bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Studies on removal of chromium (VI) from water using chitosan coated Cyperus pangorei
Authors: Malarvizhi R. , Venkateswarlu Y. , Ravi babu V. , Syghana Begum S.
Published: January 2011

Environmental contamination by toxic heavy metals is a significant universal problem. The main objective of the study is to use a biodegradable materials like Cyperus pangorei and Chitosan as a composite biosorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from water. The newly prepared biosorbent is characterized and the capacity of Cr(VI) removal of the biosorbent is carried out systematically by batch mode operations. The adsorption capacity of the biosorbent is examined by changing the parameters like biosorbent dose, varying the initial contact time, varying initial concentration of metal ion and pH of the metal ion solution to know the actual mechanism taking place during the initial sorption process. The experimental data obtained were fitted with the Freundlich, Langmuir and Redlich–Peterson isotherm models and the pseudo first order and the pseudo second order kinetic models. Equilibrium data were fitted very well to the Langmuir Isotherm model and pseudo second order kinetic model. Desorption of the metal ion is also carried out using different concentration of NaOH.
Effect of heavy metal stress on emerging plants community constructions in wetland
Authors: Peng Han , Geng Wu , Yong-quan Wu , Mao-teng Li , Jun Xiang , Long-jiang Yu
Published: January 2011

In this paper, we report the effects of heavy metals (HMs) (cadmium and mercury) on seed germination and seedling growth of Phragmites australis and Triarrhena sacchariflora, which are the two main typical emerging plants in Hongze Lake wetland. The results showed that there was a reduction in germination percentage, germination index and seedling length as HM concentration in the growing media increased for both treatments. The effect of HMs toxicity on seed germination and seedling growth of T. sacchariflora was more obvious than of P. australis. At the stage of seed germination, P. australis and T. sacchariflora were sensitive to Hg2 +  and Cd2 + , respectively, and Hg2 +  was more toxic than Cd2 +  at the stage of seedling growth. The effect of HMs toxicity is not invariable during plant growth. Compared to the stage of seedling growth, P. australis and T. sacchariflora are more susceptible to HMs at the stage of seed germination. In addition, we calculated the ecological thresholds of P. australis to Cd and Hg are 19.32 and 1.08 mg kg−1, and that of T. sacchariflora to Cd is 4.62 mg kg−1 based on the lab simulation. The results also indicated that the species of P. australis is more tolerant than T. sacchariflora to the HMs and is a better candidate for restoration in Hongze Lake wetland ecosystem.
Quantitative structure property relationships for the adsorption of pharmaceuticals onto activated carbon
Authors: Dickenson E. R. V. , Drewes J. E.
Published: January 2011

Isotherms were determined for the adsorption of five pharmaceutical residues, primidone, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac, to Calgon Filtrasorb 300 powdered activated carbon (PAC). The sorption behavior was examined in ultra-pure and wastewater effluent organic matter (EfOM) matrices, where more sorption was observed in the ultra-pure water for PAC doses greater than 10 mg/L suggesting the presence of EfOM hinders the sorption of the pharmaceuticals to the PAC. Adsorption behaviors were described by the Freundlich isotherm model. Quantitative structure property relationships (QSPRs) in the form of polyparameter linear solvation energy relationships were developed for simulating the Freundlich adsorption capacity in both ultra-pure and EfOM matrices. The significant 3D-based descriptors for the QSPRs were the molar volume, polarizability and hydrogen-bond donor parameters.
Physicochemical treatment of office and public buildings greywater
Authors: Friedler Eran , Alfiya Yuval
Published: January 2011

The current study analyses the performance of deep sand filtration of greywater from an office building and the performance of a combined physicochemical process comprising of coagulation, sedimentation and filtration. Raw greywater quality exhibited very high variability with average turbidity of 35 NTU, and TSS, CODt, and BOD of 45, 240, 75 mg/l respectively. The stand-alone filter removed 50 and 70% of the turbidity and TSS, but failed to remove COD and BOD. Quality of the produced effluent was too low to allow any reuse. Clogging rate of the filter was high and under hydraulic loading of 3–4 m3/(m2 h) the filtration cycle had to be terminated after 5–8 h. Clogging occurred mainly on the upper layer, indicating the dominance of “cake” filtration mechanism. Addition of coagulation and sedimentation prior to sedimentation dramatically improved effluent quality, reaching overall removal efficiencies of 92, 94, 65 and 57% of turbidity, TSS CODt and BOD respectively. The filtration cycle could be prolonged to 20 h. The effluent produced was of much better quality, yet, it has to be further treated (either biological treatment or membrane filtration). Most of the removal occurred in the coagulation-sedimentation step, while the filter acted as a polishing unit.
A mesocosm study using four native Hawaiian plants to assess nitrogen accumulation under varying surface water nitrogen concentrations
Authors: Unser C. U. , Bruland G. L. , Hood A. , Duin K.
Published: January 2011

