Recovery and reuse of ammonium from wastewater treatment plants : an application for agriculture

In wastewater treatment plants based on anaerobic digestion, supernatant and outflows from sludge dewatering systems contain significantly high amount of ammonium. Generally, these waters are returned to the head of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), thereby increasing the total nitrogen load of the influent flow. Ammonium from these waters can be recovered and commercially utilised using novel ion-exchange materials. Mackinnon et al. have described an approach for removal and recovery of ammonium from side stream centrate returns obtained from anaerobic digester of a typical WWTP. Most of the ammonium from side streams can potentially be removed, which significantly reduces overall inlet demand at a WWTP. However, the extent of reduction achieved depends on the level of ammonium and flow-rate in the side stream. The exchange efficiency of the ion-exchange material, MesoLite, used in the ammonium recovery process deteriorates with long-term use due to mechanical degradation and use of regenerant. To ensure that a sustainable process is utilised a range of potential applications for this “spent” MesoLite have been evaluated. The primary focus of evaluations has been use of ammonium-loaded MesoLite as a source of nitrogen and growth medium for plants. A MesoLite fertiliser has advantage over soluble fertilisers in that N is held on an insoluble matrix and is gradually released according to exchange equilibria. Many conventional N fertilisers are water-soluble and thus, instantly release all applied N into the soil solution. Loss of nutrient commonly occurs through volatilisation and/or leaching. On average, up to half of the N delivered by a typical soluble fertiliser can be lost through these processes. In this context, use of ammonium-loaded MesoLite as a fertiliser has been evaluated using standard greenhouse and field-based experiments for low fertility soils. Rye grass, a suitable test species for greenhouse trials, was grown in 1kg pots over a period of several weeks with regular irrigation. Nitrogen was applied at a range of rates using a chemical fertiliser as a control and using two MesoLite fertilisers. All other nutrients were applied in adequate amounts. All treatments were replicated three times. Plants were harvested after four weeks, and dry plant mass and N concentrations were determined. At all nitrogen application rates, ammonium-loaded MesoLite produced higher plant mass than plants fertilised by the chemical fertiliser. The lower fertiliser effectiveness of the chemical fertliser is attributed to possible loss of some N through volatilisation. The MesoLite fertilisers did not show any adverse effect on availability of macro and trace nutrients, as shown by lack of deficiency symptoms, dry matter yield and plant analyses. Nitrogen loaded on to MesoLite in the form of exchanged ammonium is readily available to plants while remaining protected from losses via leaching and volatilisation. Spent MesoLite appears to be a suitable and effective fertiliser for a wide range of soils, particularly sandy soils with poor nutrient holding capacity.

The role of intensity of interval training on fat oxidation and eating behaviour in overweight/obese men

