Characterization of mesoporous activated carbons prepared by pyrolysis of sewage sludge with pyrolusite

Activated carbons were prepared from sewage sludge by chemical activation. Pyrolusite was added as a catalyst during activation and carbonization. The influence of the mineral addition on the properties of the activated carbons produced was evaluated. The results show that activated carbons from pyrolusite-supplemented sewage sludge had up to a 75% higher BET surface area and up to a 66% increase in mesoporosity over ordinary sludge-based activated carbons. Batch adsorption experiments applying the prepared adsorbents to synthetic dye wastewater treatment yielded adsorption data well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorbents from pyrolusite-supplemented sludges performed better in dye removal than those without mineral addition, with the carbon from pyrolusite-augmented sludge T2 presenting a significant increase in maximum adsorption capacity of 50 mg/g. The properties of the adsorbents were improved during pyrolusite-catalyzed pyrolysis via enhancement of mesopore production, thus the mesopore channels may provide fast mass transfer for large molecules like dyes.     

Upgrading sewage sludges for adsorbent preparation by different treatments

Addressing the adequate management of sludges produced at sewage plants is becoming a fundamental need as a consequence of the high production volumes, both current and forecasted, of this byproduct. European waste-treatment policies consider reuse of sludges as one of the preferred actions; along those lines this study proposes using sewage sludges as adsorbents for pollutants contained in wastewaters. As potential adsorbents, sludges dried at 105 degrees C, dried and pyrolyzed, or dried and chemically activated were tried. As adsorbate, methylene blue was used in order to characterize the adsorption capacity of the different materials. Although surface areas corresponding to pyrolyzed and chemically activated sludges were around 80 and 390 m2/g, respectively, both these materials exhibited poor levels of methylene blue adsorption which may have been due to their high proportions of micropores. Sludges only dried, on the contrary, showed significant methylene blue adsorption capacities.     

Activated carbons from waste biomass by sulfuric acid activation and their use on methylene blue adsorption

Preparation of the activated carbons from sunflower oil cake by sulphuric acid activation with different impregnation ratios was carried out. Laboratory prepared activated carbons were used as adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. Liquid-phase adsorption experiments were conducted and the maximum adsorption capacity of each activated carbon was determined. The effects of various process parameters i.e., temperature, pH, initial methylene blue concentration, contact time on the adsorption capacity of each activated carbon were investigated. The kinetic models for MB adsorption onto the activated carbons were studied. Langmuir isotherm showed better fit than Freundlich isotherm for all activated carbon samples. The rates of adsorption were found to conform to the pseudo-second-order kinetics with good correlation. The separation factor (R(L)) revealed the favorable nature of the isotherm of the MB activated carbon system.     

Lignin--from natural adsorbent to activated carbon: a review

The present review compiles the work done over the last few decades on the use of lignin and lignin-based chars and activated carbons as adsorbents for the removal of substances from water and focuses on the utilisation of lignin as adsorbent, its conversion to chars and activated carbons and the use of these materials as adsorbents. Moreover, the review also examines the textural and surface chemical properties of lignin-based activated carbons. The work so far carried out indicates that lignin is relatively non-reactive and probably the component of lignocellulosic precursors primarily responsible for the microporosity of activated carbons. Under appropriate conditions of activation it is possible to obtain materials with surface areas and pore volumes approaching 2000 m(2)g(-1) and 1cm(3)g(-1), respectively, and these materials have capacities for the aqueous phase adsorption of metallic pollutants that are comparable to those of commercial activated carbons. Relatively little work has so far been published and there is considerable scope for more detailed studies on the preparation, characterisation and adsorption applications of lignin-based activated carbons.     

