Treatment of Wastewater Containing Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Using Activated Carbon Material

This study presents an adsorbent material (activated carbon) used in the treatment of wastewater with the role of removing ibuprofen, acetaminophen, diclofenac and ketoprofen pollutants. The wastewater treatment efficiencies of the activated carbon were systematically investigated using adsorption kinetics. The parameters studied were: pH (4 and 6 values of pH), initial concentration of wastewater (1, 5, and 10 mg/L), contact time (10 min), adsorbent quantity (0.1, 0.5, and 1 g), and isotherm models (Langmuir and Freundlich). The highest wastewater treatment efficiency was obtained at the 6 pH value. The determination of four anti-inflammatory drugs, frequently monitored in wastewater, was performed by a simple and fast method using the HPLC-technique-type DAD (diode array detector). The method was linear when the concentration ranged between 0.5 and 20 m/L for all compounds. The equilibrium concentration was obtained after 8 min. The octanol/water coefficient influenced the removal efficiency of the four drugs by the adsorbent material (activated carbon). The dose of activated carbon (0.1 to 1 g) significantly influenced the efficiency of wastewater treatment, which increased considerably when the dose of the adsorbent material increased. Using 1 g of the adsorbent material for the treatment of wastewater containing 1 mg/L initial concentration of pollutant compounds, the efficiencies were 98% for acetaminophen, 92% for diclofenac, 88% for ketoprofen and 96% for ibuprofen.

Solvothermal synthesis of pure and Sn-doped Bi2S3 and the evaluation of their photocatalytic activity on the degradation of methylene blue

Background A large volume of dye molecules finds its way into the environment, accumulates in water bodies, and makes the aquatic system unsafe to human health. Due to the complex nature of these dye materials, most of the conventional techniques are not effective for their removal. Semiconductor photocatalysis has emerged as a promising technique for the destruction of organic pollutants under UV or visible light irradiation. Among the semiconductors, Bi2S3 is widely employed in photocatalysis due to its non-toxicity and chemical stability. However, one of its problems is the high recombination rate of the charge, and various methods have been employed to enhance the photo-reactivity. One of these methods is the incorporation of transition elements. Results Herein, a facile solvothermal method was used to prepare Bi2S3 nanorods and needle- shaped Sn doped Bi2S3, using bismuth(III) tris(N-phenyldithiocarbamate) as a single-source precursor. The prepared nanomaterials were characterized, and used as efficient photocatalyst for the photo enhanced degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light irradiation. The nanomaterials exhibited very good photocatalytic activity towards the photo degradation of MB, showing a degradation rate of up to 83% and 94% within 150 min for the pristine and Sn doped Bi2S3, respectively. Conclusion The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity of the Sn doped Bi2S3 was attributed to the suppression in the recombination rate of the electron‐hole pairs, due to the formation of new energy level below the CB, that was capable of altering the equilibrium concentration of the carrier. This confirmed that Sn doped Bi2S3 could be utilized as valuable cost-efficient catalysts for eliminating methyl blue from aqueous solutions and also possible candidates in environmental pollution treatment.

Kinetics of aqueous extraction of phenolic compounds from processed yerba mate leaves

In this study, the kinetics of aqueous extraction of phenolic compounds from the yerba mate leaves were analyzed. A temperature range between 40°C and 70°C and a ratio of 25 g of mate leaves in 200 mL of water were used. The extraction kinetic was studied adjustment of the kinetics models of first order, second order kinetic model and the second order diffusive model. The goodness of the fit was controlled by the magnitude of the coefficient of determination (R2), the percentage error (EP %) and the square root of the mean square error (RMSE).The second order kinetic models adequately described the extraction process, achieving the best fit with the second order diffusive model (EP%= 0,81 to 2,9; EP%= 11,24 to 14,99 and 4,72 and 6,92) that provided important information about the initial extraction process and the mechanism that occurs in the final extraction stage. The temperature influenced the kinetic parameters; however, the final equilibrium concentration of phenolic compounds was not affected by it. The results of this study allow us to obtain better overall knowledge of the times and temperatures for improved extraction rates and energy consumption for the industrialization of these compounds.

