Limitations for heavy metal release during thermo-chemical treatment of sewage sludge ash

Phosphate recycling from sewage sludge can be achieved by heavy metal removal from sewage sludge ash (SSA) producing a fertilizer product: mixing SSA with chloride and treating this mixture (eventually after granulation) in a rotary kiln at 1000 ± 100 °C leads to the formation of volatile heavy metal compounds that evaporate and to P-phases with high bio-availability. Due to economical and ecological reasons, it is necessary to reduce the energy consumption of this technology. Generally, fluidized bed reactors are characterized by high heat and mass transfer and thus promise the saving of energy. Therefore, a rotary reactor and a fluidized bed reactor (both laboratory-scale and operated in batch mode) are used for the treatment of granulates containing SSA and CaCl₂. Treatment temperature, residence time and - in case of the fluidized bed reactor - superficial velocity are varied between 800 and 900 °C, 10 and 30 min and 3.4 and 4.6 m s⁻¹. Cd and Pb can be removed well (>95 %) in all experiments. Cu removal ranges from 25% to 84%, for Zn 75-90% are realized. The amount of heavy metals removed increases with increasing temperature and residence time which is most pronounced for Cu.In the pellet, three major reactions occur: formation of HCl and Cl₂ from CaCl₂; diffusion and reaction of these gases with heavy metal compounds; side reactions from heavy metal compounds with matrix material. Although, heat and mass transfer are higher in the fluidized bed reactor, Pb and Zn removal is slightly better in the rotary reactor. This is due the accelerated migration of formed HCl and Cl₂ out of the pellets into the reactor atmosphere. Cu is apparently limited by the diffusion of its chloride thus the removal is higher in the fluidized bed unit.     

100 Jahre Lektinforschung — eine Bilanz

A hundred years of lectin research has led to the development of lectinology as an independent field of study. Although lectinology is in part related to immunology, fundamental differences exist. Lectins are important tools in biochemistry, histochemistry and clinical diagnosis. The essential in vivo function of lectins is to combine glycoconjugates. The function of lectins in microorganisms and in animals is partially known, whereas the function of lectins in plants is mostly unclear. Of special interest, now as before, are the toxic lectins of the ricin type consisting of an A-chain (N-glycosidase) and a B-chain (D-galactose-specific lectin).     

Environmental perspectives of pupils: the development of an attitude and behaviour scale

Summary The object of this study was to construct a measurement instrument to assess two different environmental world views of adolescents and, additionally, to address the adolescents' verbal commitment and actual behaviour. Using a multiple-choice questionnaire the instrument was designed to identify and measure the existing factors that underlie concern for ecological/environmental problems and behaviour towards environment/nature in the age group of 10 to 16 year old pupils. Within the traditional tripartite model covering cognitive, affective and behavioural components the study selected items that made up the majority of corresponding subscales from various previous studies. Using factor analysis the configuration of the scale's dimensionality was stated. Based on the responses of approximately 2000 Bavarian pupils, subscales were extracted via factor analysis and, subsequently, addressed to different segments of environmental concern ranging from attitudes to verbal commitment and actual behaviour. Correlation coefficients and the standardized Cronbach's -values were also surveyed. Additionally, a Kruskal-Wallis analysis was applied in order to locate the subscales' influences on sociodemographic variables such as gender and age and self-reported variables such as the pleasure of being a pupil and school performance. The further purpose of the present study is to provide the basis for follow-up comparisons of preferences and values in pupils within other countries.

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Résumé Le but de la présente étude est la réalisation d'un système de mesure pour l'évaluation de différents niveaux de conscience par rapport à la nature et à la protection de l'environnement, ainsi que des comportements actuels ou envisagés. Le système de mesure s'appuie sur un questionnaire à choix multiples pour évaluer les différents facteurs qui déterminent les niveaux de conscience et les comportements correspondants chez les adolescents de 10 à 16 ans. Dans le cadre du modèle à trois niveaux, qui comprend des composantes cognitives, affectives et comportementales, un grand nombre d'items, en partie issus d'études antérieures, ont été sélectionnés pour former les sous-catégories nécessaires. La configuration des catégories a été garantie par une analyse factorielle.Sur la base des réponses d'environ 2000 élèves, des sous-catégories ont été définies, qui vont depuis les positions de départ jusqu'au comportement actuel. En outre, nous avons défini les coefficients de corrélation, ainsi que les valuers Cronback-Alpha, et une analyse des régressions a été effectuée, qui prend en compte les influences, par exemple, des variables sociodémographiques comme le sexe et l'âge, des résultats scolaires ou de la manière dont l'école est perçue par chacun.La présente étude représente la base aussi bien pour des investigations comparatives entre pays, que pour l'évaluation de l'influence d'un enseignement extra-scolaire adopté.

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Dr. Franz Bogner is the senior author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Manfred Wilhelm is based at the Institut für Medizinische Statistik, Technische Universität, Ismaninger Straße 22, D-81675 München, Germany.     

Water and nitrate fluxes at a forest site in the North Tyrolean Limestone Alps

The water balance for the site Mühleggerköpfl in the North Tyrolean Limestone Alps has been established to a soil depth of 50 cm. The evaporation amounts to 42% and deep percolation is 58 % of the precipitation. The surface runoff was negligible and therefore the according nitrate fluxes as well. Soil water analysis revealed mean nitrate concentrations of 3 to 15 mg NO₃ L⁻¹, depending on soil depth. The nitrate concentrations at 50 cm soil depth and the associated percolation rates led to NO₂ ⁻N outputs of 15.9 kg NO₃ ⁻N ha⁻¹ in the year 1999 and 7.9 kg NO₃ ^∼N ha⁻¹ in the year 2000.