The removal of recalcitrant chemicals in wastewater treatment systems is an increasingly relevant issue in industrialized countries. The elimination of persistent xenobiotics such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) emitted by municipal and industrial sewage treatment plants remains an unsolved challenge. The existing efficacious physico-chemical methods, such as advanced oxidation processes, are resource-intensive technologies. In this work, we investigated the possibility to remove phenolic EDCs [i.e., bisphenol A (BPA)] by means of a less energy and chemical consuming technology. To that end, cheap and resistant oxidative enzymes, i.e., laccases, were immobilized onto silica nanoparticles. The resulting nanobiocatalyst produced at kilogram scale was demonstrated to possess a broad substrate spectrum regarding the degradation of recalcitrant pollutants. This nanobiocatalyst was applied in a membrane reactor at technical scale for tertiary wastewater treatment. The system efficiently removed BPA and the results of long-term field tests illustrated the potential of fumed silica nanoparticles/laccase composites for advanced biological wastewater treatment.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5414-8 | DOI Listing |
JACS Au
January 2025
Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Slow mass transfer processes between inert emerging contaminants (ECs) and dissolved oxygen (DO) limit natural water self-purification; thus, excessive energy consumption is necessary to achieve ECs removal, which has become a longstanding global challenge. Here, we propose an innovative water self-purification expansion strategy by constructing asymmetric surfaces that could modulate trace HO as trigger rather than oxidant to bridge a channel between inert ECs and natural dissolved oxygen, achieved through a dual-reaction-center (DRC) catalyst consisting of Cu/Co lattice-substituted ZnO nanorods (CCZO-NRs). During water purification, the bond lengths of emerging contaminants (ECs) adsorbed on the asymmetric surface were stretched, and this stretching was further enhanced by HO mediation, resulting in a significant reduction of bond-breaking energy barriers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Sustain Chem Eng
January 2025
Department of Chemical Engineering, The City College of New York, CUNY, New York, New York 10031, United States.
Hydrogen (H), as a high-energy-density molecule, offers a clean solution to carry energy. However, the high diffusivity and low volumetric density of H pose a challenge for long-term storage and transportation. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) have been suggested as a strategic way to store and transport hydrogen in stable molecules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFiScience
January 2025
Department of Biological Environment, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, China.
Freshwater pearl farming in China generates wastewater high in ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N) posing environmental threats. This study explores the use of coal fly ash (CFA), an industrial waste, to synthesize A-type zeolite for effective NH₃-N removal from pearl farming wastewater. The zeolite was prepared via pickling pretreatment and hydrothermal methods, resulting in a material with favorable adsorption properties, including cubic and spherical microstructures, a specific surface area of 17.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Microbiol
January 2025
School of Biotechnology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kollam, India.
Approximately 40-50% of municipal solid waste is organic and causing biogenic malodor and infections, due to inefficient treatment methods. Biorefinery-based bioremediation and valorization is in vogue against these conventional strategies since it combines unit operations for better efficiency and productivity. Deriving inspiration, the proposed strategy puts together a unique and compatible combination of processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
January 2025
Research Center of Environmental Pollution Control Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
Acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS) can be utilized as a raw material to synthesize an efficient adsorbent through a more environmentally friendly approach for the removal of pollutants from water. In this study, iron ions were extracted from AMDS and then reacted with trimesic acid (BTC) under ambient conditions to synthesize Fe-BTC-, iron-based metal-organic frameworks. These materials demonstrate an exceptionally high specific surface area and excellent chemical stability.
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