Search results for "Science and technology"
showing 10 items of 1592 documents
Composite membranes of aromatic-polyamide for desalination: Membrane preparation and characterization.
1987
A new reverse osmosis composite membrane composed of the following aromatic polymer was estudied. Composite membranes were successfully prepared from PTDS by the conventional phase-inversion method. A typical example of the basic membrane performances is as follows; water flux, 440 1/m2 day and salt rejection, 97.7% determined under the pressure of 40 atm., using 0.1% NaCl solution at 25 °C. The PTDS membrane was characterized by its excellent chemical and thermal resistances, especially against acid, alkali and oxidative atmospheres. These features suggest that the PTDS membrane is a promising candidate for water desalination.
Exploring the limits of anaerobic biodegradability of urban wastewater by AnMBR technology
2018
[EN] Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) can achieve maximum energy recovery from urban wastewater (UWW) by converting influent COD into methane. The aim of this study was to assess the anaerobic biodegradability limits of urban wastewater with AnMBR technology by studying the possible degradation of the organic matter considered as non-biodegradable as observed in aerobic membrane bioreactors operated at very high sludge retention times. For this, the results obtained in an AnMBR pilot plant operated at very high SRT (140 days) treating sulfate-rich urban wastewater were compared with those previously obtained with the system operating at lower SRT (29 to 70 days). At 140 days SRT the …
Extreme thermophilic (70°C), VFA-fed UASB reactor: performance, temperature response, load potential and comparison with 35 and 55°C UASB reactors
1999
Abstract The paper evaluates the reactor performance, load potential and temperature response of a 70°C, VFAs-fed UASB reactor, seeded with mesophilic granular sludge. Batch experiments were, in addition, conducted to assess the effect of temperature on the achievable residual VFAs in the 70°C effluent. The performance of similarly-fed and seeded 35 and 55°C UASB reactors was also tested. At a short HRT (2–3 h) and a moderate VLR of 12–20 g COD l−1 d−1, the 70°C UASB achieved 66–74% VFAs removal (acetate and butyrate 84–90%, propionate
Design of nutrient removal activated sludge systems
2003
A mechanistic mathematical model for nutrient and organic matter removal was used to describe the behavior of a nitrification denitrification enhanced biological phosphorus removal (NDEBPR) system. This model was implemented in a user-friendly software DESASS (design and simulation of activated sludge systems). A 484-L pilot plant was operated to verify the model results. The pilot plant was operated for three years over three different sludge ages. The validity of the model was confirmed with data from the pilot plant. Also, the utility of DESASS as a valuable tool for designing NDEBPR systems was confirmed.
Characterization of interaction between tricyclic structures containing pharmaceuticals, their models and humic substances.
2011
Their persistence and wide consumption identify pharmaceuticals as “emerging pollutants”. The complexation of pharmaceuticals containing adamantine ring structures and their model substances with humic acids (HA) of different origins was compared using fluorescence spectroscopy as a function of pH, humic acid concentration, ionic strength, and molecular mass of HA. Binding constants between the studied pharmaceuticals and humic acids were calculated. A combination of dynamic and static quenching processes as indicated by nonlinear Stern-Volmer plots and high Kd values were positively correlated with the concentration of carboxyl groups in the studied humic acids. For basic functional group-…
Anaerobic batch degradation of solid poultry slaughterhouse waste
2000
We studied anaerobic batch degradation of solid poultry slaughterhouse wastes with different initial waste and inoculum concentrations and waste-to-inoculum ratios and simulated the dynamics of the process with a new generation <METHANE> model. Our modelling results suggest that inhibited propionate degradation by long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and inhibited hydrolysis by a high propionate concentration constituted the rate-limiting step in the waste degradation. Palmitate was the most abundant LCFA in the assays. Within 27 days of incubation, up to 0.55 to 0.67 m3 of methane (STP)/kg VS added was produced under the studied conditions. Lower waste-to-inoculum ratios exhibited a…
The impact of Pleurotus ostreatus on organic matter transformation processes.
2012
This study showed the effect of Pleurotus ostreatus on the external organic matter (OM) transformation processes. The kinetics of these changes were determined. The experiment was conducted as 42-day pot experiment done in four combinations (with four replications). The four combinations of different substrates were: (1) organic, (2) composted hay, (3) organic soil + composted hay, (4) organic soil + composted hay + lead. The study results showed that P. ostreatus had the ability to transform external OM as well as metal–organic complexes. These transformations were reflected in the constant rate of characterized changes and correlation coefficients. The study also indicated the direction o…
Environmentally relevant precursors of carbonyl sulfide in aquatic systems
1997
Seawater solutions of environmentally relevant organosulfur compounds, commercial humic acid (HA), and natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) were incubated with and without UV light in order to determine the carbonyl sulfide (COS) producing capabilities of these compounds. COS dark- and photo-production rate constants were determined for dilute solutions of the organosulfur compounds (μmol l−1) and HA/DOM (mg l−1). Dissolved COS was determined using a purge and cryogenic trap method followed by GC/FPD detection. COS was produced in considerable amounts both non-photochemically and photochemically from the reduced form of free acid of glutathione (GSH) and photochemically from cysteine (CYS…
Calcium effect on enhanced biological phosphorus removal.
2006
The role of calcium (Ca) in enhanced biological phosphorus removal and its possible implications on the metabolic pathway have been studied. The experience has been carried out in an SBR under anaerobic–aerobic conditions for biological phosphorus removal during 8 months. The variations of influent Ca concentration showed a clear influence on the EBPR process, detecting significant changes in YPO4. These YPO4 variations were not due to influent P/COD ratio, pH, denitrification and calcium phosphate formation. The YPO4 has been found to be highly dependent on the Ca concentration, increasing as Ca concentration decreases. The results suggest that high Ca concentrations produce “inert” granul…
Sediment delivery processes and the spatial distribution of caesium-137 in a small Sicilian basin
1998
The sediment delivery processes occurring in a small Sicilian basin are modelled using the spatially distributed SEDD model recently proposed by Ferro and Minacapilli. The model is applied by using soil data (grain-size distribution, organic matter content, etc.) of 129 samples uniformly distributed over the study area and compiling the available information (topographic map, soil data, etc.) into a Geographical Information System. Finally, the predictive capability of the distributed sediment delivery approach is tested experimentally using the caesium-137 measurement technique. The comparison between calculated sediment yield and the corresponding measured caesium-137 loss is used to vali…