Iranian Journal of

Backgrounds and Objectives: Direct biodegradation of landfill leachate is too difficult because of high concentrations of COD and NH3 and also the presence of toxic compounds. The main objective of this study was to application of Strurvite precipitation as a pretreatment stage, in order to remove inhibitors of biodegradation before the batch decant activated sludge process with addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC).
Materials and Methods: Strurvite precipitated leachate was introduced to a bench scale batch decant activated sludge reactor with hydraulic retention times of 6 and 12 hour. PAC was added to aeration tank directly at the rate of 3.5 g/L.
Results:TCOD, SCOD, NH3 and P removal efficiency with addition of PAC in HRT of 6 h were 90,87, 98.3 and 94 % respectively and 96, 95, 99.2 and 98.7 5 in HRT of 12 h.
Concusion:According to obtained data from this work, it can be concluded that Strurvite precipitation before batch decant activated sludge process and simultaneous addition of PAC is promising technology for leachate treatment and can meet effluent standards for discharge to the receiving waters.

Backgrounds and Objectives: in recent years, mobile bed biological reactors have been used progressively for municipal and industrial wastewaters treatment. Dissented experiment is a trial that significant changes will accrue for influent variables in the process, and generally used for identification of the effective factors and optimization of the process. The scope of this study was determination of the optimized conditions for the MBBR process by using of Taguchi method.
Materials and Methods: Reactor start up was done by using of the recycled activated sludge from Ahwaz wastewater treatment plant. After that and passing the acclimation period, with hydraulic residence time equal to 9 hours matched for 1000, 2000 and 3000 mg/l based on COD respectively, for optimization determination of the acclimated microbial growth, the variables change (pH, nitrogen source, chemical oxygen demand and salinity) were determined in 9 steps, and all of the results were analyzed by Qualitek -4 (w32b).
Results:In this study, organic load removal based on COD was 97% and best optimized condition for MBBR were (inf. COD=1000 mg/l, pH= 8, salinity = 5% and the Nitrogen source= NH4CL)
Conclusion: Based on our finding, we may conclude that Taguchi method is on of the appropriate procedure in determination the optimized condition for increasing removal efficiency of MBBR.

Backgrounds and Objectives: As industries are developed, human uses of the energy in the huge scale and release the loss  energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation such as infrared into the environment, that it could affect on the man health. According to the available standards, if the IR-A could be controlled and consequently health of workers could be provided, it would reduce the total industrial expenses.
Materials and Methods: To control this radiation, it is necessary to measure it and compare the results with the available standards. Hence, in this study, we try to  measure this radiation in a unit of industy. For this porpuse the unit of steel company that settled in southeast of ahvaz is selected.
Results: The determinations were done every month during one year in all selected units. These results are compared with the available standards, and finally the differences are statistically evaluated by some suitable statistical methods. For measuring the dispersal of ray in the diffrent height. bat hard data compared with ACGIH standard and SPSS software is used for changing Radiation.
Conclusion:  The  average amount of IR-A  at  this  industrial  unit  is  1.18 mW/cm2  which  is more than the standard value in such industries ,and based on our fouding the natural solar source of this radiation increases such effects in out-door work places.

Backgrounds and Objectives:Propylene glycol is applied in many industries as raw material and can be released to the environment through wastewater of such industries. The biological treatment of solutions containing high concentration of propylene glycol is difficult and some problems can be observed during this process. The main objective of this study was the investigation of electrochemical degradation of propylene glycol and the parameters influencing on improving removal efficiency.
Materials and Methods: In this study the degradation of propylene glycol was made by passing an electrical current though the synthetic wastewater containing propylene glycol. In order to investigate this process several types of electrode with applied voltage ranging between 5 to 50 V was used. Due to the effect of NaCl concentration on removal efficiency which was mentioned in the literature, the experiment was performed for different NaCl concentrations.
Results: In optimum condition, the maximum removal efficiency of propylene glycol (based onCOD) was obtained equal to 90%. The results showed that rising applied voltage, NaCl concentrationand retention time increase the removal efficiency. The optimum retention time was obtained equalto 50 min. The maximum removal was obtained when aluminum electrode was used. It can beattributed to the production of coagulant material such as Al+3 during this process.
Conclusion: The results revealed that this process can be useful for treating the industrial wastewatercontaining propylene glycol.

