Solid Waste Treatment as a High-Priority and Low- Cost Alternative for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

The increased concern about environmental problems caused by inadequate waste management, as well as the concern about global warming, promotes actions toward a sustainable management of the organic fraction of the waste. Landfills, the most common means to dispose of municipal solid waste (MSW), lead to the conversion of the organic waste to biogas, containing about 50% methane, a very active greenhouse gas (GHG). One unit of methane has a global warming potential of 21 computed for a 100-year horizon or 56 computed for 20 years. The waste sector in Israel contributes 13% of total greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions for a time horizon of 100 years (for a time horizon of 20 years, the waste sector contribution equals to more than 25% of total GHG emissions). The ultimate goal is to minimize the amount of methane (CH₄) by converting it to CO₂. This can be achieved by physicochemical means (e.g., landfill gas flare, incineration) or by biological processes (e.g., composting, anaerobic digestion). Since the waste in Israel has a high organic material content, it was found that the most cost-effective means to treat the degradable organic components is by aerobic composting (investment of less than US$ 10 to reduce emission of one ton CO₂ equivalent per year). Another benefit of this technology is the ability to implement it within a short period. The suggested approach, which should be implemented especially in developing countries, could reduce a significant amount of GHG at relatively low cost and short time. The development of a national policy for proper waste treatment can be a significant means to abate GHG emissions in the short term, enabling a gain in time to develop other means for the long run. In addition, the use of CO₂ quotas will credit the waste sector and will promote profitable proper waste management.     

Natural and Anthropogenic Methane Emission from Coastal Wetlands of South India

For the first time, the methane emissions from diverse coastal wetlands of South India have been measured. Annual emission rates varied widely, ranging from 3.10 mg/m²/hr (Bay of Bengal) to 21.56 mg/m²/hr (Adyar River), based on nature of the perturbance to each of the ecosystems studied. Distinct seasonality in methane emission was noticed in an unpolluted ecosystem (mangrove: 7.38 mg/m²/hr) and over a twofold increase was evident in the ecosystem that was disturbed by human activities (21.56 mg/m²/hr). The wide ranges in estimate suggest that methanogenesis occurs by both natural and anthropogenic activities in these coastal wetlands. Several physical and chemical factors such as salinity, sulfate, oxygen, and organic matter content influenced methanogenesis to a large degree in each of these ecosystems in addition to individual responses to human-induced stress. For example, there was a clear negative correlation between oxygen availability (0.99), sulfate (0.98), and salinity (0.98) with CH₄ emission in the Adyar river ecosystem. Although similar results were obtained for the other wetland ecosystems, CH₄ emission was largely influenced by tidal fluctuations, resulting in a concomitant increase in methanogenesis with high sulfate concentrations. This study demonstrates that coastal wetlands are potentially significant sources of atmospheric methane and could be a greater source if anthropogenic perturbations continue at the current rate. RID=" ID=" *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.     

Influence of Landfill Gas on the Microdistribution of Grass Establishment Through Natural Colonization

Many revegetated landfills have poor cover including bare areas where plants do not grow. This study, on the Bisasar Road Landfill site in South Africa, assessed grass species preferences to microhabitat conditions in a mosaic of patches of well-established grassed areas and bare, nonvegetated areas. Factors, including soil CO₂, CH₄, O₂, nutrients, and other general soil conditions, were measured in relation to species distribution and grass biomass in the field. Cynodon dactylon was the dominant grass in the established grass areas but was less abundant in the areas bordering the bare areas where Paspalum paspalodes and Sporobolus africanus were common. A number of soil factors measured were significantly correlated with grass biomass and these included Mg, Ca, Zn, Mn, K, temperature, moisture, and CO₂. However, a laboratory bioassay using the growth of C. dactylon with soils removed from the landfill indicated that there were no differences in the soils from the bare areas and those that supported high plant biomass. Thus, no nutrient deficiency or chemical toxicity was inherent in the soil in the laboratory. The results of the field investigation and bioassay indicated that soil CO₂ as a result of landfill gas infiltration into the root zone was probably the main factor causing bare areas on the landfill where no grass species could colonize and grow and that C. dactylon was more sensitive to elevated soil CO₂ than other grass species such as P. paspalodes and S. africanus.     

