Modeling and Optimization of Two Clays Acidic Activation for Phosphate Ions Removal in Aqueous Solution by Response Surface Methodology

This work deals with phosphate ions removal in aqueous solution by adsorption carried out using two clays, both in activated form. One, non-swelling clay, rich in kaolinite, is associated with illite and quartz. The other, swelling, richer in montmorillonite, is associated with kaolinite, illite and quartz. Seven factors including these two clays were taken into account in a series of experimental designs in order to model and optimize the acidic activation process favoring a better phosphate removal. In addition to the choice of clay nature, the study was also interested in the identification of the mineral acid, between hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, which would promote this acidic activation. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used for this purpose by sequentially applying Plackett and Burman Design and Full Factorial Design (FD) for screening. Then, a central composite design (CCD) was used for modeling the activation process. A mathematical surface model has been successfully established. Thus, the best acidic activation conditions were obtained by activating the montmorillonite clay with a 2N sulfuric acid solution, in an acid/clay mass ratio of 7.5 at 100°C for 16H. The phosphate removal maximum rate obtained was estimated at 89.32% ± 0.86%.

Screening of Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms and Their Phosphorus Removal Performance

[Objectives]To study the phosphorus removal performance of phosphate accumulating organisms(PAOs).[Methods]Activated sludge from domestic sewage treatment plant was used as the strain source,and phosphate accumulating organisms were screened by plate streaking method and dilution coating plate method.Six kinds of excellent phosphate accumulating organisms were obtained by metachromatic granule staining experiment,total phosphorus experiment and simulated sewage phosphorus removal experiment to assist the observation of bac-terial morphology and experiment of phosphorus removal capacity.In addition,the influencing factors of phosphorus removal capacity(nitrogen source,trace metal ions)were analyzed.[Results]In the case of simulated sewage,the phosphorus removal rate of strain b was the highest,reaching 66.25%,while the phosphorus removal rate of strain e and f was about 10%lower than that of the phosphorus uptake experiment.[Conclusions]This study is expected to provide a theoretical reference for the gradual optimization of the screening method of phosphorus re-moval bacteria in domestic sewage treatment.

Adsorption removal of phosphate from aqueous solution by active red mud

Red mud is the waste of alumina industry and has high TiO2 and Fe2O3 content which are active components for the adsorption of anion pollutants. In this study, the uptake of phosphate by red mud activated by heat treatment and acid-heat treatment was investigated. The factors influencing the adsorption were also investigated. The result showed that the red mud sample treated using acid-heat method at 80℃ with 0.25 mol/L HCl for 2 h achieved the highest phosphate removal. For the heat-activated red mud, the sample heated at 700℃ for 2 h preformed better than the other heat treatment. Phosphate removal by the activated red mud was significantly pH dependent, and pH 7 was the optimal pH for phosphate removal. The adsorption fits Langmuir isotherm model well and the maximum adsorption capacities of the acid-heat activated red mud and the heat activated samples were 202.9 mgP/g and 155.2 mgP/g, respectively.

In-situ construction of abundant active centers on hierarchically porous carbon electrode toward high-performance phosphate electrosorption: Synergistic effect of electric field and capture sites

Phosphate removal is crucial for eutrophication control and water quality improvement.Electro-assisted adsorption,an eco-friendly elec-trosorption process,exhibited a promising potential for wastewater treatment.However,there are few works focused on phosphate electro-sorption,and reported electrodes cannot attach satisfactory removal capacities and rates.Herein,electro-assisted adsorption of phosphate via in-situ construction of La active centers on hierarchically porous carbon(LaPC)has been originally demonstrated.The resulted LaPC composite not only possessed a hierarchically porous structure with uniformly dispersed La active sites,but also provided good conductivity for interfacial electron transfer.The LaPC electrode achieved an ultrahigh phosphate electrosorption capability of 462.01 mg g^(-1) at 1 V,outperforming most existing electrodes.The superior phosphate removal performance originates from abundant active centers formed by the coupling of electricfield and capture sites.Besides,the stability and selectivity toward phosphate capture were maintained well even under comprehensive conditions.Moreover,a series of kinetics and isotherms models were employed to validate the electrosorption process.This work demonstrates a deep understanding and promotes a new level of phosphate electrosorption.

