Optimal operating parameters in the composting of swine manure with wastepaper

Abstract

A series of experiments were conducted to determine the optimal conditions for composting of swine manure and wastepaper. The aeration rate and mixing ratio were the variables investigated. In the first study (Study‐1), four experiments each with the same mixing ratio but a different aeration rate were carried out. In the second study (Study‐2), different mixing ratios were investigated, each however with the same aeration rate which was found to be optimal from Study‐1. Composting efficiencies were evaluated on the temperature profile and the reduction of C/N ratio. From the aeration rates of 200, 500, 1000, and 1500 mL/min.kg_vs that were evaluated, the aeration rate of 500 mL/min.kg_vs and higher showed good results. In Study‐2, where the initial C/N ratios were 20, 25, 30, and 35 respectively, the C/N ratio of 30 was found to be optimal. In conclusion, the composting of swine manure with the amendment of wastepaper was best carried out at the aeration of >500 mL/min.kg_vs and C/N ratio of 30.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDE) air concentrations in the Lake Ontario region: Trends and potential sources

Airborne particle and gas samples were collected approx every 12 days from April 2002 to June 2006 at the Sterling Nature Center located near the southeast corner of Lake Ontario. These samples were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDE). Clausius-Clapeyron (C–C) regression analyses of PCBs and DDE yielded moderate correlations (r² = 0.54, p < 0.001; r² = 0.74, p < 0.001, respectively) indicating that much of the variations in concentrations can be explained by temperature. Back trajectory analysis indicated that the most important factors driving unusually high PCB partial pressures relative to those predicted by the C–C regression were slow wind speeds and winds generally from the southwest. This combination, which occurred frequently in 2004, increased contact of the air with contaminated upwind surfaces with minimum dilution. Hybrid receptor modeling (Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF)) results for the total PCBs identified the midwestern US region that contains the urban areas of southern Indiana (IN), southwestern Ohio (OH), and northern Kentucky (KY) having the highest PSCF values. In general urban areas like Chicago (IL), Detroit (MI), Cleveland (OH), St. Louis (MO), and Nashville (TN) also had significant possibilities. In contrast, the PSCF modeling for DDE identified northern Alabama as the area with the highest probability where DDT was applied to cotton fields.     

Biomineralization-based conversion of carbon dioxide to calcium carbonate using recombinant carbonic anhydrase

Recently, as a mimic of the natural biomineralization process, the use of carbonic anhydrase (CA), which is an enzyme catalyzing fast reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate, has been suggested for biological conversion of CO₂ to valuable chemicals. While purified bovine CA (BCA) has been used in previous studies, its practical utilization in CO₂ conversion has been limited due to the expense of BCA preparation. In the present work, we investigated conversion of CO₂ into calcium carbonate as a target carbonate mineral by using a more economical, recombinant CA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the usage of recombinant CA for biological CO₂ conversion. Recombinant α-type CA originating in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NCA) was highly expressed as a soluble form in Escherichia coli. We found that purified recombinant NCA which showed comparable CO₂ hydration activity to commercial BCA significantly promoted formation of solid CaCO₃ through the acceleration of CO₂ hydration rate, which is naturally slow. In addition, the rate of calcite crystal formation was also accelerated using recombinant NCA. Moreover, non-purified crude recombinant NCA also showed relatively significant ability. Therefore, recombinant CA could be an effective, economical biocatalyst in practical CO₂ conversion system.     

Evaluation of the antifungal effects of bio-oil prepared with lignocellulosic biomass using fast pyrolysis technology

This study was performed to investigate the utility of bio-oil, produced via a fast pyrolysis process, as an antifungal agent against wood-rot fungi. Bio-oil solutions (25-100 wt.%) were prepared by diluting the bio-oil with EtOH. Wood block samples (yellow poplar and pitch pine) were treated with diluted bio-oil solutions and then subjected to a leaching process under hot water (70 °C) for 72 h. After the wood block samples were thoroughly dried, they were subjected to a soil block test using Tyromyces palustris and Trametes versicolor. The antifungal effect of the 75% and 100% bio-oil solutions was the highest for both wood blocks. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that some chemical components in the bio-oil solution could agglomerate together to form clusters in the inner part of the wood during the drying process, which could act as a wood preservative against fungal growth. According to GC/MS analysis, the components of the agglomerate were mainly phenolic compounds derived from lignin polymers.     

