to reduce the conservatism in the analysis, which resulted in a significantly larger C-14 disposal limit. The work consisted of refining the gas-phase analysis to simulate the migration of C-14 from the waste to the ground surface and evaluated the efficacy of carbonate chemistry in cementitious environment of the ILV for suppressing the volatilization of C-14. During the past year, a Special Analysis was prepared for Department of Energy approval to incorporate the results of these activities that increased the C-14 disposal limits for the ILV, thus allowing for disposal of the Reactor Moderator De-ionizers. Once the Special Analysis is approved by DOE, the actual disposal would be dependent on priority and funding, but the de-ionizers will be removed from the 'waste with no path to disposal list'. (authors)« less

  9. Microbial characterization and hydrocarbon biodegradation potential of natural bilge waste microflora.

    PubMed

    Olivera, N L; Commendatore, M G; Delgado, O; Esteves, J L

    2003-09-01

    Shipping operations produce oily wastes that must be managed properly to avoid environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to characterize microorganisms occurring in ship bilge wastes placed in open lagoons and, particularly, to assess their potential to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A first-order kinetic was suitable for describing hydrocarbon biodegradation after 17 days of treatment. The calculated rate constants were 0.0668 and 0.0513 day(-1) with a corresponding half-life of 10.3 and 13.5 days for the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions, respectively. At day 17, PAH removal percentages were: acenaphtylene 100, fluorene 95.2, phenanthrene 93.6, anthracene 70.3, and pyrene 71.5. Methyl phenanthrene removals were lower than that of their parent compound (3-methyl phenanthrene 83.6, 2-methyl phenanthrene 80.8, 1-methyl phenanthrene 77.3, 9-methyl phenanthrene 75.1, and 2,7-dimethyl phenanthrene 76.6). Neither pure cultures nor the microbial community from these wastes showed extracellular biosurfactant production suggesting that the addition of an exogenously produced biosurfactant may be important in enhancing hydrocarbon bioavailability and biodegradation. DNA analysis of bilge waste samples revealed a ubiquitous distribution of the nahAc genotype in the dump pools. Although almost all of the isolates grew on naphthalene as sole carbon source, only some of them yielded nahAc amplification under the experimental conditions used. The variety of PAHs in bilge wastes could support bacteria with multiple degradation pathways and a diversity of catabolic genes divergent from the classical nah-like type.

  10. Removal of actinide elements from liquid scintillation cocktail wastes using liquid-liquid extraction and demulsification techniques

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Foltz, K.; Landsberger, S.; Srinivasan, B.

    1994-12-31

    A method for the separation of radionuclides with Z greater than 88, from lower-level radioactive wastes (liquid scintillation cocktail or LSC wastes), is described. The method is liquid-liquid extraction (LLX) and demulsification. The actinide elements are removed from the LSC wastes by extraction into an aqueous phase after the cocktail has been demulsified. The aqueous and organic phases are separated, then the wastes type remaining may be incinerated. Future experiments will be performed to study the effects of pH and temperature and to extend the study to wastes containing americium.

  11. Development of an atmospheric monitoring plan for space station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Casserly, Dennis M.

    1989-01-01

    An environmental health monitoring plan for Space Station will ensure crew health during prolonged habitation. The Space Station, Freedom, will operate for extended periods, 90+ days, without resupply. A regenerative, closed loop life support system will be utilized in order to minimize resupply logistics and costs. Overboard disposal of wastes and venting of gases to space will be minimal. All waste material will be treated and recycled. The concentrated wastes will be stabilized and stored for ground disposal. The expected useful life of the station (decades) and the diversity of materials brought aboard for experimental or manufacturing purposes, increases the likelihood of cabin contamination. Processes by which cabin contamination can occur include: biological waste production, material off-gassing, process leakage, accidental containment breach, and accumulation due to poor removal efficiencies of the purification units. An industrial hygiene approach was taken to rationalize monitoring needs and to identify the substances likely to be present, the amount, and their hazard.

  12. Laccase pretreatment for agrofood wastes valorization.

    PubMed

    Giacobbe, Simona; Pezzella, Cinzia; Lettera, Vincenzo; Sannia, Giovanni; Piscitelli, Alessandra

    2018-06-01

    Apple pomace, potato peels, and coffee silverskin are attractive agrofood wastes for the production of biofuels and chemicals, due to their abundance and carbohydrate content. As lignocellulosic biomasses, their conversion is challenged by the presence of lignin that prevents hydrolysis of polysaccharides, hence demanding a pretreatment step. In this work, the effectiveness of Pleurotus ostreatus laccases (with and without mediator) to remove lignin, improving the subsequent saccharification, was assessed. Optimized conditions for sequential protocol were set up for all agrofood wastes reaching delignification and detoxification yields correlated with high saccharification. Especially noteworthy were results for apple pomace and coffee silverskin for which 83% of and 73% saccharification yields were observed, by using laccase and laccase mediator system, respectively. The herein developed sequential protocol, saving soluble sugars and reducing the amount of wastewater, can improve the overall process for obtaining chemicals or fuels from agrofood wastes. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  13. Dialysis centers -- what to expect

    MedlinePlus

    ... will flow through a special filter that removes waste and excess fluid. The filter is sometimes called ... on: How well your kidneys work How much waste needs to be removed How much water weight ...

  14. Comparative renal anatomy of exotic species.

    PubMed

    Holz, Peter H; Raidal, Shane R

    2006-01-01

    All living organisms consume nutrients that are required for the production of both tissue and energy. The waste products of this process include nitrogenous materials and inorganic salts. They are removed from the body by excretory organs, which in vertebrate shave developed into kidneys and into salt glands in some birds and reptiles. Many invertebrates use a series of excretory organs called nephridia to perform the same function. Even though they perform similar functions, there is no evolutionary connection between invertebrate nephridia and vertebrate kidneys. Both evolved independently.

  15. Mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of abattoir wastewater and fruit and vegetable waste in anaerobic sequencing batch reactors.

    PubMed

    Bouallagui, Hassib; Rachdi, Boutheina; Gannoun, Hana; Hamdi, Moktar

    2009-06-01

    Anaerobic co-digestion of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) and abattoir wastewater (AW) was investigated using anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (ASBRs). The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and temperature variations on digesters performances were examined. At both 20 and 10 days biogas production for co-digestion was greater thanks to the improved balance of nutrients. The high specific gas productions for the different digestion processes were 0.56, 0.61 and 0.85 l g(-1) total volatile solids (TVS) removal for digesters treating AW, FVW and AW + FVW, respectively. At an HRT of 20 days, biogas production rates from thermophilic digesters were higher on average than from mesophilic AW, FVW and AW + FVW digestion by 28.5, 44.5 and 25%, respectively. However, at 10 days of HRT results showed a decrease of biogas production rate for AW and AW + FVW digestion processes due to the high amount of free ammonia at high organic loading rate (OLR).

  16. Citrus waste as feedstock for bio-based products recovery: Review on limonene case study and energy valorization.

    PubMed

    Negro, Viviana; Mancini, Giuseppe; Ruggeri, Bernardo; Fino, Debora

    2016-08-01

    The citrus peels and residue of fruit juices production are rich in d-limonene, a cyclic terpene characterized by antimicrobial activity, which could hamper energy valorization bioprocess. Considering that limonene is used in nutritional, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields, citrus by-products processing appear to be a suitable feedstock either for high value product recovery or energy bio-processes. This waste stream, more than 10MTon at 2013 in European Union (AIJN, 2014), can be considered appealing, from the view point of conducting a key study on limonene recovery, as its content of about 1%w/w of high value-added molecule. Different processes are currently being studied to recover or remove limonene from citrus peel to both prevent pollution and energy resources recovery. The present review is aimed to highlight pros and contras of different approaches suggesting an energy sustainability criterion to select the most effective one for materials and energy valorization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Improvement in the productivity of xylooligosaccharides from waste medium after mushroom cultivation by hydrothermal treatment with suitable pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Sato, Nobuaki; Shinji, Kazunori; Mizuno, Masahiro; Nozaki, Kouichi; Suzuki, Masayuki; Makishima, Satoshi; Shiroishi, Masahiro; Onoda, Takeru; Takahashi, Fumihiro; Kanda, Takahisa; Amano, Yoshihiko

    2010-08-01

    The effective xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production from the waste medium after mushroom cultivation (WM) was investigated. The WM contains rich nutrients (protein, etc.) which induce Maillard reaction with reducing sugars under hydrothermal conditions. To improve the productivity of XOs, the suitable pretreatment combined with washing and grinding was investigated, and subsequently hydrothermal treatment was demonstrated with batch type and continuous flow type reactor. The washing pretreatment with hot water of 60 degrees C was effective to remove nutrients from the WM, and it led to prevent brownish discoloration on the hydrothermal treatment. On the basis of experimental data, industrial XOs production processes consisting of the pretreatment, hydrothermal treatment and purification step was designed. During the designed process, 2.3 kg-dry of the purified XOs was produced from 30 kg-wet of the WM (15% yield as dry basis weight). Theoretical yield of XOs attained to 48% as xylan weight in the WM. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Reprocessing and reuse of waste tire rubber to solve air-quality related problems

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lehmann, C.M.B.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Rood, M.J.; Sun, Jielun

    1998-01-01

    There is a potential for using waste tire rubber to make activated-carbon adsorbents for air-quality control applications. Such an approach provides a recycling path for waste tires and the production of new adsorbents from a low-cost waste material. Tire-derived activated carbons (TDACs) were prepared from waste tires. The resulting products are generally mesoporous, with N2-BET specific surface areas ranging from 239 to 1031 m2/g. TDACs were tested for their ability to store natural gas and remove organic compounds and mercury species from gas streams. TDACs are able to achieve 36% of the recommended adsorbed natural gas (methane) storage capacity for natural-gas-fueled vehicles. Equilibrium adsorption capacities for CH4 achieved by TDACs are comparable to Calgon BPL, a commercially available activated-carbon adsorbent. The acetone adsorption capacity for a TDAC is 67% of the adsorption capacity achieved by BPL at 1 vol % acetone. Adsorption capacities of mercury in simulated flue-gas streams are, in general, larger than adsorption capacities achieved by coal-derived activated carbons (CDACs) and BPL. Although TDACs may not perform as well as commercial adsorbents in some air pollution control applications, the potential lower cost of TDACS should be considered when evaluating economics.

  19. Agricultural waste as a source for the production of silica nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Vaibhav, Vineet; Vijayalakshmi, U; Roopan, S Mohana

    2015-03-15

    The major interest of the paper deals with the extraction of silica from four natural sources such as rice husk, bamboo leaves, sugarcane bagasse and groundnut shell. These waste materials in large quantities can create a serious environmental problem. Hence, there is a need to adopt proper strategy to reduce the waste. In the present investigation, all the waste materials are subjected to moisture removal in a hot plate and sintered at 900°C for 7 h. The sintered powder was treated with 1 M NaOH to form sodium silicate and then with 6M H2SO4 to precipitate silica. The prepared silica powders were characterized by FT-IR, XRD and SEM-EDAX analysis. The silica recovered from different sources was found to vary between 52% and 78%. Magnesium substituted silica was formed from the groundnut waste and further treatment is required to precipitate silica. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Regeneration of pilot-scale ion exchange columns for hexavalent chromium removal.

    PubMed

    Korak, Julie A; Huggins, Richard; Arias-Paic, Miguel

    2017-07-01

    Due to stricter regulations, some drinking water utilities must implement additional treatment processes to meet potable water standards for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), such as the California limit of 10 μg/L. Strong base anion exchange is effective for Cr(VI) removal, but efficient resin regeneration and waste minimization are important for operational, economic and environmental considerations. This study compared multiple regeneration methods on pilot-scale columns on the basis of regeneration efficiency, waste production and salt usage. A conventional 1-Stage regeneration using 2 N sodium chloride (NaCl) was compared to 1) a 2-Stage process with 0.2 N NaCl followed by 2 N NaCl and 2) a mixed regenerant solution with 2 N NaCl and 0.2 N sodium bicarbonate. All methods eluted similar cumulative amounts of chromium with 2 N NaCl. The 2-Stage process eluted an additional 20-30% of chromium in the 0.2 N fraction, but total resin capacity is unaffected if this fraction is recycled to the ion exchange headworks. The 2-Stage approach selectively eluted bicarbonate and sulfate with 0.2 N NaCl before regeneration using 2 N NaCl. Regeneration approach impacted the elution efficiency of both uranium and vanadium. Regeneration without co-eluting sulfate and bicarbonate led to incomplete uranium elution and potential formation of insoluble uranium hydroxides that could lead to long-term resin fouling, decreased capacity and render the resin a low-level radioactive solid waste. Partial vanadium elution occurred during regeneration due to co-eluting sulfate suppressing vanadium release. Waste production and salt usage were comparable for the 1- and 2-Stage regeneration processes with similar operational setpoints with respect to chromium or nitrate elution. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Binding of iron, zinc, and lead ions from aqueous solution by shea butter (Butyrospermun Parkii) seed husks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eromosele, I.C.; Otitolaye, O.O.

    1994-08-01

    Several workers have reported on the potential use of agricultural products as substrates for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solutions. These studies demonstrated that considerable amounts of metal ions can be removed from aqueous solutions by cellulosic materials. The merit in the use of the latter is their relative abundance and cheapness compared to conventional materials for the removal of toxic metal ions from waste-waters. In some of the studies, chemical modification of cellulosic materials significantly enhanced their ion-binding properties, providing greater flexibility in their applications to a wide range of heavy metal ions. Shea butter plant (Butyrospermunmore » Parkii) normally grows in the wild within the guinea-savana zone of Nigeria. The seeds are a rich source of edible oils and the husks are usually discarded. The husk is thus available in abundance and, hence, there is reason to examine its ion-binding properties for its possible application in the removal of toxic metal ions from industrial waste-waters. This paper reports on preliminary studies of the sorption of iron, zinc and lead ions from aqueous solution by modified and unmodified shea butter seed husks. 8 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.« less

  2. Food-processes wastewaters treatment using food solid-waste materials as adsorbents or absorbents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rapti, Ilaira; Georgopoulos, Stavros; Antonopoulou, Maria; Konstantinou, Ioannis; Papadaki, Maria

    2016-04-01

    The wastewaters generated by olive-mills during the production of olive oil, wastewaters from a dairy and a cow-farm unit and wastewaters from a small food factory have been treated by means of selected materials, either by-products of the same units, or other solid waste, as absorbents or adsorbents in order to identify the capacity of those materials to remove organic load and toxicity from the aforementioned wastewaters. The potential of both the materials used as absorbents as well as the treated wastewaters to be further used either as fertilizers or for agricultural irrigation purposes are examined. Dry olive leaves, sheep wool, rice husks, etc. were used either in a fixed-bed or in a stirred batch arrangemen,t employing different initial concentrations of the aforementioned wastewaters. The efficiency of removal was assessed using scpectrophotometric methods and allium test phytotoxicity measurements. In this presentation the response of each material employed is shown as a function of absorbent/adsorbent quantity and kind, treatment time and wastewater kind and initial organic load. Preliminary results on the potential uses of the adsorbents/absorbents and the treated wastewaters are also shown. Keywords: Olive-mill wastewaters, dairy farm wastewaters, olive leaves, zeolite, sheep wool

  3. A new approach for the extraction of pollutants from wastewaters handled by the graphic industry.

    PubMed

    Monteiro, C; Ventura, C; Martins, F

    2013-06-15

    It is widely recognized that the Graphic Industry handles toxic products and produces, in its various operations, toxic wastes. These wastes can cause serious environmental damages and can lead to severe health problems. In this work we report an efficient, simple and cheap to run method for the removal of some of the most common pollutants involved in the various stages of the Graphic Industry production, using a Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) methodology. We have determined equilibrium constants, K(eq), and adsorption (k(up)) and desorption (k(off)) rate constants for the extraction of benzene, xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene (BXTE) from water, using C18 disks. The removal of these compounds was monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy, at room temperature. Average extraction efficiencies were of 60% in a mixture of BXTEs and close to 80% when pollutants were assessed separately. Since the retention mechanism in the C18 disk is essentially governed by hydrophobic interactions between the compounds and the alkyl chains of the disk, we have also shown that these pollutants' lipophilicity plays an important role in the rationalization of their behavior during the extraction process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effect of matured compost as an inoculating agent on odour removal and maturation of vegetable and fruit waste compost.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chih-Yu; Kuo, Jong-Tar; Chung, Ying-Chien

    2013-01-01

    The use of matured compost as an inoculation agent to improve the composting of vegetable and fruit wastes in a laboratory-scale composter was evaluated, and the commercial feasibility of this approach in a pilot-scale (1.8 x 10(4) L) composter was subsequently confirmed. The effect of aeration rate on the physico-chemical and biological properties of compost was also studied. Aeration rate affected the fermentation temperature, moisture content, pH, O2 consumption rate, CO2 production rate and the formation of odour. The optimal aeration rate was 2.5 L air/kg dry solid/min. The CO2 production rate approached the theoretical value during composting and was linearly dependent on temperature, indicating that the compost system had good operating characteristics. The inoculation of cellulolytic bacteria and deodorizing bacteria to compost in the pilot-scale composter led to an 18.2% volatile solids loss and a 64.3% volume reduction ratio in 52 h; only 1.5 ppm(v) odour was detected. This is the first study to focus on both operating performance and odour removal in a pilot-scale composter.

