A method and apparatus break down organic materials, typically contaminants, through oxidation. The method for the treatment of a volume of material, provides: a) introducing at least two electrodes into a location, the location containing the volume of material and the volume of material containing one or more species for treatment; b) providing connections between a voltage source and the at least two electrodes; c) applying a voltage of a first polarity to the connections for a first period of time, under the control of a voltage controller; d) applying a voltage of a second, reversed, polarity to the connections for a second period of time, under the control of the voltage controller; e) repeating steps c) and d) a plurality of times; preferably with steps c), d) and e) promoting oxidation of one or more of the one or more species for treatment.

Compounds are provided for the capture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The compound is selected from formula (I) and formula (II): ##STR00001##
The compound includes a salt formed with a suitable counter anion.

A method for producing a nanocomposite sorbent comprising carbon nanotube-grafted acrylic acid/acrylamide copolymer which involves copolymerization of acrylic acid and acrylamide in the presence of an aqueous dispersion of carbon nanotubes. The method yields a nanocomposite sorbent material having a reversible adsorption capacity phenol of 5 to 2500 μg of phenol per mg of nanocomposite sorbent. Also disclosed is a method for removing organic pollutants from water using the nanocomposite sorbent.

A system for treatment of a polluted effluent, includes an outer chamber configured to treat the polluted effluent in mixture with a purification slurry including particles of one or more catalysts and/or organoclays, or a mixture thereof. The outer chamber includes (i) a stirring unit consisting of an engine and a stirrer, configured to mix the polluted effluent and the purification slurry to prevent the particles from sinking without causing a turbulence, (ii) a membrane located at the top of the outer chamber through which a treated effluent passes, while preventing the particles of one or more catalysts and/or organoclays from exiting the outer chamber together with the treated effluent, (iii) a membrane cleaning system configured to remove and collect the particles of one or more catalysts and/or organoclays accumulated on the membrane, and re-introducing the particles back to the bottom of the outer chamber.

The present invention relates to a process for the purification of water, wherein a surface-reacted natural calcium carbonate is brought into contact with the water to be purified, the surface-reacted natural calcium carbonate being the reaction product of a natural calcium carbonate with an acid and carbon dioxide, which is formed in situ by the acid treatment and/or supplied externally.

Chemically oxidizing a wide range of targeted contaminants in soils, sludges, groundwater, process water, and wastewater and assisting in the eventual (over time) biological attenuation of the contaminants utilizing persulfates activated by trivalent metals, such as ferric iron. The use of trivalent metal activated persulfate results in a chemical oxidation process that yields degradation compounds which facilitate further attenuation via biological processes.

Systems and methods for performing bioremediation using the Geobacillus sp. bacterial strain are provided which are capable of effectively degrading Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and efficiently degrading other ring-based organic contaminants. The exemplary bioremediation methods include steps for administering an effective, degrading amount of the bacteria to soil containing excess amounts of BaP and incubating the bacteria administered to the soil at a given temperature and for a duration that are suitable for promoting incubation and reducing and the concentration of BaP below a maximum concentration, as might be specified by a regulatory body.

A hierarchical catalyst composition comprising a continuous or particulate macroporous scaffold in which is incorporated mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein an enzyme is embedded in mesopores of the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles. Methods for synthesizing the hierarchical catalyst composition are also described. Also described are processes that use the recoverable hierarchical catalyst composition for depolymerizing lignin, remediation of water contaminated with aromatic substances, polymerizing monomers by a free-radical mechanism, epoxidation of alkenes, halogenation of phenols, inhibiting growth and function of microorganisms in a solution, and carbon dioxide conversion to methanol. Further described are methods for increasing the space time yield and/or total turnover number of a liquid-phase chemical reaction that includes magnetic particles to facilitate the chemical reaction, the method comprising subjecting the chemical reaction to a plurality of magnetic fields of selected magnetic strength, relative position in the chemical reaction, and relative motion.

A hierarchical catalyst composition comprising a continuous or particulate macroporous scaffold in which is incorporated mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein an enzyme is embedded in mesopores of the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles. Methods for synthesizing the hierarchical catalyst composition are also described. Also described are processes that use the recoverable hierarchical catalyst composition for depolymerizing lignin, remediation of water contaminated with aromatic substances, polymerizing monomers by a free-radical mechanism, epoxidation of alkenes, halogenation of phenols, inhibiting growth and function of microorganisms in a solution, and carbon dioxide conversion to methanol. Further described are methods for increasing the space time yield and/or total turnover number of a liquid-phase chemical reaction that includes magnetic particles to facilitate the chemical reaction, the method comprising subjecting the chemical reaction to a plurality of magnetic fields of selected magnetic strength, relative position in the chemical reaction, and relative motion.

A method of using a nanoporous carbon material for adsorption of one or more PAH and diesel fuel from an aqueous solution is described. The aqueous solution may comprise the one or more PAH at a concentration of 0.1 mg/L-1 g/L, and the diesel fuel at a concentration of 0.1-5 g/L. The nanoporous carbon material may adsorb at least 96 wt % of one or more PAH within 10 minutes. The nanoporous carbon material may be obtained by contacting a carbonized asphalt with a base.