Biological nitrogen removal from municipal landfill leachate: low-cost nitrification in biofilters and laboratory scale in-situ denitrification

The slow leaching of nitrogen from solid waste in landfills, resulting in high concentrations of ammonia in the landfill leachate, may last for several decades. The removal of nitrogen from leachate is desirable as nitrogen can trigger eutrophication in lakes and rivers. In the present study, a low-cost nitrification-denitrification process was developed to reduce nitrogen load especially in leachates from small landfills. Nitrification was studied in laboratory and on-site pilot aerobic biofilters with waste materials as filter media (crushed brick in upflow filters and bulking agent of compost in a downflow filter) while denitrification was studied in a laboratory anoxic/anaerobic column filled with landfill waste. In the laboratory nitrification filters, start-up of nitrification took less than 3 weeks and over 90% nitrification of leachate (NH4-N between 60 and 170mg N l(-1), COD between 230 and 1,300 mg l(-1)) was obtained with loading rates between 100 and 130 mgNH4-N l(-1) d at 25 degrees C. In an on-site pilot study a level of nitrification of leachate (NH4-N between 160 and 270 mg N l(-1), COD between 1,300 and 1,600 mg l(-1)) above 90% was achieved in a crushed brick biofilter with a loading rate of 50mg NH4-N l(-1) d even at temperatures as low as 5-10 degrees C. Ammonium concentrations in all biofilter effluents were usually below the detection limit. In the denitrification column. denitrification started within 2 weeks and total oxidised nitrogen in nitrified leachate (TON between 50 and 150mg N l(-1)) usually declined below the detection limit at 25 degrees C, whereas some ammonium, probably originating from the landfill waste used in the column, was detected in the effluent. No adverse effect was observed on the methanation of waste in the denitrification column with a loading rate of 3.8 g TON-N/t-TS(waste) d. In conclusion, nitrification in a low-cost biofilter followed by denitrification in a landfill body appears applicable for the removal of nitrogen in landfill leachate in colder climates.     

Evaluation of kinetic coefficients using integrated monod and haldane models for low-temperature acetoclastic methanogenesis

The integrated Monod and Haldane models were used to evaluate the kinetic coefficients and their standard deviations using the methane accumulation curves of low-temperature acetoclastic methanogenesis. The linear and exponential approximations and the limitations of their applicability were deduced from the integrated models. The samples of lake sediments and biomass taken from a low-temperature upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor were used as inoculum in batch assays for acetate methanation. In comparison, the Monod and Haldane models were applied to evaluate the kinetic coefficients for mesophilic acetoclastic methanogenesis accomplished by the pure culture of Methanosarcina barkeri strain MS. The Monod and Haldane models and their approximations were fitted by using non-linear regression. For the wide range of initial acetateconcentrations (4.2-84 mM: 5-100 mM) applied to the UASB biomass at 11 and 22 degrees C and for the lake sediment samples at 6 and 15 degrees C, a better fit was obtained with the Haldane models and their exponential approximations, respectively. For the lake sediments the values of inhibition coefficients decreased at decreasing temperatures. At the highest temperature of 30 degrees C no difference was found between the Haldane and Monod models and the simpler Monod model should be preferred. The values of the maximum growth rate of biomass were highest at 30 degrees C (lake sediment) and 22 degrees C (the UASB biomass) being in a range presented in the literature for mesophilic acetoclastic methanogenesis.     

Unlocking the Black Box: Analyzing Policy-Makers Narratives of Housing Policy Change in Finland

Housing policy change is typically initiated by housing policy actors. Here, housing policy change is discussed as an institutional change, with institutional constraints playing a role in the change process. At the same time, change is seen as a result of the behaviour of policy actors. The case of Finnish rental housing policy serves as an example when the process of change is analysed from the perspective of housing policy actors. The policy actors produce a narrative of exhaustion of old policy in a new political climate. At the same time, the policy actors also tell a story about how change is made through negotiations and compromises and what types of strategies they use to break institutional constraints. Furthermore, changes in the political power dynamics can help transform an idea into an agenda.     

Occurrence and removal of organic pollutants in sewages and landfill leachates

Sewages of different composition and the effluents of four sewage treatment plants (STPs), plus sewage sludges were analysed for semivolatile organic priority pollutants. Furthermore, 11 landfill leachates were analysed to evaluate their contribution to sewage pollutants when co-treated. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the pollutant occurring at highest concentrations (up to 122 microg/l) and it was present in all sewages and leachates; concentrations of other phthalates were usually below 17 microg/l. Some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (<1 microg/l) and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (< or =5.9 microg/l) were also present in many of the sewages and leachates. Phthalates were present in STP effluents in low concentrations (<8 microg/l), while PAHs were usually not present. DEHP concentrations were at the same level in the sewage consisting of household wastewater and stormwater runoff and the sewages also including industrial discharges and landfill leachates, while PAHs were present in sewages containing industrial discharges. Leachate contribution to the total pollutant load to the STP was less than 1%. Sorption of DEHP to different particle size fractions in sewage was studied by serial membrane filtration. Most of the DEHP (71-84%) was attached to the particles 0.1-41 microm in size, and approximately 10-27% of the DEHP was sorbed on particles larger than 41 microm. Less than 6% of the DEHP was in the fraction below 0.1 microm and readily available for microbial degradation.     

