Biotreatment of H2S- and NH3-containing waste gases by co-immobilized cells biofilter

Gas mixture of H2S and NH3 in this study has been the focus in the research area concerning gases generated from the animal husbandry and the anaerobic wastewater lagoons used for their treatment. A specific microflora (mixture of Thiobacillus thioparus CH11 for H2S and Nitrosomonas europaea for NH3) was immobilized with Ca-alginate and packed inside a glass column to decompose H2S and NH3. The biofilter packed with co-immobilized cells was continuously supplied with H2S and NH3 gas mixtures of various ratios, and the removal efficiency, removal kinetics, and pressure drop in the biofilter was monitored. The results showed that the efficiency remained above 95% regardless of the ratios of H2S and NH3 used. The NH3 concentration has little effect on H2S removal efficiency, however, both high NH3 and H2S concentrations significantly suppress the NH3 removal. Through product analysis, we found that controlling the inlet ratio of the H2S/NH3 could prevent the biofilter from acidification, and, therefore, enhance the operational stability. Conclusions from bioaerosol analysis and pressure drop in the biofilter suggest that the immobilized cell technique creates less environmental impact and improves pure culture operational stability. The criteria for the biofilter operation to meet the current H2S and NH3 emission standards were also established. To reach Taiwan's current ambient air standards of H2S and NH3 (0.1 and 1 ppm, respectively), the maximum inlet concentrations should not exceed 58 ppm for H2S and 164 ppm for NH3, and the residence time be kept at 72 s.     

Measurement and three-dimensional modeling of airflow and pollutant dispersion in an undersea traffic tunnel

Airflow and pollutant dispersion in a cross-harbor traffic tunnel were experimentally and numerically studied. Concentrations of the gaseous pollutants CO, NOx, and total hydrocarbons (THC) at three axial locations in the tunnel, together with traffic flow rate, traffic speed, and types of vehicle were measured. Three-dimensional (3D) turbulent flow and dispersion of air pollutants in the tunnel were modeled and solved numerically using the finite volume method. Traffic emissions were modeled accordingly as banded line sources along the tunnel floor. The results reveal that cross-sectional concentrations are nonuniformly distributed and that concentrations rise with downstream distance. The piston effect of vehicles alone can provide 9-23% dilution of air pollutants in the tunnel, compounded to a 23-74% dilution effect according to the ventilation condition.     

The effect of limiting nutrient on metal toxicity to selenastrum capricornutum

Metal toxicity on selenastrum capricornutum were examined by batch culture and chemostat culture system. EC₅₀ values under nutrient‐limited condition and saturated condition were compared. The two EC_5Os differed by a factor of 10.6 for Cd in batch test, and differed by a factor of 6.5 in continuous test. Both batch and continuous test results indicate that inhibition on algal growth is more severe under nutrient‐limited conditions compared to that under near saturation conditions.

Strong correlation, as characterized by the correlation coefficient ρ, were found between the activation level (nutrient requirement) and the tolerance of microorganisms to the toxicant. ρ is equal to 0.9 for the case of Cd in batch test and 0.6 in continuous test. The theory in this study provides generally good estimations to the dose‐response relationship at limiting nutrient conditions. The study indicate that nutrient conditions constitute an important factor in algal toxicity tests.     

Relation of RNA/DNA ratios to growth for the scallop Euvola (Pecten) ziczac in suspended culture

We examined the relation of RNA/DNA ratios to growth for three size groups of the tropical scallop Euvola ziczac maintained in suspended culture at 8, 21 and 34 m in depth in the Golfo de Cariaco, Venezuel. Various growth parameters indicated that production decreased with depth. This was more likely due to a decrease in seston quality with depth than to temperatures or seston abundance (which were similar at the various depths studied). The RNA/DNA ratio was correlated with the G-index of muscle growth for juveniles (r ²=0.55). A much weaker correlation was observed for the maturing scallops (r ²=0.18), probably because of the interaction between reproductive and somatic growth. In fully mature scallops, somatic growth was negligible and the RNA/DNA ratios appeared to be inversely related to the level of physiological stress of the scallops. Whereas RNA/DNA ratios are difficult to interpret for maturing E. ziczac, because an increased ratio can be due to either increased gonadal or somatic growth, they are useful in predicting growth in juveniles and physiological stress in fully mature scallops.     

垃圾堆填区渗出液对干旱季节树苗生长的影响

本试验于１９９４年７月至１月在香港望后石垃圾堆填区进行,研究了垃圾堆填区渗出液浇灌对几种亚热带树种生长及其生理学过程的影响．结果表明,在高温低湿、植物遭受水分亏缺的条件下,应用适当浓度的垃圾堆填区渗出液浇灌同水灌和肥水灌溉类似,可显著地提高树苗的移栽成活率,促进树苗的生长,尤其对耐干旱能力低的树种,其效果更为显著．与对照相比,用适当浓度的渗出液或水浇灌显著地改善植株的水分关系,降低叶片的脱落酸（ＡＢＡ）含量,促进气孔的开放．另外,处理植株叶片的光合特性也得到了不同程度的改善．根据以上结果,作者认为,在干旱季节植物遭受严重水分亏缺的条件下,应用适当浓度的垃圾堆填区渗出液浇灌可显著地缓解干旱对树苗生长的影响,为综合治理垃圾堆填区渗出液提供了一条经济、实用和可行的途径．     

Effectiveness of compacted soil liner as a gas barrier layer in the landfill final cover system

