Abstract: An article Including a support matrix including a plurality of pores, a metal oxide and a clay, wherein the metal oxide and the clay are disposed on the support matrix or within the plurality of pores of the support matrix, and a method of removing a hydrocarbon fluid and microplastics from an aqueous fluid by immersing the article into the aqueous fluid.

Abstract: Provided are catalytic assemblies which include a hollow fiber membrane permeable to a gas; a reactive coating permeable to the gas and a contaminant; and a plurality of catalytic nanoparticles embedded in the reactive coating adapted to catalyze a reaction between the gas and the contaminant. Also provided are preparation methods for the catalytic assemblies, and use thereof for treating contaminated water.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for decontamination of effluent, includes connecting a first ejector to source of a first motive fluid, directing from the first ejector first motive fluid into piping connected to a source of effluent thus causing the effluent to stream in the piping and simultaneously causing the effluent to be heated, and controlling the directing of the first motive fluid in such a way that a predetermined thermal effect is achieved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to recovery of lithium from liquid resources to produce lithium solutions while limiting impurity precipitation in the lithium solutions.

Abstract: A water treatment system can generate ozonated water using a vacuum operated injector with reduced vacuum switch lockup. The water treatment system includes an ozone generator, an ozone injector, a vacuum switch, and a pressure regulator. The ozone generator is configured to generate ozone. The ozone injector is coupled to the ozone generator via a hermetically sealed tubing, and the ozone injector is configured to inject the ozone into a water flow passing through the ozone injector. The vacuum switch is configured to operate the ozone generator based on a gaseous pressure inside the hermetically sealed tubing generated by the ozone injector. The pressure regulator is configured to regulate the gaseous pressure inside the hermetically sealed tubing to prevent the vacuum switch from trapped in a triggered state after the water flow stops.

Abstract: A method of treating a metal carbonate salt includes hydrolyzing a metal halide salt to form a hydrohalic acid and a hydroxide salt of the metal in the metal halide salt. The metal includes an alkaline earth metal or an alkali metal. The method includes reacting the hydrohalic acid with the metal carbonate salt, wherein the metal carbonate salt is a carbonate salt of the alkaline earth metal or alkali metal, to form CO2 and the metal halide salt. At least some of the metal halide salt formed from the reacting of the hydrohalic acid with the metal carbonate salt is recycled as at least some of the metal halide salt in the hydrolyzing of the metal halide salt to form the hydrohalic acid and the hydroxide salt.

Abstract: The invention relates to water regeneration in a fish breeding complex combining closed and flow-through water supply systems. A module of a biological filter in a water regeneration system comprises a reservoir, an aerator, a channel for sludge accumulation and discharge and a reservoir bottom sloped in direction of the water movement and, with the water surface, forming a diffuser providing for circulation of water and filler in the biological filter. Fish breeding complex comprises fish breeding pools and a water regeneration system comprising a mud settler-denitrificator, a device for water lifting and aeration, a biological filter, degassing and disinfection units. Each fish breeding pool comprises water oxygenation and disinfection systems, dosage units, water discharge systems and insoluble residues collecting and discharge systems. In the water flow-through mode, water regeneration system is switched off and water supply from an outside source and wastewater discharge are switched on.

Abstract: A method of preparing an adsorbent can include pyrolyzing olive stone to provide an olive stone char, activating the olive stone char, dissolving a polymer in an organic solvent to obtain a solution, dispersing the activated olive stone char in the solution to provide a mixture, extracting the solvent from the mixture to provide a composite, and annealing the composite to provide the adsorbent. The adsorbent can be porous.

Abstract: A method for making an adsorbent composite can include activating dried lemon peel pieces to obtain activated lemon peel pieces; pyrolyzing the activated lemon peel pieces to obtain activated lemon peel char; dissolving at least one polymer in an organic solvent to obtain a polymer solution; dispersing the activated lemon peel char in the polymer solution to obtain a mixture; extracting the organic solvent from the mixture to obtain a composite; and annealing the composite to provide the adsorbent composite.

Abstract: A blowdown water stream from a cooling tower is contacted with an ion exchange resin packing, such that at least a portion of the phosphorus from the blowdown water stream adsorbs to the ion exchange resin packing to produce a water stream that has a phosphorus content that is less than a phosphorus content of the blowdown water stream. A regenerant stream is contacted with the ion exchange resin packing, such that at least a portion of the phosphorus that has adsorbed to the ion exchange resin packing, desorbs from the ion exchange resin packing to produce a spent regenerant stream. The spent regenerant stream, a first reactant stream including magnesium ions, and a second reactant stream including ammonium ions are flowed to a reaction vessel. The spent regenerant stream, the first reactant stream, and the second reactant stream are mixed to produce a product that includes struvite.

