Co-digestion of energy crops and the source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

The biological and technical performance during co-digestion of energy crops and the source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste has been investigated at laboratory and pilot scale. A 50:50 (TS-based) mixture of energy crops and organic waste reached a loading rate of 6.0 gVS L(-1)d(-1) with a methane yield of 0.33-0.38 LgVS(-1), while a 80:20 mixture showed elevated levels of volatile fatty acids at 5.5 gVS L(-1)d(-1) The better performance of the 50:50 mixture can partly be explained by a better nutritional composition. Mincing the ley crop reduced viscosity and reduced problems with fibre floating and scum-blanket formation. The electricity consumed for mincing and stirring at a full-scale plant corresponds to ca 3% of the energy produced. Calculations of the costs for full-scale plants indicate that the price of the upgraded biogas has to be at least 0.078 Euro/kWh in order to balance the costs.     

粘性泥石流的输沙浓度与运动速度

作者通过泥石流运动机理分析,并引用我国粘性泥石流流速的野外实测资料统计,得到能反映泥石流特性的粘性泥流速度公式,这一结果通过我国西南地区各粘性泥石流沟的实测资料检验,表明具有一定的实用价值。     

Iron-mediated removal of ammonium from strong nitrogenous wastewater from food processing.

The combination of microbial reduction and further microbial oxidation of iron was applied to the treatment of food-processing wastewater and recovery of ammonium. Fe2+ ions were formed by iron-reducing bacteria under anaerobic conditions. Ammonium was recovered by co-precipitation with negatively charged iron hydroxides produced during oxidation of Fe2+ by iron-oxidizing bacteria under microaerophilic conditions. The value-added by-product of this process can be used as a slowly released ammonium fertilizer.     

Environmental risk assessment for quaternary ammonium compounds: a case study from Austria.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) are widely used as disinfectants, biocides, and detergents, among a variety of other applications. The cationic surface-activity of QAC determines their potential to act as a biocide on both target and non-target organisms. This study aims to provide a broad-based environmental risk characterization and evaluation for selected QAC with particular focus on the situation in Austrian rivers. A modular study design was employed involving environmental exposure characterization, QAC fate and effect analysis in wastewater, ecotoxicological effect characterization, and environmental risk evaluation. A wide array of Austrian surface waters and wastewater effluents were screened for the selected key compounds, benzalkonium chlorides and dialkyldimethylammonium chlorides with different C-chain lengths. Ecotoxicological effect characterization was based on both microbiotests for a set of representative aquatic organisms and a literature review. For risk evaluation, the PEC/PNEC ratio was above 1 for some rivers. Notably, small rivers with a high particulate matter were contaminated with QAC in the case of high water incidents. Hence, for the Austrian sites studied, a QAC-derived risk to sensitive aquatic non-target organisms could not be excluded.     

Co-digestion of manure and biowaste according to the EC animal by-products regulation and Finnish national regulations.

The objective of this study was to compare methane production and characteristics of digested material in anaerobic digestion concepts according to the Animal By-Products Regulation (ABP-Regulation) of the EC (hygienisation of biowaste for 1 hour at 70 degrees C, particle size < 12 mm) and Finnish national regulations (treatment temperature 55 degrees C, feeding interval 24 h, hydraulic retention time (HRT) 20 d, particle size < 40 mm) and with small variations in treatment methods for treating manure and biowaste. Moreover, the survival of three different salmonella bacteria in these processes was studied. Hygienisation of biowaste prior to digestion at 35 degrees C enhanced methane production by 14-18% compared to similar treatment without hygienisation. The differences in treatment temperature, HRT and hygienisation of biowaste prior to digestion did not significantly affect the characteristics of digested material. The concepts according to the ABP-Regulation and Finnish national regulations were effective in destroying salmonella bacteria to an undetectable level.     

Direct generation of electricity from sludges and other liquid wastes.

Recently it has been shown that electrical energy can be harvested from marine sediments, simply by connection of an electrode (anode) in anaerobic marine sediments to an electrode in the aerobic zone above the sediments. We have now shown that similar applications are available in sludge treatment. Using a reactor with graphite foil electrodes in an aerated aerobic and anaerobic sludge zone, electrical current was generated, and enhanced when an additional organic substrate (acetate) was added. Electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and PCR examination of the anode surface showed no surface colonization and no increase in Geobacter relative to a control, indicating that microbial use of the anode as an electron acceptor wa indirect through the use of redox mediators. Given the demonstration of electricity generation from sludge, the potential for similar applications, using other organic waste sources, is evaluated.     