Highly Efficient and Selective Removal of Pb（II） ions by Sulfur-Containing Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles

A facile one-step co-precipitation method was demonstrated to fabricate amorphous sulfurcontaining calcium phosphate （SCP） nanoparticles, in which the sulfur group was in-situ introduced into calcium phosphate. The resulting SCP exhibited a noticeable enhanced performance for Pb（II） removal in comparison with hydroxyapatite （HAP）, being capable of easily reducing 20 ppm of Pb（II） to below the acceptable standard for drinking water within less than 10 min. Remarkably, the saturated removal capacities of Pb（II） on SCP were as high as 1720.57 mg/g calculated by the Langmuir isotherm model, exceeding largely that of the previously reported absorbents. Significantly, SCP displayed highly selective removal ability toward Pb（II） ions in the presence of the competing metal ions （Ni（II）, Co（II）, Zn（II）, and Cd（II））. Further investigations indicated that such ultra-high removal efficiency and preferable affinity of Pb（II） ions on SCP may be reasonably ascribed to the formation of rodlike hydroxypyromorphite crystals on the surface of SCP via dissolution-precipitation and ion exchange reactions, accompanied by the presence of lead sulfide precipitates. High removal efficiency, fast removal kinetics and excellent selectivity toward Pb（II） made the obtained SCP material an ideal candidate for Pb（II） ions decontamination in practical application.

Simultaneous removal of ammonium and phosphate by zeolite synthesized from coal fly ash as influenced by acid treatment

Zeolite synthesized from fly ash （ZFA） without modification is not efficient for the purification of NH4＋ and phosphate at low concentrations that occur in real effluents, despite the high potential removal capacity. To develop an effective technique to enhance the removal efficiency of ammonium and phosphate at low concentrations, ZFA was modified with acid treatment and the simultaneous removal of ammonium and phosphate in a wide range of concentration was investigated. It was seen that when compared with untreated ZFA, only the treatment by 0.01 mol/L of H2SO4 significantly improved the removal efficiency of ammonium at low initial concentrations. The behavior was well explained by the pH effect. Treatment by more concentrated H2SO4 led to the deterioration of the ZFA structure and a decrease in the cation exchange capacity. Treatment by 0.01 mol/L H2SO4 improved the removal efficiency of phosphate by ZFA at all initial P concentrations, while the treatment by concentrated H2SO4 （≥0.9 mol/L） resulted in a limited maximum phosphate immobilization capacity （PIC）. It was concluded that through a previous mild acid treatment （e.g. 0.01 mol/L of H2SO4）, ZFA can be used in the simultaneous removal of NH4＋ and P at low concentrations simulating real effluent.

Arsenic removal from contaminated soil using phosphoric acid and phosphate

Laboratory batch experiments were conducted to study arsenic （As） removal from a naturally contaminated soil using phosphoric acid （H3PO4） and potassium dihydrogen phosphate （KHEPO4）. Both H3PO4 and KHEPO4 proved to reduce toxicity of the soil in terms of soil As content, attaining more than 20% As removal at a concentration of 200 mmol/L. At the same time, acidification of soil and dissolution of soil components （Ca, Mg, and Si） resulted from using these two extractants, especially H3PO4. The effectiveness of these two extractants could be attributed to the replacement of As by phosphate ions （PO4^3-）. The function of H3PO4 as an acid to dissolve soil components had little effects on As removal. KH2PO4 almost removed as much As as H3PO4, but it did not result in serious damage to soils, indicating that it was a more promising extractant. The results of a kinetic study showed that As removal reached equilibrium after incubation for 360 rain, but dissolution of soil components, especially Mg and Ca, was very rapid. Therefore dissolution of soil components would be inevitable if As was further removed. Elovich model best described the kinetic data of As removal among the four models used in the kinetic study.

