A sulfate reducing bioreactor controlled by an electrochemical system enables near-zero chemical treatment of metallurgical wastewater.

Metallurgical wastewaters are characterized by a low pH (<4), high concentrations of sulfate (15 gSO L), and metal(loid)s. Current treatment requires the consumption of chemicals such as alkali and high levels of waste sludge generation. In this study, we have shown that combining water electrolysis and sulfate reducing bioreactors enables the in-situ generation of base and H, eliminating the need for base and electron donor addition, resulting in the near-zero treatment of metallurgical wastewater.

High rate production of concentrated sulfides from metal bearing wastewater in an expanded bed hydrogenotrophic sulfate reducing bioreactor.

Metallurgical wastewaters contain high concentrations of sulfate, up to 15 g L. Sulfate-reducing bioreactors are employed to treat these wastewaters, reducing sulfates to sulfides which subsequently co-precipitate metals. Sulfate loading and reduction rates are typically restricted by the total HS concentration.

Valorization of selenium-enriched sludge and duckweed generated from wastewater as micronutrient biofertilizer.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals with a narrow window between deficiency and toxicity levels. Application of conventional chemical Se fertilizers to increase the Se content of crops in Se deficient areas could result in environmental contamination due to the fast leaching of inorganic Se. Slow-release Se-enriched biofertilizers produced from wastewater treatment may therefore be beneficial.

Oxygen-rich poly-bisvanillonitrile embedded amorphous zirconium oxide nanoparticles as reusable and porous adsorbent for removal of arsenic species from water.

A new oxygen-rich porous polymer based on bisvanillonitrile was synthesized and characterized. This polymer was employed as support for the anchoring of 14.5 w% amorphous zirconium oxide nanoparticles.

Rational design of lanthanide nano periodic mesoporous organosilicas (Ln-nano-PMOs) for near-infrared emission.

We present three Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica (PMO) materials: a PMO material functionalized with pyridine dicarboxamide (DPA-PMO) and two amine functionalized PMO materials (Am-PMO and Am-ePMO). The pyridine dicarboxamide ligands in the DPA-PMO material provide the tethering sites for Ln3+-coordination. A Schiff base reaction was carried out on the amine functionalized PMOs to introduce similar lanthanide coordination sites.

Effect of speciation and composition on the kinetics and precipitation of arsenic sulfide from industrial metallurgical wastewater.

Precipitation of arsenic as AsS produces little waste sludge, has the potential for low chemical consumption and for selective metal(loid) removal. In this study, arsenic removal from acidic (pH 2), metallurgical wastewater was tested in industrially relevant conditions. Sulfides added at a S:As molar ratio of 2.

Removal of arsenic and mercury species from water by covalent triazine framework encapsulated γ-FeO nanoparticles.

The covalent triazine framework, CTF-1, served as host material for the in situ synthesis of FeO nanoparticles. The composite material consisted of 20 ± 2 m% iron, mainly in γ-FeO phase. The resulting γ-FeO@CTF-1 was examined for the adsorption of As, As and Hg from synthetic solutions and real surface-, ground- and wastewater.

Partitioning of Ag and CeO nanoparticles versus Ag and Ce ions in soil suspensions and effect of natural organic matter on CeO nanoparticles stability.

This study examined the solid-liquid distribution of 14.8-nm Ag and 6.2-nm CeO nanoparticles in soil suspensions and compared it to that of Ag and Ce ions, to better understand their environmental behaviour and fate.

Identification of platinum nanoparticles in road dust leachate by single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Elevated platinum (Pt) concentrations are found in road dust as a result of emissions from catalytic converters in vehicles. This study investigates the occurrence of Pt in road dust collected in Ghent (Belgium) and Gothenburg (Sweden). Total Pt contents, determined by tandem ICP-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS), were in the range of 5 to 79ngg, comparable to the Pt content in road dust of other medium-sized cities.

UiO-66-(SH) as stable, selective and regenerable adsorbent for the removal of mercury from water under environmentally-relevant conditions.

The dithiol functionalized UiO-66-(SH) is developed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of mercury in aqueous media. Important parameters for the application of MOFs in real-life circumstances include: stability and recyclability of the adsorbents, selectivity for the targeted Hg species in the presence of much higher concentrations of interfering species, and ability to purify wastewater below international environmental limits within a short time. We show that UiO-66-(SH) meets all these criteria.

Dispersion and solubility of In, Tl, Ta and Nb in the aquatic environment and intertidal sediments of the Scheldt estuary (Flanders, Belgium).

Certain specialty elements are indispensable in modern technologies for their particular properties. Yet, potential risks associated to the release of these elements at any stage, remains unknown. Therefore, the dispersion of indium (In), thallium (Tl), tantalum (Ta) and niobium (Nb) in the aquatic environment of the Scheldt estuary (Flanders, Belgium) was studied.

Ship-in-a-bottle CMPO in MIL-101(Cr) for selective uranium recovery from aqueous streams through adsorption.

Mesoporous MIL-101(Cr) is used as host for a ship-in-a-bottle type adsorbent for selective U(VI) recovery from aqueous environments. The acid-resistant cage-type MOF is built in-situ around N,N-Diisobutyl-2-(octylphenylphosphoryl)acetamide (CMPO), a sterically demanding ligand with high U(VI) affinity. This one-step procedure yields an adsorbent which is an ideal compromise between homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, where the ligand can act freely within the pores of MIL-101, without leaching, while the adsorbent is easy separable and reusable.

Technologies for Arsenic Removal from Water: Current Status and Future Perspectives.

This review paper presents an overview of the available technologies used nowadays for the removal of arsenic species from water. Conventionally applied techniques to remove arsenic species include oxidation, coagulation-flocculation, and membrane techniques. Besides, progress has recently been made on the utility of various nanoparticles for the remediation of contaminated water.