Metallic wastewater treatment by sulfate reduction using anaerobic rotating biological contactor reactor under high metal loading conditions

This study was aimed at investigating the performance of anaerobic rotating biological cont- reactor treating synthetic wastewater containing a mixture of heavy metals under sulfate redu condition. Statistically valid factorial design of experiments was carried out to understand dynamics of metal removal using this bioreactor system. Copper removal was maximum （〉98% followed by other heavy metals at their respective low inlet concentrations. Metal loading rates than 3.7 mg/L· h in case of Cu（II）; less than 1.69 mg/L· h for Ni（II）, Pb（II）, Zn（II）, Fe（III） and C are favorable to the performance of the An-RBC reactor. Removal efficiency of the heavy metals 1 mixture depended on the metal species and their inlet loading concentrations. Analysis of n precipitates formed in the sulfidogenic bioreactor by field emission scanning electron microscopyalong with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （FESEM-EDX） confirmed metal sulfide precipitationby SRB. All these results clearly revealed that the attached growth biofilm bioreactor is well suited for heavy metal removal from complex mixture.

CALCULATION OF ELASTIC DAMPING CHARACTERISTICS OF ROTOR SUPPORT MADE OF METAL RUBBER MATERIAL UNDER VARIABLE LOADS

A metal rubber（MR） dry friction damper was designed based on the load supported by the rotor. An experimental apparatus for obtaining hysteresis loops of support under the precession load was designed. The elastic-damping characteristics of the ring-shaped MR damper used as a rotor support under variable loads were presented by studying the hysteresis loops of the damper. The vibration rigidity and the energy dissipation coefficient were calculated from the hysteresis loops, based on the description of the deformation process of the MR element with simple structure in a dimensionless coordinating system. The calculation results showed that the energy dissipation coefficient in the inner of MR element and on the boundary between the damper and the frame of the rotor support were approximately equal. The comparison of the hysteresis loops for a precession load and a one-axial load indicated a large difference when the coefficient of the energy dissipation and the stiffness of the MR damper were concerned.

A Baseline Study on the Quality and Safety of Consumption of a Pest Species(Sarotherodon melanotheron)in Bataan,Philippines:Basis for Its Productive Utilization in the Fisheries Sector

The baseline study profiled Black-chin Tilapia(Sarotherodon.melanotheron),a fish farm pest species in Bataan,Philippines,in terms of yield(processing and fillet),proximate composition(moisture,ash,crude fat,and crude protein),heavy metal load(cadmium[Cd],lead[Pb],arsenic[As],and mercury[Hg]),and microbial count(aerobic plate,Escherichia coli,and Staphylococcus aureus counts).The purpose was to establish the species’safety and quality for consumption and potential utilization in the processing of higher value fishery products.A completely randomized experiment using two factors,fish size(standard and small sizes)and collection season(dry and wet seasons),was employed.The collected data were also compared against food consumption and processing standards and/or previous reports on more valuable species.The results showed that the species has a comparable yield and mineral load with the more popular farmed Nile Tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus).It has high moisture and protein compositions.It is a lean fish that can serve as a cheaper functional raw material for processed fishery products.Moreover,the results showed that the species have no As,Cd,and Pb contamination,although traces of Hg,far below the permissible limits,were detected.The Hg load varies across collection season and fish maturity suggesting its manageability.For the microbial contents,the species’aerobic plate,Escherichia coli,and Staphylococcus aureus counts were far below the standard limits,although best post-capture practices are still suggested due to the kind of microbial parameters measured.It was concluded that the Sarotherodon melanotheron infesting Bataan farm ponds can be consumed safely and has the quality of potential raw material for processed fishery products.However,further information is still needed to establish the best post-capture handling on the species.Also,more studies must be done to determine the impact of storage and processing on its stability.

In situ trapped high-density single metal atoms within graphene： Iron-containing hybrids as representatives for efficient oxygen reduction

Atomically dispersed catalysts have attracted attention in energy conversion applications because their efficiency and chemoselectivity for special catalysis are superior to those of traditional catalysts. However, they have limitations owing to the extremely low metal-loading content on supports, difficulty in the precise control of the metal location and amount as well as low stability at high temperatures. We prepared a highly doped single metal atom hybrid via a single-step thermal pyrolysis of glucose, dicyandiamide, and inorganic metal salts. High-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy （HAADF-STEM） and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy （XAFS） revealed that nitrogen atoms doped into the graphene matrix were pivotal for metal atom stabilization by generating a metal-Nx coordination structure. Due to the strong anchoring effect of the graphene matrix, the metal loading content was over 4 wt.% in the isolated atomic hybrid （the Pt content was as high as 9.26 wt.% in the Pt-doped hybrid）. Furthermore, the single iron-doped hybrid （Fe@N-doped graphene） showed a remarkable electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction. The peak power density was - 199 mW·cm-2 at a current density of 310 mA·cm-2 and superior to that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst when it was used as a cathode catalyst in assembled zinc-air batteries. This work offered a feasible approach to design and fabricate highly doped single metal atoms （SMAs） catalysts for potential energy applications.

