Metabolic uncoupler, 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide addition for sludge reduction and fouling control in a gravity-driven membrane bioreactor

• Effects of metabolic uncoupler TCS on the performances of GDMBR were evaluated. • Sludge EPS reduced and transformed into dissolved SMP when TCS was added. • Appropriate TCS increased the permeability and reduced cake layer fouling. • High dosage aggravated fouling due to compact cake layer with low bio-activity. The gravity-driven membrane bioreactor (MBR)system is promising for decentralized sewage treatment because of its low energy consumption and maintenance requirements. However, the growing sludge not only increases membrane fouling, but also augments operational complexities (sludge discharge). We added the metabolic uncoupler 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCS) to the system to deal with the mentioned issues. Based on the results, TCS addition effectively decreased sludge ATP and sludge yield (reduced by 50%). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS; proteins and polysaccharides) decreased with the addition of TCS and were transformed into dissolved soluble microbial products (SMPs) in the bulk solution, leading to the break of sludge flocs into small fragments. Permeability was increased by more than two times, reaching 60–70 L/m²/h bar when 10–30 mg/L TCS were added, because of the reduced suspended sludge and the formation of a thin cake layer with low EPS levels. Resistance analyses confirmed that appropriate dosages of TCS primarily decreased the cake layer and hydraulically reversible resistances. Permeability decreased at high dosage (50 mg/L) due to the release of excess sludge fragments and SMP into the supernatant, with a thin but more compact fouling layer with low bioactivity developing on the membrane surface, causing higher cake layer and pore blocking resistances. Our study provides a fundamental understanding of how a metabolic uncoupler affects the sludge and bio-fouling layers at different dosages, with practical relevance for in situ sludge reduction and membrane fouling alleviation in MBR systems.     

Experimental study of the transport properties of rough self-affine fractures

An experimental study of the transport properties of fluid-saturated joints composed of two complementary rough fracture surfaces, translated with respect to each other and brought in contact, is reported. Quantitative roughness measurements on different fractured granite samples show that the surfaces have a self-affine geometry from which the dependence of the mean aperture on the relative displacement of fracture surfaces kept in contact can be predicted. Variations of the hydraulic and electrical conductances of the joint are measured as functions of its mean aperture. A simple parallel plane model accounts for the global trend of the measurements, but significant deviations are observed when a relative lateral displacement of the surfaces is introduced. A theoretical analysis of their origin shows that they are due both to the randomness of the aperture field and to a nonzero local slope of the surface near the injection hole; the corresponding conductivity fluctuation amplitudes have power law and linear variations with the lateral displacement, and are enhanced by the radial injection geometry.     

煤层注水降低综采工作面煤尘浓度的研究

在深入研究官地矿９＃ 煤渗透特性的基础上,提出动压预注水的煤层注水方案与参数,并在官地矿进行了工业性试验,取得了降低综采工作面煤尘浓度６０％ 以上的明显效果。它对我国煤矿有效实施煤层注水、降低工作面粉尘浓度具有实际指导意义     

超滤膜结构参数特性的分析研究

用电镜法和渗透率法对PVDF-300超滤膜表面的孔径分布、孔隙率以及膜孔密度等结构参数进行了测定.结果表明,用扫描电镜法和场发射扫描电镜法测定膜平均孔径及膜孔密度等结构参数是比较吻合的.从而可以根据膜结构参数在透水过程中的变化规律研究膜污染的机理,为以后建立以膜结构参数为参数的膜污染模型奠定了理论基础.     

One-dimensional model for biogeochemical interactions and permeability reduction in soils during leachate permeation

This paper uses the findings from a column study to develop a reactive model for exploring the interactions occurring in leachate-contaminated soils. The changes occurring in the concentrations of acetic acid, sulphate, suspended and attached biomass, Fe(II), Mn(II), calcium, carbonate ions, and pH in the column are assessed. The mathematical model considers geochemical equilibrium, kinetic biodegradation, precipitation-dissolution reactions, bacterial and substrate transport, and permeability reduction arising from bacterial growth and gas production. A two-step sequential operator splitting method is used to solve the coupled transport and biogeochemical reaction equations. The model gives satisfactory fits to experimental data and the simulations show that the transport of metals in soil is controlled by multiple competing biotic and abiotic reactions. These findings suggest that bioaccumulation and gas formation, compared to chemical precipitation, have a larger influence on hydraulic conductivity reduction.     

