Present status of the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Korea

In Korea due to rapid economical growth followed by urbanisation, breakage of large traditional families into small nuclear families, continuous changes in equipment features and capabilities causes tremendous increase in sale of new electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and decrease in sale of used EEE. Subsequently, the ever-increasing quantity of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has become a serious social problem and threat to the environment. Therefore, the gradual increase in the generation of WEEE intensifies the interest for recycling to conserve the resources and protect the environment. In view of the above, a review has been made related to the present status of the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Korea. This paper describes the present status of generation and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment, namely TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, personal computers and mobile phones in Korea. The commercial processes and the status of developing new technologies for the recycling of metallic values from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) is also described briefly. Since 1998, three recycling centers are in full operation to recycle WEEE such as refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners, having the total capacity of 880,000 units/year. All waste TVs are recently recycled on commission basis by several private recycling plants. The recycling of waste personal computers and mobile phones is insignificant in comparison with the amount of estimated obsolete those. Korea has adopted and enforced the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system. Korea is making consistent efforts to improve the recycling rate to the standards indicated in the EU directives for WEEE. Especially environmentally friendly and energy-saving technologies are being developed to recycle metal values from PCBs of WEEE.     

DIN Retention‐Transport Through Four Hydrologically Connected Zones in a Headwater Catchment of the Upper Mississippi River1

Abstract: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) retention‐transport through a headwater catchment was synthesized from studies encompassing four distinct hydrologic zones of the Shingobee River Headwaters near the origin of the Mississippi River. The hydrologic zones included: (1) hillslope ground water (ridge to bankside riparian); (2) alluvial riparian ground water; (3) ground water discharged through subchannel sediments (hyporheic zone); and (4) channel surface water. During subsurface hillslope transport through Zone 1, DIN, primarily nitrate, decreased from ～3 mg‐N/l to <0.1 mg‐N/l. Ambient seasonal nitrate:chloride ratios in hillslope flow paths indicated both dilution and biotic processing caused nitrate loss. Biologically available organic carbon controlled biotic nitrate retention during hillslope transport. In the alluvial riparian zone (Zone 2) biologically available organic carbon controlled nitrate depletion although processing of both ambient and amended nitrate was faster during the summer than winter. In the hyporheic zone (Zone 3) and stream surface water (Zone 4) DIN retention was primarily controlled by temperature. Perfusion core studies using hyporheic sediment indicated sufficient organic carbon in bed sediments to retain ground water DIN via coupled nitrification‐denitrification. Numerical simulations of seasonal hyporheic sediment nitrification‐denitrification rates from perfusion cores adequately predicted surface water ammonium but not nitrate when compared to 5 years of monthly field data (1989‐93). Mass balance studies in stream surface water indicated proportionally higher summer than winter N retention. Watershed DIN retention was effective during summer under the current land use of intermittently grazed pasture. However, more intensive land use such as row crop agriculture would decrease nitrate retention efficiency and increase loads to surface water. Understanding DIN retention capacity throughout the system, including special channel features such as sloughs, wetlands and floodplains that provide surface water‐ground water connectivity, will be required to develop effective nitrate management strategies.     

Managing forest ecosystem services for hydropower production

In many countries, hydropower development is rapidly becoming a focus of green growth policies. This represents a significant opportunity for ecosystem services-based land management that integrates environmental and development goals to benefit the hydropower sector and support economic growth. In this study, we present an approach for targeting ecosystem-provision investment in hydropower catchments coupled with hydrologic modeling to quantify the benefits of soil and water conservation activities. We demonstrate the application of this approach in five hydropower facility catchments in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The results show that there is a high potential for targeted soil and water conservation to increase sediment retention services that benefit hydropower facilities (up to a 44% reduction in sediment transported from uplands into streams), although this benefit is distributed non-uniformly across catchments and levels of investment. The extent to which services can be improved is strongly driven by current land use and management practices that impact how and where conservation activities can be located. Iterative use of the method described here, in a process of stakeholder engagement and capacity-building, enables policy makers to determine the optimal mix of land management strategies and budget allocation to maximize service improvements that support hydropower production.     

