Treatment of gas-phase methanol in conventional biofilters packed with lava rock

The performance of laboratory scale methanol-degrading biofilters packed with lava rock was checked during almost 1 yr under different conditions. The biomass concentration and biomass adaptation of the inoculum dramatically affected the start-up and the performance of the systems during the first stages of operation. A fast start-up was obtained when using concentrated and adapted inocula, while diluted or non-adapted inocula proved to be much less efficient. The performance of the reactor during long-term operation was significantly affected by the toxic load and moisture content of the gas. Critical loads between 120 and 280 g/m(3)h were reached during different phases of the study. The reactor had a high stability to EBRT changes when working at values between 48.0 and 91.1s, showing little or no negative effect when decreasing the EBRT. Hardly any difference was observed regarding performance when using either a downflow or upflow feed, although slightly better results were obtained when working in a downflow mode.     

An extension of ASM2d including pH calculation

This paper presents an extension of the Activated Sludge Model No. 2d (ASM2d) including a chemical model able to calculate the pH value in biological processes. The developed chemical model incorporates the complete set of chemical species affecting the pH value to ASM2d describing non-equilibrium biochemical processes. It considers the system formed by one aqueous phase, in which biochemical processes take place, and one gaseous phase, and is based on the assumptions of instantaneous chemical equilibrium under liquid phase and kinetically governed mass transport between the liquid and gas phase. The ASM2d enlargement comprises the addition of every component affecting the pH value and an ion-balance for the calculation of the pH value and the dissociation species. The significant pH variations observed in a sequencing batch reactor operated for enhanced biological phosphorus removal were used to verify the capability of the extended model for predicting the dynamics of pH jointly with concentrations of acetic acid and phosphate. A pH inhibition function for polyphosphate accumulating bacteria has also been included in the model to simulate the behaviour observed. Experimental data obtained in four different experiments (with different sludge retention time and influent phosphorus concentrations) were accurately reproduced.     

Contact flocculation-filtration of humic substances

Contact flocculation-filtration of humic dispersions with alum in medium grain (0.62 mm) sand gave short runs to breakthrough, while in coarse (1.2 mm) media clarification was inefficient. Alum with cationic polymer gave in coarse media acceptable runs, but shorter then for mineral dispersions. Analysis of results by parameters of existing filtration models showed that using the Ives-Iwasaki model and plotting filtration coefficient λ vs specific deposit σ gave different λ_max for different polymer dose, plot of λ_max vs dose goes through maximum at optimum dose.Plotting the cube root of headloss vs square root of specific deposit gave a straight line corresponding to Shektman formula.Analysis by Adin-Rebhun model showed that for contact flocculation-filtration humic dispersions attachment coefficient k₁ was similar to, detachment k₂ was many fold higher then and theoretical maximum mass capacity much lower then in case of mineral dispersions.Calculations showed that the solid content and the density of alumo-organic deposits in bed are much lower than of alumo-mineral deposits. Polymers and minerals increase the solid content, the density of deposits and the mass capacity of filter beds.     

Attitudes towards regionalism in a rapid growth suburb

A key issue confronting our newer suburbs is the stance they should take towards efforts at regional cooperation and coordination of major policy areas. This article analyzes the preferences on this issue held by residents in a rapid growth suburb in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Through factor analysis, four identifiable dimensions of regionalist preferences were obtained from questionnaire responses--administrative cooperation, land-use cooperation, mass transit cooperation, and regional basic services cooperation. Correlational analyses between these dimensions of regionalist preferences and selected community status characteristics, social situation characteristics, and local political participation status of respondents reveal no systematic covariation. Thus municipal policies which influence the population mix within a community with respect to the life situation characteristics measured in this study are not likely to be useful instruments for influencing the preferences, pro or con, of the community towards regionalist policies. Further, local political participants are found to be representative of the larger community's regionalist policy preferences.     

Landscape structure indices for assessing urban ecological networks

Analysis and planning of ecological networks is a relatively new phenomenon and is a response to fragmentation and deterioration of quality of natural systems. In urban areas, the problems of land use intransigence, political and jurisdictional issues create a difficult environment for implementing ecological networks. The specific questions addressed in this research program revolve around the viability of planning an ecological network in an urban landscape. The development and articulation of an ecological network plan was undertaken previously and in this paper, a series of assays of landscape structure are used to examine the viability of an ecological network in the Phoenix, Arizona urban area. Three principal analyses were utilized: (1) patch content analysis, (2) corridor content analysis, and (3) network structure analysis. Patch and corridor content analyses examined the internal characteristic and immediate context for each of the 89 ecological network elements. The network structure analysis incorporates a process for aggregating results of patch and corridor analyses and incorporates indicators that describe interrelationships between landscape elements. For each of these analyses the existing condition was compared to the optimal plan to demonstrate the level of change that can be expected. The results and conclusions of this research are that an ecological network plan provides modest but important improvement in ecological systems in the Phoenix urban area.     

