Characteristics of sewage sludge and distribution of heavy metal in plants with amendment of sewage sludge

In order to better understand land application of sewage sludge, the characterization of heavy metals and organic pollutants were investigated in three different sewage sludges in Shanghai City, China. It was found that the total concentrations of Cd in all of sewage sludge and total concentrations of Zn in Jinshan sewage sludge, as well as those ofZn, Cu, and Ni in Taopu sludge are higher than Chinese regulation limit of pollutants for sludge to be used in agriculture. Leachability of rig in all of studied samples and that of Cd in Taopu sewage sludge exceed the limit values of waste solid extraction standard in China legislation. Based on the characteristics for three kinds of sewage sludge, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of soil amended with Quyang sewage sludge on the accumulation of heavy metalo.by Begonia semperfloreas-hybr; Ophiopogon japonicas （L.F.） Ker-Gaw; Loropetalum chindense-var, rubrum; Dendranthema morifolium; Viola tricolor; A ntirrhinum majas; Buxas radicans Sieb; Viburnum macrocephalum; Osmanthas fragrans Lour; Cinnamomum camphora siebold and Ligustrum lucidum ait. Results showed that 8 species of plant survived in the amended soil, and moreover they flourished as well as those cultivated in the control soil. The heavy metal concentration in plants varied with species, As, Pb, Cd and Cr concentration being the highest in the four herbaceous species studied, particularly in the roots of D. morifolium. These plants, however, did not show accumulator of As, Pb, Cd and Cr. The highest concentration of Ni and Hg was found in the roots ofD. morifolium, followed by the leaves ofB. semperflorens-hybr. Levels of Zn and Cu were much higher in D. morifolium than in the other plant species. D. morifolium accumulated Ni, Hg, Cu and Zn, which may contribute to the decrease of heavy metal contents in the amended soil. Treatment with sewage sludge did not significantly affect the uptake of heavy metals by the L. chindense-var, rubrum, however, it significantly affected the uptake of heavy metals by D. morifolium.

A review of gold extraction using noncyanide lixiviants: Fundamentals, advancements, and challenges toward alkaline sulfur-containing leaching agents

Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants,including thiosulfate,polysulfides,and alkaline sulfide solutions,stand out as a promising class of alternatives to cyanide because of their low toxicity,high efficiency,and strong adaptability.In this paper,we summarized the research progress and remaining challenges in gold extraction using these noncyanide reagents.After a brief introduction to the preparation method,the transformation process of various sulfur-containing species in alkaline solutions was discussed.Thereafter,some insights into the mechanism of gold leaching in alkaline sulfur-containing solutions were presented from different aspects,including thermodynamics analysis,electrochemical dissolution,and leaching kinetics.Moreover,recent progress in in-situ generation of sulfur-containing anions from gold-bearing sulfide minerals was outlined as well.Gold passivation caused by sulfur species was discussed in particular because it is considered the greatest challenge facing sulfur-containing leaching systems.Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants are expected to serve as alternatives in industrial applications of gold extraction,particularly for refractory gold ores containing copper and carbonaceous matter.

Physico-Chemical Characterization and Stability Study in Acidic and Basic Solution of Ceramic Filters from Mouka’s Clay (Cameroon)

This paper deals with the characterisation and study of physico-chemical stability of ceramic filters from clays and rice husk obtained from the far north region of Cameroon (Logone Valley) and their application in potable water treatment. Clays from Mouka were characterized by FTIR analysis. The results showed that the filter formulated with a mixture containing 80% clay and 20% rice husk of 100 μm in size each gave the lowest filter shrinkage rate;these formulated filters were chosen for the remaining work. Leaching tests showed that with filters at a sintering temperature of 830°C the leaching was not observed under neutral (pH 6.8) and acidic (pH 5) conditions as compared to 950°C and 1000°C where the leaching was observed. In basic (pH 9) condition, all the filters obtained released ions. Leaching tests revealed that the conductivity of the leachate for the filters sintered at 830°C was lower than those sintered at 950°C and 1000°C. Meanwhile, conductivity decreases with increasing sintering temperature (temperature up to 830°C) due to the fact that ceramization starts as from 850°C that leads to an amorphous state that favours chemical stability, the leaching ions were Fe2+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Al3+. The ceramic filters sintered at 950°C were applied to the filtration of water and the performance in terms of turbidity reduction was 95% and the flow rate after 50 minutes was 100 × 10−3 L/h.

Leaching behavior of butanedionedioxime as gold ligand

Butanedionedioxime, a small organic compound with low toxicity and good chemical stability, has been proposed as an effective gold ligand in gold extraction. The result of experiment shows that: 1) highly effective gold lixiviant can be composed of butanedionedioxime (BDM) with many oxidants, especially potassium permanganate; 2)in the leaching system of BDM KMnO 4 the suitable Ox/Lig(ratio of oxidants to gold ligands) range is 0.20～0.50, optimally 0.25～0.45 at the pH range of 7～11; 3) BDM KMnO 4 extraction of gold from an oxide ore is similar to cyanide(cyanide O 2) extraction, but the leaching rate of gold by BDM KMnO 4 is faster than that by cyanide O 2; 4) gold may readily be recovered by carbon adsorption and zinc precipitation.