Accumulation of nitrogen (N) by native Hawaiian riparian plants from surface water was measured under a controlled experimental mesocosm setting. Four species, Cladium jamaicense, Cyperus javanicus, Cyperus laevigatus, and Cyperus polystachyos were tested for their ability to survive in coconut fiber coir log media with exposure to differing N concentrations. It was hypothesized that the selected species would have significantly different tissue total nitrogen (TN) concentrations, aboveground biomass, and TN accumulation rates because of habitat preference and physiological growth differences. A general linear model (GLM) analysis of variance (ANOVA) determined that species differences accounted for the greatest proportion of variance in tissue TN concentration, aboveground biomass growth, and accumulation rates, when compared with the other main effects (i.e. N concentration, time) and their interactions. A post hoc test of means demonstrated that C. jamaicense had significantly higher tissue TN concentration, aboveground biomass growth, and accumulation rates than the other species under all N concentrations. It was also hypothesized that tissue TN concentrations and biomass growth would increase in plants exposed to elevated N concentrations, however data did not support this hypothesis. Nitrogen accumulation rates by species were controlled by differences in plant biomass growth.
Minimizing health risks during secondary effluent application via subsurface drip irrigation
Authors: Oron Gideon , Gillerman Lieonid , Lael Avraham , Manor Yossi , Braude Erez , Bick Amos
Published: January 2011

Health risks posed on consumers due to the use of agricultural products irrigated with reclaimed wastewater were assessed by numerical simulation. The analysis is based on defining of an Exposure Model (EM) which takes into account several parameters: (i) the quality of the applied wastewater, (ii) the irrigation method, (iii) the elapsed times between irrigation, harvest, and product consumption, and; (iv) the consumers' habits. The exposure model is used for numerical simulation of human consumers' risks by running the Monte Carlo simulation method. Although some deviations in the numerical simulation which are probably due to uncertainty (impreciseness in quality of input data) and variability due to diversity among populations reasonable results were accepted. Accordingly, there is a several orders of magnitude difference in the risk of infection between the different exposure scenarios with the same water quality. The variability indicates the need for setting risk-based criteria for wastewater reclamation, including the application method and environmental conditions, rather than single water quality guidelines. Extra data is required to decrease uncertainty in the risk assessment. Future research needs to include definite acceptable risk criteria, more accurate dose-response modeling, information regarding pathogen survival in treated wastewater, additional data related to the passage of pathogens into and in the plants during irrigation, and information referring to the consuming habits of the human community.
Use of cooling tower blow down in ethanol fermentation
Authors: Rajagopalan N. , Singh V. , Panno B. , Wilcoxon M.
Published: January 2011

Reducing water consumption in bioethanol production conserves an increasingly scarce natural resource, lowers production costs, and minimizes effluent management issues. The suitability of cooling tower blow down water for reuse in fermentation was investigated as a means to lower water consumption. Extensive chemical characterization of the blow down water revealed low concentrations of toxic elements and total dissolved solids. Fermentation carried out with cooling tower blow down water resulted in similar levels of ethanol and residual glucose as a control study using deionized water. The study noted good tolerance by yeast to the specific scale and corrosion inhibitors found in the cooling tower blow down water. This research indicates that, under appropriate conditions, reuse of blow down water from cooling towers in fermentation is feasible.
Incremental sanitation improvement strategy: comparison of options for Hanoi, Vietnam
Authors: Harada H. , Matsui S. , Dong N. T. , Shimizu Y. , Fujii S.
Published: January 2011

Urban sanitation issues should be tackled strategically, and may be addressed effectively when sewerage development is pursued in conjunction with complementary sanitation measures. Five sanitation improvement scenarios employing sewerage, night-soil collection-and-treatment (NSCT) system, and/or septic-tank improvement by annual desludging were analyzed from the perspective of COD loads, total nitrogen loads, and cost under the conditions found in Hanoi, Vietnam. Compared to the development of sewerage alone, the scenario of developing NSCT systems in a complementary manner with sewerage development was estimated to be the most effective for a rapid decrease of both COD and total nitrogen loads. However, it may be difficult in some cases to replace ordinary water-flush toilets by the micro-flush toilets that are used in NSCT systems. In this case, the scenario employing septic-tank improvement in conjunction with sewerage development may be effective for a rapid decrease of COD in locations where septic tanks are widely used under poor maintenance conditions and nitrogen pollution is not serious compared to COD. It was calculated that the two scenarios above would respectively require cost increases of 16 and 22% over the sewerage development scenario.
Benchmarking energy consumption in municipal wastewater treatment plants in Japan
Authors: Mizuta Kentaro , Shimada Masao
Published: January 2011

Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the most important tasks facing municipal WWTPs. Electric power consumption typically accounts for about 90% of the total energy consumption. This study presents a benchmarking analysis of electric power consumption. The specific power consumption (SPC) ranged from 0.44 to 2.07 kWh/m3 for oxidation ditch plants and from 0.30 to 1.89 kWh/m3 for conventional activated sludge plants without sludge incineration. Observed differences of the SPC can be attributed to the difference in the scale of plants rather than to different kinds of wastewater treatment processes. It was concluded that economical benefits by centralizing treatment had contributed significantly to the reduction of energy consumption. Further analysis was carried out on the plant that had shown an extremely small SPC value of 0.32 kWh/m3. In this WWTP, a large amount of digestion gas was generated by anaerobic digestion. In particular, it was used to generate power using phosphoric acid fuel cells to generate approximately 50% of the energy consumed in the plant. It was calculated that this plant had reduced the overall SPC by 0.17 kWh/m3. The effect of power generation using digestion gas demonstrated clearly the advantage of implementing energy recovery schemes.
A methodology to bridge the water information gap
Authors: Timmerman J. G. , Beinat E. , Termeer C. J. A. M. , Cofino W. P.
Published: January 2011