Enhanced removal of nitrate and phosphate from wastewater by Chlorella vulgaris: Multi-objective optimization and CFD simulation

To enhance the efficiency of wastewater biotreatment with microalgae, the effects of physical parameters need to be investigated and optimized. In this regard, the individual and interactive effects of temperature, p H and aeration rate on the performance of biological removal of nitrate and phosphate by Chlorella vulgaris were studied by response surface methodology(RSM). Furthermore, a multi-objective optimization technique was applied to the response equations to simultaneously find optimal combinations of input parameters capable of removing the highest possible amount of nitrate and phosphate. The optimal calculated values were temperature of 26.3 °C, pH of 8 and aeration rate of 4.7 L·min^(-1). Interestingly, under the optimum condition, approximately 85% of total nitrate and 77% of whole phosphate were removed after 48 h and 24 h, respectively, which were in excellent agreement with the predicted values. Finally, the effect of baffle on mixing performance and, as a result, on bioremoval efficiency was investigated in Stirred Tank Photobioreactor(STP) by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD). Flow behavior indicated substantial enhancement in mixing performance when the baffle was inserted into the tank. Obtained simulation results were validated experimentally. Under the optimum condition, due to proper mixing in baffled STP, nitrate and phosphate removal increased up to 93% and 86%,respectively, compared to unbaffled one.

Mechanisms of phosphate removal from aqueous solution by blast furnace slag and steel furnace slag

We report the adsorption of phosphate and discuss the mechanisms of phosphate removal from aqueous solution by burst furnace slag (BFS) and steel furnace slag (SFS). The results show that the adsorption of phosphate on the slag was rapid and the majority of adsorption was completed in 5~10 min. The adsorption capacity of phosphate by the slag was reduced dramatically by acid treatment. The relative contribution of adsorption to the total removal of phosphate was 26%~28%. Phosphate adsorption on BFS and SFS follows the Freundlich isotherm, with the related constants of k 6.372 and 1/n 1.739 for BFS, and of k 1.705 and 1/n 1.718 for SFS. The pH and Ca2+ concentration were decreased with the addition of phosphate, suggesting the formation of calcium phosphate precipitation. At pH 2.93 and 6.93, phosphate was desorbed by about 36%~43% and 9%~11%, respectively. These results indicate that the P adsorption on the slag is not completely reversible and that the bond between the slag particles and adsorbed phosphate is strong. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of BFS and SFS before and after phosphate adsorption verify the formation of phosphate salts (CaHPO4·2H2O) after adsorption process. We conclude that the removal of phosphate by BFS and SFS is related to the formation of phosphate calcium precipitation and the adsorption on hydroxylated oxides. The results show that BFS and SFS removed phosphate nearly 100%, indicating they are promising adsorbents for the phosphate removal in wastewater treatment and pollution control.

Phosphate removal from aqueous solution by Donnan dialysis with anion-exchange membrane

The removal of phosphate from aqueous solution by Donnan dialysis with anion-exchange membrane was investigated.The results show that phosphate could be removed from aqueous solution without supplying external high pressure or electrical potential.Under the conditions of influent phosphate of 2.0 mg/L,counterion(Cl-)concentration of 0.1 mol/L,stirring speed of 500 r/min and phase temperature of 298 K,the removal of phosphate achieves 70.0%.Decreasing counterion concentration has little influence on the removal of phosphate,but phosphate amount in anion-exchange membrane increases significantly.With the increase of stirring speed and phase temperature,the removal efficiency of phosphate greatly is improved.Existing forms of phosphate in aqueous solution affected transport of phosphate and only strong acidic pH of feed solution(pH=3.0)decreases the removal of phosphate.Transport of phosphate is also accompanied by change of pH value of feed solution.In consequence,it might be a promise potential process for phosphate advanced wastewater treatment,especially in the area where high salted nature water can be utilized.

Molecular oxygen activation enhancement by BiOBr0.5I0.5/BiOI utilizing the synergistic effect of solid solution and heterojunctions for photocatalytic NO removal

To improve the photocatalytic oxidation reaction activity for NO removal, photocatalysts with excellent activity are required to activate molecular oxygen. Solid solution and heterojunction were suggested as effective strategies to enhance the molecular oxygen activation viaexciton and carrier photocatalysis. In this study, a solid solution and heterojunction containing BiOBr0.5I0.5/BiOI catalyst was synthesized, and it showed improved photocatalytic activity for removing NO. The photocatalytic NO removal mechanism indicated that synergistic effects between the solid solution and heterojunction induced the enhanced activity for molecular oxygen activation. The photogenerated holes, superoxide, and singlet oxygen generated by the carrier and exciton photocatalysis supported the high photocatalytic NO removal efficiency. This study provides new ideas for designing efficient Bi-O-X(X = Cl, Br, I) photocatalysts for oxidation reactions.

