Extracellular polymeric substance induces biogenesis of vivianite under inorganic phosphate-free conditions

Vivianite is often found in reducing environments rich in iron and phosphorus from organic debris degradation or phosphorus mineral dissolution. The formation of vivianite is essential to the geochemical cycling of phosphorus and iron elements in natural environments. In this study, extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) were selected as the source of phosphorus. Microcosm experiments were conducted to test the evolution of mineralogy during the reduction of polyferric sulfate flocs(PFS) by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1(S. oneidensis MR-1) at EPS concentrations of 0, 0.03, and 0.3 g/L. Vivianite was found to be the secondary mineral in EPS treatment when there was no phosphate in the media. The EPS DNA served as the phosphorus source and DNA-supplied phosphate could induce the formation of vivianite.EPS impedes PFS aggregation, contains redox proteins and stores electron shuttle, and thus greatly promotes the formation of minerals and enhances the reduction of Fe(Ⅲ). At EPS concentration of 0, 0.03, and 0.3 g/L, the produced HCl-extractable Fe(Ⅱ) was 107.9, 111.0,and 115.2 mg/L, respectively. However, when the microcosms remained unstirred, vivianite can be formed without the addition of EPS. In unstirred systems, the EPS secreted by S. oneidensis MR-1 could agglomerate at some areas, resulting in the formation of vivianite in the proximity of microbial cells. It was found that vivianite can be generated biogenetically by S. oneidensis MR-1 strain and EPS may play a key role in iron reduction and concentrating phosphorus in the oligotrophic ecosystems where quiescent conditions prevail.

A binder-free electrode for efficient H_(2)O_(2) formation and Fe2+ regeneration and its application to an electro-Fenton process for removing organics in iron-laden acid wastewater

The electro-Fenton process,with its capacity for in-situ H_(2)O_(2)formation and Fe^(2+)regeneration,is a strik-ing alternative to the traditional chemical-Fenton process.However,the frequent requirement of extra binders for electrode fabrication leads to low catalyst utilization,a complex fabrication process,and weak conductivity.Herein,a three-dimensional(3D)porous electrode was fabricated in-situ on a Ni foam(NF)substrate integrated with nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes(N@C)derived from carbonization of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(ZIF-8)without any binder.The resulting 900/N@C-NF cathode(synthesized at 900℃)was high in surface area,N content,and degree of graphitization,achieved high performance of H_(2)O_(2)production(2.58 mg L^(−1)h^(−1)H_(2)O_(2)/mg catalyst)at-0.7 V(vs.SCE),and enabled prompt regeneration of Fe^(2+).The electro-Fenton system equipped with the 900/N@C-NF cathode was effective in removing a diverse range of organic pollutants,including rhodamine B(Rh B),phenol,bisphenol A(BPA),nitroben-zene(NB),and Cu-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA),and significantly attenuating the concentration of chemical oxygen demand(COD)in the real acid wastewater,exhibiting superior activity and stability.This binder-free and self-supporting electro-Fenton cathode was thus shown to be an attractive candidate for application to wastewater treatment,particularly those rich in organics,acids,and Fe^(3+)/Fe^(2+).