Search results for "Environmental engineering"
showing 10 items of 2674 documents
Simultaneous nitritation-denitritation for the treatment of high-strength nitrogen in hypersaline wastewater by aerobic granular sludge
2015
Abstract Fish processing industries produce wastewater containing high amounts of salt, organic matter and nitrogen. Biological treatment of such wastewaters could be problematic due to inhibitory effects exerted by high salinity levels. In detail, high salt concentrations lead to the accumulation of nitrite due to the inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. The feasibility of performing simultaneous nitritation and denitritation in the treatment of fish canning wastewater by aerobic granular sludge was evaluated, and simultaneous nitritation–denitritation was successfully sustained at salinities up to 50 gNaCl L −1 , with a yield of over 90%. The total nitrogen concentration in the efflu…
Short-term effect of ammonia concentration and salinity on activity of ammonia oxidizing bacteria.
2010
A continuously aerated SHARON (single reactor high activity ammonia removal over nitrite) system has been operated to achieve partial nitritation. Two sets of batch experiments were carried out to study the effect of ammonia concentration and salinity on the activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). Activity of AOB raised as free ammonia concentration was increased reaching its maximum value at 4.5 mg NH 3 -N l −1 . The half saturation constant for free ammonia was determined (K NH 3 = 0.32 mg NH 3 -N l −1 ). Activity decreased at TAN (total ammonium–nitrogen) concentration over 2,000 mg NH 4 -N l −1 . No free ammonia inhibition was detected. The effect of salinity was studied by adding…
Quantifying unpredictability: A multiple-model approach based on satellite imagery data from Mediterranean ponds.
2017
Fluctuations in environmental parameters are increasingly being recognized as essential features of any habitat. The quantification of whether environmental fluctuations are prevalently predictable or unpredictable is remarkably relevant to understanding the evolutionary responses of organisms. However, when characterizing the relevant features of natural habitats, ecologists typically face two problems: (1) gathering long-term data and (2) handling the hard-won data. This paper takes advantage of the free access to long-term recordings of remote sensing data (27 years, Landsat TM/ETM+) to assess a set of environmental models for estimating environmental predictability. The case study inclu…
Dissipative scaling of step-pool features
2021
Abstract This paper focuses on the dissipative similarity of step-pool units at rill, flume and stream scale. This investigation is carried out using recent advances in open channel flow resistance, applications of close-range photogrammetry to rill erosion, available published data on step-pool features in flumes and streams and a new dataset of measurements in fixed bed step-pool rills. A theoretically-based equation for calculating the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor obtained by integration of a power velocity profile is presented. The scale factor Γ of this power velocity profile, which is included in the flow resistance equation, was previously calibrated (Eq. 10) for mobile bed rills w…
Modelling sediment delivery using connectivity components at the experimental SPA2 basin, Sicily (Italy)
2018
Sediment delivery ratio can be used as a measure of sediment connectivity and it can be linked to the structural connectivity (morphological unit, slope length, slope steepness, travel time) of a basin and to the functional connectivity (rainfall-runoff processes at morphological unit scale). In this paper the sediment connectivity approach was applied at basin scale both using Sediment Delivery Distributed (SEDD) model, which takes into account the hillslope sediment transport, and sediment yield measurements carried out at SPA2 experimental basin (Sicily, Italy). The expression of the sediment delivery ratio SDRi of a morphological unit was modified for highlighting two components corresp…
Determination of the porosity, permeability and diffusivity of rock in the excavation-disturbed zone around full-scale deposition holes using the -PM…
1998
Abstract Three experimental holes the size of deposition holes in a KBS-3 type repository (depth 7.5 m and diameter 1.5 m) were bored in hard granitic rock in the Research Tunnel at Olkiluoto to study, among other things, the properties of the rock in the excavation-disturbed zone. In the analysis described in this report, the porosities, effective diffusivities and permeabilities of disturbed and intact rock were determined by using two novel methods: the 14 C -polymethylmethacrylate method and the He-gas method. In addition, the structure of the rock in the excavation-disturbed zone was assessed using both scanning electron and optical microscopy.
The overall classification of residential buildings: Possible role of tourist EU Ecolabel award scheme
2012
Abstract The debate on the environmental performance of buildings and their classification is continuously rising and deeply involves all actors of the sector, from researchers to technicians and from owners to real estate managers. In the field, the EU has created a panel that is currently working on defining the criteria for attributing an Ecolabel award to a building. However, despite the enormous efforts made by administrative and academic institutions, a suitable and widely available scheme for operators to assess the environmental performance of a building is far from being established. To help provide a solution to the problem, the possibility of adopting the EU Ecolabel scheme estab…
Soil Water Content Diachronic Mapping: An FFT Frequency Analysis of a Temperature–Vegetation Index
2020
Among the indirect estimation approaches of soil water content in the upper layer of the soil, the &ldquo
Assessing the sustainability of small wastewater treatment systems: A composite indicator approach
2014
The assessment of the sustainability of wastewater treatment (WWT) systems has gained interest in recent years. However, most previous studies have focused on environmental and/or economic dimensions ignoring social aspects. Moreover, they tend to be based on sets of indicators rather than providing a holistic assessment. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an innovative methodology to assess the sustainability of WWT systems based on the development of a composite indicator embracing economic, environmental and social issues. Subsequently, the global sustainability of seven WWT technologies for secondary treatment in small communities is compared. The joint application of the …
Assessment of wastewater treatment plant design for small communities: Environmental and economic aspects
2012
The preliminary design and economic assessment of small wastewater treatment plants (less than 2000 population equivalent) are issues of particular interest since wastewaters from most of these agglomerations are not covered yet. This work aims to assess nine different technologies set-up for the secondary treatment in such type of facilities embracing both economic and environmental parameters. The main novelty of this work is the combination of an innovative environmental decision support system (EDSS) with a pioneer approach based on the inclusion of the environmental benefits derived from wastewater treatment. The integration of methodologies based on cost-benefit analysis tools with th…