Use of Biomaterials to Control Suspended Solids for Surface Water Treatment

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (7 February 2022) | Viewed by 6891

Special Issue Editor

Defense University Center, Spanish Naval Academy, University of Vigo, Plaza de España, s/n, 36920 Pontevedra, Spain
Interests: water quality; biomaterials for water treatment; metal pollution; river bed sediments; valorization of residues
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water treatment from industrial effluents, runoff, rainfall, etc. requires a number of procedures for the removal of unwanted, potentially toxic pathogenic components. Removal of suspended particles is one of the initial stages in water treatment, and it is fundamental for an effective purification process. Among the negative effects related to the existence of suspended particles in water are their high photostability degree, which is directly related to their persistence; the fact that they serve as a nutrient for microorganism growth and therefore affect disinfection processes; the fact that they are responsible for the lack of water transparency which will promote eutrophication; and the face that they also may act as carriers of contamination, as they can contain a significant amount of metals adsorbed on their surface.

Removal of suspended particles is typically carried out with synthetic flocculants. However, significant Al and Fe concentrations may remain in the treated water and achieve some unwanted toxicity. One of the alternatives for the reduction of traditional flocculants is to partially replace them with new flocculants. These materials have the advantage of being more environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and non-toxic. Thus, development of new materials that can be used as flocculants is an area of great interest.

In particular, the topics of interest of this Special Issue include (but are not limited to):

  • Recent advances in treatment of suspended particles in water;
  • Biomaterials for environmental applications;
  • Effects of suspended particles in water;
  • Optimization mechanisms of coagulation–flocculation processes in water;
  • Mechanistic understanding of suspended particles in water.
Prof. Dr. Rosa Devesa-Rey
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Coagulation–flocculation
  • Water clarification
  • Turbidity
  • Suspended sediments
  • Optimization
  • Pollutants removal in water
  • Innovation in water treatment
  • Sustainable water management

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 952 KiB  
Article
Application of Central Composite Design for Optimization of Adsorption of Chromium(VI) by Spirulina platensis Algae Biomass
by Santiago Urréjola-Madriñán, Iñaki Paz-Armada, Claudio Cameselle and Susana Gouveia
Water 2022, 14(16), 2539; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14162539 - 18 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1483
Abstract
Algal biomass from Spirulina platensis has been tested for the adsorption of chromium (VI) in aqueous effluents. The study was conducted using a central composite experimental design. The selected variables were: biomass (0.25–0.75 mg), initial chromium concentration (100–500 mg/L), and contact time (3–8 [...] Read more.
Algal biomass from Spirulina platensis has been tested for the adsorption of chromium (VI) in aqueous effluents. The study was conducted using a central composite experimental design. The selected variables were: biomass (0.25–0.75 mg), initial chromium concentration (100–500 mg/L), and contact time (3–8 h). This study proved that spirulina biomass shows good adsorption capacity in the experimental space selected for the central composite experimental design (CCD). The maximum adsorption capacity was 40 mg Cr/g of biomass in the tests with 500 mg/L of Cr(VI) and 0.25 g of spirulina. The statistical analysis confirmed that the adsorption capacity can be modelled using a linear equation that only depends on the initial chromium concentration and the biomass dose. These results suggest that the adsorption of Cr in spirulina raw biomass can be considered in the development of large-scale applications. Full article
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12 pages, 1070 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Synthetic Clays to Remove Phosphates and Ibuprofen in Water
by Rosa Devesa-Rey, Jesús del Val, Jorge Feijoo, José P. González-Coma, Gonzalo Castiñeira and Lorena González-Gil
Water 2021, 13(17), 2394; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13172394 - 30 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2593
Abstract
The main objective of this study consists in the synthesis of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay doped with magnesium and aluminum in order to test the removal of phosphates and ibuprofen in water. Two different LDH composites are assessed: oven-dried (LDHD [...] Read more.
The main objective of this study consists in the synthesis of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay doped with magnesium and aluminum in order to test the removal of phosphates and ibuprofen in water. Two different LDH composites are assessed: oven-dried (LDHD) and calcined (LDHC). Single adsorptions of phosphate and ibuprofen showed up to 70% and 58% removal in water, when LDHC was used. A poorer performance was observed for LDHD, which presented adsorption efficiencies of 52% and 35%, respectively. The simultaneous removal of phosphate and ibuprofen in water showed that LDHC allows a greater reduction in the concentration of both compounds than LDHD. Phosphate adsorption showed a close agreement between the experimental and theoretical capacities predicted by the pseudo-second-order model, whereas ibuprofen fitted to a first-order model. In addition, phosphate adsorption showed a good fit to an intraparticle diffusion model and to Bangham model suggesting that diffusion into pores controls the adsorption process. No other mechanisms may be involved in ibuprofen adsorption, apart from intraparticle diffusion. Finally, phosphate desorption could recover up to 59% of the initial concentration, showing the feasibility of the recuperation of this compound in the LDH. Full article
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14 pages, 3183 KiB  
Article
Investigation and Optimization of Chitosan Performance in Flocculating Kaolin Suspensions Using a Real-Time Suspending Solid Concentration Measuring Method
by Yan Xu, Kemin Gan, Siyi Liang, Haitao Liu and Qunhui Wang
Water 2021, 13(4), 513; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13040513 - 16 Feb 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1855
Abstract
The performance of chitosan in flocculating kaolin suspensions was investigated. A real-time suspended solid (SS) concentration measuring method was applied. The influence of pH was examined from 2.0 to 13.0. The optimal pH value for low-grade (100 mg/L), middle-grade (500 mg/L), and high-grade [...] Read more.
The performance of chitosan in flocculating kaolin suspensions was investigated. A real-time suspended solid (SS) concentration measuring method was applied. The influence of pH was examined from 2.0 to 13.0. The optimal pH value for low-grade (100 mg/L), middle-grade (500 mg/L), and high-grade (1000 mg/L) kaolin suspension samples was 8.0. The optimal dosage of chitosan for the three grades of kaolin suspensions was 5.0 mg/L, regardless of the initial SS concentration. An orthogonal array test was performed to determine the optimal hydraulic conditions. Range analysis and variance analysis showed that all four considered factors significantly influenced the flocculation performance of chitosan in the following order: paddle rotation speed in the mixing period > paddle rotation speed in the flocculating period > mixing period time > flocculating period time. Intermittent agitation tests were also performed, showing that alternating agitation and settling enhanced the flocculation performance of chitosan. Full article
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