scholarly journals Effect of the Type of Gas-Permeable Membrane in Ammonia Recovery from Air

Environments ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Soto-Herranz ◽  
Mercedes Sánchez-Báscones ◽  
Juan Antolín-Rodríguez ◽  
Diego Conde-Cid ◽  
Matias Vanotti

Animal production is one of the largest contributors to ammonia emissions. A project, “Ammonia Trapping”, was designed to recover gaseous ammonia from animal barns in Spain. Laboratory experiments were conducted to select a type of membrane most suitable for gaseous ammonia trapping. Three types of gas-permeable membranes (GPM), all made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), but with different diameter (3.0 to 8.6 mm), polymer density (0.45 to 1.09), air permeability (2 to 40 L·min−1·cm2), and porosity (5.6 to 21.8%) were evaluated for their effectiveness to recover gas phase ammonia. The ammonia evolved from a synthetic solution (NH4Cl + NaHCO3 + allylthiourea), and an acidic solution (1 N H2SO4) was used as the ammonia trapping solution. Replicated tests were performed simultaneously during a period of 7 days with a constant flow of acidic solution circulating through the lumen of the tubular membrane. The ammonia recovery yields were higher with the use of membranes of greater diameter and corresponding surface area, but they were not affected by the large differences in material density, porosity, air permeability, and wall thickness in the range evaluated. A higher fluid velocity of the acidic solution significantly increased—approximately 3 times—the mass NH3–N recovered per unit of membrane surface area and time (N-flux), from 1.7 to 5.8 mg N·cm−2·d−1. Therefore, to optimize the effectiveness of GPM system to capture gaseous ammonia, the appropriate velocity of the circulating acidic solution should be an important design consideration.

Environments ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berta Riaño ◽  
Beatriz Molinuevo-Salces ◽  
Matías B. Vanotti ◽  
María Cruz García-González

Gas-permeable membrane technology is a new strategy to minimize ammonia losses from manure, reducing pollution and recovering N in the form of an ammonium salt fertilizer. In this work, a new operational configuration to recover N using the gas-permeable membrane technology from swine manure was tested in a semi-continuous mode. It treated swine manure with a total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration of 3451 mg L−1. The system was operated with low aeration rate (to raise pH), and with hydraulic retention times (HRT) of seven days (Period I) and five days (Period II) that provided total ammonia nitrogen loading rate (ALR) treatments of 491 and 696 mg TAN per L of reactor per day, respectively. Results showed a uniform TAN recovery rate of 27 g per m2 of membrane surface per day regardless of the ALR applied and the manure TAN concentration in the reactor. TAN removal reached 79% for Period I and 56% for Period II, with 90% of recovery by the membrane in both periods. Water capture in the acidic solution was also uniform during the experimental period. An increase in temperature of 3 °C of the acidic solution relative to the wastewater reduced 34% the osmotic distillation and water dilution of the product. These results suggested that the gas-permeable membrane technology operating in a semi-continuous mode has a great potential for TAN recovery from manure.


Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 538
Author(s):  
María Soto-Herranz ◽  
Mercedes Sánchez-Báscones ◽  
Juan Manuel Antolín-Rodríguez ◽  
Matías B. Vanotti ◽  
Pablo Martín-Ramos