Removal of phosphate from municipal sewage by high gradient magnetic separation

The removal of phosphate from municipal sewage by high gradient magnetic separation using aluminium sulphate as precipitating agent and Fe3O4 as seeding material was studied. The effects of aluminium sulphate, Fe3O4, magnetic field intensity, pH value and flow-rate of sewage on phosphorus removal rate were investigated. The results show that addition of 200 mg/L Al2（SO4）3·18H2O and 300 mg/L Fe3O4, magnetic field intensity of 200 kA/m, pH value of 4.57.0 and flow-rate of 6.15 cm/s are both efficient and economic technical parameters for removal of phosphate. The pH value has a tremendous effect on the removal of phosphate. In the pH range of （4.5）7.0, more than 95% phosphate can be removed. Theoretical analysis indicates that the solubility of AlPO4 is minimum at pH 4.07.0 and the electrostatic attractive force between AlPO4 and Fe3O4 is maximum at pH 4.5（6.5.）

CTAB-assisted fabrication of hierarchical flower-like magnesium oxide adsorbent for enhanced removal performance towards phosphate

In this work, a series of hierarchical flower-like magnesium oxide(MgO) adsorbents were successfully fabricated in a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB) assisted solvothermal route using hexamethylenetetramine(HMTA) as a precipitating agent. Effects of CTAB feeding amount on the structure, morphology, pore structure, and corresponding adsorption behavior were investigated. The hierarchical gardenias flower-like MgO demonstrated a surface area of 336.54 m^(2)·g^(-1) at a minimum ratio of the CTAB/Mg^(2+)was 0.02 in the reaction system. The hierarchical MgO phosphate removal capacity was 348.32 mg·g^(-1), which followed the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich isotherm model obtained from the large surface area and appropriate pore size. The value of n also suggests the feasible nature of phosphate adsorption under the examined conditions. Indeed, this CTAB assisted solvothermal method can provide a new understanding to tune the desired properties of a material by merely adjusting the reaction parameters of MgO.

Removal of Chromium(Ⅲ) from Monoammonium Phosphate Solutions by a Porous Adsorbent of Fluor(calcium silicate) Composites

The products of monoammonium phosphate containing Cr^3+resulted in disqualification,and further posed a serious threat to ecological environment and human beings.Herein,the porous adsorbent of fluor(calcium silicate)composites(FCSc)was prepared by hydrothermal method using diatomaceous earth,hydrated lime and additive(NaF)as raw materials,which was characterized and used for the removal of Cr^3+from monoammonium phosphate solutions.The effects of different parameters,such as solution pH,initial Cr^3+concentration,temperature and contact time on the adsorption of Cr^3+onto FCSc were investigated in details.The results indicated that the adsorption process was in agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm.The spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption process was obtained by analyzing various thermodynamic parameters(△G0,△H0,and△S0).In addition,computational monte carlo simulations between Cr3+ions and FCSc were conducted to elucidate the adsorption mechanism.Such kind of porous adsorbent provided a potential application in the removal of impurities from monoammonium phosphate industry.

Removal of Nitrate and Phosphate Ions from the Bafing River by an Adsorbent Obtained from the Shells of Mango Cores

The valorization of agricultural waste in the treatment of our rivers can be an alternative to waste management. This study deals with the use of mango kernel shells in the depollution of the Bafing River (rural commune of Tolo, Mamou prefecture) in the Republic of Guinea. Thus, the different concentrations of ions found in April (low water period) were determined and which are: a reduction of 35.64 mg/l (79.69%);a reduction of 41.53 mg/l (81.24%);and 47.53 mg/l (82.10%) and 3.83 mg/l (75.24%);8.45 mg/l (81.72%);11.67 mg/l (87.94%) at the sampling points P1, P2, and P3 respectively. In October (flood period), the concentrations found are 24.98 mg/l reductions (79.88%);29.83 mg/l reduction (81.41%) and 35.15 mg/l (85.50%) at the same sampling points P1, P2 and P3, respectively. This study can be considered as a water treatment alternative for the village community of the Tolo sub-prefecture (Mamou prefecture).