Adsorption of volatile organic compounds by pecan shell- and almond shell-based granular activated carbons

The objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of using pecan and almond shell-based granular activated carbons (GACs) in the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of health concern and known toxic compounds (such as bromo-dichloromethane, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1-trichloromethane, chloroform, and 1,1-dichloromethane) compared to the adsorption efficiency of commercially used carbons (such as Filtrasorb 200, Calgon GRC-20, and Waterlinks 206C AW) in simulated test medium. The pecan shell-based GACs were activated using steam, carbon dioxide or phosphoric acid. An almond shell-based GAC was activated with phosphoric acid. Our results indicated that steam- or carbon dioxide-activated pecan shell carbons were superior in total VOC adsorption to phosphoric acid-activated pecan shell or almond shell carbons, inferring that the method of activation selected for the preparation of activated carbons affected the adsorption of VOCs and hence are factors to be considered in any adsorption process. The steam-activated, pecan shell carbon adsorbed more total VOCs than the other experimental carbons and had an adsorption profile similar to the two coconut shell-based commercial carbons, but had greater adsorption than the coal-based commercial carbon. All the carbons studied adsorbed benzene more effectively than the other organics. Pecan shell, steam-activated and acid-activated GACs showed higher adsorption of 1,1,1-trichloroethane than the other carbons studied. Multivariate analysis was conducted to group experimental carbons and commercial carbons based on their physical, chemical, and adsorptive properties. The results of the analysis conclude that steam-activated and acid-activated pecan shell carbons clustered together with coal-based and coconut shell-based commercial carbons, thus inferring that these experimental carbons could potentially be used as alternative sources for VOC adsorption in an aqueous environment.     

Study on activated carbon derived from sewage sludge for adsorption of gaseous formaldehyde

The aim of this work is to evaluate the adsorption performances of activated carbon derived from sewage sludge (ACSS) for gaseous formaldehyde removal compared with three commercial activated carbons (CACs) using self-designing adsorption and distillation system. Formaldehyde desorption of the activated carbons for regeneration was also studied using thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The porous structure and surface characteristics were studied using N₂ adsorption and desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that ACSS has excellent adsorption performance, which is overall superior to the CACs. Adsorption theory indicates that the ACSS outperforms the CACs due to its appropriate porous structure and surface chemistry characteristics for formaldehyde adsorption. The TG analysis of desorption shows that the optimum temperature to regenerate ACSS is 75 °C, which is affordable and economical for recycling.     

Adsorption of Neutral Red onto Mn-impregnated activated carbons prepared from Typha orientalis

Activated carbon was prepared from an inexpensive and renewable carbon source, Typha orientalis, by H(3)PO(4) activation and then impregnated with different Mn salts and tested for its Neutral Red (NR) adsorption capacities. The amount of Mn impregnated in the activated carbon was influenced by the anion species. Impregnation with Mn decreased the surface area, changed the pore size and crystal structure, and introduced more acidic functional groups such as carboxyl, lactone and phenol groups. The optimum adsorption performance for all the activated carbons was obtained at pH 3.7, Mn-Carbon dose of 0.100g/100ml solution and contact time 4.5h. The adsorption isotherms fit the Langmuir isotherm equation. The kinetic data followed the pseudo-second-order model. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the processes were spontaneous and endothermic. According to these results, the prepared Mn modified activated carbons are promising adsorbents for the removal of Neutral Red from wastewater.     

Production and comparison of high surface area bamboo derived active carbons

High surface area activated carbons have been produced from the natural biomaterial bamboo, using phosphoric acid as the activating agent. The effects of phosphoric acid impregnation ratio, activation temperature, heating rate on the carbon surface area, porosity and mass yield are presented. Three of these bamboo derived active carbons, surface areas 1337, 1628 and 2123m(2)/g were assessed for their ability to adsorb Acid Red 18 dye from aqueous solution; these results were compared with three conventional adsorbents: activated carbon F400, bone char and peat. Isotherm data were analysed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Langmuir-Freundlich isotherms. Different isotherms provided the best fit correlations to the adsorption experimental data but the Langmuir-Freundlich equation provided the best overall correlation of data. The adsorption capacities of two of the selected bamboo derived carbons were much greater than the capacities of the other three adsorbents.     

Adsorption of reovirus by minerals and soils.

