Solid waste management in European countries: a review of systems analysis techniques

In the past few decades, solid waste management systems in Europe have involved complex and multi-faceted trade-offs among a plethora of technological alternatives, economic instruments, and regulatory frameworks. These changes resulted in various environmental, economic, social, and regulatory impacts in waste management practices which not only complicate regional policy analysis, but also reshape the paradigm of global sustainable development. Systems analysis, a discipline that harmonizes these integrated solid waste management strategies, has been uniquely providing interdisciplinary support for decision making in this area. Systems engineering models and system assessment tools, both of which enrich the analytical framework of waste management, were designed specifically to handle particular types of problems. Though how to smooth out the barriers toward achieving appropriate systems synthesis and integration of these models and tools to aid in the solid waste management schemes prevalent in European countries still remains somewhat uncertain. This paper conducts a thorough literature review of models and tools illuminating possible overlapped boundaries in waste management practices in European countries and encompassing the pros and cons of waste management practices in each member state of the European Union. Whereas the Southern European Union (EU) countries need to develop further measures to implement more integrated solid waste management and reach EU directives, the Central EU countries need models and tools with which to rationalize their technological choices and management strategies. Nevertheless, considering systems analysis models and tools in a synergistic way would certainly provide opportunities to develop better solid waste management strategies leading to conformity with current standards and foster future perspectives for both the waste management industry and government agencies in European Union.     

Minimizing external indirect health costs due to aerosol population exposure: a case study from Northern Italy

Environmental Agencies require Decision Support Systems, in order to plan Air Quality Policies considering the cost of emission reduction measures and the human health effects (with related social costs). The use of Decision Support Systems is also useful to spread information to general public, explaining the effectiveness of proposed air quality plans. In this paper, a multi-objective approach to control PM10 concentration at a regional level is presented. The problem considers both the internal costs (due to the implementation of emission reduction measures) and the external costs (due to population exposure to high PM10 concentrations). To model PM10 concentrations, a single surrogate model is used for the entire domain, allowing the implementation of a very efficient optimization procedure. The surrogate model is derived through a set of 10 simulations, performed using a Chemistry Transport Model fed with different emission reduction scenarios. The methodology is applied to Northern Italy, a region affected by very high PM10 concentrations that exceed the limit values specified by the EU legislation.     

膜法处理低温低浊水技术综述

低温低浊水的处理是给水处理的一个难点.分析了常规混凝方法难处理低温低浊水的原因,介绍和比较了膜处理低温低浊水的4种方法.研究结果表明,膜法出水水质好、稳定,采用低压膜直接过滤降低能耗,节省药剂投加费用;混凝-超滤工艺中加入粉末活性炭后可增加溶解性有机物的去除,膜生物反应器能有效去除氨氮.膜法处理低温低浊水对浊度和有机物的去除明显好于传统工艺,能提供水质良好的饮用水,是低温低浊水处理的发展方向.     

Simulation of long-term nutrient removal in a full-scale closed-loop bioreactor for sewage treatment: an example of Bayesian inference

In this study, the performance of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a full-scale closed-loop bioreactor (oxidation ditch) system was simulated using the ASM2d model. Routine data describing the process for two years were compiled for calibration and validation. To overcome the identifiability problem, the classic Bayesian inference approach was utilized for parameter estimation. The calibrated model could describe the long-term trend of nutrient removal and short-term variations of the process performance, showing that the Bayesian method was a reliable and useful tool for the parameter estimation of the activated sludge models. The anoxic phosphate uptake by polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAO) contributed 71.2% of the total Poly-P storage, which reveals the dominance of denitrifying phosphorus removal process under the oxygen limiting conditions. It was found that 58.7% of the anoxic Poly-P storage and denitrification by PAO in the reactor was achieved in the aerated compartment, implying that the PAO’s anoxic activity was significantly stimulated by the low dissolved oxygen (DO) level in this compartment due to the oxygen gradient caused by brush aerator.     

内置转盘式膜-生物反应器处理污水的工艺条件研究

对内置转盘式膜-生物反应器(SRMBR)处理污水工艺进行了研究.进水COD 160～368 mg/L时,出水COD在运行1d后降低到20 mg/L以下,去除率大于90%;转盘式膜组件的转速在0～25 r/min范围内,平衡膜通量随转速增大而快速增加,继续增大转速则平衡膜通量的增加变得不显著;在一定范围(0～1min)内延长停抽时间有助于缓解膜污染;SRMBR在较低的气水比(15∶1)下运行,也可达到较高的平衡膜通量.研究表明,SRMBR在最佳组合操作条件(转速为25r/min,抽/停为9min/1min,气水比为15∶1,抽吸压力为25kPa)下运行,其平衡膜通量高达53.75L/(m²·h).     

