Green and energy-efficient methods for the production of metallic nanoparticles

In the last decade, researchers paid great attention to the concept of “Green Chemistry”, which aims at development of efficient methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) in terms of the least possible impact on human life and environment. Generally, several reagents including precursors, reducing agents, stabilizing agents and solvents are used for the production of NPs and in some cases, energy is needed to reach the optimum temperature for reduction. Therefore, to develop a green approach, researchers had the opportunity to investigate eco-friendly reagents and new energy transfer techniques. In order to substitute the harmful reagents with green ones, researchers worked on different types of saccharides, polyols, carboxylic acids, polyoxometalates and extracts of various plants that can play the role of reducers, stabilizers or solvents. Also, there are some reports on using ultraviolet (UV), gamma and microwave irradiation that are capable of reducing and provide uniform heating. According to the literature, it is possible to use green reagents and novel energy transfer techniques for production of NPs. However, these new synthesis routes should be optimized in terms of performance, cost, product quality (shape and size distribution) and scale-up capability. This paper presents a review on most of the employed green reagents and new energy transfer techniques for the production of metallic NPs

Recovery of Bacillus licheniformis Alkaline Protease from Supernatant of Fermented Wastewater Sludge Using Ultrafiltration and Its Characterization

Investigation on recovery of alkaline protease from B. licheniformis ATCC 21424 fermented wastewater sludge was carried out by centrifugation and ultrafiltration. Optimization of ultrafiltration parameters (transmembrane pressure (TMP) and feed flux) was carried out with 10 kDa membrane. TMP of 90 kPa and feed flux of 714 L/h/m2 gave highest recovery (83%) of the enzyme from the centrifuged supernatant. The recovered enzyme had given maximum activity at temperature of 60°C and at pH 10. It was stable between pH 8 to 10 and retained 97% activity at 60°C after 180 min of incubation. Enzyme activity was significantly augmented by metal ions like Ca2+ and Mn2+. Protease inhibitors like phenylmethyl sulphonyl fluoride (PMSF) and diisopropyl fluorophosphates (DFPs) completely inhibited the enzyme activity. The partially purified protease showed excellent stability and compatibility with various commercial detergents. The detergent (Sunlight) removed the blood stains effectively along with the enzyme as additive

Disinfection of Swine Wastewater Using Chlorine, Ultraviolet Light and Ozone

Veterinary antibiotics are widely used at concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to prevent disease and promote growth of livestock. However, the majority of antibiotics are excreted from animals in urine, feces, and manure. Consequently, the lagoons used to store these wastes can act as reservoirs of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. There is currently no regulation or control of these systems to prevent the spread of these bacteria and their genes for antibiotic resistance into other environments. This study was conducted to determine the disinfection potential of chlorine, ultraviolet light and ozone against swine lagoon bacteria. Results indicate that a chlorine dose of 30 mg/L could achieve a 2.2-3.4 log bacteria reduction in lagoon samples. However, increasing the dose of chlorine did not significantly enhance the disinfection activity due to the presence of chlorine-resistant bacteria. The chlorine resistant bacteria were identified to be closely related to Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis. A significant percentage of lagoon bacteria were not susceptible to the four selected antibiotics: chlortetracycline, lincomycin, sulfamethazine and tetracycline (TET). However, the presence of both chlorine and TET could inactivate all bacteria in one lagoon sample. The disinfection potential of UV irradiation and ozone was also examined. Ultraviolet light was an effective bacterial disinfectant, but was unlikely to be economically viable due to its high energy requirements. At an ozone dose of 100 mg/L, the bacteria inactivation efficiency could reach 3.3−3.9 log

Rotating biological contactors : a review on main factors affecting performance

Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) constitute a very unique and superior alternative for biodegradable matter and nitrogen removal on account of their feasibility, simplicity of design and operation, short start-up, low land area requirement, low energy consumption, low operating and maintenance cost and treatment efficiency. The present review of RBCs focus on parameters that affect performance like rotational speed, organic and hydraulic loading rates, retention time, biofilm support media, staging, temperature, influent wastewater characteristics, biofilm characteristics, dissolved oxygen levels, effluent and solids recirculation, stepfeeding and medium submergence. Some RBCs scale-up and design considerations, operational problems and comparison with other wastewater treatment systems are also reported.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Pine-wood derived nanobiochar for removal of carbamazepine from aqueous media: Adsorption behavior and influential parameters