  5. Nonoxidative removal of organics in the activated sludge process

    PubMed Central

    Modin, Oskar; Persson, Frank; Wilén, Britt-Marie; Hermansson, Malte

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The activated sludge process is commonly used to treat wastewater by aerobic oxidation of organic pollutants into carbon dioxide and water. However, several nonoxidative mechanisms can also contribute to removal of organics. Sorption onto activated sludge can remove a large fraction of the colloidal and particulate wastewater organics. Intracellular storage of, e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), triacylglycerides (TAG), or wax esters can convert wastewater organics into precursors for high-value products. Recently, several environmental, economic, and technological drivers have stimulated research on nonoxidative removal of organics for wastewater treatment. In this paper, we review these nonoxidative removal mechanisms as well as the existing and emerging process configurations that make use of them for wastewater treatment. Better utilization of nonoxidative processes in activated sludge could reduce the wasteful aerobic oxidation of organic compounds and lead to more resource-efficient wastewater treatment plants. PMID:27453679

  6. pH neutralization of the by-product sludge waste water generated from waste concrete recycling process using the carbon mineralization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ji, Sangwoo; Shin, Hee-young; Bang, Jun Hwan; Ahn, Ji-Whan

    2017-04-01

    About 44 Mt/year of waste concrete is generated in South Korea. More than 95% of this waste concrete is recycled. In the process of regenerating and recycling pulmonary concrete, sludge mixed with fine powder generated during repeated pulverization process and water used for washing the surface and water used for impurity separation occurs. In this way, the solid matter contained in the sludge as a by-product is about 40% of the waste concrete that was input. Due to the cement component embedded in the concrete, the sludge supernatant is very strong alkaline (pH about 12). And it is necessary to neutralization for comply with environmental standards. In this study, carbon mineralization method was applied as a method to neutralize the pH of highly alkaline waste water to under pH 8.5, which is the water quality standard of discharged water. CO2 gas (purity 99%, flow rate 10ml/min.) was injected and reacted with the waste water (Ca concentration about 750mg/L) from which solid matter was removed. As a result of the experiment, the pH converged to about 6.5 within 50 minutes of reaction. The precipitate showed high whiteness. XRD and SEM analysis showed that it was high purity CaCO3. For the application to industry, it is needed further study using lower concentration CO2 gas (about 14%) which generated from power plant.

  7. Method of dye removal for the textile industry

    DOEpatents

    Stone, Mark L.

    2000-01-01

    The invention comprises a method of processing a waste stream containing dyes, such as a dye bath used in the textile industry. The invention comprises using an inorganic-based polymer, such as polyphosphazene, to separate dyes and/or other chemicals from the waste stream. Membranes comprising polyphosphazene have the chemical and thermal stability to survive the harsh, high temperature environment of dye waste streams, and have been shown to completely separate dyes from the waste stream. Several polyphosplhazene membranes having a variety of organic substituent have been shown effective in removing color from waste streams.

  8. Investigation of copper sorption by sugar beet processing lime waste.

    PubMed

    Ippolito, J A; Strawn, D G; Scheckel, K G

    2013-01-01

    In the western United States, sugar beet processing for sugar recovery generates a lime-based waste product (∼250,000 Mg yr) that has little liming value in the region's calcareous soils. This area has recently experienced an increase in dairy production, with dairies using copper (Cu)-based hoof baths to prevent hoof diseases. A concern exists regarding soil Cu accumulation because spent hoof baths may be disposed of in waste ponds, with pond waters being used for irrigation. The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the ability of lime waste to sorb Cu. Lime waste was mixed with increasing Cu-containing solutions (up to 100,000 mg Cu kg lime waste) at various buffered pH values (pH 6, 7, 8, and 9) and shaken over various time periods (up to 30 d). Copper sorption phenomenon was quantified using sorption maximum fitting, and the sorption mechanism was investigated using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Results showed that sorption onto lime waste increased with decreasing pH and that the maximum Cu sorption of ∼45,000 mg kg occurred at pH 6. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that Cu(OH) was the probable species present, although the precipitate existed as small multinuclear precipitates on the surface of the lime waste. Such structures may be precursors for larger surface precipitates that develop over longer incubation times. Findings suggest that sugar beet processing lime waste can viably sorb Cu from liquid waste streams, and thus it may have the ability to remove Cu from spent hoof baths. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  9. Recycling of wood for particle board production: accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions.

    PubMed

    Merrild, Hanna; Christensen, Thomas H

    2009-11-01

    The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the recycling of wood waste have been assessed with the purpose to provide useful data that can be used in accounting of greenhouse gas emissions. Here we present data related to the activities in a material recovery facility (MRF) where wood waste is shredded and foreign objects are removed in order to produce wood chips for use in the production of particleboard. The data are presented in accordance with the UOD (upstream, operational, downstream) framework presented in Gentil et al. (Waste Management & Research, 27, 2009). The GHG accounting shows that the emissions related to upstream activities (5 to 41 kg CO(2)-equivalents tonne( -1) wood waste) and to activities at the MRF (approximately 5 kg CO(2)-equivalents tonne(-1) wood waste) are negligible compared to the downstream processing (-560 to -120 kg CO(2)equivalents tonne(-1) wood waste). The magnitude of the savings in GHG emissions downstream are mainly related to savings in energy consumption for drying of fresh wood for particleboard production. However, the GHG account highly depends on the choices made in the modelling of the downstream system. The inclusion of saved electricity from avoided chipping of virgin wood does not change the results radically (-665 to -125 kg CO(2)-equivalents tonne(- 1) wood waste). However, if in addition it is assumed that the GHG emissions from combustion of wood has no global warming potential (GWP) and that the energy produced from excess wood due to recycling substitutes energy from fossil fuels, here assumed to be coal, potentially large downstream GHG emissions savings can be achieved by recycling of waste wood (-1.9 to -1.3 tonnes CO(2)-equivalents tonne(- 1) wood waste). As the data ranges are broad, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the feasibility of the data in the specific system which the GHG accounting is to be applied to.

  10. Nitrate removal from eutrophic wetlands polluted by metal-mine wastes: effects of liming and plant growth.

    PubMed

    González-Alcaraz, María Nazaret; Conesa, Héctor Miguel; Álvarez-Rogel, José

    2013-10-15

    Wetlands are highly effective systems in removing large amounts of N from waters, preventing eutrophication processes. However, when wetlands are polluted by metal-mine wastes their capacity to act as green filters may be diminished. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of liming and plants (Sarcocornia fruticosa and Phragmites australis) on the removal of NO3(-) from eutrophic water in slightly acidic, wetland soils polluted by metal-mine wastes. Simulated soil profiles were constructed and six treatments were assayed: (1) no liming + no plant, (2) no liming + S. fruticosa, (3) no liming + P. australis, (4) liming + no plant, (5) liming + S. fruticosa and (6) liming + P. australis. Three horizons were differentiated: A (never under water), C1 (alternating flooding-drying conditions) and C2 (always under water). The eutrophic water used to flood the soil profiles was enriched in N and organic carbon (pH ~ 7.5, electrical conductivity ~ 11 dS m(-1), NO3(-) ~ 234 mg L(-1) and dissolved organic carbon ~ 106 mg L(-1)). The pH, Eh and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), N-NO3(-) and N-NH4(+) were measured regularly for 18 weeks. Liming stimulated the growth of plants, especially for S. fruticosa (20-fold more plant biomass than without liming), increased the soil pH and favoured the decline of the Eh values, enhancing the removal of NO3(-) via denitrification. Of all the treatments assayed, liming + S. fruticosa was the only treatment that removed almost completely the high concentration of NO3(-) from the eutrophic flooding water, reaching ~1 mg L(-1) N-NO3(-) at the end of the experiment, at all depths. The higher content of DOC in the pore water of this treatment could explain this behaviour, since more labile carbon was available to the soil microorganisms in the rhizosphere, favouring NO3(-) removal through denitrification processes. However, the treatment liming + P. australis (2-fold more plant biomass that without liming) did not remove completely the high concentrations of NO3(-) from the eutrophic water, except in the C2 horizon - which was permanently under water. Hence, our results show that the effectiveness of liming, regarding the removal of NO3(-) from eutrophic flooding water in wetland soils polluted by metal-mine wastes, depends on the presence of plants, their growth and the production of organic compounds in the rhizospheric environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Ethene removal from a synthetic waste gas using a dry biobed.

    PubMed

    De Heyder, B; Overmeire, A; Van Langenhove, H; Verstraete, W

    1994-08-20

    A packed granular activated carbon (GAC) biobed, inoculated with the ethane-degrading strain Mycobacterium E3, was used to study ethene removal from a synthetic waste gas. Ethene, for which the dimensionless partition coefficient for an air-water system at 20 degrees C is about 7.6, was used as a model compound for poorly water soluble gaseous pollutants. In a first mode or operation, the GAC biobed was sprinkled intermittently and the waste gas influent was continuously pre-humidified, establishing relatively moist conditions (water content >40% to 45%). A volumetric ethene removal rate of 0.382 kg COD x m(-3) x d(-1) (0.112 kg ethene x m(-3) x d(-1)) was obtained for an influent concentration of 125 ppm, a superficial waste gas velocity of 3.6E-3 m x s(-1) and a pseudo residence time of 45 s. However, in the second mode of operation, omitting the pre-humidification of the waste gas influent and establishing a "dry" biobed (water content <40% to 45%), and thus obtaining better mass transfer to the biofilm, the ethene removal could be doubled for otherwise comparable operating parameters. Furthermore, under decreased wetting and for the given experimental conditions (influent concentration 125 to 816 ppm, waste gas superficial velocity 3.0E-3 m x s(-1), pseudo waste gas residence time 43 s), the ethene removal was not limited by mass transfer of ethene through the water layer covering the biofilm.

  12. Task 3 - Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste. Semiannual report, November 1, 1996--March 31, 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ness, Robert O.; Aulich, Ted R.

    1997-12-31

    Over the last 50 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has produced a wide variety of radioactive wastes from activities associated with nuclear defense and nuclear power generation. These wastes include low-level radioactive solid wastes, mixed wastes, and transuranic (TRU) wastes. A portion of these wastes consists of high- organic-content materials, such as resins, plastics, and other polymers; synthetic and natural rubbers; cellulosic-based materials; and oils, organic solvents, and chlorinated organic solvents. Many of these wastes contain hazardous and/or pyrophoric materials in addition to radioactive species. Physical forms of the waste include ion-exchange resins used to remove radioactive elementsmore » from nuclear reactor cooling water, lab equipment and tools (e.g., measurement and containment vessels, hoses, wrappings, equipment coverings and components, and countertops), oil products (e.g., vacuum pump and lubrication oils), bags and other storage containers (for liquids, solids, and gases), solvents, gloves, lab coats and anti-contamination clothing, and other items. Major polymer and chemical groups found in high-organic-content radioactive wastes include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), Teflon(TM), polystyrene (PS), nylon, latex, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), vinyl, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polycarbonate, nitriles, Tygon(R), butyl, and Tyvec(R).« less

  13. Concentric Split Flow Filter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stapleton, Thomas J. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A concentric split flow filter may be configured to remove odor and/or bacteria from pumped air used to collect urine and fecal waste products. For instance, filter may be designed to effectively fill the volume that was previously considered wasted surrounding the transport tube of a waste management system. The concentric split flow filter may be configured to split the air flow, with substantially half of the air flow to be treated traveling through a first bed of filter media and substantially the other half of the air flow to be treated traveling through the second bed of filter media. This split flow design reduces the air velocity by 50%. In this way, the pressure drop of filter may be reduced by as much as a factor of 4 as compare to the conventional design.

  14. Production and characterization of activated carbon from wood wastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramirez, A. P.; Giraldo, S.; Ulloa, M.; Flórez, E.; Y Acelas, N.

    2017-12-01

    Cedarwood (Cedrela Angustifolia) and teak (Tectona Grandis) woods are typically used for furniture manufacture because they have high durability, are light and easy to work. During these manufacturing process, large amount of these wastes is generated causing disposal environmental problems. In this paper, the residual wastes (sawdust) of Cedar (C) and Teak (T) are transformed into an activated material. The chemical composition of both biomass (C and T) was determinate by TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis). Activated materials were characterized in surface area following the BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) method, morphology using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and to know their functional groups a FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis was done. Their adsorption capacity was evaluated by removal of Methylene Blue (MB) and Congo Red (CR) from aqueous solutions.

  15. Production of sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon for formaldehyde gas removal from potted plants exposure chamber.

    PubMed

    Mohamed, Elham F; El-Hashemy, Mohammed A; Abdel-Latif, Nasser M; Shetaya, Waleed H

    2015-12-01

    Agricultural wastes such as rice straw, sugar beet, and sugarcane bagasse have become a critical environmental issue due to growing agriculture demand. This study aimed to investigate the valorization possibility of sugarcane bagasse waste for activated carbon preparation. It also aimed to fully characterize the prepared activated carbon (BET surface area) via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and in terms of surface functional groups to give a basic understanding of its structure and to study the adsorption capacity of the sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon using aqueous methylene blue (MB). The second main objective was to evaluate the performance of sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon for indoor volatile organic compounds removal using the formaldehyde gas (HCHO) as reference model in two potted plants chambers. The first chamber was labeled the polluted chamber (containing formaldehyde gas without activated carbon) and the second was taken as the treated chamber (containing formaldehyde gas with activated carbon). The results indicated that the sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon has a moderate BET surface area (557 m2/g) with total mesoporous volume and microporous volume of 0.310 and 0.273 cm3/g, respectively. The prepared activated carbon had remarkable adsorption capacity for MB. Formaldehyde removal rate was then found to be more than 67% in the treated chamber with the sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon. The plants' responses for this application as dry weight, chlorophyll contents, and protein concentration were also investigated. Preparation of activated carbon from sugarcane bagasse (SCBAC) is a promising approach to produce cheap and efficient adsorbent for gas pollutants removal. It may be also a solution for the agricultural wastes problems in big cities, particularly in Egypt. MB adsorption tests suggest that the SCBAC have high adsorption capacity. Formaldehyde gas removal in the plant chambers indicates that the SCBAC have potential to recover volatile gases. The results confirmed that the activated carbon produced from sugarcane bagasse waste raw materials can be used as an applicable adsorbent for treating a variety of gas pollutants from the indoor environment.

  16. Separating and stabilizing phosphate from high-level radioactive waste: process development and spectroscopic monitoring.

    PubMed

    Lumetta, Gregg J; Braley, Jenifer C; Peterson, James M; Bryan, Samuel A; Levitskaia, Tatiana G

    2012-06-05

    Removing phosphate from alkaline high-level waste sludges at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State is necessary to increase the waste loading in the borosilicate glass waste form that will be used to immobilize the highly radioactive fraction of these wastes. We are developing a process which first leaches phosphate from the high-level waste solids with aqueous sodium hydroxide, and then isolates the phosphate by precipitation with calcium oxide. Tests with actual tank waste confirmed that this process is an effective method of phosphate removal from the sludge and offers an additional option for managing the phosphorus in the Hanford tank waste solids. The presence of vibrationally active species, such as nitrate and phosphate ions, in the tank waste processing streams makes the phosphate removal process an ideal candidate for monitoring by Raman or infrared spectroscopic means. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were acquired for all phases during a test of the process with actual tank waste. Quantitative determination of phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate in the liquid phases was achieved by Raman spectroscopy, demonstrating the applicability of Raman spectroscopy for the monitoring of these species in the tank waste process streams.

  17. Assessing the feasibility of N and P recovery by struvite precipitation from nutrient-rich wastewater: a review.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Ramesh; Pal, Parimal

    2015-11-01

    Literature on recovery of nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater in the form of value-added struvite fertilizer has been critically reviewed towards the evolution of a sustainable management strategy. Presence of nitrogen and phosphorus is widespread in both domestic as well as industrial wastewater streams such as swine wastewater, landfill leachate, urine waste, dairy manure, coke wastewater, and beverage wastewater. Where these nitrogen and phosphorus compounds cause eutrophication of water bodies and considered as harmful discharges to the environment, they can be turned useful through simple chemical conversion into struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O). In extensive studies on wastewater treatment, aspects of recovery of valuable materials remain dispersed. In the present article, almost all relevant aspects of sources of raw materials, chemistry and technology of struvite production, and its detailed characterization have been captured in a systematic and classified way so as to help in planning and designing an integrated scheme of struvite production through conversion of nitrogen and phosphorus components of waste streams. The study will help in formulating a new waste management strategy in this context by shifting focus from removal to recovery of nutrients from waste streams.

