bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward an integrated assessment of the ecological and chemical status of european river basins
Authors: von der Ohe Peter C , De Deckere Eric , Prüß Andrea , Muñoz Isabel , Wolfram Georg , Villagrasa Marta , Ginebreda Antonio , Hein Michaela , Brack Werner
Published: October 2008

Here, recommendations to improve ecological and chemical status assessments in accordance with the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) are made on the basis of experience gained from the MODELKEY project database, linking existing biological and chemical monitoring data of 3 case study river basins (Elbe, Scheldt, and Llobregat). The data analysis within and across river basins revealed major obstacles to be tackled, including scarcity of matching ecological and chemical monitoring sites for cause–effect relationships as well as a general lack of stressor-specific metrics for single biological quality elements (BQE) to enable a comprehensive risk assessment of all predominant stressors, including toxicity. An example of such a metric, which is recommended for the BQE of benthic macroinvertebrates, is the trait-based species-at-risk index (SPEAR) that correlated well with a respective measure for toxic stress, referred to as toxic units, based on simple mixture toxicity concepts. Surprisingly, the assessment of chemical status of a total of 695 monitoring sites for 2000 to 2004 showed that environmental quality standards (EQSs) were exceeded for at least 1 of the currently 41 priority pollutants (PPs) in 92% to 98% of the cases in all 3 of the river basins, which, according to definition, indicates potential effects on ecological status. A comparison of compliance with EQSs for 41 PPs with a respective effect threshold (derived for benthic macroinvertebrates) revealed that the rather conservative concept of chemical status is most likely not protective in all cases. Furthermore, to account for the many other compounds that are detected frequently in European surface waters and that may also have ecotoxicological effects, we introduced a provisional predicted no-effect concentration that is in accordance with the EQS methodology and is suggested to identify potential emerging compounds for which no or insufficient toxicity data exist. In conclusion, this study aims to support the implementation of the WFD by drawing conclusions from the analysis of heterogeneous data sets of various member states and by introducing new tools to move toward an integrated European assessment of ecological and chemical status.
Uncertainty in environmental risk assessment: implications for risk-based management of river basins
Authors: Ragas Ad MJ , Huijbregts Mark AJ , Henning-de Jong Irmgard , Leuven Rob SEW
Published: October 2008

Environmental risk assessment is typically uncertain due to different perceptions of the risk problem and limited knowledge about the physical, chemical, and biological processes underlying the risk. The present paper provides a systematic overview of the implications of different types of uncertainty for risk management, with a focus on risk-based management of river basins. Three different types of uncertainty are distinguished: 1) problem definition uncertainty, 2) true uncertainty, and 3) variability. Methods to quantify and describe these types of uncertainty are discussed and illustrated in 4 case studies. The case studies demonstrate that explicit regulation of uncertainty can improve risk management (e.g., by identification of the most effective risk reduction measures, optimization of the use of resources, and improvement of the decision-making process). It is concluded that the involvement of nongovernmental actors as prescribed by the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) provides challenging opportunities to address problem definition uncertainty and those forms of true uncertainty that are difficult to quantify. However, the WFD guidelines for derivation and application of environmental quality standards could be improved by the introduction of a probabilistic approach to deal with true uncertainty and a better scientific basis for regulation of variability.
The creation of management systems for funding priorities in wastewater project in rural communities in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Authors: Farrokhi M. , Hajrasoliha M. , Meemari G. , Fahiminia M. , Talebi M. , Kohansal M.
Published: October 2008

For sustainable development an integrated cost-effective approach focused on the goal of health and environmental protection is necessary. In Iran more than 22 million people live in rural communities. A little more than 92% of the rural population in Iran have access to safe drinking water supply, but only less than 0.2% have sanitary wastewater disposal system. Groundwater is the main resource of water supply in rural communities in Iran and contaminated or untreated groundwater can be the major reason for waterborne diseases outbreak and wastewater discharge is the main cause of groundwater contamination. In new strategy in Iran's wastewater company, the importance of wastewater treatment is equal to water treatment in rural communities and the main goal in this section is providing sanitary wastewater disposal system for 8% of rural areas until 2010 and 30% until 2020. One of the most important limitations for establishment of wastewater disposal system is the limitation of governmental funds. For this reason, a national program was performed for ranking of rural communities with the goal of improving the funding effectiveness in wastewater management in rural communities. Many important criteria were considered for determination of priorities, these criteria include: population, population density, water consumption and wastewater generation, wastes disposal systems at present, environmental and health risks, agricultural and industrial wastewater, social conditions specially public participation, investment simplicity and type of living (seasonal or permanent). For collection of information about rural community, according to the criteria, a questionnaire was designed with 40 quantified questions. Questionnaires completed for all rural areas with more than 400 people population (more than 77% of rural population of the country). Completed questionnaires were analyzed with specific software for ranking of villages according to above mentioned criteria. Right now the classification of villages is available in provinces of the country from environmental and health crisis and funding points of view and we know whereabouts have priority for establishment of wastewater installations.
Inhibition factor of ammonification in stored urine with fecal contamination
Authors: Hotta S. , Funamizu N.
Published: October 2008

