Effects of sludge pretreatment on sludge reduction in a lab-scale anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system treating domestic wastewater

Excess sludge disposal is one of the serious challenges in biological wastewater treatment. Reduction of sludge production would be an ideal way to solve sludge-associated problems rather than the post-treatment of the sludge produced. In this study, a new wastewater treatment process combining anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system with thermochemical sludge pretreatment was tested in a laboratory scale experiment. In this study, the effects of the sludge pretreatment on the excess sludge production in anaerobic/anoxic/oxic were investigated. The system was operated in two Runs (1 and 2). In Run 1, the system was operated as a reference and in Run 2, a part of the mixed liquid was pretreated thermochemically and was returned to the bioreactor. The average solubilization efficiency of pretreated sludge was found to be about 35 % during the study period of 220 days. Sludge production rate in Run 2 was less than that in Run 1 by about 52 %. Total phosphorous was removed by enhanced biological phosphorous removal with the removal efficiency of 83–87 % and 81–83 % for Run 1 and Run 2, respectively. Total nitrogen removal in Run 2 (79–82 %) was slightly higher than that in Run 1 (68–75 %). The mixed liquor suspended solids/mixed liquor volatile suspended solids ratio was identical after both runs in the range 78–83 %. The effluent water qualities were not significantly affected when operated with thermochemical pretreatment at pH 11 and 60 °C for 3 h during 7 months. From the present study it is concluded that thermochemical sludge pretreatment of anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process plays an important role in reduction of sludge production.     

Geochemistry, K–Ar geochronology and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope compositions of pitchstone in Gohado, southwestern Okcheon Belt, South Korea

Abstract Geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope characteristics, as well as K–Ar geochronology of a massive pitchstone (volcanic glass) stock erupted into Late Cretaceous lapilli tuff and rhyolite in the Gohado area, southwestern Okcheon Belt, South Korea, are reported. The pitchstones are highly evolved with SiO₂ contents ranging from ～72 to 73 wt%, K₂O/Na₂O ratios of 1.04–1.23 and low MgO/FeO^t values (0.17–0.20). The pitchstones are weakly peraluminous and the ASI (molar Al₂O₃/Na₂O + K₂O + CaO) values are significantly lower than 1.1. The pitchstones also display a general calc‐alkaline nature with significant alkali contents. The rare earth elements (REE) compositions show moderately fractionated nature with (La/Yb)_N ranging from 11 to 16. Chondrite normalized REE patterns show relative enrichment of light REE over heavy REE and moderate Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* ratio varies from 0.53 to 0.57). A distinct negative Nb anomaly is observed for all pitchstones on a primitive mantle normalized trace element diagram, typical of subduction‐related magmatism and crustal‐derived granites. All these features are characteristic of I‐type granites derived from a continental arc. The pitchstones have Zr contents of 98.5–103.5 ppm with zircon thermometry yielding temperatures of 749–755°C (mean 752°C). The K–Ar analyses of representative pitchstone samples yielded ages of 58.7 ± 2.3 and 62.4 ± 2.1 Ma with a mean age of 61 Ma. The rocks show nearly uniform initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7104–0.7106 and identical ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd initial ratio of 0.5120. The rocks display negative εNd (61 Ma) values of ?12. The depleted mantle model ages (T_DM) range from 1.54 Ga to 1.57 Ga. The Pb isotope ratios are ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18.522–18.552, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 15.642–15.680 and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 38.794–38.923. These ratios suggest that the Gohado pitchstones were formed in a continental arc environment by partial melting of a 1.54 Ga to 1.57 Ga parental sources of lower crustal rocks probably of mafic or intermediate compositions.     

Urban mapping,accuracy, & image classification: A comparison of multiple approaches in Tsukuba City,Japan

The rapid growth of urban space and its environmental challenges require precise mapping techniques to represent complex earth surface features more accurately. In this study, we examined four mapping approaches (unsupervised, supervised, fuzzy supervised and GIS post-processing) using Advanced Land Observing Satellite images to predict urban land use and land cover of Tsukuba city in Japan. Intensive fieldwork was conducted to collect ground truth data. A random stratified sampling method was chosen to generate geographic reference data for each map to assess the accuracy. The accuracies of the maps were measured, producing error matrices and Kappa indices. The GIS post-processing approach proposed in this research improved the mapping results, showing the highest overall accuracy of 89.33% as compared to other approaches. The fuzzy supervised approach yielded a better accuracy (87.67%) than the supervised and unsupervised approaches. The fuzzy supervised approach effectively dealt with the heterogeneous surface features in residential areas. This paper presents the strengths of the mapping approaches and the potentials of the sensor for mapping urban areas, which may help urban planners monitor and interpret complex urban characteristics.     

