Production and characterization of biodiesel from Eriobotrya Japonica seed oil: an optimization study

Biodiesel is now-a-days recognized as a real potential alternative to petroleum-derived diesel fuel due to its number of desirable characteristics. However, its higher production cost resulting mainly due to use of costly food-grade vegetable oils as raw materials is the major barrier to its economic viability. Present work is an attempt to explore the potential of Eriobotrya japonica seed oil for the synthesis of biodiesel using alkali-catalyzed transesterification. Optimization of production parameters, namely molar ratio of alcohol to oil, amount of catalyst, reaction time and temperature, was carried out using Taguchi method. Fatty acid composition of both oil and biodiesel was determined using GC and H¹ NMR. Alcohol to oil molar ratio of 6:1, catalyst amount of 1% wt/wt, 2 h reaction time and 50 ^°C reaction temperature were found to be the optimum conditions for obtaining 94.52% biodiesel. Highest % contribution was shown by the ‘amount of catalyst’ (67.32%) followed by molar ratio of alcohol to oil (25.51%). Major fuel properties of E. japonica methyl esters produced under optimum conditions were found within the specified limits of ASTM D6751 for biodiesel, hence it may be considered a prospective substitute of petro-diesel.     

Prospect of castor oil biodiesel in Bangladesh: Process development and optimization study

In this study, castor oil (CO) has been investigated as a potential source for biodiesel production in Bangladesh. Castor oil has been extracted from the seeds by mechanical press and the Soxhlet extraction method. Maximum oil content of 55.7% has been found by the Soxhlet extraction method. The physicochemical properties such as free fatty acid (FFA) content, kinematic viscosity, saponification value, and density of the oil have been measured by different standard methods. The FFA content and viscosity have been found considerably higher such as 33.5% and 253 mm²/s, respectively. Biodiesel has been prepared using a three-step method comprising of saponification of oil followed by acidification of the soap and esterification of FFA. The overall yield of FFA from CO is found to be around 89.2%. The final step is esterification that produces fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and a maximum 97.4% conversion of FFA to biodiesel has been observed. The effect of the oil to methanol molar ratio, catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, and time has been investigated for esterification reaction and optimized using the response surface methodology. ¹H NMR of crude castor oil and castor oil methyl ester (COME) was studied and analyzed that confirms the complete conversion of castor oil to biodiesel. Finally, the biodiesel, produced under optimum conditions, was characterized using the various standard method and found comparable with petro-diesel and biodiesel standard.     

Resource utilization of wasted black pulping liquor for biodiesel production by Scenedesmus obliquus

The possibility of application of black liquor for oil-riched algae cultivation is inspected. The results show that after ligin removal and enzymatic hydrolysis, the hydrolysate of black liquor contained 9.18 g L^?1 of reducing sugar. When the hydrolysate was used for Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) cultivation, a 1.23 g L^?1, 24.52%, and 23.20 mg L^?1d^?1 was obtained for growth yield, oil content, and the lipid productivity, seperately. The hemicellulose was extracted from black liquor and hydrolyzed. With addition of 3 g L^?1 yeast extract, the growth yield of S. obliquus in hemicellulose hydrolysate increased to 2.7 g L^?1, an increase of 26.8% than that of in glucose medium, oil content was 25.7% and the final lipid productivity reached 53.37 mg L^?1d^?1. The results indicate that black liquor can not be directly used by microalgae, but with approprate treatment, the carbohydrate of it could be recovered and uitilized for the oil production from microalgae.     

Removal of organic pollutants and nutrients from olive mill wastewater by a sand filter

The aim of this work was to examine the performance of a sand filter in treating modern olive mill (OMW) effluents after dilution with domestic wastewater on a one-to-one basis. The experimental pilot consisted of a column of opaque PVC, and the sand filter was filled with 50 cm of sand and 10 cm of gravel in the top and the bottom of the filter. The alimentation (4 cm/day) was done sequentially following a 1 day wet/3 days dry cycle. The OMW effluent was very acidic with a pH of 4.12, and had high concentrations of phenolic compounds (7.2 g/L) and total chemical oxygen demand (65 g/L). The percolation of the diluted OMW through the sand filters caused an increase in pH from 4.84 to 8.25 and a 90% removal of total suspended solids. The sand filter treatment also led to important reductions in organic matter (90% of total COD, 83% of dissolved COD and 92% of phenolic compounds) and nutrients (91% of Kjeldahl-nitrogen, 97% of ammonia-nitrogen, 99% of nitrate-nitrogen and 99% of phosphates). The flow rate became very low indicating clogging of the sand pores after 10 weeks. HPLC analysis of the diluted OMW before and after passage through the sand filter showed an important reduction in the toxic monomeric compounds after the treatment.     