Inhibition factors of urea hydrolysis caused by fecal contamination as source of urease were investigated. The urea hydrolysis was described by initial ammonification rate (IAR). Three factors for the inhibition (pH, free ammonia nitrogen (FAN) and salinity) were investigated in this study. It was found that the optimum pH value for the urea hydrolysis was obtained at pH 7 (30°C). Similar results were obtained from pH 5 to pH 8 whereas pH 9 provided a little amount of negative effect on the hydrolysis. Significant effect of the FAN as inhibition factor on the urea hydrolysis was obtained in the urea solution: the hydrolysis was observed within 120 mg-N/l of the FAN level in artificial urea solution with fecal contamination. However in storage process of real urine the urea hydrolysis was observed until the FAN level increased up to 2,000 mg-N/l. Salinity obviously provided negative effect on the urea hydrolysis in stored urine with fecal contamination at 30°C. It was assumed that high concentration of the NaCl (150 g/l) was required to achieve 50% reduction of the IAR.
Recirculating gravel filters: high-performance treatment at low cost for two small communities
Authors: Newton C. , Wilson J. P.
Published: October 2008

Wastewater from small communities often has a greater environmental impact than conventional on-site treatment systems can mitigate, yet the flow rate is too low to achieve economies of scale with municipal treatment processes. As a result, the cost of wastewater treatment is often beyond the financial means of the community, in terms of capital costs and annual operational costs. The recirculating gravel filter (RGF) is an attached-growth treatment process for wastewater from small communities. In the RGF process, pre-settled wastewater is recirculated through a gravel filter bed, while a biofilm on the filter media oxidizes the organic matter and ammonia. Effluent from the RGF process has equivalent or lower concentrations of BOD5, TSS and ammonia nitrogen as effluent from other wastewater treatment processes typically employed in small communities. Two small communities in Washington State, USA, have selected the RGF process for wastewater treatment, due to low operational costs, simplicity of equipment, and high effluent quality. For the two communities, the RGF wastewater treatment facilities were estimated to have somewhat lower construction costs and significantly lower annual operational costs than the alternatives evaluated. Low annual operational expenses are important for wastewater system sustainability in small communities.
Combined effect of plate pulsation parameters and phenol concentrations on the phenol removal efficiency of a pulsed plate bioreactor with immobilized cells
Authors: Shetty K. V. , Kedargol M. R. , Srinikethan G.
Published: October 2008

Continuous aerobic biodegradation of phenol in synthetic wastewater with phenol at different concentrations (200, 300, 500, 800 and 900 ppm) was carried out in a pulsed plate column, which is used as a bioreactor with immobilised cells of Nocardia hydrocarbonoxydans (NCIM 2386) at a dilution rate of 0.4094 h−1 and amplitude of 4.7 cm at various frequencies of pulsation (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 s−1). The effect of frequency of pulsation on the steady state performance of the bioreactor for phenol biodegradation at different influent concentrations was studied. Percentage degradations were observed to be a combined effect of volumetric phenol loading, reactor residence time, mass transfer limitations and phenol inhibition effect. At 500 ppm influent phenol concentration the effect of frequencies of pulsation on the steady state percentage degradation at different amplitudes was studied. The percentage degradation increased with increase in frequency and almost 100% degradation was achieved at 0.75 s−1, 0.5 s−1 or 0.25 s−1, with 3.3, 4.7 or 6.0 cm amplitudes respectively and hence the vibrational velocity (amplitude*frequency) was found to influence the steady state performance of the reactor. It was found that optimum vibrational velocities need to be fixed for maximum removal efficiency of the bioreactor depending on the influent phenol concentration.
Dynamic weighting system for water quality index
Authors: Sargaonkar Aabha P. , Gupta Apurba , Devotta Sukumar
Published: October 2008

Water quality standards are developed world over by National and International agencies for pollution control decision-making. Use-based water quality classification criteria and Water Quality Indices (WQIs) also play important role in assessment of water resources for their suitability with reference various uses. Formulation of value function curves and weights assigned to parameters in WQIs are often defined by local water experts and hence WQIs are known to inherit subjectivity. Assignment of weights a priori to various water quality parameters results in misclassification of water quality by WQI.

A method of dynamic weighting has been developed in the present work to assign weights to water quality parameters with due consideration to their pollution effect at a particular site. Application of a methodology to Overall Index of Pollution (OIP) provides water quality classification of Indian rivers as “Polluted”, “Acceptable”, and “Slightly Polluted”, which is comparable with the reported CPCB classification as well as with the statistical index CCME-WQI. The methodology developed is general and can be applied to any subjective index. This is exemplified by dynamically weighting the parameters in NSF-WQI for Red and Waikato rivers. Dynamic weighting system provides a true representation to comprehend water quality classification and to achieve River Quality Objectives.
Improving rejection of organic fractions in reclaimed water based on intermolecular interaction effect
Authors: Hu J. Y. , Shan J. H. , Ong S. L.
Published: October 2008

