Mechanism of efficient nutrient removal and microbial analysis of a combined anaerobic baffled reactor–membrane bioreactor process

A combined ABR–MBR process consisting of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) combined with an aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating municipal wastewater was investigated at controlled pH range 6.5–8.5 and at constant temperature 25 ± 1 °C. Total nitrogen (TN), ammonia (NH₄ ⁺–N), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal performances were evaluated by analyzing the mechanism for efficient nutrient removal. The results showed that the average removal rates of COD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP reached 93, 99, 79, and 92 %, respectively, corresponding with the COD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP effluent of 24 (18–31), 0.4 (0–0.8), 10.6 (8.8–12.9), and 0.31 (0.1–0.5) mg/L under the operational condition of hydraulic retention time (HRT) 7.5 h, recycle ratio 200 %, and dissolved oxygen 3 mg/L. The MBR enhanced NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP removal rates of 13, 10, and 18 %, respectively, and the membrane retention reduced TP 0.17 mg/L. The process was able to maintain a stable performance with high-quality effluent. Analysis of the results by fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, and phosphorus accumulating organisms as percentages of all bacteria in each compartment was stable. The enriched microorganisms in the system appear to be the main drivers of the process efficient for nutrient removal.     

Distribution of nutrients and chlorophyll a in the Three-Gorges Reservoir, China

1IntroductionUp to now,eutrophication is still a problem af-fecting water quality in many developing countries.Themost important nutrients causing eutrophication arephosphates,nitrates and ammonia(Lijklema,1995;Horne and Goldman,1994).Eutrophic waters are…     

Simultaneous nitrification–denitrification of wastewater: effect of zeolite as a support in sequential batch reactor with step-feed strategy

One of the technologies used for wastewater nitrogen removal consists in simultaneous nitrification–denitrification. The low microbial growth rate and the low availability of organic material for the denitrification stage make it necessary to study new operational conditions and the use of microbial supports. The aim of this study was to evaluate the operational behavior of a simultaneous nitrification–denitrification process in a sequential batch reactor utilizing zeolite as a biomass support and step-feed strategy. Two reactors of 2 L were used, one with zeolite and another without zeolite, both operated at constant temperature (31 °C), varying nitrogen loading rate (NLR) from 0.041 to 0.113 kg total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN/m³/day). After 209 days, removals higher than 86 and 96 % in nitrogen compounds and organic matter were obtained, respectively. There was not accumulation of nitrate and nitrite in any case; this means that there was a simultaneous nitrification–denitrification in the reactors. The incorporation of zeolite in the system held higher concentration of biomass in the reactor; this led to reduce start-up to 21 days and to improve 11.31 % removal kinetic. The use of a step-feed strategy prevents events of inhibition by substrate, even duplicating tolerance to higher NLR for the same operation time.     

Migration of nutrients dissolved by precipitation and their role in soil erosion

The aim of this research is to study the change of P and N contents of the surface runoff and subsurface flow caused by rainfall events, from the watershed till the stream. Samples were taken and analyzed from the surface runoff water after each rainfall …     

Activities and volatilities of trace components in silicate melts: a novel use of metal–silicate partitioning data

