Baseline study of methane emission from open digesting tanks of palm oil mill effluent treatment

Anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases, especially CO₂ and CH₄ has been recognized as one of the main causes of global warming. Several measures under the Kyoto Protocol 1997 have been drawn up to reduce the greenhouse gases emission. One of the measures is Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) that was created to enable developed countries to cooperate with developing countries in emission reduction activities. In Malaysia, palm oil industry particularly from palm oil mill effluent (POME) anaerobic treatment has been identified as an important source of CH₄. However, there is no study to quantify the actual CH₄ emission from the commercial scale wastewater treatment facility. Hence, this paper shall address the CH₄ emission from the open digesting tanks in Felda Serting Hilir Palm Oil Mill. CH₄ emission pattern was recorded for 52 weeks from 3600 m³ open digesting tanks. The findings indicated that the CH₄ content was between 13.5% and 49.0% which was lower than the value of 65% reported earlier. The biogas flow rate ranged between 0.8 l min⁻¹ m⁻² and 9.8 l min⁻¹ m⁻². Total CH₄ emission per open digesting tank was 518.9 kg day⁻¹. Relationships between CH₄ emission and total carbon removal and POME discharged were also discussed. Fluctuation of biogas production was observed throughout the studies as a result of seasonal oil palm cropping, mill activities, variation of POME quality and quantity discharged from the mill. Thus only through long-term field measurement CH₄ emission can be accurately estimated.     

Decolorization of molasses melanoidins and palm oil mill effluent phenolic compounds by fermentative lactic acid bacteria

Lactobacillus plantarum SF5.6 is one of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that has the highest ability of molasses melanoidin (MM) decolorization among the 2114 strains of LAB. The strains were isolated from spoilage, pickle fruit and vegetable, soil and sludge from the wastewater treatment system by using technical step of enrichment, primary screening and secondary screening. This LAB strain SF5.6 was identified by 16S rDNA analysis and carbohydrate fermentation (API 50 CH). The top five LAB strains having high MM decolorization ( 55%), namely TBSF5.8-1, TBSF2.1-1, TBSF2.1, FF4A and SF5.6 were selected to determine the optimal condition. It was found that the temperature at 30°C under facultative conditions in GPY-MM medium (0.5% glucose, 0.1% peptone, 0.1% yeast extract, 0.1% sodium acetate, 0.05% MgSO4 and 0.005% MnCl2 in MM solution at pH 6) giving a high microbial growth and MM decolorization for all five strains. It was noticed that the decolorization of MM by LAB strains might be cell growth associated. L. plantarum SF5.6 grew rapidly within one day while the other strains took 2–3 days. This L. plantarum SF5.6 could rapidly decolorize MM to 60.91% without any lag phase, and it also had the ability to remove 34.00% phenolic compounds and 15.88% color from treated palm oil mill effluent.     

序列间歇式活性污泥法处理毛纺厂废水的研究

采用序列间歇式活性污泥法处理毛纺厂废水。试验结果表明,经4h曝气处理,进水COD为190～650mg/L时,出水COD始终低于100mg/L,去除率大多在80％～90％之间,色度去除率大多在50％以上,出水COD和色度均达到行业排放标准。还对较低COD浓度下序列间歇式活性污泥法的COD降解过程进行了研究,推导出一级反应动力学关系式Sr＝So（1－10￣^-k1^t）,并以试验数据进行了拟合,求解出动力学常数k1和So。     

三氧化钨光催化法脱色处理化纤厂废水

以WO3粉体作为催化剂对化纤厂废水采用光催化氧化法进行脱色处理,讨论了光催化氧化法的反应机理,以及化纤厂废水的pH值、光催化剂的投入量、光照时间各因素对废水色度去除率的影响。实验结果表明：WO3粉体的投入量为1．000g／L,pH值为3．00时,利用300W高压汞灯光照7h后,废水试样的吸光度由0.596降低至0．020,色度去除率达到96．6％。     

纺织企业噪声职业危害风险评价及降噪措施

噪声是纺织业的主要职业危害之一。纺织企业生产车间的噪声不仅会影响到纺织生产的效率、工人的工作能力及安全,还会对纺织工人的健康造成危害,甚至导致职业病。以南方某纺织企业为研究对象,对其生产车间的噪声进行了调查测量,并采用职业病作业危害、职业接触风险评估二种评价方法,对该企业各生产工序的噪声职业危害进行风险评价,得出评价结论,从声源、声传播途径、个体防护及管理制度四个方面提出了降噪措施,以便更好地加强防治,预防减少噪声职业危害。     