  18. Cellulose-based films prepared directly from waste newspapers via an ionic liquid.

    PubMed

    Xia, Guangmei; Wan, Jiqiang; Zhang, Jinming; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Xu, Lili; Wu, Jin; He, Jiasong; Zhang, Jun

    2016-10-20

    Waste newspapers, composed of cellulose (>60wt%), lignin (∼15wt%), hemicellulose (∼10wt%) and other additives, are one kind of low-cost, easily collected and abundant resources. In order to get value-added products from this waste, in this work an attempt was made to directly convert waste newspapers into cellulose-based films by employing an ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) as a solvent. Most of the organic substances in this waste were dissolved quickly in AmimCl under mild conditions, and then coagulated and dried. Although containing lignin, hemicellulose and inorganic additives, the regenerated cellulose-based films were smooth, compact and semi-transparent, and exhibited good mechanical properties. If the newspaper/AmimCl solution was filtered to remove undissolved inorganic substances, the regenerated films became transparent and had a tensile strength of 80MPa. Thus, this work provides a new, simple and highly efficient way to achieve a high-valued utilization of waste newspapers for packaging and wrapping. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Apparatus for the processing of solid mixed waste containing radioactive and hazardous materials

    DOEpatents

    Gotovchikov, Vitaly T.; Ivanov, Alexander V.; Filippov, Eugene A.

    1999-03-16

    Apparatus for the continuous heating and melting of a solid mixed waste bearing radioactive and hazardous materials to form separate metallic, slag and gaseous phases for producing compact forms of the waste material to facilitate disposal includes a copper split water-cooled (cold) crucible as a reaction vessel for receiving the waste material. The waste material is heated by means of the combination oaf plasma torch directed into the open upper portion of the cold crucible and an electromagnetic flux produced by induction coils disposed about the crucible which is transparent to electromagnetic fields. A metallic phase of the waste material is formed in a lower portion of the crucible and is removed in the form of a compact ingot suitable for recycling and further processing. A glass-like, non-metallic slag phase containing radioactive elements is also formed in the crucible and flows out of the open upper portion of the crucible into a slag ingot mold for disposal. The decomposition products of the organic and toxic materials are incinerated and converted to environmentally safe gases in the melter.

  20. Processing of solid mixed waste containing radioactive and hazardous materials

    DOEpatents

    Gotovchikov, Vitaly T.; Ivanov, Alexander V.; Filippov, Eugene A.

    1998-05-12

    Apparatus for the continuous heating and melting of a solid mixed waste bearing radioactive and hazardous materials to form separate metallic, slag and gaseous phases for producing compact forms of the waste material to facilitate disposal includes a copper split water-cooled (cold) crucible as a reaction vessel for receiving the waste material. The waste material is heated by means of the combination of a plasma torch directed into the open upper portion of the cold crucible and an electromagnetic flux produced by induction coils disposed about the crucible which is transparent to electromagnetic fields. A metallic phase of the waste material is formed in a lower portion of the crucible and is removed in the form of a compact ingot suitable for recycling and further processing. A glass-like, non-metallic slag phase containing radioactive elements is also formed in the crucible and flows out of the open upper portion of the crucible into a slag ingot mold for disposal. The decomposition products of the organic and toxic materials are incinerated and converted to environmentally safe gases in the melter.

  1. Apparatus for the processing of solid mixed waste containing radioactive and hazardous materials

    DOEpatents

    Gotovchikov, V.T.; Ivanov, A.V.; Filippov, E.A.

    1999-03-16

    Apparatus for the continuous heating and melting of a solid mixed waste bearing radioactive and hazardous materials to form separate metallic, slag and gaseous phases for producing compact forms of the waste material to facilitate disposal includes a copper split water-cooled (cold) crucible as a reaction vessel for receiving the waste material. The waste material is heated by means of the combination of a plasma torch directed into the open upper portion of the cold crucible and an electromagnetic flux produced by induction coils disposed about the crucible which is transparent to electromagnetic fields. A metallic phase of the waste material is formed in a lower portion of the crucible and is removed in the form of a compact ingot suitable for recycling and further processing. A glass-like, non-metallic slag phase containing radioactive elements is also formed in the crucible and flows out of the open upper portion of the crucible into a slag ingot mold for disposal. The decomposition products of the organic and toxic materials are incinerated and converted to environmentally safe gases in the melter. 6 figs.

  2. Processing of solid mixed waste containing radioactive and hazardous materials

    DOEpatents

    Gotovchikov, V.T.; Ivanov, A.V.; Filippov, E.A.

    1998-05-12

    Apparatus for the continuous heating and melting of a solid mixed waste bearing radioactive and hazardous materials to form separate metallic, slag and gaseous phases for producing compact forms of the waste material to facilitate disposal includes a copper split water-cooled (cold) crucible as a reaction vessel for receiving the waste material. The waste material is heated by means of the combination of a plasma torch directed into the open upper portion of the cold crucible and an electromagnetic flux produced by induction coils disposed about the crucible which is transparent to electromagnetic fields. A metallic phase of the waste material is formed in a lower portion of the crucible and is removed in the form of a compact ingot suitable for recycling and further processing. A glass-like, non-metallic slag phase containing radioactive elements is also formed in the crucible and flows out of the open upper portion of the crucible into a slag ingot mold for disposal. The decomposition products of the organic and toxic materials are incinerated and converted to environmentally safe gases in the melter. 6 figs.

  3. Removal of basic dye (methylene blue) from wastewaters utilizing beer brewery waste.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Wen-Tien; Hsu, Hsin-Chieh; Su, Ting-Yi; Lin, Keng-Yu; Lin, Chien-Ming

    2008-06-15

    In the work, the beer brewery waste has been shown to be a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of basic dye from the aqueous solution as compared to its precursor (i.e., diatomite) based on its physical and chemical characterizations including surface area, pore volume, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and non-mineral elemental analyses. The pore properties of this waste were significantly larger than those of its raw material, reflecting that the trapped organic matrices contained in the waste probably provided additional adsorption sites and/or adsorption area. The results of preliminary adsorption kinetics showed that the diatomite waste could be directly used as a potential adsorbent for removal of methylene blue on the basis of its adsorption-biosorption mechanisms. The adsorption parameters thus obtained from the pseudo-second-order model were in accordance with their pore properties. From the results of adsorption isotherm at 298 K and the applicability examinations in treating industrial wastewater containing basic dye, it was further found that the adsorption capacities of diatomite waste were superior to those of diatomite, which were also in good agreement with their corresponding physical properties. From the results mentioned above, it is feasible to utilize the food-processing waste for removing dye from the industrial dying wastewater.

  4. Struvite Precipitation as a Means of Recovering Nutrients and Mitigating Ammonia Toxicity in a Two-Stage Anaerobic Digester Treating Protein-Rich Feedstocks.

    PubMed

    Wang, Shunli; Hawkins, Gary L; Kiepper, Brian H; Das, Keshav C

    2016-08-03

    Accumulation of ammonia, measured as total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), a product of protein decomposition in slaughterhouse wastes, inhibits the anaerobic digestion process, reducing digester productivity and leading to failure. Struvite precipitation (SP) is an effective means to remove TAN and enhance the buffering of substrates. Different Mg and P sources were evaluated as reactants in SP in acidogenic digester effluents to reduce its TAN levels. In order to measure impact of TAN removal, a standard biochemical methane potential (BMP) test was conducted to measure methane yield from treatments that had the highest TAN reductions. SP results showed 6 of 9 reagent combinations resulted in greater than 70% TAN removal. The BMP results indicated that SP treatment by adding Mg(OH)₂ and H₃PO₄ resulted in 57.6% nitrogen recovery and 41.7% increase in methane yield relative to the substrate without SP. SP is an effective technology to improve nutrient recovery and methane production from the anaerobic digestion of protein-rich feedstocks.

  5. Radiotolerance of phosphatases of a Serratia sp.: potential for the use of this organism in the biomineralization of wastes containing radionuclides.

    PubMed

    Paterson-Beedle, M; Jeong, B C; Lee, C H; Jee, K Y; Kim, W H; Renshaw, J C; Macaskie, L E

    2012-08-01

    Aqueous wastes from nuclear fuel reprocessing present special problems of radiotoxicity of the active species. Cells of Serratia sp. were found previously to accumulate high levels of hydrogen uranyl phosphate (HUP) via the activity of a phosphatase enzyme. Uranium is of relatively low radiotoxicity whereas radionuclide fission products such as (90)Sr and (137)Cs are highly radiotoxic. These radionuclides can be co-crystallized, held within the bio-HUP "host" lattice on the bacterial cells and thereby removed from contaminated solution, depending on continued phosphatase activity. Radiostability tests using a commercial (60)Co γ-source showed that while cell viability and activity of purified phosphatase were lost within a few hours on irradiation, whole-cell phosphatase retained 80% of the initial activity, even after loss of cell culturability, which was increased to 100% by the incorporation of mercaptoethanol as an example radioprotectant, beyond an accumulated dose of >1.3 MGy. Using this co-crystallization approach (without mercaptoethanol) (137)Cs(+) and (85)Sr(2+) were removed from a simulated waste selectively against a 33-fold excess of Na(+). Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Assessment of some straw-derived materials for reducing the leaching potential of Metribuzin residues in the soil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cara, Irina Gabriela; Trincă, Lucia Carmen; Trofin, Alina Elena; Cazacu, Ana; Ţopa, Denis; Peptu, Cătălina Anişoara; Jităreanu, Gerard

    2015-12-01

    Biomass (straw waste) can be used as raw to obtain materials for herbicide removal from wastewater. These by-products have some important advantages, being environmentally friendly, easily available, presenting low costs, and requiring little processing to increase their adsorptive capacity. In the present study, some materials derived from agricultural waste (wheat, corn and soybean straw) were investigated as potential adsorbents for metribuzin removal from aqueous solutions. The straw wastes were processed by grinding, mineralisation (850 °C) and KOH activation in order to improve their functional surface activity. The materials surface characteristics were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The adsorbents capacity was evaluated using batch sorption tests and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for herbicide determination. For adsorption isotherms, the equilibrium time considered was 3 h. The experimental adsorption data were modelled by Freundlich and Langmuir models. The activated straw and ash-derived materials from wheat, corn and soybean increased the adsorption capacity of metribuzin with an asymmetrical behaviour. Overall, our results sustain that activated ash-derived from straw and activated straw materials can be a valuable solution for reducing the leaching potential of metribuzin through soil.

  7. The effects of leachate recirculation with supplemental water addition on methane production and waste decomposition in a simulated tropical landfill.

    PubMed

    Sanphoti, N; Towprayoon, S; Chaiprasert, P; Nopharatana, A

    2006-10-01

    In order to increase methane production efficiency, leachate recirculation is applied in landfills to increase moisture content and circulate organic matter back into the landfill cell. In the case of tropical landfills, where high temperature and evaporation occurs, leachate recirculation may not be enough to maintain the moisture content, therefore supplemental water addition into the cell is an option that could help stabilize moisture levels as well as stimulate biological activity. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of leachate recirculation and supplemental water addition on municipal solid waste decomposition and methane production in three anaerobic digestion reactors. Anaerobic digestion with leachate recirculation and supplemental water addition showed the highest performance in terms of cumulative methane production and the stabilization period time required. It produced an accumulated methane production of 54.87 l/kg dry weight of MSW at an average rate of 0.58 l/kg dry weight/d and reached the stabilization phase on day 180. The leachate recirculation reactor provided 17.04 l/kg dry weight at a rate of 0.14l/kg dry weight/d and reached the stabilization phase on day 290. The control reactor provided 9.02 l/kg dry weight at a rate of 0.10 l/kg dry weight/d, and reached the stabilization phase on day 270. Increasing the organic loading rate (OLR) after the waste had reached the stabilization phase made it possible to increase the methane content of the gas, the methane production rate, and the COD removal. Comparison of the reactors' efficiencies at maximum OLR (5 kgCOD/m(3)/d) in terms of the methane production rate showed that the reactor using leachate recirculation with supplemental water addition still gave the highest performance (1.56 l/kg dry weight/d), whereas the leachate recirculation reactor and the control reactor provided 0.69 l/kg dry weight/d and 0.43 l/kg dry weight/d, respectively. However, when considering methane composition (average 63.09%) and COD removal (average 90.60%), slight differences were found among these three reactors.

  8. The effect of cage and house design on egg production and egg weight of White Leghorn hens: an epidemiological study.

    PubMed

    Garner, J P; Kiess, A S; Mench, J A; Newberry, R C; Hester, P Y

    2012-07-01

    Hen performance can be affected by many interacting variables related to cage design, such as floor area, height, tier arrangement, and feeder and drinker type and placement within the cage. Likewise, features of house design such as waste management and lighting can also affect hen productivity. The influence of these design aspects on hen performance has not been fully assessed. Determining the effects of numerous, interacting variables is impractical in a traditional experiment; therefore, an epidemiological approach, using variability in cage and house design among and within commercial producers, was employed to identify features that affect egg production and egg weight. A universal cage measurement system was created to calculate cage design variables. A database for recording information on cage design, resource location, waste management, environmental conditions, and hen productivity was developed. Production outcomes were assessed from placement to 60 wk of age in White Leghorns (n = 165-168 houses). Using GLM, a statistical model was identified that best described the variance in egg traits. Eggs/hen-housed increased with greater feeder space allocation (P = 0.031); taller cages (P = 0.029); rear (vs. front) drinker location in vertical cages (P = 0.026); and regular removal of manure from the house (P = 0.005). Case weight of eggs was greater in A-frame houses where manure was removed regularly instead of being left in the house (P < 0.001); with increasing cage floor slope (P = 0.001); in cages where drinkers were placed more toward the front or back of the cage as compared with the middle of the cage (P < 0.001); with more space/hen (P = 0.024); and with higher caloric intake (P < 0.001). Perhaps because of its negative correlation with egg production, case weight of eggs increased with less feeder space allocation (P = 0.004) and shorter cage heights (P < 0.001). These results reveal important effects of feeder space, floor space, cage height, drinker position, and waste management on hen productivity.

  9. Biochars derived from wasted marine macro-algae (Saccharina japonica and Sargassum fusiforme) and their potential for heavy metal removal in aqueous solution.

    PubMed

    Poo, Kyung-Min; Son, Eun-Bi; Chang, Jae-Soo; Ren, Xianghao; Choi, Yun-Jung; Chae, Kyu-Jung

    2018-01-15

    For the purpose of reusing wasted marine macro-algae generated during cultivation, harvesting, processing and selling processes, biochars derived from Saccharina japonica (known as kelp) and Sargassum fusiforme (known as hijikia) were characterized and their removal capacities for Cu, Cd, and Zn in aqueous solution were assessed. Feedstocks, S. japonica, S. fusiforme, and also pinewood sawdust as a control, were pyrolyzed at 250, 400, 500, 600 and 700 °C. In evaluating heavy metal removal capacities, SJB (S. japonica biochar) showed the best performance, with removal efficiencies of more than 98% for the three heavy metals when pyrolyzed at over 400 °C. SFB (S. fusiforme biochar) also showed good potential as an adsorbent, with removal efficiencies for the three heavy metals of more than 86% when pyrolyzed at over 500 °C. On the contrary, the maximum removal efficiencies of PSB (pinewood sawdust biochar) were 81%, 46%, and 47% for Cu, Cd, and Zn, respectively, even at 700 °C, the highest pyrolysis temperature. This demonstrates that marine macro-algae were advantageous in terms of production energy for removing heavy metals even at relatively low pyrolysis temperatures, compared with PSB. The excellent heavy metal adsorption capacities of marine macro-algae biochars were considered due to their higher pH and more oxygen-containing functional groups, although the specific surface areas of SJB and SFB were significantly lower than that of PSB. This research confirmed that the use of marine macro-algae as a heavy metal adsorbent was suitable not only in the removal of heavy metals, but also in terms of resource recycling and energy efficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Biochar Production from Domestic Sludge: A Cost-effective, Recycled Product for Removal of Amoxicillin in Wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arun, Sija; Kothari, Kaushal; Mazumdar, Debayan; Mukhopadhyay, Moitraiyee; Chakraborty, Paromita

    2017-08-01

    Due to the broad spectrum, antimicrobial activity, Amoxicillin is one of the extensively used antibiotics. Amoxicillin ends up in the wastewater stream by direct or indirect disposal pathways which ultimately affect the aquatic ecosystem. Conventional wastewater treatment plant cannot remove it completely. Hence our objective was to produce sludge derived biochar and use it as an adsorbent for removal of amoxicillin. Effective biochar was obtained at 300°C produced from the sludge of the domestic wastewater treatment plant. 100 ppm amoxicillin solution spiked in biochar was kept for 180 mins in an orbital shaker and every 30 minutes the filtrate was checked in UV spectrophotometer. A steady decreasing gradient was obtained for absorbance of amoxicillin after 30 minutes. Further scanning electron microscopy showed significant morphological change in biochar obtained before and after spiking amoxicillin. Our preliminary assessment suggests that biochar can be exploited as an effective treatment technique to remove amoxicillin from wastewater. Moreover, we suggest that utilization of domestic sludge for commercial application in treatment plants can reduce the load of domestic waste in the open dumpsites.

  11. Self-Assembled Mercaptan on Mesoporous Silica (SAMMS) technology of mercury removal and stabilization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Feng, Xiangdong; Liu, Jun; Fryxell, G.E.

