Co-treatment of fruit and vegetable waste in sludge digesters. An analysis of the relationship among bio-methane generation,process stability and digestate phytotoxicity

The co-digestion of a variable amount of fruit and vegetable waste in a waste mixed sludge digester was investigated using a pilot scale apparatus. The organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.8 kg VS/m³ day. The hydraulic retention time was reduced from 14 days to about 10 days. Specific bio-methane production increased from about 90 NL/kg VS to the maximum value of about 430 NL/kg VS when OLR was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.1 kg VS/m³ day. A higher OLR caused an excessive reduction in the hydraulic retention time, enhancing microorganism wash out. Process stability evaluated by the total volatile fatty acids concentration (mg/l) to the alkalinity buffer capacity (eq. mg/l CaCO₃) ratio (i.e. FOS/TAC) criterion was <0.1 indicating high stability for OLR <2.46 kg VS/m³ day. For higher OLR, FOS/TAC increased rapidly. Residual phytotoxicty of the digestate evaluated by the germination index (GI) (%) was quite constant for OLR < 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, which is lower than the 60% limit, indicating an acceptable toxicity level for crops. For OLR > 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, GI decreased rapidly. This corresponding trend between FOS/TAC and GI was further investigated by the definition of the GI ratio (GIR) parameter. Comparison between GIR and FOS/TAC suggests that GI could be a suitable criterion for evaluating process stability.     

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.     

On the effect of Fe(III) on proliferation of Microcystis aeruginosa at high nitrate and low chlorophyll condition

The impact of Fe concentrations on the growth of Microcystisaeruginosa in aquatic systems under high nitrate and low chlorophyll conditions was studied. The responses of cell density, total and cell chlorophyll-a intracellular Fe content and organic elemental composition of M. aeruginosa to different concentration gradients of Fe(III) in the solutions were analysed. The results showed that the proliferation speeds of M. aeruginosa were: (1) decelerated when the Fe(III) concentration was lower than 50 μg/L in the solutions, (2) promoted and positively related to the increase of Fe(III) concentration from 100 to 500 μg/L in the solutions over the experimental period, and (3) promoted in the early stage but decelerated in later stages by excess adsorption of Fe by cells when the Fe(III) concentration was higher than 500 μg/L in the solutions. The maximum cell density, total and cell chlorophyll-a were all observed at 500 μg Fe(III)/L concentration. The organic elemental composition of M. aeruginosa was also affected by the concentration of Fe(III) in the solutions, and the molecular formula of M. aeruginosa should be expressed as C_7–7.5H₁₄O_0.8–1.3N_3.5–5 according to the functions for different Fe(III) concentrations. Cell carbon and oxygen content appeared to increase slightly, while cell nitrogen content appeared to decrease as Fe(III) concentrations increased from 100 to 500 μg/L in the solutions. This was attributed to the competition of photosynthesis and nitrogen adsorption under varying cell Fe content.     

带缝金属腔体内包含非线性组件的耦合效应分析

目的对带缝金属腔体内连接非线性组件的系统级耦合效应进行分析。方法在外界电磁激励源的作用下,采用全波混合算法解决腔体内部场强分布问题,并利用高阶FDTD方法求解线缆上的感应电压和电流,得到流入非线性组件的信号,然后建立非线性组件的频域黑箱模型,结合S-参数,得到非线性组件端口的功率响应,最后通过仿真实验验证方法的有效性。结果通过系统耦合效应分析建模,建立仿真模型,得到了非线性组件的响应曲线。结论该系统级的耦合效应分析方法可以分析得到非线性组件作为二端口或多端口时的输出功率响应,对系统级的耦合研究具有重要意义。     

云贵高原湖区湖泊营养物生态分区技术方法研究

提出一种基于主成分分析、聚类分析、判别分析和空间自相关的分区模型,用于对云贵高原湖区湖泊营养物生态分区的研究.首先运用主成分分析方法对众多指标进行了降维综合处理,产生彼此互补相关又能综合反映湖区情况的4个新指标,累计贡献率达到93.69%,具有充分的代表性,构建了云贵高原湖区湖泊营养物生态分区指标体系.在此基础上,根据各区域新指标值,结合聚类模型初步将湖泊流域分为5类,再利用判别分析完成非湖泊流域的类别判别,最后运用空间自相关分析方法,按聚类结果进行全局自相关分析,Moran’sI为0.320,且检验值Z值为68.2,远大于临界值(显著水平1%所对应的临界值2.58),表明聚类结果与空间位置具有显著相关性,之后运用局部自相关对区域各因素的主成分综合得分的空间分布格局进行了量化分析,揭示了零散分类区块在空间地域分布上的关联和差异,根据关联结果完成最终的分区.结果表明,利用此分区模型可以尽量避免人为因素,得到更为客观的分区结果,具有良好的适应性和可行性,可为探索适合我国湖泊营养物生态分区的指标体系和分区技术方法,完成全国湖泊营养物生态分区和科学地制定我国湖泊营养物基准和富营养化控制标准提供技术支持.     

