Aerobic treatment of palm oil mill effluent

In this study treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) was investigated using aerobic oxidation based on an activated sludge process. The effects of sludge volume index, scum index and mixed liquor suspended solids during the acclimatizing phase and biomass build-up phase were investigated in order to ascertain the reactor stability. The efficiency of the activated sludge process was evaluated by treating anaerobically digested and diluted raw POME obtained from Golden Hope Plantations, Malaysia. The treatment of POME was carried out at a fixed biomass concentration of 3900+/-200mg/L, whereas the corresponding sludge volume index was found to be around 105+/-5mL/g. The initial studies on the efficiency of the activated sludge reactor were carried out using diluted raw POME for varying the hydraulic retention time, viz: 18, 24, 30 and 36h and influent COD concentration, viz: 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000mg/L, respectively. The results showed that at the end of 36h of hydraulic retention time for the above said influent COD, the COD removal efficiencies were found to be 83%, 72%, 64%, 54% and 42% whereas at 24h hydraulic retention time they were 57%, 45%, 38%, 30% and 27%, respectively. The effectiveness of aerobic oxidation was also compared between anaerobically digested and diluted raw POME having corresponding CODs of 3908 and 3925mg/L, for varying hydraulic retention time, viz: 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54 and 60h. The dissolved oxygen concentration and pH in the activated sludge reactor were found to be 1.8-2.2mg/L and 7-8.5, respectively. The scum index was found to rise from 0.5% to 1.9% during the acclimatizing phase and biomass build-up phase.     

Efficiency of perchlorate consumption in road flares, propellants and explosives

When an explosive detonates or a propellant or flare burns, consumption of the energetic filler should be complete but rarely is, especially in the presence of large amounts of non-combustible materials. Herein we examine three types of perchlorate-containing devices to estimate their potential as sources of contamination in their normal mode of functioning. Road flares, rocket propellants and ammonium nitrate (AN) emulsion explosives are potentially significant anthropogenic sources of perchlorate contamination. This laboratory evaluated perchlorate residue from burning of flares and propellants as well as detonations of ammonium nitrate emulsion explosives. Residual perchlorate in commercial products ranged from 0.094 mg perchlorate per gram material (flares) to 0.012 mg perchlorate per gram material (AN emulsion explosives). The rocket propellant formulations, prepared in this laboratory, generated 0.014 mg of perchlorate residue per gram of material.     

干旱区盐渍地景观危险度评价方法——以新疆渭干河-库车河流域为例

土壤的盐渍化是干旱区农业发展的主要障碍,也是影响绿洲生态环境稳定的重要因素。利用破碎度(C)、分离度(F)、优势度(D)等景观格局指数及景观脆弱度(S)建立了盐渍化景观危险度(SR)评价指数以研究渭干河-库车河流域盐渍化地的危险程度。选择新疆渭干河-库车河流域1989年和2001年Landsat-TM图像为本底数据,结合野外调查样本进行实例验证。研究表明,在12年期间,由于研究区内人类活动不断加强,景观结构变化导致盐渍化景观危险度指数明显增高,综合盐渍化危险度指数(SCR)由0.4832上升到0.5234,盐渍化危险度有扩大的趋势,评价结果与实际情况有较好的一致性。该方法对提高不同干旱区域土壤盐渍地危险度评价的准确性及定量化具有一定的参考意义。     

敌敌畏在颗粒物上吸附的支配因素

研究了敌敌畏在颗粒物(呼和浩特土壤和黄河水体沉积物)上的吸附行为,探讨了颗粒物性质如有机质含量、粘粒含量、阳离子交换量(CEC)、pH值和离子强度等因素对吸附的影响。结果表明:敌敌畏在2种颗粒物上的吸附过程均符合一级动力学规律,可用Freundlich等温式描述,吸附常数Kd为5. 822 0和11. 738 8;颗粒物性质与吸附常数的相关分析发现:支配敌敌畏在颗粒物上吸附的主要因素是有机质含量、pH值和离子强度,随着pH值的增加和离子强度的降低,敌敌畏在2种颗粒物上的吸附量增大。     

石油污染土壤物化修复前后生物毒性效应

采用作物种子的发芽率作为生态指标对石油污染土壤进行毒性分析,并以蚯蚓为实验生物,研究了石油污染物的生物效应及其对土壤生态系统的影响.结果表明,不同的作物种子对石油污染表现出不同的耐受性,对照清洁土壤,大多数作物种子的萌发都明显受到石油污染的抑制,其中受石油污染影响最严重的是黄豆、蚕豆、玉米.相比之下,在不同石油污染水平下绿豆具有较高的耐受性,且种子发芽率均在90%以上.蚯蚓在受到污染胁迫时,在生理水平上会发生明显的变化,进而影响其存活和生长能力,实验观测到随着石油污染加重蚯蚓存活时间显著下降.在高污染水平石油污染的土壤中(石油污染水平>30 000 mg.kg-1),蚯蚓的耐性降低,仅可以存活5 d左右,说明石油烃对蚯蚓的毒性较大,主要是因为蚯蚓直接与石油接触导致其中毒脱水而死亡.处理后油田污染土,即使在污染水平很低(≈30 mg.kg-1)的情况下,蚯蚓存活时间依然很短(3 d左右),是因为经过石油醚处理过的土壤,其营养物质也随着石油而被处理掉,而土壤中有机质等营养物对蚯蚓的生存具有很大影响.     

Attributes of Occupational Injury Among Workers in the Chemical Industry and Safety Issues

Case-study research was carried out with a view to find the attributes of occupational injury among workers in the chemical industry and to enhance safety issues. Injury data were collected and processed in terms of different variables, such as age, gender, skills, type of hazard, etc. Pareto analysis was then applied to find a pattern of occupational injury among the workers. The study revealed that 79.52% of the injured workers were in the 40–59 age group; 57.14% of accidents occurred during the 1st shift; 73.26% of accidents caused injury to hands, feet, chest to thigh, arms and eyes; and 70.93% of injuries were caused by pumps, carrying and lifting, vehicles, pipelines, valves, and grinding. Surprisingly, no one was injured in the group of temporary workers. The paper also provides specific suggestions followed by some action plans.     

New treatment of stabilized leachate by ozone/Fenton in the advanced oxidation process

Ozonation, combined with the Fenton process (O(3)/H(2)O(2)/Fe(2+)), was used to treat matured landfill leachate. The effectiveness of the Fenton molar ratio, Fenton concentration, pH variance, and reaction time were evaluated under optimum operational conditions. The optimum removal values of chemical oxygen demand (COD), color, and NH(3)-N were found to be 65%, 98%, and 12%, respectively, for 90 min of ozonation using a Fenton molar ratio of 1 at a Fenton concentration of 0.05 mol L(-1) (1700 mg/L) H(2)O(2) and 0.05 mol L(-1) (2800 mg/L) Fe(2+) at pH 7. The maximum removal of NH(3)-N was 19% at 150 min. The ozone consumption for COD removal was 0.63 kg O(3)/kg COD. To evaluate the effectiveness, the results obtained in the treatment of stabilized leachate were compared with those obtained from other treatment processes, such as ozone alone, Fenton reaction alone, as well as combined Fenton and ozone. The combined method (i.e., O(3)/H(2)O(2)/Fe(2+)) achieved higher removal efficiencies for COD, color, and NH(3)-N compared with other studied applications.