The metaphor of the water information gap is used to describe the discontent between information users and information producers about the use of and need for specific information. This paper describes the rugby-ball methodology for specification of information needs that was developed on the basis of an analysis of the water information gap and insights from the literature on policy- and decision-analysis, problem-structuring, and information management. The methodology consists of a process-architecture to manage the process of assessing information needs and a structure to organise the information needs related to water policy objectives. The methodology was developed and enhanced through a Reflection-in-Action process in which interaction between ideas and practice leads to improved results. The paper describes the methodology and its development, and concludes both on the development process and on the abilities of the methodology to narrow the water information gap.
Water treatment technology for produced water
Authors: Szép Angéla , Kohlheb Robert
Published: January 2011

Large amounts of produced water are generated during oil and gas production. Produced water, as it is known in the oil industry, is briny fluid trapped in the rock of oil reservoirs. The objective of this study was to test produced waters from a Montana USA oilfield using a mobile station to design a plant to cost efficiently treat the produced water for agricultural irrigation. We used combined physical and chemical treatment of produced water in order to comply with reuse and discharge limits. This mobile station consists of three stages: pretreatments, membrane filtration and post treatment. Two spiral-wound membrane units were employed and the rejections of various constituents were examined. The performance of two membranes, 20 kDa weight cut-off (MWCO) ultrafiltration and a polyamide-composite reverse osmosis membrane was investigated. The mobile station effectively decreased conductivity by 98%, COD by 100% and the SAR by 2.15 mgeqv0.5 in the produced water tested in this study. Cost analysis showed that the treatment cost of produced water is less expensive than to dispose of it by injection and this treated water may be of great value in water-poor regions. We can conclude that the mobile station provided a viable and cost-effective result to beneficial use of produced water.
Valuing stormwater, rainwater and wastewater in the soft path for water management: Australian case studies
Authors: Chanan A. , Vigneswaran S. , Kandasamy J.
Published: January 2011

A Water Sensitive City is now commonly acknowledged best practice for designing the cities of the future. In Australia, the National Water Initiative has allocated high priority towards offering insight into successful water sensitive urban development projects, to facilitate capacity building within the industry. This paper shares innovative water sensitive projects implemented at Kogarah City Council, in Sydney. Four key projects are discussed, demonstrating how stormwater, rainwater and wastewater can be incorporated into decentralised water systems to offer sustainable water management of the future. The case studies included in the paper highlight Kogarah's journey towards the Soft Path for Water Management.
Sulfide removal from industrial wastewaters by lithotrophic denitrification using nitrate as an electron acceptor
Authors: Can-Dogan Esra , Turker Mustafa , Dagasan Levent , Arslan Ayla
Published: January 2011

Sulfide is present in wastewaters as well as in biogas and can be removed by several physicochemical and biotechnological processes. Nitrate is a potential electron acceptor, readily available in most wastewater treatment plants and it can replace oxygen under anoxic conditions. A lab-scale reactor was operated for treatment of sulfide containing wastewater with nitrate as an electron acceptor and is used to evaluate the effects of volumetric loading rates, hydraulic retention time (HRT) and substrate concentrations on the performance of the lithotrophic denitrification process for treating industrial fermentation wastewaters. Sulfide is removed more than 90% at the loading rates between 0.055 and 2.004 kg S−2/m3 d, when the influent sulfide concentration is kept around 0.163 kg/m3 and the HRT decreased from 86.4 to 2 h. Nitrogen removal differed between 23 and 99% with different influent NO3−-N concentration and loading rates of NO3−/S−2 ratio. The stoichiometry of sulfide oxidation with nitrate is calculated assuming different end-products based on thermodynamic approach and compared with experimental yield values. The calculated maximum volumetric and specific sulfide oxidation rates reached 0.076 kg S−2/m3 h and 0.11 kg S−2/kg VSS h, respectively. The results are obtained at industrially relevant conditions and can be easily adapted to either biogas cleaning process or to sulfide containing effluent streams.
Hybrid filtration method for pre-treatment of stormwater
Authors: Johir M. A. H. , Vigneswaran S. , Kandasamy J.
Published: January 2011

