Hydraulics Near Unscreened Diversion Pipes in Open Channels: Large Flume Experiments

Most of the water diversions on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers (California, United States) and their tributaries are currently unscreened. These unscreened diversions are commonly used for irrigation and are potentially harmful to migrating and resident fishes. A large flume (test section: 18.29 m long, 3.05 m wide and 3.20 m high) was used to investigate the hydraulic fields near an unscreened water diversion under ecologically and hydraulically relevant diversion rates and channel flow characteristics. We investigated all combinations of three diversion rates (0.28, 0.42, and 0.57 m³/s) and three sweeping velocities (0.15, 0.38, and 0.61 m/s), with one additional test at 0.71 m³/s and 0.15 m/s. We measured the three‐dimensional velocity field at seven cross sections near a diversion pipe and constructed regression equations of the observed maximum velocities near the pipe. Because the velocity components in three directions (longitudinal, transverse, and vertical) were significantly greater near the diversion pipe inlet compared with those farther from it, they cannot be neglected in the modeling and design of fish guidance and protection devices for diversion pipes. Our results should be of great value in quantifying the hydraulic fields that are formed around fish guidance devices to design more effective protection for fishes from entrainment into unscreened water‐diversion pipes.     

Toxicity of acidization fluids used in California oil exploration

There has been considerable public interest regarding the toxicity of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, but little is known about its sister technique, acidizing. Little to no research has been done on what the chemicals of acidization are and what impact they could have on humans and the environment. This paper discusses the differences between three acidizing techniques (acid maintenance, matrix acidization, and acid fracturing) and quantifies the amounts of the chemicals used for each. Washington State's Quick Chemical Assessment Tool is used to identify F-graded toxins, which are known carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins, developmental toxins, endocrine disruptors, or high acute toxicity chemicals. The analysis of the present data shows that there have been over 600 instances of acidizing in urbanized Southern and Central California from April 2013 to August 2015. Although most of the chemicals of acidizing are similar to hydraulic fracturing, those used most frequently are different. There are close to 200 specific chemicals used in acidization, with at least 28 of them being F-graded hazardous chemicals. Some are used frequently in the range of 100–1000 kg per treatment, such as hydrofluoric acid, xylene, diethylene glycol, and ethyl benzene. Close to 90 more chemicals are identified using non-specific names as trade secrets or reported with no quantity. Unlike hydraulic fracturing the chemical concentrations in acidizing are high, ranging from 6% to 18%, and the waste returns can be highly acidic, in the range of pH 0–3. With this paper it is hoped that acidization becomes part of the larger discussion on concerns with oil exploration and be evaluated by appropriate authorities.     

Application of an early warning indicator and CaO to maximize the time–space-yield of an completely mixed waste digester using rape seed oil as co-substrate

In order to increase the organic loading rate (OLR) and hereby the performance of biogas plants an early warning indicator (EWI-VFA/Ca) was applied in a laboratory-scale biogas digester to control process stability and to steer additive dosing. As soon as the EWI-VFA/Ca indicated the change from stable to instable process conditions, calcium oxide was charged as a countermeasure to raise the pH and to bind long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) by formation of aggregates. An interval of eight days between two increases of the OLR, which corresponded to 38% of the hydraulic residence time (HRT), was sufficient for process adaptation. An OLR increase by a factor of three within six weeks was successfully used for biogas production. The OLR was increased to 9.5 kg volatile solids (VS) m^?3 d^?1 with up to 87% of fat. The high loading rates affected neither the microbial community negatively nor the biogas production process. Despite the increase of the organic load to high rates, methane production yielded almost its optimum, amounting to 0.9 m³ (kg VS)^?1. Beneath several uncharacterized members of the phylum Firmicutes mostly belonging to the family Clostridiaceae, a Syntrophomonas-like organism was identified that is known to live in a syntrophic relationship to methanogenic archaea. Within the methanogenic group, microorganisms affiliated to Methanosarcina, Methanoculleus and Methanobacterium dominated the community.     

Long-term thermophilic mono-digestion of rendering wastes and co-digestion with potato pulp

In this study, mono-digestion of rendering wastes and co-digestion of rendering wastes with potato pulp were studied for the first time in continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) experiments at 55 °C. Rendering wastes have high protein and lipid contents and are considered good substrates for methane production. However, accumulation of digestion intermediate products viz., volatile fatty acids (VFAs), long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₄-N and/or free NH₃) can cause process imbalance during the digestion. Mono-digestion of rendering wastes at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.5 kg volatile solids (VS)/m³ d and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 50 d was unstable and resulted in methane yields of 450 dm³/kg VS_fed. On the other hand, co-digestion of rendering wastes with potato pulp (60% wet weight, WW) at the same OLR and HRT improved the process stability and increased methane yields (500–680 dm³/kg VS_fed). Thus, it can be concluded that co-digestion of rendering wastes with potato pulp could improve the process stability and methane yields from these difficult to treat industrial waste materials.     