Ammonia losses from manure pose serious problems for ecosystems and human and animal health. Gas-permeable membranes (GPMs) constitute a promising approach to address the challenge of reducing farm ammonia emissions and to attain the EU’s Clean Air Package goals. In this study, the effect of NH3-N concentration, membrane surface area, acid flux, and type of capture solution on ammonia recovery was investigated for a suspended GPM system through three experiments, in which ammonia was released from a synthetic solution (NH4Cl + NaHCO3 + allylthiourea). The effect of two surface areas (81.7 and 163.4 cm2) was first evaluated using three different synthetic N emitting concentrations (3000, 6000, and 12,000 mg NH3-N∙L−1) and keeping the flow of acidic solution (1N H2SO4) constant (0.8 L·h−1). A direct relationship was found between the amount of NH3 captured and the NH3-N concentration in the N-emitting solution, and between the amount of NH3 captured and the membrane surface area at the two lowest concentrations. Nonetheless, the use of a larger membrane surface barely improved ammonia capture at the highest concentration, pointing to the existence of other limiting factors. Hence, ammonia capture was then studied using different acid flow rates (0.8, 1.3, 1.6, and 2.1 L∙h−1) at a fixed N emitting concentration of 6000 mg NH3-N∙L−1 and a surface area of 122.5 cm2. A higher acid flow rate (0.8–2.1 L∙h−1) resulted in a substantial increase in ammonia absorption, from 165 to 262 mg of NH3∙d−1 over a 14-day period. Taking the parameters that led to the best results in experiments 1 and 2, different types of ammonia capture solutions (H2SO4, water and carbonated water) were finally compared under refrigeration conditions (at 2 °C). A high NH3 recovery (81% in 7 days), comparable to that obtained with the H2SO4 solution (88%), was attained when chilled water was used as the capture solution. The presented results point to the need to carefully optimize the emitter concentration, flow rate, and type of capture solution to maximize the effectiveness of suspended GPM systems, and suggest that chilled water may be used as an alternative to conventional acidic solutions, with associated savings.


Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Berta Riaño ◽  
Beatriz Molinuevo-Salces ◽  
Matías B. Vanotti ◽  
María Cruz García-González

The reduction and recovery of nitrogen (N) from anaerobically digested manure (digestate) is desirable to mitigate N-related emissions, mainly ammonia and nitrate, derived from digestate land application in nutrient-saturated zones. This work reports the results of a gas-permeable membrane (GPM) pilot-scale plant to recover ammonia from digestate in the framework of the EU project Ammonia Trapping. The total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration in digestate was reduced by 34.2% on average (range 9.4–57.4%). The recovery of TAN in the trapping solution in the form of a (NH4)2SO4 solution averaged 55.3% of the removed TAN, with a TAN recovery rate of 16.2 g N m−2 d−1 (range between 14.5 and 21.0 g N m−2 d−1). The TAN concentration in the trapping solution achieved a value of up to 35,000 mg N L−1. The frequent change of the trapping solution has been proven as an efficient strategy to improve the overall performance of the GPM technology.


1992 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 907-913 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.J. Cannon ◽  
J.A. Swanson

Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages, which measure 13.8 +/− 2.3 microns diameter in suspension, can ingest IgG-opsonized latex beads greater than 20 microns diameter. A precise assay has allowed the determination of the phagocytic capacity, and of physiological parameters that limit that capacity. Ingestion of beads larger than 15 microns diameter required IgG-opsonization, and took 30 minutes to reach completion. Despite the dependence on Fc-receptors for phagocytosis of larger beads, cells reached their limit before all cell surface Fc-receptors were occupied. The maximal membrane surface area after frustrated phagocytosis of opsonized coverslips was similar to the membrane surface area required to engulf particles at the limiting diameter, indicating that the capacity was independent of particle shape. Vacuolation of the lysosomal compartment with sucrose, which expanded endocytic compartments, lowered the phagocytic capacity. This decrease was reversed when sucrose vacuoles were collapsed by incubation of cells with invertase. These experiments indicate that the phagocytic capacity is limited by the amount of available membrane, rather than by the availability of Fc-receptors. The capacity was also reduced by depolymerization of cytoplasmic microtubules with nocodazole. Nocodazole did not affect the area of maximal cell spreading during frustrated phagocytosis, but did alter the shape of the spread cells. Thus, microtubules may coordinate cytoplasm for engulfment of the largest particles.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 323
Author(s):  
Sophia Delicou ◽  
Aikaterini Xydaki ◽  
Chryssanthi Kontaxi ◽  
Konstantinos Maragkos