Adsorption of [35S]methionine-labeled reovirus by 30 dry soils, minerals, and finely ground rocks suspended in synthetic freshwater at pH 7 was investigated to determine the conditions necessary for optimum virus removal during land application of wastewaters. All of the minerals and soils studied were excellent adsorbents of reovirus, with greater than 99% of the virus adsorbed after 1 h at 4 degrees C. Thereafter, virus remaining in suspension was significantly inactivated, and within 24 h a three to five log10 reduction in titer occurred. The presence of divalent cations, i.e., Ca2+ and Mg2+, in synthetic freshwater enhanced removal, whereas soluble organic matter decreased the amount of virus adsorbed in secondary effluent. The amount of virus adsorbed by these substrates was inversely correlated with the amount of organic matter, capacity to adsorb cationic polyelectrolyte, and electrophoretic mobility. Adsorption increased with increasing available surface area, as suspended infectivity was reduced further by the more finely divided substrates. However, the organic content of the soils reduced the level of infectious virus adsorbed below that expected from surface area measurements alone. The inverse correlation between virus adsorption and substrate capacity for cationic polyelectrolyte indicates that the adsorption of infectious reovirus particles is predominately a charged colloidal particle-charged surface interaction. Thus, adsorption of polyelectrolyte may be useful in predicting the fate of viruses during land application of sewage effluents and sludges.     

Decolorization of sugar syrups using commercial and sugar beet pulp based activated carbons

Sugar syrup decolorization was studied using two commercial and eight beet pulp based activated carbons. In an attempt to relate decolorizing performances to other characteristics, surface areas, pore volumes, bulk densities and ash contents of the carbons in the powdered form; pH and electrical conductivities of their suspensions and their color adsorption properties from iodine and molasses solution were determined. The color removal capabilities of all carbons were measured at 1/100 (w/w) dosage, and isotherms were determined on better samples. The two commercial activated carbons showed different decolorization efficiencies; which could be related to their physical and chemical properties. The decolorization efficiency of beet pulp carbon prepared at 750 degrees C and activated for 5h using CO2 was much better than the others and close to the better one of the commercial activated carbons used. It is evident that beet pulp is an inexpensive potential precursor for activated carbons for use in sugar refining.     

Adsorption of chromium from aqueous solution on treated sawdust

The adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions on formaldehyde treated sawdust (SD) and sulphuric acid treated sawdust carbon (SDC) of Indian Rosewood, a timber industry waste, was studied at varying Cr(VI) concentrations, adsorbent dose, pH and agitation time. Similar experiments were conducted with commercially available coconut based activated carbon to compare the results. The Cr(VI) adsorption efficiency on SDC was higher than SD. The adsorption followed first order rate expression and Lagergren equation. An initial pH of 3.0 was most favorable for Cr(VI) removal by both the adsorbents. Maximum Cr(VI) was sequestered from the solution within 60 min after the beginning for every experiment. It is proposed that SDC and SD can be potential adsorbents for Cr(VI) removal from dilute solutions.     

Preparation of high adsorption capacity bio-chars from waste biomass

Bio-chars with high adsorption capacity derived from rice-husks and corncobs were prepared at different retention times (RTs) in a pyrolysis reactor. At a fixed pyrolysis temperature, the pyrolysis RT is a key factor influencing the surface areas and functional group contents of the bio-chars, and further influencing their adsorption capacities. The results indicate that the bio-char prepared at RT of 1.6 s exhibits a higher phenol adsorption capacity (589 mg g⁻¹) than other bio-chars and many activated carbons reported in the literature. An adsorption mechanism based on acid-base interaction and hydrogen binding between phenol and the functional groups was proposed to elucidate the adsorption process. An economic evaluation of the use of bio-chars as adsorbents was made.     

Purification of sugar beet vinasse - adsorption of polyphenolic and dark colored compounds on different commercial activated carbons

The adsorption on activated carbons of dark colored compounds contained in sugar beet vinasse was studied. Four commercial activated carbons with different properties (particle size, residual acidity and microporous properties) were respectively checked for efficiency at two temperature levels (25 °C and 40 °C) and at four pH levels (2, 3.5, 7, 10). The adsorption of organic molecules was determined by quantifying the amounts of total polyphenolic compounds and total organic carbon. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of dark colored compounds was enhanced by the decrease in both temperature and pH values of the solution. In this study, it is shown that this capacity depends on activated carbon characteristics which can be classified in the following order: particle size > residual acidity > microporous volume. Three models (Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich) were tested from experimental data and compared. The Langmuir model provided the best correlation on all the activated carbons studied.     

