It discloses a method for preparing a magnesium-aluminum hydrotalcite-loaded nano zero-valent iron material for specifically removing perfluorooctanoic acid in a water environment and an optimized process for removing perfluorooctanoic acid thereby, and relates to the technical field of removing persistent organic pollutants in water using adsorption method and oxidation-reduction method and, in particular, to a composite material prepared by loading a nano zero-valent iron on magnesium-aluminum hydrotalcite using liquid phase reduction method.

A method for preparing a nano-enabled activated carbon block, a nano-enabled activated carbon block produced by the method, a household water filtration system comprising the nano-enabled activated carbon block, and a method for filtering tap water using the household water filtration system are provided. The method includes contacting a solution including a metal(lic) precursor (e.g. a titanium compound and/or an iron compound and/or a zirconium compound) with activated carbon particles such that the solution fills pores of the activated carbon particles. The method further includes causing a metal (hydr)oxide (e.g. titanium dioxide and/or zirconium dioxide and/or iron oxide) to precipitate from the solution thereby causing metal oxide nanoparticles to become deposited within pores of the activated carbon particles. The method also includes preparing a nano-enabled activated carbon block from the activated carbon particles having metal oxide nanoparticles deposited within the pores thereof.

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.

Nanoplatelet forms of monolayer metal hydroxides are provided, as well as methods for preparing same. The nanoplatelets are suitable for use in antimicrobial compositions, for pressure treating lumber against wood rot, termites, and fungus, for water treatment for the removal of heavy metal contaminants, for the production of plasmonics devices, for the production of ore, or for the recovery of valuable metals in, e.g., fly ash ponds, mine tailings ponds, or other fluids containing the metal in ionic form. The nanoplatelet forms include copper hydroxide nanoplatelets.

A sorbent-based oil skimmer is configured to collect oil from an oil layer and passively deposit the oil in an encasing, where the oil can be continuously or periodically removed. The oil skimmer includes an encasing and a sponge that is partially enclosed within the encasing. The sponge has a top sheet in contact with the oil layer and a shell connected to the top sheet, where the shell extends into the encasing. Oil collected by the top sheet is conveyed through the shell, where it is deposited into the encasing under the force of gravity. In some applications, the sponge is manufactured from a silicone-based polymer that has been impregnated with carbonaceous material. The skimmer may optionally include counterweights, ballast tanks, buoyancy adjustment systems and propulsion modules.

A method for the electrochemical remediation of a metal species comprises flowing a contaminated solution comprising a metal species to be removed through an electrochemical cell that includes a working electrode and a counter electrode spaced apart from the working electrode. The working electrode comprises a conductive substrate or current collector with a polymeric coating thereon, where the polymeric coating comprises a semiconducting or redox-active polymer. A reducing potential is applied to the electrochemical cell, thereby inducing the metal species from the contaminated solution to deposit onto the working electrode. After depositing the metal species, a recovery solution is flowed through the electrochemical cell. An oxidizing potential is applied to the electrochemical cell, thereby stripping the metal species from the working electrode and recovering the metal species in the recovery solution.

A water treatment system with a photocatalytic nanocomposite sheet, an adsorbent layer, and a fibrous filter, wherein the photocatalytic nanocomposite sheet comprises polymethylmethacrylate and silver phosphate, the adsorbent layer comprises plasma activated carbon nanotubes, and the fibrous filter is a composite of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer fibers, with carbon nanotubes that are dispersed within the polymer fibers and silver nanoparticles that are deposited on the polymer fibers. Various embodiments of the water treatment system and methods of fabricating the photocatalytic nanocomposite sheet, the adsorbent layer, and the fibrous filter are also provided.

In one aspect, a material structure is disclosed, which includes a macroscopic porous substrate configured to receive a flow of a medium for passage of at least a portion thereof through the porous substrate. At least one porous coating is disposed on at least a portion of an inner surface of the porous substrate, wherein the porous coating comprises a matrix having a plurality of interconnected passages. The porous substrate and the coating are configured to treat at least one contaminant, if any, present in the flowing medium.

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.

Composite materials for removing hydrophobic components from a fluid include a porous matrix polymer, carbon nanotubes grafted to surfaces of the porous matrix polymer, and polystyrene chains grafted to the carbon nanotubes. Examples of porous matrix polymer include polyurethanes, polyethylenes, and polypropylenes. Membranes of the composite material may be enclosed within a fluid-permeable pouch to form a fluid treatment apparatus, such that by contacting the apparatus with a fluid mixture containing water and a hydrophobic component, the hydrophobic component absorbs selectively into the membrane. The apparatus may be removed from the fluid mixture and reused after the hydrophobic component is expelled from the membrane. The composite material may be prepared by grafting functionalized carbon nanotubes to a porous matrix polymer to form a polymer-nanotube composite, then polymerizing styrene onto the carbon nanotubes of the polymer-nanotube composite.