Estimating particulate dispersiveness and accumulation at nearshore ocean dumpsites

The characteristics controlling the dispersion and accumulation of ocean-dumped sewage sludge are analysed for eight sites in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States. Based on the assumption that the sludge consists of a rain of fine materials descending on a sandy substrate, annual dispersiveness from both the local dumpsite and the dumpsite region is calculated as a fraction of sludge solids dumped during a given year. Using actual dumping amounts, indices of local and regional sludge accumulation are then calculated. The local index ranges from less than 1 for slightly impacted sites to 35 for the most severely impacted location. The regional index is less than 1 in all but one case. The index appears to be useful as a predictive tool for assessing impact from a given dumping scenario.     

Very-high-resolution seismic and magnetic investigations of a chemical munition dumpsite in the Baltic Sea

Very-high-resolution (VHR) seismic and magnetic investigations were carried out over a chemical munition dumpsite in the Bornholm Basin, south-western Baltic Sea. The main goal of the investigations was to image the shallow internal structure of the dumpsite and to map the lateral and vertical distribution of the dumped war material. The shallow geology was imaged in great detail on the seismic data. Seven seismic–stratigraphic units were identified, related to different stages in the Holocene and late-glacial history. A large number of diapir-like features were observed that most likely represent fluid expulsion phenomena. Four shipwrecks were identified in the dumpsite area. The wrecks have partly sunk into the soft upper sediments, their height above the sea floor reaching no more than 2 m. Seismic and magnetic data indicate the presence of a large number of buried objects. In most cases there is a good correlation between the seismic and magnetic data sets. The objects are generally buried no deeper than 1 to 2 m. Their size varies between 1.5 and 5 m, occasionally up to 10 m. Shallow pits in the sea bed are likely due to the impact of dumping. The data confirm the wide variety of dumped war material ranging from bombs and shells to encasements and containers. The distribution of the buried objects seems rather heterogeneous, with locally high object concentrations surrounded by areas of lower object density. The results of this case study demonstrate the benefit of complementary, concurrent geophysical investigations for munition dumpsite research. Finally this will yield a better assessment of the current status of the dumpsite and the possible ecological risks related to the dumped war material.     

Kinetic Studies and Anaerobic Co‐digestion of Vegetable Market Waste and Sewage Sludge

The effect of anaerobic co‐digestion of vegetable market waste and sewage sludge was studied extensively. The effects of co‐digestion were compared with the separate digestion of vegetable market waste and sewage sludge. The batch studies were carried out using three bench scale reactors having 1.5 L working volume. The cumulative biogas production shows that the organic waste available from the vegetable waste contains easily biodegradable organic matter compared with the sewage sludge. First order reaction kinetics is maintained throughout the methanation fermentation. The reductions in volatile solids (VS) in the three reactors were in the range of 63–65 %. The specific gas production for vegetable waste was higher (0.75 L biogas/g VS_in and 1.17 L biogas/g VS_des) than for the sewage sludge (0.43 L biogas/g VS_in and 0.68 L biogas/g VS_des). Consequently, the specific gas production for the co‐digestion of the mixture of vegetable waste and sewage sludge (0.68 L biogas/g VS_in and 1.04 L biogas/g VS_des) was considerably higher than for the sewage sludge only. Batch kinetics of anaerobic digestion is useful in predicting the performance of digesters and for the design of appropriate digesters.     

Urban sustainability: Lessons from organisms and ecosystems

The services essential for urban life include provision of electricity and water, disposal of sewage and solid waste, and management of stormwater. In the past two centuries, the infrastructure providing these services has become increasingly large and centralized, which from a sustainability perspective is problematic. I argue that, to be sustainable, a city must be integrated like a living organism, while having the resilience properties of a mature ecosystem. For the provision of infrastructure, this means that today's massive, highly centralized facilities must give way to more distributed yet interconnected systems.     