Cylindrical model of electrochromic colouration of hydrated vanadium pentoxide thin films with point contacts

This article analyses experiments on the kinetics of the internal electrochromism of thin (micron) films of hydrated vanadium pentoxide xerogel with point contacts. It describes a cylindrical model of electrochromic colouration, which was used to evaluate the concentration of the colour centres in the initial film and after additional hydrogenation of this film by plasmaimmersion ion implantation.When we compared the calculated values of the concentration of colour centres with the equilibrium concentration of protons in the xerogel, we saw that the mobility of the protons migrating from the depth of the film to the cathode region, which are involved in the electrochemical reaction, was not a determinant of the electrochromism kinetics.The rate of electrochromic colouration could be increased by the formation of layered film structures based on hydrated vanadium pentoxide, which have increased overall electron conductivity and, as a consequence, low faradaic resistance of the electrochromic cathodic reaction.

Modelling aerosol-based exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by an agent based Monte Carlo method: Risk estimates in a shop and bar

Present day risk assessment on the spreading of airborne viruses is often based on the classical Wells-Riley model assuming immediate mixing of the aerosol into the studied environment. Here, we improve on this approach and the underlying assumptions by modeling the space-time dependency of the aerosol concentration via a transport equation with a dynamic source term introduced by the infected individual(s). In the present agent-based methodology, we study the viral aerosol inhalation exposure risk in two scenarios including a low/high risk scenario of a “supermarket”/“bar”. The model takes into account typical behavioral patterns for determining the rules of motion for the agents. We solve a diffusion model for aerosol concentration in the prescribed environments in order to account for local exposure to aerosol inhalation. We assess the infection risk using the Wells-Riley model formula using a space-time dependent aerosol concentration. The results are compared against the classical Wells-Riley model. The results indicate features that explain individual cases of high risk with repeated sampling of a heterogeneous environment occupied by non-equilibrium concentration clouds. An example is the relative frequency of cases that might be called superspreading events depending on the model parameters. A simple interpretation is that averages of infection risk are often misleading. They also point out and explain the qualitative and quantitative difference between the two cases—shopping is typically safer for a single individual person.

Low-cost material as active substrates for the removal of phosphorus in synthetic effluents: a proposal for social treatment technology

Considering the importance of the development of simplified technologies and social control in sanitation actions, this study investigated the use of laterite for phosphorus removal in synthetic effluents, through adsorption, as a low-cost alternative with the possibility of reusing the generated effluent, for communities where access to sanitation is limited. In the experimental design, the variables pH, contact time, granulometry and laterite dosage were used. Factorial planning was used for processing, for optimization and desirability. It was observed that the removal efficiency did not have significant interference in relation to the pH and contact-time variables. The kinetics of the batch experiments showed that the ideal contact time was 6.4 hours and pH of around 4. The adsorption capacity was plotted against equilibrium concentration for the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The Langmuir isotherm was more suitable for phosphorus adsorption. The results show that laterite was effective in phosphorus adsorption in the order of removal of 87%, showing itself to be a potential adsorbent material. Keywords: laterite, phosphate adsorption, simplified effluent treatment.

Thermodynamic Analysis of the Effect of Green Hydrogen Addition to a Fuel Mixture on the Steam Methane Reforming Process

Steam methane (CH4–H2O) reforming in the presence of a catalyst, usually nickel, is the most common technology for generating synthesis gas as a feedstock in chemical synthesis and a source of pure H2 and CO. What is essential from the perspective of further gas use is the parameter describing a ratio of equilibrium concentration of hydrogen to carbon monoxide H/C=xH2/xCO. The parameter is determined by operating temperature and the initial ratio of steam concentration to methane SC= xH2O0/xCH40. In this paper, the author presents a thermodynamic analysis of the effect of green hydrogen addition to a fuel mixture on the steam methane reforming process of gaseous phase (CH4/H2)–H2O. The thermodynamic analysis of conversion of hydrogen-enriched methane (CH4/H2)–H2O has been performed using parametric equation formalism, allowing for determining the equilibrium composition of the process in progress. A thermodynamic condition of carbon precipitation in methane reforming (CH4/H2) with the gaseous phase of H2O has been interpreted. The ranges of substrate concentrations creating carbon deposition for temperature T = 1000 K have been determined, based on the technologies used. The results obtained can serve as a model basis for describing the properties of steam reforming of methane and hydrogen mixture (CH4/H2)–H2O.

