Headspace Solid‐Phase Microextraction (HS‐SPME) for the Determination of Benzene,Toluene, Ethylbenzene,and Xylenes (BTEX) in Foundry Molding Sand

Abstract

The use of headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) to determine benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in foundry molding sand, specifically a “green sand” (clay‐bonded sand) was investigated. The BTEX extraction was conducted using a 75 µM Carboxen‐polydimethylsiloxane (CAR‐PDMS) fiber, which was suspended above 10 g of sample. The SPME fiber was desorbed in a gas chromatograph injector port (280°C for 1 min) and the analytes were characterized by mass spectrometry. The effects of extraction time and temperature, water content, and clay and bituminous coal percentage on HS‐SPME of BTEX were investigated. Because green sands contain bentonite clay and carbonaceous material such as crushed bituminous coal, a matrix effect was observed. The detection limits for BTEX were determined to be ≤0.18 ng g^?1 of green sand.     

Determination of Mercury Using a Novel Sonogel‐Carbon 3‐Methylthiophene Electrode

Abstract

A solid Sonogel‐Carbon electrode was modified for the determination of Hg (II) in industrial waste water. 3‐Methylthiophene (3MT), pyrrol, poly‐3‐methylthiophene (P3MT), polypyrrol, and C18 were used for the chemical modification. The obtained composite electrodes were tested for their response to Hg(II); the best results were observed for the 3MT monomer modification with a detection limit of 10^?2 mg · l^?1 and 3 weeks lifetime of use. A linear relationship between anodic peak height and concentration inside the range of 0.07–0.42 mg · l^?1 was obtained. A study of interferences due to other heavy metal is also included.     

Simultaneous Potentiometric Determination of Thiamine and Pyridoxine in Multivitamins Using a Single Cyclodextrin-Based Thiamine-Selective Electrode

Abstract

In this work, a PVC tubular ion-selective electrode without internal reference [composed of 6.35% (w/w) of β-cyclodextrin as ionophore, 1.59% (w/w) of potassium tetrakis (p-chlorophenyl) borate as lipophilic additive, and 63.5% (w/w) of 2-fluorophenyl-2-nitrophenyl ether as mediator solvent] was used to accomplish the simultaneous determination of thiamine and pyridoxine in multivitamin products. The electrode responds selectively to thiamine but presents high initial diffusion potential contribution from pyridoxine. This fact was exploited under flow conditions for the quantitative assessment of both species. A multitask flow system was optimized to dilute appropriately real samples and prepare in-line the set of calibrating solutions. The potentiometric signal was modeled by partial least squares regression, enabling the prediction of the content of each vitamin in the range of 1 × 10^?3 to 1 × 10^?4 mol L^?1. Absolute errors of prediction inferior to 0.06 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 and 0.16 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 for pyridoxine and thiamine respectively were obtained when compared with the chromatographic method.     

Determination of Formaldehyde in Waste Water by Lucigenin Chemilummescence

Abstract

A chemiluminescence analysis has been developed for the determination of formaldehyde based on its inhibition of the chemiluminescence reaction of lucigenin-C10^?-H₂o₂. The method is sensitive, convenient and selective with a detection limit of 0.05ng/ml. The linear dynamic range is 1.0ng/ml to 0.1 μg/ml. The variation coefficient of ten determinations for 2.Ong/ml formaldehyde is 1.2%. Applications to the trace determination of formaldehyde in industrial waste waters are discussed.     

Evaluation of Monolithic Columns for Determination of Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde in Sugar Cane Spirits by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) conditions are described for separation of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (2,4-DNPH) derivatives of carbonyl compounds in a 10 cm long C₁₈ reversed phase monolithic column. Using a linear gradient from 40 to 77% acetonitrile (acetonitrile-water system), the separation was achieved in about 10 min—a time significantly shorter than that obtained with a packed particles column. The method was applied for determination of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in Brazilian sugar cane spirits. The linear dynamic range was between 30 and 600 µg L^?1, and the detection limits were 8 and 4 µg L^?1 for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, respectively.     

