Search results for " Sustainability and the Environment"
showing 10 items of 1854 documents
Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) membrane BioReactor: The influence of the operational parameters
2020
Abstract The present paper investigated an Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) Membrane BioReactor (MBR) system monitored for 340 days. In particular, the short-term effects of some operational parameters variation was evaluated. Results showed a decrease of the removal rates under low C/N values. Respirometry results highlighted that activated sludge was more active in the organic carbon removal. Conversely, biofilm has a key role during nitrification. The major fouling mechanism was represented by the cake deposition (irreversible).
Assessing Methane Emission and Economic Viability of Energy Exploitation in a Typical Sicilian Municipal Solid Waste Landfill
2018
Sanitary landfills for municipal solid waste (MSW) represent one of the major anthropogenic source of GHGs emissions and are directly responsible of the climate changes we are facing nowadays. Indeed, the biodegradable organic matter of MSW undergoes anaerobic digestion producing the landfill gas (LFG), whose main components are CH4 and CO2. Therefore, biomethane energy exploitation in MSW landfills will reduce GHGs emission positively affecting the global warming. The aim of the present study was to assess the methane production in a Sicilian landfill by comparing the results from field measurements of methane emission and the estimates achieved by applying different mathematical models. A…
Forecasting the volatility of biofuel feedstock prices: the US evidence
2019
Given that, nowadays, 40% of the US corn crop is used for biofuel production, there is a growing concern that the rise in biofuel production might lead to an increase in food prices. However, it is also obvious that significant growth in biofuel use has minimized the demand for fossil fuel and has hence reduced the volume of carbon emissions. It is therefore crucial to model corn market volatility precisely because such an estimate could play a vital role in stabilizing food and biofuel market prices. For this purpose, we consider using the information content of the corn implied volatility (CIV) index to predict the corn futures market return volatility. Using symmetric and asymmetric GARC…
New frontiers from removal to recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater in the Circular Economy
2020
[EN] Nutrient recovery technologies are rapidly expanding due to the need for the appropriate recycling of key elements from waste resources in order to move towards a truly sustainable modern society based on the Circular Economy. Nutrient recycling is a promising strategy for reducing the depletion of non-renewable resources and the environmental impact linked to their extraction and manufacture. However, nutrient recovery technologies are not yet fully mature, as further research is needed to optimize process efficiency and enhance their commercial applicability. This paper reviews state-of-the-art of nutrient recovery, focusing on frontier technological advances and economic and environ…
Integrated membrane bioreactors modelling: A review on new comprehensive modelling framework
2021
International audience; Integrated Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) models, combination of biological and physical models, have been representing powerful tools for the accomplishment of high environmental sustainability. This paper, produced by the International Water Association (IWA) Task Group on Membrane Modelling and Control, reviews the state-of-the-art, identifying gaps for future researches, and proposes a new integrated MBR modelling framework. In particular, the framework aims to guide researchers and managers in pursuing good performances of MBRs in terms of effluent quality, operating costs (such as membrane fouling, energy consumption due to aeration) and mitigation of greenhouse gas…
Acclimatised rumen culture for raw microalgae conversion into biogas: Linking microbial community structure and operational parameters in anaerobic m…
2019
[EN] Ruminal fluid was inoculated in an Anaerobic Membrane Reactor (AnMBR) to produce biogas from raw Scenedesmus. This work explores the microbial ecology of the system during stable operation at different solids retention times (SRT). The 16S rRNA amplicon analysis revealed that the acclimatised community was mainly composed of Anaerolineaceae, Spirochaetaceae, Lentimicrobiaceae and Cloacimonetes fermentative and hydrolytic members. During the highest biodegradability achieved in the AnMBR (62%) the dominant microorganisms were Fervidobacterium and Methanosaeta. Different microbial community clusters were observed at different SRT conditions. Interestingly, syntrophic bacteria Gelria and …
A Systematic Literature Review of Historic Garden Management and Its Economic Aspects
2020
Historic gardens are important parts of humanity’s built heritage within the designed landscape, providing many environmental, economic and socio-cultural benefits. Management is a key part of their conservation, perhaps the most difficult because it is costly, must be continual, and requires a skilled workforce. This systematic review looks at the literature addressing historic garden management, with special attention regarding the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. Academic studies on this subject come from many different disciplines, making it both stimulating and fragmented. It is now time to consolidate these interdisciplinary efforts into a clear vision, in…
Hot-water extraction of Miscanthus × giganteus prior to soda-AQ pulping: a biorefining perspective
2018
Agricultural residues, such as giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus, a hybrid of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus), show a great potential for use in lignocellulosic biorefiner...
Fast pyrolysis of hot-water-extracted and soda-AQ-delignified okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and miscanthus (miscanthus x giganteus) stalks by Py-GC/MS
2018
Abstract The thermochemical behavior of various samples of okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus ) and miscanthus ( Miscanthus x giganteus ) stalks (initial, hot-water-extracted, and those from sulfur-free delignification) were studied by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). In all cases, major GC-amenable condensable products were measured semi-quantitatively and classified into several product groups. The formation of these product groups from different feedstock samples with varying mass portions of their structural constituents (carbohydrates and lignin) was investigated at 500 °C and 700 °C with a residence time of 5 s and 20 s. The main product groups were aliphatic comp…
Historical Suitability and Sustainability of Sicani Mountains Landscape (Western Sicily): An Integrated Approach of Phytosociology and Archaeobotany
2020
Since 2015, the ongoing project &ldquo