Investigation of Potential Pathways and Multi-Cycle Bioregeneration of Ion-Exchange Resin Laden with Perchlorate
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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 8-2010 Investigation of potential pathways and multi-cycle bioregeneration of ion-exchange resin laden with perchlorate Mohamadali Sharbatmaleki University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Civil Engineering Commons, Environmental Engineering Commons, and the Water Resource Management Commons Repository Citation Sharbatmaleki, Mohamadali, "Investigation of potential pathways and multi-cycle bioregeneration of ion- exchange resin laden with perchlorate" (2010). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 874. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/2220601 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). 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INVESTIGATION OF POTENTIAL PATHWAYS AND MULTI-CYCLE BIOREGENERATION OF ION-EXCHANGE RESIN LADEN WITH PERCHLORATE by Mohamadali Sharbatmaleki Bachelor of Science University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran 2003 Master of Science Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran 2005 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas August 2010 THE GRADUATE COLLEGE We recommend the dissertation prepared under our supervision by Mohamadali Sharbatmaleki entitled Investigation of Potential Pathways and Multi-cycle Bioregeneration of Ion-Exchange Resin Laden with Perchlorate be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Jacimaria R. Batista, Committee Chair Sajjad Ahmad, Committee Member David E. James, Committee Member Richard F. Unz, Committee Member Charalambos Papelis, Graduate Faculty Representative Ronald Smith, Ph. D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate College August 2010 ii ABSTRACT Investigation of Potential Pathways and Multi-cycle Bioregeneration of Ion- Exchange Resin Laden with Perchlorate by Mohamadali Sharbatmaleki Dr. Jacimaria R. Batista, Examination Committee Chair Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Nevada, Las Vegas Ion-exchange (IX) is possibly the most feasible technology for perchlorate removal and perchlorate-selective and non-selective IX resins are commercially available for this purpose. The use of both resins has shortcomings. Selective resins are incinerated after one time use, and non-selective resins produce a regenerant waste stream that contains high concentration of perchlorate. A process involving directly contacting of spent IX resin containing perchlorate with perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB) to bioregenerate the resin has been developed and proven recently. In this process PRB biodegrade perchlorate ions which are attached to the functional groups of the resin. Although its feasibility has been proven, there are two issues related to resin bioregeneration technology that deserve attention and were addressed in this research. The first issue relates to the investigation of the mechanisms responsible for resin bioregeneration. It was envisioned that the bioregeneration process involves four steps. First, resin-attached perchlorate (RAP) ions are desorbed from their original functional groups by chloride ion. Second, perchlorate ions are diffused through the pores of the resin. It was expected that this diffusion is affected by both resin bead size and structure. iii Third, perchlorate ions are transferred through the liquid film surrounding the resin to the bulk liquid. Forth, perchlorate ions are utilized by the PRB present in the bulk liquid. The results of the bioregeneration experiments suggested that chloride, the waste product of perchlorate biodegradation, is more likely the desorbing agent of RAP, and increasing the concentration of chloride enhances the bioregeneration process. For commercially available resins, both film and pore diffusion were found to affect the rate of mass transfer. In addition, macroporous resins were found to be more effective than gel-type resins in the bioregeneration process. Bioregeneration rates were faster for resins of smaller bead diameter. The outcome of this study implies that in resin bioregeneration, the use of macroporous resin with relatively smaller bead size in presence of chloride would be preferred. Chloride concentration, however, should be kept below the inhibitory level for PRB microbial activities. The second issue of bioregeneration process is the possibility of multi-cycle bioregeneration of IX resin. The results of the experiments revealed that capacity loss, which is the main concern in multi-cycle bioregeneration process, stabilized after a few cycles of bioregeneration indicating that the number of loading and bioregeneration cycles that can be performed is likely greater than the five cycles tested. The results further indicated that as bioregeneration progresses, clogging of the resin pores results in the decrease in mass transfer flux from the inner portion of the resin to the bulk microbial culture contributing to stronger mass transfer limitation in the bioregeneration process. Perchlorate buildup, resulting from un-degraded perchlorate accumulation in the inner portion of the resin, after each bioregeneration cycle is a major drawback that limits the number of bioregeneration cycles that can be performed. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and above all, I praise God, the almighty for providing me this opportunity and granting me the capability to proceed successfully. I would like to thank my adviser and mentor Dr. Jacimaria R. Batista for her extensive support, guidance, and encouragements. I also would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, Dr. David E. James, Dr. Charalambos Papelis, and Dr. Richard F. Unz for their careful review and suggestions for improving this dissertation. I would like to thank the UNLV Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for offering me a teaching assistantship position for five semesters. I also would like to thank Basin Water, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, California for supporting my research. Appreciation is give to Nevada Power, and Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) for their generous scholarships that noticeably helped me to focus on my research. Many people have helped me during my four years at UNLV. I would like to express thanks to Jon Becker, Kristie Berthelotte, Dr. David W. Emerson, Dr. Nader Ghafoori, Dr. Edward S. Neumann, Dr. Lihua.Qian, Dr. Spencer M. Steinberg, Dr. Richard Tandy, and Allen Sampson. I appreciate the help of the UNLV Writing Center that patiently read my dissertation and taught me English. I would like to thank all colleagues from TBE-B109 for their friendship and positive thinking. My family in Iran, thanks for being with me for all supports and encouragements. Mina, thank you for all your love and patience during the good and difficult moments of my life. I love you so much. Lastly, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my mother, Nesa, who sacrificed all her life for me. She taught me how to live and how to be a good human being. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT .................................................................... 1 1.1. Introduction and Objectives ................................................................................. 1 1.2. Research Issues .................................................................................................... 4 1.3. Knowledge Gaps and Hypotheses ....................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 2 STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ................................................................ 13 2.1. Perchlorate in the Environment ......................................................................... 13 2.2. Perchlorate Contamination in the U.S. ............................................................. 14 2.3. Perchlorate Removal Technologies .................................................................. 16 2.4. Ion-Exchange Process for Perchlorate and Nitrate Removal ............................ 18 2.4.1. Ion Exchange Materials .......................................................................... 19 2.4.1.1. Strong-Base