Physical and Aggregate Properties

Parameters previously described in Chapters 3 to 5 are related to either specific compounds or groups of compounds, always in solution. Other parameters must be considered to complete the physico-chemical characterisation of water and wastewater. These parameters can be quantified either by electrical sensors (or similar) such as temperature, redox potential or conductivity (which is actually related to the sum of conducting species), or by optical methods for the determination of colour, turbidity or suspended solids. The latter parameters using UV-visible light are presented in this chapter. 

Wastewater is often a mixture of organic and mineral pollutants [3], For example, urban sewage contains both anthropogenic and natural contaminants whose size distribution is very wide (Fig. 1). 

Four families of compounds are usually defined to describe the pollution fractions contained in urban wastewater soluble fraction ( 0.001 ixm), colloidal fraction (0.001-1 p.m), supracolloidal fraction (1-100 p.m) and settleable fraction ( 100 p.m) [4], 

The measurement of total suspended solids (TSS) includes supracolloids and settleable matter. Before considering the TSS measurement, the characterisation of which 

Dissolved fractions Colloidal fraction Supracolloidal fraction Settleable fraction 

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Relatively far from the present topic and well known, the on-line measurement of the physical and aggregate properties of wastewater does not present any problem. Conductivity, temperature, turbidity and oxido-reduction potential (ORP) are easily measured by well-designed sensors, because these parameters are also used for treatment process control. In practice, turbidity is more used for the treatment of natural water, and ORP for the biological treatment of wastewater. However, conductivity and temperature are often monitored at the same time as the other parameters in this section. 

Colorimetric methods are most common and widely employed in environmental wet analysis. Most anions, all metals, and many physical and aggregate properties can be determined by colorimetric technique, which is fast and cost-effective. The method may, however, be unreliable for dirty and colored samples. Often, the presence of certain substances in samples can interfere with the test. In addition, if the color formation involves a weak color such as yellow, additional confirmatory tests should be performed. Despite these drawbacks, colorimetry is often the method of choice for a number of wet analyses. 

In the development of a SE-HPLC method the variables that may be manipulated and optimized are the column (matrix type, particle and pore size, and physical dimension), buffer system (type and ionic strength), pH, and solubility additives (e.g., organic solvents, detergents). Once a column and mobile phase system have been selected the system parameters of protein load (amount of material and volume) and flow rate should also be optimized. A beneficial approach to the development of a SE-HPLC method is to optimize the multiple variables by the use of statistical experimental design. Also, information about the physical and chemical properties such as pH or ionic strength, solubility, and especially conditions that promote aggregation can be applied to the development of a SE-HPLC assay. Typical problems encountered during the development of a SE-HPLC assay are protein insolubility and column stationary phase... 

The dodecahydrododecaborate anion, B H 2-, is termed unique with considerable justification. This ion and its perhalo derivatives, e.g., Bi2C1i22-, are the most symmetrical molecular aggregates known. The boron atoms occupy the vertices of a regular icosahedron and each is bonded terminally to a hydrogen atom all boron atoms are environmentally equivalent.7,8 This anion is the only known example of the 7 symmetry group.8 General spectral, physical, and chemical properties of Bx2Hi22-are detailed in a paper by Muetterties et al.9... 

Whiskers are synthetic crystalline fibers of variable size, but with diameters of usually less than 25 microns. An upper limit in diameter exists because the physical and chemical properties approach those of the bulk material as the diameter of fibrous sample increases. Since the purpose of synthesis is to take advantage of some characteristic property of the material in fibrous form, such as enhanced strength for small volume, the optimum material has a small diameter. For similar reasons the aspect ratio of useful whiskers is often well over 100. Whiskers can be single crystals, but many are polycrystalline aggregates of fibrils with preferred orientations. The compositions and crystal structures of the compounds synthesized as crystalline fibers also have the broadest possible variety (Brenner, 1958). 

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