Search results for "Water science"
showing 10 items of 1545 documents
Calcium phosphate precipitation in a SBR operated for EBPR: interactions with the biological process.
2008
The aim of this paper is to study the precipitation process in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated for EBPR (enhanced biological phosphorus removal) and the possible effects of this phosphorus precipitation in the biological process. Four experiments were carried out under different influent calcium concentration. The experimental results and the equilibrium study, based on the Saturation Index calculation, confirm that the process controlling the calcium behaviour in a SBR operated for EBPR is the calcium phosphate precipitation. This precipitation takes place at two stages initially precipitation of the ACP and later crystallization of HAP. Also the accumulation of phosphorus precip…
Phosphorus recovery by struvite crystallization in WWTPs: Influence of the sludge treatment line operation
2010
Phosphorus recovery by struvite (MgNH(4)PO(4).6H(2)O) crystallization is one of the most widely recommended technologies for treating sludge digester liquors especially in wastewater treatments plants (WWTP) with enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). In this paper, phosphorus recovery by struvite crystallization is assessed using the rejected liquors resulting from four different operational strategies of the sludge treatment line. Phosphorus precipitation and recovery efficiencies of between 80-90% and 70-85%, respectively, were achieved in the four experiments. The precipitates formed were mainly struvite, followed by amorphous calcium phosphate and, in some experiments, by calci…
Calibration and validation of activated sludge model No.2d for Spanish municipal wastewater.
2002
Activated Sludge Model No. 2d (ASM2d) was validated with data obtained from pilot scale plant treating municipal wastewater from the city of Valencia (Spain). First of all, ASM2d was calibrated using experimental data from anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic batches. A set of kinetic and stoichiometric parameters resulted from these assays. Differences between the values obtained and default values proposed in ASM2d can be explained by the presence of glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs). The calibrated model was then used to simulate results from a pilot plant. Simulation using the set of parameters obtained accurately reproduces experimental results. This paper also presents a detailed proced…
Origin of clay minerals in soils on pyroclastic deposits in the island of Lipari (Italy)
2005
The island of Lipari (Italy) is characterized by calc-alkaline to potassic volcanism and a Mediterranean-type climate. The mineralogical and chemical features of two different soil profiles with ages of 92,000 and 10,000–40,000 y, respectively, have been investigated. There were no Andisols, but Vitric and Vertic Cambisols have developed at both sites. Although the morphology of the soils was similar, remarkable differences in the clay mineralogy between the two sites were observed. The site with the Vitric Cambisol was associated with the weathering sequence: glass → halloysite → kaolinite or interstratified kaolinite-2:1 clay minerals. Both sites had smectite in the clay fraction and, to …
Observations and snow model simulations of winter energy balance terms within and between different coniferous forests in Southern Boreal Finland
2015
Variation of canopy properties between different forest types is seldom taken into account in hydrological and climate models, and consideration of variation inside a forest is normally omitted. In this work, three data sets on near surface energy balance terms (incoming shortwave and longwave radiation; air and snow–soil interface temperatures) were collected in the southern boreal coniferous zone in Finland during three winters below different types of forest canopies. The aim was to evaluate the ability of a snow mass and energy balance model with a canopy module to reproduce the observed differences in below-canopy incoming radiations and snow–soil interface temperature. Clear differenc…
Nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in experimental grasslands of variable diversity.
2007
Previous research has shown that plant diversity influences N and P cycles. However, the effect of plant diversity on complete ecosystem N and P budgets has not yet been assessed. For 20 plots of artificially established grassland mixtures differing in plant diversity, we determined N and P inputs by bulk and dry deposition and N and P losses by mowing (and subsequent removal of the biomass) and leaching from April 2003 to March 2004. Total deposition of N and P was 2.3 +/- 0.1 and 0.2 +/- 0.01 g m(-2) yr(-1), respectively. Mowing was the main N and P loss. The net N and P budgets were negative (-6.3 +/- 1.1 g N and -1.9 +/- 0.2 g P m(-2) yr(-1)). For N, this included a conservative estimat…
Spatial throughfall heterogeneity in a montane rain forest in Ecuador: Extent, temporal stability and drivers
2009
Summary The drivers of spatial throughfall heterogeneity are still not fully understood. At an undisturbed forest site in the Ecuadorian Andes with ca. 2600 mm of annual rainfall we determined the accuracy of throughfall measurements by comparing Hellmann-type funnel gauges with troughs. At the same undisturbed and a managed, selectively-logged forest site we determined spatial variability of throughfall, temporal stability of spatial variability and the controls of spatial throughfall variability using a 4-year dataset in weekly resolution. There were no systematic differences between the collected volumes of funnel gauges and troughs. Based on the statistical distribution of annual throug…
Laboratory Measurements of Flow and Turbulence in Discontinuous Distributions of Ligulate Seagrass
2007
Turbulent flow characteristics were investigated in laboratory flume studies of a ligulate plant canopy interrupted by a gap representing discontinuities observed in seagrass prairies. The reliability of velocity measurements obtained using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter within the canopy was shown using specifically designed experiments. In relatively fast flow (mean velocity 5.5 cm s−1), the mean flow profile was logarithmic above the canopy, had an inflection point near its top, and uniformly low values within it. Within the gap, a recirculation cell formed. Reynolds stress maxima were approximately coincident with the mean flow inflection point. Quadrant analysis revealed an ejection-d…
Determination of Evapotranspiration and Annual Biomass Productivity of a Cactus Pear [Opuntia ficus-indica L. (Mill.)] Orchard in a Semiarid Environm…
2013
A micrometeorological approach based on the surface energy balance was adopted to estimate evapotranspiration fluxes and crop coefficient data from an irrigated cactus pear [Opuntia ficus-indica L. (Mill.)] orchard under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Highfrequency temperature readings were taken above the canopy top to get sensible heat flux values (HSR) using the surface renewal technique. These values were compared against eddy covariance sensible heat fluxes (HEC) for calibration. Latent heat flux (or evapotranspiration, ET) was obtained by solving the daily energy balance equation. Measurements of soil hydraulic components were integrated with the analysis of the surface energy flu…
Spatio-temporal variation of throughfall in a hyrcanian plain forest stand in Northern Iran
2018
Abstract Elucidating segregation of precipitation in different components in forest stands is important for proper forest ecosystems management. However, there is a lack of information on important rainfall components viz. throughfall, interception and stemflow in forest watersheds particularly in developing countries. We therefore investigated the spatiotemporal variation of important component of throughfall for a forest stand in a Hyrcanian plain forest in Noor City, northern Iran. The study area contained five species of Quercus castaneifolia, Carpinus betulus, Populus caspica and Parrotia persica. The research was conducted from July 2013 to July 2014 using a systematic sampling method…