    1997-09-01

    This paper explains the technology developed to produce Self-Assembled Mercaptan on Mesoporous Silica (SAMMS) for mercury removal from aqueous wastewater and from organic wastes. The characteristics of SAMMS materials, including physical characteristics and mercury loading, and its application for mercury removal and stabilization are discussed. Binding kinetics and binding speciations are reported. Preliminary cost estimates are provided for producing SAMMS materials and for mercury removal from wastewater. The characteristics of SAMMS in mercury separation were studied at PNNL using simulated aqueous tank wastes and actual tritiated pump oil wastes from Savannah River Site; preliminary results are outlined. 47 refs., 16more » figs., 16 tabs.« less

  12. 300 GPM Solids Removal System A True Replacement for Back Flushable Powdered Filter Systems - 13607

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ping, Mark R.; Lewis, Mark

    2013-07-01

    The EnergySolutions Solids Removal System (SRS) utilizes stainless steel cross-flow ultra-filtration (XUF) technology which allows it to reliably remove suspended solids greater than one (1) micron from liquid radwaste streams. The SRS is designed as a pre-treatment step for solids separation prior to processing through other technologies such as Ion Exchange Resin (IER) and/or Reverse Osmosis (RO), etc. Utilizing this pre-treatment approach ensures successful production of reactor grade water while 1) decreasing the amount of radioactive water being discharged to the environment; and 2) decreasing the amount of radioactive waste that must ultimately be disposed of due to the eliminationmore » of spent powdered filter media. (authors)« less

  13. Removal of Reactofix Navy Blue 2 GFN from aqueous solutions using adsorption techniques.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Vinod Kumar; Jain, Rajeev; Varshney, Shaily; Saini, Vipin Kumar

    2007-03-15

    The wheat husk, an agricultural by-product, has been activated and used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of Reactofix Navy Blue 2 GFN from aqueous solution. In this work, adsorption of Reactofix Navy Blue 2 GFN on wheat husk and charcoal has been studied by using batch studies. The equilibrium adsorption level was determined to be a function of the solution pH, adsorbent dosage, dye concentration and contact time. The equilibrium adsorption capacities of wheat husk and charcoal for dye removal were obtained using Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Thermodynamic parameters such as the free energies, enthalpies and entropies of adsorption were also evaluated. Adsorption process is considered suitable for removing color, COD from waste water.

  14. Microbiological degradation of pesticides in yard waste composting.

    PubMed

    Fogarty, A M; Tuovinen, O H

    1991-06-01

    Changes in public opinion and legislation have led to the general recognition that solid waste treatment practices must be changed. Solid-waste disposal by landfill is becoming increasingly expensive and regulated and no longer represents a long-term option in view of limited land space and environmental problems. Yard waste, a significant component of municipal solid waste, has previously not been separated from the municipal solid-waste stream. The treatment of municipal solid waste including yard waste must urgently be addressed because disposal via landfill will be prohibited by legislation. Separation of yard waste from municipal solid waste will be mandated in many localities, thus stressing the importance of scrutinizing current composting practices in treating grass clippings, leaves, and other yard residues. Yard waste poses a potential environmental health problem as a result of the widespread use of pesticides in lawn and tree care and the persistence of the residues of these chemicals in plant tissue. Yard waste containing pesticides may present a problem due to the recalcitrant and toxic nature of the pesticide molecules. Current composting processes are based on various modifications of either window systems or in-vessel systems. Both types of processes are ultimately dependent on microbial bioconversions of organic material to innocuous end products. The critical stage of the composting process is the thermophilic phase. The fate and mechanism of removal of pesticides in composting processes is largely unknown and in need of comprehensive analysis.

  15. Carbon-rich wastes as feedstocks for biodegradable polymer (polyhydroxyalkanoate) production using bacteria.

    PubMed

    Nikodinovic-Runic, Jasmina; Guzik, Maciej; Kenny, Shane T; Babu, Ramesh; Werker, Alan; O Connor, Kevin E

    2013-01-01

    Research into the production of biodegradable polymers has been driven by vision for the most part from changes in policy, in Europe and America. These policies have their origins in the Brundtland Report of 1987, which provides a platform for a more sustainable society. Biodegradable polymers are part of the emerging portfolio of renewable raw materials seeking to deliver environmental, social, and economic benefits. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are naturally-occurring biodegradable-polyesters accumulated by bacteria usually in response to inorganic nutrient limitation in the presence of excess carbon. Most of the early research into PHA accumulation and technology development for industrial-scale production was undertaken using virgin starting materials. For example, polyhydroxybutyrate and copolymers such as polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate are produced today at industrial scale from corn-derived glucose. However, in recent years, research has been undertaken to convert domestic and industrial wastes to PHA. These wastes in today's context are residuals seen by a growing body of stakeholders as platform resources for a biobased society. In the present review, we consider residuals from food, plastic, forest and lignocellulosic, and biodiesel manufacturing (glycerol). Thus, this review seeks to gain perspective of opportunities from literature reporting the production of PHA from carbon-rich residuals as feedstocks. A discussion on approaches and context for PHA production with reference to pure- and mixed-culture technologies is provided. Literature reports advocate results of the promise of waste conversion to PHA. However, the vast majority of studies on waste to PHA is at laboratory scale. The questions of surmounting the technical and political hurdles to industrialization are generally left unanswered. There are a limited number of studies that have progressed into fermentors and a dearth of pilot-scale demonstration. A number of fermentation studies show that biomass and PHA productivity can be increased, and sometimes dramatically, in a fermentor. The relevant application-specific properties of the polymers from the wastes studied and the effect of altered-waste composition on polymer properties are generally not well reported and would greatly benefit the progress of the research as high productivity is of limited value without the context of requisite case-specific polymer properties. The proposed use of a waste residual is advantageous from a life cycle viewpoint as it removes the direct or indirect effect of PHA production on land usage and food production. However, the question, of how economic drivers will promote or hinder advancements to demonstration scale, when wastes generally become understood as resources for a biobased society, hangs today in the balance due to a lack of shared vision and the legacy of mistakes made with first generation bioproducts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Smith, T. E.; Nash, C. A.

    It is desired to recover Cm-244 through Cm-248 from dissolved Mark-18A targets following anion exchange processing to remove the Pu. The Cm will be sent to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for additional R&D. Approximately 5-8 L per quarter of a Mark-18A target will have undergone anion exchange treatment and will contain Cm. A significant portion of this volume of anion exchange raffinate solution is dissolved fission products not desired to be recovered which could be sent to waste. To reduce the amount of material being sent to ORNL, a waste and volume minimization strategy was developed and is describedmore » in this report.« less

  17. Microbial electrolysis cells turning to be versatile technology: recent advances and future challenges.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yifeng; Angelidaki, Irini

    2014-06-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are an electricity-mediated microbial bioelectrochemical technology, which is originally developed for high-efficiency biological hydrogen production from waste streams. Compared to traditional biological technologies, MECs can overcome thermodynamic limitations and achieve high-yield hydrogen production from wide range of organic matters at relatively mild conditions. This approach greatly reduces the electric energy cost for hydrogen production in contrast to direct water electrolysis. In addition to hydrogen production, MECs may also support several energetically unfavorable biological/chemical reactions. This unique advantage of MECs has led to several alternative applications such as chemicals synthesis, recalcitrant pollutants removal, resources recovery, bioelectrochemical research platform and biosensors, which have greatly broaden the application scopes of MECs. MECs are becoming a versatile platform technology and offer a new solution for emerging environmental issues related to waste streams treatment and energy and resource recovery. Different from previous reviews that mainly focus on hydrogen production, this paper provides an up-to-date review of all the new applications of MECs and their resulting performance, current challenges and prospects of future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Statistical key factors optimization of conditions for hydrogen production from S-TE (solubilization by thermophilic enzyme) waste sludge.

    PubMed

    Guo, Liang; Zhao, Jun; She, Zonglian; Lu, Mingmin; Zong, Yan

    2013-06-01

    Waste sludge can be solubilized after S-TE (solubilization by thermophilic enzyme) pretreatment as the cryptic growth occurs at the expense of the cell lysate. The hydrogen production from S-TE sludge is greatly influenced by many factors. In this study, factors including pH, C/N, C/P, and Fe(2+) affecting hydrogen production from S-TE sludge were optimized using uniform design. The optimum condition for maximum hydrogen yield of 68.4 ml H2/g VSS (volatile suspended solid) could be predicted from regression model, and the optimum conditions were pH of 6.4, C/N ratio of 38, C/P ratio of 265, and Fe(2+) concentration of 85 mg/L. There was interaction effect of factors on hydrogen production from S-TE sludge. Different pH, C/N, C/P and Fe(2+) conditions could influence the VSS removal rate, carbohydrate and protein utilization. When the highest compositions of acetate and ethanol and lowest propionate were observed in metabolites, effective hydrogen production was also achieved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Treatment of the Bleaching Effluent from Sulfite Pulp Production by Ceramic Membrane Filtration

    PubMed Central

    Ebrahimi, Mehrdad; Busse, Nadine; Kerker, Steffen; Schmitz, Oliver; Hilpert, Markus; Czermak, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Pulp and paper waste water is one of the major sources of industrial water pollution. This study tested the suitability of ceramic tubular membrane technology as an alternative to conventional waste water treatment in the pulp and paper industry. In this context, in series batch and semi-batch membrane processes comprising microfiltration, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration, ceramic membranes were developed to reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and remove residual lignin from the effluent flow during sulfite pulp production. A comparison of the ceramic membranes in terms of separation efficiency and performance revealed that the two-stage process configuration with microfiltration followed by ultrafiltration was most suitable for the efficient treatment of the alkaline bleaching effluent tested herein, reducing the COD concentration and residual lignin levels by more than 35% and 70%, respectively. PMID:26729180

  20. Treatment of the Bleaching Effluent from Sulfite Pulp Production by Ceramic Membrane Filtration.

    PubMed

    Ebrahimi, Mehrdad; Busse, Nadine; Kerker, Steffen; Schmitz, Oliver; Hilpert, Markus; Czermak, Peter

    2015-12-31

    Pulp and paper waste water is one of the major sources of industrial water pollution. This study tested the suitability of ceramic tubular membrane technology as an alternative to conventional waste water treatment in the pulp and paper industry. In this context, in series batch and semi-batch membrane processes comprising microfiltration, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration, ceramic membranes were developed to reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and remove residual lignin from the effluent flow during sulfite pulp production. A comparison of the ceramic membranes in terms of separation efficiency and performance revealed that the two-stage process configuration with microfiltration followed by ultrafiltration was most suitable for the efficient treatment of the alkaline bleaching effluent tested herein, reducing the COD concentration and residual lignin levels by more than 35% and 70%, respectively.

  1. Production of bio-fuel ethanol from distilled grain waste eluted from Chinese spirit making process.

    PubMed

    Tan, Li; Sun, Zhaoyong; Zhang, Wenxue; Tang, Yueqin; Morimura, Shigeru; Kida, Kenji

    2014-10-01

    Distilled grain waste eluted from Chinese spirit making is rich in carbohydrates, and could potentially serve as feedstock for the production of bio-fuel ethanol. Our study evaluated two types of saccharification methods that convert distilled grain waste to monosaccharides: enzymatic saccharification and concentrated H2SO4 saccharification. Results showed that enzymatic saccharification performed unsatisfactorily because of inefficient removal of lignin during pretreatment. Concentrated H2SO4 saccharification led to a total sugar recovery efficiency of 79.0 %, and to considerably higher sugar concentrations than enzymatic saccharification. The process of ethanol production from distilled grain waste based on concentrated H2SO4 saccharification was then studied. The process mainly consisted of concentrated H2SO4 saccharification, solid-liquid separation, decoloration, sugar-acid separation, oligosaccharide hydrolysis, and continuous ethanol fermentation. An improved simulated moving bed system was employed to separate sugars from acid after concentrated H2SO4 saccharification, by which 95.8 % of glucose and 85.8 % of xylose went into the sugar-rich fraction, while 83.3 % of H2SO4 went into the acid-rich fraction. A flocculating yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae KF-7, was used for continuous ethanol fermentation, which produced an ethanol yield of 91.9-98.9 %, based on glucose concentration.

  2. Concomitant production of xylanases and cellulases from Trichoderma longibrachiatum MDU-6 selected for the deinking of paper waste.

    PubMed

    Chutani, Preeti; Sharma, Krishna Kant

    2016-05-01

    Sixty fungal cultures were isolated from agricultural soil, industrial soil, forest canopy soil having decomposed leaf litter and compost samples collected from different regions of India. Fifteen fungal cultures were selected qualitatively for the production of xylanase and cellulases and were identified employing ITS, NS and MNS primers. The enzyme cocktail consisting of 3811 IU g(-1) of xylanase and 9.9 IU g(-1) of cellulase from Trichoderma longibrachiatum MDU-6 was selected quantitatively for the deinking of diverse paper wastes. The enzyme production increased two fold when produced at tray level in comparison with flasks. The enzyme cocktail was effective in the deinking of old newspaper samples with significant removal of chromophores, phenolics and hydrophobic compounds and less sugar loss. While in case of examination papers and laser printed papers, ink removal was not very significant. Moreover, the sugar loss was significantly high in case of examination papers. The deinking results were further confirmed with FTIR analysis. Deinked newspaper pulp sample shows brightness of 52%, which was 9.6% high than its control sample. The ERIC value for deinked newspaper pulp was found to be 655.9 ppm. Thereafter, the deinked newspaper pulp was examined under light microscope after differential staining with safranin and malachite green and also examined under scanning and transmission electron microscope, which revealed fibrillation and perforation.

  3. Kinetics of anaerobic degradation of screened dairy manure by upflow fixed bed digesters: effect of natural zeolite addition.

    PubMed

    Nikolaeva, S; Sánchez, E; Borja, R; Raposo, F; Colmenarejo, M F; Montalvo, S; Jiménez-Rodríguez, A M

    2009-02-01

    The effect of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the performance of two up-flow anaerobic fixed bed digesters (UFAFBDs) packed with waste tire rubber (D1) and waste tire rubber and zeolite (D2) as micro-organism immobilization supports was studied. It was found that a first-order kinetic model described well the experimental results obtained. The kinetic constants for COD, BOD5, total solids (TS) and volatile solids (VS) removal were determined to be higher in digester D2 than in digester D1 or control. Specifically, they were 0.28 +/- 0.01, 0.32 +/- 0.02, 0.16 +/- 0.01 and 0.24 +/- 0.01 d(- 1) respectively for D1 and 0.33 +/- 0.02, 0.40 +/- 0.02, 0.21 +/- 0.01 and 0.28 +/- 0.01 d(- 1) respectively for D2. This was significant at the 95% confidence level. In addition, the first-order model was also adequate for assessing the effect of the HRT on the removal efficiency and methane production. Maximum methane yield and the first-order constant for methane production were determined and the results obtained were comparable with those obtained by other authors but operating at higher HRTs. Maximum methane yields and the kinetic constant for methane production were 11.1% and 29.4% higher in digester D2 than in D1.

  4. Characterization of water treatment sludge and its reuse as coagulant.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Tarique; Ahmad, Kafeel; Ahad, Abdul; Alam, Mehtab

    2016-11-01

    Coagulation-flocculation process results in the generation of large volume of waste or residue, known as water treatment sludge (WTS), in the purification of surface water for potable supplies. Sustainable management of the inevitable waste requires careful attention from the plant operators and sludge managers. In this study, WTS produced with the optimum alum dose of 30 ml/L at the laboratory scale has been treated with sulphuric acid to bring forth a product known as sludge reagent product (SRP). The performance of SRP is evaluated for its efficiency in removing the colloidal suspensions from the Yamuna river water over wide pH range of 2-13. 1% sludge acidified with sulphuric acid of normality 2.5 at the rate of 0.05 ml/ml sludge has been observed as the optimum condition for preparing SRP from WTS. The percentage turbidity removal is greater at higher pH value and increases with increasing the dosage of SRP. The optimum SRP dosage of 8 ml/L in the pH range of 6-8 performed well in removing the colloidal suspension and other impurities from the Yamuna water. The quality of treated water met the prescribed standards for most of the quality parameters. Thus, SRP has the potential to substitute the conventional coagulants partially or completely in the water treatment process, depending on the quality needed at the users end. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Co-digestion of cattle manure with food waste and sludge to increase biogas production

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maranon, E., E-mail: emara@uniovi.es; Castrillon, L.; Quiroga, G.

    2012-10-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Small increase in methane production was observed applying sonication pretreatment. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Biogas productions between 720 and 1100 mL/Lreactor day were achieved. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Volatile solids removal efficiencies ranged between 53% and 60%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lower methane yields were obtained when operating under thermophilic conditions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optimum OLR in lab-scale CSTR was 1.2-1.3 g VS/L day (HRT: 20 days). - Abstract: Anaerobic co-digestion strategies are needed to enhance biogas production, especially when treating certain residues such as cattle/pig manure. This paper presents a study of co-digestion of cattle manure with food waste and sewage sludge. With the aim of maximising biogasmore » yields, a series of experiments were carried out under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions using continuously stirred-tank reactors, operating at different hydraulic residence times. Pretreatment with ultrasound was also applied to compare the results with those obtained with non-pretreated waste. Specific methane production decreases when increasing the OLR and decreasing HRT. The maximum value obtained was 603 LCH{sub 4}/kg VS{sub feed} for the co-digestion of a mixture of 70% manure, 20% food waste and 10% sewage sludge (total solid concentration around 4%) at 36 Degree-Sign C, for an OLR of 1.2 g VS/L day. Increasing the OLR to 1.5 g VS/L day led to a decrease of around 20-28% in SMP. Lower methane yields were obtained when operating at 55 Degree-Sign C. The increase in methane production when applying ultrasound to the feed mixtures does not compensate for the energy spent in this pretreatment.« less

  6. Effect and removal mechanisms of 6 different washing agents for building wastes containing chromium.

    PubMed

    Xing-run, Wang; Yan-xia, Zhang; Qi, Wang; Jian-min, Shu

    2012-01-01

    With the building wastes contaminated by chromium in Haibei Chemical Plan in China as objects, we studied the contents of total Cr and Cr (VI) of different sizes, analyzed the effect of 6 different washing agents, discussed the removal mechanisms of 6 different washing agents for Cr in various forms, and finally selected applicable washing agent. As per the results, particle size had little impact on the contents of total Cr and Cr (VI); after one washing with water, the removal rate of total Cr and Cr (VI) was 75% and 78%, respectively, and after the second washing with 6 agents, the removal rate of citric acid was the highest, above 90% for total Cr and above 99% for hexavalent chromium; the pH of building wastes were reduced by citric acid, and under acid condition, hexavalent chromium was reduced to trivalent chromium spontaneously by organic acid, which led to better removal rate of acid soluble Cr and reducible Cr; due to the complexing action, citric acid had best removal rate for oxidizable trivalent chromium. In conclusion, citric acid is the most applicable second washing agent for building wastes.