Performance of membrane bioreactors used for the treatment of wastewater from the chemical and textile industries.

Within the scope of the study, nine waste waters from the chemical and textile industries were treated in bench-scale (laboratory scale) and small-scale (pilot scale) membrane bioreactors. Depending on wastewater characteristics, the resulting performance varied significantly. It was observed that MBR effectiveness was determined primarily by the degree of biodegradability of the wastewater. In the course of several months of operation, no significant changes associated with the complete retention of the biomass by the membranes were observed. In some cases, it was possible to improve effluent quality by using smaller molecular separation sizes. The flux performance of the membrane modules was dependent on wastewater composition. Occasionally, non-degradable macromolecular substances concentrated in the bioreactor, resulting in strongly reduced filterability and flow performance of the membrane modules, consequently also reducing the economic viability of the process. The results demonstrate that wastewater-specific pilot tests are absolutely necessary, in particular if the technology is to be used for new applications.     

Modeling the influence of temperature on degree of concentration polarization in reverse osmosis systems.

A model describing the influence of temperature on degree of concentration polarization is proposed. The model is based on the following assumptions: (1) membrane morphology is temperature-independent; (2) transport characteristics of membrane are invariant with coordinate; (3) specific water permeability of the membrane is based on exponential dependence of viscosity vs. temperature; (4) temperature-dependence of membrane rejection is assumed to be linear. Proposed models permit quantitative correlations of longitudinal mass flow and degree of concentration polarization at different operating temperatures. It enables analysis of the influence of temperature, mass flow, bulk concentration, axial velocity, channel geometry, physical properties and membrane rejection on longitudinal distribution of concentration polarization degree. The submitted model does not contain digital integration and can be segmented into optimization algorithms.     

Microsensor measurement of oxygen concentration in biofilms: from one dimension to three dimensions.

In this study, we measured oxygen concentration in biofilms in one dimension in field conditions and in three dimensions in laboratory conditions by using a robust oxygen microsensor in combination with an automation and data acquisition system. The biofilms were on the discs of rotating biological contactors treating domestic wastewater. The results of this study provide experimental evidence on oxygen distribution in wastewater biofilms and on biofilm structure. (1) The three dimensional measurements of oxygen concentration in biofilms revealed "pockets" of oxygen in deep sections of biofilms. In these isolated "pockets," located 600-760 microm from the biofilm surface, dissolved oxygen concentration was as high as 1 mg/L. This depth of oxygen diffusion is deeper than what was determined based on one dimensional measurements. (2) The heterogeneity of oxygen distribution was related to the surface structure of biofilms. The structure of the biofilm surface affected the diffusion boundary layer over the surface and, in turn, the oxygen diffusion and distribution inside biofilms. (3) Oxygen concentration in biofilms changed generally from a high degree of heterogeneity near the biofilm surface to a low degree of heterogeneity in deep sections of biofilms, indicating a cell-clusters-like structure near the surface and a more compact base layer close to the substratum.     

Anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse waste with UF-membrane separation and recycling of permeate after free ammonia stripping.

Anaerobic digestion can adapt to free ammonia to a certain extent. During the anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse waste, however, an ammonia concentration of up to 15 g Nl(-1) can be reached in the sludge liquid and this will even inhibit adapted sludge. To lower this concentration, a fraction of the digester liquid must therefore be continuously separated from the digested sludge and the free ammonia stripped before the liquid is recycled to the digester. A mesophilic laboratory digester was successfully operated with an ammonium concentration of 4-5g l(-1) and a pH of 8.0-8.4. After free ammonia stripping, the excess liquid was treated in a laboratory SBR for nitrogen and phosphorus removal before being added to the receiving water. The effluent had no toxic effect on daphnia and algae.     

The influence of diffuse pollution on groundwater content patterns for the groundwater bodies of Germany.