Abstract: A synergistic composition can be used to treat water containing nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds. The synergistic composition includes iron filings, clay particles, aluminum particles, and sand particles. The iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles act synergistically to remove nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds from water. Specifically, the clay particles attract the nitrogen compounds and the phosphorus compounds to be absorbed onto a surface of the iron filings and the clay particles. The aluminum particles react with the nitrogen compounds via an oxidation reaction to form ammonia compounds, and react with the phosphorus compounds to produce aluminum phosphate. As such, the synergistic relationship between the iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles remove nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from water and recover the compounds in usable forms, namely, ammonia and aluminum phosphate.

Abstract: A reverse osmosis water system including a housing, a reverse osmosis cartridge, an unfiltered waterline, and a blend waterline. The housing includes an inlet and an outlet. A medial waterline transports pretreated water to the reverse osmosis cartridge. An unfiltered waterline includes a flow restrictor. A blend waterline transports a blended water mixture to the outlet. The blended waterline receives filtered water at a first flowrate from the medial waterline and unfiltered water at a second flowrate downstream of the flow restrictor. The flow restrictor provides the second flowrate at a substantially equal rate to the first flowrate.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for washing adsorptive media with minimal water consumption. More specifically, the invention provides methods and systems for in situ regeneration and/or sanitization of adsorptive media, such as activated carbon, using back-and-forth washing.

Abstract: A universal chemical processor (UCP) including a reactor vessel having a central longitudinal axis and main chamber comprises a first inlet port for a main feedstock, a second inlet port for a fluidizing medium and a third inlet port for one or more reactants. The UCP also includes a reactive radioactive chemical processor (R2CP) that contains a radioactive element positioned extending along the longitudinal axis in the main chamber. In operation, a fluidized bed can be supported in the main chamber when a fluidizing medium and feedstock are supplied to the main chamber through the first and second inlet ports and the radioactive element of the R2CP emits ionizing radiation that is capable of ionizing feedstock and reactants, inducing chemical reactions, and sterilizing and decomposing any organic materials within a radiation zone.

Abstract: This specification discloses a system and method for treating process water from a starch process, and more specifically, recycling a concentrated sodium sulfate solution, obtained from the process water to the starch process.

Abstract: An ultrafiltration/nanofiltration membrane with gas-tunable pore size is provided. This membrane comprises an active layer arranged between two porous support layers, wherein the active layer is formed of randomly arranged cellulose nanocrystals, wherein pores are defined in the active layer by the free spaces existing between the randomly arranged cellulose nanocrystals, and wherein chains of a CO2-responsive polymer are grafted on the surface of the cellulose nanocrystals. There are also provided methods for filtering a feed using the membrane, for tuning the apparent pore size/MWCO/charge of the membrane, for cleaning the membrane, and for manufacturing the membrane.

Abstract: In one aspect, an oxygenated hierarchically porous carbon (an “O-HPC”) is provided, the O-HPC comprising: a hierarchically porous carbon (an “HPC”), the HPC comprising a surface, the surface comprising: (A) first order pores having an average diameter of between about 1 ?m and about 10 ?m; and (B) walls separating the first order pores, the walls comprising: (1) second order pores having a peak diameter between about 7 nm and about 130 nm; and (2) third order pores having an average diameter of less than about 4 nm, wherein at least a portion of the HPC surface has been subjected to O2 plasma to oxygenate and induce a negative charge to the surface. In one aspect, the O-HPC further comprises metal nanoparticles dispersed within the first, second, and third order pores. Methods for making and using the metal nanoparticle-impregnated O-HPCs are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are methods of preparing magnetite and akaganéite nanoparticles from steel slag, the nanoparticles produced therefrom, and methods of using the same as a raw material for wastewater treatment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dialysis machine having a dialyzer, an extracorporeal blood circuit, a dialysis solution circuit, and a control unit, wherein a blood leak sensor is arranged downstream of the dialyzer in the dialysis solution circuit, wherein the control unit is configured to initiate an error routine when the signal of the blood leak sensor shows an indication of a presumed blood leak, and wherein a further sensor is furthermore arranged downstream of the dialyzer in the dialysis solution circuit, wherein the control unit is configured to use the signal of the further sensor correlated in time with the signal of the blood leak sensor as a suppression criterion for the initiation of the error routine.

Abstract: A method of controlling corrosion, scaling, and biological growth in equipment such as boilers, chillers, cooling towers, heat exchangers, radiators, and pipes, each having water therein, comprising: adding oxygen or air to the water; and maintaining a pH level of the water at a level greater than 7. Additionally, the total dissolved solids level of the water may be limited to less than 100 ppm and phosphate to less than 0.1 ppm.