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The Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants in Aqueous Environment

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2019) | Viewed by 17660

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Juan García Rodríguez

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Guest Editor

Univ Complutense Madrid, Fac. Ciencias Quim, Dept Ingn Quim, Grp Catalisis & Proc Separac CyPS, Avda Complutense S-N, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: adsorption processes; catalytic wet air oxidation; synthesis and characterization of carbon materials; wastewater treatments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Silvia Álvarez-Torrellas

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Guest Editor

Grupo de Catálisis y Procesos de Separación-CyPS, Dept Ingeniería Química y de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Complutense University, Avda Complutense S-N, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: adsorption processes; heterogeneous catalysis; modelling; nanostructured carbon materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New and emerging pollutants present a novel global water quality challenge with potentially serious threats to human health and ecosystems. These contaminants mainly include chemicals found in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, industrial and household products, metals, surfactants, industrial additives and solvents. Many of them are used and released continuously into the environment, even in very low quantities, and some may cause chronic toxicity, endocrine disruption in humans and aquatic wildlife, and the development of bacterial pathogen resistance. Adsorption (batch and fixed bed) is a fundamental process in the physicochemical treatment of wastewaters, which can economically meet today's higher effluent standards and water reuse requirements. This Special Issue is focused on the adsorption processes as alternative treatment methods for emerging aqueous contaminants. Original research papers and short reviews addressing the synthesis and characterization of new adsorbents, the influence of the different operating parameters, competitive adsorption, and the description of adsorption mechanisms and modelling are invited for submission.

Prof. Dr. Juan Garcia Rodríguez
Prof. Dr. Silvia Álvarez Torrellas
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Emerging contaminants
Adsorption kinetics
Competitive adsorption
Modelling
Synthesis and characterization
Mass transfer

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 7418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Catchment Characteristics and Weather Conditions on Heavy Metal Concentrations in Stormwater—Data Mining Approach

by Łukasz Bąk, Bartosz Szeląg, Jarosław Górski and Katarzyna Górska

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(11), 2210; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9112210 - 29 May 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2358

Abstract

The dynamics of processes affecting the quality of stormwater removed through drainage systems are highly complicated. Relatively little information is available on predicting the impact of catchment characteristics and weather conditions on stormwater heavy metal (HM). This paper reports research results concerning the concentrations of selected HM (Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn, Pb and Cd) in stormwater removed through drainage system from three catchments located in the city of Kielce, Poland. Statistical models for predicting concentrations of HM in stormwater were developed based on measurement results, with the use of artificial neural network (ANN) method (multi-layer perceptron). Analyses conducted for the study demonstrated that it is possible to use simple variables to characterise catchment and weather conditions. Simulation results showed that for Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn and Pb, the selected independent variables ensure satisfactory predictive capacities of the models (R² > 0.78). The models offer considerable application potential in the area of development plans, and they also account for environmental aspects as stormwater and snowmelt water quality affects receiving waters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants in Aqueous Environment)

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11 pages, 927 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Water Quality Changes in Cement-Lined Water Pipe Networks

by Jacek Wąsowski, Dariusz Kowalski, Beata Kowalska, Marian Kwietniewski and Małgorzata Zawilska

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(7), 1348; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9071348 - 30 Mar 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3705

Abstract

This research focused on a model setup fed with underground water pumped into a water supply network. The scope of the research included a long- and a short-term stagnation of water in the setup and a water flow of 0.1 m/s. The water supplied into the system gradually lost its corrosive properties and developed calcium carbonate precipitation capability. These processes indicated that cement components migrate from the lining into the water. Apart from the primary components, the presence of the following trace elements was found: iron (399.6 ppb), magnesium (17.8 ppm), zinc (26.9 ppb), barium (22.6 ppb), boron (21.6 ppb), sodium (10.8 ppm), gallium (2.1 ppb). At early stages of the operation, recorded quantities were not significant. Leaching of the trace elements from cement increased after water was chlorinated. In turn, the highest percent increases were observed in the case of zinc (217%), boron (19%) and gallium (12%), whereas the increase for sodium, iron, barium and magnesium in water was insignificant (reaching a few percent). A repeated analysis of samples of stagnant water in the setup showed that most of trace elements were below the detectability level. Final concentrations of all elements identified in the water after its contact with internal cement mortar lining were much lower than the limit values set out for drinking water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants in Aqueous Environment)

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15 pages, 2391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Chalcedonite as a Biosorption Bed in the Treatment of Groundwater

by Dorota Papciak, Andżelika Domoń, Alicja Puszkarewicz and Jadwiga Kaleta

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(4), 751; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9040751 - 21 Feb 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2061

Abstract

The conducted laboratory tests allowed determination of the efficiency of removing ammonium nitrogen, iron, and manganese in the biofiltration process on chalcedonite beds. The process of water purification was carried out by a single- and two-stage biofiltration method with gravitational and anti-gravitational flow. The study examined the extent to which chemical activation of the bed with potassium manganese (VII) affects the course of the nitrification process and the rate of biofilm formation. The obtained test results indicate that two-stage biofiltration, with initial chemical activation at the first stage of biofiltration, is an effective method for purifying waters with an abnormal content of ammonium nitrogen with simultaneous removal of iron and manganese. Activation of the bed had an effect on, among other things: biofilm formation time, efficiency of removing manganese (II) ions, and oxygen consumption in the biofiltration process. Due to the longer maturation time of the activated bed, the normative value of ammonium nitrogen (< 0.39 N-NH₄⁺) was obtained on the 23rd day of the operation of the filters, and in the non-activated bed on the 14th day. The method of bed preparation did not affect the efficiency of removal of iron compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants in Aqueous Environment)

