[Anaerobic Biodegradability of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)].

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), one of the most typical representatives of perfluoroalkyl surfactants (PASs), has relatively high detection rate and level of pollution, and the accumulation of PFOA in the environment has been a serious threat to human health and security of the whole ecological environment. Therefore, studies on anaerobic biodegradability of PFOA are very important for elucidation of its environmental fate. This study used anaerobic sludge from municipal sewage treatment plant (WWTP) and 5.0 mg·L-1 vitamin B12 (VB12) as catalysts for the degradation of PFOA in the anaerobic environment. The anaerobic biodegradability of PFOA was examined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and ion chromatography while some indictors, such as molar recoveries of PFOA as well as concentrations of fluoride, acetate, 2H-PFOA (F(CF2)6CHFCOOH), and shorter chain (

[Catalytic Degradation of Diclofenac Sodium over the Catalyst of 3D Flower-like alpha-FeOOH Synergized with H2O2 Under Visible Light Irradiation].

Three dimensional (3D) flower-like alpha-FeOOH nanomaterials were prepared by oil bath reflux method using FeSO4, urea, ethanol and water, and the products which were characterized by XRD, FT-IR and SEM techniques. The SEM images showed that the 3D flower-like samples consisted of nanorods with a length of 400-500 nm and a diameter of 40-60 nm. The catalytic performance of the samples was evaluated by catalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium using H2O2 as the oxidant under simulated visible light. The results showed that the as-prepared samples presented high efficient catalytic performances, and more than 99% of the initial diclofenac sodium (30 mg x L(-1)) was degraded in 90 min. A radical mechanism can be proposed for the catalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium solution.

[Effects of algae and kaolinite particles on the survival of bacteriophage MS2].

In this study, Bacteriophage MS2, Kaolinite and Microcystis aeruginosa were selected as model materials for human enteric viruses, inorganic and organic particles, respectively. The influence of the inorganic (Kaolinite) or organic (Microcystis aeruginosa) particles on the survival of MS2 at different conditions, such as particles concentration, pH, ion concentration and natural organic matter (NOM) were studied. The results showed that Kaolinite had no effect on the survival of phage MS2 except that apparent survival of MS2 increased 1 logarithm in higher hardness water. Microcystis aeruginosa addition reduced 1 logarithm of MS2 survival. However, when the pH value was greater than 4.0 or the concentration of Microcystis aeruginosa was less than 1.0 x 10(6) cells x L(-1), Microcystis aeruginosa addition had no influence on the survival of MS2. In higher hardness water, Microcystis aeruginosa protected MS2 viruses and then increased the survival of MS2. In drinking water, resource containing higher concentration of particles, the survival ability of virus would be enhanced with the increase of the hardness and then elevated the risks of drinking water safety.

[Degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous solution by UV/Si-FeOOH/H2O2].

In this study the new catalyst Si-FeOOH was synthesized by adding Si to the traditional FeOOH and the mechanic strength of this new catalyst could be enhanced greatly. The photo-degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) by UV/Si-FeOOH/H2O2 was investigated. The new catalyst Si-FeOOH was amorphous structure with high surface area and low soluble iron by XRD, IR and SEM. The efficiency of DMP degradation by UV/Si-FeOOH/H2O2 could reach 97% after 30 min reaction time at pH 5, 0.5 g/L dosage of Si-FeOOH, and 2.0 mmol/L of H2O2 under 125W UV365 irradiation. DMP could be degraded effectively by synergistic effect of UV, Si-FeOOH and H2O2. The Si-FeOOH photocatalyst can be very easily recovered and its catalytic activity also remained after several rounds of reaction.

Ferrate(VI) enhanced photocatalytic oxidation of pollutants in aqueous TiO2 suspensions.