Policy relevance of three integrated assessment tools—A comparison with specific reference to agricultural policies

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a system of market support instruments, direct income transfers, and rural development measures, has been put through an ongoing reform process in recent decades. This paper introduces three policy impact assessment tools (SIAT, SEAMLESS-IF, MEA-Scope tool) and analyses how these tools have responded to a number of challenges for integrated assessment modelling as reported in the international literature. Significant progress has been made with regard to modelling linkages whereas other challenges, particularly those related to issues of scale and uncertainty management, require further efforts. It is also analysed which CAP instruments are represented and what kinds of effects can be analysed at different scales. Market instruments and direct payments are comparatively well represented, while the ability to model rural development measures is mostly beyond the scope of these tools. Because each tool has found a different solution for coping with the common challenges of integrated assessment modelling, the choice of one of the tools for a particular application depends strongly on the policy questions being asked. The SIAT provides the big picture via its ability to represent broad changes in policy instruments with EU-wide cross-sector impacts. The most comprehensive analysis of agricultural policy instruments can be obtained with SEAMLESS-IF. The MEA-Scope tool complements the other two approaches with detailed regional profiles.     

两相分配生物反应器治理高浓度有机污染研究进展

高浓度有机污染物难以进行生物降解的主要原因之一是其会对微生物产生较大毒害作用而抑制微生物生长以及降解过程,而两相分配生物反应器(Two-phase partitioning bioreactor,TPPB)可以有效解决污染物毒性的问题,因而在高浓度有机污染治理中具有较大的应用潜力.本文系统介绍了TPPB类型以及各自的工作原理,即TPPB通过非水相的引入可以溶解系统内大部分有机污染物,减少水相中污染物的浓度,降低其对微生物的毒性,并通过微生物的代谢活动实现污染物的降解,随着降解过程的进行污染物在两相间的分配平衡不断被打破,污染物又不断从非水相进入到水相之中,使得微生物的降解过程持续进行.同时分析了反应过程中的各种影响因素,如传质速率、微生物影响等,进而阐述了该技术在水体、土壤、大气污染治理中的应用,最后根据目前的研究进展,对TPPB技术的工程应用前景进行了展望.     

膜生物反应器处理甲苯性能及机制

采用膜生物反应器处理甲苯有机废气,研究了进气浓度、停留时间、循环液喷淋密度和pH值对甲苯去除率的影响.膜生物反应器能高效净化挥发性有机废气,甲苯去除率可达99%.适宜运行条件为:pH值为7.2、停留时间为6.4 s、循环液喷淋密度为2.5 m3.(m2.h)-1.采用GC-MS分析出口气样,研究结果表明乙醛酸(C2H2O3)和乙烯基甲酸(C3H4O2)为甲苯生物降解的中间产物.膜生物反应器处理甲苯机制为甲苯气体通过中空纤维膜传质到生物膜,被生物降解为乙醛酸和乙烯基甲酸,然后继续好氧降解为最终产物二氧化碳和水.     

Fenton氧化-序批式膜生物反应器耦合处理干法腈纶废水

采用Fenton氧化-序批式膜生物反应器(SBMBR)组合工艺处理干法腈纶废水。结果表明,在废水初始pH值为3.0,H2O2投加量为90.0 mmol/L,Fe2+投加量为20.0 mmol/L,反应时间为2.0 h的条件下,Fenton氧化预处理对腈纶生产废水的COD去除率达到47.0%以上,COD由1 091 mg/L降至560 mg/L,废水的BOD5/COD由0.32升至0.69,废水的可生化性得到显著提高。Fenton处理出水与丙烯腈废水等比例混合后,采用SBMBR进行生化处理,在水力停留时间为24 h,90 min缺氧/150 min好氧交替运行的条件下,COD、NH4+-N和TN的平均去除率分别为71.7%、97.2%和47.4%,碳源不足是限制TN去除效果的主要影响因素。在无外加碳源的条件下,组合工艺处理后出水COD和NH4+-N浓度分别为117 mg/L和1.7 mg/L,出水水质可以稳定达到国家一级排放标准(GB8978-1996)。     

An Experimental Study on the Treating River Sewage with New Bioreactor

A new bioreactor on the basis of a dynamic fluidized bed was designed, which combines advantages of the fluidized bed and a biological contactor. The experiments of start up, normal operation and parameter adjustment are carried out. The results show that the bioreactor can be quickly started up in the condition that the fill is 50%, the hydraulic retention time is 72 min, aerate speed is 2.5 m3/h, rotation-cage rotated speed is 1.5 r/min, and the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand （CODcr） and Ammonia nitrogen （NH3-N） are 75.34% and 80.98% respectively. The influence of the operation parameter on removal rates of the bioreactor is analyzed, and an appropriate operation parameter is provided.