Use of ciliates (Protozoa: Ciliophora) as bioindicator to assess sediment quality of two constructed mangrove sewage treatment belts in Southern China

To complement physical and chemical data, information of biological communities is important to assess the qualities of mangrove sediments receiving wastewater. Ciliate communities have cosmopolitan distribution, short life cycle and high sensitivity to pollutants, which make them useful as biological indicators of the sediment environment. In most literature, ciliates are widely used as bioindicators for the state of water quality. In this study, the physico-chemical parameters and ciliate community structure of surface sediment collected at different sampling points from two constructed mangrove (Aegiceras and Sonneratia) belts for treatment of municipal sewage in southern China were investigated. Results showed that most (> 80%) of the 216 species ciliates identified at the two constructed mangrove belts were either omnivorous or bacterivorous. Sediment redox potential (Eh) was considered an important factor to govern the distribution of ciliate species within the mangrove sediment. The saprobic system originally derived from freshwater ecosystem was used to evaluate the saprobic degrees of these constructed mangrove belts. Saprobic index (SI) values declined from the sewage inlet to the outlet points of the constructed belts, suggesting better sediment quality at the outlet point caused by treatment processes within the mangrove belt system. Sediment quality of the sewage outlet area of the constructed Aegiceras belt was determined as class II-III (SI = 2.48), while that of the Sonneratia belt was as class III (SI = 2.71) according to the saprobic classification, indicating that a better sewage treatment efficiency was apparent in the Aegiceras than Sonneratia belt. The present data suggested that ciliates could serve as a good bioindicator in assessing organically polluted sediment qualities.     

Semicontinuous Outdoor Cultivation of Scenedesmus acutus in Waste Water

The algae were cultivated in an outdoor cultivation unit in waste water from sewage treatment plant processing city sewage and largescale hoggery effluent. The cultivation area (2m²) had a slant of 3% and the suspension layer thickness was about 5 cm. The total suspension volume in the cultivation device was 150 I. Mass balance served us for derivation of formulas for the average rate of algal biomass production and for the extent of nutrient removal from waste water. Experiments showed a considerable effect of dilution rate on individual parameters in these formulas. The removal of nitrogen and phosphorus is optimal at a dilution rate of 0.3 day^?1 whereas optimum biomass production lies at about 0.1 day^?1. The nitrogen and phosphorus yield coefficient Y (g biomass/g element) are practically identical, both of them depending on dilution rate. The effect of the dilution rate on other characteristics of the effluent water has not yet been unambiguously proved. The results are shown of bacteriological and mycological examinations, in addition, of the chemical analysis of resulting algal biomass.     

Biologische Untersuchung der Limmat zwischen Zürichsee und Wettingen, 1974 bis 1980

Biological investigations of that part of the River Limmat lying between Quaibrücke and Wettingen were carried out from 1974 to 1980. An influence of the waste water from the Werdhölzli sewage treatment plant on the plant and animal communities of the river bed was evident. This influence was especially plain to be seen immediately below the point of introduction of the waste water. The incidence of pollution indicators decreased downriver from this point. Biotests, using periphyton from stones taken from the shore of the Zürichsee, yielded harvests which were clearly higher in Limmat water taken from points downstream from the sewage works than in water taken from points upstream.     

Some effects of sewage discharge upon phytoplankton in Hong Kong

The coastal waters of Hong Kong constitute a transition from estuarine conditions in the west to more oceanic conditions in the east, with a major discharge of untreated sewage located at the mid-point. Chlorophyll a was determined and net phytoplankton was sampled at 45 stations throughout this transition. Over a period of 20 months, chlorophyll a values rarely exceeded 2 μg l.^?1 in unpolluted coastal waters. Estuarine waters generally contained 2–6 μg l.^?1 and, in waters influenced by sewage discharge, values sometimes exceeded 20 μg l.^?1. There was no evidence of a reduction in taxonomic diversity in polluted areas except in summer, when the net phytoplankton was dominated by Chaetoceros spp. In the autumn and early winter, Skeletonema costatum was abundant in the central polluted areas.     