Commissioned by Germany's Working Group of the Federal States on Water Problems (LAWA) the authors developed a procedure to define natural groundwater conditions from groundwater monitoring data. The distribution pattern of a specific groundwater parameter observed by a number of groundwater monitoring stations within a petrographically comparable groundwater typology is reproduced by two statistical distribution functions, representing the "natural" and "influenced" component. The range of natural groundwater concentrations is characterized by confidence intervals of the distribution function of the natural component. The applicability of the approach was established for 17 hydrochemical different groundwater typologies occurring throughout Germany. Based on groundwater monitoring data from ca. 26,000 groundwater-monitoring stations, 40 different hydrochemical parameters were evaluated for each groundwater typology. For all investigated parameters the range of natural groundwater concentrations has been identified. According to the requirements of the EC Water Framework Directive (article 17) (WFD) this study is a basis for the German position to propose criteria for assessing a reference state for a "good groundwater chemical status".     

Post-treatment of a slaughterhouse wastewater: stability of the microbial community of a sequencing batch reactor operated under oxygen limited conditions.

Slaughterhouse wastewater is a complex effluent with an important content of organic nitrogen. After an anaerobic treatment where most of the organic matter is removed, the nitrogen, remains as ammonium and post-treatment of the effluent is necessary. Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology has been developed to completely remove nitrogen in one single reactor combining aerobic and anoxic stages. Under oxygen limited conditions only nitrite is produced with concomitant energy saving. The stability and diversity of the microbial community from a nitrifying denitrifying SBR operated under oxygen limited conditions were studied using molecular and respirometric methods. The AOB (ammonia oxidizing bacteria) community was relatively stable Nitrosomonas being the dominant genera although Nitrosospira and Nitrosococcus were detected in low proportions. Nitrite oxidizing bacteria were out competed during the operation under oxygen-limited conditions. After an increase of the DO in the reactor Nitrobacter spp were detected suggesting that they remained in the system. Changes in the AOB and denitrifying communities were observed after the DO increase. Sedimentation problems were detected during operation, this could be related to the predominance of Thauera spp detected by FISH and T-RFLP.     

Removal of ammonium from human urine through ion exchange with clinoptilolite and its recovery for further reuse.

Ammonium, from separately collected human urine, had been removed through transfer onto the ammonium selective natural zeolite, clinoptilolite, through ion exchange. In the subsequent treatment steps of washing with tap water, ammonium removed from urine was eluted from the surface of the clinoptilolite to be recovered for further reuse. Different quantities of clinoptilolite were used for a survey of the capacity of the zeolite for the process and to identify removal efficiencies based on initial ammonium loads. The highest surface concentration attained under experimental conditions employed was 15.44 mg ammonium per gram of clinoptilolite for an initial concentration of 110 mg ammonia per litre, and the highest removal was 98%, obtained for a loading of 1 mg ammonium per gram clinoptilolite. In the subsequent elution process, better removals were observed as pH was increased and the highest removal was attained at pH 13. The recovery was calculated as 9.73 mg ammonium per gram of clinoptilolite, corresponding to an efficiency of 63% only through washing with tap water. The results have given positive indications for the possibility of using ion exchange with clinoptilolite for the removal of ammonium from human urine and an incentive for improving methods of elution for its recovery for further reuse.     

Fertilizer potential of liquid and solid effluent from thermophilic anaerobic digestion of poultry waste.

Thermophilic anaerobic treatment of poultry litter produces an effluent stream of digested materials that can be separated into solid and liquid fractions for use as a crop fertilizer. The majority of the phosphorus is partitioned into the solid fraction while the majority of the nitrogen is present in the liquid fraction in the form of ammonium. These materials were tested over six years as an alternative fertilizer for the production of vegetable, fruit, and grassland crops. Application of the solids as a field crop fertilizer for vegetables and blueberries resulted in lower yields than the other fertilizer treatments, but an increase in soil phosphorus over a four-year period. Application of the digested liquids on grass and vegetable plots resulted in similar or superior yields to plots treated with commercially available nitrogen fertilizers. Hydroponic production of lettuce using liquid effluent was comparable to a commercial hydroponic fertilizer regime; however, the effluent treatment for hydroponic tomato production required supplementation and conversion of ammonium to nitrate. While not a total fertilizer solution, our research shows the effectiveness of digested effluent as part of a nutrient management program which could turn a livestock residuals problem into a crop nutrient resource.     