A process model to estimate the cost of industrial scale biodiesel production from waste cooking oil by supercritical transesterification

This paper describes the conceptual design of a production process in which waste cooking oil is converted via supercritical transesterification with methanol to methyl esters (biodiesel).Since waste cooking oil contains water and free fatty acids, supercritical transesterification offers great advantage to eliminate the pre-treatment capital and operating cost.A supercritical transesterification process for biodiesel continuous production from waste cooking oil has been studied for three plant capacities (125,000; 80,000 and 8000 tonnes biodiesel/year). It can be concluded that biodiesel by supercritical transesterification can be scaled up resulting high purity of methyl esters (99.8%) and almost pure glycerol (96.4%) attained as by-product.The economic assessment of the biodiesel plant shows that biodiesel can be sold at US$ 0.17/l (125,000 tonnes/year), US$ 0.24/l (80,000 tonnes/year) and US$ 0.52/l for the smallest capacity (8000 tonnes/year).The sensitive key factors for the economic feasibility of the plant are: raw material price, plant capacity, glycerol price and capital cost.Overall conclusion is that the process can compete with the existing alkali and acid catalyzed processes.Especially for the conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel, the supercritical process is an interesting technical and economical alternative.     

Experimental evaluation of the catalytic efficiency of calcium based natural and modified catalyst for biodiesel synthesis

Transesterification of a mixture of vegetable oils with methanol using metal oxide catalysts derived from snail shell (SS) for biodiesel production was investigated. The metal oxides obtained from calcined snail shells in the temperature range of 650°–950 °C and modified by loading different potassium salts were used as a catalyst in the process. The catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM-EDS, XPS and TGA. Catalytic activities of developed catalysts were also tested by Hammet indicator method and ion exchange method. The best calcination conditions were observed at 850°C for 4 hours based on biodiesel yield. The KF loaded snail shell gave highest biodiesel yield of 98 ± 1% in a batch reactor with highest basicity (15.9 mmoles/g) and basic strength measured by Hammet method. The optimized reaction conditions were: reaction temperature 65°C, reaction time 3 hours, methanol to oil molar ratio 9:1 and catalyst concentration 3wt%. Leaching and reusability tests confirm the stability of the catalyst as it encounters only 3% of leaching and small changes in catalytic activity up to five runs in terms of biodiesel yield.     

Preliminary study of physico-chemical treatment options for hospital wastewater

Hospital effluents are loaded with pathogenic microorganisms, partially metabolized pharmaceutical substances, radioactive elements, and other toxic substances. Such effluents if not treated properly can damage the natural environment and create a biological imbalance. This paper points out the areas of concern for hospital wastewater disposal and reports the findings of a limited physico-chemical study of treatment options for hospital effluents conducted at Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The effluent collected was checked for conventional parameters and subjected to coagulation experiments. The raw and settled effluents were coagulated with FeCl(3), filtered and disinfected. Physico-chemical treatment seems to be an attractive option for the cost-effective disposal of hospital effluents. The results of this study call for further detailed study in this area.     

黄药废水处理的研究现状及展望

黄药是浮选金属硫化矿物应用最广、最有效的捕收剂,但其在选矿废水中的残留会对环境造成严重污染。黄药废水净化排放及回水利用不仅对环境有利,且符合选厂经济利益。本文主要介绍了近年来常用的黄药废水净化处理方法,并对未来黄药废水处理方向进行了展望,以其对黄药选矿废水的治理提供一定的参考价值。     

Total site: wastewater minimization: Wastewater reuse and regeneration reuse

Analysis of technological wastewater streams in a refinery and petrochemical complex was carried out. Wastewater flowrates, temperatures, pH and pollutant contents were measured. Regarding the characteristics of the individual waters, possible connections between water outflows from the processes or process units and potential water consumers were determined. Possibilities to reduce the flowrate of technological wastewater with wastewater reuse or preliminary regeneration and reuse were found. The consumption of fresh water could be lowered by 11.2 m³/h, reducing the treatment system load and prolonging its residence time by 7%. The payback period for the changes proposed in the petrochemical plants is 6 months with annual savings of US$27 630. The payback period for the changes proposed in the refinery is 11 days with annual savings of US$15 500.     

