Environmental information system for visualizing environmental impact assessment information

The Institute of Environmental Engineering at the University of Pannonia has undertaken the challenge to develop an online environmental information system. This system is able to receive and process the collected environmental data via Internet. The authors have attached importance to the presentation of the data and have included other comprehensible information for laymen as well in order to work out visualisation techniques that are expressive and attract attention for environmental questions through the developed information system. The ways of visualizing physical and chemical parameters of surface water and the effects of motorway construction were examined.     

PROBLEMS IN FORECASTING WATER REQUIREMENTS1

ABSTRACT. Methodological problems associated with forecasting water requirements by use of regression analysis are examined. Problems occurring when long-range forecasts are based on linear and nonlinear extrapolation of time series models include possible changes in socioeconomic conditions, water allocation system structure, and limits to growth. Problems arising in forecasting based on multiple regression models are likely to involve serially dependent errors, multicollinear explanatory variables, and difficulties inherent to the presence of explanatory variables that must themselves be predicted.     

Effect of Long Retention Time in the Settler on Phosphorus Removal from Communal Wastewater (4 pp)

- Goals. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the solution of a chronic problem occurring in a wastewater treatment facility with a capacity of 12,000 inhabitant equivalent. A drastic phosphorus concentration increase (two or three times higher than the Hungarian limit of 1 mg/l) was observed in the wastewater treatment facility for a long time (12–24 h) with changing time periods indicating malfunctioning in the operation of the facility. Methods Computer-aided simulation technique was used to develop a solution for the treatment of the problem using a software developed by the Department of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, University of Veszprém, Hungary. Results and Discussion The simulation studies show that if the nightly inflow is less than 200 m3/h at least for two hours, the system doesn't then receive enough fresh nutrients which can cause a deficiency in the nutrient uptake of the PAOs in the anaerobic zones. This can result in the fact that the PAOs accumulate less phosphorus into the aerobic zones. Conclusion Long retention time (10 h) is the reason for the problem, namely – under special conditions – the phosphorus in the sludge of the settling tank of the wastewater treatment plant. The problem was caused by phosphorus dissolution from the sludge of the settling tank during the undesirably long retention time.     

Simulation of the influence of industrial wastewater on a municipal sewage treatment plant—a case study

Purpose  

Industrial wastewater flow caused operational difficulties in the wastewater treatment plant in Debrecen, Hungary. Bioaugmentation was successfully applied to maintain effluent quality in the periods when wastewater of high starch content was accepted, but, at the end of 2008, the nitrification capacity of the plant decreased considerably due to improperly pre-treated pharmaceutical wastewater.     

An evaluation of two fluorescence screening methods for the determination of chrysene metabolites in fish bile

Two screening methods, synchronous fluorescence spectrometry (SFS) and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-F), have been evaluated for their suitability in determining chrysene metabolites in fish bile. The optimal wavelength pair, excitation/emission 272/374 nm, for SFS measurements of chrysene metabolites was identified by analysis of bile taken from fish exposed to the pure compound. This analysis revealed in addition some information about the metabolite pattern. However, when bile from fish exposed to complex and environmentally relevant mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was analysed using these methods, identification of the chrysene metabolites was poor. Analysis of bile taken from fish exposed to single PAHs identified other three- and four-ring aromatics as the main interfering compounds. Both methods were equally able to discriminate between impacted and reference sites by determination of relative concentrations of fluorescent three- and four-ring aromatics.     

Selected International Receptor-Based Air Quality Standards

Abstract

The ambient air quality standards (AAQS) of twenty-one nations for eight commonly regulated substances are presented. Many countries are adding a receptor-based component to their air quality management, which traditionally have been emission oriented. Automation of air quality monitoring stations has meant that local air quality evaluation can now be more easily achieved. However, a majority of countries have no active air quality standards (emission or receptor-based) or ambient air quality monitoring. One possible monitoring procedure is outlined and the variation in international standards is discussed.