MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS AND CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS FOR TREATMENT OF RENDERING PLANT WASTEWATER

The performance of a novel industrial membrane bioreactor (MBR) comprising denitrification, nitrification and ultrafiltration for the secondary treatment of primary treated animal rendering wastewater has been compared with an experimental, low-cost and novel vertical-flow constructed wetland planted with Typha latifolia L. (Reedmace or Broad-leaved Cattail). The process wastewater followed pre-treatment by dissolved air flotation (DAF). The mean DAF effluent gave highly variable chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia concentrations of 5816 (standard deviation (SD): 3005.0) and 614 (SD: 268.7) mg/l, respectively. The mean MBR effluent for COD and ammonia was 37 and 86 mg/l, respectively. The mean treatment performance of the constructed wetland for COD, ammonia and suspended solids was 205, 67 and 57 mg/l, respectively.     

Gaseous fluxes in the nitrogen and carbon budgets of subsurface flow constructed wetlands

In 2001 and 2002, fluxes of N(2)O, CH(4), CO(2) and N(2) were measured in two constructed wetlands (CW) for domestic wastewater treatment in Estonia. The difference between the median values of N(2)O, CH(4), and N(2) fluxes in the horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) CWs was non-significant, being 1.3-1.4 and 1.4-4.1 mg m(-2) d(-1) for N(2)O-N and CH(4)-C, and 0.16-0.17 g N m(-2) d(-1) for N(2)-N respectively. The CO(2)-C flux was significantly lower (0.6 g C m(-2) d(-1)) in one of the HSSF filters of a hybrid CW, whereas the single HSSF and VSSF filters emitted 1.7 and 2.0 g C m(-2) d(-1). The median value of CH(4)-C emission in CWs varied from 1.4 to 42.6 g C m(-2) d(-1), being significantly higher in the VSSF filter beds. We also estimated C and N budgets in one of the HSSF CWs (312.5 m(2)) for 2001 and 2002. The total C input into this system was similar in 2001 and 2002, 772 and 719 kg C year(-1), but was differently distributed between constituent fluxes. In 2001, the main input flux was soil and microbial accumulation (663 kg C year(-1) or 85.8% of total C input), followed by plant net primary production (NPP) (10.2%) and wastewater inflow (3.9%). In 2002, 55.7% of annual C input was bound in plant NPP, whereas the increase in soil C formed 28.5% and wastewater inflow 15.7%. The main C output flux was soil respiration, including microbial respiration from soil and litter, and the respiration of roots and rhizomes. It formed 120 (97.5%) and 230 kg C year(-1) (98.2%) in 2001 and 2002 respectively. The measured CH(4)-C flux remained below 0.1% of total C output. The HSSF CW was generally found to be a strong C sink, and its annual C sequestration was 649 and 484 kg C year(-1) per wetland in 2001 and 2002 respectively. However, negative soil and microbial accumulation values in recent years indicate decreasing C sequestration. The average annual N removal from the system was 38-59 kg N year(-1) (46-48% of the initial total N loading). The most important flux of the N budget was N(2)-N emission (22.7 kg in 2001 and 15.2 kg in 2002), followed by plant belowground assimilation (2.3 and 11.9 kg N year(-1) in 2001 and 2002), and above-ground assimilation (1.9 and 9.2 kg N year(-1), respectively). N(2)O emission was low: 0.37-0.60 kg N year(-1)(.).     

Development of an Algorithm to Predict Vertical Heat Transfer Through Ceiling/Floor Conduction

This paper describes a new algorithm of the Consolidated Fire Growth and Smoke Transport (CFAST) fire model and compares the results with data from real-scale fire tests conducted aboard the ex-USS Shadwell, the U.S. Navy's Research and Development Damage Control Platform. The new phenomenon modeled in this work is the conduction of heat in the vertical direction. The Shadwell tests chosen for validation purposes were part of the Internal Ship Conflagration Control (ISCC) Program. The work focuses on four compartments of the ship that were vertically aligned. The temperatures of the compartments and the decks between them were compared with model predictions. The predictions were very close to the experimental results for all compartments, although the temperatures rise in the topmost compartment was barely above ambient.     

Variations in water quality during winter in two Yukon rivers with emphasis on dissolved oxygen concentration

Winter variations in water quality were investigated in an arctic and a sub-arctic river basin in the Yukon Territory. In both cases dissolved oxygen depressions were observed during the winter, a phenomenon which occurred at all stations where water was sampled under ice. Lowest values were measured in late winter when ice cover was most extensive and when concentrations of basic cations reached highest annual values. No direct relationship was observed between oxygen levels, ice thickness and ice type. It appears that as winter progresses the stream water consists more and more of groundwater which usually contains low oxygen levels. Because of ice cover during that period little opportunity exists for reaeration and, although river sections with open water showed slightly higher oxygen concentrations than under ice samples, such open areas were not sufficiently large for reaeration. Oxygen concentrations in groundwater thus have a profound influence on oxygen concentration in the streams, but groundwater is not the only cause as other factors such as oxygen uptake by suspended material and biota possibly contribute to the low overall values. Some of the data from this study are corroborated by similar findings in Alaska suggesting that natural oxygen depressions in late winter are a widespread phenomenon in northern environments.     