Regeneration of industrial district wastewater using a combination of Fenton process and ion exchange—A case study

Regeneration studies of wastewater effluent from an organized industrial district (OID) for possible reuse in textile industry as process water was investigated. Advanced treatment methods including Fenton process, polyaluminium chloride (PAC) coagulation and ion exchange were applied on OID effluent. In Fenton process removal efficiencies for suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), SAC₄₃₆ (spectral absorption coefficient), SAC₅₂₅ and SAC₆₂₀ were determined 61%, 36%, 35%, 49% and 67%, respectively. After Fenton process, wastewater samples were coagulated with PAC. Optimum removal efficiencies for SS, COD, Fe ion, SAC₄₃₆, SAC₅₂₅ and SAC₆₂₀ were determined 83%, 18%, 93%, 32%, 36% and 58%, respectively. Ion exchange experiments were conducted on chemically coagulated wastewater samples to improve the quality of wastewater. Optimum dosage of resins was determined. The experiments revealed that 1:1 resin ratio (20 mL H-type resin:20 mL OH-type resin) gave the best removal rates for the parameters considered in this study. Study results indicated that quality of the wastewater was suitable for the process water characteristics of textile industry and unit wastewater treatment cost was determined as 2.54 €/m³.     

A comparative analysis of methods to represent uncertainty in estimating the cost of constructing wastewater treatment plants

Prediction of construction cost of wastewater treatment facilities could be influential for the economic feasibility of various levels of water pollution control programs. However, construction cost estimation is difficult to precisely evaluate in an uncertain environment and measured quantities are always burdened with different types of cost structures. Therefore, an understanding of the previous development of wastewater treatment plants and of the related construction cost structures of those facilities becomes essential for dealing with an effective regional water pollution control program. But deviations between the observed values and the estimated values are supposed to be due to measurement errors only in the conventional regression models. The inherent uncertainties of the underlying cost structure, where the human estimation is influential, are rarely explored. This paper is designed to recast a well-known problem of construction cost estimation for both domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants via a comparative framework. Comparisons were made for three technologies of regression analyses, including the conventional least squares regression method, the fuzzy linear regression method, and the newly derived fuzzy goal regression method. The case study, incorporating a complete database with 48 domestic wastewater treatment plants and 29 industrial wastewater treatment plants being collected in Taiwan, implements such a cost estimation procedure in an uncertain environment. Given that the fuzzy structure in regression estimation may account for the inherent human complexity in cost estimation, the fuzzy goal regression method does exhibit more robust results in terms of some criteria. Moderate economy of scale exists in constructing both the domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants. Findings indicate that the optimal size of a domestic wastewater treatment plant is approximately equivalent to 15,000 m3/day (CMD) and higher in Taiwan. Yet the optimal size of an industrial wastewater treatment plant could fall in between 6000 CMD and 20,000 CMD.     

Treatment of domestic wastewater using an anaerobic baffled reactor followed by a duckweed pond for agricultural purposes

The treatment and reuse of domestic wastewater using an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) followed by a duckweed pond (DWP) were the main theme of the present study. The ABR was fed continuously with domestic wastewater at four HRTs ranging from 8 to 24 h and corresponds to organic loading rates ranging from 0.67 to 2.1 kg COD/m³/day. The ABR effluent was fed to a DWP operating at 10 and 15 days. The performance of the ABR at the four HRTs gave satisfactory results. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was between 68 and 82%. Fecal coliform removal was between 1 to 2 logs. The 12- and 18-h hydraulic retention times (HRTs) gave close results, as indication of the possible selection of the 12-h HRT as the optimum operation for the ABR based on economic advantage. The ABR compartmentalized structure gave results higher than those produced by the one-stage digester and similar to those produced by the two-phase anaerobic digestion process. Duckweed ponds as post-treatment operated at 10 days and 15 days gave the best results at 15-day HRT, where it was possible to remove 73.4% of nitrogen and 65% of phosphorus and produce protein-rich dry duckweed of 105 kg/ha/day on average. The removal of fecal coliform (FC) in duckweed ponds was 3–4 logs. The final treated domestic sewage characteristics proved its compliance with the Egyptian standards for reuse in restricted irrigation.     

