Co-fermentation of waste activated sludge with food waste for short-chain fatty acids production: effect of pH at ambient temperature

Effect of pH ranging from 4.0 to 11.0 on co-fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) with food waste for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production at ambient temperature was investigated in this study. Experimental results showed that the addition of food waste significantly improved the performance of WAS fermentation system, which resulted in the increases of SCFAs production and substrate reduction. The SCFAs production at pH 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 and fermentation time of 4 d was respectively 5022.7, 6540.5, 8236.6, and 7911.7 mg COD·L^-1, whereas in the blank tests (no pH adjustment, pH 8.0 (blank test 1), no food waste addition, pH 8.0 (blank test 2), and no WAS addition (blank test 3)) it was only 1006.9, 971.1, and 1468.5 mg COD·L^-1, respectively. The composition of SCFAs at pH from 6.0 to 9.0 was also different from other conditions and propionic acid was the most prevalent SCFA, which was followed by acetic and n-butyric acids, while acetic acid was the top product under other conditions. At pH 8.0 a higher volatile suspended solids (VSS) reduction of 16.6% for the mixture of WAS and food waste than the sole WAS indicated a synergistic effect existing in fermentation system with WAS and food waste. The influence of pH on the variations of nutrient content was also studied during anaerobic fermentation of the mixture of WAS and food waste at different pH conditions. The release of NH4+-N increased with fermentation time at all pH values investigated except 4.0, 5.0 and in blank test one. The concentrations of soluble phosphorus at acidic pHs and in the blank test one were higher than those obtained at alkaline pHs. Ammonia and phosphorus need to be removed before the SCFAs-enriched fermentation liquid from WAS and food waste was used as the carbon source.     

新疆某油田企业两轮清洁生产审核效益分析

新疆某油田企业于2007年进行了第一轮清洁生产审核工作,确定了清洁生产方案14项,其中无／低费方案9项,中／高费方案5项,产生的直接、间接经济效益总计为4057．27万元／a。该企业于2011年完成了第二轮清洁生产审核,确定了清洁生产方案14项,其中无／低费方案6项,中／高费方案8项,总计清洁生产方案产生经济效益1954．142万元／a。通过两轮清洁生产审核工作,企业产生了较好的经济效益与环境效益。     

不同类型区农用地整治对农田生产能力的影响

以产能提高为核心的农用地整治已上升为国家层面的重要战略之一。通过建立农用地整治影响下的农田生产能力估算模型,定量评价湖北省内平原、丘陵及山地3种不同类型区农用地整治对农田生产能力的影响,结果表明:①农用地整治后,山地型整治区农田生产能力提高168.91%,丘陵型整治区提高57.78%,平原型整治区提高38.32%;②平原型整治区基础设施要素提高最大,为78.62%;丘陵型整治区水资源要素提高最大,为75%;山地型整治区基础设施要素提高最大,为199.12%;③总体上,基础设施要素对农田生产能力的贡献率都最大。建议国家农用地整治在政策上适当增加对山地型和丘陵型整治区的重视,项目区应合理配套农村居民点整治工程,并尽量避免生态损失。     

Changes in polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in cooked food

Food surveys for levels of toxic chemicals frequently report the levels on an uncooked basis. It is known that cooking may in some conditions decrease the amount of dioxins and related chemicals in food. Surveys of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in food to date show data from uncooked food only. In this article, it was shown that broiling, with fat dripped from the foods reported here, ground beef, ground lamb, catfish, trout, and salmon, reduces the amount of PBDEs in these foods. This suggests that calculations of food intake need to take into consideration levels in the cooked food rather than in the uncooked food.     

Residues and dissipation of the pesticide emamectin benzoate under Egyptian field condition: a case study

A simple, rapid analytical procedure for the quantification of emamectin benzoate in tomato was developed using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). Emamectin benzoate residues were extracted from tomato samples with n-hexane:ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v). The method involved derivatization using trifluoroacetic anhydride and 1-methylimidazole, prior to analysis by HPLC-FLD. Limit of quantification of this method was found to be 0.01 mg/kg, while limit of detection was 0.005 mg/kg. The dissipation of emamectin benzoate on tomato was studied, and half-life (t_1/2) was estimated in a field study carried out at three different locations. Emamectin benzoate was sprayed on tomato at recommended dosage. Samples of tomato were collected at 0, 1, 3, 7, 10, and 15 days after treatment. The t_1/2 of emamectin benzoate when applied at the recommended doses in tomato was approximately 2.5 days. The residue of emamectin benzoate reached below the maximal residue limit (MRL) 10 days after spraying at the tested dosage. Hence, a safe pre-harvest interval of 10 days is suggested before harvesting of tomato. This study would also be helpful for the Egypt government to establish the MRL of emamectin benzoate in tomatoes and provide guidance on the proper and safe use of this insecticide.     