Methane generation from corncobs treated with xylanolytic consortia

Consortia were developed for the treatment of corncobs for use as a feedstock in a biogas fermentor. The treatment of corncobs with xylanolytic consortia enhanced the production of methane and biogas. All five consortia developed produced the maximum biogas and methane at a 6% loading rate and 20 days hydraulic retention time (HRT). The maximum biogas yield of 0.59m³/kg volatile solids (VS) with a methane content of 62% was produced with the KK-10 consortium. This was apparently due to a maximum hemicellulose degradation of 88%.     

基于灰色预测理论的瓦斯传感器自校正技术

笔者提出了将灰色预测理论与单片机技术相结合 ,对瓦斯传感器的非线性进行自校正的新思路 ;采用了灰色预测理论中GM(1,1)模型和单片机技术相结合 ,将预测误差值对传感器的实测值进行分段补偿的方法 ,实现对瓦斯传感器的非线性自校正 ;该方法克服了灰色预测理论对波动较大的随机序列的预测精度低的缺陷。其研究结果表明 ,应用该方法得到的预测值与真值的拟合程度好 ,预测值与真值之间最大的差值为 0 .15 0 1% ,而该处校正前的差值为 0 .30 0 0 % ,提高了传感器的测量精度。     

生物质能利用技术-厌氧消化技术的研究新进展

厌氧消化技术是最重要的生物质能利用技术之一。厌氧消化技术是实现废物污染防治和能源回收利用的有效方法。本文综述了厌氧消化技术利用生物质废物回收利用生物质能的最新研究进展,分别介绍了生物质废物厌氧发酵产乳酸,氢气和甲烷的机理,研究现状和存在的问题,并对其进一步发展和未来的应用前景进行了分析和展望,为寻找适合中国的垃圾处理技术提供一些参考。     

Biosphere–atmosphere exchange of reactive nitrogen and greenhouse gases at the NitroEurope core flux measurement sites: Measurement strategy and first data sets

The NitroEurope project aims to improve understanding of the nitrogen (N) cycle at the continental scale and quantify the major fluxes of reactive N by a combination of reactive N measurements and modelling activities. As part of the overall measurement strategy, a network of 13 flux ‘super sites’ (Level-3) has been established, covering European forest, arable, grassland and wetland sites, with the objective of quantifying the N budget at a high spatial resolution and temporal frequency for 4.5 years, and to estimate greenhouse gas budgets (N₂O, CH₄ and CO₂). These sites are supported by a network of low-cost flux measurements (Level-2, 9 sites) and a network to infer reactive N fluxes at 58 sites (Level-1), for comparison with carbon (C) flux measurements.Measurements at the Level-3 sites include high resolution N₂O, NO (also CH₄, CO₂) fluxes, wet and dry N deposition, leaching of N and C and N transformations in plant, litter and soil. Results for the first 11 months (1.8.2006 to 30.6.2007) suggest that the grasslands are the largest source of N₂O, that forests are the largest source of NO and sink of CH₄ and that N deposition rates influence NO and N₂O fluxes in non-agricultural ecosystems. The NO and N₂O emission ratio is influenced by soil type and precipitation. First budgets of reactive N entering and leaving the ecosystem and of net greenhouse gas exchange are outlined. Further information on rates of denitrification to N₂ and biological N₂ fixation is required to complete the N budgets for some sites. The quantitative roles played by CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ in defining net greenhouse gas exchange differ widely between ecosystems depending on the interactions of climate, soil type, land use and management.     