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: Photocatalytic oxidation using UV irradiation of TiO(2) has been studied extensively and has many potential industrial applications, including the degradation of recalcitrant contaminants in water and wastewater treatment. A limiting factor in the oxidation process is the recombination of conduction band electrons (e(-)(cb)) with electron holes (h(vb)(+)) on the irradiated TiO(2) surface; thus, in aqueous conditions, the presence of an effective electron scavenger will be beneficial to the efficiency of the oxidation process. Ferrate (FeO(4)(2-)) has received much recent attention as a water treatment chemical since it behaves simultaneously as an oxidant and coagulant. The combination of ferrate [Fe(VI)] with UV/TiO(2) photocatalysis offers an oxidation synergism arising from the Fe(VI) scavenging of e(-)(cb) and the corresponding beneficial formation of Fe(V) from the Fe(VI) reduction. This paper reviews recent studies concerning the photocatalytic oxidation of problematic pollutants with and without ferrate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The paper reviews the published results of laboratory experiments designed to follow the photocatalytic degradation of selected contaminants of environmental significance and the influence of the experimental conditions (e.g. pH, reactant concentrations and dissolved oxygen). The specific compounds are as follows: ammonia, cyanate, formic acid, bisphenol-A, dibutyl- and dimethyl-phthalate and microcystin-LR. The principal focus in these studies has been on the rates of reaction rather than on reaction pathways and products. RESULTS: The presence of UV/TiO(2) accelerates the chemical reduction of ferrate, and the reduction rate decreases with pH owing to deprotonation of ferrate ion. For all the selected contaminant substances, the photocatalytic oxidation rate was greater in the presence of ferrate, and this was believed to be synergistic rather than additive. The presence of dissolved oxygen in solution reduced the degradation rate of dimethyl phthalate in the ferrate/photocatalysis system. In the study of microcystin-LR, it was evident that an optimal ferrate concentration exists, whereby higher Fe(VI) concentrations above the optimum leads to a reduction in microcystin-LR degradation. In addition, the rate of microcystin-LR degradation was found to be strongly dependent on pH and was greatest at pH 6. DISCUSSION: The initial rate of photocatalytic reduction under different conditions was analysed using a Langmuirian form. Decrease in rates in the presence of dissolved oxygen may be due to competition between oxygen and ferrate as electron scavengers and to non-productive radical species interactions. The reaction between ferrate(VI) and microcystins-LR in the pH range of 6.0-10.0 is most likely controlled by the protonated Fe(VI) species, HFeO(4)(-). CONCLUSIONS: The photocatalytic oxidation of selected, recalcitrant contaminants was found to be significantly greater in the presence of ferrate, arising from the role of ferrate in inhibiting the h(vb)(+)-e(-)(cb) pair recombination on TiO(2) surfaces and the corresponding generation of highly oxidative Fe(V) species. The performance of the ferrate/photocatalysis system is strongly influenced by the reaction conditions, particularly the pH and dissolved oxygen concentration, arising from the complex nature of the interactions between the catalyst and the solution. Overall, the treatment performance of the Fe(VI)-TiO(2)-UV system is generally superior to alternative chemical oxidation methods. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The formation of intermediate Fe(V) species in the photocatalytic reduction of ferrate(VI) requires confirmation, and a method involving electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy could be applied for this. The reactivity of Fe(V) with the selected contaminants is required in order to better understand the role of ferrate in the Fe(VI)-TiO(2)-UV oxidation system. To increase the practical utility of the system, it is recommended that future studies involving the photocatalytic oxidation of pollutants in the presence of ferrate(VI) should focus on developing modified TiO(2) surfaces that are photocatalytic under visible light conditions.

Reaction pathways of dimethyl phthalate degradation in TiO2-UV-O2 and TiO2-UV-Fe(VI) systems.