动态书法墨迹的可回溯感评测

目的 可回溯感是艺术欣赏和临摹时产生的一种审美感受,即在审美过程中想象地再现原作的创作行为,是书法艺术凸显的审美心理现象。在计算机书法的研究中,鲜有研究以动画效果增强书法可回溯感,且缺少关于可回溯感的量化评估方法。因此,本文结合心理感知实验提出可回溯感的测评方法,并探究动态墨迹效果对书法作品可回溯感的影响。方法 首先将可回溯感分解为两种心理因素：顺序感和运动感。然后针对动态书法形式应用粒子动画制作7种不同墨迹效果,并设计心理感知实验对书法作品的可回溯感进行测量,即对选定标记点的运笔顺序进行排列以及对其运笔方向和相对速率进行估计。最后比较原作和动态书法可回溯感的差异,分析动态墨迹对书法作品可回溯感的影响。结果 实验结果证明测评方法是可行的,并发现恰当运用动态墨迹效果,即沿笔迹流动的墨迹动画,可以改进作品的运动感、显著增强顺序感以及提升可回溯感,反之则不能。若混入逆向流动墨迹效果,会削弱其提升顺序感的效用,但减弱的程度与正逆向墨迹的比例并非线性关系。结论 运笔顺序和笔触运动感知的评测方法可以有效量化视觉艺术品的可回溯感,为书法欣赏和临摹过程的研究提供实证方法。动态墨迹的设计也可用于增进书法的艺术化呈现,特别是增强其可回溯感。     

An Experimental Determination of a Real Fire Performance of a Non-Load Bearing Glass Wall Assembly

A glass wall assembly was exposed to an intense real-scale compartment fire. The wall assembly consisted of four glass sections, two of which were fitted with tempered double-pane glass and the other two sections were fitted with tempered single-pane glass. At each glass section, temperatures were measured at the exposed face and the unexposed face. Total heat flux gauges were used to measure both the temporal variation of the energy incident on the glass wall and the transmitted energy rate detected through two of the glass sections. Visual and infrared cameras were used to image the unexposed face of each wall assembly during the fire exposure. Results of glass breakage and subsequent glass fall out were compared to studies in the literature for glass sections exposed to compartment fires. The behavior of the glass wall assembly under a fire load is presented.

Dampness in buildings and health. Nordic interdisciplinary review of the scientific evidence on associations between exposure to "dampness" in buildings and health effects (NORDDAMP)

Several epidemiological investigations concerning indoor environments have indicated that "dampness" in buildings is associated to health effects such as respiratory symptoms, asthma and allergy. The aim of the present interdisciplinary review is to evaluate this association as shown in the epidemiological literature. A literature search identified 590 peer-reviewed articles of which 61 have been the foundation for this review. The review shows that "dampness" in buildings appears to increase the risk for health effects in the airways, such as cough, wheeze and asthma. Relative risks are in the range of OR 1.4-2.2. There also seems to be an association between "dampness" and other symptoms such as tiredness, headache and airways infections. It is concluded that the evidence for a causal association between "dampness" and health effects is strong. However, the mechanisms are unknown. Several definitions of dampness have been used in the studies, but all seems to be associated with health problems. Sensitisation to mites may be one but obviously not the only mechanism. Even if the mechanisms are unknown, there is sufficient evidence to take preventive measures against dampness in buildings.     

Effect of adding phosphate to drinking water on bacterial growth in slightly and highly corroded pipes

The effect of phosphate addition in drinking water was tested under static conditions as batch tests and under dynamic conditions using continuously fed reactors. Phosphate supplements in batch tests from 0.1 to 2 mg P-PO4 L(-1) did not show any relationship between bacterial growth and phosphate concentration. Dynamic tests in slightly corroded reactor (stainless steel) treated at 1 mg P-PO4 L(-1) showed only a moderate improvement in the growth of microorganisms. On the contrary, phosphate treatment applied to the highly corroded reactor (unlined cast iron) led to an immediate, drastic drop in iron oxide release and bacterial production. Phosphate uptake by the reactor wall was less than 14% with the stainless-steel reactor and 70-90% with the corroded cast iron reactor. Moreover, about 5% of the phosphate associated to corroded iron pipe walls was released for 20 days after the end of treatment.     

Short-term bacterial community composition dynamics in response to accumulation and breakdown of Microcystis blooms

Short-term bacterial community composition (BCC) dynamics in response to accumulation and breakdown of Microcystis blooms were examined by conducting in situ mesocosm experiments with varying levels of Microcystis sp. biomass, ranging from 15 to 3217 μg/L as measured by chlorophyll-a concentration in the freshwater water column. The BCC was assessed by means of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of 16S ribosomal RNA genes followed by cloning and sequencing of selected samples. The results showed that the composition of both free-living and particle-attached bacterial communities changed during the accumulation and breakdown phases of a Microcystis bloom, and differences were also evident with different levels of Microcystis biomass. The relative abundance of bacteria affiliated with Micrococcineae and Legionellales increased in general after amendment with Microcystis. Significant correlation between the relative abundance of Micrococcineae and breakdown of Microcystis biomass was also observed. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the changes in the free-living and particle-attached bacterial community were mostly related to the changes in the concentrations of chlorophyll-a, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH, which were mainly induced by the breakdown of Microcystis biomass. Overall, our study revealed the following: i) accumulation of Microcystis blooms and their breakdown have strong impacts on bacterial community composition; ii) there might be saprophytic association between Micrococcineae and decomposition of Microcystis biomass; iii) it is necessary to reveal potential associations between Legionellales organisms and Microcystis blooms in eutrophic freshwater lakes.     

Blue mountains sewage transfer scheme: a review of tunnelling

To preserve the natural surroundings of the Blue Mountains of New South Wales while simultaneously serving the needs of the region's growing population, the Sydney Water Board has developed an improved, but complex, sewage transfer scheme for the area. This paper traces the development of the scheme, with particular attention to the geology of the area, the equipment used to construct the tunnels for the project, and elements of the directional drilling that connects the sewer areas to the tunnel.