Ultrasound pretreatment of filamentous algal biomass for enhanced biogas production

The filamentous alga Hydrodictyon reticulatum harvested from a bench-scale wastewater treatment pond was used to evaluate biogas production after ultrasound pretreatment. The effects of ultrasound pretreatment at a range of 10–5000 J/mL were tested with harvested H. reticulatum. Cell disruption by ultrasound was successful and showed a higher degree of disintegration at a higher applied energy. The range of 10–5000 J/mL ultrasound was able to disintegrated H. reticulatum and the soluble COD was increased from 250 mg/L to 1000 mg/L at 2500 J/mL. The disintegrated algal biomass was digested for biogas production in batch experiments. Both cumulative gas generation and volatile solids reduction data were obtained during the digestion. Cell disintegration due to ultrasound pretreatment increased the specific biogas production and degradation rates. Using the ultrasound approach, the specific methane production at a dose of 40 J/mL increased up to 384 mL/g-VS fed that was 2.3 times higher than the untreated sample. For disintegrated samples, the volatile solids reduction was greater with increased energy input, and the degradation increased slightly to 67% at a dose of 50 J/mL. The results also indicate that disintegration of the algal cells is the essential step for efficient anaerobic digestion of algal biomass.     

Biodegradation characteristics of organic matters in swine carcasses under different initial operating conditions of simulated anaerobic lysimeter

This study was aimed to investigate the biodegradation characteristics of organic matters in swine carcasses. The lysimeters were simulated with different initial operating conditions: 30 % volumetric moisture content and no sludge addition for lysimeter A (control), 30 % volumetric moisture content and anaerobic sludge addition for lysimeter B, and 40 % volumetric moisture content and anaerobic sludge addition for lysimeter C. The degradation efficiency (18.4 %) of lysimeter B was higher than that (15.2 %) of lysimeter A due to anaerobic sludge addition. Lysimeter B showed higher CH₄ yield (15.6 L/kg VS) and CH₄ production rate (0.41 L/kg VS days) compared to lysimeter A by 31 % and 14 %, respectively. In addition, the degradation efficiency improved from 18.4 % (lysimeter B) to 26.3 % (lysimeter C) by increasing volumetric moisture content. The CH₄ yield (22.9 L/kg VS) and CH₄ production rate (0.68 L/kg VS days) of lysimeter C were higher than those of lysimeter B, respectively. Total organic carbon (TOC) removed in lysimeter C was converted to leachate (20.3 %) and gas (6.0 %), whose values were higher than those of lysimeter A and B. These results demonstrated that the proper control of initial operating conditions could accelerate the anaerobic degradation of organic matters in swine carcasses.     

Nitrogen evolution during the co-combustion of hydrothermally treated municipal solid waste and coal in a bubbling fluidized bed

Nitrogen evolution was studied during the co-combustion of hydrothermally treated municipal solid wastes (HT MSW) and coal in a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB). HT MSW blending ratios as 10%, 20% and 30% (wt.%) were selected and tested at 700, 800, 900 °C. Emissions of NO and N₂O from blends were measured and compared with the results of mono-combustion trials. Moreover, concentrations of precursors like NH₃ and HCN were also quantified. The results are summarized as follows: NO emissions were predominant in all the cases, which rose with increasing temperature. The blending of HT MSW contributed to the NO reduction. N₂O emissions decreased with temperature rising and the blending of HT MSW also presented positive effects. At 30% HT MSW addition, both NO and N₂O emissions showed the lowest values (391.85 ppm and 55.33 ppm, respectively at 900 °C). For the precursors, more HCN was detected than NH₃ and both played important roles on the gas side nitrogen evolution.     

Exploring the risks and benefits of flexibility in biodiversity offset location in a case study of migratory shorebirds

Biodiversity offsets aim to counterbalance the residual impacts of development on species and ecosystems. Guidance documents explicitly recommend that biodiversity offset actions be located close to the location of impact because of higher potential for similar ecological conditions, but allowing greater spatial flexibility has been proposed. We examined the circumstances under which offsets distant from the impact location could be more likely to achieve no net loss or provide better ecological outcomes than offsets close to the impact area. We applied a graphical model for migratory shorebirds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway as a case study to explore the problems that arise when incorporating spatial flexibility into offset planning. Spatially flexible offsets may alleviate impacts more effectively than local offsets; however, the risks involved can be substantial. For our case study, there were inadequate data to make robust conclusions about the effectiveness and equivalence of distant habitat-based offsets for migratory shorebirds. Decisions around offset placement should be driven by the potential to achieve equivalent ecological outcomes; however, when considering more distant offsets, there is a need to evaluate the likely increased risks alongside the potential benefits. Although spatially flexible offsets have the potential to provide more cost-effective biodiversity outcomes and more cobenefits, our case study showed the difficulty of demonstrating these benefits in practice and the potential risks that need to be considered to ensure effective offset placement.     