Metal removal with two biochars made from municipal organic waste: adsorptive characterization and surface complexation modeling

The adsorptive characteristics of biochar produced from garden green waste (S-char) and a mixture of food waste and garden green waste (FS-char) were investigated. Adsorption of Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Mn²⁺ onto the two biochars reached equilibrium within 48 hours. The metal adsorption was effectively described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm models which suggest heterogeneous chemisorption. The initial solution pH influenced adsorption of Zn²⁺ and Mn²⁺ but not of Cu²⁺. Simulation via a surface complexation model showed that the fraction of XOCu⁺ adsorbed onto biochar was increased with increasing pH until it reached the adsorption maximum at pH 8.5, while the endpoint for the maximum of XOMn⁺ was higher than pH 12.     

Industrial ecology flows of agriculture and food industry in Finland: utilizing by-products and wastes

Although half of the administrative units in China are said to have implemented their local Agenda 21, the promotion of sustainable communities is not pervasive. In this paper, we adopted a relatively untried mode of analysis and a socio-economic context to illustrate the potentials and failures of China's grassroots local government bodies in achieving sustainable waste management. Our study shows that, among the three main functions of sustainable waste management (ensuring environmental hygiene, provision of recycling logistics and changing the consumption pattern of the local community) for local governments, grassroots local government bodies in mainland China are only able to do the minimum, i.e. ensuring environmental hygiene and handling complaints. One of the reasons for the failure is that, despite the emphasis on capacity building in China's Agenda 21, the reality is that no action is taken to empower grassroots local government. Despite the high profile accorded by the Chinese central government to motivating local governments to formulate their own Agenda 21, local sustainability and waste management performance have little relevance to the appraisal systems of these government agents.     

我国原铝冶炼行业温室气体排放模型

我国原铝冶炼行业产业集中度较低,生产水平参差不齐,随着国内原铝产量不断增加,原铝行业碳排放及其计算方法备受关注. 针对我国原铝冶炼过程原料类型、能源结构复杂的特点,对国内外已有碳排放核算框架进行细化,从物料、工序、工艺3个层面构建了复杂的原铝冶炼系统温室气体排放计算模型. 在广泛文献调研的基础上,选取典型原铝冶炼企业开展现场调研及专家咨询,进而形成模型的基础数据库. 利用上述模型对我国2011年原铝冶炼过程碳排放进行核算. 结果表明:综合考虑氧化铝生产工艺结构、电解铝行业分布区域的电网能源结构,我国原铝冶炼系统CO₂排放因子(以铝锭计)为14.70t/t. 电解铝生产过程电耗相关排放占70%,南方电网区域电解铝生产电耗相关CO₂排放分别比华中、华北地区低13%、30%. 原铝冶炼行业可通过优先选用碳排放因子较低的物料、淘汰落后氧化铝工艺、开发引进低温低电压工艺技术等手段,进一步实现物料、工序及工艺的多层次温室气体减排.      

Natural and Anthropogenic Effects On Phytoplankton Primary Productivity in Mangroves

Abstract

Spatial and temporal variations and the factors influencing primary production have been studied in three different mangrove waters (Pichavaram, Ennore Creek and Adyar Estuary) of South India characterised by different anthropogenic impacts. the gross primary productivity in the unpolluted Pichavaram mangrove was 113 g Cm^?2yr^?1 exhibiting natural variability with the environmental forcing factors. Human activities have elevated primary productivity in the Ennore Creek mangrove (157g Cm^?2yr^?1) primarily through the direct discharge of fertilizer effluents. By contrast, a combination of domestic and industrial effluent discharges into the Adyar Estuary mangrove has considerably reduced phytoplankton primary productivity 83g Cm^?2yr^?1 the Redfield N: P ratio varies from 0.96 N: 1P at Ennore Creek, 1.75N: 1P at Adyar Estuary to 15.2 N: 1P at Pichavaram mangroves. This suggests that the Pichavaram mangroves represent a well equilibrated ecosystem with N: P ratio close to steady-state values in contrast to the anthropogenically altered mangrove ecosystems studied. Results show a significant temporal variability in nutrient concentration in the three mangrove areas. Distinct differences in nutrient concentrations between the dry and the wet seasons have been observed.     

Regionalisation and sustainability in the field of industrial production

SUMMARY

Regional business concepts are said to have huge potential to support sustainable development in industrialised countries (e.g. Stransfeld, 1999). However, whereas efforts have been made to implement regional concepts within agriculture and forestry, empirical findings show that regional concepts are only of minor importance to managers within industrial production (Rentz et al., 2000). Considering this situation, the aim of the present article is to explain why regional business concepts have rarely been implemented in the field of industrial production. Therefore, in the course of the present article, a raster for the identification of relevant barriers on a personal, enterprise, inter-firm and macroeconomic level will be developed and applied. Subsequently, suggestions for a set of measures to overcome these barriers to regionalisation will be given. The results have been identified in the framework of a questionnaire to about 30 decision makers of industrial companies within research, a project promoted by the German Ministry of Education and Research.