Profiles and risk assessment of phthalate acid esters (PAEs) in drinking water sources and treatment plants, East China.

This study is the first report describing the occurrence of 15 phthalate acid esters (PAEs) in the three typical water sources of YiXing City, Taihu Upper-River Basin, East China. The fate of target PAEs in the Jiubin drinking water treatment plant (JTP) was also analyzed. The amounts of Σ15PAE in the Hengshan (HS), Youche (YC), and Xijiu (XJ) water sources were relatively moderate, with mean values of 360, 357, and 697 ng L-1, respectively. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dominated the PAE concentration, making up 80% of the 15 total PAEs. The highest levels of Σ15PAE were found in HS, YC, and XJ in March 2015, January 2015, and July 2014, respectively. The occurrence and concentrations of these compounds were spatially dependent, and the mean concentrations of Σ15PAE in HS, YC, and XJ samples increased from the surface layer to the bottom layer with varied percentage increases. The removal efficiency of the PAEs in the finished water varied markedly, and the removal of PAEs by the JTP ranged from 12.8 to 64.5%. The potential ecosystem risk assessment indicated that the risk of PAEs was relatively low in these three water sources. However, risks posed by PAEs due to drinking water still exist; therefore, special attention should be paid to source control in the JTP, and advanced treatment processes for drinking water supplies should be implemented.

Influence of humic acid on the removal of arsenate and arsenic by ferric chloride: effects of pH, As/Fe ratio, initial As concentration, and co-existing solutes.

The influence of humic acid (HA) on the removal of arsenic by FeCl3 was systematically studied in this paper. Jar tests were performed to investigate the influence on arsenic during FeCl3 coagulation of the pH adjusting method, the initial As/Fe ratio, the equilibrium As concentration, and co-occurring anions and cations. Compared with results in HA-free systems, the removal trends of arsenic in HA solutions were quite different. It was found that As(V) removal was higher at low equilibrium concentration, yet the opposite was true for As(III) removal. The presence of HA influenced the effective number of active sites for arsenic removal by FeCl3 flocculation. In addition, in the presence of HA, the impacts of co-existing solutions on arsenic removal were also different from that of an HA-free system. This study examined the influence of co-occurring anions, such as phosphate, sulfate, and silicate on arsenic removal, depending on their ability to compete for sorption sites and to hinder or facilitate the aggregation of ferric hydroxide flocs. The presence of Ca2+ or Cd2+ significantly increased arsenic removal at higher pH. Low concentrations of dissolved HA and high concentrations of colloid affected the adsorption of arsenic onto iron oxide. The influence of HA on the adsorption of arsenic onto iron oxide primarily depended on the relative content of the dissolved and mineral combination states of HA and the interface combination forms.

[Solidification/Stabilization of Chromite Ore Processing Residue (COPR) Using Zero-Valent Iron and Lime-Activated Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag].

The solidification/stabilization (S/S) of chromite ore processing residue (COPR) was performed using zero-valent iron (ZVI) and lime-activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). The degree of Cr immobilization was evaluated using the leaching procedure, mineral composition analysis and morphology analysis. Semi-dynamic leaching tests were implemented to investigate the potential for reusing the final treatment product as a readily available construction material. The results showed that after reduction, all of the S/S treated COPR samples met the pollution control limit of bricks and building block products (Chinese standard HJ/T 301-2007) produced with COPR for total Cr (0.3 mg x L(-1)), the compressive strength of all the S/S samples could meet the compressive strength standard (15 MPa) for producing clay bricks, and Cr existed as the specie that bound to Fe/Mn oxides in the S/S samples. At the same time, all of the S/S treated specimens tested were suitable for utilization at certain levels.

The enhancement effect of pre-reduction using zero-valent iron on the solidification of chromite ore processing residue by blast furnace slag and calcium hydroxide.

A bench scale study was performed to assess the effectiveness of the solidification of chromite ore processing residue (COPR) by blast furnace slag and calcium hydroxide, and investigate the enhancement effect of pre-reduction using zero-valent iron (ZVI) on the solidification treatment. The degree of Cr immobilization was evaluated using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) as well as the solid waste-extraction procedure for leaching toxicity-sulfuric acid & nitric acid method (Chinese standard HJ/T299-2007). Strength tests and semi-dynamic leaching tests were implemented to investigate the potential for reusing the final treatment product as a readily available construction material. The experimental results showed that the performance of pre-reduction/solidification (S/S) was superior to that of solidification alone. After pre-reduction, all of the S/S treated COPR samples met the TCLP limit for total Cr (5 mg L(-1)), whereas the samples with a COPR content below 40% met the pollution control limit of bricks and building block products (Chinese standard HJ/T 301-2007) produced with COPR for total Cr (0.3 mg L(-1)). At the same time, all of the S/S treated specimens tested were suitable for utilization at certain levels.