Production costs and operative margins in electric energy generation from biogas. Full-scale case studies in Italy

The purpose of this study was to observe the economic sustainability of three different biogas full scale plants, fed with different organic matrices: energy crops (EC), manure, agro-industrial (Plants B and C) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) (Plant A). The plants were observed for one year and total annual biomass feeding, biomass composition and biomass cost (€ Mg^?1), initial investment cost and plant electric power production were registered. The unit costs of biogas and electric energy (€ Sm^?3_biogas, € kW h^?1_EE) were differently distributed, depending on the type of feed and plant. Plant A showed high management/maintenance cost for OFMSW treatment (0.155 € Sm^?3_biogas, 45% of total cost), Plant B suffered high cost for EC supply (0.130 € Sm^?3_biogas, 49% of total cost) and Plant C showed higher impact on the total costs because of the depreciation charge (0.146 € Sm^?3_biogas, 41% of total costs). The breakeven point for the tariff of electric energy, calculated for the different cases, resulted in the range 120–170 € MW h^?1_EE, depending on fed materials and plant scale. EC had great impact on biomass supply costs and should be reduced, in favor of organic waste and residues; plant scale still heavily influences the production costs. The EU States should drive incentives in dependence of these factors, to further develop this still promising sector.     

NABat: A top-down,bottom-up solution to collaborative continental-scale monitoring

Collaborative monitoring over broad scales and levels of ecological organization can inform conservation efforts necessary to address the contemporary biodiversity crisis. An important challenge to collaborative monitoring is motivating local engagement with enough buy-in from stakeholders while providing adequate top-down direction for scientific rigor, quality control, and coordination. Collaborative monitoring must reconcile this inherent tension between top-down control and bottom-up engagement. Highly mobile and cryptic taxa, such as bats, present a particularly acute challenge. Given their scale of movement, complex life histories, and rapidly expanding threats, understanding population trends of bats requires coordinated broad-scale collaborative monitoring. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) reconciles top-down, bottom-up tension with a hierarchical master sample survey design, integrated data analysis, dynamic data curation, regional monitoring hubs, and knowledge delivery through web-based infrastructure. NABat supports collaborative monitoring across spatial and organizational scales and the full annual lifecycle of bats.     

去除城市生活污泥中有机络合态金属强化其厌氧生物制气

为提高城市生活污泥厌氧消化沼气产率,本文考察了通过金属络合剂EDTA预处理污泥,以去除城市生活污泥中有机络合态金属,强化其厌氧生物制气的效果.结果表明,经EDTA预处理去除金属后的污泥(实验组)较未预处理的污泥(对照组)的有机络合态金属含量减少[(5.09±0.57)%~(1.37±0.20)%,以TS计],溶解性有机质显著提高(SCOD提升627%),暗示该预处理方法能够极大地去除有机络合态金属并强化污泥有机质的溶出.通过测定污泥有机质溶出表观活化能发现,实验组污泥有机质溶出表观活化能比对照组降低36%,表明预处理能够有效降低有机质溶出反应的能量壁垒.污泥厌氧发酵研究发现,在16d的污泥厌氧产酸实验中,实验组VFAs浓度高于对照组,较对照组最大提升42%;在22 d的污泥厌氧产甲烷测试实验(BMP)中,实验组单位有机质累积甲烷产量比对照组增加48%,表明EDTA预处理对提高污泥厌氧消化产沼气具有重要的作用.通过进一步产沼气动力学研究发现,实验组的产沼气限速步骤在产甲烷阶段,而对照组限制于水解阶段,表明经EDTA预处理能有效地破除城市生活污泥厌氧消化过程的水解限速.     

高含固污泥厌氧消化中Fe/S及pH对原位抑硫效率影响及其交互作用

以城市污水处理厂高含固污泥为对象,分别进行了连续厌氧消化抑硫试验和消化污泥Fe(Ⅲ)投加抑硫试验,探讨不同Fe/S(摩尔比)对污泥厌氧消化中溶解态硫化物去除效率的影响以及Fe(Ⅲ)与pH的交互作用.结果表明,热水解污泥厌氧消化采用原位抑硫技术,在Fe/S(摩尔比)为7.75时沼气中H_2S含量可由170.4×10~(-6)降至14.09×10~(-6),无需进行后续处理;当pH为7.00~7.50、Fe/S为1~11时,pH为原位抑硫主要显著影响因子,提高消化池pH有利于降低Fe(Ⅲ)投加量;高含固污泥厌氧消化沼气满足H_2S利用标准时,所需最低Fe/S为7.0;当消化池pH低于7.30时,将无法通过调节Fe/S实现H_2S浓度达标排放.     