A compacted soil liner (CSL) has been widely used as a single barrier layer or a part of composite barrier layer in the landfill final cover system to prevent water infiltration into solid wastes for its acceptable hydraulic permeability. This study was conducted to test whether the CSL was also effective in prohibiting landfill gas emissions. For this purpose, three different compaction methods (i.e., reduced, standard, and modified Proctor methods) were used to prepare the soil specimens, with nitrogen as gas, and with water and heptane as liquid permeants. Measured gas permeability ranged from 2.03x10(-10) to 4.96x10(-9)cm(2), which was a magnitude of two or three orders greater than hydraulic permeability (9.60x10(-13) to 1.05x10(-11)cm(2)). The difference between gas and hydraulic permeabilities can be explained by gas slippage, which makes gas more permeable, and by soil-water interaction, which impedes water flow and then makes water less permeable. This explanation was also supported by the result that a liquid permeability measured with heptane as a non-polar liquid was similar to the intrinsic gas permeability. The data demonstrate that hydraulic requirement for the CSL is not enough to control the gas emissions from a landfill.     

Numerical Simulation of Synoptic Condition on a Severe Sand Dust Storm

By using observational data and MM5, an observational analysisand numerical study was conducted on the synoptic condition of a severe dust storm that was caused by a Mongolian cyclone whichoccurred from 6 to 8 April 2001. Results illustrated thatthe cyclogenesis was due to the isentropic potential vorticity (IPV) advection in the upper troposphere and the terrain modifiedbaroclinicity in the mid-lower troposphere. The Altai-Sayan complex of mountains blocked the lower level cold air and made the isentropic surface sharply steep. When the air slid down along the isentropic surface the increasing of baroclinicity anddecreasing of stability blew up the vertical vorticity development.The formation of the dust storm was a result of a cyclonic cold front passing across the area. The occurrence of this dust stormwas closely related to the strong surface wind, which was accompanied by a cold front passing, rather than the cyclogenesis, itself. Hence, the reason for the pre-front dust storm formulation was the formation of heating convection. Reasons behind the formation of a black storm (visibilitylower than 50 m), which occurred in the mid-north part ofInner Mongolia, lay in several aspects. Firstly, in thisarea the surface wind was strong, a direct result of thedownward transport in mid-lower troposphere. Secondly,the cold front passed over the effected area near sunsetso the air obtained much more surface heating to form adeeper mixed layer (ML). Thirdly, cooperation between thelower level wind and the terrain made the atmosphere inthis area and acquired the maximum advective contributionnecessary to form a deep post-front ML. The sensitivityexperiment revealed that surface heat flux was important to the frontal lifting. In addition, the forcing of surface heating wasalso seen as the primary forcing mechanism of frontogenesis. Meanwhile, removal of the surface heat flux made the atmosphericstratification became stable and the pre-storm ML very shallow,which weakened the strength of the dust storm.     

Improvement of nuclide leaching resistance of paraffin waste form with low density polyethylene

Low-level liquid borate wastes have been immobilized with paraffin wax using a concentrate waste drying system (CWDS) in Korean nuclear power plants. The possibility for improving chemical durability of paraffin waste form was suggested in this study. A small amount of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was added to increase the leaching resistance of the existing paraffin waste form. The influence of LDPE on the leaching behavior of waste form was investigated by performing leaching test according to ANSI/ANS-16.1 procedure during 325 days. It was observed that the leaching of nuclides immobilized within paraffin waste form made a marked reduction although little content of LDPE was added to waste form. The acceptance criteria of paraffin waste form associated with leachability index (LI) and compressive strength after the leaching test were fully satisfied with the help of LDPE.     

Prediction of the Fate and Transport Processes of Atrazine in a Reservoir

The fate and transport processes of a toxic chemical such as atrazine, an herbicide, in a reservoir are significantly influenced by hydrodynamic regimes of the reservoir. The two-dimensional (2D) laterally-integrated hydrodynamics and mass transport model, CE-QUAL-W2, was enhanced by incorporating a submodel for toxic contaminants and applied to Saylorville Reservoir, Iowa. The submodel describes the physical, chemical, and biological processes and predicts unsteady vertical and longitudinal distributions of a toxic chemical. The simulation results from the enhanced 2D reservoir model were validated by measured temperatures and atrazine concentrations in the reservoir. Although a strong thermal stratification was not identified from both observed and predicted water temperatures, the spatial variation of atrazine concentrations was largely affected by seasonal flow circulation patterns in the reservoir. In particular, the results showed the effect of flow circulation on spatial distribution of atrazine during summer months as the river flow formed an underflow within the reservoir and resulted in greater concentrations near the surface of the reservoir. Atrazine concentrations in the reservoir peaked around the end of May and early June. A good agreement between predicted and observed times and magnitudes of peak concentrations was obtained. The use of time-variable decay rates of atrazine led to more accurate prediction of atrazine concentrations, while the use of a constant half-life (60 days) over the entire period resulted in a 40% overestimation of peak concentrations. The results provide a better understanding of the fate and transport of atrazine in the reservoir and information useful in the development of reservoir operation strategies with respect to timing, amount, and depth of withdrawal.     

Effect of copper chloride on the emissions of PCDD/Fs and PAHs from PVC combustion

The influences of temperature, air flow and the amount of copper chloride upon the types and amount of the toxic emissions such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during combustion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were investigated. The mechanism concerning the effect of temperature and copper chloride on the PCDD/Fs and PAHs formation was discussed. The results shown that without copper chloride, trace amounts of PCDD/Fs and large amounts of PAHs were found in the emissions from the pure PVC combustion under various combustion conditions. The addition of copper chloride enhanced PCDD/Fs formation, but it seems that the formation of PAHs decreased with increasing amount of copper chloride, and greater total amount of PAHs were produced at the higher temperature under our experimental conditions.