In recent years, application of biochar for removal of pollutants from aqueous solutions has been of interest due to favorable physicochemical properties and availability of feedstock. However, adsorption behavior has been reported only for raw and micro biochar particles and taking advantage of biochar nanoparticles, which offer superior specific surface area, did not receive any attention. The objective of this study was to investigate the adsorption efficiency of produced nanobiochar from pinewood. For this purpose, removal of carbamazepine (CBZ), a globally prescribed pharmaceutical, at very low concentrations (0.5–20 ppb) on as-produced nanobiochar with average particle size of 60 nm was studied. The results showed that nanobiochar can remove up to 95% of CBZ (74 μg CBZ/g nanobiochar) after 3 h contact time. Adsorption of CBZ on nanobiochar followed Freundlich isotherm model (R2= 0.9822) and pseudo-second order kinetic model (R2= 0.9994). It was found that increasing pH from 3 to 8 can enhance the adsorption efficiency by 2.3 folds. Also, due to the presence of surfactant in wastewater, the addition of Tween 80 as a model surfactant was studied in the range of 0 to 1 (Tween 80 to CBZ molar ratio) and the results showed that adsorption efficiency can be enhanced by 57%. Thus, the nanobiochar obtained from pinewood residues can be a promising sorbent for micropollutants

Muskegon Wastewater Land Treatment System: Fate and Transport of Phosphorus in Soils and Life Expectancy of the System

The build-up of phosphorus (P) in soil is a major factor limiting the operating life of a wastewater land treatment system. In this study, effects of long-term wastewater application on changes in chemical properties, P profiles, and P adsorption capacity were evaluated in soils of the Muskegon wastewater land treatment plant that has been treating wastewater for \u3e 30 years. Results indicate that the major soil properties have been changed. In the 15 cm topsoil, the pH increased from &#;&#;5–6 in 1973 to &#;&#;7.4–7.8 in 2003; the soil’s total organic carbon (TOC) increased by 10–71 %; and the level of exchangeable Ca in 2003 is 8–9 times higher than that in 1973. The amount of Ca/Mg absorbed in the soil affects the P adsorption capability of the soil; Ca- and Mg-bound P accounts for \u3e 70% of the total P adsorbed in the soil. The net P accumulated in the Rubicon soil increased from &#;&#;700 in 1993 to &#;&#;1345 kg/ha soil in 2001, but the plant available P varied between &#;&#;100–500 kg/ha soil during the same period, indicating a large amount of the applied P has become the fixed P that is unavailable to plants. P sorption in the soil consists of a fast adsorption and a slow transformation process. The soil’s maximum P sorption capacity (Pmax) (based on 1-day isotherm tests) has been increased by &#;&#;2–4 times since 1973; the actual Pmax of the Muskegon soils could be much higher than the 1-day Pmax. Therefore, the life expectancy of the Muskegon system has been extended significantly with the application of wastewater

Green and energy-efficient methods for the production of metallic nanoparticles

In the last decade, researchers paid great attention to the concept of “Green Chemistry”, which aims at development of efficient methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) in terms of the least possible impact on human life and environment. Generally, several reagents including precursors, reducing agents, stabilizing agents and solvents are used for the production of NPs and in some cases, energy is needed to reach the optimum temperature for reduction. Therefore, to develop a green approach, researchers had the opportunity to investigate eco-friendly reagents and new energy transfer techniques. In order to substitute the harmful reagents with green ones, researchers worked on different types of saccharides, polyols, carboxylic acids, polyoxometalates and extracts of various plants that can play the role of reducers, stabilizers or solvents. Also, there are some reports on using ultraviolet (UV), gamma and microwave irradiation that are capable of reducing and provide uniform heating. According to the literature, it is possible to use green reagents and novel energy transfer techniques for production of NPs. However, these new synthesis routes should be optimized in terms of performance, cost, product quality (shape and size distribution) and scale-up capability. This paper presents a review on most of the employed green reagents and new energy transfer techniques for the production of metallic NPs