The increasing prevalence of obesity in society has been associated with a number of atherogenic risk factors such as insulin resistance. Aerobic training is often recommended as a strategy to induce weight loss, with a greater impact of high-intensity levels on cardiovascular function and insulin sensitivity, and a greater impact of moderate-intensity levels on fat oxidation. Anaerobic high-intensity (supramaximal) interval training has been advocated to improve cardiovascular function, insulin sensitivity and fat oxidation. However, obese individuals tend to have a lower tolerance of high-intensity exercise due to discomfort. Furthermore, some obese individuals may compensate for the increased energy expenditure by eating more and/or becoming less active. Recently, both moderate- and high-intensity aerobic interval training have been advocated as alternative approaches. However, it is still uncertain as to which approach is more effective in terms of increasing fat oxidation given the issues with levels of fitness and motivation, and compensatory behaviours. Accordingly, the objectives of this thesis were to compare the influence of moderate- and high-intensity interval training on fat oxidation and eating behaviour in overweight/obese men. Two exercise interventions were undertaken by 10-12 overweight/obese men to compare their responses to study variables, including fat oxidation and eating behaviour during moderate- and high-intensity interval training (MIIT and HIIT). The acute training intervention was a methodological study designed to examine the validity of using exercise intensity from the graded exercise test (GXT) - which measured the intensity that elicits maximal fat oxidation (FATmax) - to prescribe interval training during 30-min MIIT. The 30-min MIIT session involved 5-min repetitions of workloads 20% below and 20% above the FATmax. The acute intervention was extended to involve HIIT in a cross-over design to compare the influence of MIIT and HIIT on eating behaviour using subjective appetite sensation and food preference through the liking and wanting test. The HIIT consisted of 15-sec interval training at 85 %VO2peak interspersed by 15-sec unloaded recovery, with a total mechanical work equal to MIIT. The medium term training intervention was a cross-over 4-week (12 sessions) MIIT and HIIT exercise training with a 6-week detraining washout period. The MIIT sessions consisted of 5-min cycling stages at ±20% of mechanical work at 45 %VO2peak, and the HIIT sessions consisted of repetitive 30-sec work at 90 %VO2peak and 30-sec interval rests, during identical exercise sessions of between 30 and 45 mins. Assessments included a constant-load test (45 %VO2peak for 45 mins) followed by 60-min recovery at baseline and the end of 4-week training, to determine fat oxidation rate. Participants’ responses to exercise were measured using blood lactate (BLa), heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and were measured during the constant-load test and in the first intervention training session of every week during training. Eating behaviour responses were assessed by measuring subjective appetite sensations, liking and wanting and ad libitum energy intake. Results of the acute intervention showed that FATmax is a valid method to estimate VO2 and BLa, but is not valid to estimate HR and RPE in the MIIT session. While the average rate of fat oxidation during 30-min MIIT was comparable with the rate of fat oxidation at FATmax (0.16 ±0.09 and 0.14 ±0.08 g/min, respectively), fat oxidation was significantly higher at minute 25 of MIIT (P≤0.01). In addition, there was no significant difference between MIIT and HIIT in the rate of appetite sensations after exercise, but there was a tendency towards a lower rate of hunger after HIIT. Different intensities of interval exercise also did not affect explicit liking or implicit wanting. Results of the medium-term intervention indicated that current interval training levels did not affect body composition, fasting insulin and fasting glucose. Maximal aerobic capacity significantly increased (P≤0.01) (2.8 and 7.0% after MIIT and HIIT respectively) during GXT, and fat oxidation significantly increased (P≤0.01) (96 and 43% after MIIT and HIIT respectively) during the acute constant-load exercise test. RPE significantly decreased after HIIT greater than MIIT (P≤0.05), and the decrease in BLa was greater during the constant-load test after HIIT than MIIT, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.09). In addition, following constant-load exercise, exercise-induced hunger and desire to eat decreased after HIIT greater than MIIT but were not significant (p value for desire to eat was 0.07). Exercise-induced liking of high-fat sweet (HFSW) and high-fat non-sweet (HFNS) foods increased after MIIT and decreased after HIIT (p value for HFNS was 0.09). The intervention explained 12.4% of the change in fat intake (p = 0.07). This research is significant in that it confirmed two points in the acute study. While the rate of fat oxidation increased during MIIT, the average rate of fat oxidation during 30-min MIIT was comparable with the rate of fat oxidation at FATmax. In addition, manipulating the intensity of acute interval exercise did not affect appetite sensations and liking and wanting. In the medium-term intervention, constant-load exercise-induced fat oxidation significantly increased after interval training, independent of exercise intensity. In addition, desire to eat, explicit liking for HFNS and fat intake collectively confirmed that MIIT is accompanied by a greater compensation of eating behaviour than HIIT. Findings from this research will assist in developing exercise strategies to provide obese men with various training options. In addition, the finding that overweight/obese men expressed a lower RPE and decreased BLa after HIIT compared with MIIT is contrary to the view that obese individuals may not tolerate high-intensity interval training. Therefore, high-intensity interval training can be advocated among the obese adult male population. Future studies may extend this work by using a longer-term intervention.

Probing the surface oxidation of chemically synthesised gold nanospheres and nanorods

In this study, the electrochemical behaviour of commercially available gold spheres and rods stabilised by carboxylic acid and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) moieties, respectively, are investigated. The cyclic voltammetric behaviour in acidic electrolyte is distinctly different with the nanorods exhibiting unusual oxidative behaviour due to an electrodissolution process. The nanospheres exhibited responses typical of a highly defective surface which significantly impacted on electrocatalytic activity. A repetitive potential cycling cleaning procedure was also investigated which did not improve the activity of the nanorods and resulted in deactivating the gold spheres due to decreasing the level of surface defects.