Effect of Phosphates on the Metal Ion Activated Surface Complexes at the SiO_2-H_2O Interface and in Quartz Deactivation in Flotation System

The complexation of phosphates in the quartz-metal ion-H_2O-oleate system was studied. Computer assisted calculations with the aid of the advanced program SOLGASWATER and known equilibrium constants were used to evaluate the mechanism,The calculation results revealed that in the presence of a certain amount of phosphates, metal ions adsorbed at the quartz-H_2O interface will be transferred into solution.Thus the competi- tion for metal ions between phosphates and the quartz surface leads to surface deactivation and re- duced floatability.Various distribution diagrams clearly demonstrate the change of surface complexation as a function of added phosphate concentration.The deactivation products were also evaluated.

The Role of Replacing CdO by Fe₂O₃on the Fast Neutron Removal Cross Sections in Cd-Boro Phosphate Glass Shield

This work deals with the application of [MERCSF-N] computer program in calculating the macroscopic effective removal cross-section of fast neutrons, ΣR (cm-1), for two different boro phosphate glass systems: (0.5 - x) CdO-x Fe2O3-0.4 P2O5-0.1 B2O3 and (0.5 - x) B2O3-x Fe2O3-0.1 CdO-0.4 P2O5 (with 0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.5 by mole), to realize from the role of iron in the attenuation process and hence the usefulness of the glass containing iron as neutrons shielding material. The effect of replacing cadmium and boron oxides by iron oxide has been analyzed which proved that iron is more efficient than cadmium in attenuating and removing fast neutrons and that the presence of small amounts of B2O3 at least 0.1 mole fraction, with iron is needed to aid improving the removal cross-section of iron phosphate glasses. Experimental IR results are developed and used to trace the structural change and confirm the role of iron in the removal cross section.

REMOVAL OF PHOSPHATES FROM WATER BY PILLARED RECTORITE

The presence of trace phosphates in treated wastewater from municipalities and industries is often responsible for eutrophication problems in lakes, rivers, and other water bodies. In this paper, we report the removal of PO43- from water by using a pillared rectorite that we synthesized recently. The results show that cross-linking can significantly increase the adsorbing capacity of Na-rectorite for phosphates. The pH, the concentrations of F-, NH4+ and COD are main factors, which affect the results for pillared rectorite to adsorb phosphates from water. The OH-, and F- ions decrease the capacity to adsorb phosphates, while the COD and NH4+ ions increase it.

Preparation of activated carbon from cattail and its application for dyes removal

Activated carbon was prepared from cattail by H3PO4 activation. The effects influencing the surface area of the resulting activated carbon followed the sequence of activated temperature 〉 activated time 〉 impregnation ratio 〉 impregnation time. The optimum condition was found at an impregnation ratio of 2.5, an impregnation time of 9 hr, an activated temperature of 500℃, and an activated time of 80 min. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and average pore size of the activated carbon were 1279 m^2/g and 5.585 nm, respectively. A heterogeneous structure in terms of both size and shape was highly developed and widely distributed on the carbon surface. Some groups containing oxygen and phosphorus were formed, and the carboxyl group was the major oxygen-containing functional group. An isotherm equilibrium study was carried out to investigate the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon. The data fit the Langmuir isotherm equation, with maximum monolayer adsorption capacities of 192.30 mg/g for Neutral Red and 196.08 mg/g for Malachite Green. Dye-exhausted carbon could be regenerated effectively by thermal treatment. The results indicated that cattail-derived activated carbon was a promising adsorbent for the removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions.

Influence of Composite Phosphate Inorganic Antibacterial Materials Containing Rare Earth on Activated Water Property of Ceramics

Antibacterial ceramic was prepared by doping enamel slurry with composite phosphate inorganic antibacterial materials containing rare earth (inorganic antibacterial additives), and then the mechanisms for activating water and improving seed germinative property were tested by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and the method of testing oxygen dissolved in activated water. Results show that the half peak width of (()^(17)O-NMR) for tap water activated by the antibacterial ceramic drops from 115.36 to 99.15 Hz, and oxygen concentrations of activated water increase by 20%, germinate rate of horsebean and earthnut seeds increases by 12.5% and 7.5%, respectively. Therefore antibacterial ceramic doped enamel slurry with inorganic antibacterial additives containing rare earth can reduce the volume of clusters of water molecules, improve activation of tap water, and promote plant seeds germinate.