Effect of Saline Sludge on Anaerobic Digestion of Kitchen Waste for Methane Generation: Modeling and Fertilizer Recovery

A comparative study of methane recovery by co-digesting kitchen waste and saline sewage sludge is performed to evaluate its feasibility for waste minimization. The experiment is performed at 37 °C having a mixing speed of 100 rpm and pH of 6.49–7.5 in anaerobic mixed batch reactors. The higher salinity level of the saline sewage sludge reduces the degradation rate of kitchen waste causing an enhancement in soluble chemical oxygen demand by 133% compared with 280% when co-digesting with the non-saline sample. The inhibitory behavior is in line with the low volatile solid elimination efficiency of 31% of saline against 55% of non-saline sludge. The Gompertz modeling, based on the outcomes, fits the cumulative methane generation trends quite well, with a strong correlation coefficient (>0.994). Besides, use of the non-saline sludge results in three times more methane production than the saline sample digestion. Sludge recovery is 0.07 m³ sludge m⁻³ wastewater, and water recovery is 0.84 m³ m⁻³ wastewater. The liquid produced from the fermentation of the slurry can be used for irrigation as well as fertilization. Kitchen waste co-digestion with both sludge samples has been proven to be a practical method for exploiting the extra digestion capacity of wastewater treatment plants currently in operation, but it is more practical for non-saline sludge.     

The Growth of Micromycetes in Activated Sludge Media

Today already numerous micromycetes are a recognized part of the biocenosis of growth in receiving waters strongly polluted by organically rich waste waters and of growth on biofilter media surfaces. The principal representatives are some Deuteromycetes, Mucorales and Saccharomycetaceae, whereas the so-called true aquatic fungi (Oomycetes) with the exception of Leptomitus lacteus are practically absent. The growth of micromycetes in activated sludge remains still an unanswered question. Generally, the filaments in the activated sludge are ascribed to filamentous bacteria and as long as fungi were isolated from activated sludge their presence has been reported only in the form of spores. The nitrogen deficiency with regard to carbon present in the waste water is considered as one of the factors enhancing the development of fungi in the activated sludge. In a series of 13 tests carried out on laboratory-scale batch models using synthetic waste water, where the carbon source was glucose and the nitrogen source was (a) sodium nitrate, (b) ammonium sulphate, and (c) peptone, the fungal growth was studied in different models with the BOD:N ratio varying from 20 to 1000. The models were seeded with thickened activated sludge from the municipal sewage works. The sludge did not contain any microscopically detectable forms of fungoid growth. It was found that the fungi in activated-sludge medium grow well and both in the forms of single cells, occuring independently and in chains, as well as in the form of long branched filaments. In some instances, the micromycetes formed up to 80 to 100 per cent of the biocenosis of the activated-sludge flocs, but the dependency of their development on the increasing BOD:N ratios in the waste water has not been ascertained. Fifteen species of micromycetes were isolated and identified, and in addition several representatives of Saccharomycetaceae, which were not identified.     

Benthic changes during 10 years of organic enrichment by McMurdo Station, Antarctica

A benthic habitat along the coast of McMurdo Station in the Ross Sea, Antarctica is enriched by sewage from the station and altered by hydrocarbons and heavy metals in an adjacent historic dumpsite. We report on 10 years of change in the benthic communities from 1988 to 1998 and compare enrichment effects at Australia's Casey Station, East Antarctica. Despite being 14 km apart, reference communities upcurrent and downcurrent of McMurdo Station remained closely similar over time, dominated in all years by a tube building polychaete, Spiophanes tcherniae. The community bordering McMurdo Station was generally a third as abundant as communities at the reference sites over the decade of sampling, although diversity was as high or higher, except in the most contaminated areas. In 1992, organic enrichment of the outfall community intensified and within the year, the opportunistic polychaetes Aphelochaeta sp., Ophryotrocha notialis, Capitella perarmata, and Leitoscoloplos kerguelensis became dominant. Since 1996, two of the three enriched communities have increased in resemblance to the reference communities. Given the observed responsiveness of the benthos to the outfall so far, further changes are anticipated within the year following implementation of sewage treatment in 2003. Organic enrichment by McMurdo Station has had a greater impact on benthic community structure than at Australia's Casey Station.     