Removal of 90Sr and 241Am from concentrated Hanford chelate-bearing waste by precipitation with strontium nitrate and sodium permanganate

The Hanford Nuclear Site, near Richland, Washington, is developing a method to simultaneously remove chelated ⁹⁰Sr and ²⁴¹Am from the liquid phase of high-level nuclear waste using sodium permanganate and cold strontium nitrate. This method has been reported previously for treating diluted waste in the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization facility (WTP) that is currently under construction. This method had not been verified previously for treating the more concentrated waste as it sits in the tank farm. There are a number of logistical advantages to performing this process in the tank farm. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to compare the removal of ⁹⁰Sr and ²⁴¹Am in diluted waste (WTP conditions) and more concentrated waste (tank farm conditions). Both diluted and more concentrated waste from Hanford tank AN-107 was treated with 3.0 M Sr(NO₃)₂ and 3.8 M NaMnO₄, at a constant cold chemical to radionuclide ratio. The amount of ⁹⁰Sr and ²⁴¹Am removed was monitored through alpha and beta counting. The removal of ⁹⁰Sr was essentially identical at both levels of dilution. The removal of ²⁴¹Am was slightly better in the diluted sample than in the tank farm sample, but the difference was not large (77 % versus 67 % removed). These results indicate that it is reasonable to expect this ⁹⁰Sr and ²⁴¹Am removal process can be employed in the tank farm.     

Adsorption Kinetics,Equilibrium, and Thermodynamics of Copper From Aqueous Solutions using Silicon Carbide Derived from Rice Waste

Adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution on a novel adsorbent, silicon carbide ash (SiC ash), was studied using batch technique. The adsorbent was prepared by pyrolysis of Egyptian rice waste (rice straw and rice husk) and was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and surface area analysis by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) Theory. The influence of pH, contact time, initial Cu(II) concentration, adsorbent dose, agitation speed, and temperature was investigated. Adsorption kinetics was analyzed using the pseudo-first-order, the pseudo-second-order, and intraparticular diffusion model. The adsorption process was found to follow a pseudo-second-order rate mechanism. The adsorption isotherm data could be well described by the Langmuir and Freundlich than the Dubinin–Radushkevich adsorption model. The adsorption capacity of 22.06 mg g^?1for SiC ash was obtained at pH = 5 and temperature of 298 K. Thermodynamic parameters, change in the free energy (ΔG°), the enthalpy (ΔH°), and the entropy (ΔS°), were also calculated. The overall adsorption process was exothermic, spontaneous in nature, and proceeds with decreased randomness as the entropy is negative value. Adsorption process was successfully applied to remove Cu(II) from an industrial wastewater sample.     

Self-catalyzed synthesis of mesoporous carbons with tunable pore size and structure by soft-templating method

A series of mesoporous carbons (MCs) have been obtained through organic–organic self-assembly method by using phloroglucinol–formaldehyde as carbon precursor and a reverse amphiphilic triblock copolymer as a template. Because of its acidity, the phloroglucinol was used as a catalyst itself. Results show that the pore size and structure of MCs were tailored by simply tuning the weight content of formaldehyde while keeping other reactants constant. A cylindrical mesostructure was obtained when the weight content was 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4. Further increasing the weight content to 1.6 or 2.0, a three-dimensional cage-like mesostructure was obtained. Specific surface area and pore volume up to 485 m²/g and 0.78 cm³/g can be reached, respectively. In addition, the pore size can be tuned in the range of 4.9–14.8 nm by changing the content of formaldehyde.     

Towards Industrially Feasible Treatment of Potato Starch Processing Waste by Mixed Cultures

The present study aimed at reducing the pollution of the waste generated by the potato starch industry to the environment and transform the potato pulp and wastewater into single-cell protein (SCP) to be used as animal feed. The chemical oxygen demand of the wastewater was reduced from 26,700 to 9,100 mg/L by batch fermentation with mixed cultures in an aerated 10-L fermenter. The SCP products, with a crude protein content of 46.09 % (higher than soybean meal), were found palatable and safe for mice. During the treatment process, the microbial community was analyzed using the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism for bacterial 16S rRNA genes. The results of the analysis suggested that Curacaobacter/Pseudoalteromonas and Paenibacillus/Bacillus were the main microorganisms in treating potato starch processing wastes. The 150-m³-scale fermentation demonstrated a potential for treatment in industrial applications. Fermentation of potato pulp and wastewater without adding an extra nitrogen source was a novel approach in treating the potato starch processing waste.     