In this study the hybrid filtration process (combining fibre filter with deep bed dual media filtration) was investigated as pre-treatment to stormwater. This process was investigated in-terms of reduction in turbidity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), colour, headloss development across the filters, suspended solids removal, organic matter removal, nutrients and heavy matter (such as iron, copper, lead, zinc) removal efficiency. A comparison was made between the hybrid filter with single media (sand) deep bed filter and fibre filter. It was found that the hybrid filtration system successfully removed turbidity (98%), colour (99%), suspended solids (99%), and DOC (55%). The removal efficiency of heavy metal was relatively low as the concentration of heavy metals present in stormwater was low. The removal efficiency of nitrate, nitrite and phosphorous (as orthophosphate) was 27, 35 and 72% respectively. Hybrid filtration processes showed a better reduction of Modified Fouling Index (MFI) value (from 15.500 s/l2 to 9 s/l2) compared with single media sand, anthracite and fibre filter which were 35 s/l2, 13 s/l2and 14 s/l2 respectively when operated at FeCl3 dose of 15 mg/l.
Application of a membrane bioreactor for winery wastewater treatment
Authors: Bolzonella D. , Fatone F. , Pavan P. , Cecchi F.
Published: January 2011

Winery wastewaters are variable in nature and are hard to treat by means of the conventional activated sludge process because of the high organic loading associated with their production, especially during vintage. To face this situation, recently, membrane bioreactors have been widely applied to treat winery wastewaters. In this study, a full-scale membrane bioreactor treated some 110 m3/d of wastewater and organic loadings up to 1,600 kg COD per day. The average removal efficiency was 95% while the corresponding sludge yield was only 0.1 kg MLVSS per kg COD removed, as usual for these wastewaters. A detailed analysis of energy consumption showed specific energy demands of 2.0–3.6 kWh/m3 of treated wastewater or 1 kWh per kg of COD removed.
Bio-enhanced activated carbon filter with immobilized microorganisms for removing organic pollutants in the Songhua River
Authors: Gao Yu-Nan , Li Wei-Guang , Zhang Duo-Ying , Wang Guang-Zhi
Published: January 2011

Five dominant microorganisms including four kinds of Pseudomonas and one kind of Bacillus were isolated from the Songhua River. The organic pollutants removal potential and community composition of these five dominant microorganisms immobilized on activated carbon filter, which is called the bio-enhanced activated carbon filter (BEAC), were investigated to compare with the naturally formed biological activated carbon (BAC) filter. Songhua River was used as the raw water. The pilot scale test results showed the biomass in the BEAC filter increased initially and then stabilized after 45 d of operation with an average value of 192 nmolPO4/g carbon. The corresponding biological activity reached 1,368 ng ATP/g carbon. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) results showed that the BEAC filter degraded the toxic organic substances more effectively than the BAC filter, especially for halogenated hydrocarbons and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis revealed the eco-system of five dominant microorganisms did not change in the BEAC filter even on 180 d of operation. Two of the five dominant microorganisms, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas balearica, had high biological activity and were more adaptable to the surface of the carbon media than the other three dominant microorganisms. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) photograph showed a large quantity of microorganisms developed on the BEAC filter. The toxicity test using Deltatox Bioassay Technology Analyzer indicated that the dominant microorganisms were safe to be applied in drinking water treatment process.
Application of the mixture design to optimise the formulation of active consortia to decolorize azo-dye methyl red
Authors: Ayed Lamia , Harbi Besma , Cheref Abdelkrim , Bakhrouf Amina , Achour Sami
Published: January 2011

With the aid of analysis software (Minitab 14.0), the formulation of pure culture in Mineral Salts Medium (MSM) can be optimized for several responses and the best formulation can be obtained. The influence of the different mixtures of three strains in the pure culture in MSM on the flavor components in decolorization of Methyl Red (with initial total cell density fixed at OD600 = 1 and in addition of 750 ppm of dye) was studied using equilateral triangle diagram and mixture experimental design to assess color and COD removal during species evolution. The regression model on microorganism composition and main metabolites was established. The results suggested that the highest predictable specific decolorization rate and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) were 77.97 and 93.77%. Based on these, the response values that satisfied all expectations were optimized, and the optimal composition of the mixed consortium for the dedolorization and COD removal were (Sphingomonas paucimobilis 45.20%, Bacillus sp 61.94% and Staphylococcus epidermidis 80.00%) and (Sphingomonas paucimobilis 77.03%, Bacillus sp 86.42% and Staphylococcus epidermidis 71.74%) respectively. Very high regression coefficient between the variables and the responses: decolorization and COD removal were respectively R2=0.96 and 0.81 indicated excellent evaluation of experimental data by polynomial regression model.
Kinetics studies of p-cresol biodegradation by using Pseudomonas putida in batch reactor and in continuous bioreactor packed with calcium alginate beads
Authors: Mathur A. K. , Bala Shashi , Majumder C. B. , Sarkar S.
Published: January 2011