The interactions of complex organic matters in reclaimed water were studied for the rejection mechanisms for organics removal by nanofiltration (NF) membrane. Rejection study on single organic fractions showed that base fractions are the most difficult ones to be removed, with the removal efficiencies of 40.08–47.73% for hydrophobic-base (Hpo-B) and 75.51–79.14% for hydrophilic-base (Hpi-B), respectively. Experimental results for interaction studies showed that with the presence of hydrophilic-acid (Hpi-A) and hydrophobic-acid (Hpo-A) at a concentration ratio of 1, the average rejections for acid + base fractions were 11–30% and 9–26% higher than those for the two corresponding single fractions, respectively. It was noted that after the ratio reaches a certain range (>2 for Hpo-A in our case) the beneficial effects become less significant since the saturation of opportunities for interactions. With presence of acid and base fractions, the neutralization reactions and hydrophilic interactions would be the major beneficial interaction among different components. With the presence of hydrophobic-neutral (Hpo-N) at a concentration ratio of 1, the average rejections for neutral + base fractions were improved by 9–35% and when at a ratio of 2, the rejections only increased 2.28–8.87% more. The interaction between neutral organics and base organics would be due to the effect of coupling of different permeable components.
Toxicity of reactive red 141 and basic red 14 to algae and waterfleas
Authors: Vinitnantharat S. , Chartthe W. , Pinisakul A.
Published: October 2008

Textile wastewater normally has a visible color although it has low concentration. This may affect the aquatic ecosystem. Two dyestuffs, Reactive Red 141 (RR141) and Basic Red14 (BR14) were used as compound models. RR 141 is an anionic dye which has a big molecule whereas BR 14 is a cationic dye and has a small molecule. The target organisms for toxicity test were green algae (Chlorella sp.) and waterfleas (Moina macrocopa). The effect of humic acid on the toxicity of dyestuffs to test organisms was also investigated. From the observation of cell counts, Chlorophyll a and dry weight of algae in the dye solutions for 4 days, it was found that all parameters increased as times increased. This revealed that algae could utilize dyestuffs as a carbon source. However, BR14 gave higher absorbance than RR141 at the wavelength of 430 nm which competed to the Chlorophyll a for algal photosynthesis. This resulted in the 96-h EC50 of BR14 and RR141 to Chlorella sp. were 10.88 and 95.55 mg/L, respectively. As for dye toxicity to waterfleas, the 48-h LC50 of BR14 and RR141 to waterfleas were 4.91 and 18.26 mg/L, respectively. The high toxicity of BR14 to waterfleas related to the small molecule of dye could pass into the cell and was absorbed by organelles of waterfleas. Toxicity of BR14 in humic acid solution to Chlorella sp. showed less toxic than RR141 in humic acid solution. This dues to the negative charge of humic acid could bound with a positive charge of BR14, resulted in low amount of BR14 remaining in the bulk solution. The toxicity of BR14 and RR141 in humic acid solution to waterfleas was increased as humic acid increased. Hence, the proper treatment of textile wastewater to yield low concentration of dyes in the effluent before discharging to the natural water is needed.
The secret to achieving reliable biological phosphorus removal
Authors: Thomas M. P.
Published: October 2008

The enhanced biological phosphorus removal (bio-P) activated sludge process has a reputation for variable performance. A significant factor contributing to variability in bio-P was found to be related to microbial population dynamics involving the competitive growth of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs). It was found that the key factor in their competitive growth was the specific type of VFA in the influent to the bioreactor. The PAOs seem to have a competitive advantage to use propionate, whereas the GAOs have a competitive advantage to use acetate. Therefore, the secret to achieving reliable biological phosphorus removal was to ensure an adequate supply of propionate, or an alternative substrate such as molasses that can be readily fermented to propionate.

When Noosa WWTP was commissioned in Nov 1997, and for several years afterwards, the bio-P performance was found to be variable. This paper outlines the findings of the research and optimisation program that was carried out, which identified the cause of the variability in bio-P and subsequently lead to implementation of an improved operating strategy. The recent long-term results demonstrate that reliable bio-P can be achieved in full-scale wastewater treatment plants without dosing metal salts. The effluent total phosphorus has been maintained below 0.5 mg/L since Jul 2001 and the 50 percentile result for the last 12 months was 0.2 mg/L.
The toxicity of ammonia/ammonium to the vermifiltration wastewater treatment process
Authors: Hughes R. J. , Nair J. , Ho G.
Published: October 2008

This study was undertaken to assess the toxicity of ammonia/ammonium to key species within the vermifiltration process. The key species, the earthworm Eisenia fetida, was subjected to a series of tests in solid phase mesocosms and full-scale units. The solid phase tests showed a relatively low toxicity to ammonium with ammonium chloride having an LC50 for ammonium of 1.49 g/kg. Ammonium sulfate did not show an effect on mortality at 2 g/kg ammonium. The full-scale units showed that ammonia hydroxide can change the pH and concentration of ammonia in wastewater and while it caused some mortality to the worms its overall affect on system functioning was minimal with no significant difference in terms of worm survival found between treatments. The affect on nitrifying bacteria was also minimal with no linear trend shown with ammonia concentration.
Biofilm formation by a biotechnologically important tropical marine yeast isolate, Yarrowia lipolytica NCIM 3589
Authors: Dusane D. H. , Nancharaiah Y. V. , Venugopalan V. P. , Kumar A. R. , Zinjarde S. S.
Published: October 2008