含水率及填埋工艺对垃圾土中有机物降解的影响

含水率和填埋工艺是影响有机物降解的因素。根据重庆市垃圾土的成分特点,自配试样进行降解试验,研究在不同的含水率及填埋工艺下,有机物的质量、降解率及降解速率变化情况。试验结果表明:有机物降解率符合Logistic模型规律,降解速率有先增大后减小的趋势。含水率及填埋工艺均对有机物降解有影响。当含水率为50%时,水对有机物降解有促进作用,有机物最易发生降解。在敞口状态下,有利于有机物降解。通过结果分析,解释了推铺以及渗滤液回灌的机理。     

Optimised anaerobic treatment of house-sorted biodegradable waste and slaughterhouse waste in a high loaded half technical scale digester.

Anaerobic co-digestion of organic wastes from households, slaughterhouses and meat processing industries was optimised in a half technical scale plant. The plant was operated for 130 days using two different substrates under organic loading rates of 10 and 12 kgCOD.m(-3).d(-1). Since the substrates were rich in fat and protein components (TKN: 12 g.kg(-1) the treatment was challenging. The process was monitored on-line and in the laboratory. It was demonstrated that an intensive and stable co-digestion of partly hydrolysed organic waste and protein rich slaughterhouse waste can be achieved in the balance of inconsistent pH and buffering NH4-N. In the first experimental period the reduction of the substrate COD was almost complete in an overall stable process (COD reduction >82%). In the second period methane productivity increased, but certain intermediate products accumulated constantly. Process design options for a second digestion phase for advanced degradation were investigated. Potential causes for slow and reduced propionic and valeric acid degradation were assessed. Recommendations for full-scale process implementation can be made from the experimental results reported. The highly loaded and stable codigestion of these substrates may be a good technical and economic treatment alternative.     

Evaluation of the reject waters from co-digestion of solid wastes from agro-industries in a municipal WWTP.

Overcapacities of anaerobic digesters at municipal WWTPs are frequently used for the treatment of organic wastes in order to increase the biogas production. However, "co-digestion" of organic wastes leads to additional nitrogen loading and to additional loads of non-biodegradable COD. The effects of (co-) digestion of organic wastes from agro-industries (slaughterhouses, dairies and leather industry) on the wastewater cycle have been evaluated in full-scale investigations at Leoben WWTP with a capacity of 90,000 pe where the methane production was increased from 700 to more than 1700 Nm3 CH4 per day. For this evaluation, mass balances for COD and nitrogen have been applied to estimate the fluxes of these substances. Application of this method is described in detail. As the additional loadings, it was found that related to methane production less nitrogen is released from the organic wastes than from the waste sludge. While the ammonia nitrogen load in the effluent from sludge digestion was about 100 g NH4-N per Nm3 of CH4 produced, in the effluent from the digestion of organic wastes only 70 g NH4-N/Nm3 CH4 were found. The decrease in the COD removal efficiency after digestion of the organic wastes started was not regarded as significant enough to be seen as a consequence of the treatment of external substrate.     

Freeze concentration for enrichment of nutrients in yellow water from no-mix toilets.

Separately collected urine ("yellow water") can be utilized as fertilizer. In order to decrease storage volumes and energy consumption for yellow water transport to fields, enrichment of nutrients in yellow water has to be considered. Laboratory-scale batch freeze concentration of yellow water has been tested in ice-front freezing apparatus: a stirred vessel and a falling film freeze concentrator (coolant temperatures: -6 to -16 degrees C). With progressing enrichment of the liquid concentrate, the frozen ice was increasingly contaminated with yellow water constituents (ammonia, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, TOC, and salts determined as conductivity). The higher the initial salinity of the yellow water and the lower the mechanical agitation of the liquid phase contacting the growing ice front, the more the frozen ice was contaminated. The results indicate, that in ice-front freezing devices multistage processes are necessary, i.e. the melted ice phase has to be purified (and the concentrates must be further enriched) in a second or even in a third stage. Energy consumption of this process is very high. However, technical scale suspension freeze concentration is reasonable in centralized ecological sanitation schemes if the population exceeds 0.5 million and distance of yellow water transportation to fields is more than 80 km.