Present study deals with the biodegradation of p-cresol by using Pseudomonas putida in a batch reactor and a continuous bioreactor packed with calcium alginate beads. The maximum specific growth rate of 0.8121 h−1 was obtained at 200 mg L−1 concentration of p-cresol in batch reactor. The maximum p-cresol degradation rate was obtained 6.598 mg L−1 h−1 at So=200 mg L−1 and 62.8 mg L−1 h−1 at So=500 mg L−1 for batch reactor and a continuous bioreactor, respectively. The p-cresol degradation rate of continuous bioreactor was 9 to 10-fold higher than those of the batch reactor. It shows that the continuous bioreactor could tolerate a higher concentration of p-cresol. A Haldane model was also used for p-cresol inhibition in batch reactor and a modified equation similar to Haldane model for continuous bioreactor. The Haldane parameters were obtained as μmax 0.3398 h−1, Ks 110.9574 mg L−1, and KI 497.6169 mg L−1 in batch reactor. The parameters used in continuous bioreactor were obtained as Dmax 91.801 mg L−1 h−1, Ks 131.292 mg L−1, and KI 1217.7 mg L−1. The value KI of continuous bioreactor is approximately 2.5 times higher than the batch reactor. Higher KI value of continuous bioreactor indicates P. putida can grow at high range of p-cresol concentration. The ability of tolerance of higher p-cresol concentrations may be one reason for biofilm attachment on the packed bed in the continuous operation.
Impact of carwash discharge on stormwater quality (Toulouse, France)
Authors: Sablayrolles C. , Vialle C. , Vignoles C. , Montrejaud-Vignoles M.
Published: January 2011

The contribution of discharge from carwashes to pollutant levels in stormwater was evaluated. Five carwashes and two outlets in the city of Toulouse (France) were selected. Water samples were collected from December 2006 to December 2007. Concentrations and loadings of classical water quality parameters (conductivity, pH, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand, nitrogen, phosphorus, ammonium, nitrate, suspended solid and volatile suspended solid) and five groups of organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, lauryl alkyl benzene sulphonates, methyl tert-butyl ether and total hydrocarbons) were determined. The results suggest that the wastewater derived from carwashes was negligible compared to the volume and flow rates within the stormwater network. However, high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phosphorus and lauryl alkyl benzene sulphonates in liquid waste from carwashes, and the impact of these pollutants on stormwater quality could not be neglected.
Valuable product production from wood mill effluents
Authors: Mato T. , Ben M. , Kennes C. , Veiga M. C.
Published: January 2011

Fibreboard production is one of the most important industrial activities in Galicia (Spain). Great amounts of wastewater are generated, with properties depending on the type of wood, treatment process, final product and water reusing, among others. These effluents are characterized by a high chemical oxygen demand (COD), low pH and nutrients limitation. Aerobic and anaerobic processes have been used for their treatment. Presently, bioplastics production (mainly polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHA) from wastewaters with mixed cultures is being studied. Substrate requirements for these processes are a high organic matter content and low nutrient concentration. Therefore, wood mill effluents could be a suitable feedstock. PHA production from wastewaters is carried out in three steps. First, complex organic matter is converted into volatile fatty acids (VFA) through acidogenic fermentation. Then, VFA are used as substrate in an aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR), in which the enrichement of PHA producing bacteria from a mixed culture is favoured. Finally, the sludge from the SBR is fed with a pulse containing high VFA concentrations, resulting in PHA accumulation inside the cells. In this work, the possibility of applying this process to wood mill effluents is proposed. An acidification percentage of 37% and a storage yield (YSTO) of 0.23 Cmmol/Cmmol were obtained.
Anaerobic treatability and biogas production potential of selected in-mill streams
Authors: Yang M. I. , Edwards E. A. , Allen D. G.
Published: January 2011

Biochemical methane potential assays (BMP assays) were performed to study the potential of anaerobic treatment of in-mill wastewaters. The assay results indicated that condensate and the BCTMP effluent, which are currently treated with the anaerobic internal circulation reactors, were the best streams for anaerobic treatment because of their relatively high degradability (>80%) and initial rates of biogas production. The softwood dewatering process stream was the worst with the lowest degradability (∼30%). The hardwood stream was more degradable than the softwood stream from the same process. Biogas production was found to be additive and predictable in blended samples. In addition, degradability was found to be negatively correlated to the concentration of dehydroabietic acid and tannin-lignin compounds. The anaerobic treatment of the suitable streams has great potential value with significantly reduced sludge production and energy savings.
Analysis of 65 pharmaceuticals and personal care products in 5 wastewater treatment plants in Portugal using a simplified analytical methodology
Authors: Salgado R. , Noronha J. P. , Oehmen A. , Carvalho G. , Reis M. A. M.
Published: January 2011

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are becoming increasingly recognised as important micropollutants to be monitored in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), since WWTP effluents represent an important point source to natural aquatic systems. In this study, the abundance of 65 PPCPs was analysed in 5 Portuguese WWTPs during the spring and autumn. Due to the fact that analytical approaches normally used to quantify the abundance of these compounds are labour intensive and require various specific procedures, this study proposes a set of simplified analytical methods for the quantification of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and polycyclic musks in liquid and sludge samples. The analytical methods were validated using influent wastewater matrices, showing comparable limits of detection and quantification as literature values for most PPCPs, with the exception of the estrogenic compounds. The PhAC concentrations detected in the WWTP survey were in the range of 0.050–100 μg L−1 in the influent and up to 50 μg L−1 in the effluent, where the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most abundant and frequently detected group. Some musks were detected up to 11.5 μg L−1 in the influent and 0.9 μg L−1 in the effluent, and adsorbed in the sludge up to 22.6 μg g−1.
Modeling of hospital wastewater pollution by pharmaceuticals: first results of Mediflux study carried out in three French hospitals
Authors: Mullot J.-U. , Karolak S. , Fontova A. , Levi Y.
Published: January 2011

