Impact of blending for direct potable reuse on premise plumbing microbial ecology and regrowth of opportunistic pathogens and antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Little is known about how introducing recycled water intended for direct potable reuse (DPR) into distribution systems and premise plumbing will affect water quality at the point of use, particularly with respect to effects on microbial communities and regrowth. The examination of potential growth of opportunistic pathogens (OPs) and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), each representing serious and growing public health concerns, by introducing DPR water has not previously been evaluated. In this study, the impact of blending purified DPR water with traditional drinking water sources was investigated with respect to treatment techniques, blending location, and blending ratio.

The use of carbon adsorbents for the removal of perfluoroalkyl acids from potable reuse systems.

Bench- and pilot-scale sorption tests were used to probe the performance of several biochars at removing perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) from field waters, compared to granular activated carbon (GAC). Screening tests using organic matter-free water resulted in hardwood (HWC) (K = 41 L g) and pinewood (PWC) (K = 49 L g) biochars having the highest perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) removal performance that was comparable to bituminous coal GAC (K = 41 L g). PWC and HWC had a stronger affinity for PFOA sorbed in Lake Mead surface water (K = 11 mg L g) containing a lower (2 mg L) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration than in a tertiary-filtered wastewater (K = 8 mg L g) with DOC of 4.

Ozone regeneration of granular activated carbon for trihalomethane control.

Spatial and temporal variations of trihalomethanes (THMs) in distribution systems have challenged water treatment facilities to comply with disinfection byproduct rules. In this study, granular activated carbon (GAC) and modified GAC (i.e.

Biotransformation of trace organic compounds by activated sludge from a biological nutrient removal treatment system.

The removal of trace organic compounds (TOrCs) and their biotransformation rates, kb (LgSS(-)(1)h(-)(1)) was investigated across different redox zones in a biological nutrient removal (BNR) system using an OECD batch test. Biodegradation kinetics of fourteen TOrCs with initial concentration of 1-36μgL(-)(1) in activated sludge were monitored over the course of 24h. Degradation kinetic behavior for the TOrCs fell into four groupings: Group 1 (atenolol) was biotransformed (0.

The potential role of biochar in the removal of organic and microbial contaminants from potable and reuse water: A review.

In this work, the potential benefits, economics, and challenges of applying biochar in water treatment operations to remove organic and microbial contaminants was reviewed. Minimizing the use of relatively more expensive traditional sorbents in water treatment is a motivating aspect of biochar production, e.g.

Sorption and cosorption of lead and sulfapyridine on carbon nanotube-modified biochars.

New, sustainable, and low-cost materials that can simultaneously remove a range of wastewater contaminants, such as heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues, are needed. In this work, modified biochars were produced by dip-coating hickory or bagasse biomass in carbon nanotube (CNT) suspensions with or without sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS)-aided dispersion prior to slow pyrolysis in a N2 environment at 600 °C. The sulfapyridine (SPY) and lead (Pb) sorption ability of pristine hickory (HC) and bagasse (BC) biochars and the modified biochars with (HC-SDBS-CNT and BC-SDBS-CNT, respectively) and without (HC-CNT and BC-CNT) SDBS was assessed in laboratory aqueous batch single- and binary-solute system.

Engineered carbon (biochar) prepared by direct pyrolysis of Mg-accumulated tomato tissues: characterization and phosphate removal potential.

An innovative method was developed to produce engineered biochar from magnesium (Mg) enriched tomato tissues through slow pyrolysis in a N2 environment. Tomato plants treated with 25mM Mg accumulated much higher level of Mg in tissue, indicating Mg can be substantially enriched in tomato plants, and pyrolysis process further concentrated Mg in the engineered biochar (8.8% Mg).

Phosphate removal ability of biochar/MgAl-LDH ultra-fine composites prepared by liquid-phase deposition.

Morphological structures and adsorption properties of biochar/MgAl-LDH ultra-fine composites prepared by liquid-phase deposition have been determined in laboratory. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were used to characterize the biochar based ultra-composites. The XRD and FTIR data indicated that the biochar/MgAl-LDHs ultra-fine composites can successfully be obtained by liquid-phase deposition.

Preparation and characterization of a novel magnetic biochar for arsenic removal.

A magnetic biochar based adsorbent with colloidal or nanosized γ-Fe(2)O(3) particles embedded in porous biochar matrix was fabricated via thermal pyrolysis of FeCl(3) treated biomass. The synthesized samples were studied systematically by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction pattern, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, superconducting quantum interference device, and batch sorption measurements. The characterization analyses showed that large quantity of γ-Fe(2)O(3) particles with size between hundreds of nanometers and several micrometers tightly grow within the porous biochar matrix.

Synthesis, characterization, and environmental implications of graphene-coated biochar.

Biochar has attracted much research attention recently because of its potential applications in many environmental areas. In this work, the biochar technology was combined with the emerging graphene technology to create a new engineered graphene-coated biochar from cotton wood. The biomass feedstock was first treated with graphene/pyrene-derivative and was then annealed at 600°C in a quartz tube furnace under N(2) environment.

Effect of biochar amendment on sorption and leaching of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate in a sandy soil.

When applied to soils, it is unclear whether and how biochar can affect soil nutrients. This has implications both to the availability of nutrients to plants or microbes, as well as to the question of whether biochar soil amendment may enhance or reduce the leaching of nutrients. In this work, a range of laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of biochar amendment on sorption and leaching of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate in a sandy soil.

Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by biochars derived from anaerobically digested biomass.

This study examined the ability of two biochars converted from anaerobically digested biomass to sorb heavy metals using a range of laboratory sorption and characterization experiments. Initial evaluation of DAWC (digested dairy waste biochar) and DWSBC (digested whole sugar beet biochar) showed that both biochars were effective in removing a mixture of four heavy metals (Pb(2 +), Cu(2+), Ni(2+), and Cd(2+)) from aqueous solutions. Compared to DAWC, DWSBC demonstrated a better ability to remove Ni and Cd.

Adsorption of sulfamethoxazole on biochar and its impact on reclaimed water irrigation.

Reclaimed water irrigation can satisfy increasing water demand, but it may also introduce pharmaceutical contaminants into the soil and groundwater environment. In this work, a range of laboratory experiments were conducted to test whether biochar can be amended in soils to enhance removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from reclaimed water. Eight types of biochar were tested in laboratory sorption experiments yielding solid-water distribution coefficients (K(d)) of 2-104 L/kg.

Removal of phosphate from aqueous solution by biochar derived from anaerobically digested sugar beet tailings.

Biochar converted from agricultural residues or other carbon-rich wastes may provide new methods and materials for environmental management, particularly with respect to carbon sequestration and contaminant remediation. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the removal of phosphate from aqueous solution by biochar derived from anaerobically digested sugar beet tailings (DSTC). Batch adsorption kinetic and equilibrium isotherm experiments and post-adsorption characterizations using SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR suggested that colloidal and nano-sized MgO (periclase) particles on the biochar surface were the main adsorption sites for aqueous phosphate.

Biochar derived from anaerobically digested sugar beet tailings: characterization and phosphate removal potential.

Two biochars were produced from anaerobically digested and undigested sugar beet tailings through slow-pyrolysis at 600°C. The digested sugar beet tailing biochar (DSTC) and raw sugar beet tailing biochar (STC) yields were around 45.5% and 36.

Biochar from anaerobically digested sugarcane bagasse.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of anaerobic digestion on biochar produced from sugarcane bagasse. Sugarcane bagasse was anaerobically digested to produce methane. The digested residue and fresh bagasse was pyrolyzed separately into biochar at 600 degrees C in nitrogen environment.