The photocatalytic degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous TiO2 suspension under UV illumination has been investigated using oxygen (O2) and ferrate (Fe(VI)) as electron acceptors. The experiments demonstrated that Fe(VI) was a more effective electron acceptor than O2 for scavenging the conduction band electrons from the surface of the catalyst. Some major intermediate products from DMP degradation were identified by HPLC and GC/MS analyses. The analytical results identified dimethyl 3-hydroxyphthalate and dimethyl 2-hydroxyphthalate as the two main intermediate products from the DMP degradation in the TiO2-UV-O2 system, while in contrast phthalic acid was found to be the main intermediate product in the TiO2-UV-Fe(VI) system. These findings indicate that DMP degradation in the TiO2-UV-O2 and TiO2-UV-Fe(VI) systems followed different reaction pathways. An electron spin resonance analysis confirmed that hydroxyl radicals existed in the TiO2-UV-O2 reaction system and an unknown radical species (most likely an iron-oxo species) is suspected to exist in the TiO2-UV-Fe(VI) reaction system. Two pathway schemes of DMP degradation in the TiO2-UV-O2 and TiO2-UV-Fe(VI) reaction systems are proposed. It is believed that the radicals formed in the TiO2-UV-O2 reaction system preferably attack the aromatic ring of the DMP, while in contrast the radicals formed in the TiO2-UV-Fe(VI) reaction systems attack the alkyl chain of DMP.

Aqueous oxidation of dimethyl phthalate in a Fe(VI)-TiO(2)-UV reaction system.

The application of a combined ferrate-photocatalysis process for the aqueous degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) has been studied. The behaviour of the Fe(VI)-TiO(2)-UV process at pH 9 in the presence and absence of dissolved oxygen (DO) has been compared and significant differences have been found. In comparative tests under N(2) and O(2) bubbling, the chemical reduction rate of ferrate as conduction band electron acceptor was similar, but the resulting degradation of DMP was substantially lower in the presence of oxygen. It is speculated that the presence of oxygen leads to the formation of Fe-O-(organic) complex species that adsorb to, and deactivate, the surface of the photocatalyst. The presence of surface-adsorbed complex species was indicated by FTIR spectroscopy and a reduced TiO(2) adsorption capacity for DMP. In the presence of typical environmental levels of DO ( approximately 9mgL(-1)), the Fe(VI)-TiO(2)-UV process achieved a modest degree of DMP degradation (40% in 120min).

[Removal of arsenic (II) by ferrate oxidation-coagulation from drinking water].

Ferrate is multi-function agent in water treatment and shows great oxidizing ability and excellent purifying effect. This experiment evaluated the performance of ferrate for arsenic removal. Experimental results show that the best rate of ferrate and arsenic (III) is 15:1, the efficiency of As removal can be achieved 98%, and the residual concentration of As3 + is < 0.05 mg/L. The optimum pH is 5.5 to approximately 7.5. The oxidative and coagulation time is 10 min and 30 min respectively. The salinity and hardness did not interfere with removal arsenic. This method is easy, very effective comparing with ferric method and KMnO4-Ferric method.

[Efficiency of microcystin-LR removal by photocatalysis combined with ferrate oxidation].

This study focused on enhancing photocatalytic degradation of microcystin-LR following the addition of ferrate to the process. The degradation efficiency of ferrate and the photocatalysis was 54% and 63% respectively. However, when ferric or ferrate was added to the photocatalytic process, a significant enhancement in the rate of the photocatalytic degradation was observed and the efficiency can be increased to 73% or 100%. The results demonstrate that relatively low ferrate doses (10 mg/L) are sufficient not only for pre-degradating amount of toxin but also for supplying the Fe3+ enhance the rates of photocatalytic process to destroy the toxin further. At the same time, it indicates the advantage of using ferrate with the photocatalytic system comparing with ferric.

Removal of cyanobacterial microcystin-LR by ferrate oxidation-coagulation.

In this study, the effect of a multiple function reagent-ferrate on the removal of microcystins-LR (MCLR) from freeze-dried Planktothrix sp. was investigated. The toxin was easily decomposed by oxidation with ferrate, and the removal efficiency depended on the dosage of ferrate, pH, and contact time. Simultaneously the reduction product Fe(OH)(3) after ferrate oxidation could flocculate the organic compounds so that 50% TOC removal of the extract was reached. The low residual iron reflected the excellent results of coagulation and could meet the standard of drinking water. Analysis of the treated cyanobacterial extracts by high-performance liquid chromatograph, monitoring absorbance at 210 and 238 nm, suggested that the heptapeptide ring of MCLR and its Adda group had been opened or modified, respectively. So ferrate treatment may be an effective and practical method for the removal of cyanobacterial peptide toxins from eutrophic waters, especially which hold high total organic carbon.