Studies on the survival of enterohemorrhagic and environmental Escherichia coli strains in wastewater and in activated sludges from dairy sewage treatment plants

Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain isolated from milk in Poland and an environmental E. coli strain in wastewater from Garwolin and ?owicz dairies and in activated sludges from dairy sewage treatment plants as well as in dairy wastewater with activated sludges was examined. Environmental materials were contaminated with about 10(8) of target bacteria/ml of sample. The experiments were performed under temperature conditions typical of autumn-winter (6 degrees) and spring-summer (24 degrees C) seasons. It was found that the non-pathogenic E. coli strain survived longer in all media than the enterohemorrhagic serotype. E. coli O157:H7 bacteria were not detected (in direct plating method) in activated sludges after 21-28 days; in dairy wastewater as well as in wastewater with activated sludges after 21-25 days. These periods for environmental E. coli strain were 35-42 days (activated sludges), 25-28 days (wastewater with activated sludges). At higher temperature environmental E. coli were not detected in wastewater from ?owicz dairy sewage treatment plant after 25 days, but the bacteria were still present in wastewater from Garwolin dairy sewage tratment plant after 34 days. The obtained results show that the lack of environmental E. coli bacteria (as a indicator bacteria of fecal contamination) in dairy wastewater and in dairy wastewater with activated sludges could indicate the absence of pathogenic E. coli bacteria. Prolonged existence of the enterohemorrhagic serotype in activated sludges shows the need to treat activated sludges prior to the utilization of these materials as fertilizer.     

Quinone profiling of bacterial communities in natural and synthetic sewage activated sludge for enhanced phosphate removal

Respiratory quinones were used as biomarkers to study bacterial community structures in activated sludge reactors used for enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR). We compared the quinone profiles of EBPR sludges and standard sludges, of natural sewage and synthetic sewage, and of plant scale and laboratory scale systems. Ubiquinone (Q) and menaquinone (MK) components were detected in all sludges tested at molar MK/Q ratios of 0.455 to 0.981. The differences in MK/Q ratios were much larger when we compared different wastewater sludges (i.e., raw sewage and synthetic sewage) than when we compared sludges from the EBPR and standard processes or plant scale and laboratory scale systems. In all sludges tested a Q with eight isoprene units (Q-8) was the most abundant quinone. In the MK fraction, either tetrahydrogenated MK-8 or MK-7 was the predominant type, and there was also a significant proportion of MK-6 to MK-8 in most cases. A numerical cluster analysis of the profiles showed that the sludges tested fell into two major clusters; one included all raw sewage sludges, and the other consisted of all synthetic sewage sludges, independent of the operational mode and scale of the reactors and the phosphate accumulation. These data suggested that Q-8-containing species belonging to the class Proteobacteria (i.e., species belonging to the beta subclass) were the major constituents of the bacterial populations in the EBPR sludge, as well as in standard activated sludge. Members of the class Actinobacteria (gram-positive bacteria with high DNA G+C contents) were the second most abundant group in both types of sludge. The bacterial community structures in activated sludge processes may be affected more by the nature of the influent wastewater than by the introduction of an anaerobic stage into the process or by the scale of the reactors.     

Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacterial Populations of Sewage and Activated Sludge: IV. Adaptation of Activated Sludge to Utilization of Aromatic Compounds 1

An activated sludge from a sewage treatment plant and a laboratory activated sludge developed on an artificial waste were compared for their ability to utilize 11 aromatic compounds. There were several significant differences between them. The laboratory sludge contained higher numbers of organisms and metabolized the aromatics to a greater extent. Laboratory activated sludges acclimated to utilization of the aromatics differed from each other in population structure and the pattern of oxygen consumption with aromatic substrates. The oxidative patterns of uncontrolled mixed populations were unreliable for investigating metabolic pathways. Extracts of the various sludges elevated the plate counts of the sludges.     

