Search results for "Nitrogen"

Application of the Morris method for screening the influential parameters of fuzzy controllers applied to wastewater treatment plants

2011

In this paper,we evaluate the application of a sensitivity analysis to help fine-tuning a fuzzy controller for a biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal (BNPR) plant. TheMorris Screeningmethod is proposed and evaluated as a prior step to obtain the parameter significance ranking. First, an iterative procedure has been performed in order to find out the proper repetition number of the elementary effects (r) of the method. The optimal repetition number found in this study (r = 60) is in direct contrast to previous applications of the Morris method, which usually use low repetition number, e.g. r = 10 ~ 20. Working with a non-proper repetition number (r) could lead to Type I error (identify…

Improving the sustainability of transportation: environmental and functional benefits of right-turn by pass lanes at roundabouts

2015

The functional performances of conventional roundabouts (single-lane and multi-lane) and innovative roundabouts (spiral, flower, C and turbo) can be improved through right-turn bypass lanes controlled by stop, yield or free-flow signs. The article presents evaluations of the emissions of air pollutants (carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particle pollution (PM10 and PM2.5)), fuel consumption and construction, management, energetic and environmental costs in roundabouts without or with bypass lanes (controlled by stop, yield or free-flow). The suggested methodology has a general character and can be applied as a multi-parametric criterion for choosing road intersections, although, in the prese…

DRIFTS Sensor: Soil Carbon Validation at Large Scale (Pantelleria, Italy)

2013

A fast and accurate measurement of soil carbon is needed in current scientific issues. Today there are many sensors suitable for these purposes, but choosing the appropriate sensor depends on the spatial scale at which the studies are conducted. There are few detailed studies that validate these types of measures allowing their immediate use. Here it is validated the quick use of a sensor in execution at Pantelleria, chosen for size, use and variability of the parameter measured, to give an operational tool for carbon stocks studies. The DRIFT sensor used here has been validated in the first 60 cm of the soil of the whole island, and it has shown predictivity higher than 90%.

Uncertainty assessment of a model for biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal: Application to a large wastewater treatment plant

2012

Abstract In the last few years, the use of mathematical models in WasteWater Treatment Plant (WWTP) processes has become a common way to predict WWTP behaviour. However, mathematical models generally demand advanced input for their implementation that must be evaluated by an extensive data-gathering campaign, which cannot always be carried out. This fact, together with the intrinsic complexity of the model structure, leads to model results that may be very uncertain. Quantification of the uncertainty is imperative. However, despite the importance of uncertainty quantification, only few studies have been carried out in the wastewater treatment field, and those studies only included a few of …

Screening of physical–chemical methods for removal of organic material, nitrogen and toxicity from low strength landfill leachates

2002

Physical-chemical methods have been suggested for the treatment of low strength municipal landfill leachates. Therefore, applicability of nanofiltration and air stripping were screened in laboratory-scale for the removal of organic matter, ammonia, and toxicity from low strength leachates (NH4-N 74-220 mg/l, chemical oxygen demand (COD) 190-920 mg O2/l, EC50 = 2-17% for Raphidocelis subcapitata). Ozonation was studied as well, but with the emphasis on enhancing biodegradability of leachates. Nanofiltration (25 degrees C) removed 52-66% of COD and 27-50% of ammonia, the latter indicating that ammonia may in part have been present as ammonium salt complexes. Biological pretreatment enhanced t…

2018

Abstract Sediment microbes have a great potential to transform reactive N to harmless N2, thus decreasing wastewater nitrogen load into aquatic ecosystems. Here, we examined if spatial allocation of the wastewater discharge by a specially constructed sediment diffuser pipe system enhanced the microbial nitrate reduction processes. Full-scale experiments were set on two Finnish lake sites, Keuruu and Petajavesi, and effects on the nitrate removal processes were studied using the stable isotope pairing technique. All nitrate reduction rates followed nitrate concentrations, being highest at the wastewater-influenced sampling points. Complete denitrification with N2 as an end-product was the ma…

Nitrous oxide from integrated fixed-film activated sludge membrane bioreactor: Assessing the influence of operational variables

2017

The influence of the main operational variables on N2O emissions from an Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge University of Cape Town membrane Bioreactor pilot plant was studied. Nine operational cycles (total duration: 340 days) were investigated by varying the value of the mixed liquor sludge retention time (SRT) (Cycles 1–3), the feeding ratio between carbon and nitrogen (C/N) (Cycles 4–6) and simultaneously the hydraulic retention time (HRT) and the SRT (Cycles 7–9). Results show a huge variability of the N2O concentration in liquid and off-gas samples (ranged from 10−1μg N2O-N L−1to 103μg N2O-N L−1). The maximum N2O concentration (1228 μg N2O-N L−1) in the off-gas sa…

Greenhouse gas emissions from membrane bioreactors: analysis of a two-year survey on different MBR configurations

2018

Abstract This study aimed at evaluating the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment. The study investigated the N2O emissions considering multiple influential factors over a two-year period: (i) different MBR based process configurations; (ii) wastewater composition (municipal or industrial); (iii) operational conditions (i.e. sludge retention time, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, C/N, hydraulic retention time); (iv) membrane modules. Among the overall analysed configurations, the highest N2O emission occurred from the aerated reactors. The treatment of industrial wastewater, contaminated with salt and hydrocarbons, provided the highest N2O emission…

Biological nitrate removal from wastewater of a metal-finishing industry

2006

An upflow packed bed reactor at laboratory scale has been operated for a continuous period of 5 months to investigate the technical feasibility of biological nitrate removal applied to the effluent of the coagulation-sedimentation wastewater of a metal-finishing industry. The reactor was fed with industrial wastewater in a five-fold dilution to reproduce the global spill in the factory (20/80, industrial wastewater/domestic wastewater) with a concentration of nitrate between 141 and 210 gNO(3)-N/m(3). Methanol was added as a carbon source for denitrification. Inlet flow rate was progressively increased from 9 to 40 L/day (nitrogen input load from 45 to 250 gNO(3)-N/(m(3)h)). The highest obs…

Biological groundwater denitrification systems: Lab-scale trials aimed at nitrous oxide production and emission assessment

2018

Bio-trenches are a sustainable option for treating nitrate contamination in groundwater. However, a possible side effect of this technology is the production of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that can be found both dissolved in the liquid effluent as well as emitted as off gas. The aim of this study was to analyze NO3 − removal and N2O production in lab-scale column trials. The column contained olive nut as organic carbon media. The experimental study was divided into three phases (I, II and III) each characterized by different inlet NO3 − concentrations (30, 50, 75 mg NO3-N L−1 respectively). Sampling ports deployed along the length of the column allowed to observe the denitrification pro…