In one embodiment, the invention relates to a carbon-based boron removal medium with hydroxyl groups and amine group, and in particular, to a method for forming the carbon-based boron removal medium. In a specific embodiment, nitrogen-doped (N-doped) graphene oxide is synthesized by a simple two-step process: (1) oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide, and (2) nitrogen-doping (N-doping) the graphene oxide to form the amine group. The resultant N-doped graphene oxide can efficiently remove boron from aqueous solutions. In another embodiment, a method of sensing or detecting the presence of boron in an aqueous solution by using a boron sensing medium comprises at least two hydroxyl groups and at least one pyridinic nitrogen or pyrrolic nitrogen or quaternary nitrogen (i.e. pyridoxine, in particular vitamin B6). The boron ions in the solution would form a highly ionized complex, which can cause significant increase in electrical conductivity of the solution, which can then be used to measure the concentration of boron in said solution.

A process for the industrial production of sea water (M3) that is basically suitable for alimentary use, includes the following steps: drawing sea water with corresponding decantation (3); filtration (4); and sterilization (5), until a purified sea water (M1) is obtained; the process being characterized in that it envisages the further steps of: boron abatement (6) until a sea water is obtained with a boron content of less than one milligram per liter (M2); further filtration (7); sterilization (8) of the possible residual microorganisms; continuous and strict analyses, examinations, and checks (9) of the sea water in the respective various steps of purification thereof, to guarantee that a sea water (M3) is obtained that is microbiologically pure, filtered, and hence free from any pathogenic agents; and storage in tanks or bottling (10) of the purified sea water ready for use in various applications, amongst which basically alimentary use.

A thin film nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane or TFC-NF membrane includes an ultrafiltration support membrane coated with a trimesic acid coating layer. The trimesic acid coating layer is formed or self-assembled on the ultrafiltration support membrane by pouring an aqueous solution of a water soluble tertiary amine on the support membrane to form a first coating layer and then applying a solution of trimesolychloride on the first coating layer. In other words, the trimesic acid coating layer can be formed as a result of the liquid-liquid interface of the water soluble tertiary amine and the trimesolychloride. A total thickness of the TFC-NF membrane can be about 150 ?m. The thin film nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane can be free from MPD monomers.

A process for the preparation from a partially decomposed organic material like peat a granulated or pelletized sorption medium using low-temperature, thermal activation of the sorption medium to produce a high degree of granule or pellet hardness balanced against an efficacious level of ion-exchange and adsorption capacity, followed by chemical treatment of the thermally-activated sorption material via an acid solution and a salt solution to increase its ion-exchange and adsorption performance while minimizing the transfer of natural impurities found in the sorption medium to an aqueous solution is provided by this invention. The sorption medium of this invention can be used in a variety of aqueous solution treatment processes, such as wastewater treatment.

Provided are water treatment systems and methods of treating water that include separating dissolved salts from a feed stream using an organic solvent brine stream. For example, described are water treatment systems comprising: an electrodialysis device comprising an inlet feed stream, an inlet brine stream, an outlet product stream, and an outlet brine stream; and a precipitation tank comprising an inlet stream and an outlet stream, wherein the inlet stream of the precipitation tank comprises the outlet brine stream of the electrodialysis device, and the inlet brine stream of the electrodialysis device comprises the outlet stream of the precipitation tank, and wherein inlet brine stream and outlet brine stream comprises an organic solvent.

A method for treating wastewater is disclosed. The method is useful in particular for treating wastewater that is generated from the process of drilling, hydraulic fracturing and/or cleaning a bore of an oil or natural gas well bore. The method may include performing cold lime softening of the wastewater to form waste salt flocs, filtration of waste salt flocs, ozonation of the filtrate from the filtration, and reverse osmosis of the filtrate to produce a purified permeate.

The removal of oxoanions from an aqueous stream having a concentration of a metal cation and a concentration of an oxoanion that varies over time may involve continuously monitoring the concentration of the metal cation and the concentration of the oxoanion to provide a current metal cation concentration and a current oxoanion concentration. A metal cation source and an aluminum reagent may be added to the aqueous stream based on the measured current metal cation concentration and the current oxoanion concentration. The amount of the metal cation source and the aluminum reagent added to the stream may be effective to reduce the concentration of the oxoanion in the aqueous stream below a target threshold.

A dolomite-based adsorbent for heavy metal, halogen and metalloid is half-fired dolomite, and a content of a residual CaMg(CO.sub.3).sub.2 phase in the half-fired dolomite, which is analyzed using a Rietveld method by means of powder X-ray diffraction, is 0.4x35.4 (wt %), and preferably, the dolomite-based absorbent for heavy metal, halogen and metalloid further comprises ferrous sulfate.

An inorganic material for removing a harmful substance from wastewater is provided. The inorganic material includes a plurality of porous silicate particles having a glass phase structure, wherein the plurality of porous silicate particles include silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, barium oxide, cesium oxide, and boron oxide, and have a zeta potential of a negative value at pH of from 1 to 5, and wherein the average pore diameter of the porous silicate particles is in a range of from 3 to 50 nm. Moreover, a method for preparing an inorganic material for removing a harmful substance from wastewater and a method for wastewater treatment are further provided.

An object of the present invention is to provide a multilayer separation membrane having excellent performance on both removal of suspended solids in water and adsorptive removal of metal ions in water. A multilayer separation membrane of the present invention includes: a porous adsorption layer including substantially a polymer having chelating functional groups; and a porous clarification layer, and the porous clarification layer is disposed neater to a raw water-side than the porous adsorption layer.