Alpha radiation exposure decreases apoptotic cells in zebrafish embryos subsequently exposed to the chemical stressor, Cd

The aim of this study was to demonstrate that zebrafish embryos subjected to a priming exposure provided by one environmental stressor (low-dose alpha particles) can induce an adaptive response against a subsequent challenging exposure provided by another environmental stressor (heavy metal Cd). The effect thus identified would be an antagonistic multiple stressor effect. The effects of alpha particle radiation and/or Cd on whole embryos were studied through quantification of apoptotic signals at 24?h post-fertilization (hpf). Embryos were stained with the vital dye acridine orange, followed by counting the stained cells. For each set of experiments, 30 dechorionated embryos were divided into three groups, each having ten embryos. The three groups of embryos were referred to as (A) the control group, which received no more further treatments after dechorionation, (B) Cd-treated group, which did not receive any priming exposure and would receive a challenging exposure at 10 hpf and (C) (alpha + Cd)-treated group, which would receive both priming and challenging exposures. We defined the normalized net number of apoptotic signals in the (alpha + Cd)-treated group as N _C * = [(apoptotic signals for (alpha + Cd)-treated group ? average apoptotic signals for the corresponding control group)/average apoptotic signals for the corresponding control group] and that in the Cd-treated group as N _B* = [(apoptotic signals for Cd-treated group ? average apoptotic signals for the corresponding control group)/ average apoptotic signals for the corresponding control group]. By using the non-parametric Mann?CWhitney U statistic, we were able to show that N _C * was significantly smaller than N _B *(p?=?0.006). These demonstrated an antagonistic multiple stressor effect between ionizing radiation and Cd through the induction of an adaptive response by the ionizing radiation against subsequent exposures to Cd.     

Mercury (Hg) emissions from domestic biomass combustion for space heating

Three mercury (Hg) species (gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and fine particulate-bound mercury (PBM_2.5)) were measured in the stack of a small scale wood combustion chamber at 400 °C, in the stack of an advanced wood boiler, and in two areas influenced by wood combustion. The low temperature process (lab-scale) emitted mostly GEM (∼99% when burning wood pellets and ∼95% when burning unprocessed wood). The high temperature wood boiler emitted a greater proportion of oxidized Hg (approximately 65%) than the low temperature system. In field measurements, mean PBM_2.5 concentrations at the rural and urban sites in winter were statistically significantly higher than in warmer seasons and were well correlated with Delta-C concentrations, a wood combustion indictor measured by an aethalometer (UV-absorbable carbon minus black carbon). Overall the results suggest that wood combustion may be an important source of oxidized mercury (mostly in the particulate phase) in northern climates in winter.     

Cyp35a2 gene expression is involved in toxicity of fenitrothion in the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

In this study, the effect of organophosphorous (OP) pesticide, fenitrothion (FT), on the non-target organism was investigated using the soil nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Toxicity was investigated on multiple biological levels, from organism to molecular levels, such as, immoblity, growth, fertility, development, acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activity and stress-response gene expressions. FT may provoke serious consequences on the C. elegans population, as it induced significant developmental disturbance. As expected, FT exposure inhibits AChE activity of C. elegans. The increased expression of the cytochrome p450 family protein 35A2 (cyp35a2) gene was also observed in FT exposed worms. To experimentally demonstrate the relationships between organism-level effects and the cyp35a2 gene expression in FT-exposed C. elegans, the integration of the gene expression with biochemical-, and organism level endpoints were attempted using a C. eleganscyp35a2 RNA interference (RNAi) and cyp35a2 mutant (gk317). The 24 h-EC50s of C. elegans on FT exposure were in the order of cyp35a2 RNAi in cyp35a2 mutant (gk317) > cyp35a2 mutant (gk317) > cyp35a2 RNAi in wildtype (N2) > wildtype (N2). The higher EC50 values of cyp35a2 RNAi and cyp35a2 mutant (gk317) compared to that of wildtypeC. elegans strongly supported that cyp35a2 gene plays an important role in the toxicity of FT towards C. elegans. The experiments with cyp35a2 RNAi also indicated that the development disturbance and decreased AChE activity, which were observed in FT exposed wildtype C. elegans were significantly rescued in the cyp35a2 RNAi C. elegans. Overall results suggest that the cyp35a2 may be an important gene for exerting FT toxicity in C. elegans.     

