Optimal turning method of composting regarding hygienic safety

The new tuming method was proposed and verified its effectiveness to pathogens by laboratory scale experiments. Considering the results obtained from the previous studies, it could be said that tuming of a composting pile was essential in terms of hygienic aspects but the number of tuming should be minimized. Effectiveness of inactivation was estimated for each composting run. From this estimation,tuming by layers, which is different from conventional tuming that mixes compost pile entirely, was proposed and investigated its performance by experiments. Composting operations with static pile method, complete mix(conventional) tuming method, and proposed tuming( layer tuming) method were done and their effectiveness on inactivation of indicator microorganism was evaluated and compared.As results, the conventional tuming method was not a proper method in terms of pathogen inactivation, whereas, the proposed tuming method showed an excellent performance and should be employed in a composting operation.     

Dioxin concentration in human milk in Hebei province in China and Tokyo, Japan: potential dietary risk factors and determination of possible sources

Very limited information is available on body burdens and environmental levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs) in mainland China. In the current studies, human milk samples were collected from 30 breastfeeding mothers in Shijiazhuang city (industrialized) and 11 in the Tanshan countryside (agricultural) of Hebei Province in northern China. An additional 20 samples were obtained from mothers in Tokyo, Japan. PCDDs, PCDFs, and dl-PCBs in human milk were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. Our results show that arithmetic means for body burdens of PCDDs/Fs and dl-PCBs in Hebei were 3.6 and 1.9 pg TEQ g⁻¹ fat, respectively, which were only about one fourth of the levels in Japan. In addition, no difference was found in the chemical levels except dl-PCBs between the urban and rural areas. Based on the results of an in-person interview of the Chinese mothers using a 59-item questionnaire, freshwater fish consumption was found to correlate with the body burden of dioxins. Principal component analysis of dioxin congeners revealed that the patterns of dioxins in the Hebei urban and rural areas are quite similar; however, they are clearly different from those in Japan. Collectively, our results suggest that the lower body burdens of dioxin in Hebei may be due in part to the relatively slow industrialization and a lower consumption of marine foods. Finally, the results indicate that comprehensive monitoring of dioxins and dl-PCBs in humans as well as in the environment and foods is necessary in China.     

Gamma-dose rates from terrestrial and Chernobyl radionuclides inside and outside settlements in the Bryansk Region, Russia in 1996-2003

In order to estimate current external gamma doses to the population of the Russian territories contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident, absorbed gamma-dose rates in air (DR) were determined at typical urban and suburban locations. The study was performed in the western districts of the Bryansk Region within the areas of 30 settlements (28 villages and 2 towns) with the initial levels of 137Cs deposition ranging from 13 to 4340 kBqm(-2). In the towns, the living areas considered were private one-story wooden and stone houses. DR values were derived from in situ measurements performed with the help of gamma-dosimeters and gamma-spectrometers as well as from the results of soil samples analysis. In the areas under study, the values of DR from terrestrial radionuclides were 25+/-6, 24+/-5, 50+/-10, 32+/-6, 54+/-11, 24+/-8, 20+/-6, 25+/-8, and 18+/-5 nGyh(-1) at locations of kitchen gardens, dirt surfaces, asphalt surfaces, wooden houses, stone houses, grasslands inside settlement, grasslands outside settlement, ploughed fields, and forests, respectively. In 1996-2001, mean normalized (per MBqm(-2) of 137Cs current inventory in soil) values of DR from (137)Cs were 0.41+/-0.07, 0.26+/-0.13, 0.15+/-0.07, 0.10+/-0.05, 0.05+/-0.04, 0.48+/-0.12, 1.04+/-0.22, 0.37+/-0.07, and 1.15+/-0.19 microGyh(-1) at the locations of kitchen gardens, dirt surfaces, asphalt surfaces, wooden houses, stone houses, grasslands inside settlement, grasslands outside settlement, ploughed fields, and forests, respectively. The radiometric data from this work and the values of occupancy factors determined for the Russian population by others were used for the assessments of annual effective doses to three selected groups of rural population. The normalized (per MBqm(-2) 137Cs current ground deposition) external effective doses to adults from 137Cs ranged from 0.66 to 2.27 mSvy(-1) in the years 1996-2001, in accordance with professional activities and structures of living areas. For the areas under study, the average external effective doses from 137Cs were estimated to be in the range of 0.39-1.34 mSvy(-1) in 2001. The average external effective doses from natural radionuclides appeared to be lower than those from the Chernobyl fallout ranging from 0.15 to 0.27 mSvy(-1).     