Role of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and sulphur (sulphide)-dependent ferric-ion-reducing activity in the oxidation of sulphide minerals

Thiobacillus ferrooxidans oxidized the sulphide minerals e.g., pyrite, pyrrhotite and copper concentrate under anaerobic conditions in the presence of ferric ion as sole electron acceptor. Copper and iron were solubilized from sulphide ores by the sulphur (sulphide)-dependent ferric-ion oxidoreductase activity. Treatment of resting cells of T. ferrooxidans with 0.5% phenol for 30 min completely destroyed the iron- and copper-solubilizing activity. The above treatment destroyed the sulphur(sulphide)-dependent ferric-ion-reducing activity completely but did not affect the iron-oxidizing activity. The results suggest that sulphur(sulphide)-dependent ferric-ion-reducing activity actively participates in the oxidation of sulphide minerals under anaerobic conditions. The activity of sulphur(sulphide)-dependent ferric ion reduction in the solubilization of iron and copper from the sulphide ores were also observed under aerobic conditions in presence of sodium azide (0.1 μmol), which completely inhibits the iron-oxidizing activity.

Hydrocarbon oxidation and three-way catalytic activity on a single step directly coated cordierite monolith: High catalytic activity of Ce0.98Pd0.02O2−δ

Catalytic activity of cordierite honeycomb by a completely new coating method for the oxidation of major hydrocarbons in exhaust gas is reported here. The new coating process consists of (a) dipping and growing γ-Al2O3 on cordierite by combustion of monolith dipped in the aqueous solution of Al(NO3)3 and oxalyldihydrazide (ODH) (or glycine) at 600 °C and active catalyst phase Ce0.98Pd0.02O2−δ on γ-Al2O3-coated cordierite again by combustion of monolith dipped in the aqueous solution of ceric ammonium nitrate, ODH and 1.2 × 10−3 M PdCl2 solution at 500 °C. Weight of active catalyst can be varied from 0.02 wt% to 2 wt% which is sufficient but can be loaded even up to 12 wt% by repeating dip dry combustion. Adhesion of catalyst to cordierite surface is via oxide growth, which is very strong. ‘HC’ oxidation over the monolith catalyst is carried out with a mixture having the composition, 470 ppm of both propene and propane and 870 ppm of both ethylene and acetylene with the varying amount of O2. Three-way catalytic test is done by putting hydrocarbon mixture along with CO (10 000 ppm), NO (2000 ppm) and O2 (15 000 ppm). Below 350 °C full conversion is achieved. In this method, handling of nano-material powder is avoided.

Cerimetry in non-aqueous media - Oxidation of oxalic acid through the intermediate formation of ceric oxalate

It was found that ceric oxalate is an intermediate product in the oxidation of oxalic acid by ammonium hexanitrato cerate in solvents such as acetonitrile, and a mixture of acetonitrile and glacial acetic acid. Conditions for the formation of ceric oxalate and its decomposition into carbon dioxide and cerous oxalate have been studied. An analytical method for the estimation of oxalic acid in non-aqueous media has been evolved based on this reaction.

Cerimetry in nonaqueous media - Oxidation of ascorbic acid

The reaction between ascorbic acid and ammonium hexa nitrato cerate was studied potentiometrically in the mixed solvent glacial acetic acid acetonitrile medium. It was found that one mole of ascorbic acid consumes four equivalents of cerate in non-aqueous medium. This reaction can be made use of to estimate potentiometrically ascorbic acid with ammonium nitrato cerate in non-aqueous media, using either glass or antimony as reference electrode and platinum as indicator electrode.

Design and fabrication of an automated thermal desorption gas-solid reaction system: Oxidation of ammonia and methanol over YBa2Cu3O7−δ(123) oxide systems

A fully automated, versatile Temperature Programmed Desorption (TDP), Temperature Programmed Reaction (TPR) and Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) system has been designed and fabricated. The system consists of a micro-reactor which can be evacuated to 10−6 torr and can be heated from 30 to 750°C at a rate of 5 to 30°C per minute. The gas evolved from the reactor is analysed by a quadrupole mass spectrometer (1–300 amu). Data on each of the mass scans and the temperature at a given time are acquired by a PC/AT system to generate thermograms. The functioning of the system is exemplified by the temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of oxygen from YBa2Cu3−xCoxO7 ± δ, catalytic ammonia oxidation to NO over YBa2Cu3O7−δ and anaerobic oxidation of methanol to CO2, CO and H2O over YBa2Cu3O7−δ (Y123) and PrBa2Cu3O7−δ (Pr123) systems.