Commerce and cruises: a comparative study of Jamaican waterfront transformations

Caribbean urban waterfronts have been extensively modified in recent decades to encourage business (especially through the development of new commercial districts) and tourism (particularly in the form of cruise shipping). This paper draws on three case studies from Jamaica to explore the processes through which waterfronts have been redeveloped and the ways in which these spaces are used. The transformation and ongoing management of these waterfronts involve the negotiation of a complex set of power relationships between stakeholders operating at a variety of scales, including national governments, the private sector, Jamaican citizens and tourists. The position of waterfronts at the junction of the “urban” and the “natural” environments provides a fruitful nexus for examining the intricacies of society–nature relationships, and illustrates the ways in which ideas of modernity, development, identity and exclusion are incorporated into the local environment.     

Ultrasound and enzyme assisted biodegradation of distillery wastewater

Irradiation with ultrasound (US) and use of an enzyme (E) as pretreatment techniques were carried out to treat a complex effluent (distillery wastewater). These two techniques have been used alone as well as in combination and the efficacy of these techniques was tested by subjecting the effluent to subsequent aerobic biological oxidation (AO). When used alone, US exposure for 30 min and 2 h yielded the best COD reduction during the aerobic oxidation step (US+AO). For the enzyme when used alone, a pH value of 4.8 (corresponding to the optimum pH of the enzyme), a dose of 50 U and a pretreatment time of 24 h yielded better COD removal efficiency as compared to untreated effluent (aerobic oxidation alone). When used in combination, ultrasound followed by enzymatic pretreatment (US+E+AO) yielded the best COD removal efficiencies during aerobic oxidation as compared to the other combinations tested for the treatment of the distillery wastewater. A 4-fold increase in the initial oxidation rate was observed over the untreated batch for the integrated technique (US+E+AO). On the basis of the variation in the values of the biokinetic parameters it can be concluded that the type of pretreatment scheme affects the subsequent rate of the aerobic oxidation significantly.     

三相好氧生物流化床污水处理技术研究应用进展

阐述了三相好氧生物流化床污水处理技术的工艺特点和发展概况,介绍了三相好氧生物流化床在污水处理领域的研究及应用现状,并分析了其存在的问题和未来的发展方向。     

AnSBBR applied to the treatment of wastewater from a personal care industry: Effect of organic load and fill time

The objective of this work was to study the technological feasibility of treating wastewater from a personal care industry (PCI-WW) in a mechanically stirred anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor (AnSBBR) containing immobilized biomass on polyurethane foam. An assessment was made on how system efficiency and stability would be affected by: increasing organic load; supplementation of nutrients and alkalinity; and different feed strategies. The AnSBBR operated with 8-h cycles, stirring speed of 400 rpm, temperature of 30 °C, and treated with 2.0 L wastewater per cycle. First the efficiency and stability of the AnSBBR were studied when submitted to an organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.1–9.4 gCOD/(L d), and when the PCI-WW was supplemented with nutrients (sucrose, urea, trace metals) and alkalinity. The AnSBBR was shown to be robust and presented stability and removal efficiency exceeding 90%. At an OLR of 12.0 gCOD/(L d) efficiency became difficult to maintain due to the presence of commercial cleansers and disinfectants in the wastewater lots. In a subsequent stage the AnSBBR treated the wastewater supplemented with alkalinity, but with no nutrients at varying feed strategies and maintaining an OLR of approximately 9.0 gCOD/(L d). The first strategy consists of feeding 2.0 L of the influent batchwise [OLR of 9.4 gCOD/(L d)]. In the second 1.0 L of influent was fed-batchwise and an additional 1.0 L was fed fed-batchwise [OLR of 9.2 gCOD/(L d)], i.e., in relation to the first strategy the feed volume was maintained but supplied in different periods. In the third strategy 1.0 L of treated effluent was maintained in the reactor and 1.0 L of influent was fed fed-batchwise [OLR of 9.0 gCOD/(L d)], i.e., in relation to the first strategy the feed volume was different but the feed period was the same and the OLR was maintained by increasing the influent concentration. Comparison of the first and second strategies revealed that organic matter removal efficiency was unaffected (exceeding 90%). The third strategy resulted in a reduction in average removal efficiency from 91 to 83% when compared to the first one. A kinetic study resulted in first order kinetic parameters ranges from 0.42 to 1.46 h⁻¹ at OLRs from 3.1 to 12.0 gCOD/(L d), respectively, and the second feed strategy [OLR of 9.2 gCOD/(L d)] was shown to be the most favorable.     