香港水环境管理重点分析

With a high population density, immense commercial and industrial activities, Hong Kong produces over two million tonnes of municipal wastewater each day. Until recently, about 50% of the municipal wastewater enters water courses, rivers, and coastal waters without treatment. Untreated organics, heavy metals and refractory synthetic materials accumulate in certain areas, and have led to breakdown of aquatic and marine ecological systems, closure of beaches, red tides and bioaccumulation in seafood. In 1974, a team of consultants was commissioned to study the water pollution problems encountered in Hong Kong. After two decades in the effort to improve the water environment, a flexible framework for environmental planning and management over the following ten years has been designed. This programme comprises (1) establishment of water control zones and pollution control legislation, (2) upgrading of services and facilities for management of municipal sewage and chemical wastes, and (3) construction of the "Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme". In line with this programme, a priority has been set on implementing a "polluter pays policy" which requires the industries to share the costs of sewage treatment and encourages them to install on-site wastewater pretreatment facilities to reduce wastewater generation and to ensure sustainable development.     

Status report—Phase out of ocean dumping of sewage sludge in the New York Bight Apex

During 1985, nine municipalities disposed of sewage sludges at the 12-Mile dumpsite within the New York Bight Apex. In April 1985 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final denial of petitions to re-designate the 12-Mile Site and concommittantly requested the municipalities to submit schedules for transfering their operations to the 106 Deepwater Municipal Sludge Disposal Site (DMSDS) to receive these wastes. With the shift to this new site long term municipal sludge disposal will occur beyond the Continental Shelf for the first time in the United States.Negotiations between EPA and the municipalities in 1985 resulted in a schedule for beginning use of the 106-Mile Site in March 1986. The complete phase-out of sludge dumping in the New York Bight Apex is scheduled to end 15 December, 1987. The key decision (fleet capacities, dumping volumes, etc.) leading to the final negotiated schedules are discussed.     

Handling of waste in ports

A present major problem for ports is arranging adequate reception facilities for ship-generated waste, as the lack of such facilities is a problem to many shipowners. To preserve the environment in and around the ports it is necessary also to deal efficiently with the port-generated waste.

Although international conventions on the retention of waste on board ships for subsequent discharge to shore reception facilities have been ratified by most seafaring nations, a considerable part of the ship-generated waste still goes into the sea. Much of the waste generated in ports will also be dumped in quantities that at least affect the local marine environment. The regulations governing the handling of port-generated waste are often national and/or local legislation, whereas the handling of ship-generated waste is governed by the MARPOL Convention in most parts of the world.

The handling of waste consists of two main phases—collection and treatment. Waste has to be collected in every port and on board every ship, whereas generally only some wastes are treated and to a certain degree in ports and on board ships.

This paper considers the different kinds of waste generated in both ports and on board ships, where and how it is generated, how it could be collected and treated. The two sources are treated together to show how some ship-generated waste may be treated in port installations primarily constructed for the treatment of the port-generated waste, making integrated use of the available treatment facilities.

The different types of wastes can be divided into different categories. A world-wide accepted categorization of ship-generated waste has been established in the MARPOL 73/78 Convention. This will also be used for grouping the port-generated waste.     

Effect of sewage nutrients on algal production,biomass and pigments in tropical tidal creeks

Microalgal blooms can result from anthropogenic nutrient loadings in coastal ecosystems. However, differentiating sources of nutrients remains a challenge. The response of phytoplankton and benthic microalgae (BMA) to nutrient loads was compared across tropical tidal creeks with and without secondary treated sewage. Primary productivity in the water column was limited by nitrogen availability in absence of sewage, with nitrogen saturation in the presence of sewage. Phytoplankton primary productivity rates and chlorophyll a concentrations increased in response to sewage, and there was a greater response than for BMA. There was no change in algal pigment proportions within the phytoplankton or BMA communities. Concentrations of the sewage marker, coprostanol, were higher near sewage discharge points decreasing downstream, correlating with a decline in nutrient concentrations. This suggests that sewage was the main source of nitrogen and phosphorus. This study highlights the scale and type of response of algal communities to sewage nutrients.     

