Carbon-14 tracer study of polyacrylate polymer in a wastewater plant

Abstract

A highly absorbent consumer-product, polyacrylate-polymer material tagged with carbon-14 (14C), was dosed to a standard on-site aerobic wastewater treatment plant which contained a settling chamber, an aeration chamber, and an effluent chamber. Operation of the test plant was essentially the same as that of a control plant even under exaggerated conditions. About 97% of the polymer material was retained in solids deposited in the primary and aeration chambers, and effluent releases were minimal. The use of a 14C tagging procedure proved to be a successful method for studying the behavior of these complex materials. It may be useful to conduct a further study on retained solids to determine whether microbial decomposition of the polymer material occurs while they remain in typical plants. Notation AC-aeration chamber BOD,-biochemical oxygen demand, S-day technique COD-chemical oxygen demand E-effluent LS-liquid scintillation mCi-millicurie MLSS-mixed liquor suspended solids NSF-national sanitation foundation PC-primary chamber pCi-picocurie SL-sludge SN-supernate SS-suspended solids VSS-volatile suspended solids 57-refers to plant 57, the test plant 58-refers to plant 58, the control plant

Coated Polymers -a Review

“…Their huge use is due to their high strength-to-weight ratio compared to classic materials such as metal, wood, glass etc. However, a fundamental requirement is high reliability, polymers being limited in use in some industrial applications that involve high working temperatures and wear, [1,2]. In order to reduce the surface degradation and increase the thermal resistance of the polymer surfaces, the researchers found a viable solution, covering them with ceramic or metal microlayers depending on the intended application and their operating conditions.…”

Monitoring Soil Column Mobility of Cross-Linked and Soluble Polyacrylates Using Gel Permeation Chromatography

“…This has led to considerable interest in studying the potential for movement of the long-lived PAs through a soil profile if they leach out of nonlined landfills. A number of publications have addressed either the movement of these materials through landfills and soils or the analytical methods available for quantifying PAs ( − ). However, most of these studies used laboratory-prepared, radiolabeled PA and determined that virtually all of this PA is immobile, even in sandy soils ().…”

“…For the above-cited reasons, many previous environmental monitoring studies used laboratory-prepared, radiolabeled materials with the carbon-14 typically incorporated at the 2- and 3-carbon positions on the polymer backbone ( − ). The use of a radiotracer, coupled with sensitive radioanalytical techniques, has facilitated deter mination of the fate of PA in complex matrixes ranging from landfills to soil columns.…”