Interpretation of the adsorption of metals on quartz crystal based-macromolecule via advanced modeling of equilibrium isotherms

In this article, new insights about the metals-porphyrin complexes are proved by analyzing the zinc, nickel and chromium adsorption process over the well-known porphyrin macromolecule. The use of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) apparatus allows the control of the complexation systems’ experimental adsorption data operating at four temperatures. The experimental results and the physical models reveal that the zinc and nickel complexation processes are to be examined using the mono layer adsorption model. While, the double layer model describes the interaction between the chromium compound and the porphyrin. Actually, the three metals are shown to be adsorbed by a multi-docking process in the physicochemical description. The endothermic character of the investigated processes is shown through the appropriate data of the principal parameter adsorbent sites’ density. Hence, several porphyrin sites are exclusively stimulated at high temperature. The parameters of van del Waals, depicting the influences of the lateral interactions, explain the nickel isotherms down trend. The chemical bonds are shown to be carried out between the zinc and the porphyrin through the calculated adsorption energies. Considering the thermodynamic study, and referring to the configurational entropy and the free enthalpy, it is to be noted that the disorder peak of the three mechanisms is reached when the equilibrium concentration is equal to the energetic parameters’ values for each system. The nickel enthalpy revealed for high concentration that the adsorbates’ lateral interactions disapproved the nickel chloride adsorption. The free enthalpy trends, that observed two stability states of the chromium compound, confirmed the chromium double layer mechanism.

THERMODIFFUSION SATURATION OF THE SURFACE LAYERS OF α-TITANIUM BY OXYGEN, NITROGEN, CARBON

The purpose of the study is to analytically assess the depth of the gas-saturated zone in the case of a single-component diffusion saturation of alpha-titanium with nitrogen, oxygen and carbon from a rarefied controlled gas environment. Results. Based on the analysis of the literature data, the work schematically shows the interaction of alpha titanium with the elements of implementation and presents the processes with the corresponding parameters that characterize. It is shown that the surface impurity concentration is equal to the equilibrium concentration and is established instantly and does not depend on time. Consequently, with the proposed generalized nonstationary boundary condition in the absence of diffusion of impurities into the volume of the metal, the time dependence of its surface concentration is given, determined by the intensity of surface processes. The dependence of the relative change in the microhardness in the diffusion zone of titanium due to dissolved nitrogen (without taking into account the contribution of nitride inclusions) is presented. Analytically calculated concentration profiles of nitrogen generally correlate well with the distribution of the corresponding relative changes in microhardness in the surface layer. Analytical calculations of the concentration profiles of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon in titanium at a saturation temperature of 700 °C are presented. Practical value. The results obtained will make it possible to preliminarily estimate the size of the fortified near-surface layer depending on the parameters of chemical-thermal treatment and select the optimal parameters of thermal diffusion treatment to ensure the formation of reinforced layers on products made of alpha-titanium based on elements of interstitial in order to increase the functional properties.

REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS FROM REFINERIES WASTEWATER

In this study, the adsorption method was investigated for removing vanadium (V+5), nickel (Ni+2) and cadmium (Cd+2) ions from aqueous solutions contaminated with these metals, which simulate the polluting metals of the liquid wastewater of oil refineries in three Iraqi refineries, namely the Kirkuk refinery - Kirkuk governorate in northern Iraq, and the Doura refinery - Baghdad in central Iraq and Al-Shuaiba refinery in Basra Governorate, southern Iraq. Three types of pre-prepared common adsorbents were used, which are activated carbon, alumina, and white eggshells in a batch mode unit. The results obtained from the study showed that 5 was the best acidic function (pH) for removing vanadium and cadmium by using all adsorbent materials, while the acidic function with a value of 6 was the optimum in the case of nickel. Likewise, the equilibrium concentration with the activated carbon only reached 150 ppm for vanadium and cadmium and 100 ppm for elemental nickel. The nickel equilibrium concentration reached 90 and 75 ppm using alumina and white eggshells respectively. The equilibrium concentrations of vanadium were 100 for the rest of the substances. The results obtained also showed that increasing the agitation speed leads to enhancing the removal efficiency within less than 400 rpm and with a best contact time was 150 minute under ambient temperature and with an amount of adsorbent ranged between 0.3 - 0.7 g of different adsorbent.