  7. Green Aerospace Fuels from Nonpetroleum Sources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hepp, Aloysius F.; Kulis, Michael J.; DeLaRee, Ana B.; Zubrin, Robert; Berggren, Mark; Hensel, Joseph D.; Kimble, Michael C.

    2011-01-01

    Efforts to produce green aerospace propellants from nonpetroleum sources are outlined. The paper begins with an overview of feedstock processing and relevant small molecule or C1 chemistry. Gas-to-liquid technologies, notably Fischer-Tropsch (FT) processing of synthesis gas (CO and H2), are being optimized to enhance the fraction of product stream relevant to aviation (and other transportation) fuels at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). Efforts to produce optimized catalysts are described. Given the high cost of space launch, the recycling of human metabolic and plastic wastes to reduce the need to transport consumables to orbit to support the crew of a space station has long been recognized as a high priority. If the much larger costs of transporting consumables to the Moon or beyond are taken into account, the importance of developing waste recycling systems becomes still more imperative. One promising way to transform organic waste products into useful gases is steam reformation; this well-known technology is currently being optimized by a Colorado company for exploration and planetary surface operations. Reduction of terrestrial waste streams while producing energy and/or valuable raw materials is an opportunity being realized by a new generation of visionary entrepreneurs. A technology that has successfully demonstrated production of fuels and related chemicals from waste plastics developed in Northeast Ohio is described. Technologies being developed by a Massachusetts company to remove sulfur impurities are highlighted. Common issues and concerns for nonpetroleum fuel production are emphasized. Energy utilization is a concern for production of fuels whether a terrestrial operation or on the lunar (or Martian) surface; the term green relates to not only mitigating excess carbon release but also to the efficiency of grid-energy usage. For space exploration, energy efficiency can be an essential concern. Other issues of great concern include minimizing impurities in the product stream(s), especially those that potential health risks and/or could degrade operations through catalyst poisoning or equipment damage. The potential impacts on future missions by such concerns are addressed in closing.

  8. Thermal destruction of wastes containing polychlorinated naphthalenes in an industrial waste incinerator.

    PubMed

    Yamamoto, Takashi; Noma, Yukio; Sakai, Shin-Ichi

    2016-07-02

    A series of verification tests were carried out in order to confirm that polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) contained in synthetic rubber products (Neoprene FB products) and aerosol adhesives, which were accidentally imported into Japan, could be thermally destroyed using an industrial waste incinerator. In the verification tests, Neoprene FB products containing PCNs at a concentration of 2800 mg/kg were added to industrial wastes at a ratio of 600 mg Neoprene FB product/kg-waste, and then incinerated at an average temperature of 985 °C. Total PCN concentrations were 14 ng/m 3 N in stack gas, 5.7 ng/g in bottom ash, 0.98 ng/g in boiler dust, and 1.2 ng/g in fly ash. Destruction efficiency (DE) and destruction removal efficiency (DRE) of congener No. 38/40, which is considered an input marker congener, were 99.9974 and 99.9995 %, respectively. The following dioxin concentrations were found: 0.11 ng-TEQ/m 3 N for the stack gas, 0.096 ng-TEQ/g for the bottom ash, 0.010 ng-TEQ/g for the boiler dust, and 0.072 ng-TEQ/g for the fly ash. Since the PCN levels in the PCN destruction test were even at slightly lower concentrations than in the baseline test without PCN addition, the detected PCNs are to a large degree unintentionally produced PCNs and does not mainly stem from input material. Also, the dioxin levels did not change. From these results, we confirmed that PCNs contained in Neoprene FB products and aerosol adhesives could be destroyed to a high degree by high-temperature incineration. Therefore, all recalled Neoprene FB products and aerosol adhesives containing PCNs were successfully treated under the same conditions as the verification tests.

  9. Ion Exchange Column Tests Supporting Technetium Removal Resin Maturation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nash, C.; McCabe, D.; Hamm, L.

    2013-12-20

    The primary treatment of the tank waste at the DOE Hanford site will be done in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, currently under construction. The baseline plan for this facility is to treat the waste, splitting it into High Level Waste (HLW) and Low Activity Waste (LAW). Both waste streams are then separately vitrified as glass and sealed in canisters. The LAW glass will be disposed on site. There are currently no plans to treat the waste to remove technetium, so its disposition path is the LAW glass. Due to the soluble properties of pertechnetate and long half-life ofmore » 99Tc, effective management of 99Tc is important. Options are being explored to immobilize the supplemental LAW portion of the tank waste, as well as to examine the volatility of 99Tc during the vitrification process. Removal of 99Tc, followed by off-site disposal has potential to reduce treatment and disposal costs. A conceptual flow sheets for supplemental LAW treatment and disposal that could benefit from technetium removal will specifically examine removing 99Tc from the LAW feed stream to supplemental immobilization. SuperLig® 639 is an elutable ion exchange resin. In the tank waste, 99Tc is predominantly found in the tank supernate as pertechnetate (TcO 4 -). Perrhenate (ReO 4 -) has been shown to be a good non-radioactive surrogate for pertechnetate in laboratory testing for this ion exchange resin. This report contains results of experimental ion exchange distribution coefficient and column resin maturation kinetics testing using the resin SuperLig® 639a to selectively remove perrhenate from simulated LAW. This revision includes results from testing to determine effective resin operating temperature range. Loading tests were performed at 45°C, and the computer modeling was updated to include the temperature effects. Equilibrium contact testing indicated that this batch of SuperLig® 639 resin has good performance, with an average perrhenate distribution coefficient of 291 mL/g at a 100:1 phase ratio. This slightly exceeds the computer-modeled equilibrium distribution. The modeling agreed well with the experimental data for perrhenate removal with minor adjustments. Predicted breakthrough performance was on average within about 20% of measured values.« less

  10. Removal of chromium(III) from aqueous waste solution by liquid-liquid extraction in a circular microchannel.

    PubMed

    Luo, Jian Hong; Li, Jun; Guo, Lei; Zhu, Xin Hua; Dai, Shuang; Li, Xing

    2017-11-01

    A new circular microchannel device has been proposed for the removal of chromium(III) from aqueous waste solution by using kerosene as a diluent and (2-ethylhexyl) 2-ethylhexyl phosphonate as an extractant. The proposed device has several advantages such as a flexible and easily adaptable design, easy maintenance, and cheap setup without the requirement of microfabrication. To study the extraction efficiency and advantages of the circular microchannel device in the removal of chromium(III), the effects of various operating conditions such as the inner diameter of the channel, the total flow velocity, the phase ratio, the initial pH of aqueous waste solution, the reaction temperature and the initial concentration of extractant on the extraction efficiency are investigated and the optimal process conditions are obtained. The results show that chromium(III) in aqueous waste solution can be effectively removed with (2-ethylhexyl) 2-ethylhexyl phosphonate in the circular microchannel. Under optimized conditions, an extraction efficiency of chromium(III) of more than 99% can be attained and the aqueous waste solution can be discharged directly, which can meet the Chinese national emission standards.

  11. Laboratory Experiments on the Electrochemical Remediation of Environment. Part 4: Color Removal of Simulated Wastewater by Electrocoagulation-Electroflotation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibanez, Jorge G.; Singh, M. M.; Szafran, Z.

    1998-08-01

    Due to the large production of aqueous waste streams from textile mills and dye production plants, several processes have been under intense study. Electrochemical processes offer some distinctive advantages, including effects due to: 1) the production of electrolysis gases, and 2) the production of polyvalent cations from the oxidation of corrodible anodes (like Fe and Al). The gas bubbles can carry the pollutant to the top of the solution where it can be more easily concentrated, collected and removed. The metallic ions can react with the OH- ions produced at the cathode during the evolution of H2 gas to yield insoluble hydroxides that will adsorb pollutants out of the solution and also contribute to coagulation by neutralizing any negatively charged colloidal particles that might be present. In this experiment an iron electrode (paper clip) is used in conjunction with pH indicator dyes, so dramatic color changes will be noticed.

  12. A Pontential Agriculture Waste Material as Coagulant Aid: Cassava Peel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Othman, N.; Abd-Rahim, N.-S.; Tuan-Besar, S.-N.-F.; Mohd-Asharuddin, S.; Kumar, V.

    2018-02-01

    All A large amount of cassava peel waste is generated annually by small and medium scale industries. This has led to a new policy of complete utilization of raw materials so that there will be little or no residue left that could pose pollution problems. Conversion of these by-products into a material that poses an ability to remove toxic pollutant would increase the market value and ultimately benefits the producers. This study investigated the characteristics of cassava peel as a coagulant aid material and optimization process using the cassava peel was explored through coagulation and flocculation. This research had highlighted that the Cassava peels contain sugars in the form of polysaccharides such as starch and holocellulose. The FTIR results revealed that amino acids containing abundant of carboxyl, hydroxyl and amino groups which has significant capabilities in removing pollutants. Whereas analysis by XRF spectrometry indicated that the CP samples contain Fe2O3 and Al2O3 which might contribute to its coagulation ability. The optimum condition allowed Cassava peel and alum removed high turbidity up to 90. This natural coagulant from cassava peel is found to be an alternative coagulant aid to reduce the usage of chemical coagulants

  13. Standard Waste Box Lid Screw Removal Option Testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anast, Kurt Roy

    This report provides results from test work conducted to resolve the removal of screws securing the standard waste box (SWB) lids that hold the remediated nitrate salt (RNS) drums. The test work evaluated equipment and process alternatives for removing the 42 screws that hold the SWB lid in place. The screws were secured with a red Loctite thread locker that makes removal very difficult because the rivets that the screw threads into would slip before the screw could be freed from the rivet, making it impossible to remove the screw and therefore the SWB lid.

  14. Directed spray mast

    DOEpatents

    Nance, Thomas A.; Siddall, Alvin A.; Cheng, William Y.; Counts, Kevin T.

    2005-05-10

    Disclosed is an elongated, tubular, compact high pressure sprayer apparatus for insertion into an access port of vessels having contaminated interior areas that require cleaning by high pressure water spray. The invention includes a spray nozzle and a camera adjacent thereto with means for rotating and raising and lowering the nozzle so that areas identified through the camera may be cleaned with a minimum production of waste water to be removed.

  15. Waste treatment process for removal of contaminants from aqueous, mixed-waste solutions using sequential chemical treatment and crossflow microfiltration, followed by dewatering

    DOEpatents

    Vijayan, S.; Wong, C.F.; Buckley, L.P.

    1994-11-22

    In processes of this invention aqueous waste solutions containing a variety of mixed waste contaminants are treated to remove the contaminants by a sequential addition of chemicals and adsorption/ion exchange powdered materials to remove the contaminants including lead, cadmium, uranium, cesium-137, strontium-85/90, trichloroethylene and benzene, and impurities including iron and calcium. Staged conditioning of the waste solution produces a polydisperse system of size enlarged complexes of the contaminants in three distinct configurations: water-soluble metal complexes, insoluble metal precipitation complexes, and contaminant-bearing particles of ion exchange and adsorbent materials. The volume of the waste is reduced by separation of the polydisperse system by cross-flow microfiltration, followed by low-temperature evaporation and/or filter pressing. The water produced as filtrate is discharged if it meets a specified target water quality, or else the filtrate is recycled until the target is achieved. 1 fig.

  16. Waste treatment process for removal of contaminants from aqueous, mixed-waste solutions using sequential chemical treatment and crossflow microfiltration, followed by dewatering

    DOEpatents

    Vijayan, Sivaraman; Wong, Chi F.; Buckley, Leo P.

    1994-01-01

    In processes of this invention aqueous waste solutions containing a variety of mixed waste contaminants are treated to remove the contaminants by a sequential addition of chemicals and adsorption/ion exchange powdered materials to remove the contaminants including lead, cadmium, uranium, cesium-137, strontium-85/90, trichloroethylene and benzene, and impurities including iron and calcium. Staged conditioning of the waste solution produces a polydisperse system of size enlarged complexes of the contaminants in three distinct configurations: water-soluble metal complexes, insoluble metal precipitation complexes, and contaminant-bearing particles of ion exchange and adsorbent materials. The volume of the waste is reduced by separation of the polydisperse system by cross-flow microfiltration, followed by low-temperature evaporation and/or filter pressing. The water produced as filtrate is discharged if it meets a specified target water quality, or else the filtrate is recycled until the target is achieved.

  17. Additional Equipment for Soil Biodegradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vondráčková, Terezie; Kraus, Michal; Šál, Jiří

    2017-12-01

    Intensification of industrial production, increasing citizens’ living standards, expanding the consumer assortment mean in the production - consumption cycle a constantly increasing occurrence of waste material, which by its very nature must be considered as a source of useful raw materials in all branches of human activity. In addition to strict legislative requirements, a number of circumstances characterize waste management. It is mainly extensive transport associated with the handling and storage of large volumes of substances with a large assortment of materials (substances of all possible physical and chemical properties) and high demands on reliability and time coordination of follow-up processes. Considerable differences in transport distances, a large number of sources, processors and customers, and not least seasonal fluctuations in waste and strong price pressures cannot be overlooked. This highlights the importance of logistics in waste management. Soils that are contaminated with oil and petroleum products are hazardous industrial waste. Methods of industrial waste disposal are landfilling, biological processes, thermal processes and physical and chemical methods. The paper focuses on the possibilities of degradation of oil pollution, in particular biodegradation by bacteria, which is relatively low-cost among technologies. It is necessary to win the fight with time so that no ground water is contaminated. We have developed two additional devices to help reduce oil accident of smaller ranges. In the case of such an oil accident, it is necessary to carry out the permeability test of contaminated soil in time and, on this basis, to choose the technology appropriate to the accident - either in-sit biodegradation - at the site of the accident, or on-sit - to remove the soil and biodegrade it on the designated deposits. A special injection drill was developed for in-sit biodegradation, tossing and aeration equipment of the extracted soil was developed for on-sit biodegradation.

  18. Tetracycline removal and effect on the formation and degradation of extracellular polymeric substances and volatile fatty acids in the process of hydrogen fermentation.

    PubMed

    Hou, Guangying; Hao, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Rui; Wang, Jing; Liu, Rutao; Liu, Chunguang

    2016-07-01

    Many research indicate antibiotics show adverse effect on methane fermentation, while few research focus on their effect on hydrogen fermentation. The present study aimed to gain insight of the effect of antibiotics on hydrogen fermentation with waste sludge and corn straw as substrate. For this purpose, tetracycline, as a model, was investigated with regard to tetracycline removal, hydrogen production, interaction with extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) of substrate and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) on concentration and composition. Results show that tetracycline could be removed efficiently by hydrogen fermentation, and relative low-dose tetracycline (200mg/l) exposure affects little on hydrogen production. While tetracycline exposure could change hydrogen fermentation from butyric acid-type to propionic acid-type depending on tetracycline level. Based upon three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and UV-vis tetracycline changed the component and content of EPSs, and static quenching was the main mechanism between EPSs with tetracycline. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Lean manufacturing analysis to reduce waste on production process of fan products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siregar, I.; Nasution, A. A.; Andayani, U.; Sari, R. M.; Syahputri, K.; Anizar

    2018-02-01

    This research is based on case study that being on electrical company. One of the products that will be researched is the fan, which when running the production process there is a time that is not value-added, among others, the removal of material which is not efficient in the raw materials and component molding fan. This study aims to reduce waste or non-value added activities and shorten the total lead time by using the tools Value Stream Mapping. Lean manufacturing methods used to analyze and reduce the non-value added activities, namely the value stream mapping analysis tools, process mapping activity with 5W1H, and tools 5 whys. Based on the research note that no value-added activities in the production process of a fan of 647.94 minutes of total lead time of 725.68 minutes. Process cycle efficiency in the production process indicates that the fan is still very low at 11%. While estimates of the repair showed a decrease in total lead time became 340.9 minutes and the process cycle efficiency is greater by 24%, which indicates that the production process has been better.

  20. Boosting biogas production from sewage sludge by adding small amount of agro-industrial by-products and food waste residues.

