Nitrous oxide flux from landfill leachate-sawdust nitrogenous compost

Composted nitrogenous waste has the potential to produce excessive amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas that also contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. In this laboratory study, sawdust was irrigated with varying amounts of landfill leachate with high NH4+-N content (3950 mg l(-1)). Physicochemical properties, including the amount of N2O produced, were monitored during the composting process over 28 days. A rapid decline in NH4+-N in the first 4 days and increasing NO3--N for 11 days was followed by lower but stabilized levels of available-N, even with repeated leachate irrigation. Less than 0.03% of the leachate-applied N was lost as N2O. Higher leachate applications as much as tripled N2O production, but this represented a lesser proportion overall of the total nitrogen. Addition of glucose to the composting process had no significant effect on N2O production. The derived sawdust-leachate compost supported healthy growth of Sesbania rostrata. It is concluded that compost can be produced from sawdust irrigated with landfill leachate without substantial emission of N2O, although excessive flux of N2O remains about high application rates over longer time periods.     

Anaerobic digestion of polyelectrolyte flocculated waste activated sludge

This work examined how adding one of three polyelectrolyte flocculants (T3052: cationic, T2000: non-ionic, and T1052: anionic) affected the anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge. Methane production, floc characteristics (morphology and zeta-potential) and process parameters (soluble chemical oxygen demands (SCODs) and reductive potentials) were monitored along the digestion tests. The digestion rates of T2000- and T1052-conditioned sludge resembled that for original sludge. The T3052-flocculated sludge generated methane at a higher rate during the first 6 days of digestion than did the original one. In the following stage, the digestion rate of sludge flocculated with T3052 at dosage exceeding 15 g/kg dried solids declined. For example, at 40 days of digestion the methane production amounts for original, 15 g/kg DS flocculated, and 40 g/kg flocculated sludge were of 136, 105, and 85 g/kg DS, respectively. The role of flocculants could change in different stages of digestion.The dosed polymers had no apparent toxicity to the inoculum used. The changes in SCOD, adenosintriphosphate concentrations, oxidative and reductive potential, and zeta-potentials did not correlate with the noted hindered digestion for T3052-conditioned sludge. Microphotographic observation revealed that the flocs of T3052-conditioned sludge were not only of a large size, but also were resistant to structural deterioration during digestion. Therefore, mass transfer resistance was proposed to account for the hindered digestion efficiency observed for T3052-conditioned sludge.     

Congener specific transfer of PCDD/Fs from air to cows' milk: an evaluation of current modelling approaches

Three different approaches have been used to model the transfer of individual PCDD/F congeners from the air to cows' milk. These are: (1) an 'Equilibrium Partitioning' approach, (2) a 'Deposition Velocity' approach and (3) a 'Scavenging' approach. Air-leaf transfers and livestock feed-milk transfers, the two most critical components of the food chain exposure model, are discussed. A representative database for measured PCDD/Fs in UK air, herbage and milk is presented and the performance of each predicted model concentration against this measured dataset is assessed. Weaknesses and uncertainties associated with modelling the complex transfer processes involved are highlighted.     

Determination of mutagenic potential and organic contaminants of Great Lakes drinking water

Extracts of organic compounds were obtained, using XAD-2 macroreticular resin, from drinking water supplies in 12 Great Lakes municipalities. The extracts were tested for mutagenic potential using the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome assay and analysed for organochlorine pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, organophosphorous pesticides and trialkyl-arylphosphates. Grab samples of drinking water were also analysed for volatile organic compounds. Dose-related increases in mutagenicity were found in extracts from 11 of the drinking water supplies.     

The Rossby Centre Regional Atmospheric Climate Model part II: application to the Arctic climate

The Rossby Centre regional climate model (RCA2) has been integrated over the Arctic Ocean as part of the international ARCMIP project. Results have been compared to observations derived from the SHEBA data set. The standard RCA2 model overpredicts cloud cover and downwelling longwave radiation, during the Arctic winter. This error was improved by introducing a new cloud parameterization, which significantly improves the annual cycle of cloud cover. Compensating biases between clear sky downwelling longwave radiation and longwave radiation emitted from cloud base were identified. Modifications have been introduced to the model radiation scheme that more accurately treat solar radiation interaction with ice crystals. This leads to a more realistic representation of cloud-solar radiation interaction. The clear sky portion of the model radiation code transmits too much solar radiation through the atmosphere, producing a positive bias at the top of the frequent boundary layer clouds. A realistic treatment of the temporally evolving albedo, of both sea-ice and snow, appears crucial for an accurate simulation of the net surface energy budget. Likewise, inclusion of a prognostic snow-surface temperature seems necessary, to accurately simulate near-surface thermodynamic processes in the Arctic.     

Concentration, size distribution, and dry deposition rate of particle-associated metals in the Los Angeles region

Daily averaged atmospheric concentrations and dry deposition fluxes of particulate metals were measured seasonally at six urban sites and one non-urban coastal site in the Los Angeles region using a conventional total suspended particulate matter (TSP) filter, surrogate surface deposition plates, and a Noll Rotary Impactor (NRI), which provides information about particle size distribution in four size ranges above 6 μm. With the exception of the non-urban site, particulate metal concentrations and deposition fluxes were remarkably uniform spatially and temporally. At all sites there were significant metal concentrations on particles greater than 10 μm, a commonly used upper limit for many air quality monitoring studies, and these large particles were estimated to be responsible for most of the deposited mass of metals. Annual averaged values of deposition rates measured with a surrogate surface were in good agreement with values estimated using theoretical deposition velocities in conjunction with measured size-segregated particle concentrations. Image analysis of particles deposited on NRI stage A, which collects all particles greater than 6 μm, indicated nighttime metal concentrations and deposition at the non-urban coastal site was higher than in the day time due to offshore advection of urban air associated with the diurnal land breeze. Measured enrichments of crustal elements and metals were correlated, indicating efficient mixing of natural and anthropogenic material from different sources, hypothesized to be the result of cyclical resuspension and deposition of dust by moving vehicles and wind.