A study has been carried out in three French hospitals in order to assess and model the pharmaceutical load in hospital wastewater and its impact in WWTP. This study, called Mediflux, consisted of three successive steps: first, an original prioritization procedure developed in our laboratory enabled us to select a list of relevant molecules from different Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classes containing pharmaceuticals for specific hospital use such as anesthetics or antineoplastic agents and pharmaceuticals dispensed in the community. Then, analytical quantification procedures were developed and validated according to 2002/657/EC European directive. Sampling campaigns were performed in three different hospitals, two located in the Paris area and one in a medium-sized city 150 km from Paris. Sampling was also carried out in wastewater treatment plants. At the same time, in order to model the pharmaceutical loads from hospitals, predicted concentrations were calculated as a first approach assuming it would be a single-box model, i.e. hospitals have no effect on drug loads and only human metabolism is taken into account to evaluate the fraction of drugs eliminated in hospital effluent. In the last step, the comparison of measured and calculated concentrations showed a satisfactory correlation for some pharmaceuticals, mainly those with short elimination half-lifes and weak human metabolism. For others, it appeared that modeling should take into account various factors such as out patient use, pharmacokinetic data and molecule stability in wastewater.
Behavior and fate of anthropogenic substances at a Swedish sewage treatment plant
Authors: Olofsson U. , Lundstedt S. , Haglund P.
Published: January 2011

The behavior and fate of anthropogenic substances during sewage treatment were investigated at a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Sweden which uses mechanical, chemical, and biological methods for sewage treatment and anaerobic digestion of sludge. Influent and effluent water, and sludge from two specific treatment sites were sampled. Mass balances were calculated from measured concentrations of various substances and estimates of the mass flows (water, solids) throughout the process. The results show that the metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb) and the majority of PCBs, PCDD/Fs, and PBDEs enter and leave the STP bound to particles. Triclosan and di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate adsorb to sludge to a high degree, while the metals (Co, Cu, Ni, Zn) and organophosphate esters seem to pass through the STP unaffected by the process. Generally, the STP was better in removing lipophilic than water soluble compounds. Most of the substances end up in anaerobically digested sludge in almost the same concentrations as in primary sludge. A fugacity based STP model was evaluated for its ability to predict the behavior and fate of the substances and was found feasible for lipophilic compounds. It did however produce poor predictions for water soluble compounds such as organophosphate esters (overestimated) and antibacterial agents (underestimated).
On-site evaluation of the efficiency of conventional and advanced secondary processes for the removal of 60 organic micropollutants
Authors: Martin Ruel S. , Esperanza M. , Choubert J.-M. , Valor I. , Budzinski H. , Coquery M.
Published: January 2011

The next challenge of wastewater treatment is to reliably remove micropollutants at the microgram per litre range in order to reduce the discharge for priority substances and to meet the environmental quality standards set by the European Water Framework Directive. The present work assessed the occurrence of 60 organic substances (priority substances and other relevant pollutants) in municipal wastewater and sludge. Their fate in the treatment processes and their removal efficiencies were quantified. Thorough on-site mass balances were carried out at 8 municipal wastewater treatment plants chosen among conventional and advanced secondary processes. It was found that 70% of the substances were quantified in raw wastewater and 50% in effluent, with a transfer without a limited degradation for most of them. Low loaded activated sludge (AS) process reduced the emission of more than half of micropollutants. At low sludge retention time (AS under high load), lower removal efficiencies were measured compared to low loaded AS. No influence of temperature of the biological reactor was shown. The membrane bioreactor process increased the removal efficiencies for one third of the substances that were partially removed with AS. Still, five substances were measured at concentrations exceeding the environmental quality standards at the outlet of the studied plants. In addition to efforts for source-reduction, complementary treatments need to be set-up.
Different Approaches for Mass Transfer Studies on Potato Cylinders and Slices during Solar Drying
Authors: Tripathy P. P. , Kumar Subodh
Published: January 2011

In this paper, the influence of sample geometry and different solar drying conditions on mass transfer evaluation at food-air interface, hm obtained from different approaches is experimentally investigated. Two different approaches of hm estimation used in the analysis are based on the measurement of moisture loss rate data (direct method) and graphically computed values of drying parameters and moisture diffusion coefficient (indirect method). Drying experiments were performed with potato cylinders and slices of same thickness of 0.01 m with their respective length and diameter of 0.05 m using natural convection mixed-mode solar dryer and open air sun drying conditions. Results of analysis reveal that for each method of estimation, the cylinders vis-à-vis slices produce higher values of hm for both the solar drying conditions. It is also found that the mixed-mode solar drying enhances moisture transfer at food-air interface for each of the sample geometry as expected. Out of the two approaches investigated for hm estimation, the indirect method exhibits lower values of hm and these values are found to be more close to the results reported in the literature. The present analysis also indicates that Chilton-Colburn analogy for heat-mass convection does not hold well in the natural convection air drying of food product.
Improving Anti-?-Glucosidase Activity of Douchi Koji Using a Newly Isolated Strain of Bacillus subtilis B2
Authors: Zhu Yunping , Li Xiuting , Huang Zhigang , Li Lite , Su Yicheng
Published: January 2011

