This study examined the relationship between molecular properties and the fate of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) in the aqueous and solid phases during wastewater treatment by MBR. A set of 29 TrOCs was selected to represent pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, UV-filters and pesticides that occur ubiquitously in municipal wastewater. Both adsorption and biodegradation/transfo...

The removal efficiency of 22 selected trace organic contaminants by sequential application of granular activated carbon (GAC) and simultaneous application of powdered activated carbon (PAC) with membrane bioreactor (MBR) was compared in this study. Both sequential application of GAC following MBR treatment (MBR-GAC) and simultaneous application of PAC within MBR (PAC-MBR) achieved improved remo...

2-Bromoethanesulfonic acid (BESA) and 2-chloroethanesulfonic acid (CESA) have been reported to be potent inhibitors of methane formation during methanogenic decomposition in batch cultures. However, in a laboratory-scale continuous-flow methanogenic fixed-film column containing a predominance of acetate-decarboxylating methanogens, BESA at 6 x 10 M produced only a 41% inhibition of acetate util...

Trace organic contaminants (TOCs) correspond to a broad range of molecules generated either directly or indirectly by human activity. Even though TOCs are found at low concentrations in the environment, they often accumulate by biomagnification and bioaccumulation into biological organisms and cause irreversible damages in biological systems through direct or indirect toxic effects such as endo...

Human exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are associated with a wide range of health problems. Due to these adverse effects of VOCs on the human health, determination of trace levels of VOCs is very important for accurate assessment of indoor and outdoor exposure. Solid phase microextraction (SPME), needle trap device (NTD) and hollow fiber- liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) are...

Platinum group metal (PGM) refining processes produce large quantities of wastewater, which is contaminated with the compounds that make up the solvents/extractants mixtures used in the process. These compounds often include solvesso, beta-hydroxyxime, amines, amides and methyl isobutyl ketone. A process to clean up PGM refinery wastewaters so that they could be re-used in the refining process ...

An automated analyser of volatile chloro-organic compounds in water was constructed and tested using standard mixtures of dichloromethane and dichloroethane. It was based on continuous, countercurrent gas stripping of the liquid sample followed by periodic trapping of the analytes on two traps alternately connected to the bubbler outlet, and thermal desorption. When one trap performed adsorptio...

To meet surging water demands, water reuse is being sought as an alternative to traditional water resources. However, contamination of water resources by trace organic compounds (TOrCs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, disinfection byproducts, and industrial chemicals is of increasing concern. These compounds are not readily removed by conventional water treatment processes a...