Synthesis of hydroxylated PCB metabolites with the Suzuki-coupling

An improved synthesis of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which are structurally related to the major hydroxy PCB congeners identified in human plasma is described. The coupling of (chlorinated) aryl boronic acids with bromochloro anisoles using the standard conditions of the Suzuki coupling gave the desired hydroxylated PCB metabolites in good to excellent yields. The approach offers the advantage of high selectivity and good yields compared to conventional methods such as the Cadogan reaction and allows the use of less toxic starting materials.     

污泥龄对低氧丝状菌活性污泥微膨胀系统的影响

为了研究污泥龄(SRT)对低氧丝状菌活性污泥微膨胀系统的影响,采用序批式间歇反应器(SBR)进行试验,分别按照厌氧/好氧和单级好氧的方式运行,考察了不同SRT下丝状菌污泥微膨胀系统的沉降性、脱氮除磷过程以及污泥特性的变化.结果表明,在好氧水力停留时间充分的条件下,低氧环境不但不会影响丝状菌微膨胀污泥的硝化进程,而且还有助于同步硝化反硝化(SND)、单级好氧除磷的发生.厌氧/好氧运行时,SRT与活性污泥的比硝化速率、比释磷速率和比吸磷速率成反比,与SND率和污泥的含磷量成正比.单级好氧运行时,减小SRT对硝化过程影响不大,但是有助于改善除磷效果.活性污泥的比耗氧速率(SOUR)、胞外聚合物(EPS)中多糖与蛋白质含量的比值、以及粘度都与SRT成反比.适当地减小SRT可以改善丝状菌微膨胀污泥的沉降性.厌氧/好氧运行时,厌氧段微氧环境易引发过度丝状菌污泥膨胀;单级好氧运行时,SRT过低会造成污泥黏性骤增而引发黏性污泥膨胀.     

The impact of humanitarian context conditions and individual characteristics on aid worker retention

High employee turnover rates constitute a major challenge to effective aid provision. This study examines how features of humanitarian work and aid workers’ individual characteristics affect retention within one humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland. The study extends existing research by providing new theoretical explanations of employment opportunities and constraints and by engaging in the first large‐scale quantitative analysis of aid worker retention. Using a database of field staff (N=1,955), a logistic regression is performed of the likelihood of reenlistment after a first mission. The findings demonstrate that only 40 per cent of employees reenlist for a second mission with MSF Holland, and that workplace location and security situation, age, and gender have no significant effect. Individuals are less likely to reenlist if they returned early from the first mission for a personal reason, are in a relationship, are medical doctors, or if they come from highly developed countries. The paper reflects on the findings in the light of policy.     

孑遗植物四合木(Tetraenamongolica)迁地保护中的光合作用日变化特征与生理生态适应性

为了进一步廓清迁地保护条件下孑遗植物四合木（Tetraena mongolica）的光合生理生态适应性,在分析了瞬时光合效率的基础上,应用LI-6400光合作用测定系统测定了迁地保护试验区的四合木以及原生境伴生种白刺（Nitraria tangutorum）的光合作用日变化,并测定了其生长量。结果表明：四合木实生苗的生长南北冠幅大小依次为乌海四合木核心区实生苗（26.48 cm×27.26 cm）>鄂尔多斯实生苗（21.27 cm×21.75 cm）>阿拉善实生苗（19.25 cm×18.27 cm）。在原生境地乌海四合木核心区种植的实生苗与阿拉善实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.01）,与鄂尔多斯实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.05）。迁地保护条件下四合木生实生苗植株叶片光合速率Pn日变化均呈“双峰”曲线。不同试验区四合木光合作用日变化（Pn）、蒸腾速率（Tr）、气孔导度（Gs）和胞间 CO2浓度（Ci）均表现出明显的分异。迁地保护四合木条件下原生境地栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>鄂尔多斯栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>阿拉善栽培的四合木实生苗。鉴此可以作进一步推论,孑遗濒危植物四合木从原生境地西鄂尔多斯核心区（乌海）东移进行迁地保护具有更高的生理生态适应性和生境适宜性。但完成“从种子到种子”进而实现“保存性和代表性”,最终实现四合木迁地保护的“保持性和防止性”,保持其遗传多样性和遗传稳定性,最终成功实现四合木的迁地保护仍有待作进一步探索和深入研究。     

Some properties of a sequencing batch reactor for treatment of wastewater containing thiocyanate compounds

