Use of zeolitised coal fly ash for landfill leachate treatment: a pilot plant study

Treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill leachate generally results in low percentages of nutrient removal due to the high concentration and accumulation of refractory compounds. For this reason, individual physical, chemical and biological processes have been used for the treatment of raw landfill leachate and sometimes for the mixture of domestic wastewater and landfill leachate. In this work, the possibility of treating landfill leachate was tested in a bench-scale pilot plant by a two-step method combining adsorption and coagulation-flocculation. Zeolite synthesized from coal fly ash, a by-product of coal-fired power stations, was used in this study both as a decantation aid reagent and as an adsorbent of COD and NH4-N. The coagulation-flocculation step was performed by the use of aluminium sulphate and a polyelectrolyte (ACTIPOL A-401). The leachate was collected directly from a storage unit of the organic fraction of MSW, before it was composted. For this reason the raw leachate was diluted before treatment. The sludge was recirculated to enhance the removal efficiency of nutrients as well as to optimize flocculant saving and to decrease sludge production. The results showed that it is possible to remove 43%, 53% and 82% of COD, NH4-N, and suspended solids, respectively. Therefore, this method may be an alternative for ammonium removal, as well as a suitable pre- or post-treatment step, in combination with other processes in order to meet regulatory limits.     

Nickel ferrite nanoenabled graphene oxide (NiFe2O4@GO) as photoactive nanocomposites for water treatment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nanocomposite materials can enhance the capabilities of water treatment processes such as photocatalysis. In this work, novel light-driven...     

A suggested local regions in the Southern Gulf of Mexico using a diatom database (1979-2002) and oceanic hidrographic features

A diatom data-base of 255 species obtained from 14 oceanographic cruises (14801 entries of 647 sampling sites) together with the analysis of oceanic features were used to establish four local regions in the southern Gulf of Mexico. In addition, common species for each region were designated. This study is based on the application of cluster analysis and the species frequency data. Material for this undertaking consisted of water and net samples obtained between June 1979 and December 2002. Results show that the most frequent species (> 40%) were: Asterionellopsis glacialis, Bacteriastrum delicatulum, B. hyalinum, Chaetoceros affinis, C. coarctatus, C. compresus, C. curvisetus, C. danicus, C. decipiens, C. diversus, C. lorenzianus, C. pelagicus, C. peruvianus, Coscinodiscus radiatus, Cylindrotheca closterium, Guinardia flaccida, Hemiaulus hauckii, H. membranaceus, H. sinensis, Leptocylindrus danicus, Neocalyptrella robusta, Nitzschia bicapitata, Pleurosigma diverse-striatum, Proboscia alata, Pseudo-nitzschia pungens, Pseudosolenia calcar-avis, Rhizosolenia imbricata, R. setigera, Skeletonema costatum, Thalassionema bacillare, T frauenfeldii, T nitzschioides and Thalassiosira eccentrica. The species composition for each region and season are discussed. Itis concluded that sampling site assemblages are related to oceanographic conditions. A total list of species composition is given, forty-seven species taxa being new records for this area.     

Influence of the mineralogical composition on microbial activities in marine sediments: an experimental approach

We investigated the influence of the mineralogical composition of marine sediments on bacterial activity in experimental microcosms. Calcite and quartz were added to natural marine sediments and microbial response in terms of total bacterial abundance and biomass, β-D-glucosidase exo-enzymatic activity and bacterial incorporation of a radio-labelled (³H-leucine) substrate were investigated for a period of one month. We report here that after 15 days the mineralogical composition of the sediment (calcite vs. quartz) had an impact on bacterial abundance and activity (reduced for ca 15% and 56%, respectively). However, such impact was mitigated or even disappeared in high organic nutrient conditions.     

Biogeographic methods identify gymnosperm biodiversity hotspots

A remarkable congruence among areas of endemism, panbiogeographic nodes, and refugia in western North America, Japan, south-western China, Tasmania, and New Caledonia indicates that these areas deserve special status for conservation. Here we propose that areas identified by different biogeographic methods are significant candidates for designation as hotspots.     

Representing inequities in the distribution of socio-economic benefits and environmental risk

There is currently no standard methodfor analyzing claims of environmental inequity. Neitheris there a database of statistics on the extent ofrelationship between regional indicators ofenvironmental quality, likely sources of pollution, andthe demographic characteristics of affectedpopulations. The resolution of environmental disputesis often hampered by inadequate communication betweenstakeholder groups about their perceptions andprioritization of the issues in dispute and bydifferential access to information about the issues byeach stakeholder group. This paper describes a web-based tool, ICEP, that uses multi-layered GIS maps toestablish a standard method for analyzing claims ofenvironmental inequity and establish a database ofcorrelation coefficients between environmentalindicators, industry type by SIC code, and demographiccharacteristics of the population in proximity tonoxious facilities. The maps are generated fromstakeholder reports of environmental quality and aredesigned to be accessible via the Internet. Thisprovides stakeholders with direct access to graphicaldisplays of the perceptions of their co-stakeholdersand provides all groups with links to relevantinformation sources about the issues in dispute. ICEPenhances existing community environmental websites likeScorecard and Envirofacts by providingdisplays of median household income as a measure of thedistribution of benefits accrued within an area.     

