Eco-efficiency analysis of water distribution system flushing into a containment Pond.

For a salt or other conservative contaminant contamination event in a water distribution system, opening fire hydrants to flush the system is currently an accepted decontamination method. However, all the contaminated flushed water is discharged to the local surroundings of the fire hydrants and imposes an environmental impact. Another system decontamination alternative can be using a containment pond to catch the contaminated water.

Fe(II) reduction of pyrolusite (β-MnO) and secondary mineral evolution.

Iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are the two most common redox-active elements in the Earth's crust and are well known to influence mineral formation and dissolution, trace metal sequestration, and contaminant transformations in soils and sediments. Here, we characterized the reaction of aqueous Fe(II) with pyrolusite (β-MnO) using electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, aqueous Fe and Mn analyses, and Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. We reacted pyrolusite solids repeatedly with 3 mM Fe(II) at pH 7.

Opportunities and Challenges in the Design and Analysis of Biomass Supply Chains.

The biomass supply chain is one of the most critical elements of large-scale bioenergy production and in many cases a key barrier for procuring initial funding for new developments on specific energy crops. Most productions rely on complex transforming chains linked to feed and food markets. The term 'supply chain' covers various aspects from cultivation and harvesting of the biomass, to treatment, transportation, and storage.

A Review of Environmental Life Cycle Assessments of Liquid Transportation Biofuels in the Pan American Region.

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been applied to many biofuel and bioenergy systems to determine potential environmental impacts, but the conclusions have varied. Different methodologies and processes for conducting LCA of biofuels make the results difficult to compare, in-turn making it difficult to make the best possible and informed decision. Of particular importance are the wide variability in country-specific conditions, modeling assumptions, data quality, chosen impact categories and indicators, scale of production, system boundaries, and co-product allocation.

Fe(II)-catalyzed recrystallization of goethite revisited.

Results from enriched (57)Fe isotope tracer experiments have shown that atom exchange can occur between structural Fe in Fe(III) oxides and aqueous Fe(II) with no formation of secondary minerals or change in particle size or shape. Here we derive a mass balance model to quantify the extent of Fe atom exchange between goethite and aqueous Fe(II) that accounts for different Fe pool sizes. We use this model to reinterpret our previous work and to quantify the influence of particle size and pH on extent of goethite exchange with aqueous Fe(II).

Fe atom exchange between aqueous Fe2+ and magnetite.

The reaction between magnetite and aqueous Fe(2+) has been extensively studied due to its role in contaminant reduction, trace-metal sequestration, and microbial respiration. Previous work has demonstrated that the reaction of Fe(2+) with magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) results in the structural incorporation of Fe(2+) and an increase in the bulk Fe(2+) content of magnetite. It is unclear, however, whether significant Fe atom exchange occurs between magnetite and aqueous Fe(2+), as has been observed for other Fe oxides.

Atom exchange between aqueous Fe(II) and goethite: an Fe isotope tracer study.

The reaction of aqueous Fe(II) with Fe(III) oxides is a complex process, comprising sorption, electron transfer, and in some cases, reductive dissolution and transformation to secondary minerals. To better understand the dynamics of these reactions, we measured the extent and rate of Fe isotope exchange between aqueous Fe(II) and goethite using a 57Fe isotope tracer approach. We observed near-complete exchange of Fe atoms between the aqueous phase and goethite nanorods over a 30-day time period.