A constant-number direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) model was developed for the analysis of nanoparticle (NP) agglomeration in aqueous suspensions. The modeling approach, based on the "particles in a box" simulation method, considered both particle agglomeration and gravitational settling. Particle-particle agglomeration probability was determined based on the classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory and considerations of the collision frequency as impacted by Brownian motion. Model predictions were in reasonable agreement with respect to the particle size distribution and average agglomerate size when compared with dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements for aqueous TiO(2), CeO(2), and C(60) nanoparticle suspensions over a wide range of pH (3-10) and ionic strength (0.01-156 mM). Simulations also demonstrated, in quantitative agreement with DLS measurements, that nanoparticle agglomerate size increased both with ionic strength and as the solution pH approached the isoelectric point (IEP). The present work suggests that the DSMC modeling approach, along with future use of an extended DLVO theory, has the potential for becoming a practical environmental analysis tool for predicting the agglomeration behavior of aqueous nanoparticle suspensions.
Reverse osmosis (RO) polyamide (PA) membrane integrity loss, performance degradation, and alteration of surface properties due to exposure to chlorine were evaluated experimentally via a fluorescent marker (uranine) based method, water permeability and salt flux measurements, and surface characterization via XPS, AFM and contact angle measurements. Membrane exposure to chlorine (4 -200 mg/L NaOCl solutions) revealed that although membrane surface roughness increased with chlorine exposure intensity (ppm-hr), surface hydrophilicity increased as inferred by the decline (up to 5.2% -9.6%) of the surface energy of hydration. Comparative analysis of marker transport for membranes that have undergone chlorine exposure of 125 -2000 ppm-hr demonstrated that the membrane marker permeability coefficient (B) increased by up to a factor of ~5 relative to the intact membrane. While the severity of membrane integrity loss/performance degradation correlated to a reasonable degree with ppm-hr of chlorine exposure, the severity of membrane integrity loss, at the same chlorine ppm-hr, was greater for higher exposure concentration. Membrane integrity loss, over the same exposure levels, was quantified by an equivalent cylindrical breach that was in the range of about 14 -40 µm, increasing in size with the intensity of chlorine exposure.
In four recently published articles, a process for the oxidation of bromide to bromine and the volatilization of bromine from drinking water sources was presented. This process was shown to be able to remove up to 35% percent of the bromide found naturally in the California State Water Project. Although bromide itself is quite harmless, it has been shown to react with commonly used disinfectants to produce compounds or disinfection by-products (DBPs) of suspected carcinogens. Bromide reacts with ozone to form bromate. This article presents two studies of pilot scale, flow-through electrolytic reactors that oxidize bromide to bromine and volatilize bromine at
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