Biofilm formation by Yarrowia lipolytica, a biotechnologically important fungus in microtitre plates, on glass slide surfaces and in flow cell was investigated. In microtitre plates, there was a short lag phase of adhesion followed by a period of rapid biofilm growth. The fungus formed extensive biofilms on glass slides, whereas in flow-cells a multicellular, three-dimensional microcolony structure was observed. The isolate formed biofilms in seawater and in fresh water media at neutral pH when grown in microtitre plates. The carbon sources differentially affected formation of biofilms in microtitre plates. Lactic acid, erythritol, glycerol, glucose and edible oils supported the formation of biofilms, while alkanes resulted in sub-optimal biofilm development. A variation in the morphology of the fungus was observed with different carbon sources. The results point to the possible existence of highly structured biofilms in varied ecological niches from where the yeast is isolated.
Simultaneous removal of nitrate and pesticides from groundwater using a methane-fed membrane biofilm reactor
Authors: Modin O. , Fukushi K. , Yamamoto K.
Published: October 2008

Nitrate and pesticide contaminated ground- and surface-waters have been found around the world as a result of the use of these compounds in agricultural activities. In this study we investigated a biological treatment method to simultaneously remove nitrate and pesticides from contaminated water. Methane was supplied as the sole source of carbon to the microbial culture. A methane-fed membrane biofilm reactor (M-MBfR) was developed in which the methane was supplied through hollow-fiber membranes to a biofilm growing on the membrane surface. A methane-oxidizing culture enriched from activated sludge was used as inoculum for the experiments. Removal of nitrate and the four pesticides atrazine, aldicarb, alachlor, and malathion was examined both in suspended culture and in the M-MBfR. The maximum denitrification rate with suspended culture was 36.8 mg N gVSS−1 d−1. With the M-MBfR setup, a hydraulic retention time of approximately one hour was required to completely remove an incoming nitrate concentration of about 20 mg NO3-N l−1. The microbial culture could remove three of the pesticides (aldicarb, alachlor, and malathion). However, no atrazine removal was observed. The removal rates of both nitrate and pesticides were similar in suspended culture and in membrane-attached biofilm.
The effect of hydrodynamic flow regimes on the algal bloom in a monomictic reservoir
Authors: Chung Se-Woong , Lee Heungsoo , Jung Yongrock
Published: October 2008

The effectiveness of a proposed curtain weir to be installed in the transitional zone of a eutrophic reservoir located in monsoon areas on the control of algal blooms in the lacustrine zone where drinking water withdrawals occur was assessed with various hydrodynamic flow regimes. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic and eutrophication model that can accommodate vertical displacement of the weir following the water surface changes was developed and validated using field data obtained from two distinctive hydrological years; drought (2001) and wet (2004). The model adequately reproduced the temporal and spatial variations of temperature, nutrients and phytoplankton concentrations in the reservoir. The efficacy of the curtain weir method found to be diverse for different hydrological conditions and dependent on the inflow densimetric Froude number (Fri). Algal blooming was considerably mitigated by curtailing the transport of nutrients and algae from riverine zone to lacustrine epilimnion zone during the drought year as long as Fri<1.0. However, some flood events with Fri>1.0 transported nutrients and algae built upstream of the weir into the downstream euphotic zone by strong entrainments in 2004. Numerical experiments revealed that the efficiency of the weir on the control of algal blooming becomes marginal if the Fri>3.0.
Optimizing sequencing batch reactor (SBR) reactor operation for treatment of dairy wastewater with aerobic granular sludge
Authors: Wichern M. , Lübken M. , Horn H.
Published: October 2008

The biological wastewater treatment using aerobic granular sludge is a new and very promising method, which is predominantly used in SBR reactors which have higher volumetric conversion rates than methods with flocculent sludge. With suitable reactor operation, flocculent biomass will accumulate into globular aggregates, due to the creation of increased substrate gradients and high shearing power degrees. In the research project described in this paper dairy wastewater with a high particle load was treated with aerobic granular sludge in an SBR reactor. A dynamic mathematical model was developed describing COD and nitrogen removal as well as typical biofilm processes such as diffusion or substrate limitation in greater detail. The calibrated model was excellently able to reproduce the measuring data despite of strongly varying wastewater composition. In this paper scenario calculations with a calibrated biokinetic model were executed to evaluate the effect of different operation strategies for the granular SBR. Modeling results showed that the granules with an average diameter of 2.5 mm had an aerobic layer in between 65–95 μm. Density of the granules was 40 kgVSS/m3. Results revealed amongst others optimal operation conditions for nitrogen removal with oxygen concentrations below 5 gO2/m3. Lower oxygen concentrations led to thinner aerobic but thicker anoxic granular layers with higher nitrate removal efficiencies. Total SBR-cycle times should be in between 360–480 minutes. Reduction of the cycle time from 480 to 360 minutes with a 50% higher throughput resulted in an increase of peak nitrogen effluent concentrations by 40%. Considering biochemical processes the volumetric loading rate for dairy wastewater should be higher than 4.5 kgCOD/(m3*d). Higher COD input load with a COD-based volumetric loading rate of 9.0 kgCOD/(m3*d) nearly led to complete nitrogen removal. Under different operational conditions average nitrification rates up to 5 gNH/(m3*h) and denitrification rates up to 3.7 gNO/(m3*h) were achieved.
Phosphorus recovery from anaerobic digester supernatant by struvite crystallization: model-based evaluation of a fluidized bed reactor
Authors: Rahaman M. S. , Mavinic D. S. , Ellis N.
Published: October 2008