Matrix Effects in Determination of Triazines and Atrazine Metabolite in Waters with Solid‐Phase Extraction Followed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A method for determination of selected triazines in waters was developed. The method includes off‐line solid‐phase extraction of triazines on the polymeric sorbent, high‐pressure liquid chromatographic separation, and determination with tandem mass spectrometer. The linearity extended from 0.008 to 1.000 µg L^?1 for each triazine while the limits of detection ranged from 0.001 to 0.004 µg L^?1. Solid‐phase extraction recoveries from ground, surface, and waste waters ranged from 64% to 96%. Possible water interferences were investigated. Natural humic acids and salts did not influence the ionization process. The presence of humic acids did not affect binding ability of the solid‐phase sorbent, while the presence of salts increased the extraction efficiency by approximately 10%.     

Production and Optimization of Physicochemical Parameters of Cellulase Using Untreated Orange Waste by Newly Isolated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Emericella variecolor</Emphasis> NS3

Cellulase enzymes have versatile industrial applications. This study was directed towards the isolation, production, and characterization of cellulase enzyme system. Among the five isolated fungal cultures, Emericella variecolor NS3 showed maximum cellulase production using untreated orange peel waste as substrate using solid-state fermentation (SSF). Maximum enzyme production of 31 IU/gds (per gram of dry substrate) was noticed at 6.0 g concentration of orange peel. Further, 50 °C was recorded as the optimum temperature for cellulase activity and the thermal stability for 240 min was observed at this temperature. In addition, the crude enzyme was stable at pH 5.0 and held its complete relative activity in presence of Mn²⁺ and Fe³⁺. This study explored the production of crude enzyme system using biological waste with future potential for research and industrial applications.     

Preconcentration and spectrophotometric determination of trace amount of formaldehyde using hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction based on derivatization by Hantzsch reaction

Formaldehyde is known as a highly toxic compound to humans and identified as a carcinogenic substance. In this study, Hantzsch reaction was utilized for the derivatization of trace amounts of formaldehyde in aqueous samples with acetylacetone in the presence of ammonia to form an extractable colored product named 3,5-diacetyl 1,4-dihydrolutidine (DDL) and its further extraction using two-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction. The main experimental variables affecting the extraction performance were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions (sample volume 12 mL; reaction temperature 70 °C; ammonium acetate buffer solution 4 mL 0.1 mol L^?1; acetylacetone 5 mL 0.15 mol L^?1; solvent octanol, salt concentration 20% (w/v) NaCl; pH of donor phase 7.0; stirring speed 400 rpm and extraction time 30 min), the linear dynamic range, limit of detection (LOD as 3S _b/m) and relative standard deviation (RSD %) of the proposed method were obtained as 5–250 μg L^?1 (r ² = 0.9979), 3.6 μg L^?1 and 2.5%, respectively. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method was examined, and very good results were obtained. The results confirmed the applicability of the proposed method as a versatile, low-cost and sensitive preconcentration method for determination of low concentrations of formaldehyde in aqueous solutions.     

Determination of Low-Molecular-Mass Aldehydes in Water Samples by Liquid Chromatography and Chemiluminescence Detection Using Continuous in situ Derivatization/Preconcentration with Dansylhydrazine

Abstract

A simple, expeditious, and sensitive method has been developed for the determination of low-molecular-mass aldehydes in water samples by liquid chromatography and peroxyoxalate–chemiluminescence detection. The method is based on continuous solid-phase extraction with in situ derivatization/preconcentration of the aldehydes using dansylhydrazine, which was first adsorbed on an RP–C₁₈ mini-column. For 10 mL of aqueous sample, the limits of detection (LOD) for C₁ to C₄ aldehydes were 20–30 ng L^?1, except for formaldehyde, which had an LOD of 400 ng L^?1. Application was illustrated by the determination of these aldehydes in water samples; the interday precision was always less than ca. 7%, and relative recoveries were more than 96%.     

