Treatment of industrial landfill leachate by means of evaporation and reverse osmosis

In this paper a process for the treatment of landfill leachate involving evaporation and reverse osmosis was proposed. Experimental tests were performed on an industrial landfill leachate. The leachate was subjected to evaporation so as to obtain a distillate containing a small amount of organic material and a substantial amount of inorganic substances (consisting primarily of metals and ammonium salts). The distillate of the evaporation treatment was then subjected to reverse osmosis. The reverie osmosis tests were performed using two different membranes: the AD membrane (thin two-ply film of polyamide) and the SC membrane (thin three-ply film of polyamide). Tests carried out at different values of pH showed a reduction of organic content of about 88% when AD membranes were used and about 80% with SC membranes independently of pH. As regards ammonium, comparable reductions of over 97% were registered for both types of membrane in the optimal conditions of pH = 6.4 (97.1% for AD membranes and 97.7% for SC).     

Extraction of anthropogenic heavy metals from reduced sediments: Indeterminations due to authigenic sulphides and clay minerals

A mineralogical and micro‐chemical study was performed by X‐ray diffraction and SEM/EDS techniques in a reduced sediment sample from the Venice Lagoon to investigate selectivity and significance of two widely used acid extractions (cold IN HCl and hot 8N HNO₃) for the evaluation of anthropogenic metal concentrations. Hydrochloric acid determines an incomplete and variable solubilization of authigenic iron sulphides, yielding a partial extraction of the associated metals (Hg, Mn, Zn and less Ni and Cu). Nitric acid is effective in solubilizing all sulphides, however, it leads to an overestimate of the anthropogenic metal content since it partially dissolves the lattice of some clay‐minerals, particularly chlorites. When these acid extractions are used to asses metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems, the possible over or under‐estimate of the anthropogenic concentration must be taken into account, considering the mineralogical composition of the sediment.     

Monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a produced water disposal area in the Potiguar Basin,Brazilian equatorial margin

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Potiguar Basin has oil and gas production fields offshore and onshore. All treated produced water (PW) from these fields is discharged through...     

Sprawl matters: the evolution of fringe land,natural amenities and disposable income in a Mediterranean urban area

We investigate the relationship between land-use changes (1987–2007) and the spatial distribution of the average declared income of resident population in a southern European metropolitan region (Athens, Greece) as a contribution to the analysis of suburbanization processes in the Mediterranean region. To demonstrate that urban expansion is accompanied with multiple modifications in the use of the surrounding non-urban land, we developed a computational approach based on spatial indexes of landscape configuration and proximity as a result of changes in the local socio-spatial structure. Diversity in the use of land surrounding built-up parcels in the Athens’ metropolitan region increased significantly between 1987 and 2007, reflecting a progressive fragmentation of the exurban landscape. The percentage of forests and (high-quality) natural land surrounding built-up parcels increased from 8.1 to 9.4 % between 1987 and 2007. The reverse pattern was observed for (low-quality) sparsely vegetated areas, declining from 65 to 47 %. Large built-up parcels were surrounded by a higher percentage of natural land than small parcels. The largest increase over time in forest and natural land surrounding built-up parcels was observed in municipalities with high per capita declared income, and the reverse pattern was observed for sparse vegetation. Our results demonstrate that scattered urban expansion determines a polarization in suburban areas with high-quality and low-quality natural amenities. Sprawl increases economic inequality and socio-spatial disparities contributing to a spatially unbalanced distribution of natural amenities with higher consumption of high-quality land.     

In-between regional disparities and spatial heterogeneity: a multivariate analysis of territorial divides in Italy

Processes such as economic polarization, social disparities and the asymmetric distribution of natural capital are becoming progressively more interlinked in developed countries and may reflect the uneven decline of the ‘centre-periphery’ model. The assessment of regional disparities and spatial heterogeneity in socioeconomic phenomena is a key issue in regional studies and takes advantage of the use of multi-domain frameworks and decision support systems. We performed an exploratory analysis of 133 indicators assessing seven thematic domains (demography/settlements, labour market, economic structure, quality of life, agriculture/rural development, landscape/water, environment/soil resources) with the aim of investigating regional disparities in Italy in the light of territorial changes driven by urbanization, industrial decentralization, agricultural intensification and land abandonment. The results of our study indicate that latitude, elevation and urban gradients have determined a complex spatial pattern in both socioeconomic and environmental variables in Italy. The proposed approach provides an overall assessment of the intensity of territorial disparities on a regional scale for each thematic domain, and of intra-region spatial heterogeneity for each indicator, representing a decision-making tool for policies targeting a sustainable and spatially balanced development.     

Degradation of para-hydroxybenzoic acid by means of mixed microbial cultures

Olive mill wastewater contains some phenolic compounds that cause antibacterial activity of a kind that prevents biological treatment without previous dilution. Among these phenolic compounds, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB) is considered to be one of the most representative. This work examines the biodegradation of PHB by aerobic microbial mixed cultures previously acclimatized to glucose, which was used as an easily biodegradable model compound. Microbial growth runs were carried out in a batch reactor in the PHB concentration range of 200-1000 mg/L. In all the runs the PHB proved to be completely degradable. The specific growth rates obtained were in the range of 0.16-0.35 l/h. Experimental runs showed that the functional relationship between the specific growth rate and PHB concentration was that proposed by Monod. The kinetic constants of the Monod equation (mu(max) and K(S)) and biomass yield coefficient (Y) were determined experimentally. With the parameter values thus obtained, a mathematical model that also takes account of the duration of the lag phase was employed to describe both the microbial growth and the consumption of PHB. The concentration values of the model fit well with the data obtained experimentally.     

Freshwater discharge from the drainage basin to the Venice Lagoon (Italy)

The twelve major tributaries of the Venice Lagoon (accounting for the 97% of the inputs from the drainage basin) were monitored in the framework of the DRAIN project (1998-2000) in order to obtain a detailed knowledge on the hydrological regimes and to measure the mean annual freshwater discharge from surface runoff. The study represents an essential step in the estimate of the pollutant load delivered to the lagoon that must necessarily be based on a solid understanding of the fluxes of material out of the drainage basin. Due to the influence of the tide in the majority of the gauging sections, a specific methodology for the measurement of the discharge was developed. The main results of the study are described, underlining the differences in the regime of the investigated streams. A rainfall-runoff analysis evidenced the different characteristics of the monitored tributaries, in terms of specific hydrological features, morphology of the individual sub-basins, management of the water resource and spatial distribution of rainfall. An estimate of the maximum peak discharge from the drainage basin is finally obtained from data of an extreme flood event occurred in November 1999.     

Detection of Hepatitis E Virus in Livers and Muscle Tissues of Wild Boars in Italy

Food and Environmental Virology - In industrialized countries, hepatitis E is now recognized as an emerging zoonosis. Autochthonous cases have been increased over recent years in Europe and are...