An embedded fault detection, isolation and accommodation system in a model predictive controller for an industrial benchmark process

Fault detection and isolation (FDI) for industrial processes has been actively studied during the last decades. Traditionally, the most widely implemented FDI methods have been based on model-based approaches. In modern process industry, however, there is a demand for data-based methods due to the complexity and limited availability of the mechanistic models. The aim of this paper is to present a data-based, fault tolerant control (FTC) system for a simulated industrial benchmark process, Shell control problem. Data-based FDI systems, employing principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS) and subspace model identification (SMI) are presented for achieving fault tolerance in co-operation with controllers. The effectiveness of the methods is tested by introducing faults in simulated process measurements. The process is controlled by using model predictive control (MPC). To compare the effectiveness of the MPC, the FTC system is also tested with a control strategy based on a set of PI controllers.     

Mobility determination of lead isotopes in glass for retrospective radon measurements

In retrospective radon measurements, the 22-y half life of (210)Pb is used as an advantage. (210)Pb is often considered to be relatively immobile in glass after alpha recoil implanted by (222)Rn progenies. The diffusion of (210)Pb could, however, lead to uncertain wrong retrospective radon exposure estimations if (210)Pb is mobile and can escape from glass, or lost as a result of cleaning-induced surface modification. This diffusion was studied by a radiotracer technique, where (209)Pb was used as a tracer in a glass matrix for which the elemental composition is known. Using the ion guide isotope separator on-line technique, the (209)Pb atoms were implanted into the glass with an energy of 39 keV. The diffusion profiles and the diffusion coefficients were determined after annealing at 470-620 degrees C and serial sectioning by ion sputtering. In addition, the effect of surface cleaning on diffusion was tested. From the Arrhenius fit, the activation enthalpy (H) was determined, which is equal to 3.2 +/- 0.2 eV, and also the pre-exponential factor D(0), in the order of 20 m(2)s(-1). This result confirms the assumption that over a time period of 50 y (209)Pb (and (210)Pb) is effectively immobile in the glass. The boundary condition obtained from the measurements had the characteristic of a sink, implying loss of (209)Pb in the topmost surface at high temperatures.     

Inductive grid filters for rejection of infrared radiation

Abstract

Inductive grid filters are metallic mesh structures, which reject long wavelengths but transmit short wavelengths. Our interest is in filters with the rejection cut-off at around 1 μm. In this region the finite conductivity of metals must be considered. An extensive theoretical investigation is carried out by rigorous diffraction theory to determine the best choice of metal and the influence of the grid parameters on the spectral transmittance of the filter. Experimental results with nickel and gold grids fabricated on dielectric substrates are presented. Their fabrication process involves thin-film deposition, electron beam lithography, reactive ion etching and electroplating. The optical characterization results performed with spectrophotometry are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical predictions.     

Solution of dense systems of linear equations arising fromintegral-equation formulations

This paper discusses the efficient solution of dense systems of linear equations, arising from integral-equation formulations. Several preconditioners, in connection with Krylov iterative solvers, are examined, and compared with LU factorization. Results are shown, demonstrating practical aspects and issues we have encountered in implementing iterative solvers, on both parallel and sequential computers, for a magnetostatic volume-integral formulation     

Chemical vapour deposition densification of plasma-sprayed oxide coatings

Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) was used to produce an additional protective layer on the surface of plasma-sprayed alumina coatings. This layer was deposited from an AlCl₃-CO₂-H₂ gas mixture at a temperature of 1000°C. The thickness of the layer varied from 10 to 20 μm and the grain size varied from about 3 to 30 μm. The CVD-produced alumina had the crystallographic structure of stable α-Al₂O₃. The protective quality of the composite coatings was verified with electrochemical measurements. These indicated that completely tight coatings could be obtained.     

Monitoring the CNS pathology in aspartylglucosaminuria mice

Aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) is a recessively inherited lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of the aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA) enzyme. The hallmark of AGU is slowly progressing mental retardation but the progression of brain pathology has remained uncharacterized in humans. Here we describe the long-term follow-up of mice carrying a targeted AGU-mutation in both alleles. Immunohistochemistry, histology, electron microscopy, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and behavioral studies were carried out to evaluate the CNS affection of the disease during development. The lysosomal storage vacuoles of the AGA -/- mice were most evident in central brain regions where MRI also revealed signs of brain atrophy similar to that seen in the older human patients. By immunohistochemistry and MRI examinations, a subtle delay of myelination was observed in AGA -/- mice. The life span of the AGA -/- mice was not shortened. Similar to the slow clinical course observed in human patients, the AGA -/- mice have behavioral symptoms that emerge at older age. Thus, the AGU knock-out mice represent an accurate model for AGU, both histopathologically and phenotypically.