腐殖填料生物滤池氨氮降解特征

根据腐殖填料生物滤池及石英砂普通生物滤池的氨氮去除效率、表面水力负荷及微生物量差异,比较两者氨氮降解速率及比降解速率,对腐殖填料生物滤池的氨氮降解特征进行分析。结果表明,在相同运行方式及外界环境下,腐殖填料滤池表面水力负荷数倍于石英砂普通生物滤池;腐殖填料生物滤池单位体积平均氨氮降解速率高达31.5 g NH4+-N/(m3.d),是石英砂普通生物滤池的5.4倍;腐殖填料生物滤池氨氮比降解速率为4.1×10-2μg NH4+-N/(g微生物碳.d),约为石英砂普通生物滤池的4倍。腐殖填料生物滤池能负载较高的生物量,抗堵塞性能较强,系统内特异微生物对氨氮降解能力较高,是一种优良的降解氨氮的生物滤池。     

填料-生物转盘处理有机模拟污水

针对传统生物转盘启动慢、挂膜性能差、水力停留时间长等缺点,采用英国某生物技术公司研制的新型填料复合式生物转盘处理有机模拟污水,考察水力停留时间、转盘转速、有机负荷等因素对工艺运行效果的影响。结果表明,新型生物转盘启动快,微生物相变化明显,微生物量大,挂膜效率高;抗负荷冲击能力强,有机负荷大幅度变化对其影响较小;二级转笼处有机负荷相对较低,溶解氧高,微生物的种类、数量均比一级转笼多;该转盘处理有机模拟污水的最优水力停留时间为1.5 h,最佳转速为12.4 r/min,较传统生物转盘污水处理量大,且污水COD去除率高达97%,大大降低运行能耗,出水水质达到城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准(GB18918-2002)中的一级A标准。     

水力停留时间对反应沉淀一体化反应器中半亚硝化反应的影响

由于反应沉淀一体化反应器的HRT与SRT不同,因此HRT是否会影响反应器中氮的存在状态,亚硝态氮积累是否能实现尚无明确结论。针对以上问题,研究不同水力停留时间对反应沉淀一体化反应器中半亚硝化反应的影响,研究结果表明：反应器运行虽然运行过程中无污泥流失,但仍可实现亚硝酸盐的积累,出水亚硝态氮和氨氮的浓度比例受水力停留时间的影响。HRT为24 h时,亚硝酸盐积累率可达到70%,但出水氨氮接近于0,很难满足ANAMMOX 的进水要求;HRT为16 h和12 h时,亚硝酸盐积累率均可超过80%,出水氨氮和亚硝态氮的比例分别达到1.39：1和1.46：1,可为后续ANAMMOX反应提供良好进水条件。水力停留时间对污泥亚硝化潜力的影响为12 h>16 h>24 h,对硝化潜力的影响为24 h>16 h>12 h。不同水力停留时间下氨氧化速率和亚硝酸盐氧化速率均为24 h>16 h>12 h。     

常温CSTR部分亚硝化影响因素及工况优化研究

为了更好地实现并维持稳定的部分亚硝化效果,以低氨氮人工配水为研究对象,采用连续流完全混合式活性污泥法(CSTR),在常温条件下对部分亚硝化工艺的影响因子和准佳工况进行了研究。结果表明,HRT=(3.0±0.2)h,DO为0.40～0.50 mg/L,回流比R=20%～30%时,平均氨氧化率为53%,且工艺出水NO2--N/NH4+-N平均为1.11∶1,适宜作为系统长期稳定运行的工况。若持续缩短HRT会导致反应器内污泥浓度降低,部分亚硝化效果受到影响。反应器在上述工况运行时,DO=0.50 mg/L是亚硝化率下降的临界浓度;系统进出水pH差值可良好表征出水亚硝酸盐氮与氨氮浓度的比例。     

运行条件及温度对陈垃圾反应器效能的影响及菌群结构分析

以上海老港填埋场填埋垃圾为填料构建陈垃圾反应器,通过调节反应器的水力负荷、回流比以及所处的环境温度,考察了反应器对成熟垃圾渗滤液中氨氮(NH3-N)、总氮(TN)、BOD5和COD处理效果的影响,同时采用PCR-DGGE方法分析了不同条件下微生物群落结构的变化。结果表明,在15℃温度下,水力负荷由8.5 L/(m3·d)升高至17 L/(m3·d)时,反应器对污染物BOD5和NH3-N的去除效率没有改变,而对COD和TN的去除效率有明显提升;当增加回流时,反应器对污染物的去除效果没有显著差异,未能提高脱氮效率;当环境温度从15℃提高到30℃时,NH3-N和BOD5接近完全去除,COD的去除率从73.1%提高到82.4%,TN的去除率从27.3%提高到43.7%,明显提高了反应器效能。群落结构分析表明,在本研究条件下增加回流比对反应器中细菌群落结构影响不大;提高水力负荷使得上部群落结构多样性提高;而温度提高时,反应器上、下部细菌的种类数量都明显增加,多样性提高。表明在陈垃圾反应器运行时,环境温度对其效能和群落结构的影响较大。     

Fingerprinting and Groundwater Model Application to Evaluate Hydraulic Barrier Efficiency (Italy)

Remediation actions at contaminated sites are based on multiple numerical model scenarios considering different parameter distributions, source positions and contaminant transport paths. In some cases the excess of scenarios is due to uncertainties in the conceptual model as a result of the spread of contamination through heterogeneities in the physical system. Reduction of project hypotheses and conceptual model uncertainty is therefore needed. This result can be achieved by coupling hydrogeological investigations with environmental forensic techniques, better localization of the source and understanding of contamination history. In this respect, in the present study, compositional fingerprinting and groundwater flow modeling were applied to a former oil storage facility where, even though a hydraulic barrier had been built to stop the hydrocarbon plume, the presence of some hydrocarbons was still found in downgradient monitoring wells. The final aim was to evaluate the efficacy of the hydraulic barrier and identify of the source of pollution. Fingerprinting results indicated pollution with a gasoline-diesel mixture much altered by water washing and/or biodegradation. Comparison of seven groundwater samples collected in wells and monitoring wells was performed by analyzing the volatile fraction (BTEX) and the total ion chromatogram (TIC), focusing attention on: n-alkanes (m/z 85), alkylcyclohexanes (m/z 83), isoprenoids (m/z 113), C4-alkylbenzenes (m/z 134), C3-C6 alkylbenzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The most probable scenario was then identified by combining the results of fingerprinting with different contaminant paths obtained using the numerical model.