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13 pages, 6390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Highly Dispersed Mn–Ce Binary Metal Oxides Supported on Carbon Nanofibers for Hg⁰ Removal from Coal-Fired Flue Gas

by Yongjun Xia, Zhiqiang Liao, Yan Zheng and Zijian Zhou

Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(12), 2501; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8122501 - 05 Dec 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2868

Abstract

Highly dispersed Mn–Ce binary metal oxides supported on carbon nanofibers (MnO_x–CeO₂/CNFs(OX)) were prepared for Hg⁰ removal from coal-fired flue gas. The loading value of the well-dispersed MnO_x–CeO₂ was much higher than those of many other reported supports, indicating that more active sites were loaded on the carbon nanofibers. In the present study, 30 wt % metal oxides (15 wt % MnO_x and 15 wt % CeO₂) were successfully deposited on the carbon nanofibers, and the sorbent yielded the highest Hg⁰ removal efficiency (>90%) within 120–220 °C under a N₂/O₂ atmosphere. An increase in the amount of highly dispersed metal oxides provided abundant active species for efficient Hg⁰ removal, such as active oxygen species and Mn⁴⁺ cations. Meanwhile, the carbon nanofiber framework provides the pathway for charge transfer during the heterogeneous Hg⁰ capture reaction processes. Under a N₂+6%O₂ atmosphere, a majority of Hg⁰ was removed via chemisorption reactions. The effects of flue gas composition were also investigated. O₂ replenished the active oxygen species on the surface and thus greatly promoted the Hg⁰ removal efficiency. SO₂ had an inhibitory effect on Hg⁰ removal, but NO facilitated Hg⁰ capture performance. Overall, carbon nanofibers seems to be a good candidate for the support and MnO_x–CeO₂/CNFs(OX) may be promising for Hg⁰ removal from coal-fired flue gas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants in Aqueous Environment)

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15 pages, 5579 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sorption of Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺ by Vermiculite in a Fixed-Bed Column: Design, Process Optimization and Dynamics Investigations

by Olga Długosz and Marcin Banach

Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(11), 2221; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8112221 - 11 Nov 2018

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3494

Abstract

Vermiculite has been used for the removal of

{Cu}^{2 +}

and

{Ag}^{+}

from aqueous solutions in a fixed-bed column system. The effects of initial silver and copper ion concentrations, flow rate, and bed height of the adsorbent in a fixed-bed column [...] Read more.

Vermiculite has been used for the removal of

{Cu}^{2 +}

and

{Ag}^{+}

from aqueous solutions in a fixed-bed column system. The effects of initial silver and copper ion concentrations, flow rate, and bed height of the adsorbent in a fixed-bed column system were investigated. Statistical analysis confirmed that breakthrough curves depended on all three factors. The highest inlet metal cation concentration (5000 mg/dm³), the lowest bed height (3 cm) and the lowest flow rate (2 and 3 cm³/min for

{Ag}^{+}

and

{Cu}^{2 +}

, respectively) were optimal for the adsorption process. The maximum total percentage of metal ions removed was 60.4% and 68.7% for Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺, respectively. Adsorption data were fitted with four fixed-bed adsorption models, namely Clark, Bohart–Adams, Yoon–Nelson and Thomas models, to predict breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristic column parameters. The adsorbent was characterized by SEM, FTIR, EDS and BET techniques. The results showed that vermiculite could be applied as a cost-effective sorbent for the removal of

{Cu}^{2 +}

and

{Ag}^{+}

from wastewater in a continuous process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants in Aqueous Environment)

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Other

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4 pages, 362 KiB

Open AccessViewpoint

A Framework for Ecotoxicity Testing in the 21st Century: Ecotox21

by Zhen-guang Yan, Xin Zheng, Fu Gao, Jun-tao Fan, Shu-ping Wang and Li-xin Yang

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9030428 - 28 Jan 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2516

Abstract

To reduce the considerable investments of toxicity testing and protecting animal welfare, a new toxicity testing strategy based on response pathways of human cell lines has been proposed in the United States to evaluate the chemical exposure risks to human health. However, the in vitro high-throughput assays have not yet been fully applied in ecotoxicity testing. This paper proposes a framework for high-efficiency ecotoxicity testing strategies to evaluate the ecological risk of chemicals. It consists of pathway-based toxicity testing, embryo-based toxicity testing, and predictive toxicology and data extrapolation, etc., according to different situations. The results of ecotoxicity testing or data mining are analyzed together with physicochemical properties, environmental fate, and exposure data of chemicals to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of chemicals. The framework provides valuable points to establish high-efficiency ecotoxicity testing strategies in the 21st century. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants in Aqueous Environment)

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