Anthropogenic organic matter inputs indicated by sedimentary fecal steroids in a large South American tropical estuary (Paranaguá estuarine system, Brazil)

Urban sewage is considered one of the most important sources of marine pollution in South America, because most coastal cities do not have proper facilities to treat and dispose of sewage. The Paranaguá estuarine system is an important estuarine environment of the South American coast where fishing, urban and tourist activities, industries and the main Brazilian grain shipping port are potential sources of pollution in this area. The anthropogenic input of sedimentary organic matter, represented by sewage contribution, was evaluated by fecal steroid concentrations. The coprostanol levels were comparatively low (<0.10 μg g⁻¹), except at the sites close to Paranaguá city, where the coprostanol concentration reached 2.22 μg g⁻¹ showing strong sewage contamination. Fecal steroid levels were comparable to the lower to midrange concentrations reported for coastal sediments worldwide. The results of this work demonstrated that sewage pollution can be considered a problem for a small part of the Paranaguá estuary.     

Field and large scale laboratory studies on dynamic properties of emplaced municipal solid waste from two dump sites at Delhi,India

Dynamic properties of municipal solid waste (MSW) from two dump sites located at Delhi, India are evaluated from field and large scale laboratory tests. Shear wave velocity (V_s) profiles of MSW, measured at these two sites using surface wave techniques, are in range of V_s data reported for MSW landfills worldwide. Representative bulk MSW samples were collected from large test pits excavated at the two dump sites to determine the near surface unit weight. Large scale undrained cyclic triaxial (CTX) tests were conducted on reconstituted MSW specimens to investigate the effect of various parameters such as composition, confining pressure, number of loading cycles, loading frequency and saturation on the dynamic properties. Undrained CTX tests, conducted on the specimens with and without fibrous materials demonstrated the effect of fibrous waste constituents on the stiffness and damping behavior of MSW. Specimens consisting of fibrous waste constituents such as plastics and textiles exhibited significantly less modulus reduction compared to specimens with negligible amount of fibrous content. The modulus reduction (G/G_max) and material damping ratio curves derived from the present study are in the range reported for MSW in the literature. The G/G_max curves from present study are in good agreement with curves recommended for MSW at Tri-Cities landfill in USA and Tianziling landfill in China. Dynamic properties evaluated from the present study add to the growing database of the worldwide dataset and can be useful for evaluating the seismic stability and associated permanent deformations of the existing dumps in and around Delhi.     

Reducing sewage pollution in the Antarctic marine environment using a sewage treatment plant

Despite Antarctica being the largest pristine wilderness on Earth, many coastal Antarctic research stations release untreated sewage waste into the marine environment, which may have negative effects on local wildlife. In February 2003 a sewage treatment plant was installed at Rothera Research Station (Adelaide Island, Antarctic Peninsula). After one year of operation the sewage treatment plant had dramatically reduced the microbiological pollution in the near-shore marine environment around the outfall and seawater quality conformed to European Union Bathing Water Standards.     

Pollution problem of the Golden Horn

The Golden Horn was once a recreation area and supported a fishery; now it is an open sewer. It receives untreated domestic sewage from a population of more than 600,000 and large volumes of industrial waste. This survey documents the problem and indicates the remedial measures that are needed and envisaged.     

Silicones as tracers for anthropogenic additions to sediments

Polyorganosiloxanes (silicones) have been measured in the sediments of the New York Bight. Range: 50 ppm organic silicon, dry weight basis, to below detection limit. Silicones are 37.9% silicon. Silicones correlated well (r > 0.90) with other organic constituents in the same sediment samples which have been used to characterize sewage inputs to the sediments. Silicones are offered as a totally synthetic, specific, chemical tracer for anthropogenic additions to the environment.