The present invention is directed to a method of removing uranium from a uranium containing aqueous medium. The method comprises a step of contacting the medium with magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The nanoparticles comprise mesoporous silica and iron oxide. The nanoparticles may also comprise a functionalized surface obtained by grafting or covalently bonding a functional molecule to the nanoparticle.

A foam intercept system and a method of using the foam intercept system are disclosed herein. The foam intercept system is useful to control levels of foam generated on the surface of effluent seawater during aeration of the effluent seawater in a seawater aeration basin. Effluent seawater contained within the seawater aeration basin may be produced in a seawater flue gas desulfurization system associated with a power plant or an aluminum production plant.

The disclosure provides an ozone contact tank, which includes a water inlet gallery (1), an aeration gallery (2), a water distribution zone (3), a reaction zone (4) and a water outlet trough (5) which are disposed according to the intake order and are communicated in sequence; the top of the water inlet gallery (1) is communicated with the top of the aeration gallery (2); the bottom of the aeration gallery (2) is communicated with a water inlet end of the water distribution zone (3) via a narrow passage (6); the top of the water distribution zone (3) is communicated with the bottom of the reaction zone (4) via a perforated plate (41); the top of the reaction zone (4) is communicated with the water outlet trough (5). The disclosure also provides an ozone contact method using the ozone contact tank, which can greatly improve the disinfection effect.

The invention relates to a method for treating an aqueous fluid, comprising bringing into contact the aqueous fluid with a fluidised bed of powdered activated carbon, and separating the aqueous fluid from the bed of powdered activated carbon, including a step of managing the fluidised bed of powdered activated carbon. The management step comprises the extraction of a fraction of the fluidised bed of powdered activated carbon in the form of sludge, at least a separation of the sludge extracted in the previous step so as to obtain a fraction having an insoluble index HCl which is higher than that of the sludge before separation by at least 5 percentage points, and a reinjection of said fraction into the fluidised bed of powdered activated carbon.

Provided are a method and an apparatus for producing pure water in which water that has been subjected to an ultraviolet oxidation treatment performed with an ultraviolet oxidation device is brought into contact with a platinum-group metal catalyst, the method and apparatus eliminating the likelihood of the catalyst being degraded and enabling decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to be performed for a prolonged period of time in a consistent manner. Water-to-be-treated is subjected to an ultraviolet oxidation treatment performed with an ultraviolet oxidation device and subsequently subjected to a hydrogen peroxide removal treatment performed with a hydrogen peroxide removal device including a platinum-group metal catalyst. The TOC concentration in water fed to the ultraviolet oxidation device is 5 ppb or less. An anion exchange resin tower is installed in a stage following the ultraviolet oxidation device.

A method for degrading organic fractions in cooling circuits in industrial plants, in particular plants in the metallurgical industry, including the following steps: adding bacteria to the cooling circuit, wherein the bacteria are suitable for degrading the organic fractions in the cooling circuit, and disinfecting the aerosol generated in a cooling tower of the cooling circuit. A cooling circuit for an industrial plant is also disclosed.

A method including directing an aqueous solution having dissolved carbon dioxide and dissolved ozone into a vessel, removing an amount of the dissolved carbon dioxide and irradiating the effluent with ultraviolet light to decompose an amount of the dissolved ozone is disclosed. The method may include removing the dissolved carbon dioxide by controlling pH. The method may include removing the dissolved carbon dioxide by contact with a membrane degasifier. A system including a channel fluidly connectable to a source of an aqueous solution having dissolved carbon dioxide and dissolved ozone, a dissolved carbon dioxide removal subsystem, and a source of ultraviolet irradiation is also disclosed. The dissolved carbon dioxide removal subsystem may include a source of a pH adjuster. The dissolved carbon dioxide removal subsystem may include a membrane degasifier.

The present invention relates to a process for separating microplastics from aqueous matrices based on the interaction of said microplastics with magnetic minerals containing iron, such as magnetite, which gives rise to the formation of a microplastic/magnetic iron mineral aggregate that can be readily separated from the water by applying a magnetic field.

Embodiments of treating fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water, and polymer being produced from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation are provided. One embodiment comprises adding a concentration of a viscosity reducer to the fluid to degrade the polymer present in the fluid and adding a concentration of a neutralizer to the fluid to neutralize the viscosity reducer in the fluid. The viscosity reducer is buffered at a pH of 7 or less (e.g., at a pH of from 2 to 7, such as at a pH of from 3.5 to 7, or at a pH of from 5 to 7). The addition of the concentration of the viscosity reducer is in a sufficient quantity to allow for complete chemical degradation of the polymer prior to the addition of the concentration of the neutralizer in the fluid such that excess viscosity reducer is present in the fluid. The addition of the concentration of the neutralizer is sufficiently upstream of any surface fluid processing equipment to allow for complete neutralization of the excess viscosity reducer such that excess neutralizer is present in the fluid prior to the fluid reaching any of the surface fluid processing equipment.

The present disclosure provides for methods and systems for separating ultrafine particulate pollutants from aqueous suspensions. The present disclosure provide for methods and systems that can reduce the amount of ultrafine particulate pollutants from aqueous solutions, for example storm water runoff, which are not readily or easily removed using current state of the art techniques. In general, methods of the present disclosure provide for removing a portion of target ultrafine particulate pollutants using magnetic nanoparticles, which form aggregates with the ultrafine particulate pollutants. After a time period a magnetic field is applied and the aggregate can be separated from the aqueous suspension. Subsequently, the aggregates can be broken down and the magnetic nanoparticles recycled or reused while the ultrafine particulate contaminants are further processed, recycled, or disposed of.