Kinetics of ceric ion oxidation of naphthalene and its derivatives. Formation of the radical cation intermediate in the rate limiting step

Ceric ammonium sulfate, CAS, oxidizes naphthalene to 1,4-naphthoquinone in essentially quantitative yield in CH3CN-dil. H2SO4. Stoichiometric studies indicate that 6 mol of CAS are required for the oxidation of 1 mol of naphthalene to 1,4-naphthoquinone. Kinetic investigations reveal that the reaction takes place through initial formation of a 1:1 complex of naphthalene and cerium(IV) in an equilibrium step followed by slow decomposition of the complex to naphthalene radical cation. Kinetic results on the effects of acid strength, polarity of the medium, temperature and substituents are in accordance with this mechanism. Further conversion of the radical cation into 1,4-naphthoquinone takes place in fast steps involving a further 5 mol of cerium(IV) and 2 mol of H2O.

Reducing organic substances from anaerobic decomposition of hydrophytes

Oxidation-reduction properties of surface sediments are tightly associated with the geochemistry of substances, and reducing organic substances (ROS) from hydrophytes residues may play an important role in these processes. In this study, composition, dynamics, and properties of ROS from anaerobic decomposition of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, Potamogenton crispus Linn, Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara, Lemna trisulca Linn and Microcystis flos-aquae (Wittr) Kirch were investigated using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The type of hydrophytes determined both the reducibility and composition of ROS. At the peak time of ROS production, the anaerobic decomposition of M. flos-aquae produced 6 types of ROS, among which 3 belonged to strongly reducing organic substance (SROS), whereas there were only 3-4 types of ROS from the other hydrophytes, 2 of them exhibiting strong reducibility. The order of potential of hydrophytes to produce ROS was estimated to be: M. flos-aquae > E. crassipes > L. trisulca > P. crispus approximate to V. natans, based on the summation of SROS and weakly reducing organic substances (WROS). The dynamic pattern of SROS production was greatly different from WROS. The total SROS appeared periodic fluctuation with reducibility gradually weakening with incubation time, whereas the total WROS increased with incubation time. Reducibility of ROS from hydrophytes was readily affected by acid, base and ligands, suggesting that their properties were related to these aspects. In addition to the reducibility, we believe that more attention should be paid to the other behaviors of ROS in surface sediments.

Sorptive interaction between goethite and strongly reducing organic substances from anaerobic decomposition of green manures

Strongly reducing organic substances (SROS) and iron oxides exist widely in soils and sediments and have been implicated in many soil and sediment processes. In the present work, the sorptive interaction between goethite and SROS derived from anaerobic decomposition of green manures was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Both green manures, Astragaltus sinicus (Astragalus) and Vicia varia (Vicia) were chosen to be anaerobically decomposed by the mixed microorganisms isolated from paddy soils for 30 d to prepare different SROS. Goethite used in experiments was synthesized in laboratory. The anaerobic incubation solutions from green manures at different incubation time were arranged to react with goethite, in which SROS concentration and Fe(II) species were analyzed. The anaerobic decomposition of Astragalus generally produced SROS more in amount but weaker in reducibility than that of Vicia in the same incubation time. The available SROS from Astragalus that could interact with goethite was 0.69 +/- 0.04, 0.84 +/- 0.04 and 1.09 +/- 0.03 cmol kg(-1) as incubated for 10, 15 and 30 d, respectively, for Vicia, it was 0.12 +/- 0.03, 0.46 +/- 0.02 and 0.70 +/- 0.02 cmol kg(-1). One of the fates of SROS as they interacted with goethite was oxidation. The amounts of oxidizable SROS from Astragalus decreased over increasing incubation time from 0.51 +/- 0.05 cmol kg(-1) at day 10 to 0.39 +/- 0.04 cmol kg(-1) at day 30, but for Vicia, it increased with the highest reaching to 0.58 +/- 0.04 cmol kg(-1) at day 30. Another fate of these substances was sorption by goethite. The SROS from Astragalus were sorbed more readily than those from Vicia, and closely depended upon the incubation time, whereas for those from Vicia, the corresponding values were remarkably less and apparently unchangeable with incubation time. The extent of goethite dissolution induced by the anaerobic solution from Vicia was greater than that from Astragalus, showing its higher reactivity. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