Thiocyanate (SCN) compounds in photo-processing wastewater (PPWW) could be treated by an SBR system without any release of thiocyanate to the atmosphere during the aeration step. An SCN loading greater than 84 g m(-3)d(-1) showed negative effects on the growth of bio-sludge and removal efficiencies of the system. The acclimatization period of the system was increased with an increase in SCN concentration or loading. The COD, BOD(5), TKN, and SCN removal efficiencies were 96.0 +/- 1.6%, 72 +/- 2%, 49 +/- 5%, and 82 +/- 3%, respectively, under an SCN loading of up to 84 g m(-3)d(-1). The removal efficiency of the system was repressed by SCN due to the repressed growth rate of nitrification bacteria. However, the removal efficiency could be increased with an increase in HRT or a decrease in SCN loading. Also, increases in HRT or decreases in SCN loading led to increased sludge age or solid retention time (SRT) and decreased the sludge volume index (SVI) value. The SRT and SVI of the system with synthetic wastewater containing 840 mg l(-1) SCN under an HRT of 3 days (SCN loading of 280 g m(-3)d(-1)) were 3.9 +/- 0.7 days and 65 +/- 4 ml g(-1), respectively, while they were 11.2+/-0.8 days and 55 +/- 6 ml g(-1), respectively under an HRT of 10 days (SCN loading of 84 g m(-3)d(-1)).     

IFAS工艺处理南方低碳源污水的泥膜微生物互作规律分析

针对低碳源条件下污水处理问题,开展了活性污泥和生物膜共生系统（IFAS）的实验研究,讨论了低碳源下泥膜两相微生物的赋存特征和互作规律,明确其生态位和对处理效能的影响,通过实际水厂的中试实验,分析生物膜挂膜特性、泥膜活性和菌群的演替规律,对比在不同活性污泥泥龄调控下的泥膜两相中微生物结构和相互作用.结果表明,在变SRT下,反应器内污泥浓度随着SRT的增大而增加;由于SRT-H中微生物浓度远大于SRT-L,因此SRT-H中泥膜之间的竞争关系较SRT-L更激烈,SRT-H中污染物去除效能较SRT-L更低.低碳源进水条件下,IFAS工艺中污泥活性随SRT增大而降低,当低SRT （5 d）条件下,活性污泥硝化、反硝化、聚磷和吸磷速率较高SRT （25 d）分别增加了122%、88%、34%和44%;而SRT对生物膜活性的影响较小,两种SRT下生物膜硝化活性、反硝化活性相差不大.微生物测序分析表明,IFAS工艺功能菌在泥膜两相间会随着SRT的变化而发生富集转移;SRT-L中,因"播种（seeding）"效应而在泥膜两相间发生富集转移的功能菌主要为unclassified_g__Enterobacteriaceae,SRT-H中则主要是Acinetobacter.同时,通过分析优势功能菌分布,发现活性污泥中脱氮菌和聚磷菌之间也存在一定竞争;在进水有机基质匮乏的条件下,脱氮菌的相对丰度明显高于聚磷菌的相对丰度,表明脱氮菌更能适应低碳源条件,所以能在竞争中占据优势地位,这种优势主要体现为好氧反硝化菌相对丰度的增加;此外,泥相的SRT变化会反作用于膜相,使得生物膜的停留时间相应发生改变,从而改变菌群结构,筛选出不同优势菌属,进一步加大差异.     

Closing the water cycle for industrial laundries: An operational performance and techno-economic evaluation of a full-scale membrane bioreactor system

To reduce the consumption of freshwater in the laundry industry, a new trend of closing the water cycle has resulted in the reuse/recycling of water. In this study, the performance of a full-scale submerged aerobic membrane bioreactor (9 m³) used to treat/reuse industrial laundry wastewater was examined over a period of 288 days. The turbidity and total solids (TS) were reduced by 99%, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) effluent removal efficiencies were between 70% and 99%. The levels of COD removed by the membrane were significantly greater than the levels of biodegraded COD. This enabled the bioreactor to sustain COD levels that were below 100 mg/L, even during periods of low wastewater biodegradation due to bioreactor sludge. An economic evaluation of the membrane bioreactor (MBR) system showed a savings of 1.13 € per 1 m³ of water. The payback period for this system is approximately 6 years. The energy and maintenance costs represent only 5% of the total cost of the MBR system.