    PubMed

    Maragkaki, A E; Fountoulakis, M; Kyriakou, A; Lasaridi, K; Manios, T

    2018-01-01

    In Greece, in many cities, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) operate their own anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in order to treat sewage sludge rather than achieve optimum biogas production. Nowadays, there is a growing interest regarding the addition of other co-substrates in these existing facilities in order to increase gas yield from the biomass. This practice may be possible by adding small amount of co-substrates which will not affect significantly in the designed hydraulic retention time. Nonetheless, the lack of experimental data regarding this option is a serious obstacle. In this study, the effect of co-digestion sewage sludge, with small amount of agro-industrial by-products and food wastes is examined in lab-scale experiments. Specifically, co-digestion of SS and food waste (FW), grape residues (GR), crude glycerol (CG), cheese whey (CW) and sheep manure (SM), in a small ratio of 5-10% (v/v) was investigated. The effect of agro-industrial by-products and food waste residues on biogas production was investigated using one 1L and three 3L lab-scale reactors under mesophilic conditions at a 24-day hydraulic retention time. The biogas production rate reached 223, 259, 406, 572, 682 and 1751 mlbiogas/lreactor/d for 100% SS, 5% SM & 95% SS, 10% CW & 90% SS, 5% FW & 95% SS, 5% FW & 5% CG & 90% SS and 5% CG & 95% SS respectively. Depending on the co-digestion material, the average removal of total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) ranged between 20% (5% SM & 95% SS) and 76% (5% FW & 5% CG & 90% SS). Reduction in the volatile solids ranged between 26% (5% SM & 95% SS) and 62% (5% FW & 5% CG & 90% SS) for organic loading rates between 0.8kgVSm -3 d -1 and 2.0kgVSm -3 d -1 . Moreover, co-digestion improved biogas production from 14% (5% SM & 95% SS) to 674% (5% CG & 95% SS). This work suggests that WWTPs in Greece can increase biogas production by adding other wastes to the sewage sludge without affecting the operation of existing digesters and without requiring additional facilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Sorption of mercury onto waste material derived low-cost activated carbon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhakta, Jatindra N.; Rana, Sukanta; Lahiri, Susmita; Munekage, Yukihiro

    2017-03-01

    The present study was performed to develop the low-cost activated carbon (AC) from some waste materials as potential mercury (Hg) sorbent to remove high amount of Hg from aqueous phase. The ACs were prepared from banana peel, orange peel, cotton fiber and paper wastes by pyrolysis and characterized by analyzing physico-chemical properties and Hg sorption capacity. The Brunauer Emmett and Teller surface areas (cotton 138 m2/g; paper 119 m2/g), micropore surface areas (cotton 65 m2/g; paper 54 m2/g) and major constituent carbon contents (cotton 95.04 %; paper 94.4 %) were higher in ACs of cotton fiber and paper wastes than the rest two ACs. The Hg sorption capacities and removal percentages were greater in cotton and paper wastes-derived ACs compared to those of the banana and orange peels. The results revealed that elevated Hg removal ability of cotton and paper wastes-derived ACs is largely regulated by their surface area, porosity and carbon content properties. Therefore, ACs of cotton and paper wastes were identified as potential sorbent among four developed ACs to remove high amount of Hg from aqueous phase. Furthermore, easily accessible precursor material, simple preparation process, favorable physico-chemical properties and high Hg sorption capacity indicated that cotton and paper wastes-derived ACs could be used as potential and low-cost sorbents of Hg for applying in practical field to control the severe effect of Hg contamination in the aquatic environment to avoid its human and environmental health risks.

  2. Preparation and performance of arsenate (V) adsorbents derived from concrete wastes.

    PubMed

    Sasaki, Takeshi; Iizuka, Atsushi; Watanabe, Masayuki; Hongo, Teruhisa; Yamasaki, Akihiro

    2014-10-01

    Solid adsorbent materials, prepared from waste cement powder and concrete sludge were assessed for removal of arsenic in the form of arsenic (As(V)) from water. All the materials exhibited arsenic removal capacity when added to distilled water containing 10-700 mg/L arsenic. The arsenic removal isotherms were expressed by the Langmuir type equations, and the highest removal capacity was observed for the adsorbent prepared from concrete sludge with heat treatment at 105°C, the maximum removal capacity being 175 mg-As(V)/g. Based on changes in arsenic and calcium ion concentrations, and solution pH, the removal mechanism for arsenic was considered to involve the precipitation of calcium arsenate, Ca3(AsO4)2. The enhanced removal of arsenic for the adsorbent prepared from concrete sludge with heat treatment was thought to reflect ion exchange by ettringite. The prepared adsorbents, derived from waste cement and concrete using simple procedures, may offer a cost effective approach for arsenic removal and clean-up of contaminated waters, especially in developing countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Natural diatomite process for removal of radioactivity from liquid waste.

    PubMed

    Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

    2007-01-01

    Diatomite has a number of unique physical properties and has found diversified industrial utilization. The filtration characteristics are particularly significant in the purification of liquids. The purpose of this study was to test natural diatomaceous earth (diatomite) as an alternative material that could be used for removal of radioactivity from liquid waste. A pilot-scale column-type device was designed. Natural diatomite samples were ground, sieved and prepared to use as sorption media. In this study, real waste liquid was used as radioactive liquid having special conditions. The liquid waste contained three radionuclides (Cs-137, Cs-134 and Co-60). Following the treatment by diatomite, the radioactivity of liquid waste was reduced from the initial 2.60 Bq/ml to less than 0.40 Bq/ml. The results of this study show that most of the radioactivity was removed from the solution by processing with diatomite.

  4. SELENIUM TREATMENT/REMOVAL ALTERNATIVES DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ACTIVITY III, PROJECT 20

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document is the final report for EPA's Mine WAste Technology Program (MWTP) Activity III, Project 20--Selenium Treatment/Removal Alternatives Demonstration project. Selenium contamination originates from many sources including mining operations, mineral processing, abandoned...

  5. ENGINEERING BULLETIN: IN SITU STEAM EXTRACTION TREATMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    In situ steam extraction removes volatile and semivolatile hazardous contaminants from soil and groundwater without excavation of the hazardous waste. Waste constituents are removed in situ by the technology and are not actually treated. The use of steam enhances the stripping of...

  6. Ethene removal from a synthetic waste gas using a dry biobed

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    De Heyder, B.; Overmeire, A.; Van Langenhove, H.

    A packed granular activated carbon (GAC) biobed, inoculated with the ethene-degrading strain Mycobacterium E3, was used to study ethene removal from a synthetic waste gas. Ethene, for which the dimensionless partition coefficient for an air-water system at 20C is about 7.6, was used as a model compound for poorly water soluble gaseous pollutants. In a first mode of operation, the GAC biobed was sprinkled intermittently and the waste gas influent was continuously pre-humidified, establishing relatively moist conditions. A volumetric ethene removal rate of 0.382 kg COD [center dot] m[sup [minus]3] [center dot] d[sup [minus]1] was obtained for an influent concentrationmore » of 125 ppm, a superficial waste gas velocity of 3.6E-3 m [center dot] s[sup [minus]1] and a pseudo residence time of 45 s. However, in the second mode of operation, omitting the pre-humidification of the waste gas influent and establishing a dry'' biobed and thus obtaining better mass transfer to the biofilm, the ethene removal could be doubled for otherwise comparable operating parameters. Furthermore, under decreased wetting and for the given experimental conditions, the ethene removal was not limited by mass transfer of ethene through the water layer covering the biofilm.« less

  7. Biological removal of cationic fission products from nuclear wastewater.

    PubMed

    Ngwenya, N; Chirwa, E M N

    2011-01-01

    Nuclear energy is becoming a preferred energy source amidst rising concerns over the impacts of fossil fuel based energy on global warming and climate change. However, the radioactive waste generated during nuclear power generation contains harmful long-lived fission products such as strontium (Sr). In this study, cationic strontium uptake from solution by microbial cultures obtained from mine wastewater is evaluated. A high strontium removal capacity (q(max)) with maximum loading of 444 mg/g biomass was achieved by a mixed sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) culture. Sr removal in SRB was facilitated by cell surface based electrostatic interactions with the formation of weak ionic bonds, as 68% of the adsorbed Sr(2+) was easily desorbed from the biomass in an ion exchange reaction with MgCl₂. To a lesser extent, precipitation reactions were also found to account for the removal of Sr from aqueous solution as about 3% of the sorbed Sr was precipitated due to the presence of chemical ligands while the remainder occurred as an immobile fraction. Further analysis of the Sr-loaded SRB biomass by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) confirmed extracellular Sr(2+) precipitation as a result of chemical interaction. In summary, the obtained results demonstrate the prospects of using biological technologies for the remediation of industrial wastewaters contaminated by fission products.

  8. Development and demonstration of a telerobotic excavation system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burks, Barry L.; Thompson, David H.; Killough, Stephen M.; Dinkins, Marion A.

    1994-01-01

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing remote excavation technologies for the Department of Energy's Office (DOE) of Technology Development, Robotics Technology Development Program, and also for the Department of Defense (DOD) Project Manager for Ammunition Logistics. This work is being done to meet the need for remote excavation and removal of radioactive and contaminated buried waste at several DOE sites and unexploded ordnance at DOD sites. System requirements are based on the need to uncover and remove waste from burial sites in a way that does not cause unnecessary personnel exposure or additional environmental contamination. Goals for the current project are to demonstrate dexterous control of a backhoe with force feedback and to implement robotic operations that will improve productivity. The Telerobotic Small Emplacement Excavator is a prototype system that incorporates the needed robotic and telerobotic capabilities on a commercially available platform. The ability to add remote dexterous teleoperation and robotic operating modes is intended to be adaptable to other commercially available excavator systems.

  9. Electrolytic decontamination of conductive materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, George M.; Nelson, Timothy O.; Parker, John L.; Getty, Richard H.; Hergert, Tom R.; Lindahl, Kirk A.; Peppers, Larry G.

    1994-10-01

    Using the electrolytic method, we have demonstrated removal of Pu and Am from contaminated conductive material. At EG and G /Rocky Flats, we electrolytically decontaminated stainless steel. Results from this work show removal of fixed contamination, including the following geometries: planar, large radius, bolt holes, glove ports, and protruding studs. More specifically, fixed contamination was reduced from levels ranging from greater than 1 000 000 counts per minute (cpm) down to levels ranging from 1500 to 250 cpm using the electrolytic method. More recently, the electrolytic work has continued at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a joint project with EG and G/Rocky Flats. Impressively, electrolytic decontamination of Pu /Am from U surfaces (10 sq cm per side) shows decreases in swipable contamination from 500 000-1 500 000 disintegrations per minute (dpm) down to 0-2 dpm. Moreover, the solid waste product of the electrolytic method is reduced in volume by more than 50 times compared with the liquid waste produced by the previous U decontamination method -- a hot concentrated acid spray leach process.

  10. A Novel Ion Exchange System to Purify Mixed ISS Waste Water Brines for Chemical Production and Enhanced Water Recovery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lunn, Griffin Michael; Spencer, LaShelle E.; Ruby, Anna Maria; McCaskill, Andrew

    2014-01-01

    Current International Space Station water recovery regimes produce a sizable portion of waste water brine. This brine is highly toxic and water recovery is poor: a highly wasteful proposition. With new biological techniques that do not require waste water chemical pretreatment, the resulting brine would be chromium-free and nitrate rich which can allow possible fertilizer recovery for future plant systems. Using a system of ion exchange resins we can remove hardness, sulfate, phosphate and nitrate from these brines to leave only sodium and potassium chloride. At this point modern chlor-alkali cells can be utilized to produce a low salt stream as well as an acid and base stream. The first stream can be used to gain higher water recovery through recycle to the water separation stage while the last two streams can be used to regenerate the ion exchange beds used here, as well as other ion exchange beds in the ISS. Conveniently these waste products from ion exchange regeneration would be suitable as plant fertilizer. In this report we go over the performance of state of the art resins designed for high selectivity of target ions under brine conditions. Using ersatz ISS waste water we can evaluate the performance of specific resins and calculate mass balances to determine resin effectiveness and process viability. If this system is feasible then we will be one step closer to closed loop environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) for current or future applications.

  11. Refining and Mutual Separation of Rare Earths Using Biomass Wastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inoue, Katsutoshi; Alam, Shafiq

    2013-10-01

    Two different types of adsorption gels were prepared from biomass wastes. The first gel was produced from astringent persimmon peel rich in persimmon tannin, a polyphenol compound, which was prepared by means of simple dehydration condensation reaction using concentrated sulfuric acid for crosslinking. This adsorption gel was intended to be employed for the removal of radioactive elements, uranium (U(VI)) and thorium (Th(IV)), from rare earths. The second gel was prepared from chitosan, a basic polysaccharide, produced from shells of crustaceans such as crabs, shrimps, prawns, and other biomass wastes generated in marine product industry, by immobilizing functional groups of complexanes such as ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid and diethylentriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). This gel was developed for the mutual separation of rare earths. Of the two adsorption gels evaluated, the DTPA immobilized chitosan exhibited the most effective mutual separation among light rare earths.

  12. Evaluation of waste tank 16 using a field mercury analyzer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Looney, B.; Cook, J.R.

    1988-05-12

    Liquid radioactive wastes from the chemical processing of nuclear materials at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) are stored in large tanks buried near the ground surface. Each tank has multiple containment barriers designed to prevent leakage to the surrounding soil and groundwater. The only incident in which waste leaked through the multiple containment of a waste tank at SRP occurred at Tank 16 on September 8, 1960 (Poe, 1974; Prendergast, 1982). Tank 16 was built in 1955 and has a capacity of approximately one million gallons. Tank 16 consists of a steel primary containment vessel resting in a shallow steelmore » pan. A massive concrete encasement surrounds the tank and pan. After the leak in 1960, the tank was removed from service until 1967; at that time it was placed into service for lower activity wastes. In 1972 the tank was removed from service. Subsequently, all of the waste except a sludge heel of 67,000 gallons was removed from the tank. In 1980, this sludge was removed. Following the sludge removal, the tank was exhaustively cleaned and rinsed. Concentrations of radioactivity in the rinsewater suggested that the cleaning of the tank was effective (West and Morris, 1980). Recently, there has been concern about residual nonradioactive constituents, such as mercury, in the tank. To assist in evaluating the potential for residual mercury contamination, a survey method was developed and a survey of several tanks was conducted. 3 refs., 1 tab.« less

  13. Removal of Pertechnetate-Related Oxyanions from Solution Using Functionalized Hierarchical Porous Frameworks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Banerjee, Debasis; Elsaidi, Sameh K.; Aguila, Briana

    2016-10-20

    Efficient and cost-effective removal of radioactive pertechnetate anions from nuclear waste is a key challenge to mitigate long-term nuclear waste storage issues. Traditional materials such as resins and layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were evaluated for their pertechnetate or perrhenate (the non-radioactive surrogate) removal capacity, but there is room for improvement in terms of capacity, selectivity and kinetics. A series of functionalized hierarchical porous frameworks were evaluated for their perrhenate removal capacity in the presence of other competing anions.

  14. Hot Cell Liners Category of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jones, Robert Wesley; Hargis, Kenneth Marshall

    2014-09-01

    A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is an agreementmore » between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within the Hot Cell Liners category; their physical and radiological characteristics; the results of the radioassays; and the justification to reclassify the five containers as LLW rather than TRU waste.« less

  15. Tritium Packages and 17th RH Canister Categories of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hargis, Kenneth Marshall

    A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is a settlementmore » agreement between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within the Tritium Packages and 17th RH Canister categories; their physical and radiological characteristics; the results of the radioassays; and potential issues in retrieval and processing of the waste containers.« less

  16. Glycerin purification using asymmetric nano-structured ceramic membranes from production of waste fish oil biodiesel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maghami, M.; Sadrameli, S. M.; Shamloo, M.

    2018-02-01

    Biodiesel is an environmental friendly alternative liquid transportation fuel that can be used in diesel engines without major modifications. The scope of this research work is to produce biodiesel from waste fish oil and its purification from the byproducts using a ceramic membrane. Transesterification of waste fish oil was applied for the biodiesel production using methanol in the presence of KOH as a catalyst. Effect of catalyst weight percent, temperature and methanol to oil molar ratio (MR) on the biodiesel yield have been studied and the results show that highest methyl ester yield of 79.2% has been obtained at 60 °C, MR: 6 and 1% KOH. The produced biodiesel purified by a ceramic membrane. Membrane flux and glycerin removal at different operating conditions such as temperature, trans-membrane pressures and cross flow velocities have been measured. Glycerin purity by membrane method is 99.97% by weight at the optimum condition. The highest membrane flux occurred at 50 °C temperature, 1 bar pressure and 3 m/s velocity.

  17. Mutual facilitations of food waste treatment, microbial fuel cell bioelectricity generation and Chlorella vulgaris lipid production.

