Unconventional hydrocarbons production from shale and tight-sand formations unlocks vast new energy sources to the nation. However, public perception about excessive potable water use in hydro-fracturing and possible pollution routes in discharging and reusing produced water (flow-back water) promotes state's stringent regulations and opens the door to develop effective produced water treatment methods. This invention is therefore aimed at properly treating produced water to avert health and environmental liabilities and convert economic losses to useful by-products using innovative methods to de-oil, de-scale, and de-salt produced water.

The invention concerns an installation for treating biological liquid by chromatography, extending in a longitudinal direction and comprising a supply valve (20b), a supply pump (30) downstream of the valve, instrument members downstream of the pump among which are at least one distribution valve (81a-c, 82a-c, 83a-c) and at least one device (78a-c, 85a-c, 86a-c) for measuring a physico-chemical parameter of the liquid, at least one chromatography column (99a-c) downstream of the instrument members and of the pipes connecting the valve, the pump, the instrument members and the column, instrument members being associated with the chromatography column and each mounted on at least one dedicated control and actuation platform (80a-c), which extends in a vertical direction relative to the generally longitudinal direction of extension of said installation, and which are disposed substantially above each other on said dedicated control and actuation platform.

An air treatment device having a flexible air hose, duct or gooseneck member. The air hose, duct or gooseneck member permits an inlet end thereof to be positioned in proximity to a patient so that a negative pressure can be created around the patient so that air can sucked or vacuumed into the system whereupon it is treated as the air flows through the system.

A method of removing at least one cationic dye from an aqueous solution. The method includes contacting the aqueous solution with an adsorbent comprising a water-insoluble membrane disposed on a substrate. The water-insoluble membrane comprises cross-linked humic acid, at least one alginate, and hydroxyethyl cellulose. The contacting forms a treated aqueous solution having a lower concentration of the at least one cationic dye relative to the aqueous solution.

Processes for extracting iodine from an aqueous solution, such as brine, are disclosed. Activated coconut carbon particles are mixed with the solution to adsorb iodide through pores in the activated carbon particles. The activated carbon particles are then treated with sulfur dioxide gas and water to form hydrogen iodide. The hydrogen iodide is then reacted with chloride to obtain elemental iodine (I.sub.2).

Herein are described compositions useful in the purification of hydrocarbon-contaminated liquids (e.g., oil-contaminated water), methods of their manufacture, and methods of their use. In one instance, the composition can include a porous agricultural substrate selected from the group consisting of walnut shell, pecan shell, apricot pit, peach pit, corn cob, and a mixture thereof; the porous agricultural substrate having an external surface and pores, wherein the external surface is hydrophilic; and an organo-amine carried within the pores of the porous agricultural substrate. These compositions are utilized as regenerable filter media in place of, for example, ground walnut media.

The present invention relates to a preparation method of a granular oxide adsorbent for water treatment in which a metal oxide is bound to the surface of polymer particles, and more specially, to a preparation method of a granular oxide adsorbent, comprising the following steps: putting polymer particles in an acidic solution; adding polymer particles to a metal oxide aqueous solution and adjusting a pH; and washing and drying the obtained product. Accordingly, a granular oxide adsorbent prepared by the preparation method is provided and is utilized in water treatment and the like.

A method for removing glyphosate from a solution by contacting the solution with a polymeric particle including a moiety selected from the group consisting of ammonium, amine and combinations thereof, wherein the moiety is positively charged in the solution.

There is provided herein a system and method for treating source water to remove contaminants such as oil from oil-fields produced water. In some embodiments, source water containing CO.sub.2, endotoxins, foulants, sulfate, and oxygen will be treated with aluminum nitrate or iron nitrate, separating the CO.sub.2 and endotoxins from the treated water, removing the foulants by mixing hydrated lime and an amine solvent with the treated water, and separating the dissolved oxygen and recovering the amine solvent using a hydrophobic membrane.

Producing high purity lithium solution from a source brine containing at least 1 mg Li/kg brine, preferably 10 mg/kg, more preferably 25 mg Li/kg brine; treating the source brine, if necessary in pretreatment steps; processing the treated brine in a lithium adsorption step; after the adsorption step, desorbing the adsorbed lithium in a desorption step; after the desorption step, treating the desorption effluent in an enrichment step. Specified optional steps and new features can be used to increase lithium concentrations and purity.