Leachate Lithium Characteristics of Loess-paleosol Sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau and their Paleoclimatic Significance

The geochemical components of the leachate from loess-paleosol deposits can provide information about climaterelated post-depositional processes.For example,leachate lithium([Li]_(leachate))is a potential paleoclimate proxy because lithium is a typical lithophile element that is readily adsorbed by clay minerals during weathering and pedogenesis,and thus stratigraphic variations in[Li]leachatecan reflect these processes.We investigated the[Li]leachatevalues of two loess-paleosols profiles(the Luochuan and Weinan sections),on a north-south climatic gradient on the Chinese Loess Plateau.Independent paleoclimate information was provided by measurements of magnetic susceptibility,grain size,Rb/Sr ratios,and clay mineral content.During the last glacial-interglacial period,[Li]leachateincreased from 0.39 to 1.97μg/g at Luochuan and from 0.67 to 2.45μg/g at Weinan,mainly due to increasing pedogenesis.Based on these results we developed a conceptual model to explain the variations in[Li]leachate,Li^(+)within loess layers is mainly derived from dust input and the decomposition of primary minerals,influenced by the East Asian winter monsoon,while in paleosol layers Li is mainly derived from clay mineral adsorption during pedogenic processes,influenced by the East Asian summer monsoon.

In situ coagulation-electrochemical oxidation of leachate concentrate:A key role of cathodes

To efficiently remove organic and inorganic pollutants from leachate concentrate,an in situ coagulation-electrochemical oxidation(CO-EO)system was proposed using Ti/Ti_(4)O_(7)anode and Al cathode,coupling the“super-Faradaic”dissolution of Al.The system was evaluated in terms of the removal efficiencies of organics,nutrients,and metals,and the underlying cathodic mechanisms were investigated compared with the Ti/RuO_(2)-IrO_(2)and graphite cathode systems.After a 3-h treatment,the Al-cathode system removed 89.0%of COD and 36.3%of total nitrogen(TN).The TN removal was primarily ascribed to the oxidation of both ammonia and organic-N to N_(2).In comparison,the Al-cathode system achieved 3-10-fold total phosphorus(TP)(62.6%)and metal removals(>80%)than Ti/RuO_(2)-IrO_(2)and graphite systems.The increased removals of TP and metals were ascribed to the in situ coagulation of Al(OH)_(3),hydroxide precipitation,and electrodeposition.With the reduced scaling on the Al cathode surface,the formation of Al^(3+)and electrified Al(OH)_(3)lessened the requirement for cathode cleaning and increased the bulk conductivity,resulting in increased instantaneous current production(38.9%)and operating cost efficiencies(48.3 kWh kg_(COD)^(−1)).The present study indicated that the in situ CO-EO process could be potentially used for treating persistent wastewater containing high levels of organic and inorganic ions.

Degradation of refractory organics in concentrated leachate by the Fenton process: Central composite design for process optimization

The primary aim of this study is inert COD removal from leachate nanofiltration concentrate because of its high concentration of resistant organic pollutants.Within this framework,this study focuses on the treatability of leachate nanofiltration concentrate through Fenton oxidation and optimization of process parameters to reach the maximum pollutant removal by using response surface methodology(RSM).Initial pH,Fe2+concentration,H_(2)O_(2)/Fe^(2+)molar ratio and oxidation time are selected as the independent variables,whereas total COD,color,inert COD and UV254 removal are selected as the responses.According to the ANOVA results,the R^(2) values of all responses are found to be over 95%.Under the optimum conditions determined by the model(pH:3.99,Fe^(2+):150 mmol/L,H_(2)O_(2)/Fe^(2+):3.27 and oxidation time:84.8 min),the maximum COD removal efficiency is determined as 91.4%by the model.The color,inert COD and UV254 removal efficiencies are determined to be 99.9%,97.2%and 99.5%,respectively,by the model,whereas the total COD,color,inert COD and UV254 removal efficiencies are found respectively to be 90%,96.5%,95.3%and 97.2%,experimentally under the optimum operating conditions.The Fenton process improves the biodegradability of the leachate NF concentrate,increasing the BOD5/COD ratio from the value of 0.04 to the value of 0.4.The operational cost of the process is calculated to be 0.238€/g COD_(removed).The results indicate that the Fenton oxidation process is an efficient and economical technology in improvement of the biological degradability of leachate nanofiltration concentrate and in removal of resistant organic pollutants.

Technique for Advanced Electrochemical Oxidation Treatment of Nanofiltration Concentrate of Landfill Leachate

Landfill leachate treated with combined process of ＂pretreatment ＋biological treatment ＋advanced treatment （NF）＂ to produce nanofiltration concentrate, which bio-chemical ratio （B/C） is less than 0.1 and CODer concentration is 2 000-2 500 mg/L, high salt content. Which cannot be discharged under existing environ- mental standards. According to analysis based on electrochemical advanced oxidation mechanism, a two-step electrochemical tech- nique was recommended. In the first step, a pulse electrochemical technique was adopted. With Fe as consumption electrode and current density of 10 mA/cm2, the pollutants were removed by means of Fenton reaction, electroflotation and electrocoagulation. In the second step, a double function electrode was used to per- form electrocatalytic oxidation by means of titanium metallic oxi- dates. In the condition that current density being 12.5 mA/cm2, the pollutants were further removed by oxidation and electrolytic deposition. Result shows that the removing rate of CODer, NH3-N and CI were 70%-85%, 90% and 25%, respectively; average value of B/C ratio increased from 0.09 to 0.38 and conductivity reduced by 10%.