飞机有寿件延寿综合决策方法

目的决策飞机有寿件延寿方法。方法通过RCM理论判断设备作为有寿件控制的必要性,对于有必要进行延寿的设备,需按照寿命指标的原则选取合适的寿命指标。根据设备的特点和延寿方法的适用性,选取适当的方法对其进行延寿。结果得出飞机有寿件延寿的决策方法。结论通过此决策方法能够较好地解决机载设备延寿的问题。     

Changes of organic acid exudation and rhizosphere pH in rice plants under chromium stress.

The effect of chromium (Cr) stress on the changes of rhizosphere pH, organic acid exudation, and Cr accumulation in plants was studied using two rice genotypes differing in grain Cr accumulation. The results showed that rhizosphere pH increased with increasing level of Cr in the culture solution and with an extended time of Cr exposure. Among the six organic acids examined in this experiment, oxalic and malic acid contents were relatively higher, and had a significant positive correlation with the rhizosphere pH, indicating that they play an important role in changing rhizosphere pH. The Cr content in roots was significantly higher than that in stems and leaves. Cr accumulation in plants was significantly and positively correlated with rhizosphere pH, and the exudation of oxalic, malic and citric acids, suggesting that an increase in rhizosphere pH, and exudation of oxalic, malic and citric acid enhances Cr accumulation in rice plants.     

Remediation of copper-contaminated topsoils from a wood treatment facility using in situ stabilisation

Five organic matters, three phosphate compounds, zerovalent iron grit (ZVIG, 2% by soil weight), two alkaline compounds, and two commercial formulations were incorporated, singly and some combined with ZVIG, into a highly Cu-contaminated topsoil (Soil P7, 2600 mg Cu kg⁻¹) from a wood treatment facility. Formulations and two composts were also singly incorporated into a slightly Cu-contaminated topsoil (Soil P10, 118 mg Cu kg⁻¹) from the facility surrounding. This aimed to reduce the labile pool of Cu and its accumulation in beans cultivated on potted soils in a climatic chamber. Lowest Cu concentration in soil solution occurred in P7 soils amended with activated carbon (5%) and ZVIG, singly and combined. Basic slag (3.9%) and compost of sewage sludge (5%) combined with ZVIG promoted shoot production and limited foliar Cu accumulation. For amended P10 soils, no changes occurred in soil solution and foliar Cu concentrations, but one compost increased shoot production.     

Effect of selected organic and inorganic snow and cloud components on the photochemical generation of nitrite by nitrate irradiation

The effect of selected organic and inorganic compounds, present in snow and cloudwater was studied. Photolysis of solutions of nitrate to nitrite was carried out in the laboratory using a UVB light source. The photolysis and other reactions were then modelled. It is shown that formate, formaldehyde, methanesulphonate, and chloride to a lesser extent, can increase the initial formation rate of nitrite. The effect, particularly significant for formate and formaldehyde, is unlikely to be caused by scavenging of hydroxyl radicals. The experimental data obtained in this work suggest that possible causes are the reduction of nitrogen dioxide and nitrate by radical species formed on photooxidation of the organic compounds. Hydroxyl scavenging by organic and inorganic compounds would not affect the initial formation rate of nitrite, but would protect it from oxidation, therefore, increasing the concentration values reached at long irradiation times. The described processes can be relevant to cloudwater and the quasi-liquid layer on the surface of ice and snow, considering that in the polar regions irradiated snow layers are important sources of nitrous acid to the atmosphere. Formate and (at a lesser extent) formaldehyde are the compounds that play the major role in the described processes of nitrite/nitrous acid photoformation by initial rate enhancement and hydroxyl scavenging.     

Competition between phenanthrene, chrysene, and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl for high-energy adsorption sites in a sediment

We determined the maximum amounts of added phenanthrene, chrysene, and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl sorbed onto high-energy adsorption sites in a sediment on bi-solute experiments. The bi-solute pairs were phenanthrene/chrysene and phenanthrene/2,5-dichlorobiphenyl. On the bi-solute sorption experiments, one solute was introduced and equilibrated with sediment prior to addition of the second solute. The values for the maximum amounts adsorbed onto high-energy sites revealed that, after equilibration of the first solute, still some high-energy sites could be occupied by the second solute. Phenanthrene, chrysene, and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl seem to share about 30% of the accessible high-energy adsorption sites in the sediment employed.