Ian Carmichael spent 45 years thinking about and working on the activities of components in silicate melts and their use to estimate physicochemical conditions at eruption and in the source regions of igneous rocks. These interests, principally in major components such as SiO₂, led us to think about possible ways of determining the complementary activity coefficients of trace components in silicate melts. While investigating the conditions of accretion and differentiation of the Earth, a number of authors have determined the partitioning of trace elements such as Co, Ni, Mo and W between liquid Fe metal and liquid silicate. These data have the potential to provide activity information for a large number of trace components in silicate melts. In order to turn the partitioning measurements into activities, however, we need to know the activity coefficient of FeO, γ_FeO in the silicate. We obtained γ_FeO as a function of melt composition by fitting a simple model to 83 experimental data for which the authors had measured the FeO content of the silicate melt in equilibrium with metal (Fe-bearing alloy) at known f_O2. The compositional dependence of γ_FeO is weak, but, when calculated in the system Diopside–Anorthite–Forsterite, it decreases towards the Forsterite apex. A similar approach for Ni, for which twice as many data are available, leads to similar composition dependence of activity coefficient and confirms the suggestion that γ_NiO/γ_FeO is almost constant over a wide range of silicate melt composition. The activity coefficients for FeO were used in conjunction with measured Mo and W partitioning between Fe-rich metal and silicate melt to estimate activity coefficients for trace MoO₂ and WO₃ dissolved in silicate melt. When combined with data on Mo- and W-saturated silicate melts a strong dependence of activity coefficient is observed. Calculated in the system Diopside–Anorthite–Forsterite, both MoO₂ and WO₃ exhibit similar behaviour to FeO and NiO in that activity coefficients decrease as Forsterite content increases. The effect is much larger for Mo and W, however, γ_MoO2 and γ_WO3 varying by factors of 20 and nearly 100, respectively, in this system. In order to illustrate the potential applications of the metal–silicate partitioning approach to determine the activity coefficients of volatile elements, we used it to determine activity coefficients of PbO, CuO_0.5 and InO_1.5 in a silica-saturated melt at 1,650 °C. We find values of 0.22, 3.5 and 0.02, respectively, indicating a strong dependence on cation charge. The value for CuO_0.5 is in excellent agreement with experimental data of Holzheid and Lodders (Geochim Cosmochim Acta 65:1933–1951, 2001), which shows that the method is viable. When combined with thermodynamic data on the gas species, we find that Pb is the most volatile of the 3 elements under ‘normal’ terrestrial conditions of oxygen fugacity but that In should become the most volatile under strongly reducing conditions such as those of the solar nebula. The oxygen fugacity dependence of volatility has implications for the high relative abundance of In in silicate Earth. We conclude that metal–silicate partitioning experiments are a viable means for determining activities of trace components in silicate melts and are particularly useful if the metal of the element is unstable or volatile at igneous temperatures.     

Biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in karstic catchments, southwestern China: Linkages to changes of eco-environments

In southwestern China, karst rocky desertification, a process of land degradation, takes place widely due to human impacts on the fragile karstic ecological systems, which includes soil erosion, extensive exposure of basement rocks, and drastic decrease i…     

XANES analysis of the mechanisms of arsenic removal in biological iron and manganese treatment unit

Biological iron and manganese removal utilizing indigenous iron and manganese oxidizing bacteria （IRB hereafter） in groundwater can also be applied to arsenic removal according to our pilot-scale test. The arsenic removal probably occurred through sorption and complexation of arsenic to iron and manganese oxides formed by enzymic action of IRB. We investigated the chemical properties of iron and manganese oxides in IRB floc and the valence state of arsenic sorbed to the floc to clarify the mechanisms of the arsenic [especially As （Ⅲ）] removal. The floc samples were collected from two drinking water plants using IRB （Jyoyo and Yamatokoriyama, Japan）, and our pilot - scale test site where arsenic and iron removal using IRB is under way （Mukoh, Japan）. The Jyoyo and Yamatokoriyama IRB floc samples were subjected to As （Ⅲ） and As（Ⅴ） sorption experiments. The elemental composition of the floc samples was measured. XANES spectra were collected on As, Fe and Mn K-edges at synchrotron radiation facility Spring 8 （Hyogo, Japan）. FT-IR and the X-ray diffraction spectra of the samples were also obtained. The IRB floc contained ca. 35 % Fe, 0.3%-3.5% Mn and 2%-6% P. The samples were highly amorphous and contained ferrihidrites and hydrated iron phosphate. According to XANES analyses of IRB, As associated with IRB was in ＋5 valence state when As （Ⅲ） （or As （Ⅴ）） was added in laboratory sorption test, Fe in ＋3 valence state, and Mn a mixture of＋3 and ＋4 valence states. Small shift was observed in the XANES spectra of IRB on As K-edge as the equilibration time of the sorption experiment was increased. Gradual oxidation of a small amount of As （Ⅲ） associated with IRB or change in arsenic binding with sorption site were the probable mechanism.     