In attempt to develop an effective strategy to obtain douchi with anti-?-glucosidase functionality, Bacillus subtilis B2 was used as the initial microorganism to produce bacterial-type douchi koji capable of inhibiting ?-glucosidase activity in the current study. Various fermentation conditions, such as soybean type, fermentation time and humidity, resulted in different anti-?-glucosidase activity of the douchi koji. Regardless of soybean or black bean, the douchi koji exhibited a drastic increase in anti-?-glucosidase activity during the first 48 h of fermentation and kept a slight increase from 48 h to 96 h. The anti-?-glucosidase activities of both soybean and black bean kojis displaying the lowest at the relative humidity of 70 percent, rose up to the highest at the humidity of 90 percent and then showed a slight decrease. Under the same fermentation conditions, it is found that the soybean douchi koji exhibited higher ?-glucosidase inhibitory activity than that of black bean douchi koji. Maltose, sucrose and glucose were reduced drastically in soybean and black soybean koji after 96 h of fermentation. One of the most effective ?-glucosidase inhibitors, deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), with promising biological activity was observed both in the soybean koji and black soybean koji, which provide an inspiring strategy to produce DNJ-derived foods with low content of saccharides for the diabetic patients.
The Impact of Government Ownership and Institutions on the Reporting Behavior of Local Auditors in China
Authors: Chan K. Hung , Lin Kenny Z. , Wong Brossa
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACT: This paper updates and extends the study of Chan et al. (2006) by investigating whether regional differences in the political and institutional environment in China have a significant impact on auditor reporting behavior. Adopting a within-country setting, which precludes cross-country confounding factors, we find that in regions with a low level of institutional development, local auditors are more likely than non-local auditors to issue standard unqualified opinions to listed companies controlled by local governments. In addition, compared with local auditors in institutionally strong regions, those in institutionally weak regions are more likely to issue unqualified opinions to these companies. We also find that companies in institutionally weak regions that switch to a local auditor after receiving a qualified opinion can succeed in opinion shopping. The results have implications for legislators and regulators in China and other transitional economies, foremost among which is that improvement in institutional structures is essential for countries striving to build a credible independent auditing profession.
The Effect of Institutional and Cultural Factors on the Perceptions of Earnings Management
Authors: Geiger Marshall , van der Laan Smith Joyce
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACT: In this study we examine the effect of stakeholder orientation versus shareholder orientation, and the level of cultural secrecy on individuals’ perceptions of earnings management practices. Examining perceptions from 1,260 participants from 13 countries indicates that individuals from stakeholder-oriented institutional backgrounds were less accepting of earnings management, including both accounting earnings management and operating earnings management activities, than participants from shareholder-oriented institutional backgrounds, and that individuals from secretive cultures were more accepting of both types of earnings management activities. Our findings provide evidence of the anticipated perceptual differences across countries with respect to earnings management and suggest the need for further research linking perceptions to reported earnings management measures.
Active Faulting and Deformation of Quaternary Landform Sub-Himalaya, India
Authors: Kothyari Girish , Pant P. , Joshi Moulishree , Luirei Khayingshing , Malik Javed
Published: January 2011

Landforms developed across terrain defining boundary the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) have imprints of recent tectonic activity. Depositional landforms such as colluvial fan bear signatures of later phases of tectonic activity in the form of faulting of colluvial fan deposits and development of fault scarps. Tectonic geomorphology applied to the MBT zone suggests recent subsurface activity along the MBT and its splay thrusts. Present day tectonic activity of MBT is indicated by ground creeping, thrusting of Lower Siwalik rocks over recent colluvial fan deposit, aligning of series of lakes along splay faults and laterally along a fault, deflected streams, fault scarps and waterfalls. In the present paper we are addressing the tectonic situation in the foothill region of southeastern Kumaun Sub-Himalaya, India based on detailed field work carried out in the region which brought forward some outstanding morphotectonic evidence of neotectonic activities in the MBT zone.
Optical Dating of Sediments in Khari River Basin and Slip Rate Along Katrol Hill Fault (KHF), Kachchh, India
Authors: Kundu Himansu , Thakkar M. , Biswas R. , Singhvi A.
Published: January 2011