Permeability predictions for sand-clogged Portland cement pervious concrete pavement systems

Pervious concrete is an alternative paving surface that can be used to reduce the nonpoint source pollution effects of stormwater runoff from paved surfaces such as roadways and parking lots by allowing some of the rainfall to permeate into the ground below. This infiltration rate may be adversely affected by clogging of the system, particularly clogging or covering by sand in coastal areas. A theoretical relation was developed between the effective permeability of a sand-clogged pervious concrete block, the permeability of sand, and the porosity of the unclogged block. Permeabilities were then measured for Portland cement pervious concrete systems fully covered with extra fine sand in a flume using simulated rainfalls. The experimental results correlated well with the theoretical calculated permeability of the pervious concrete system for pervious concrete systems fully covered on the surface with sand. Two different slopes (2% and 10%) were used. Rainfall rates were simulated for the combination of direct rainfall (passive runoff) and for additional stormwater runoff from adjacent areas (active runoff). A typical pervious concrete block will allow water to pass through at flow rates greater than 0.2 cm/s and a typical extra fine sand will have a permeability of approximately 0.02 cm/s. The limit of the system with complete sand coverage resulted in an effective system permeability of approximately 0.004 cm/s which is similar to the rainfall intensity of a 30 min duration, 100-year frequency event in the southeastern United States. The results obtained are important in designing and evaluating pervious concrete as a paving surface within watershed management systems for controlling the quantity of runoff.     

Structure and flow calculation of cake layer on microfiltration membranes

Submerged membrane bioreactors(SMBR) are widely used in wastewater treatment. The permeability of a membrane declines rapidly because of the formation of a cake layer on the membrane surface. In this paper, a multiple staining protocol was conducted to probe the four major foulants in the cake layer formed on a filtration membrane. Fluorescent images of the foulants were obtained using a confocal laser scanning microscope(CLSM). The three dimensional structure of the cake layer was reconstructed, and the internal flow was calculated using computational fluid dynamics(CFD). Simulation results agreed well with the experimental data on the permeability of the cake layer during filtration and showed better accuracy than the calculation by Kozeny–Carman method. β-D-Glucopyranose polysaccharides and proteins are the two main foulants with relatively large volume fractions, while α-D-glucopyranose polysaccharides and nucleic acids have relatively large specific surface areas. The fast growth of β-D-glucopyranose polysaccharides in the volume fraction is mainly responsible for the increase in cake volume fraction and the decrease in permeability. The specific area, or the aggregation/dispersion of foulants, is less important to its permeability compared to its volume fraction.     

Physical properties of industrial wastes: laboratory tests

This article describes some laboratory tests performed on each kind of sludge located in an industrial wastes landfill. Measured physical properties are: field capacity, hydraulic permeability, saturation water content, effective porosity and particle-size distribution. The laboratory apparatus is described; the obtained results are analyzed to point out the possible correlations among the examined parameters. The aim of this work is to provide a data bank for industrial wastes landfills useful to perform some applications such as the evaluation of the produced leachate quantity for landfills whose wastes are similar to the ones here considered.     

The influence of gas storage parameters on gas emission rate from borehole

Gas emission rate from borehole is one of the most important indexes for the coal and gas outburst prediction. The mathematical model of gas flow in the coal seam, gas flow into the measuring chamber, gas pressure change in the measuring chamber, and gas flow out of the chamber through the pipe is established. Gas migration in the coal seam, gas pressure in borehole chamber and gas flow in pipe is simulated using the finite difference method. Gas emission rate is obtained under dynamic boundary conditions. The influence of gas storage parameters on gas emission rate from borehole is analyzed. Results show that: the gas pressure and the permeability coefficient have great impacts on the value of gas flow quantity in borehole. The larger the original gas pressure of coal seam and the permeability coefficient of coal seam are, the greater the maximum value of gas emission rate form borehole and the later the maximum appears.