Effect of agitation, turbidity, aluminium foil reflectors and container volume on the inactivation efficiency of batch-process solar disinfectors

We report the results of experiments designed to improve the efficacy of the solar disinfection of drinking water, inactivation process. The effects of periodic agitation, covering the rear surface of the container with aluminium foil, container volume and turbidity on the solar inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli (starting population = 10(6) CFU ml(-1)) were investigated. It was shown that agitation promoted the release of dissolved oxygen from water with subsequent decrease in the inactivation rates of E. coli. In contrast, covering the rear surface of the solar disinfection container with aluminium foil improved the inactivation efficiency of the system. The mean decay constant for bacterial populations in foil-backed bottles was found to be a factor of 1.85 (std. dev. = 0.43) higher than that of non-foil-backed bottles. Inactivation rates decrease as turbidity increases. However, total inactivation was achievable in 300 NTU samples within 8 h exposure to strong sunshine. Inactivation kinetics was not dependent on the volume of the water container for volumes in the range 500-1500 ml.     

Elimination of beta-blockers in sewage treatment plants

beta-Blockers are used to treat high blood pressure as well as patients recovering from heart attacks. In several studies, they were detected in surface water, thus indicating incomplete degradability of these substances in sewage treatment plants (STPs). In this study, we determined the sorption coefficients (K(D)) and degradation rates of the four beta-blockers sotalol, atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol in sludge from an STP operating with municipal wastewater. The sorption coefficients (K(D), standard deviations in brackets) were determined as 0.04(+/-0.035), 0.04(+/-0.033), 0.00(+/-0.023) and 0.32(+/-0.058) Lg(-1)(COD), and the pseudo-first-order degradation rate constants were estimated to be 0.29(+/-0.02), 0.69(+/-0.05), 0.58(+/-0.05) and 0.39(+/-0.07) Ld(-1)g(-1)(COD) for sotalol, atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol, respectively. These values translate into a typical elimination in STPs (sludge concentrations of 4g(COD)L(-1) and a hydraulic retention time of 6h) of 25%, 37%, 44% and 50% for sotalol, propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol, respectively. These results are also confirmed by measurements in two municipal STPs for atenolol, sotalol and propranolol. The estimated eliminations are slightly too high for metoprolol.     

Reproducibility of indoor environment characteristics obtained in a walk through questionnaire. A pilot study

Walk through questionnaires may be feasible tools to obtain data on the indoor environment in community studies. However, limited information is available regarding the reproducibility of the data obtained through these questionnaires. In this pilot study, two construction engineering students inspected ten dwellings twice by means of a standardized walk through questionnaire. The two engineering students inspected the dwellings independent of each other within two months. Time between the two visits varied between 14 and 40 days. The variables presented were based on information from the residents and inspection. The continuous variables recorded included number of rooms in the dwellings, room volume, length of filled shelves and textile area. The inter- and intra-observed variabilities were poorer for number of rooms and shelf factor than for the other variables. For the 3 of the 9 categorical variables based on inspection, the inter-observer comparison showed complete agreement with a kappa statistics of 1.0, these variables being condition of the window frames and construction of outside walls and roof. One of the categorical variables showed a kappa statistics of < 0.5, these variables being presence of basement and presence of condensation at windows. This study indicates a wide variation in observer variability between various items of a walk through questionnaire. Clear definitions of all the parts of the questionnaire are needed, as well as thorough training of observers.     

Environmental Implications of Treatment of Coastal Sewage Discharges

The environmental implications of implementing the requirement for treatment of coastal sewage prior to discharge, which were put forward in an EC draft Directive on municipal waste-water treatment, are examined. In order to establish the current situation, the results of a national survey of coastal and estuarine sewage discharges are presented. A review of the impact of sewage discharges on the marine environment is presented in conjunction with an assessment of the impact of sewage-treatment processes on the land and in the air. These aspects are integrated into overall conclusions about net environmental impact. Finally, a decision-tree approach to the assignment of priority to additional action required at individual locations is developed.