Combined nitrification/denitrification in a membrane reactor

An ever stricter legislation regulating wastewater leads to an increasing demand for biological treatment plants which are able to selectively eliminate nitrogen from wastewaters with a high influent concentration, even when operating in partial influent mode. A membrane-tube-module (MSM) reactor (Membran-Schlauch-Modul-Reaktor) was constructed and realized in the IUV at the University of Bremen. The present approach makes use of all the various layers of the whole biofilm, enabling nitrification and denitrification processes to run simultaneously in one and the same biofilm under optimized conditions. The biological degradation capacity of the system was first successfully tested with synthetic wastewater, and subsequently in a real application with effluents from a recycling of animal carcasses plant and from a coke-oven plant. A mathematical model was devised which describes this biofilm system. The resulting equations were solved by means of the simulation software AQUASIM.     

The bacterial population of piggery-waste anaerobic digesters

A survey was made of the anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria present in piggery waste, digesting piggery waste and domestic anaerobic sludge sludge used to start a piggery waste digester. An influence of the input waste was shown in that streptococci, the predominant facultatively anaerobic bacteria in the piggery waste, were the predominant bacteria in the digesting waste, and they replaced Enterobacter, predominant in the domestic sludge, when a piggery waste digestion had been established from this latter material. Cellulolytic or methanogenic bacteria could not be detected in the piggery waste but populations of these, and other hydrolytic bacteria, became established at different times during the buildup of digestion by gradual addition of piggery waste to water. The bacteria concerned in degradation of the waste constituents were all anaerobes.Production of methane from H₂/CO₂, formate and butyrate could be detected in mixed cultures from dilutions of digester contents, but the only methanogenic bacterium that could be isolated in pure culture was Methanobacterium formicicum, which uses H₂/CO₂ or formate only.     

Trace element analysis of Cretan wines and wine products

The object of this research is to investigate the ways and the degree of contamination of Cretan grapes from the area of Chania and their alcoholic products, with the elements aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, iron, lead, manganese, nickel and zinc. Fifteen samples of grapes were collected and used for the production of experimental wines from rinsed and unrinsed grapes. A microwave furnace was used for the digestion and dissolution of the experimental wines, the precipitates that originated in these wines, as well as the wines of the corresponding producers. The analyses of all mentioned samples as well as 34 local alcoholic distillates were performed using total reflection X-ray fluorescence and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations for all the elements that were determined were almost in all cases, well below the maximum permissible levels by the Greek and the European Union legislation.     

The coagulation of a kaolinite suspension with aluminium sulphate

A study has been made of the coagulation of a 50 mg l⁻¹ aqueous suspension of kaolinite for a range of aluminium sulphate and hydrogen ion concentrations. The rate of flocculation was determined from jar tests after stirring for 1 h. The data permitted a stability limit diagram to be drawn from which some indication of the coagulation mechanisms of the system could be ascertained.     

Tunnelling projects in Southern Africa

Until some thirty years ago tunnelling in southern Africa for civil engineering purposes had been on a relatively small scale and of a sporadic nature. The first major tunnel to be built in the region was the 82 km long Orange-Fish Tunnel. Since 1970 more than 175 tunnels with an aggregate length of just over 400 km have been built. Much of the first phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which will have more than 100 km of tunnels, is about to be completed. The last thirty years represent the busiest period of tunnelling by civil engineers that southern Africa has ever known. The paper starts by summarising the early history of tunnelling in the region, and goes onto describe recent and current tunnelling projects. It also gives an indication of the possible demand for tunnels in the future.     

A research about a method for restoration of traditional lime mortars and plasters: A staging system approach

Turkey is quite rich with historical buildings. Depending on various factors like time, increasing air pollution due to technological improvements of the present era together with insufficiency of inspection leads to the formation of damages on these buildings which are part of our historical heritage. Conservation of such buildings which are as important as historical documents should be the first and foremost target of any project. Where maintenance is insufficient, conservation and restoration attempts should replace it. What is necessary in restoration is the use of material which resembles the original material to the closest degree or, producing appropriate material which is compatible with the properties of the original material. The first dimension of the current problem is the insufficiency of resources while the second dimension stems from the lack of proper evaluation of the material to be used in conservation and restoration. This study defines the importance of mortars and plasters along with their history and the reasons of deterioration. In addition, it sets up the information flow of mortar and plaster within a systematic decision making process. The necessary experimental methods for the production of new repair mortar or plaster that can be used in determining the character analysis of original mortar and deterioration morphology are also analyzed. Thus, a method that can be used in the conservation and restoration studies is determined with this paper.     

Photodecomposition du bioxyde de chlore et des ions chlorite par irradiation u.v. en milieu aqueux-partie II. Etude cinetique

The decomposition of ClO₂ and ClO₂⁻ by u.v. radiation leads to the production of chlorate, chloride and oxygen as end-products via complex reactions which are initiated by the products generated by the primary reactions of photolysis (Buxton and Subhani, 1972a; Mialocq et al., 1973; Karpel Vel Leitner et al., 1992). As far as the rate of decomposition is concerned, Bowen and Cheung (1932) and Zika et al. (1985) have shown that the quantum yield of photodecomposition of chlorine dioxide (overall reaction) increases when the wavelength decreases [Zika et al. (1985): φ = 0.46 at 366 nm and 1.4 at 296.7 nm]. However, the values of the quantum yield of photodecomposition of ClO₂ and ClO₂⁻ at 253.7 nm as well as the quantum yields for the primary reactions of photolysis of ClO₂ and ClO₂⁻ at different wavelengths are not given in the literature.The aim of this work was to study the kinetics of photodecomposition of chlorine dioxide and of chlorite by u.v. irradiation.     

Features of disinfection kinetics of water containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia Coli</Emphasis> in conditions of hydrodynamic cavitation

The paper has investigated the disinfecting effect of hydrodynamic cavitation on the microorganisms of E. coli in water. It has been found that disinfection kinetics depend on the intensity of the hydrodynamic cavitation field, the microbial load, and gas content. We have studied structure and morphology variation of the E. coli bacteria. It has been demonstrated that the antimicrobial effect is achieved owing to the physicochemical effects of the cavitation field, under whose influence there occurs mechanical destruction of cells and chemical disinfection by the radicals of hydroxyl and hydrogen peroxide.     

Probabilistic calculation for the bed under an individual foundation in accordance with the second group of limiting states

Conclusions 1. The method proposed for the probabilistic design of beds makes it possible to obtain a well-founded design solution corresponding to a given reliability level, which, in many cases, is more economic than the solution recommended in the Construction Rules and Regulations. 2. The design solution adopted as a result of the calculation set forth in the Construction Rules and Regulations possesses a reliability level, which, for some unknown reason, is on the high side. Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 2, pp. 18–20, March–April 1991.