Study of Sorption of 2,4‐D on Outer Peristaltic Part of Waste Tire Rubber Granules

From this study it was evident that outer peristaltic parts of waste tire granules gave the highest removal. Film and pore diffusions are the major factors controlling rates of sorption from solution by porous adsorbents. For sorption of 2,4‐D on waste tire rubber granules, the sorption rate coefficient of second‐order kinetic equation was utilized indirectly to determine the rate‐limiting step. The diffusion coefficient lies in the scale of 10^?8 cm²/s, and the pore diffusion coefficient is in the range of 10^?9–10^?10 cm²/s. So both film and pore diffusion are rate limiting. Considering external mass transfer from fluid to particle, using the effect of initial concentration, and using the effect of adsorbent size, no conclusion was reached regarding rate‐controlling steps. It is apparent from the study that external mass transfer (film diffusion) as well as intra‐particle diffusion (pore diffusion) play significant roles in the sorption process for 2,4‐D removal from water onto rubber granules.     

Voltammetric Ultra Trace Determination of Tellurium

Abstract

A simple and convenient method is described for the determination of low concentration tellurium based on differential pulse polarographic reduction of Te(IV) in alkaline medium. Linearity of the calibration curve was achieved up to 25.5 ppm with a limit of determination of 0.02 µg/mL. The possible interference of coexisting metal ions was examined and ruled out. The method has been successfully applied for the analysis of tellurium in industrial waste samples.     

Growth of Chlorella vulgaris on Sugarcane Vinasse: The Effect of Anaerobic Digestion Pretreatment

Microalgae farming has been identified as the most eco-sustainable solution for producing biodiesel. However, the operation of full-scale plants is still limited by costs and the utilization of industrial and/or domestic wastes can significantly improve economic profits. Several waste effluents are valuable sources of nutrients for the cultivation of microalgae. Ethanol production from sugarcane, for instance, generates significant amounts of organically rich effluent, the vinasse. After anaerobic digestion treatment, nutrient remaining in such an effluent can be used to grow microalgae. This research aimed to testing the potential of the anaerobic treated vinasse as an alternative source of nutrients for culturing microalgae with the goal of supplying the biodiesel industrial chain with algal biomass and oil. The anaerobic process treating vinasse reached a steady state at about 17 batch cycles of 24 h producing about 0.116 m³CH₄ kgCOD_vinasse ^?1. The highest productivity of Chlorella vulgaris biomass (70 mg l^?1 day^?1) was observed when using medium prepared with the anaerobic digester effluent. Lipid productivity varied from 0.5 to 17 mg l^?1 day^?1. Thus, the results show that it is possible to integrate the culturing of microalgae with the sugarcane industry by means of anaerobic digestion of the vinasse. There is also the advantageous possibility of using by-products of the anaerobic digestion such as methane and CO₂ for sustaining the system with energy and carbon source, respectively.     

Enhancement of uranium(VI) biosorption by chemically modified marine-derived mangrove endophytic fungus Fusarium sp. #ZZF51

Fusarium sp. #ZZF51, mangrove endophytic fungus originated from South China Sea coast, was chemically modified by formaldehyde, methanol and acetic acid to enhance its affinity of uranium(VI) from waste water. The influencing factors about uranium(VI) adsorption such as contact time, solution pH, the ratio of solid/liquid (S/L) and initial uranium(VI) concentration were investigated, and the suitable adsorption isotherm and kinetic models were determined. In addition, the biosorption mechanism was also discussed by FTIR analysis. Experimental results show that the maximum biosorption capacity of formaldehyde-treated biomass for uranium(VI) at the optimized condition of pH 6.0, S/L 0.6 and equilibrium time 90 min is 318.04 mg g^?1, and those of methanol-treated and HAc-treated biomass are 311.95 and 351.67 mg g^?1 at the same pH and S/L values but different equilibrium time of 60 and 90 min, respectively. Thus the maximum biosorption capacity of the three kind of modified biomass have greatly surpassed that of the raw biomass (21.42 mg g^?1). The study of kinetic exhibits a high level of compliance with the Lagergren’s pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Langumir and Freundlich models have proved to be well able to explain the sorption equilibrium with the satisfactory correlation coefficients higher than 0.96. FTIR analysis reveals that the carboxyl, amino and hydroxyl groups on the cell wall of Fusarium sp. #ZZF51 play an important role in uranium(VI) biosorption process.     