In the central region of Mainland Kachchh, Western India, the Katrol Hill Fault (KHF) is one of the major E-W trending faults. An understanding of the episodes of reactivation during the past has a bearing on the future seismicity in the region. These reactivations are manifested by offset of elevation of fluvial sediments and scarp-derived colluvium in the Khari River basin, SE of Bharasar (23°11'36.5"N, 69°35'22.6"E). Stratigraphic offsets of the sediments at this site suggest three episodes of reactivation of the KHF during the late Quaternary. Optical dating of samples from sediment strata and top layer of scarp-derived colluvium using Natural Sensitivity Corrected - Single Aliquot Regenerative (NCF-SAR) protocol suggested that these events occurred during the past ~30 ka, with the most recent historic episode around 3.0 ka. Given that a part of the slip recorded in the form of sediments offset, was lost due to erosion after faulting, a lower bound to the time averaged slip rate of the segment of KHF, is inferred to be > 0.23 mm/a during the past 30 ka.
ESR Dating of Marine Barite in Chimneys Deposited from Hydrothermal Vents
Authors: Okumura Tasuku , Toyoda Shin , Sato Fumihiro , Uchida Ai , Ishibashi Jun-Ichiro , Nakai Shun'ichi
Published: January 2011

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating of marine barite in chimneys deposited from hydrothermal vents was attempted to determine the time since hydrothermal activity occurred. In this study, we used Barite (BaSO4) precipitated in icroenvironments in the chimneys deposited from the hydrothermal vents at the Archaean site in South Mariana spreading centre (12°56.4'N, 143°37.9'E) and at Hakurei site in the Izena caldron (27°15'N, 127°04'E) for ESR measurements. ESR spectrum of marine barite is characterized by an electron-type centre with g values of 2.0034, 2.0022 and 1.9995 attributed to SO3-. The signal intensity increased with gamma ray dose. The dose rates of hydrothermal chimneys from the Archaean site and from the Hakurei site were calculated using a model that assumed a grain size and that incorporation of radionuclides after 226Ra in U series into the chimney, and assuming the efficiency of the defect formation by alpha particles to be the same as that for OSL. The ESR ages were estimated to be 470 years old for barite from the Archaean site and 5670 years old for one from the Hakurei site, although there is a considerable difference between the present ESR ages and the 210Pb/226Ra disequilibrium ages previously reported.
The Characteristics of OSL Signal from Quartz Grains Extracted from Modern Sediments in Japan
Authors: Tokuyasu Kayoko , Tanaka Kazuhiro , Tsukamoto Sumiko , Murray Andrew
Published: January 2011

Quartz grains from sediments in Japan are derived from complex mixtures of sources, including volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. We have measured the OSL signal of quartz grains from modern coastal sediments derived from different source rocks and compared these characteristics with the likely source. Each sample shows a different combination of various OSL components. It is concluded that the source rock affects the characteristics of the OSL components from quartz grains in Japanese sediments. By comparing the LM-OSL signals from volcanic sources with those from various source rocks, it can be deduced that quartz which has a higher fast component ratio is more suitable for dating. We also conclude that volcanic source areas should be avoided.
Luminescence Dating of the Sediments from a Buried Channel Loop in Fatehabad Area, Haryana: Insight into Vedic Saraswati River and its Environment
Authors: Saini H. , Mujtaba S.
Published: January 2011

Geomorphology and sedimentary composition of an archeologically important palaeochannel segment of the Vedic Saraswati River in northwestern Haryana have been evaluated and its temporal relation with the surrounding upland examined with the help of OSL dating. Sediment composition and OSL ages suggest that the channel received enough water supply between 5.9 and 4.3 ka ago, and even before. Several lakes and ponds had developed during this period in the surrounding areas. It was a wet phase in this area as well as in Rajastahn. After ~4.3 ka, the river got starved of regular water supply, became sluggish and finally dried up. Reduced water supply, indicative of decreased rainfall, occurred between 4.3 and 3.4 ka ago. The environmental history of the channel might have influenced the Harrapan archeology of the area.
Chronology of Cauvery Delta Sediments from Shallow Subsurface Cores Using Elevated-Temperature Post-IR IRSL Dating of Feldspar
Authors: Alappat L. , Tsukamoto S. , Singh P. , Srikanth D. , Ramesh R. , Frechen M.
Published: January 2011

We present the results of luminescence dating of sediments from two cores from the Cauvery Delta in south-east India. Since all natural quartz OSL signals except one sample were in saturation, the elevated temperature post-IR IRSL protocol for K-feldspar was applied to establish a chronology. Internal dose rates of K-feldspar grains were calculated from the measured internal content of potassium, uranium, thorium and rubidium in the bulk of K-feldspar grains using solution ICP-OES and ICP-MS analysis. A substantial scatter in single-aliquot De values was observed which is most probably due to the effect of incomplete bleaching of fluvial sediments before burial. A minimum age model was applied to extract possible depositional ages. The study revealed that except an upper layer of Holocene sediments (< 5m), the majority of the upper ~50m of Cauvery delta sediments were deposited between marine isotope stage MIS-5 and MIS-10 or older. The feldspar luminescence ages also indicate the existence of a period of non deposition or erosion in the upper part of the cores.
Manganese accumulation by two species of Chara
Authors: Urbaniak Jacek
Published: January 2011

This paper reports the results of Mn accumulation in two species of green algae: Chara globularis and Chara hispida. The results of laboratory and field experiments show a rapid accumulation of Mn by charophytes and demonstrate that deposit formation on the plant surface in the so-called adsorption phase occurs in Mn accumulation. Both species can be an important factor in Mn circulation in lakes.