Search results for "Environmental engineering"
showing 10 items of 2674 documents
Optimisation of sludge line management to enhance phosphorus recovery in WWTP
2008
The management of the sludge treatment line can be optimized to reduce uncontrolled phosphorus precipitation in the anaerobic digester and to enhance phosphorus recovery in WWTP. In this paper, four operational strategies, which are based on the handling of the prefermented primary sludge and the secondary sludge from an EBPR process, have been tested in a pilot plant. The separated or mixed sludge thickening, the use of a stirred contact tank and the elutriation of the thickened sludge are the main strategies studied. Both the reduction of phosphorus precipitation in the digester and the supernatant suitability for a struvite crystallization process were assessed in each configuration. The…
Formation of Levan from Raffinose by Levansucrase ofZymomonas mobilis
2004
Levansucrase (EC 2.4.1.10.) of Zymomonas mobilis 113S can perform the polymerisation of fructose moiety from raffinose to levan concomitantly with a release of non-catabolised melibiose into the medium. The kinetic parameters of the levansucrase-catalysed reaction provide even higher reaction velocities on raffinose as compared to sucrose, particularly at low substrate concentrations. A decreased value in the number of the average molecular mass (Mn = 1693 kDa), an increased intrinsic viscosity (η = 49.47 cm3/g), and a diminished Huggin's constant (K' = 0.67) are intrinsic to the levan synthesis from raffinose, indicating certain structural peculiarities compared to a polysaccharide obtaine…
Bacterial community analysis of a gas-phase biotrickling filter for biogas mimics desulfurization through the rRNA approach
2010
Abstract The bacterial composition of a lab-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) treating high loads of H 2 S was investigated by the rRNA approach. Two 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were established 42 and 189 d after reactor startup, while fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) with DNA probes was performed throughout 260 d of reactor operation. Diversity, community structure and metamorphosis were studied from reactor startup to fully-established pseudo-steady state operation at near neutral pH and at an inlet H 2 S concentration of 2000 ppmv (load of 55.6 g H 2 S m −3 h −1 ). In addition, FISH was used for assessing the spatial distribution of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) along the len…
Vertical Distribution and Speciation of Trace Metals in Weathering Flotation Residues of a Zinc/Lead Sulfide Mine
2007
Sulfide-bearing mine tailings are a serious environmental problem around the world. In this study, the vertical distribution and speciation of Zn and Pb in the fine-grained flotation residues of a former sulfide ore mine in Germany were investigated to assess the inorganic weathering processes that effect the environmental risk arising from this site. Total metal contents were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Mobilizable fractions of Zn, Pb, Fe, and Mn were quantified by sequential chemical extractions (SCE). Furthermore, the speciation of Zn was analyzed by Zn K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) to identify the residual Zn species. The v…
Comparative analysis of the thermal insulation performance of a façade enclosure integrated by vegetation under simultaneous windy and rainy climatic…
2023
The literature offers some studies on the capacity of the greenery apparatus to decrease wind speed and regulate temperatures with the combination of the moisture retained by the plants and the air passing through them, but there is little on the maintenance of performance under particular weather conditions. The aim of this contri- bution is to verify the effectiveness of a vegetal façade in particularly windy conditions combined with rainy and/or high-irradiation events. The subject of the study is the enclosure of the Technology Innovation Centre for Development (itdUPM), on the Polytechnic University of Madrid, where a green wall prototype has been installed. For the purposes of the ana…
Performance assessment of individual and ensemble data-mining techniques for gully erosion modeling
2017
Gully erosion is identified as an important sediment source in a range of environments and plays a conclusive role in redistribution of eroded soils on a slope. Hence, addressing spatial occurrence pattern of this phenomenon is very important. Different ensemble models and their single counterparts, mostly data mining methods, have been used for gully erosion susceptibility mapping; however, their calibration and validation procedures need to be thoroughly addressed. The current study presents a series of individual and ensemble data mining methods including artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), maximum entropy (ME), ANN-SVM, ANN-ME, and SVM-ME to map gully erosion …
Investigation of amorphous oxide film-electrolyte junctions by AC techniques
1992
Current AC (alternating current) techniques are used often to characterize the energetics at a semiconducting solid phase/electrolyte interface. For thin layers having a strongly disordered or amorphous structure (such as oxide-passive layers anodically grown on valve metals), interpretative models currently used for crystalline semiconductors may produce misleading data. A new interpretation of the admittance data, based on recent models for amorphous semiconductors (a-Sc) Schottky barriers, is presented for passive films of Nb, W and Ti. The physical bases of the model are presented as well as its advantages and disadvantages. The new theory views the solid/electrolyte interface more sati…
Short-term exposure of the European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax to copper-based antifouling treated nets: copper bioavailability and biomarkers res…
2012
Abstract We studied if the levels of copper released from antifouling treated nets used in finfish mariculture could affect the immune defense mechanism and/or induce oxidative stress in Dicentrarchus labrax , after short term exposure in laboratory experiments. Dissolved copper concentration released from the treated nets, copper bioavailability and a set of biomarkers responses were measured. Biomarkers included hemoglobin concentration, activities of lysozyme, total complement, respiratory burst, glutathione S-transferase and acetycholinesterase and concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Results indicated elevated copper concentration in seawater (184 μg L −1 ) but low…
Exposure to bioaerosols and noise at a Finnish dry waste treatment plant
2004
Repeated measurements were carried out during two different campaigns between 1998 and 2001 to assess the occupational hygiene at a Finnish dry waste treatment plant. The analytical determinations were done in four different places within the processing hall of the plant: near a conveyor belt, near a jigger screen, near an after-crusher and near a bailer. Measurements were also carried out in a coffee room for employees. Concentrations of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were determined by two methods (six-stage impactor and Camnea method) and levels of endotoxins, dust and noise were also investigated. High concentrations of microbes and endotoxins and the noise level were found to be a …
Nutri-priming as an efficient means to improve the agronomic performance of molybdenum in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).
2019
International audience; Microelements play important roles in improving crop productivity and quality. Two traditional methods of providing micronutrients are soil and foliar application, yet the cost involved and phytotoxicity risks poses a major challenge in most global agricultural areas. Nutri-priming represents thus a very promising and viable alternative to ensure that the plants' requirements for micronutrients are met. This paper explores the Mo-priming effects on the germination, growth and yield components of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In order to accomplishthis research objective, our study is divided in two phases. The first phase seeks to determine the effects of two …