Methane and CO2 fluxes from an Indonesian peatland used for sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) cultivation: Effects of fertilizer and groundwater level management

Tropical peatland is a vast potential land source for biological production, but peatland is a major natural source of greenhouse gases, especially methane (CH₄). It is important to evaluate the changes in greenhouse gas emissions induced by cultivation practices for sustainable agricultural use of tropical peatland. We investigated the effects of fertilizer application and the groundwater level on CH₄ and carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes in an Indonesian peat soil. The crop cultivated was sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.), which can grow on tropical peat soil without drainage and yield great amounts of starch. CH₄ emission through sago palm plants was first estimated by collecting gas samples immediately after cutting sago suckers using the closed chamber method. The CH₄ fluxes ranged from negative values to 1.0 mg C m⁻² h⁻¹. The mean CH₄ flux from treatment with macroelements (N, P, and K) and microelements (B, Cu, Fe, and Zn) applied at normal rates did not differ significantly from that of the No fertilizer treatment, although increasing the application rates of macroelements or microelements by 10-fold increased the CH₄ flux by a factor of two or three. The relationship between CH₄ flux and the groundwater table was regressed to a logarithmic equation, which indicated that to maintain a small CH₄ flux, the groundwater table should be maintained at <−45 cm. The CO₂ fluxes ranged between 24 and 150 mg C m⁻² h⁻¹, and were not significantly affected by either fertilizer treatments or the groundwater level. The inclusion of sago palm suckers in a chamber increased CH₄ emission from the peat soil significantly. Thus, gas emissions mediated by certain kinds of palm plants should not be disregarded.     

源分类生物有机垃圾及其各组分甲烷潜能实验研究

研究了一种实验室范围内源分类生物有机垃圾制取甲烷潜能的方法.37℃条件下,添加20 g新鲜物料和300 mL来自于沈阳市污水处理厂接种体.于3个平行反应器中进行为期50 d的厌氧消化实验,通过气相色谱定期检测甲烷气体的浓度.在37℃条件下,BMW及其各组分厌氧消化产气速率为:淀粉>BMW>蛋白质>食用油>脂肪>纸,BMW、淀粉、蛋白质、食用油、脂肪和纸最终甲烷化潜能(CH4/VS)分别为:218.15、209.11、194.20、238.86、257.82和131.41 mL/g,其厌氧生物降解率分别为:67.73%、72.88%、65.84%、78.38%、74.11%和47.98%.     

Life cycle assessment of milk produced in two smallholder dairy systems in the highlands and the coast of Peru

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to two smallholder milk production systems in Peru in order to evaluate the environmental burden of milk produced in each. An Andean highland milk production system where livestock feeding is restricted to permanent pastures supplemented with on farm grown ryegrass-clover was opposed to a coastal system with dairy cows fed a diet consisting of fodder maize and purchased concentrate. Milk production levels (kg/cow day) differed considerably with 2.57 for the highland and 19.54 for the coastal system. A Life Cycle Inventory was calculated for the functional unit of 1 kg energy corrected milk (ECM) and the environmental impacts global warming, acidification and eutrophication were estimated for 1 kg ECM, 1 ha and 1 animal, considering the multi-functionality of the system. The highland system was characterized by a high land use (23.1 m²a/kg ECM vs. 1.71 m²a/kg ECM at the coast). Irrigation water and energy were on the other hand used to a much higher amount at the coast (7291 l/kg ECM and 8791 MJ/kg ECM, respectively) than in the highlands (848 l/kg ECM and 0.20 MJ/kg ECM). Global warming potential, acidification and eutrophication were higher for 1 kg ECM produced in the highlands than at the coast by 10.6 kg CO₂ equivalents, 6.58 g sulfur dioxide equivalents and 10.63 g phosphate equivalents, respectively. Nevertheless, 5220 kg CO₂ equivalents more were emitted per animal at the coast than in the highlands. Also acidification and eutrophication were estimated to be on average 6 and 4 times higher at the coast compared to the highlands when expressed for the functional units of 1 ha and 1 animal.

Results

Whereas livestock is mainly responsible for impacts on the environment in the highlands, at the coast both livestock related emissions and forage cultivation play an important role. Furthermore CO₂ releases from soybean cultivations heavily contribute to total emissions. Sensitivity analysis indicates that for dairy systems relying on crop by-products as feed the choice of the allocation method is a crucial point in a LCA study. Based on the results of this study, strategies in order to reduce the environmental burden of milk production should focus on an increase of production levels and a reduction of methane emissions from enteric fermentation in the highlands and a modification of the concentrate components replacing soya as the protein source at the coast.