Reducing ammonia emissions and volatile fatty acids in poultry litter with liquid aluminum chloride

This study was a pen trial in which the effects of adding different rates of liquid aluminum chloride (AlCl(3)) on litter pH, total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and ammonia (NH(3)) fluxes was evaluated. Liquid AlCl(3) treatments used in this study were sprayed on the rice hull surface at rates of 100 g, 200 g, and 300 g liquid AlCl(3)/kg rice hulls; untreated rice hulls served as controls. Litter pH, total VFAs, and NH(3) fluxes were all lowered (P< 0.05) by all of the liquid AlCl(3) treatments compared with controls during certain times of the 5 week study. However, there were no significant differences among treatments on litter pH at the end of the study (from 3 to 5 weeks) or NH(3) fluxes at beginning of the study (0 to 3 weeks). Total VFAs were reduced 16 %, 29 %, and 53 % by 100 g liquid AlCl(3)/kg rice hulls, 200 g liquid AlCl(3)/kg rice hulls, and 300 g liquid AlCl(3)/kg rice hulls, respectively. Liquid AlCl(3)additions reduced NH(3) fluxes by 35 %, 57 % and 67 %, respectively, at the low, medium and high rates. In summary, these results indicate that adding liquid aluminum chloride to rice hulls would be a useful tool in reducing the negative environmental impact of poultry litter. It should be noted that the decreased VFA production and NH(3) volatilization was chiefly associated with reduction in litter pH.     

Assessment of PCDD/F risk after implementation of emission reduction at a MSWI

Municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) have been shown to be important sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). The emission of PCDD/Fs by MSWIs is a controversial subject in human health risk assessment. In this study the effect of a MSWI on a residential area was assessed before and after the installation of an additional treatment system for flue gas. This additional treatment system resulted in a dramatic decrease in PCDD/F concentrations in stack flue gas samples by 99.98%, while the concentrations in air decreased by approximately 50% (36,500 and 0.75 pg I-TEQ m(-3) for air in 1999; 3.5 and 0.38 pg I-TEQ m(-3) in 2002; 1.6 and 0.076 pg I-TEQ m(-3) in 2005 for stack gas and air, respectively). Considering the congener distributions of PCDD/Fs between stack flue gas and air samples, the study area seemed to have been contaminated by other urban sources as well as the MSWI. ISC3 model results support the conclusion that this incinerator became only a minor contributor to the study area after installation of the supplementary systems. This resulted from both proper MSWI operation using modern technology and additional sources of contaminants in this region. Finally, PCDD/F uptake by humans through inhalation of contaminated air was estimated. Assuming that inhalation exposure contributes 10% of total exposure, total exposure was lower than WHO guidelines. These results confirm that proper operation and maintenance of the incinerator led to a reduction in emissions and potential health impacts of PCDD/Fs.     

Comparison of sludge characteristics and PCR-DGGE based microbial diversity of nanofiltration and microfiltration membrane bioreactors

The objective of this study was to compare the sludge characteristics and microbial community diversity between the submerged nanofiltration membrane bioreactor (NF MBR) and microfiltration membrane bioreactor (MF MBR) treating the same municipal wastewater. The influence of a higher concentration of organic matter and salt was investigated. The results of water qualities showed that the dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total phosphorus (T-P) and salt concentrations of the supernatant in the NF MBR were three, four and two times as high as those in the MF MBR, respectively. The specific oxygen uptake rate of the NF MBR (2.9+/-0.4 mg O(2)g(-1)MLSSh(-1)) was lower than that of the MF MBR (4.3+/-1.1 mg O(2)g(-1)MLSS h(-1)). Result of extractable extracellular polymeric substances showed that the NF MBR sludge had more protein and less polysaccharide compared to the MF MBR sludge, whereas specific amount of total organic carbon were the same in both MBRs. The median floc diameters of the NF MBR and the MF MBR were 72+/-12 microm and 59+/-12 microm, respectively, which could be attributable to the different polysaccharide concentrations between both MBR mixed liquor. A higher concentration of materials (DOC, T-P and salt) in the bioreactor, determined by the high rejection rate of the NF membrane, did not significantly affect the microbial diversity under similar operation conditions.