Phosphorus removal by constructed wetland treating agricultural runoff in Dianchi region of China

Phosphorus (P) in agricultural runoff may cause eutrophication of recipient waterbodies. As one of the key waterbodies to be protected in China, the Dianchi Lake is highly sensitive to pollution sources, so agricultural runoff of the region must be treate…     

Variations and net transport of dissolved inorganic nutrients in the South Passage of the Changjiang （Yangtze River） Estuary

Dissolved inorganic nutrient elements were analyzed from the samples collected in the South Passage of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary in March 2003, including NH4 , NO3-, NO2- and PO43-. The water samples were collected with a Niskin sampler hourly at the near-surface, middle and near-bottom depths at the three stations -A1, A2 and A3-during two complete tidal cycles of neap tide and spring tide. Results showed that 1) the concentrations of NH4 , NO3- and NO2- were a little higher respectively during the neap tide than those during the spring tide, while PO43- showed an opposite trend, and each was higher in the ebb tide than in the flood tide, either for the neap tidal cycle or the spring tidal cycle; 2) higher stratification of the nutrients existed obviously in this area, with the concentrations of which increased from the bottom to the surface, especially for NH4 and NO3-; 3) the coefficient of variation (C.V.) values of all dissolved inorganic nutrients varied from 4.06% to 36.8% beyond different influences of the tidal current and Changjiang runoff; 4) with increasing suspended matter in the water column, the concentrations of PO43- became lower in the filtered water; and 5) the total transport of each tidal cycle was much more in the spring tide than in the neap tide, and the positive values indicated that the nutrients had been exported to the East China Sea. Studies on the variations and net transport of dissolved inorganic nutrients in the South Passage of the Changjiang Estuary will provide the scientific basis for the study of the mechanism of red tide in the East China Sea.     

Ecological–Biogeochemical Monitoring of a Linden Avenue in a Megapolis

Ecological–biogeochemical monitoring of a linden avenue on Kosygin Street, Moscow, has revealed that soils at sites regarded as contaminated contain elevated Mn, Fe, Sr, and Se concentrations and lower Zn contents. Linden leaves at the assumed contaminated sites typically contain higher Cu and Fe concentrations and not as much higher Zn, As, and Cr concentrations but much lower Mn and Sr concentrations. Water leachates of soils at sites regarded as background have slightly lower pH and lower Ca, Mg, K, and Na concentrations and total mineralization. Test for phytochelatins in the leaves proved to be rather ineffective, as also were estimates of the fluctuating asymmetry of the leaf laminas. The greatest differences were detected in the degree of leaf pathology and the contents of pigments.     

Behaviour of REE during weathering of granite in a tropical climate

Weathering is essentially a leaching process and thus, one way of determining the extent of weathering is to monitor the mobility of different elements. Rate of loss of elements in a weathering profile can be determined by comparing the concentrations of …     

Hydrochemistry and nutrients dynamic in the Suquía River urban catchment’s,Córdoba,Argentina

Suquía River is a medium-sized hydrological system (basin area of ~7,700 km²) that supplies fresh water to Córdoba city, a town of ~1,500,000 inhabitants in central Argentina. This paper examines the present-day hydrochemistry of Suquía River urban catchment analyzing its major and minor dissolved components, and the nutrients variability by means of QUAL-2K modeling software. The Suquía River has bicarbonate-type waters upstream the city and sulfate-type waters right downstream, whereas they exhibit a mixed-to-alkali-type cationic composition. The seasonal analysis of its major dissolved constituents clearly showed a dilution process during the wet season (i.e. austral summer). In the last 20 years, the Suquía River has modified its anionic composition, now showing higher relative concentrations of SO₄ ²⁻ as a consequence of urban activities. However, trace elements dissolved concentrations do not evidence a strong pollution effect. Nutrients [nitrogen species, total phosphorous (TP)] and related parameters, such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and dissolved oxygen (DO), evidence a clear influence of human activities. The QUAL-2K model was used to evaluate the spatial behavior of selected nutrients and associated variables, (i.e. TP, N–NH₄ ⁺, N–NO₃ ⁻, DO, BOD). Nutrient concentrations are affected by point sources of contaminants, particularly domestic waste and sewage, as well as by diffuse agricultural pollution. A calibrated QUAL-2K modeling exercise clearly shows the impact of the Córdoba city’s municipal wastewater treatment plant on the Suquía River water quality.     