This paper is an attempt to model the UBC (University of British Columbia) MAP (Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate) fluidized bed crystallizer. A mathematical model is developed based on the assumption of perfect size classification of struvitre crystals in the reactor and considering the movement of liquid phase as a plug flow pattern. The model predicts variation of species concentration of struvite along the crystal bed height. The species concentrations at two extreme ends (inlet and outlet) are then used to evaluate the reactor performance. The model predictions provide a reasonable good fit with the experimental results for both PO4—P and NH4—N removals. Another important aspect of this model is its capability of predicting the crystals size and the bed voidage at different height of the reactor. Those predictions also match fairly well with the experimental observations. Therefore, this model can be used as a tool for performance evaluation of the reactor and can also be extended to optimize the struvite crystallization process in the UBC MAP reactor.
Antioxidant and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Properties of the Indian Medicinal Plant "Shankhapushpi" Used for Enhancing Memory Function
Authors: Nag Gargi , De Bratati
Published: October 2008

Objective - At least seven plants known as Shankhapushpi are used in Indian system of medicine for improving memory function. The present study was aimed to analyze the antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory properties of the methanolic extracts of five of these plants, e.g. Clitorea ternatea, Canscora decussata, C. diffusa, Evolvulus alsinoides, E. nummularius.Methods  Acetylcholinesterase activity was assayed modifying the method of Ellman et al. (1961) using mice brain homogenates as the enzyme source. Antioxidant activity of the extracts were determined by measuring DPPH radical and superoxide radical scavenging activity, metal chelation effect and total antioxidant capacity.Results - All the plants (except C. ternatea) inhibited acetylcholinesterase in a dose dependant manner, significantly scavenged DPPH radical and superoxide radical and chelated metal ions. Total antioxidant capacity (equivalent to ascorbic acid) of the plant extracts were also good. It was found that C. decussata has the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Antioxidant activity in all systems (except metal chelation property) was highest in C. decussata.
Tinospora cordifolia Protects Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages From LPS-induced Death
Authors: Goel Harish Chandra , Singh Lakshman , Tyagi Sonia , Rizvi Moshahid Alam
Published: October 2008

In the present study, RTc, an aqua-alcoholic extract of Tinospora cordifolia, a potential radioprotector, was evaluated for its ability to protect peritoneal macrophages (PMs) against LPS-induced death in ex vivo conditions using DNA fragmentation and survival assays. The effect of RTc on nitric oxide (NO) and TNF- production by LPS induced PMs was also assessed. The interaction of RTc with DNA (plasmid relaxation assay) and its effect on sodium nitroprusside (SNP) generated nitric oxide (NO) were also analysed. LPS induced significant DNA fragmentation in a dose dependent manner, decreased macrophage survival (48.2 ± 2.2 % of control), and increased NO (32.4 ± 1.5 ?M nitrite/106 cells) and TNF- levels (1943.4 ± 94.7 pg/ml) significantly as compared to their respective control values. Pre-treatment with RTc (-1h) decreased DNA fragmentation (13.4 ± 0.4 %), increased survival (87.5 ± 4.2 % of control), and reduced NO (18.9 ± 0.7 ?M nitrite/106 cells) and TNF- levels (418.5 ± 19.5 pg/ml) significantly. RTc also inhibited radiation-induced relaxation of plasmid DNA and significantly quenched SNP-generated NO even at low concentrations (64.6 ± 3.6 % inhibition at 2.25 ?g/ml, p ? 0.001). Such diverse effects of RTc on PMs could explain the radioprotective efficacy of this herbal extract.
Diatom communities of lake/stream networks in the Tatra Mountains, Poland, and the Swiss Alps
Authors: Kawecka Barbara , Robinson Christopher
Published: October 2008

Diatom communities in alpine-zone streams of the Tatra National Park and the Swiss National Park were heterogeneous with respect to species richness, abundance, Shannon diversity index, and ecological preference. Two groups of diatoms were distinguished. Group 1, inhabited streams in the upper Gąsienicowa Valley (Tatra Mts) and Macun Lakes region (Alps), and had high species richness and Shannon diversities (especially in the Tatra Mts streams) but low abundances. The most abundant and common diatoms were Psammothidium helveticum, Diatoma mesodon, Aulacoseira alpigena, Achnanthidium minutissimum, Psammothidium subatomoides, Psammothidium marginulatum, and Gomphonema parvulum. Group 2 inhabited Tatra Mts streams in the Five Polish Lakes Valley and lower Gąsienicowa Valley. Diatoms were highly abundant but species richness and Shannon diversities were relatively low. The most abundant were Achnanthidium minutissimum, Diatoma mesodon, Fragilaria capucina gracilis group and Tabellaria flocculosa. There was no clear difference between the diatom communities of the outlet streams of upper lakes and the inlet streams of adjacent downstream lakes. The high abundance of diatoms in the streams of the Tatra Mts suggests recent ecosystem changes related to lake eutrophication and partly by weather anomalies resulting from climate change.
Lead and cadmium content in the meat tissues of fish from water ecosystems in the vicinity of a pesticide tomb
Authors: Skibniewska Krystyna , Guziur Janusz , Marzec Zbigniew , Zaręba Stanisław , Grzybowski Mirosław , Szarek Józef
Published: October 2008