Closed wastewater cycle in a meat producing and processing industry

Creta Farm Plc, owns the largest meat producing (pigs rearing), processing and packaging unit in the island of Crete, in Greece, placed outside the city of Rethymnon in the north coast of the island. From the farm, where more than 20 000 pigs of various ages and sizes live, 300–320 m³ of wastewater are collected in a daily basis. From the slaughterhouse and the processing unit another 100–125 m³/d are produced. The wastewater treatment system is a combination of settling and aeration tanks, with decanters operating in different phases of the process, mainly for the removal of the solids from the wastewater. The average biochemical oxygen demand and total suspend solids values of the treated effluent are 40 and 80 mg/l, respectively. From this almost secondary treated effluent about 100 m³ are used for cleaning the sewage pipes of the rearing unit (animals houses). The remaining 300 m³ are disinfected with a weak chlorine solution before used for irrigating trees, grass and various other plants. More than 2000 eucalyptus trees, 1500 tamarix trees and a large number of olive trees are growing in the site creating a pleasant view and at the same time help minimising the odour problem.     

Biodegradation of pentyl amine and aniline from petrochemical wastewater

The objectives of the project were to isolate a bacterial strain capable of degrading pentyl amine and aniline and to define the optimal pentyl amine and aniline degradation conditions for this bacterial strain. The bacterial strain was isolated from activated sludge obtained from a Northeastern China treatment facility for petrochemical wastewater rich in pentyl amine and aniline. Once the strain was isolated, five triplicate (5) batch tests were used to establish the conditions for maximum pentyl amine and aniline degradation, by varying one at a time the following five factors: temperature, pH, reaction time, pollutant concentrations and aeration rate. In a final test, oil refinery sludge was inoculated with the strain and tested for the degradation of pentyl amine and aniline under optimal conditions, while observing the degradation pathway of pentyl amine and aniline. The isolated strain, PN1001, is a member of the Pseudomonas species and it was capable of degrading pentyl amine and aniline. The optimal reactor conditions for the degradation of a mixture of pentyl amine and aniline, at a concentration ranging between 150 and 200mg/L, were found to be 30 degrees C at a pH of 7.0, under a reaction time of 24h and a maximum solution dissolved oxygen level of 6 mgO(2)/L. Under such conditions, the strain PN1001 degraded 93% and 89% of the pentyl amine and aniline, respectively, aniline being more toxic and demonstrating a more complex degradation pathway. The strain PN1001 degraded more contaminants when both were present because of the pi and sigma electron cloud coordination functions of aniline and pentyl amine, respectively, presumed to reduce the toxic effect of aniline. Once inoculated with the strain, oil refinery sludge degraded 93% and 88% of the pentyl amine and aniline, compared to the strain alone which degraded 72% and 82%, likely because of the sludge's buffering effect against the toxic environment.     

生物滤池—PE管微孔压滤技术治理中药废水

应用ＰＥ管微孔压滤技术，并辅以自然沉降、曝气、生物滤池等技术手段治理中药废水，出水达ＧＢ８９７８－８８中的一级排放标准，并回收了约７０％的水资源，文中的油污给ＰＥ管微孔压液技术带来的影响作了介绍。     

Performance of a combined anaerobic reactor for municipal wastewater treatment at ambient temperature

A bench-scale experimental study was carried out to investigate the overall performance of a combined anaerobic reactor for treating pre-settled municipal wastewater at ambient temperature (18–28°C) in terms of substrate removal efficiencies, biogas, methane production, volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles and effluent suspended solids (SS) concentration, etc. The tested reactor was a modified anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR). The second and third compartments were partly packed with supporting media. The experimental results were similar to, or compared favourably with, other anaerobic reactor systems for municipal wastewater treatment at ambient temperature and proved the technical feasibility of this compartmentalised reactor. Considering its simple structure and operation, it could be considered a potential reactor system for treating municipal and domestic wastewaters in tropical and sub-tropical areas of developing countries.