Hemolytic anemia due to abnormalities of the erythrocyte membrane comprises an important group of inherited disorders. These include hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis, hereditary pyropoikilocytosis, and the hereditary stomatocytosis syndromes. The erythrocyte membrane skeleton composed of spectrin, actin, and several other proteins is essential for the maintenance of the erythrocyte shape, reversible deformability, and membrane structural integrity in addition to controlling the lateral mobility of integral membrane proteins. These disorders are characterized by clinical and laboratory heterogeneity and, as evidenced by recent molecular studies, by genetic heterogeneity. Defects in various proteins involved in linking the lipid bilayer to membrane skeleton result in loss in membrane cohesion leading to surface area loss and hereditary spherocytosis while defects in proteins involved in lateral interactions of the spectrin-based skeleton lead to decreased mechanical stability, membrane fragmentation and hereditary elliptocytosis. The disease severity is primarily dependent on the extent of membrane surface area loss. Treatment with splenectomy is curative in most patients.


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
NS Chowdhury ◽  
FMM Islam ◽  
F Zafreen ◽  
BA Begum ◽  
N Sultana ◽  
...  

Introduction: Patients with end stage renal disease require 12 hours of haemodialysis per week in three equal sessions (4 hours/day for 3 days/week). But the duration and frequency of treatment can be reduced by increasing the surface area of the dialyzer membrane. Methods: In this prospective study 40 patients of end stage renal disease receiving haemodialysis for more than six months were included to observe the effects of increment in the surface area of the dialyzer membrane on the adequacy of haemodialysis. Result: It was observed that 20 patients receiving haemodialysis on a dialyzer with membrane surface area of 1.2 m² did not have satisfactory solute clearance index. Urea reduction ratio was 45.9 ± 3.03 and fractional urea clearance (Kt/V) was 0.76 ± 0.09. On the other hand patients (20 cases) receiving haemodialysis on a dialyzer with membrane surface area of 1.3 m² had a urea reduction ratio 50.76± 5.16 and fractional urea clearance (Kt/V) 0.91 ± 0.16. All the patients of both groups received dialysis for 8 hours/week in two equal sessions (4 hours/day for 2 days/week). Statistically the increment was significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study reveals, adequacy of dialysis can be increased by increasing the surface area of the dialyzer membrane. So, considering the poor socioeconomic condition of Bangladesh and patients' convenience, a short duration, low cost dialysis regime can be tried by increasing the surface area of dialyzer membrane. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v7i2.10387 JAFMC 2011; 7(2): 9-11


Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Fanny Rivera ◽  
Raúl Muñoz ◽  
Pedro Prádanos ◽  
Antonio Hernández ◽  
Laura Palacio

Ammonia recovery from synthetic and real anaerobic digestates was accomplished using hydrophobic flat sheet membranes operated with H2SO4 solutions to convert ammonia into ammonium sulphate. The influence of the membrane material, flow rate (0.007, 0.015, 0.030 and 0.045 m3 h−1) and pH (7.6, 8.9, 10 and 11) of the digestate on ammonia recovery was investigated. The process was carried out with a flat sheet configuration at a temperature of 35 °C and with a 1 M, or 0.005 M, H2SO4 solution on the other side of the membrane. Polytetrafluoroethylene membranes with a nominal pore radius of 0.22 µm provided ammonia recoveries from synthetic and real digestates of 84.6% ± 1.0% and 71.6% ± 0.3%, respectively, for a membrane area of 8.6 × 10−4 m2 and a reservoir volume of 0.5 L, in 3.5 h with a 1 M H2SO4 solution and a recirculation flow on the feed side of the membrane of 0.030 m3 h−1. NH3 recovery followed first order kinetics and was faster at higher pHs of the H2SO4 solution and recirculation flow rate on the membrane feed side. Fouling resulted in changes in membrane surface morphology and pore size, which were confirmed by Atomic Force Microscopy and Air Displacement Porometry.


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