Waste-derived activated carbons for removal of ibuprofen from solution: Role of surface chemistry and pore structure

The removal of a widespread used drug (i.e., ibuprofen) from water was investigated using high valuable carbon adsorbents obtained from chemical and physical activation of a bioresource (cork) and a municipal waste (plastic). The waste-derived carbons outperformed the adsorption capacity of commercial carbonaceous adsorbents due to their adequate features for the removal of the targeted compound. Regarding the adsorption mechanism, the results obtained point out that ibuprofen retention is favored in activated carbons with basic surface properties. On the other hand, the textural features also play an important role; the presence of a transport pores network (i.e., mesopores) is crucial to ensure the accessibility to the inner porosity, and the microporosity must be large enough to accommodate the ibuprofen molecule. Specifically, adsorbents with a large fraction of ultramicropores (pore widths <0.7 nm) are not adequate to effectively remove ibuprofen.     

Pecan shell-based granular activated carbon for treatment of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in municipal wastewater

The present investigation was undertaken to compare the adsorption efficiency of pecan shell-based granular activated carbon with the adsorption efficiency of the commercial carbon Filtrasorb 200 with respect to uptake of the organic components responsible for the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of municipal wastewater. Adsorption efficiencies for these two sets of carbons (experimental and commercial) were analyzed by the Freundlich adsorption model. The results indicate that steam-activated and acid-activated pecan shell-based carbons had higher adsorption for organic matter measured as COD, than carbon dioxide-activated pecan shell-based carbon or Filtrasorb 200 at all the carbon dosages used during the experiment. The higher adsorption may be related to surface area as the two carbons with the highest surface area also had the highest organic matter adsorption. These results show that granular activated carbons made from agricultural waste (pecan shells) can be used with greater effectiveness for organic matter removal from municipal wastewater than a coal-based commercial carbon.     

Effects of bioaugmentation strategies in UASB reactors with a methanogenic consortium for removal of phenolic compounds

The removal of phenol, ortho- (o-) and para- (p-)cresol was studied with two series of UASB reactors using unacclimatized granular sludges bioaugmented with a consortium enriched against these substances. The parameters studied were the amount of inoculum added to the sludges and the method of immobilization of the inoculum. Two methods were used, adsorption to the biomass or encapsulation within calcium alginate beads. In the bioaugmentation by adsorption experiment, and with a 10% inoculum, complete phenol removal was obtained after 36 d, while 178 d were required in the control reactor. For p-cresol, 95% removal was obtained in the bioaugmented reactor on day 48 while 60 d were required to achieve 90% removal in the control reactor. For o-cresol, the removals were only marginally better with the bioaugmented reactors. Tests performed with the reactors biomass under non-limiting substrate concentrations showed that the specific activities of the bioaugmented biomasses were larger than the original biomass for phenol, and p-cresol even after 276 of operations, showing that the inoculum bacteria successfully colonized the sludge granules. Immobilization of the inoculum by encapsulation in calcium alginate beads, was performed with 10% of the inoculum. Results showed that the best activities were obtained when the consortium was encapsulated alone and the beads added to the sludges. This reactor presented excellent activity and the highest removal of the various phenolic compounds a few days after start-up. After 90 d, a high-phenolic compounds removal was still observed, demonstrating the effectiveness of the encapsulation technique for the start-up and maintenance of high-removal activities.     

Adsorption of Phenolic Compounds and Methylene Blue onto Activated Carbon Prepared from Date Fruit Pits

Activated carbon has been prepared from date fruit pits. The carbon, prepared at different burn‐off rates, showed a high uptake of methylene blue. At 92 % burn‐off (weight loss percent of the carbonized pits upon activation), methylene blue uptake was 590 mg/g. With this high capacity, the carbon was then used to study the adsorption of phenol, 2‐nitrophenol, 2,4‐dinitrophenol, and 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol. The prepared activated carbon showed an adsorption capacity better than that of many activated carbons in current use. The experimental adsorption data for the single components were regressed using both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models and the fit was generally satisfactory. The experimental adsorption data of the binary system phenol‐2‐nitrophenol were compared with the predicted results using two predictive models: the generalized Langmuir and the IAS models. The data were better represented by the IAS theory than the generalized Langmuir model even though the fit of the experimental data was not adequate.