亚硝化—厌氧氨氧化处理猪场废水研究

猪场废水COD浓度高、氨氮浓度高、悬浮物浓度高，已成为农村面源污染的主要来源，并严重威胁到农村饮用水安全。猪场废水氨氮浓度高、处理难度大，如何采用经济高效的方法，去除氨氮使其达到排放标准，一直是猪场废水处理中面临的重要难题。 厌氧氨氧化是近年受到国内外水处理研究者广泛关注的新型生物脱氮技术，具有不需要外加有机碳源、节省供氧量、降低能耗等优点。虽然国内外研究者对厌氧氨氧化过程的脱氮机理、厌氧氨氧化菌的生理生化特性等进行了多方面的研究，但已有的报道大多以模拟废水为研究对象，以猪场废水为研究对象的报道，在国内外文献中极少有报导。 本论文以猪场废水为主要研究对象，考察了猪场废水的亚硝化过程、厌氧氨氧化的启动过程，并对亚硝化和厌氧氨氧化联合用于猪场废水脱氮进行了探索。 1．论文首先研究了猪场废水的亚硝化过程，考察了废水水质和主要运行条件对亚硝化过程的影响。实验表明：（1）亚硝化阶段反应时间为8到10h时，出水中氨氮和亚硝酸盐浓度比可达到1：1～1：1.23，满足厌氧氨氧化反应对二者比例的要求；达到前述要求时，氨氮去除率达到58.3～65.6 %，亚硝化率在整个过程均保持在97 %以上，COD去除率在59.2～68.6 %；（2）曝气量（溶解氧）对亚硝化过程影响显著，随着曝气量增大，达到厌氧氨氧化要求的氨氮与亚硝酸盐氮浓度比例所需水力停留时间τ越短，pH出现明显下降的时间越短；（3）τ对应的pH在7.8～8.1之间，无需进行pH调节即可满足厌氧氨氧化反应对pH的要求；（4）氨氮和COD降解过程遵循一级反应动力学，氨氮和COD降解的速率常数分别为0.0656～0.0724 1/h和0.0491～0.0664 1/h。 2．在进行亚硝化过程研究的同时，以模拟废水为试验对象，进行厌氧氨氧化启动研究。以反硝化污泥和养殖厂储水池厌氧底泥的混合污泥作为接种污泥，历时大约100天，培育出具有厌氧氨氧化活性的污泥，氨氮和亚硝酸盐氮最高进水浓度分别为223.8 mg/L和171.4 mg/L，去除率最高分别达48%和41.5%，此时二者消耗比例为1.33：1。 3．在猪场废水的亚硝化研究完成和厌氧氨氧化过程初步启动成功后，在模拟废水中逐步加入猪场废水的亚硝化处理出水，逐步实现亚硝化和厌氧氨氧化的组合。亚硝化出水添加到厌氧反应器后，厌氧氨氧化反应仍可继续进行，且去除效率逐步提高。研究发现添加的亚硝化出水中携带的亚硝化细菌在厌氧氨氧化菌膜外层生长并累积，增加了厌氧氨氧化反应基质的传质阻力，妨碍了厌氧氨氧化效率的提高。 4．亚硝化－厌氧氨氧化实际工程应用探索中，生物接触氧化池可在有效去除废水中的有机物的同时实现亚硝化，出水中氨氮和亚硝酸盐比例平均为1.10，可满足后续厌氧氨氧化的要求；在适宜的进水浓度和温度下，ABR池出现了厌氧氨氧化启动的迹象；研究同时发现，水质的波动和气温的变化是工程中影响厌氧氨氧化菌活性的重要因素。 论文的主要创新点在于：（1）以猪场废水为研究对象，以实现厌氧氨氧化为目标，对亚硝化过程进行了比较详细的考察，获得了亚硝化出水满足厌氧氨氧化要求的工艺条件，通过对其COD和氨氮降解过程的考察，得出亚硝化阶段COD降解和氨氮去除的动力学模型；（2）对亚硝化－厌氧氨氧化处理猪场废水进行了探索，确立了影响其污染物去除率稳定的重要因素。 论文的上述研究成果，为厌氧氨氧化技术的实用性研究提供理论依据。 Piggery wastewater, which is characterized by high concentration of COD、ammonium and suspend substance, has become a most important source of non-point source pollution and also severely threats drinking water security in rural area. How to discharge piggery wastewater with the ammonium concentration meeting standard by economical and effective method? This is the most urgent problem in piggery wastewater treatment. As a new biological nitrogen removal technology, Anammox process has been paid more and more attention by researchers all over the world. Anammox has advantages of no need of organic carbon addition, low oxygen consumption and energy consumption. Plenty of investigations have been carried out to the mechanism, physiological and biochemical characteristic of bacteria about Anammox. Most of researches focused on synthetic wastewater, there is rare report about its application in piggery wastewater. In this paper，experimental studies were performed to investigate Sharon process in treatment of piggery wastewater，the start up process of Annammox using synthetic wastewater were studied, the feasibility of applying Sharon-Anammox process in the nitrogen removal of piggery wastewater was evaluated. 