Lead and cadmium levels were determined in the meat tissues of roach, bream, and carp netted in a lake and in fish ponds threatened by a pesticide tomb and in control basins in northeastern Poland. Concentrations in roach ranged from 20 to 124 μg kg-1 of Pb and from 1 to 19 μg kg-1 of Cd. In bream they were from 4 to 280 μg kg-1 of Pb and 2 to 28 μg kg-1 of Cd, while in carp they were from 9 to 82 μg kg-1 of Pb and 2 to 260 μg kg-1 of Cd. The metal concentrations were low; no result exceeded admissible residue levels set forth by Polish law, and no evident contamination of fish by leakage from the pesticide tomb was detected.
Comments on the diet of Asplanchna priodonta (Gosse, 1850) in the Dobczycki dam reservoir on the basis of field sample observations
Authors: Pociecha Agnieszka , Wilk-Woźniak Elżbieta
Published: October 2008

During a monitoring programme the diet composition of Asplanchna priodonta was studied. Samples were collected every month from the deepest part of the Dobczycki dam reservoir (Southern Poland). The diet of A. priodonta, which included colonial cyanobacteria, diatoms, dinoflagelates and protozoa, indicated that it is both a grazer and a predator. These results support the hypothesis that A. priodonta is an opportunistic feeder. Additionally these results include the first observations of the protozoan Tintinnopsis sp. as a food source of Asplanchna.
Chemometric exploration of sea water chemical component data sets with missing elements
Authors: Smoliński Adam , Falkowska Lucyna , Pryputniewicz Dorota
Published: October 2008

The results of the application of chemometric methods, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and its generalization for N-way data, the Tucker3 model, for the analysis of an environmental data set are presented. The analyzed data consists of concentration values of chemical compounds of organic matter, and their transformed products, in a short-term study of a sea water column measured at the Gdańsk Deep (φ = 55°1'N, λ = 19°10'E).

The main goal of this paper is to present improved approaches for exploration of data sets with missing elements, based on the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. The most common methods for dealing with missing data, generally consisting of setting the missing elements to zero or to mean values of the measured data, are often unacceptable as they destroy data correlations or influence interpretation of relationships between objects and variables. The EM algorithm may be built into different computational procedures used for exploratory analysis (i.e. EM/PCA or EM/TUCKER3).
New data on the biology of the introduced exotic nematode Anguillicola crassus Kuwahara, Niimi et Itagaki, 1974 in the eel Anguilla anguilla in Lake Wdzydze (Polish waters)
Authors: Rolbiecki Leszek
Published: October 2008

Anguillicola crassus Kuwahara, Niimi et Itagaki, 1974 is an Asian parasitic nematode that was introduced to Europe and inhabits the swim bladder of eels. In the 2002-2005 period, 237 eels, Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758), from Lake Wdzydze were examined for the occurrence of the nematode. 79.3% of the fish were infected, at a mean intensity of 7.2 nematodes per fish. Morphological measurements of the observed A. crassus are presented. This is the first published report of A. crassus in eels from Lake Wdzydze.
The evaluation of Cr, Ni, Cu, and Co contents in bottom sediments of the Supraśl River and its tributaries
Authors: Skorbiłowicz Elżbieta , Skorbiłowicz Mirosław
Published: October 2008

The aim of this study was to evaluate the total and soluble forms of Cr, Ni, Cu, and Co contents in bottom sediments of the Supraśl River and its tributaries. Studies were carried out in August 2005 and March 2006. The total contents of metals were determined, following the digestion of the sediments in nitric acid in a MARS 5 closed microwave system. Soluble forms of metals were extracted with 1 mol dm-3 HC1 at the ambient temperature. The bottom sediments of the Supraśl and its tributaries are slightly contaminated with chromium. Copper, nickel, and cobalt occur mainly at a geochemical background level. A positive linear correlation between total forms of metal contents and their soluble forms was found.
Establishing reference conditions for Polish lakes - preliminary results
Authors: Soszka Hanna , Kolada Agnieszka , Gołub Małgorzata , Cydzik Dorota
Published: October 2008

Establishing reference conditions is essential for performing ecological status assessments of surface waters according to the EU Water Framework Directive. Ecological status is described as the deviation from undisturbed (reference) conditions. This paper presents the process of establishing preliminary reference values for chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and Secchi disc readings in different types of Polish lakes. This was done by selecting potential reference lakes and performing statistical analysis of the values of the main eutrophication parameters. The preliminary reference values for total phosphorus, chlorophyll, and Secchi disc depth were defined as 0.033 mgP dm-3, 3.75 μg dm-3, and 3.6 m for stratified lakes, and 0.048 mgP dm-3, 5.80 μg dm-3, and 2.5 m. for polymictic lakes, respectively.
Assessing flood risk and detecting changes of salt water inflow in a coastal micro-tidal brackish marsh using GIS
Authors: Urbański Jacek , Ślimak Agata
Published: October 2008