Background and Objectives:Fanavaran petrochemical company is located on the shore of Persian Gulf on west south of Iran, Imam Khomeini Bandar, petrochemical special economic zone with of 25 hectares area. Two units of this company, methanol unit with production capacity 1000000 tons/years and monoxide carbon unit with 140000 tons/years were studied for determination and emission factories of SO2, CO2, CO, NO, NO2, NOx Gases.
Materials and methods: With attention to project goals, for implementation of this project 14 months took into from April 2008 till June2009.For goals provide of mentioned research on this basis,case sampling were done from 3 emission sources by using of direct reading device of gas concentration according to standard methods of United State Environmental Protection Agency.
Results: Results of the study indicate that concentration of issued pollutant gases from these units is in the level lower than Iran department of environment standard level. The total amount of emission Factory of SO2, CO2, CO, NO, NO2, NOx gases diffused from these units are11.7×10-6 , 81/8×10-6, 0.14×10-6, 431.5×10-6, 19.2×10-6 , 681.2×10-6kg /tons million production in a year respectively.
Conclusion:Parameters which optimization is performed in accordance with them, include of additional air percentage, exit air temperature from pre heater, and fuel type, in fact with regarding these 3 factors. effects, the work is done in a manner that the amount of pollutants diffusion is near to minimum and the selected best fuel.

Background and Objectives: Fluoride is widely used in industries such as manufacture of semiconductors, power plants, glass production etc and release to the environment via their effluents. The purpose of this sturdy was to compare the efficiency of low price adsorbents in fluoride removal from water.
Materials and Methods: The optimum values of pH, contact time and adsorbent dosage were determined and different concentrations of fluoride were experimented in lab scale conditions for bagasse, modified bagasse and chitosan. Then Langmuir and Freundlich coefficient were determined based on optimum conditions.
Results: The pH value of 7, contact time of 60 min and adsorbent dosage of 2 g/L were determined as optimum conditions for all three adsorbents. The most fluoride removal efficiency of 91% was obtained for modified bagasse in optimum conditions.
Conclusion: Based on data obtained in this study, it can be concluded that adsorption by modified bagasse is an efficient and reliable method for fluoride removal from liquid solutions.

Background and Objectives: Microbial fuel cells are the electrochemical exchangers that convert the microbial reduced power, generated via the metabolism of organic substrate, to electrical energy. The aim of this study is to find out the rate of produced electricity and also treatment rate of simulated wastewater of food industries using dual chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) without mediator and catalyst.
Materials and Methods: MFC used in this study was consisted of two compartments including anaerobic anode chamber containing simulated food industries wastewater as synthetic substrate and aerobic cathode chamber containing phosphate buffer, respectively. These two chambers were separated by proton exchange membrane made of Nafion. Produced voltage and current intensity were measured using a digital ohm meter and the amount of electricity was calculated by Ohm's law. Effluent from the anode compartment was tested for COD, BOD5, NH3, P, TSS, VSS, SO42- and alkalinity  in accordance with the Standard Methods. 
Results: In this study, maximum current intensity and power production at anode surface in the OLR of 0.79 Kg/m3.d were measured as 1.71 mA and 140 mW/m2, respectively. The maximum voltage of 0.422 V was obtained in the OLR of 0.36 Kg/m3.d. The greatest columbic efficiency of the system was 15% in the OLR of 0.18 Kg/m3.d. Maximum removal efficiency of COD, BOD5, NH3, P, TSS, VSS, SO42- and alkalinity, were obtained 78, 72, 66, 7, 56, 49, 26 and 40%, respectively.
Conclusion: The findings showed that the MFC can be used as a new technology to produce electricity from renewable organic materials and for  the treatment of different municipal and industrial wastewaters such as food industries.