Chitin biodegradation and wound healing in tree bark tissues

Chitin biodegradation and wounded bark tissue healing were demonstrated in several evergreen and deciduous trees by dressing with a sheet of chitin-containing films or sponges. Chitinase activities in the tree bark tissues around the wounds were enhanced by this treatment up to four times those of the untreated wounds. Significant seasonal changes of chitinase activities were observed with the bark and leaf tissues of deciduous trees, but few with those of evergreen trees. A sheet of chitin films implanted or dressed in the tree bark tissues was biodegraded within 4 to 24 weeks after implantation and was assimilated into the wounded bark tissues, resulting in the stimulation of the wounded bark tissue healing.     

Trade and the emissions trading system in a small open economy

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - To control greenhouse gas emissions efficiently, we should regulate all pollution emission sources in the economy equally. However, in the real world,...     

Penetration analysis of elements and bioleaching treatment of spent refractory for recycling

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC23270 and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans TM-32 were used for bioleaching of spent refractories of aluminium and copper melting furnaces for their recycling.Firstly,penetration of elements into aluminium melting furnace refractory was investigated and it was found that up to 7 cm from surface was contaminated.Comparison on leaching efficiency by the strains ATCC23270 and TM-32 found that the strain ATCC23270 could treat larger amount of the refractories than the strain TM-32 could do.In the experiment of bioleaching of spent refractory aluminium melting furnace by the strain ATCC23270,high leaching efficiency were obtained on Al,Si,and Ca,and extremely low leaching performance was,however,shown on the rest of elements i.e.,Na,Mn,and Zn.Under the strain TM-32 use,relatively high leaching performance was recognized on Al,Si,Ca,Na,Mn,and Zn.In the experiment of bioleaching for spent refractory copper melting furnace,almost the same leaching trends were shown on Cu,Zn,Al,and Si under the strains ACTT23270 and TM-32 uses.     

Effect of preozonation on improvement of settleability of solid in highly concentrated organic wastewater of Japanese wheat and sweet potato spirit-distillery

Solid-liquid separation of the wastewater is very difficult because of high viscosity and high SS concentration. In this study, the effectiveness of preozonation on improving the settleability of the solids in wheat and sweet potato wastewaters was investigated using a bench-scale system and pilot treatment system respectively. Results showed that solid-liquid separation in the wheat wastewater was greatly improved by the decanter in the system(SS reduction from 24100 mg/L to 100 mg/L). However, preozonation practice did not show a significant effect on solid-liquid separation of the sweet potato wastewater. Effect of preozonation on solid-liquid separation between wheat and sweet potato wastewater showed different.     

Anthropogenic impacts on water quality of the lagoonal coast of Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu

Water pollution, evident by negative values of redox potential in waters, occurs at the lagoonal coast located near the densely populated area of Fongafale Islet on Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu, Central Pacific. Sediment microbial quinone analysis revealed that these coastal sediments exhibit 2.7–10.4 times more microbial biomass, significantly different microbial community structure and low microbial diversity, when compared to an undisturbed natural coastal sediment. Thus, the pollution is chronic. By considering the total land use/coverage on the islet, the situation of septic tank installations, temporal changes in water redox potential and Escherichia coli numbers in the coastal waters and the spatial distribution of acid volatile sulfide in the sediments, we conclude that domestic wastewater is the primary source of pollution. This pollution is proposed to occur via the following mechanism: during ebb tides, domestic wastewater leaking from bottomless septic tanks and pit toilets run off into the lagoonal coast. Tide changes control the pollution load of domestic wastewater.