Low-content and highly effective zoned Rh and Pd three-way catalysts for gasoline particulate filter potentially meeting Euro 7

The next-generation Euro 7 standard proposed much lower pollutant limits from gasoline vehicles,specifically for CO and NO_(x),which would be challenging for the three-way catalysts(TWCs)utilized commercially to eliminate these pollutants.TWCs with reductive(Rh)and oxidative(Pd)active components on gasoline particulate filters(TWC on GPF)play importantly auxiliary roles in the remediation of CO and NO_(x)downstream the close coupled TWCs to meet their emission targets.Here,a low-content Rh-based TWC(0.17 wt%)zoned with a less expensive Pd-based TWC(0.29 wt%)for GPF applications(cGPF)is reported using improved colloidal deposition method.The supporting of Rh on Y-stabilized ZrO_(2)rather than on CeO_(2)-ZrO_(2)inhibits the formation of inactive Ce rhodate species,while Pd on CeO_(2)-ZrO_(2)not only guarantees the high oxygen storage capacity(OSC)but also enhances catalytic activity.The layout of the front one-fifth in volume being 0.29 wt%Pd on Ce_(0.43)Zr_(0.5)7O_(2)and the rear four-fifths being 0.17 wt%Rh on Zr_(0.85)Y_(0.15)O_(2)prevents the possible alloying of Rh with Pd.The highly effective zoned Rh and Pd TWCs show synergistic three-way activity before and after severe hydrothermal aging at 1000℃with 10%water for24 h,which could be potential choices for close coupled GPF application to satisfy the upcoming stringent emission standards,such as Euro 7 and China 6b.

Improved performance of direct methanol fuel cells with the porous catalyst layer using highly-active nanofiber catalyst

PtRu supported on TiO2-embedded carbon nanofibers(PtRu/TECNF),which was recently reported as a highly-active catalyst for methanol oxidation,was applied to a direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC),and the power generation performance was compared to that using the commercial PtRu/C.Before the comparison,the effect of the catalyst loading on the power density of the DMFC was investigated using PtRu(18 wt%)/TECNF.The DMFC power density showed a maximum at about a 1.5 mg cm
2 PtRu loading that corresponds to about an 80 mm layer thickness.A catalyst layer thicker than this value reduced the power density probably due to the concentration overvoltage.The PtRu content in the PtRu/TECNF was then increased to 30 wt%or more to reduce the layer thickness and to increase the power density.The DMFC performance was compared to that of different anode catalysts at a 1 mg cm
2 PtRu loading.The power density was maximized using the PtRu30 wt%/TECNF,which showed a 173 mW cm
2 at 353 K and had 66 mm layer thick,that was 26%higher than that of commercial PtRu/C.The current–voltage curve of the DMFC with the PtRu/TECNF suggested an improved mass transport overvoltage,but a little improvement in the activation one despite using the catalyst with about a 2 times higher activity compared to that of the commercial PtRu/C.This was attributed to the lower Pt utilization of the nanofiber catalyst layer.

Comparative characterization of two natural humic acids in the Pearl River Basin, China and their environmental implications

Two humic acids （HAs） were isolated from contaminated river sediments present under comparative conditions in the Pearl River Basin, China. YFHA （the HA extracted at an open pyrite mining area in Yunfu） exhibited a lower absorption intensity for certain bands in the Fourier transform infrared spectra, a lower E 4 /E 6 value （the UV absorbances at 465 nm （E 4 ） and 665 nm （E 6 ））, a lower apparent molecular weight, a lower polarity and a lower oxygen functionality in comparison with GZHA （the HA isolated at an urban living area in Guangzhou）. All these differences indicated a higher degree of humification of YFHA than GZHA. Overall, the enrichment patterns of permanent heavy metals in the studied HAs were similar to those in corresponding sediments. In particular, YFHA exhibited high enrichment of trace element Tl, a characteristic concomitant from the mining of the pyrite minerals. The adsorption isotherms of two HAs for goethite and pyrolusite, two representative geological materials, conformed to the Langmuir equation. Based on the qualitative relationships between the Langmuir constants of the adsorption isotherms and the chemical characteristics of HAs, the main mechanism of HA adsorption on these materials was suggested to be hydrophobic interaction. This study highlighted the promising use of HA as a peculiar bio-indicator of uncommon trace metal contaminations. The HA adsorption mechanism on representative geological materials further provided a theoretical basis for the study on the unusual metal behavior in complex environmental settings.