1. Sharon process of piggery wastewater was firstly investigated to analyze the effects of water quality and main running parameters, which meet the NH4+-N to NO2--N ratio requirement of successive Anammox. Results showed: (1)During Sharon Process，after 8～10 hours’ reaction the NH4+-N to NO2--N ratio in effluent reached 1:1.0～1:1.23, when the removal percentage of NH4+-N was 58.3～65.6 %, a semi-nitration rate of above 97 % was achieved during the process; meanwhile 59.2～68.6 % of the COD was also removed. (2)The aeration rate（oxygen） had obvious effect on the hydraulic retention time(τ) which met the NH4+-N to NO2--N ratio requirement of Anammox. As aeration rate increased, the hydraulic retention time(τ) was shortened. (3) The pH corresponding to τ was between 7.8 and 8.1, thus it needed no artificial adjustment. (4) The reduction of ammonia and COD followed the first-order reaction kinetics. The velocity constants of ammonia and COD were 0.0656～0.0724 1/h and 0.0491～0.0664 1/h, respectively. 2. The startup of Anammox process using the artificial wastewater was performed simultaneously with Sharon. The aim was to investigate the running parameters of Anammox and make foundation for the combination stage. By using the mixture of denitrifying sludge and anaerobic sludge in tank of the breeding factory, sludge of Anammox activity was cultivated in UASB after 100 days. The removal percentage of NH4+-N and NO2-N were up to 48% and 41.5%, respectively, when the NH4+-N and NO2-N influent concentration were 223.8 mg/L and 171.4 mg/L, respectively, the NH4+-N and NO2-N removal rate was 1.33:1. 3. After investigation of Sharon and startup of Anammox, effluent of Sharon process was added into the synthetic wastewater to combine Sharon and Anammox step by step. It took some time after the addition of Sharon effluent that Anammox reaction continued and the removal rate kept increasing. It indicated that nitrifying bacteria were carried by the Sharon effluent cumulated in the outer layer of Anammox. This enhanced transfer resistance of Anammox reaction and the increasing removal rate was restrained. 4. In the bio-contact oxidation pond of practical project, Sharon process were carried out successfully and organic compounds were removed effectively. An average NO2-N/ NH4+-N rate of 1:1.0 was achieved in the effluent, which met the requirement of successive Anammox. Under condition of suitable influent concentration and temperature, there was evidence that Anammox could start up in ABR. The variety of wastewater and temperature had great affects on Anammox activity in practical engineering. Innovation of this paper: (1) The Sharon process for treating piggery wastewater was discussed in details. Technological parameters that met requirement of Anammox were obtained. The dynamic models of COD and ammonium removal in the process were educed. (2) Sharon-Ananmmox for treatment of piggery wastewater was investigated, and the primary influencing factors was studied. This paper could be a theoretical consult for research of Anammox utility.