深圳再生水补水河流溶解N2O空间分布和产生机制

为了探究在再生水回补城市河流的条件下河流N₂O的微生物产生过程及其空间变化特征,以深圳市西乡河为研究对象,分析了河水中c（溶解性N₂O）、c（NH₄+-N）、c（NO₃--N）、δ15Nbulk-N₂O、δ18O-N₂O、同位素异位体位嗜值（site preference,SP）及其他环境因子,并基于端元混合模型和同位素分馏模型定量计算硝化和反硝化作用对河水中N₂O贡献百分比.结果表明:①随着流速降低,西乡河河水从上游的好氧环境逐渐发育成中下游的厌氧环境.②再生水进入西乡河后河水c（溶解性N₂O）从1.36 μmol/L沿程降至0.19 μmol/L;相关性分析表明,影响c（溶解性N₂O）的主要因素为ρ（DO）（R2=0.800,P < 0.01）和c（CH₄）（R2=-0.736,P < 0.01）.③硝化和反硝化作用对河水中N₂O贡献率分别为14.36%~80.53%和19.47%~85.64%;N₂O的来源在好氧河段中以硝化作用为主,在厌氧河段则以反硝化作用为主;N₂O还原成N₂的比例与ρ（DO）具有显著负相关关系（R2=-0.782,P < 0.01）.研究显示,再生水回补城市河流引入了较高质量浓度的N₂O和NO₃--N,而河道的厌氧环境促进河水中N₂O还原成N₂,下游河流成为N₂O的汇.      

江苏省典型铅酸蓄电池企业周围环境铅污染水平调查

目的调查江苏省典型铅酸蓄电池企业对周围环境的影响。方法按照国家相关标准和规范对该企业内、外的环境样品进行检测。结果下风向区土壤铅含量中位数均明显高于上风向区域(L相似文献   

Effect of tunnel inclination on digging energetics in the tuco-tuco, Ctenomys talarum (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae)

Burrows play an important role for many species, providing them with shelter and access to food resources. For subterranean rodents, living underground imposes constraints on morphology and physiology. The convergence in burrow architecture among subterranean rodents has been related to the energy demands imposed by the cost of constructing an entire system. The low frequency of tunnels with downward angles steeper than 40° appears to be a common feature in burrow design. In the subterranean habitat, movements through the soil are expensive and gravity can exert important restrictions on digging energetics when individuals push out the soil removed in steeper digging angles. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of digging angle on digging energetics in Ctenomys talarum. The mass of the removed soil and burrowing speed were similar while digging metabolic rate and net cost of transport were higher in individuals digging in tunnels with angles >40° than in those digging tunnels with angles <40°. The cost of constructing a burrow in the horizontal plane differed by 20% from others in which the natural representation of tunnels >40° was considered. Even given that tunnels >40° represented only 6% of the total burrow length, burrow architecture appears to be constrained by the high energetic cost of constructing in steeper angles.     

Nonylphenol algal bioaccumulation and its effect through the trophic chain

Nonylphenol is a metabolic intermediate from the microbial transformation of detergents used worldwide. While nonylphenol shows some acute toxicity, it is also able to mimic important hormones resulting in the disruption of several processes by interfering with the signals that control the overall physiology of the organism. The effect of the pollutant nonylphenol (NP) through the trophic chain was studied. Microalgae Isochrysis galbana was able to bioconcentrate NP 6940 times, where 77% of initial NP (100microgl(-1)) is accumulated intracellularly after 1-h incubation. Crustacean Artemia fransiscana showed 25% higher growth when fed with NP-rich algae. However, Artemia metabolized almost all NP ingested and only traces of NP could be found in the organism, eliminating future NP effects. Zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) were affected by the presence of 171microgg(-1) of NP in the diet, showing higher levels of the hormone vitellogenin and lower levels of cytochrome P450 activity. These results showed that organisms placed in the first level of trophic chain are able to significantly bioconcentrate the pollutant and endocrine disruptor NP. These grassed organisms affect the growth of crustacean. Moreover, the organisms placed on the top of some trophic chains, such as fish, could be affected by the presence of NP in their food, in both the hormone levels and metabolic enzymes. This work shows that the environmental presence of NP should be considered as a risk for the organisms living in an ecosystem.