Geochemistry of a Rapakivi Granite Suite in a Proterozoic Rift Trough in Beijing and Its Vicinity

Controlled by E-W-trending faults, a Proterozoic (1.4-1.8 Ga old) rapakivi granite suite was intruded inBeijing and the area to its east (within Hebei Province), forming three parallel belts of igneous rocks. Theisotopic, trace element and rare earth element geochemical data of a bimodal rock association made up ofanorthosite, gabbro and alkali basalt and olivine-bearing quartz-syenite, rapakivi granite and trachyte as wellas potassic A-type granites and anorogenic granites—— all suggest that there exists an incipient rift in thestudy area. Fractional crystallization of a mixed magma formed by the magma derived from the upper mantleand the magma derived by small degrees of fusion of the lower crust produced anorthosite cumulates. Thewater-deficient granitic magma was differentiated into a subalkaline series. When the fractional crystallizationwas incomplete, rhythmic eruptions took place.     

Effective removal of zinc from an aqueous solution using Turkish leonardite–clinoptilolite mixture as a sorbent

In this study, the feasibility of using a low-cost adsorbent mixture composed of leonardite (L) and clinoptilolite (C) was evaluated by batch adsorption method using different parameters such as mixing ratio, contact time, pH, temperature, and adsorbent amount for the removal of Zn (II) ions from an aqueous solution. The adsorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, leonardite–clinoptilolite mixture was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray. The Zn (II) adsorption along with an unprecedented adsorption capacity of 454.55 mg g^?1 for unmodified natural sorbents was obtained by mixing leonardite and clinoptilolite (LC) without any pretreatment at a ratio of 3:1, using 0.1 g of sorbent at a pH 6, for 2 h of contact time. The experimental data showed a good fit for the Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamic parameters revealed that the present adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic in nature (25–50 °C). The kinetic results of the adsorption showed that the Zn (II) adsorption onto the LC follows pseudo-second-order model. The resultant LC mixture has an excellent adsorption capacity of a Zn (II) aqueous solution, and data obtained may form the basis for utilization of LC as an unpretreated low-cost adsorbent for treatment of metalliferous industrial wastewater.     

Study of Water Flow in a Single Clay Crack

A model has been constructed to study water flow in a single clay crack, and a new concept of the critical rise rate of water level in the crack has been put forward. When the water level rises faster than this critical rate, the flow in a crack will increase, and vice versa. The flow in a crack is not in proportion to the water level. The maximium water flow in clay is 30-40 times smaller than that in a rock fissure under the same condition. In the process of water discharge, the flow in a crack will lessen gradually, and the crack will grow narrower by 3.0-4.0cm, with its depth reducing by over 50%.     

Hydrogeological Characteristics of a Karst Mountainous Catchment in the Northwest of Vietnam

This paper presents a preliminary assessment of the hydrogeological characteristics of a karst mountainous catchment, the Suoi Muoi River catchment, in the northwest of Vietnam. The catchment is located at 600 -700 m a.s.l. and covers an area of 284 km. Exposed limestone occupies 32% of the total catchment area. Various types of assessments have been carried out, including geological and hydrogeological field surveys, cave surveys, dye-tracer tests, meteorological and surface water monitoring. Geological studies and cave surveys have identified the most important active cave/conduit systems within the catchment. Although these data are essential, they are insufficient to make a comprehensive appraisal of the hydrologic nature of the catchment under interest. An attempt was made to calculate a global water balance of the catchment, based on short-term (15 months) meteorological and streamflow records. The results show that, despite the existence of a number of substantial cavem conduit systems, the groun     

Computational simulation of time-dependent behavior of soil–structure interaction by using a novel creep model: Application to a geosynthetic-reinforced soil physical model

In this paper, a model geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls (GRS-RW) is tested by vertically loading it through a rough footing on the top near the retaining wall and the results are simulated by a sophisticated nonlinear Finite Element Method (FEM) having a novel rate dependent constitutive model for both the backfill material and the geosynthetic reinforcement. Usually, polymer geosynthetic reinforcement is known to exhibit more-or-less rate-dependent stress–strain or load–strain behavior due to their viscous properties. The geomaterials (i.e., clay, sand, gravel and soft rock) also exhibit viscous properties. The viscous behavior of geometrials are quite different from that of the polymer based geosynthetic-reinforcements. It has been revealed recently that viscous behavior of sand is a kind of temporary effect, which vanishes with time. So the rate-dependent deformation of backfill reinforced with polymer geosynthetic reinforcement becomes highly complicated due to interactions between the elasto-viscoplastic properties of backfill and reinforcement. In the present study, a scaled model geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall is tested with a vertically loaded rough rigid footing. The results of the model test are simulated by using an appropriate elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model of both sand and geogrid embedded in a nonlinear plane strain FEM.