In order to assess changes in salt water inflow and potential flood risks due to sea level rise in a micro-tidal Beka brackish marsh on the Polish Baltic Coast GIS was used. Such wetlands are important elements of coastal zone natural environments. Creating a geodatabase within a GIS system makes it possible to carry out broad analyses of complex systems, such as coastal wetlands. The results indicate that a 40 cm sea-level rise would considerably increase the frequency of flooding in the investigated area, in part because of the small range of the annual sea level oscillations there. A map of the index of changes in saltwater inflow, created with the help of cost-weighted distance (functions), shows that changes which have occurred along the shore, consisting of filling in the drainage channel outlets, have likely had a significant impact on the vegetation of the area.
Preparation and characterization of catalyst mix Fe-Co/MgO for carbon nanotubes growth
Authors: Steplewska Anna , Jedrzejewski Roman , Borowiak-Palen Ewa
Published: October 2008

Preparation and characterization of catalyst mix Fe-Co/MgO for carbon nanotubes growth

Fe-Co/MgO is one of the most common catalyst mix applied to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) growth in chemical vapor deposition process. Therefore, here we present detailed study on the preparation and characterization of Fe-Co/MgO. The precursors of Fe and Co are iron (II) acetate and cobalt acetates, correspondingly. The molar ratio of the catalyst mix is Fe:Co:MgO=1:1:100. Initially, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the mixture was performed. TGA analysis of it indicated the stepwise mass losses which pointed out the crucial thermal conditions for the changes in the elemental composition, morphology, crystallographic structure and vibrational properties. In current state of the art the lowest growth temperature for singlewalled carbon nanotubes is 550°C in CVD technique and here the characterization of the catalyst mix strongly suggest that this temperature can be decreased what would enhance the compatibility of CNT growth with current complementary metal-oxide-silicon (CMOS) technology for CNTs-based nanoelectronics. The morphology, crystallographic structure, elemental composition of the samples and its spectroscopic properties were performed via high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Infrared spectroscopy (IR), respectively.
The influence of admixtures on the course of hydrolysis of titanyl sulfate
Authors: Grzmil Barbara , Grela Daniel , Kic Bogumił , Podsiadły Marcin
Published: October 2008

The influence of admixtures on the course of hydrolysis of titanyl sulfate

The study focused on the question how admixtures, such as iron(II), iron(III), magnesium and aluminium salts influence the degree of TiOSO4 conversion to hydrated titanium dioxide (HTD). Titanyl sulfate solution, an intermediate product in the industrial preparation of titanium dioxide pigments by sulfate route was used. The admixtures were added to the solution and their concentration was gradually changed. It was found that hydrolysis clearly depended on Fe(II) and Fe(III) concentrations. The higher the concentration of iron(II) (up to 5 wt %) in the solution was, the higher conversion degree was achieved. A reverse relationship was observed concerning the influence of iron(III) introduced up to 1.5 wt %. The constant rates of both phases of titanyl sulfate hydrolysis (including the formation of an intermediate colloidal TiO2 and final products) depended on iron(II) and iron(III) content in the solution. The concentration of other constituents did not influence hydrolysis in the investigated part of the process (up to 2.6 wt % of Mg and up to 0.3 wt % of Al). However, the size of primary particles of the obtained TiO2·nH2O did not depend on the content of the above-mentioned constituents in the solution.
Manufacturing of phosphoric acid from hydroxyapatite, contained in the ashes of the incinerated meat-bone wastes
Authors: Krupa-Żuczek Kinga , Kowalski Zygmunt , Wzorek Zbigniew
Published: October 2008

Manufacturing of phosphoric acid from hydroxyapatite, contained in the ashes of the incinerated meat-bone wastes

The results of the investigations concerning phosphoric acid manufacturing, by the extraction method, from the ashes containing hydroxyapatite, obtained through the thermal treatment of bone sludge have been presented. The incinerated bone sludge with ~ 16% P content and the minimal amount of impurities can be an alternative source for phosphoric acid production. The process consists in two stages. In the 1st stage, reaction of hydroxyapatite with phosphoric acid resulting in monocalcium phosphate formation in the solution obtained is carried out. The tests revealed that overall hydroxyapatite dissolution in phosphoric acid takes place when the concentration is 37% H3PO4. In the 2nd stage monocalcium phosphate is converted into calcium sulphate using concentrated sulphuric acid at the recommended temperature of 95°C. The principles of the technological idea of the process of phosphoric acid manufacturing from HA-containing ashes, obtained by bone wastes incineration, as well as a preliminary economic analysis for the production of 10 000 t/year of food-grade phosphoric acid have been developed.
Sedimentation of water dispersed systems of acrylate copolymers in xylene
Authors: Makarewicz Edwin , Zalewska Anna
Published: October 2008

Sedimentation of water dispersed systems of acrylate copolymers in xylene

Methyl methacrylate - butyl acrylate - methacrylic acid copolymer and butyl methacrylate - methacrylic acid amide copolymer of a different segmental structure were stabilised with non-ionic and anionic surfactants. Gel chromatography, viscosimetry, tensiometry, conductometry and sedimentation methods were applied to define the properties of the synthesized copolymers, surfactants in water solutions and water dispersions. The types and the properties of the phases being in a state of sedimentation balance were also determined. The obtained experimental data were interpreted and justified by using the copolymer and surfactants properties. The existing correlations were pointed out. The obtained results show that the stability of a disperse system considerably depends on the structure of the copolymer. The MMA/BA/MAA copolymer has monomeric units of elastic butyl acrylate. Segments containing these monomeric units adsorb surfactants much better and form more stable water disperse systems. However, the MBA/AMAA copolymer with the polarity of amide group of methacrylamide makes disperse systems less stable.
Atomization performance of effervescent atomizers with gas-liquid internal mixing
Authors: Ochowiak Marek , Broniarz-Press Lubomira
Published: October 2008

