Previous studies showed that water chemistry and concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) could affect its molecular conformation and binding characteristics with hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs). However, the conformational change of DOM resultant from water chemistry and concentrations of DOM was not extensively investigated; therefore, the contradictory reports regarding the binding property with HOCs were available in literature. In this study, the effects of ionic strength, pH and DOM concentrations on the fluorescence properties of two humic acids (HA), namely Fluka HA and Amherst HA, were investigated by three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (3DEEM) and steady-state fluorescence polarization (FP) techniques. The results not only corroborated previous observations obtained by other investigators, but revealed some new information about the fluorescence properties and molecular conformation of the humic acids under different water chemistry and DOM concentration conditions, which could shed light on its binding mechanisms and binding properties with HOCs.
Antimony (Sb) has received increasing environmental concerns due to its potential toxic and carcinogenic properties. In the present work, the electrocoagulation technique was used to treat the flotation wastewater from a heavy antimony polluted area, and the mechanism of removing Sb was also investigated. The study focused on the effect of operation parameters such as current density, initial pH and standing time on the Sb removal efficiency. Antimony concentration of below 1 mg/L in the treated wastewater was achieved, which meets the emission standards established by State Department of Environmental Protection and State Administration of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine of China.
