0000000000130292
AUTHOR
Di Trapani
Effect of biomass features on oxygen transfer in Conventional Activated Sludge and Membrane BioReactor systems
The present study reports the results on the comparison between the oxygen transfer efficiency in a conventional activated sludge (CAS) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) system. The oxygen transfer was evaluated by means of the oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa)20 and α-factor calculation, under different operating conditions and with different activated sludge features, including total suspended solids (TSS) concentration, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content and composition, sludge viscosity and size of the flocs. The (kLa)20 and α-factor showed an exponential decreasing trends with TSS in the CAS and MBR, even if it was noted that the (kLa)20 dependence on TSS was stronger in the …
Feeding behaviour of Ophidiaster ophidianus (Lmk.) (Asteroidea) in Mediterranean rocky reefs
The thermophilic Atlanto-Mediterranean purple starfish, Ophidiaster ophidianus, is a species protected under the EU’s Habitats Directive which is expanding its distribution in the northern Mediterranean areas as a consequence of global worming. The ecology of the species is largely unknown, specially for the diet. To cover this gap, the feeding habits of O. ophidianus have been studied in two different Mediterranean rocky reef areas: the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Ustica Island, sampled in 2009) and the eastern Adriatic Sea (Molunat, sampled in 2014) by both field observations and ?13C and ?15N stable isotope analysis (SIA). SCUBA divers collected data by turning adult starfish downside-up an…