Biodeposition and Biogeochemical Processes in Shallow, Mesohaline Sediments of Chesapeake Bay

Stocks of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, have been declining in Chesapeake Bay since the late 19th century, and current strategies involve restoring culture of Crassostrea virginica on-bottom and in devices suspended within the water column. Sub-tidal suspension culture of Crassostrea virginica in Chesapeake Bay occurs mostly in sheltered inlets and tidal creeks and, thereby, has the potential to influence shallow water biogeochemical processes. To assess the influence of Crassostrea virginica biodeposits and benthic microalgae on sediment nitrogen and phosphorus exchange, field studies with Crassostrea virginica held in aquaculture floats and laboratory experiments were conducted. Enhanced organic nitrogen deposition from Crassostrea virginica biodeposits led to gradual increases in surface sediment nitrogen and pore water ammonium concentrations; however, modifications to pore water concentrations were not always expressed at the sediment-water interface. Benthic microalgae often modulated the influence of biodeposits on sediment nitrogen exchange but, as observed in laboratory experiments, the supply of nitrogen from Crassostrea virginica biodeposits may exceed their biological demand. Organic carbon from biodeposits had varying influences on aerobic respiration but consistently stimulated anaerobic metabolism. Shifts in net phosphorus exchange were driven by this anaerobic remineralization and concentrations of iron and manganese oxy(hydr)oxides, with transitions in fluxes coinciding with changes in benthic photosynthesis and oxidation of surface sediments. Manganese and iron oxy(hydr)oxides from biodeposits supported incorporation of added phosphorus and prevented exchange at the sediment-water interface in the absence of iron-sulfide mineral formation. Differences in the response of shallow water sediments to Crassostrea virginica biodeposits were due to the quality and quantity of biodeposits supplied, as well as the spatial and temporal variability within these sediments. Initial conditions and corresponding reference sediments illustrated the potential for sediment biogeochemistry and nutrient exchange from tidal creek sediments to vary spatially and temporally on relatively small scales. Factors influencing variability within tidal creek sediments were related to shifts in riverine freshwater inputs, macroalgal blooms, nutrient concentrations in overlying waters, and bioirrigation from the clam, Macoma balthica.

Elucidation of the electrochemical oxidation pathway of ammonia in dimethylformamide and the room temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide

The direct electrochemical oxidation of ammonia has been examined in both the organic solvent dimethylformamide (DMF) and the room temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [EMIM][N(Tf)(2)]. The corresponding voltammetric responses have been shown to be similar in each solvent with a broad oxidative wave occurring upon the introduction of ammonia to the solution and the appearance of a new reductive wave following the oxidation. The oxidative reaction process has been examined and a suitable reaction pathway has been deduced, corresponding to the formation of ammonium cations after oxidation of the ammonia. A linear response of limiting current against vol% ammonia was observed in both DMF and [EMIM][N(Tf)(2)], suggesting potential application for analytical methods.

Selective oxidation of a pyrimidine thioether using supported tantalum catalysts

Ta2O5-SiO2 catalysts were prepared by a sol-gel method using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and tantalum (V) ethoxide as the sources of silicon and tantalum, and two families of quaternary ammonium salts, [CnH(2n+1)(CH3)(3)N]Br (n = 14, 16, 18) and [(CnH(2n+1))(4)N]Br (n = 10, 12, 16, 18) as surfactants. The catalysts were compared for the selective suffoxidation of 4,6-dimethyl-2-thiomethylpyrimidine using peroxide as an oxidising agent in a range of ionic liquids and organic solvents. The sol-gel catalysts were also compared with tantalum on MCM-41 prepared by grafting. The catalysts were characterized from adsorption-desorption isotherms of N-2, XRD patterns, small-angle X-ray scattering, IR spectra from adsorbed pyridine and CDCl3, XPS spectra, and Si-29 magic angle spinning (MAS) NNIR experiments. The effect of recycling on the catalyst leaching and selectivity/activity was also studied. High activities and selectivities were found in [NTf2](-) based ionic liquids and organic solvents with good recyclability of the catalyst. Tantalum was found in the solution after reaction; however, this was determined to be due to entrapment of catalyst particulates, as opposed to leaching of the active metal. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.