Background and objectives: Because of problems dealing with bioremediation including being time consuming, low efficiency and toxicity to biota, application of advanced oxidation processes with higher efficiency and shorter remediation time have been considered for removal of hydrophobic hydrocarbons from contaminated soils. A great interest has been directed to Fenton oxidation because of its simplicity and high oxidation potential. The objective of this study was to determine the Fenton-like oxidation efficiency for pyrene removal from soil using iron nano oxides and Fe²⁺. Material and Methods: The H₂O₂/Fe molar ratios of unadjusted with native Fe content of soil, 10, and 20 H2O2 concentrations of 0 – 500 mM pH 3, 5, and 7 and soil samples containing Fe²⁺, native iron and iron nano oxides were investigated for removal of 100 mg/kg pyrene according to Taguchi experimental design. Results: Fe²⁺, H₂O₂/Fe molar ratio of 20, pH 3 and H₂O₂ concentration of 500 mM were determined as optimum conditions. Under optimum conditions, S/N ratio increased to 39.322 and the pyrne removal reached to 86 % for Fe²⁺ and 83 % for Fe³⁺ respectively, after 2 hours of reaction time and pH 3. Conclusion: Fenton oxidation using iron nano oxides under defined optimum conditions and neutral pH, can be a suitable alternative to conventional Fenton for remediation of soils contaminated with pyrene.

Background and objectives: Dichloromethane (DCM) is one of the hazardous contaminants of the environment, especially ambient air that threatens human health at both acute and chronic exposures. In this study, the performance of a pilot-scale hybrid bubble column/biofilter (HBCB) bioreactor was studied for the removal of DCM from waste gas streams at steady state. Materials and methods: The experiments were conducted in four stages with relatively constant concentrations of DCM (approximately 240 ppm) and variable empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 50, 100, 150 and 200 s. In addition to determining DCM removal rate and efficiency, quality parameters of mixed liquor of the bubble column bioreactor were studied and kinetic of biofiltration was analyzed. Results: The average DCM removal efficiency of the HBCB bioreactor at EBRT of 200 and 150 s were 79 and 71% respectively. However, further reduction of EBRT resulted in significantly decreased DCM removal efficiency, so that at EBRT of 50 s, the DCM removal efficiency decreased to 32%. In addition, the EBRT reduction from 200 s to 50 s through increasing DCM loading rate resulted in increasing DCM removal rate from 12.1 to 19.6 g/m³.h. The results of kinetic analysis showed that the kinetic data of biofiltration were in the best fitness with the first order rate equation (R²>0.99 and &epsilon%<2.2) and the DCM removal rate constant was determined 0.0114 s^-1. The mixed liquor characterization indicated that the daily adjustment of pH and EC was sufficient to prevent any limitation in the performance of the HBCB bioreactor. Conclusion: This study indicated that the DCM removal rate and efficiency of the HBCB bioreactor were relatively high and the HBCB bioreactor had reliable performance during the variable operational conditions.

Background and Objective: Arsenic is one of the most toxic pollutants in groundwater and surface water. Arsenic could have lots of adverse impacts on human health. Therefore, access to new technologies is required to achieve the arsenic standard.

Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted at laboratory scale in non-continuous batches. The adsorbent of zero-valent iron nanoparticles -Chitosan was produced through reducing ferric iron by sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) in the presence of chitosan as a stabilizer. At first, the effect of various parameters such as contact time (5-120 min), pH (3-10), adsorbent dose (0.3-3.5 g/L) and initial concentration of arsenate (2-10 mg/L) were investigated on process efficiency. Then optimum conditions in terms of contact time, pH, adsorbent dose and initial concentration of arsenate were determined by RSM method. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm model equilibrium constant, pseudo-first and second order kinetic constants were calculated. The residual arsenate was measured y using ICP-AES.

Results: The optimum values based on RSM for pH, absorbent dose, contact time, and initial concentration of arsenate were 7.16, 3.04 g/L, 91.48 min, and 9.71 mg/L respectively. Langmuir isotherm with R²= 0.9904 for Arsenate was the best graph for the experimental data. According to Langmuir isotherm model, the maximum amount of arsenate adsorption was 135.14mg/g. . The investigation of arsenate adsorption kinetics showed that arsenate adsorption follows the pseudo-second kinetics model.

Conclusion: This research showed that the adsorption process is depended on pH. With increasing pH, the ability of amine groups in chitosan are decreased to protonation, caused to decrease the efficiency of arsenate removal at high pH.