    PubMed

    Hou, Qingjie; Pei, Haiyan; Hu, Wenrong; Jiang, Liqun; Yu, Ze

    2016-03-01

    Food waste contains large amount of organic matter that may be troublesome for handing, storage and transportation. A microbial fuel cell (MFC) was successfully constructed with different inoculum densities of Chlorella vulgaris for promoting food waste treatment. Maximum COD removal efficiency was registered with 44% and 25 g CODL(-1)d(-1) of substrate degradation rate when inoculated with the optimal initial density (150 mg L(-1)) of C. vulgaris, which were 2.9 times and 3.1 times higher than that of the abiotic cathode. With the optimum inoculum density of C. vulgaris, the highest open circuit voltage, working voltage and power density of MFC were 260 mV, 170 mV and 19151 mW m(-3), respectively. Besides the high biodiesel quality, promoted by MFC stimulation the biomass productivity and highest total lipid content of C. vulgaris were 207 mg L(-1)d(-1) and 31%, which were roughly 2.7 times and 1.2 times higher than the control group. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. 40 CFR 194.46 - Removal of waste.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Removal of waste. 194.46 Section 194.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION... time after disposal. Such documentation shall include an analysis of the technological feasibility of...

  19. 40 CFR 194.46 - Removal of waste.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Removal of waste. 194.46 Section 194.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION... time after disposal. Such documentation shall include an analysis of the technological feasibility of...

  20. 40 CFR 194.46 - Removal of waste.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Removal of waste. 194.46 Section 194.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION... time after disposal. Such documentation shall include an analysis of the technological feasibility of...

  1. 40 CFR 194.46 - Removal of waste.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Removal of waste. 194.46 Section 194.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION... time after disposal. Such documentation shall include an analysis of the technological feasibility of...

  2. Biomethanation potential of macroalgae Ulva spp. and Gracilaria spp. and in co-digestion with waste activated sludge.

    PubMed

    Costa, J C; Gonçalves, P R; Nobre, A; Alves, M M

    2012-06-01

    Biochemical methane potential of four species of Ulva and Gracilaria genus was assessed in batch assays at mesophilic temperature. The results indicate a higher specific methane production (per volatile solids) for one of the Ulva sp. compared with other macroalgae and for tests running with 2.5% of total solids (196±9 L CH(4) kg(-1)VS). Considering that macroalgae can potentially be a post treatment of municipal wastewater for nutrients removal, co-digestion of macroalgae with waste activated sludge (WAS) was assessed. The co-digestion of macroalgae (15%) with WAS (85%) is feasible at a rate of methane production 26% higher than WAS alone without decreasing the overall biodegradability of the substrate (42-45% methane yield). The use of anoxic marine sediment as inoculum had no positive effect on the methane production in batch assays. The limiting step of the overall anaerobic digestion process was the hydrolysis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Municipal wastewater sludge as a sustainable bioresource in the United States

    DOE PAGES

    Seiple, Timothy E.; Coleman, André M.; Skaggs, Richard L.

    2017-04-20

    Within the United States and Puerto Rico, publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) process 130.5 Gl/d (34.5 Bgal/d) of wastewater, producing sludge as a waste product. Emerging technologies offer novel waste-to-energy pathways through whole sludge conversion into biofuels. Assessing the feasibility, scalability and tradeoffs of various energy conversion pathways is difficult in the absence of highly spatially resolved estimates of sludge production. In this study, average wastewater solids concentrations and removal rates, and site specific daily average influent flow are used to estimate site specific annual sludge production on a dry weight basis for >15,000 POTWs. Current beneficial uses, regional productionmore » hotspots and feedstock aggregation potential are also assessed. Analyses indicate 1) POTWs capture 12.56 Tg/y (13.84 MT/y) of dry solids; 2) 50% are not beneficially utilized, and 3) POTWs can support seven regions that aggregate >910 Mg/d (1000 T/d) of sludge within a travel distance of 100 km.« less

  4. Improvement of shelf life of soymilk using immobilized protease of Oerskovia xanthineolytica NCIM 2839.

    PubMed

    Sahoo, A K; Gaikwad, V S; Ranveer, R C; Dandge, P B; Waghmare, S R

    2016-12-01

    Protease enzyme has lot of commercial applications, so the cost-effective production of protease using sunflower oil seed waste was carried out from Oerskovia xanthineolyitca NCIM 2839. The maximum protease production was after 24 h of incubation with 2.5 % oil seed waste concentration. O. xanthineolytica was found to produce two proteases-P1 and P2. The proteases were purified using 60 % cold acetone precipitation and DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE revealed molecular weight of P1 and P2 was 36 and 24 kDa, respectively. P1 and P2 were optimally active at pH 7.0 and pH 7.5 at temperature 35 and 40 °C, respectively. Analysis of hydrolyzed product of P1 and P2 by HPLC reveals that the P1 has endoprotease and P2 has exoprotease activity. The treated soy milk with immobilized proteases showed increased shelf life and removal of off flavor.

  5. Anaerobic digestion of soft drink beverage waste and sewage sludge.

    PubMed

    Wickham, Richard; Xie, Sihuang; Galway, Brendan; Bustamante, Heriberto; Nghiem, Long D

    2018-08-01

    Soft drink beverage waste (BW) was evaluated as a potential substrate for anaerobic co-digestion with sewage sludge to increase biogas production. Results from this study show that the increase in biogas production is proportional to the increase in organic loading rate (OLR) rate due to BW addition. The OLR increase of 86 and 171% corresponding to 10 and 20% BW by volume in the feed resulted in 89 and 191% increase in biogas production, respectively. Under a stable condition, anaerobic co-digestion with BW did not lead to any significant impact on digestate quality (in terms of COD removal and biosolids odour) and biogas composition. The results suggest that existing nutrients in sewage sludge can support an increase in OLR by about 2 kg COD/m 3 /d from a carbon rich substrate such as soft drink BW without inhibition or excessive impact on subsequent handling of the digestate. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Advanced High-Level Waste Glass Research and Development Plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peeler, David K.; Vienna, John D.; Schweiger, Michael J.

    2015-07-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection (ORP) has implemented an integrated program to increase the loading of Hanford tank wastes in glass while meeting melter lifetime expectancies and process, regulatory, and product quality requirements. The integrated ORP program is focused on providing a technical, science-based foundation from which key decisions can be made regarding the successful operation of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) facilities. The fundamental data stemming from this program will support development of advanced glass formulations, key process control models, and tactical processing strategies to ensure safe and successful operations formore » both the low-activity waste (LAW) and high-level waste (HLW) vitrification facilities with an appreciation toward reducing overall mission life. The purpose of this advanced HLW glass research and development plan is to identify the near-, mid-, and longer-term research and development activities required to develop and validate advanced HLW glasses and their associated models to support facility operations at WTP, including both direct feed and full pretreatment flowsheets. This plan also integrates technical support of facility operations and waste qualification activities to show the interdependence of these activities with the advanced waste glass (AWG) program to support the full WTP mission. Figure ES-1 shows these key ORP programmatic activities and their interfaces with both WTP facility operations and qualification needs. The plan is a living document that will be updated to reflect key advancements and mission strategy changes. The research outlined here is motivated by the potential for substantial economic benefits (e.g., significant increases in waste throughput and reductions in glass volumes) that will be realized when advancements in glass formulation continue and models supporting facility operations are implemented. Developing and applying advanced glass formulations will reduce the cost of Hanford tank waste management by reducing the schedule for tank waste treatment and reducing the amount of HLW glass for storage, transportation, and disposal. Additional benefits will be realized if advanced glasses are developed that demonstrate more tolerance for key components in the waste (such as Al 2O 3, Cr 2O 3, SO 3 and Na 2O) above the currently defined WTP constraints. Tolerating these higher concentrations of key waste loading limiters may reduce the burden on (or even eliminate the need for) leaching to remove Cr and Al and washing to remove excess S and Na from the HLW fraction. Advanced glass formulations may also make direct vitrification of the HLW fraction without significant pretreatment more cost effective. Finally, the advanced glass formulation efforts seek not only to increase waste loading in glass, but also to increase glass production rate. When coupled with higher waste loading, ensuring that all of the advanced glass formulations are processable at or above the current contract processing rate leads to significant improvements in waste throughput (the amount of waste being processed per unit time),which could significantly reduce the overall WTP mission life. The integration of increased waste loading, reduced leaching/washing requirements, and improved melting rates provides a system-wide approach to improve the effectiveness of the WTP process.« less

  7. Simultaneous treatment of SO2 containing stack gases and waste water

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poradek, J. C.; Collins, D. D. (Inventor)

    1978-01-01

    A process for simultaneously removing sulfur dioxide from stack gases and the like and purifying waste water such as derived from domestic sewage is described. A portion of the gas stream and a portion of the waste water, the latter containing dissolved iron and having an acidic pH, are contacted in a closed loop gas-liquid scrubbing zone to effect absorption of the sulfur dioxide into the waste water. A second portion of the gas stream and a second portion of the waste water are controlled in an open loop gas-liquid scrubbing zone. The second portion of the waste water contains a lesser amount of iron than the first portion of the waste water. Contacting in the openloop scrubbing zone is sufficient to acidify the waste water which is then treated to remove solids originally present.

  8. Keratinase production and biodegradation of polluted secondary chicken feather wastes by a newly isolated multi heavy metal tolerant bacterium-Alcaligenes sp. AQ05-001.

    PubMed

    Yusuf, Ibrahim; Ahmad, Siti Aqlima; Phang, Lai Yee; Syed, Mohd Arif; Shamaan, Nor Aripin; Abdul Khalil, Khalilah; Dahalan, Farrah Aini; Shukor, Mohd Yunus

    2016-12-01

    Biodegradation of agricultural wastes, generated annually from poultry farms and slaughterhouses, can solve the pollution problem and at the same time yield valuable degradation products. But these wastes also constitute environmental nuisance, especially in Malaysia where their illegal disposal on heavy metal contaminated soils poses a serious biodegradation issue as feather tends to accumulate heavy metals from the surrounding environment. Further, continuous use of feather wastes as cheap biosorbent material for the removal of heavy metals from effluents has contributed to the rising amount of polluted feathers, which has necessitated the search for heavy metal-tolerant feather degrading strains. Isolation, characterization and application of a novel heavy metal-tolerant feather-degrading bacterium, identified by 16S RNA sequencing as Alcaligenes sp. AQ05-001 in degradation of heavy metal polluted recalcitrant agricultural wastes, have been reported. Physico-cultural conditions influencing its activities were studied using one-factor-at-a-time and a statistical optimisation approach. Complete degradation of 5 g/L feather was achieved with pH 8, 2% inoculum at 27 °C and incubation period of 36 h. The medium optimisation after the response surface methodology (RSM) resulted in a 10-fold increase in keratinase production (88.4 U/mL) over the initial 8.85 U/mL when supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) sucrose, 0.15% (w/v) ammonium bicarbonate, 0.3% (w/v) skim milk, and 0.01% (w/v) urea. Under optimum conditions, the bacterium was able to degrade heavy metal polluted feathers completely and produced valuable keratinase and protein-rich hydrolysates. About 83% of the feathers polluted with a mixture of highly toxic metals were degraded with high keratinase activities. The heavy metal tolerance ability of this bacterium can be harnessed not only in keratinase production but also in the bioremediation of heavy metal-polluted feather wastes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Removal of Chalk River unidentified deposit (CRUD) radioactive waste by enhanced electrokinetic process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Won-Seok; Nam, Seongsik; Chang, Seeun

    Decontamination techniques proposed and used to remove Chalk River unidentified deposit (CRUD) in radioactive waste management. In cases of huge volumes of metal or radionuclides contaminated by CRUD, removal of CRUD by mechanical or chemical decontamination is difficult. An advanced electrokinetic process combined with chemical decontamination was applied to remove CRUD and experimentally evaluated. We used oxalic acid for CRUD removal, and cobalt (Co) released from the CRUD was transferred to the cathode in an electrokinetic reactor. Our results indicate that the combined system is efficient for CRUD removal with enhanced, efficiency by use of the cation exchange membrane andmore » zeolite.« less

  10. Removal of Chalk River unidentified deposit (CRUD) radioactive waste by enhanced electrokinetic process

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Won-Seok; Nam, Seongsik; Chang, Seeun; ...

    2017-08-13

    Decontamination techniques proposed and used to remove Chalk River unidentified deposit (CRUD) in radioactive waste management. In cases of huge volumes of metal or radionuclides contaminated by CRUD, removal of CRUD by mechanical or chemical decontamination is difficult. An advanced electrokinetic process combined with chemical decontamination was applied to remove CRUD and experimentally evaluated. We used oxalic acid for CRUD removal, and cobalt (Co) released from the CRUD was transferred to the cathode in an electrokinetic reactor. Our results indicate that the combined system is efficient for CRUD removal with enhanced, efficiency by use of the cation exchange membrane andmore » zeolite.« less

  11. Prospects of effective microorganisms technology in wastes treatment in Egypt.

    PubMed

    Shalaby, Emad A

    2011-06-01

    Sludge dewatering and treatment may cost as much as the wastewater treatment. Usually large proportion of the pollutants in wastewater is organic. They are attacked by saprophytic microorganisms, i.e. organisms that feed upon dead organic matter. Activity of organisms causes decomposition of organic matter and destroys them, where the bacteria convert the organic matter or other constituents in the wastewater to new cells, water, gases and other products. Demolition activities, including renovation/remodeling works and complete or selective removal/demolishing of existing structures either by man-made processes or by natural disasters, create an extensive amount of wastes. These demolition wastes are characterized as heterogeneous mixtures of building materials that are usually contaminated with chemicals and dirt. In developing countries, it is estimated that demolition wastes comprise 20% to 30% of the total annual solid wastes. In Egypt, the daily quantity of construction and demolition (C&D) waste has been estimated as 10 000 tones. That is equivalent to one third of the total daily municipal solid wastes generated per day in Egypt. The zabbaliin have since expanded their activities and now take the waste they collect back to their garbage villages where it is sorted into recyclable components: paper, plastics, rags, glass, metal and food. The food waste is fed to pigs and the other items are sold to recycling centers. This paper summarizes the wastewater and solid wastes management in Egypt now and future.

  12. Nuclear energy waste-space transportation and removal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burns, R. E.

    1975-01-01

    A method for utilizing the decay heat of actinide wastes to power an electric thrust vehicle is proposed. The vehicle, launched by shuttle to earth orbit and to earth escape by a tug, obtains electrical power from the actinide waste heat by thermionic converters. The heavy gamma ray and neutron shielding which is necessary as a safety feature is removed in orbit and returned to earth for reuse. The problems associated with safety are dealt with in depth. A method for eliminating fission wastes via chemical propulsion is briefly discussed.

  13. 40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  14. 40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  15. 40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  16. 40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  17. 40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  18. 40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  19. 40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  20. 40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

  1. Characterization of the March 2017 Tank 15 Waste Removal Slurry Sample (Combination of Slurry Samples HTF-15-17-28 and HTF-15-17-29)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reboul, S. H.; King, W. D.; Coleman, C. J.

    2017-05-09

    Two March 2017 Tank 15 slurry samples (HTF-15-17-28 and HTF-15-17-29) were collected during the second bulk waste removal campaign and submitted to SRNL for characterization. At SRNL, the two samples were combined and then characterized by a series of physical, elemental, radiological, and ionic analysis methods. Sludge settling as a function of time was also quantified. The characterization results reported in this document are consistent with expectations based upon waste type, process knowledge, comparisons between alternate analysis techniques, and comparisons with the characterization results obtained for the November 2016 Tank 15 slurry sample (the sample collected during the first bulkmore » waste removal campaign).« less

  2. Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kliss, Mark

    2001-01-01

    A videograph outlining life support research. The Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise's goals are to provide life support self-sufficiency for human beings to carry out research and exploration productively in space, to open the door for planetary exploration, and for benefits on Earth. Topics presented include the role of NASA Ames, funding, and technical monitoring. The focused research areas discussed include air regeneration, carbon dioxide removal, Mars Life Support, water recovery, Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal (VPCAR), solid waste treatment, and Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWC). Focus is placed on the utilization of Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis (SIMA) and Dynamic Systems Modeling in this research.

  3. Removing antimony from waste lead storage batteries alloy by vacuum displacement reaction technology.

    PubMed

    Liu, Tiantian; Qiu, Keqiang

    2018-04-05

    With the wide application of lead acid battery, spent lead acid battery has become a serious problem to environmental protection and human health. Though spent battery can be a contaminant if not handled properly, it is also an important resource to obtain refined lead. Nowadays, the Sb-content in lead storage batteries is about 0.5-3 wt%, which is higher than the Sb-content in the crude lead. However, there are few reports about the process of removing antimony from high-antimony lead bullion. In this study, vacuum displacement reaction technology, a new process for removing antimony from high-antimony lead melts, was investigated. During this process, lead oxide was added to the system and antimony from lead melts was converted into antimony trioxide, which easily was evaporated under vacuum so that antimony was removed from lead melts. The experimental results demonstrated that Sb-content in lead melts decreased from 2.5% to 23 ppm under following conditions: mass ratio of PbO/lead bullion of 0.33, residual gas pressure of 30 Pa, melt temperature of 840 °C, reaction time of 60 min. The distillate gotten can be used as by-product to produce antimony white. Moreover, this study is of importance to recycling of waste lead storage batteries alloy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. A comparative study of sorption of chromium (III) onto chitin and chitosan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Pooja; Nagendran, R.