Case study of landfill leachate recirculation using small-diameter vertical wells

A case study of landfill liquids addition using small diameter (5 cm) vertical wells is reported. More than 25,000 m³ of leachate was added via 134 vertical wells installed 3 m, 12 m, and 18 m deep over five years in a landfill in Florida, US. Liquids addition performance (flow rate per unit screen length per unit liquid head) ranged from 5.6 × 10^?8 to 3.6 × 10^?6 m³ s^?1 per m screen length per m liquid head. The estimated radial hydraulic conductivity ranged from 3.5 × 10^?6 to 4.2 × 10^?4 m s^?1. The extent of lateral moisture movement ranged from 8 to 10 m based on the responses of moisture sensors installed around vertical well clusters, and surface seeps were found to limit the achievable liquids addition rates, despite the use of concrete collars under a pressurized liquids addition scenario. The average moisture content before (51 samples) and after (272 samples) the recirculation experiments were 23% (wet weight basis) and 45% (wet weight basis), respectively, and biochemical methane potential measurements of excavated waste indicated significant (p < 0.025) decomposition.     

Development of conflict techniques for left-turn and cross-traffic at protected left-turn signalized intersections

To design comprehensive traffic safety measures, the risk of the occurrence of traffic accidents must be objectively evaluated. It is difficult, however, to evaluate the effects of traffic measures in terms of the change in the number of traffic accidents, because traffic accidents are unpredictable and rare events. Therefore, this study used a traffic conflict technique to objectively evaluate traffic safety at intersections. In this study, traffic conflicts that occur at the time of a signal violation were differentiated according to type, and a traffic conflict technology was developed that would consider the severity of each type of conflict. To apply this method, traffic images were collected from the Jungja intersection and the Naejung intersection in Sungnam City, Korea and were analyzed using traffic data by means of image procedure technology. The analyses showed that of the four levels of differentiated conflict conditions, the Level 1 condition occurred most often, followed by Level 2, which occurred much less frequently than Level 1. Level 3 (serious conflicts) and Level 4 (dangerous conflicts: accidents) conditions were not detected.     

宏蛋白质组学在活性污泥研究中的应用

宏蛋白质组学作为研究微生物群落的一种新兴技术,主要是对特定微生物群落所表达的全部蛋白进行宏观、高通量的分析研究.本文综述了宏蛋白质组学研究的技术路线,主要包括蛋白的提取和纯化、分离和鉴定,以及宏蛋白质组学在强化生物除磷的活性污泥、活性污泥胞外多聚物和比较不同处理工艺活性污泥的差异等方面的研究.活性污泥的宏蛋白质组学研究完善了强化生物除磷活性污泥的厌氧和好氧阶段的代谢模型,揭示了活性污泥胞外多聚物在污染物降解过程中的主要作用和表现,阐述了不同活性污泥在污水处理过程中宏观特性与微观功能之间的关系,对于污水的生物处理有着重要的指导意义.宏蛋白质组学在活性污泥研究领域仍处于起步阶段,没有统一、有效的蛋白提取方法,数据库匮乏,成为活性污泥宏蛋白质组学发展的主要阻碍.随着各种新兴仪器、方法的应用以及数据库的不断完善,活性污泥宏蛋白质组学将会在污染物生物降解机制分析、鉴定功能蛋白等方面展现其巨大的优势.     

Risk assessment of particulate matter by considering time-activity-pattern and major microenvironments for preschool children living in Seoul,South Korea

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Preschool children aged 3–6 years are vulnerable to exposed to particulate matter (“PM10” and “PM2.5”). It is required...     

Assessing the efficacy of dissolved air and flash-pressurized flotations using low energy for the removal of organic precursors and disinfection byproducts: a pilot-scale study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a widely used treatment process in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants despite high energy cost associated...