Characterization of fulvic acids during olive mill waste composting (Elemental,Thermal and fluorescence analyses)

Elemental analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were applied to the study of fulvic acids isolated from different stages during olive mill waste composting. The fulvic extracted acids are characterized by a high nitrogen content and O/C ratio values that may result from the high degree of humification and the synthesis of more condensed humic complexes. This was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy in the synchronous-scan mode by the decrease of shoulder intensities at intermediate wavelengths indicating the increase of polycondensation and conjugation of unsaturated structures and the greater uniformity of fluorophores. Fluorescence spectra in the emission, excitation and synchronous modes became simpler with compost maturation. This was confirmed by DSC results which proved the high degree of polycondensation of aromatic nuclei of fulvic acid molecules during olive mill waste composting.     

Analyses of phenolic compounds occurring in olive oil mill wastewaters by GC–MS

Phenolic compounds in olive oil mill wastewaters were analysed by HRGC–MS after extracting the acidified solution with ethyl acetate and derivatization with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide. Both simple and complex phenols were detected with the latter being the most abundant. 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (catechol), p-hydroxyphenyl ethanol (tyrosol), 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl ethanol (hydroxytyrosol) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl ethanol (homovanillyl alcohol) predominated among the simple phenols using a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass selective detector.     

预处理-气浮-氧化沟工艺处理再生纸废水

介绍了预处理-气浮-氧化沟工艺在再生纸废水处理工程中的应用。运行结果表明:该工艺处理效果稳定,耐冲击负荷能力强,进水ρ(COD)、ρ(BOD5)、ρ(SS)分别为1542,654,2254mg/L时,出水分别为77,38,22mg/L,系统出水水质达GB3544-2001《造纸工业水污染物排放标准》。     

The downfall of mating: the effect of mate-carrying and flight muscle ratio on the escape ability of a pierid butterfly

In many species, the ability to evade predators is known to be periodically impaired by increased weight loads due to feeding and reproduction. Not only may extra weight reduce escape speed, but feeding and mating can also make the prey more noticeable to visually hunting predators. A number of butterfly species mate for hours, and if a mating couple is disturbed, one of the butterflies is responsible for flying, whereas its partner remains still. This study investigated the ability of male Pieris napi butterflies to fly while mating, with the prediction that mate carrying impairs flight ability compared to single flying males and that males with relatively high flight muscle ratios (FMR; male thorax mass/male + female body mass) will have better flight performance in copula. Our results clearly show that whereas single males always take off at steep angles and fly upwards, couples invariably have a negative take-off angle and rarely gain height. Moreover, landing height of the couples is positively associated with higher FMR. Hence, male flight ability when in copula is positively associated with a high relative thorax mass. Butterfly pairs may thus be at greater risk of predation as a consequence of their impaired flight ability, especially couples with critically low FMRs (<16%).     

Trans-Sahara migrants select flight altitudes to minimize energy costs rather than water loss

Meteorological conditions influence strongly the energy and water budget of birds. By adjusting their flights spatially and temporally with respect to these conditions, birds can reduce their energy expenditure and water loss considerably. By radar, we quantified songbird migration across the western Sahara in spring and autumn. There autumn migrants face the trade-off between (a) favorable winds combined with hot and dry air at low altitudes and (b) unfavorable winds combined with humid and cold air higher up. Thus, it can be tested whether birds may chose altitudes to minimize water loss instead of energy expenditure. We predicted optimal flight altitudes with respect to water loss and energy expenditure based on a physiological flight model when crossing the western Sahara and compared these model predictions spatially and temporally with measured songbird densities. The model aiming for minimal water consumption predicted a mean flight altitude of 3,400 m under autumn conditions. However, 64% of the nocturnal songbird migration flew at altitudes below 1,000 m above ground level profiting from tailwind. This preference for tailwind in autumn, despite the hot and dry air, emphasizes the importance of energy savings and diminishes the significance of possible water stress for the selection of flight altitude. Nevertheless, during daytime, high energy expenditure due to air turbulences and water loss due to warmer air and direct solar radiation prevent songbirds from prolonging their nocturnal flights regularly into the day. Birds crossing the Sahara save water by nocturnal flights and diurnal rests.