Publications by authors named "George P Korfiatis"

As a commercial adsorbent, TiO shows a high adsorption capacity for lead (Pb(II)). However, the molecular structure of Pb(II) adsorption on TiO is still unknown. Meanwhile, as a widely used corrosion inhibitor, phosphate (PO) is usually added into drinking water, and its influential mechanism on Pb(II) removal by TiO remains unknown.

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As a commonly used corrosion inhibitor, phosphate (PO) has a complicated effect on the fate and transport of lead (Pb) in drinking water systems. While the formation of pyromorphite has been recognized to be the major driving force of the Pb immobilization mechanism, the role of adsorption on iron oxides is still not clear. This study aims to clarify the contributions of adsorption and precipitation to Pb removal in a system containing both iron oxides and PO.

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Calcium (Ca) and bicarbonate (HCO) ions co-exist with arsenic (As) in natural water systems, while Ca-based materials such as lime and cement are widely used to immobilize As(V) in contaminated solids. In this paper, a new dissolved ternary complex, HCO-Ca-As(V), was discovered and its molecular structure was identified. The results from the batch experiments showed that adding As(V) to the solutions containing Ca and HCO increased the dissolved Ca concentration from 4.

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Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM), ion chromatography (IC), and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry were applied to investigate the interactions between arsenite [As(III)] and carbonate and arsenate [As(V)] and carbonate. The chemical species in the single and binary component solutions of As(III), As(V), and carbonate were attached to a Au(111) surface and then imaged in a 0.1 M NaClO4 solution at the molecular level by ECSTM.

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Arsenate [As(V)] and arsenite [As(III)] interactions at the solid-water interface of nanocrystalline TiO2 were investigated using electrophoretic mobility (EM) measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, and surface complexation modeling. The adsorption of As(V) and As(III) decreased the point of zero charge of TiO2 from 5.8 to 5.

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The leaching behavior of chromium was studied using batch leaching tests, surface complexation modeling and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. A contaminated soil sample containing 1330 mg-Cr kg(-1) and 25600 mg-Fe kg(-1) of dry soil was stabilized/solidified (S/S) with 10% cement, 25% cement, 10% lime and a mixture of 20% flyash and 5% lime. The XANES analysis showed that Cr(III) was the only Cr species in untreated soil and S/S-treated samples.

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Contamination of soil and water with depleted uranium (DU) has increased public health concerns due to the chemical toxicity of DU at elevated dosages. For this reason, there is great interest in developing methods for DU removal from contaminated sources. Two DU laden soils, taken from U.

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A novel nanocrystalline titanium dioxide was used to treat depleted uranium (DU)-contaminated water under neutral and alkaline conditions. The novel material had a total surface area of 329 m(2)/g, total surface site density of 11.0 sites/nm(2), total pore volume of 0.

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The adsorption mechanisms of monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) on nanocrystalline titanium oxide (TiO2) were investigated with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), surface charge and zeta potential measurements, adsorption edge, and surface complexation modeling. XAS data demonstrated that MMA and DMA formed bidentate and monodentate inner sphere complexes with the TiO2 surface, respectively. The charge and zeta potential behaviors of TiO2 as a function of ionic strength suggested that the point of zero charge (PZC) and isoelectric point (IEP) of TiO2 were identical at pH 5.

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This study evaluated the effectiveness of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) in removing arsenate [As(V)] and arsenite [As(III)] and in photocatalytic oxidation of As(III). Batch adsorption and oxidation experiments were conducted with TiO(2) suspensions prepared in a 0.04 M NaCl solution and in a challenge water containing the competing anions phosphate, silicate, and carbonate.

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Batch and column experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH on arsenic removal with zero-valent iron [Fe(0)]. Arsenic removal was dramatically affected by the DO content and the pH of the solution. Under oxic conditions, arsenate [As(V)] removal by Fe(0) filings was faster than arsenite [As(III)].

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Operation of aerobic biological reactors in space is controlled by a number of challenging constraints, mainly stemming from mass transfer limitations and phase separation. Immobilized-cell packed-bed bioreactors, specially designed to function in the absence of gravity, offer a viable solution for the treatment of gray water generated in space stations and spacecrafts. A novel gravity-independent wastewater biological processor, capable of carbon oxidation and nitrification of high-strength aqueous waste streams, is presented.

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Batch experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analyses were performed to study the reactions between arsenate [As(V)], arsenite [As(III)] and zero-valent iron [Fe(0)]. The As(III) removal rate was higher than that for As(V) when iron filings (80-120 mesh) were mixed with arsenic solutions purged with nitrogen gas in the pH range of 4-7. XPS spectra of the reacted iron coupons showed the reduction of As(III) to As(0).

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Leaching tests and model calculations were performed to investigate the immobilization mechanisms of Pb and compare different leaching protocols. Stabilization/solidification (S/S) treatments reduced Pb concentrations in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) leachate from 5.9 mg/L for untreated soil to less than 0.

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Leaching tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, and thermodynamic modeling were performed to investigate arsenate [As(V)] immobilization mechanisms in iron hydroxide sludge stabilized with cement. The sludge from a groundwater remediation site in Tacoma, WA was mixed and immobilized with premixed cement to reach cement-to-sludge ratios of 2.5, 3.

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Carbonate dramatically affects the adsorption of uranium (U(VI)) onto iron hydroxides and its mobility in the natural environment. Batch tests, zeta potential measurements, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies were utilized to characterize the nature of U(VI) adsorption on ferrihydrite. Adsorption isotherms demonstrated that carbonate had a negative effect on U(VI) adsorption on ferrihydrite at pH > 6.

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Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the removal of selenocyanate (SeCN-) from oil refinery wastewater and artificial wastewater with elemental iron [Fe(0)]. The chemical forms of selenium in the reacted solids were determined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and a sulfite extraction procedure. SeCN- was effectively removed from the wastewater with Fe(0) filings when the water pH was controlled at approximately 6.

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Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the combined effects of phosphate, silicate, and bicarbonate on the removal of arsenic from Bangladesh groundwater (BGW) and simulated groundwater by iron hydroxides. The apparent adsorption constants indicated that the affinity of the anions for iron hydroxide sites decreased in the following order arsenate>phosphate>arsenite>silicate>bicarbonate. Phosphate, silicate, and bicarbonate decreased the removal of As(III) even at relatively low concentrations and low surface site coverage.

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