    2016-06-01

    Heavy metals have always been the most hazardous components in the wastewater of industries like electroplating, automobiles, mining facilities and fertilizer manufacturers. Treatment of heavy metal laden wastewater requires expensive operational and maintenance systems. Food processing industries create a huge amount of shell waste which is sold to poultry farms in powdered form but the quantity thus used is still not comparable to the left over waste. The shell contains chitin which acts as an adsorbent for the heavy metals and can be used to treat heavy metal wastewater. The paper presents a study on the use of chitin and its processed product, chitosan, to remove chromium. Shake flask experiment was conducted to compare the adsorptive capacity of chitin and chitosan for chromium removal from simulated solution and isotherm studies were carried out. The studies showed that the chitosan was a better adsorbent than chitin. Both chitin and chitosan gave best adsorption results at pH 3. Chitin exhibited maximum chromium removal of 49.98 % in 20 min, whereas chitosan showed 50 % removal efficiency at a contact time of 20 min showing higher adsorptive capacity for chromium than chitin. The Langmiur and Freundlich isotherm studies showed very good adsorption capacity and monolayer interaction according to the regression coefficient 0.973 for chitosan and 0.915 for chitin. The regression coefficient for Freundlich isotherm was 0.894 and 0.831 for chitosan and chitin, respectively.

  5. Nitrogen removal from wastewater by a catalytic oxidation method.

    PubMed

    Huang, T L; Macinnes, J M; Cliffe, K R

    2001-06-01

    The ammonia-containing waste produced in industries is usually characterized by high concentration and high temperature, and is not treatable by biological methods directly. In this study, a hydrophobic Pt/SDB catalyst was first used in a trickle-bed reactor to remove ammonia from wastewater. In the reactor, both stripping and catalytic oxidation occur simultaneously. It was found that higher temperature and higher oxygen partial pressure enhanced the ammonia removal. A reaction pathway, which involves oxidizing ammonia to nitric oxide, which then further reacts with ammonia to produce nitrogen and water, was confirmed. Small amounts of by-products, nitrites and nitrates were also detected in the resultant reaction solution. These compounds came from the absorption of nitrogen oxides. Both the minimum NO2- selectivity and maximum ammonia removal were achieved when the resultant pH of treated water was near 7.5 for a feed of unbuffered ammonia solution.

  6. Requirements, techniques, and costs for contaminant removal from landfill gas.

    PubMed

    Kuhn, John N; Elwell, Anthony C; Elsayed, Nada H; Joseph, Babu

    2017-05-01

    Waste-to-energy projects are an increasingly prominent component of future energy portfolios. Landfill gas (LFG)-to-energy (LFGTE) projects are particularly important as they address greenhouse gas emissions. Contaminants in LFG may hamper these projects both from environmental and economic standpoints. The purpose of this review is to highlight key aspects (LFG composition ranges, LFG flowrates, and allowable tolerances for LFGTE technologies, performance and costs for contaminant removal by adsorption). Removal of key contaminants, H 2 S and siloxanes, by adsorption are surveyed in terms of adsorption capacities and regeneration abilities. Based on the open literature, costing analyses are tabulated and discussed. The findings indicate economics of contaminant removal depend heavily on the feed concentrations of contaminants, allowable tolerances for the LFGTE technology, and the current market for the product. Key trends, identification of challenges, and general purification guidelines for purifying LFG for energy projects are also discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Removal of caffeine from industrial wastewater using Trichosporon asahii.

    PubMed

    Lakshmi, V; Das, Nilanjana

    2013-07-01

    Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine), a natural alkaloid present mainly in tea and coffee products has been suggested as an environmental pollutant. Decaffeination is an important process for the removal of caffeine from coffee industrial wastes. In the present study, caffeine removal (through degradation) by yeast isolate, Trichosporon asahii immobilized on various conventional matrices (sodium alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, chitosan, agar and agarose) was investigated using the method of entrapment. The biofilm forming ability of T. asahii was monitored by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Exopolysaccharide produced by T asahii biofilm was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and HPLC analysis. Caffeine removal from coffee processing industrial effluent was found to be 75 and 80 % by alginate immobilized yeast and yeast biofilm formed on gravels over a period of 48 hr in batch mode. Effectiveness of the process was also tested involving the continuous--flow column studies.

  8. Biological removal of phenol from wastewaters: a mini review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pradeep, N. V.; Anupama, S.; Navya, K.; Shalini, H. N.; Idris, M.; Hampannavar, U. S.

    2015-06-01

    Phenol and its derivatives are common water pollutants and include wide variety of organic chemicals. Phenol poisoning can occur by skin absorption, inhalation, ingestion and various other methods which can result in health effects. High exposures to phenol may be fatal to human beings. Accumulation of phenol creates toxicity both for flora and fauna. Therefore, removal of phenol is crucial to perpetuate the environment and individual. Among various treatment methods available for removal of phenols, biodegradation is environmental friendly. Biological methods are gaining importance as they convert the wastes into harmless end products. The present work focuses on assessment of biological removal (biodegradation) of phenol. Various factors influence the efficiency of biodegradation of phenol such as ability of the microorganism, enzymes involved, the mechanism of degradation and influencing factors. This study describes about the sources of phenol, adverse effects on the environment, microorganisms involved in the biodegradation (aerobic and anaerobic) and enzymes that polymerize phenol.

  9. Performance of Spent Mushroom Farming Waste (SMFW) Activated Carbon for Ni (II) Removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desa, N. S. Md; Ghani, Z. Ab; Talib, S. Abdul; Tay, C. C.

    2016-07-01

    The feasibility of a low cost agricultural waste of spent mushroom farming waste (SMFW) activated carbon for Ni(II) removal was investigated. The batch adsorption experiments of adsorbent dosage, pH, contact time, metal concentration, and temperature were determined. The samples were shaken at 125 rpm, filtered and analyzed using ICP-OES. The fifty percent of Ni(II) removal was obtained at 0.63 g of adsorbent dosage, pH 5-6 (unadjusted), 60 min contact time, 50 mg/L Ni(II) concentration and 25 °C temperature. The evaluated SMFW activated carbon showed the highest performance on Ni(II) removal compared to commercial Amberlite IRC86 resin and zeolite NK3. The result indicated that SMFW activated carbon is a high potential cation exchange adsorbent and suitable for adsorption process for metal removal. The obtained results contribute toward application of developed SMFW activated carbon in industrial pilot study.

  10. Calcium and organic matter removal by carbonation process with waste incineration flue gas towards improvement of leachate biotreatment performance.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Cheng; Zhu, Xuedong; Wu, Liang; Li, Qingtao; Liu, Jianyong; Qian, Guangren

    2017-09-01

    Municipal solid wastes incineration (MSWI) flue gas was employed as the carbon source for in-situ calcium removal from MSWI leachate. Calcium removal efficiency was 95-97% with pH of 10.0-11.0 over 100min of flue gas aeration, with both bound Ca and free Ca being removed effectively. The fluorescence intensity of tryptophan, protein-like and humic acid-like compounds increased after carbonation process. The decrease of bound Ca with the increase of precipitate indicated that calcium was mainly converted to calcium carbonate precipitate. It suggested that the interaction between dissolved organic matter and Ca 2+ was weakened. Moreover, 10-16% of chemical oxygen demand removal and the decrease of ultraviolet absorption at 254nm indicated that some organics, especially aromatic compound decreased via adsorption onto the surface of calcium carbonate. The results indicate that introduce of waste incineration flue gas could be a feasible way for calcium removal from leachate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Improving the Estimates of Waste from the Recycling of Used Nuclear Fuel - 13410

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Phillips, Chris; Willis, William; Carter, Robert

    2013-07-01

    Estimates are presented of wastes arising from the reprocessing of 50 GWD/tonne, 5 year and 50 year cooled used nuclear fuel (UNF) from Light Water Reactors (LWRs), using the 'NUEX' solvent extraction process. NUEX is a fourth generation aqueous based reprocessing system, comprising shearing and dissolution in nitric acid of the UNF, separation of uranium and mixed uranium-plutonium using solvent extraction in a development of the PUREX process using tri-n-butyl phosphate in a kerosene diluent, purification of the plutonium and uranium-plutonium products, and conversion of them to uranium trioxide and mixed uranium-plutonium dioxides respectively. These products are suitable for usemore » as new LWR uranium oxide and mixed oxide fuel, respectively. Each unit process is described and the wastes that it produces are identified and quantified. Quantification of the process wastes was achieved by use of a detailed process model developed using the Aspen Custom Modeler suite of software and based on both first principles equilibrium and rate data, plus practical experience and data from the industrial scale Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at the Sellafield nuclear site in the United Kingdom. By feeding this model with the known concentrations of all species in the incoming UNF, the species and their concentrations in all product and waste streams were produced as the output. By using these data, along with a defined set of assumptions, including regulatory requirements, it was possible to calculate the waste forms, their radioactivities, volumes and quantities. Quantification of secondary wastes, such as plant maintenance, housekeeping and clean-up wastes, was achieved by reviewing actual operating experience from THORP during its hot operation from 1994 to the present time. This work was carried out under a contract from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and, so as to enable DOE to make valid comparisons with other similar work, a number of assumptions were agreed. These include an assumed reprocessing capacity of 800 tonnes per year, the requirement to remove as waste forms the volatile fission products carbon-14, iodine-129, krypton-85, tritium and ruthenium-106, the restriction of discharge of any water from the facility unless it meets US Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards, no intentional blending of wastes to lower their classification, and the requirement for the recovered uranium to be sufficiently free from fission products and neutron-absorbing species to allow it to be re-enriched and recycled as nuclear fuel. The results from this work showed that over 99.9% of the radioactivity in the UNF can be concentrated via reprocessing into a fission-product-containing vitrified product, bottles of compressed krypton storage and a cement grout containing the tritium, that together have a volume of only about one eighth the volume of the original UNF. The other waste forms have larger volumes than the original UNF but contain only the remaining 0.1% of the radioactivity. (authors)« less

  12. Pretreatment of grass waste using combined ionizing radiation-acid treatment for enhancing fermentative hydrogen production.

    PubMed

    Yang, Guang; Wang, Jianlong

    2018-05-01

    In this study, the combined ionizing radiation-acid pretreatment process was firstly applied to enhance hydrogen fermentation of grass waste. Results showed that the combined pretreatment synergistically enhanced hydrogen fermentation of grass waste. The SCOD and soluble polysaccharide contents of grass waste increased by 1.6 and 2.91 times after the combined pretreatment, respectively. SEM observation and crystallinity test showed the combined pretreatment effectively disrupted the grass structure. Owing to the more favorable substrate conditions, the hydrogen yield achieved 68 mL/g-dry grass added after the combined pretreatment, which was 161.5%, 112.5% and 28.3% higher than those from raw, ionizing radiation pretreated and acid pretreated grass waste, respectively. The VS removal also increased from 13.9% to 25.6% by the combined pretreatment. Microbial community analysis showed that the abundance of dominant hydrogen producing genus Clostridium sensu stricto 1 increased from 37.9% to 69.4% after the combined pretreatment, which contributed to more efficient hydrogen fermentation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Process for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification

    DOEpatents

    Hsu, Chia-lin W.

    1995-01-01

    A process for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification. The process involves acidifying the wastes with an oxidizing agent such as nitric acid, then adding formic acid as a reducing agent, and then mixing with glass formers to produce a melter feed. The nitric acid contributes nitrates that act as an oxidant to balance the redox of the melter feed, prevent reduction of certain species to produce conducting metals, and lower the pH of the wastes to a suitable level for melter operation. The formic acid reduces mercury compounds to elemental mercury for removal by steam stripping, and MnO.sub.2 to the Mn(II) ion to prevent foaming of the glass melt. The optimum amounts of nitric acid and formic acid are determined in relation to the composition of the wastes, including the concentrations of mercury (II) and MnO.sub.2, noble metal compounds, nitrates, formates and so forth. The process minimizes the amount of hydrogen generated during treatment, while producing a redox-balanced feed for effective melter operation and a quality glass product.

  14. Process for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification

    DOEpatents

    Hsu, C.L.W.

    1995-07-25

    A process is described for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification. The process involves acidifying the wastes with an oxidizing agent such as nitric acid, then adding formic acid as a reducing agent, and then mixing with glass formers to produce a melter feed. The nitric acid contributes nitrates that act as an oxidant to balance the redox of the melter feed, prevent reduction of certain species to produce conducting metals, and lower the pH of the wastes to a suitable level for melter operation. The formic acid reduces mercury compounds to elemental mercury for removal by steam stripping, and MnO{sub 2} to the Mn(II) ion to prevent foaming of the glass melt. The optimum amounts of nitric acid and formic acid are determined in relation to the composition of the wastes, including the concentrations of mercury (II) and MnO{sub 2}, noble metal compounds, nitrates, formates and so forth. The process minimizes the amount of hydrogen generated during treatment, while producing a redox-balanced feed for effective melter operation and a quality glass product. 4 figs.

  15. Brain drains: new insights into brain clearance pathways from lymphatic biology.

    PubMed

    Bower, Neil I; Hogan, Benjamin M

    2018-05-01

    The lymphatic vasculature act as the drainage system for most of our tissues and organs, clearing interstitial fluid and waste and returning them to the blood circulation. This is not the case for the central nervous system (CNS), which is devoid of parenchymal lymphatic vessels. Nevertheless, the brain is responsible for 25% of the body's metabolism and only compromises 2% of the body's mass. This high metabolic load requires an efficient system to remove waste products and maintain homeostasis. Well-described mechanisms of waste clearance include phagocytic immune cell functions as well as perivascular fluid flow; however, the need for active drainage of waste from the brain is becoming increasingly appreciated. Recent developments in lymphatic vascular biology challenge the proposition that the brain lacks lymphatic drainage or an equivalent. In this review, we describe the roles of the glymphatic system (a key drainage mechanism in the absence of lymphatics), the recently characterized meningeal lymphatic vessels, and explore an enigmatic cell population found in zebrafish called mural lymphatic endothelial cells. These systems may play important individual and collective roles in draining and clearing wastes from the brain.

  16. Hazardous Waste Management System - Removal of Strontium Sulfide From the List of Hazardous Waste - Federal Register Notice, February 25, 1991

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Environmental Protection Agency is correcting an amendment to regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to remove strontium sulfide (CAS No. 1314-96-1) from 40 CFR 261.33.

  17. 40 CFR 194.46 - Removal of waste.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Removal of waste. 194.46 Section 194.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMS CRITERIA... disposal. Such documentation shall include an analysis of the technological feasibility of mining the...

  18. Microbial Community in a Biofilter for Removal of Low Load Nitrobenzene Waste Gas

    PubMed Central

    Zhai, Jian; Wang, Zhu; Shi, Peng; Long, Chao

    2017-01-01

    To improve biofilter performance, the microbial community of a biofilter must be clearly defined. In this study, the performance of a lab-scale polyurethane biofilter for treating waste gas with low loads of nitrobenzene (NB) (< 20 g m-3 h-1) was investigated when using different empty bed residence times (EBRT) (64, 55.4 and 34 s, respectively). In addition, the variations of the bacterial community in the biofilm on the longitudinal distribution of the biofilters were analysed by using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that NB waste gas was successfully degraded in the biofilter. High-throughput sequencing data suggested that the phylum Actinobacteria and genus Rhodococcus played important roles in the degradation of NB. The variations of the microbial community were attributed to the different intermediate degradation products of NB in each layer. The strains identified in this study were potential candidates for purifying waste gas effluents containing NB. PMID:28114416

  19. Advanced Multi-Effect Distillation System for Desalination Using Waste Heat fromGas Brayton Cycles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Haihua Zhao; Per F. Peterson

    2012-10-01

    Generation IV high temperature reactor systems use closed gas Brayton Cycles to realize high thermal efficiency in the range of 40% to 60%. The waste heat is removed through coolers by water at substantially greater average temperature than in conventional Rankine steam cycles. This paper introduces an innovative Advanced Multi-Effect Distillation (AMED) design that can enable the production of substantial quantities of low-cost desalinated water using waste heat from closed gas Brayton cycles. A reference AMED design configuration, optimization models, and simplified economics analysis are presented. By using an AMED distillation system the waste heat from closed gas Brayton cyclesmore » can be fully utilized to desalinate brackish water and seawater without affecting the cycle thermal efficiency. Analysis shows that cogeneration of electricity and desalinated water can increase net revenues for several Brayton cycles while generating large quantities of potable water. The AMED combining with closed gas Brayton cycles could significantly improve the sustainability and economics of Generation IV high temperature reactors.« less

  20. Waste-based alternative adsorbents for the remediation of pharmaceutical contaminated waters: Has a step forward already been taken?

    PubMed

    Silva, Carla Patrícia; Jaria, Guilaine; Otero, Marta; Esteves, Valdemar I; Calisto, Vânia

    2018-02-01

    When adsorption is considered for water treatment, commercial activated carbon is usually the chosen adsorbent for the removal of pollutants from the aqueous phase, particularly pharmaceuticals. In order to decrease costs and save natural resources, attempts have been made to use wastes as raw materials for the production of alternative carbon adsorbents. This approach intends to increase efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and also to propose an alternative and sustainable way for the valorization/management of residues. This review aims to provide an overview on waste-based adsorbents used on pharmaceuticals' adsorption. Experimental facts related to the adsorption behaviour of each adsorbent/pharmaceutical pair and some key factors were addressed. Also, research gaps that subsist in this research area, as well as future needs, were identified. Simultaneously, this review aims to clarify the current status of the research on pharmaceuticals' adsorption by waste-based adsorbents in order to recognize if the right direction is being taken. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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