Mechanism for Base Hydrolysis of Poly(N‐vinylformamide)

The industrial production of poly(N‐vinylformamide), PNVF, was started a few years ago, making the desired polyvinylamine, PVAm, accessible on a large scale via hydrolysis of PNVF. According to the literature, the key to achieving a 100% conversion of PNVF into PVAm is to employ basic hydrolysis conditions. However, results disclosed in the present note contradict such statements. A radically obtained PNVF polymer, assigned further on as PNVF‐000 with M¯_w=2.63×10⁵ g/mol, was submitted to a stepwise hydrolysis in aq. NaOH solution with periods lasting 0, 5 20, 40, 90, 175, and 240 min. Aliquots ware taken, neutralized, precipitated and purified. For each polymer thus obtained the ¹³C NMR spectra was recorded, providing evidence for transient formation of amidine rings. These rings while decomposing leave not only primary amine functions attached to the backbone, but also OH groups. Elementary analysis of PNVF‐240, the polymer fully deprived of formaldehyde groups, confirm these findings. From the C/N=3.17 ratio the share of vinyl‐alcohol units present in the chains is estimated to be 42 mol%. Considering all the experimental results, the mechanism of basic hydrolysis was established.     

Cadmium removal from aqueous solution by biochar obtained by co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge with tea waste

Resource utilization is a critical pathway for sustainable solid waste treatment. Biochar was prepared from the co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and tea waste. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurement, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared analysis were employed to characterize the biochar. Then, the interface behavior between biochar and Cd from aqueous solution was investigated. The effect of adsorbent dose and pH on Cd adsorption was evaluated. Adsorption kinetics and the adsorption isotherm were studied, and the adsorption mechanism was explored. The results showed that the suitable adsorbent dose was 4 g L^?1 and the optimal pH of the Cd solution remained at 6.0. Cadmium sorption on the biochar could be well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model (R ² > 0.98). The adsorption process was described using the Langmuir (R ² > 0.86), Freundlich (R ² > 0.86), Temkin (R ² > 0.84) and Dubinin–Radushkevich (R ² > 0.86) isotherm models. The proportion of organic constituents in biochar was 69.2–72.4%. Minerals that originated in biochar played an important role during the Cd adsorption process, and the contribution of minerals accounted for 27.6–30.8% of the total adsorption. The main mechanism of the Cd adsorption process by biochar involved ion exchange, surface complexation, electrostatic interaction, surface co-precipitation, and other mechanisms. Therefore, biochar created by the co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and tea waste could be used as an adsorbent for the removal of metal ions from contaminated water.     

Multivariate Analysis for the Classification Differentiation of Brazilian Sugarcane Spirits by Analysis of Organic and Inorganic Compounds

Abstract

Brazilian sugarcane spirits were analyzed to elucidate similarities and dissimilarities by principal component analysis. Nine aldehydes, six alcohols, and six metal cations were identified and quantified. Isobutanol (LD 202.9 µg L^?1), butiraldehyde (0.08–0.5 µg L^?1), ethanol (39–47% v/v), and copper (371–6068 µg L^?1) showed marked similarities, but the concentration levels of n-butanol (1.6–7.3 µg L^?1), sec-butanol (LD 89 µg L^?1), formaldehyde (0.1–0.74 µg L^?1), valeraldehyde (0.04–0.31 µg L^?1), iron (8.6–139.1 µg L^?1), and magnesium (LD 1149 µg L^?1) exhibited differences from samples.