Atomization performance of effervescent atomizers with gas-liquid internal mixing

The paper contains the results of experimental studies on water atomization process in effervescent nozzle in one-phase and two-phase systems. The gas phase flow rate causes the changes in characteristic parameters of atomization. The gas flow rate has certain effect on the Sauter Mean Diameter SMD values. SMD for airliquid systems investigated is decreasing with increase of gas volume rate. It is observed that SMD values are increasing with increase of liquid volume rate. The larger SMD values for one-phase flow in comparison with two-phase flow have also been observed. The increase of SMD value has been observed with a decrease of an outlet diameter of an effervescent nozzle.
Effect of calcination temperature on photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Photodecomposition of mono- and polyazo dyes in water
Authors: Mozia Sylwia
Published: October 2008

Effect of calcination temperature on photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Photodecomposition of mono- and polyazo dyes in water

The presented studies have focused on the influence of TiO2 properties, such as crystalline phase, crystallite size and surface area, on the effectiveness of degradation of azo dyes in water under UV irradiation. Two monoazo dyes: Acid Red 18 (AR18, C20H11N2Na3O10S3) and Acid Yellow 36 (AY36, C18H14N3NaO3S), and one polyazo dye Direct Green 99 (DG99, C44H28N12Na4O14S4) were applied as model compounds. The photocatalysts were prepared from a crude titanium dioxide obtained directly from the production line (sulfate technology) at the Chemical Factory "Police" (Poland). The crude TiO2 was calcinated in air for 1-4h at the temperatures ranging from 600 to 800°C. The BET specific surface area of TiO2 decreased gradually with increasing the calcination temperature. The crude TiO2 exhibited specific surface area of 277 m2/g. In case of the catalysts heated at 600, 700 and 800°C the BET surface area amounted to 62.3-53.3, 33.4-26.8 and 8.9-8.3 m2/g, for the calcination time of 1-4h, respectively. The crystallite size of anatase increased with increasing heat treatment temperature and ranged from 19 to 53 nm, for the temperatures of 600-800°C, respectively. The catalysts annealed at 600 and 700°C contained primarily anatase phase (94-97%), whereas the photocatalysts heated at 800°C were composed mainly of rutile (97-99%). The highest effectiveness of azo dyes degradation was obtained in case of the photocatalyst calcinated for 1h at 700°C. The photocatalyst was composed mainly of anatase (97%) with crystallite size of 27 nm. The most effectively photodegraded was AR18, having the molecular weight of 640.4 g/mol. The most difficult to degrade was AY36 exhibiting the lowest molecular weight from all the dyes used (375.4 g/mol).
Phosphorus sorption capacity of different types of opoka
Authors: Cucarella Victor , Zaleski Tomasz , Mazurek Ryszard
Published: October 2008

Phosphorus sorption capacity of different types of opoka

The bedrock opoka has been lately reported as an appropriate reactive media for onsite wastewater treatment systems due to its high phosphorus (P) sorption capacity. However, variations on its chemical composition may affect its reactivity with P, therefore leading to a variable P removal efficiency. In this paper, the P-sorption capacity of three different types of opoka from the region of Miechów, Poland, is reported. According to the silica and carbonate content, opoka samples were classified as light-weight and heavy-weight opoka. When heated over 900°C, opoka showed a very high P-sorption capacity that was well correlated to its Ca content. P-sorption isotherms from batch experiments with an artificial P solution were plotted and fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models. The Freundlich isotherm appeared to model better the P-sorption of light opoka and the Langmuir isotherm of heavy opoka, suggesting different dominating mechanisms of P-sorption by light and heavy opoka.
Load of heavy metals in drainage waters in the Middle Sudety Mountains
Authors: Pulikowski Krzysztof , Kostrzewa Stanisław , Paluch Julian , Szewrański Szymon
Published: October 2008

Load of heavy metals in drainage waters in the Middle Sudety Mountains

Research were carried out in study site located in Stare Bogaczowice near Wałbrzych. The daily drainage runoff measurements and periodical chemical analyses of water samples from selected drainage plots had been made. Concentrations of heavy metals: Cu, Zn, Zn, Pb, Cr i Cd had been measured. Drainage waters do not include significant amounts of heavy metals. Concentration of zinc, which is very common in nature, ranged from 0.018 to 0.675 mg Zn·dm-3, cadmium concentrations was somewhat larger then 0.001 mg Cd · dm-3. In spite of precipitations higher then in the other sites and because of low concentrations, the heavy metal loads had been very small. Regarding lead and nickel load did not exceed 70 g·ha-1·yr-1, and concerning copper, chromium and cadmium it was below 5.0 g·ha-1·yr-1. Heavy metals in drainage waters do not make serious threat on surface water body receivers.