Structure and activity of thermophilic methanogenic microbial communities exposed to quaternary ammonium sanitizer

Food processing facilities often use antimicrobial quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) sanitizers to maintain cleanliness. These QACs can end up in wastewaters used as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of QAC contamination on biogas production and structure of microbial communities in thermophilic digester sludge. Methane production and biogas quality data were analyzed in batch anaerobic digesters containing QAC at 0, 15, 50, 100 and 150 mg/L. Increasing sanitizer concentration in the bioreactors negatively impacted methane production rate and biogas quality. Microbial community composition data was obtained through 16S rRNA gene sequencing from the QAC-contaminated sludges. Sequencing data showed no significant restructuring of the bacterial communities. However, significant restructuring was observed within the archaeal communities as QAC concentration increased. Further studies to confirm these effects on a larger scale and with a longer retention time are necessary.     

我国工业危险废物的来源、处理及监管对策与建议

通过大量环境统计数据的分析,对我国工业危险废物的产生、综合利用、处置和贮存,从行业来源、区域分布进行了分析和总结。结合我国工业危险废物企业自建设施和政府集中处理设施处理情况,对我国工业危险废物的处理和环保监管对策提出了若干建议。     

生活垃圾焚烧飞灰固化体力学及重金属浸出特性

以苏州七子山生活垃圾焚烧厂产生的飞灰为研究对象,采用水泥作为固化剂,研究水泥飞灰固化体的应力应变特征及重金属浸出特性,并探讨了水泥飞灰配合比、养护时间等关键性因素对这些特性的影响。实验结果表明:较养护3 d的样品,其余养护时间的样品强度平均增长了约96.2%,而其破坏应变平均减小了56%。随着水泥含量和养护时间的增加,飞灰固化体的强度上升,而其破坏应变减小,该趋势主要归因于钙矾石(AFt)的形成促进了飞灰固化体强度的发展。较飞灰原样,飞灰固化体的重金属浸出浓度随着水泥含量、养护时间的增加而降低了38%~99%,重金属的迁移被限制,主要归因于水化硅酸钙(C—S—H)和钙矾石(AFt)的形成,以及飞灰和水泥水化反应创造的强碱性环境。     

厌氧发酵处理庆大霉素菌渣的可行性及条件优化

采用厌氧发酵处理庆大霉素菌渣,考察了含固率、接种比、接种污泥、发酵底物等因素对庆大霉素菌渣厌氧发酵的影响,并用累积净甲烷产量衡量庆大霉素菌渣进行厌氧发酵的可行性及发酵程度。试验结果证实了庆大霉素菌渣进行厌氧发酵的可行性,其中含固率和接种比对发酵的影响较大,最佳条件为含固率5%,接种比1/3;对比试验所用3种接种污泥,发现接种某造纸厂污水处理IC反应器的厌氧颗粒污泥效果最优,在最优含固率和接种比的条件下,累积净产甲烷量为28.21 m3/t;此外,试验还证实,采用不同菌渣的联合发酵表现出了明显的协同作用,在最优条件下,庆大霉素菌渣与林可霉素菌渣按1∶2的比例联合发酵的产甲烷量可达到37.5 m3/t。     

餐厨垃圾厌氧消化运行试验研究

采用猪粪厌氧消化的消化污泥为接种物,在中温(37℃)条件下,以连续进料的方式对餐厨垃圾的湿式厌氧消化进行了启动以及运行试验,监测整个实验过程中产气量、pH、VFA、碱度等能够反映厌氧消化的系统指标。结果表明:本实验中系统最佳有机负荷为2.8 kg/(m~3·d)(以VS计),超过此负荷后,依靠系统自身恢复和人工调节,pH很难恢复正常运行状态。正常运行过程中,pH稳定在7.5~8.0,VFA稳定在2 000 mg/L左右,碱度在6 000~9 000 mg/L,氨氮在1 500~2 000 mg/L,底物含水率为96%~98%。系统超负荷运行后,产气量和pH下降,VFA浓度上升,碱度、氨氮、含水率基本保持稳定。     

Effects of free ammonia on volatile fatty acid accumulation and process performance in the anaerobic digestion of two typical bio-wastes

The effect of free ammonia on volatile fatty acid(VFA)accumulation and process instability was studied using a lab-scale anaerobic digester fed by two typical bio-wastes:fruit and vegetable waste(FVW)and food waste(FW)at 35°C with an organic loading rate(OLR)of 3.0 kg VS/(m~3·day). The inhibitory effects of free ammonia on methanogenesis were observed due to the low C/N ratio of each substrate(15.6 and 17.2,respectively). A high concentration of free ammonia inhibited methanogenesis resulting in the accumulation of VFAs and a low methane yield. In the inhibited state,acetate accumulated more quickly than propionate and was the main type of accumulated VFA. The co-accumulation of ammonia and VFAs led to an "inhibited steady state" and the ammonia was the main inhibitory substance that triggered the process perturbation. By statistical significance test and VFA fluctuation ratio analysis,the free ammonia inhibition threshold was identified as 45 mg/L. Moreover,propionate,iso-butyrate and valerate were determined to be the three most sensitive VFA parameters that were subject to ammonia inhibition.