Juxtaposition of India and Madagascar: A Perspective

Proterozoic terrains in South India and Madagascar provide important clues in understanding the Gondwanaland tectonics, especially the assembly of this mega-continent during the Pan-African period. The Archaean terrains in both Madagascar and India are characterized by N-S trending greenstone belts occurring within gneissose granitic rocks in the northern part. Extensive development of K-rich granitic rocks of ca. 2.5 Ga is also characteristic in both areas. Such a broad age zonation of younger Dharwar (ca 2.6–3.0 Ga) in the north and the older Sargur (ca 3.0–3.4 Ga) in the south as in South India remains to be identified in future studies from Madagascar. The occurrence of greenschist facies rocks in the northeastern part and higher grade rocks in most of other parts in the north-central terrain of Madagascar is comparable with the general tendency of increasing metamorphic grade from northwestern to southern areas ranging from greenschist to granulite facies in South India. The Proterozoic crystalline rocks in both continents show pronounced lithological similarity with the wide occurrence of graphite-bearing khondalite in association with charnockitic rocks. While the Archaean-Proterozoic boundary is well defined in southern India by the Palghat-Cauvery or the KKPT shear zones as recently identified, this boundary is ill-defined in Madagascar due to extensive Pan-African overprinting, as well as the development of the Proterozoic cover sequence, the Itremo Group. There is also a possible general correlation between the Mesoproterozoic cover sequences in Madagascar and India, such as between the Itremo Group of west-central Madagascar and the Kaladgi and Cuddapah sequences of South India. The Pan-African granulite facies metamorphism of ca. 0.5 Ga extensively developed in both India and Madagascar is generally comparable in intensity and extent. P-T conditions and P-T-t paths also appear comparable, with the general range of ca. 700–1000°C and 6–9 kb, and near-isothermal decompressional paths. A-type granite plutons and alkaline rocks including anorthosites and mafic plutonic rocks of ca. 500–800 Ma develop in both terrains, provide strong basis for the correlation of both terrains, and define a Pan-African igneous province within East Gondwanaland. Major shear zones in both continents are expected to play a critical role in the correlation, albeit are still poorly constrained. Detailed elucidation of the tectonic history of the shear zones, and the timing of various events along the shear zones would provide important constraints on the correlation of the two continental fragments.     

Correct nomenclature for the Angadimogar pluton, Kerala, southwestern India

The proper usage of modal composition and geochemical classification of granitoids is discussed for assigning a proper nomenclature for the Angadimogar pluton, Kerala, southwestern India. This discussion is mainly aimed at addressing questions concerning the nomenclature of Angadimogar pluton (syenitevs. granite). Modal composition and whole-rock XRD data clearly show that the pluton exposed near Angadimogar is a quartz-syenite and its geochemistry is typical of a ferroan, metaluminous, alkali (A-type) granitoid     

Geochemistry of Proterozoic granitoids exposed between Dirang and Tawang, western Arunachal Himalaya, north-eastern India: petrogenetic and tectonic significance

Major and trace element geochemistry of Proterozoic granitoids from the Dirang and Galensiniak Formations, of Lesser and Higher Himalayas, respectively, emplaced in and around Dirang and Tawang regions of the western Arunachal Himalaya, is discussed. In general, these granitoids are massive as well as foliated in nature and are characterized by granitic mineralogical compositions. Porphyritic and hypidiomorphic textures are common in massive type, whereas others show porphyroblastic and foliated textures. Augen structure is also observed in a number of samples. Geochemical and normative compositions together with petrographic features classify them as peraluminous granitoids. Major and trace element geochemistry of most of these granitoids shows granitic nature, while few samples also show monzonitic characteristics. Observed geochemical characters, such as their peraluminous and alkali-calcic/calcic-alkalic nature, crudely defined geochemical patterns, different multi-element and rare-earth element patterns, together with low Mg# (Mg number) of these granitoids suggest their derivation from lower crustal material rather than a mantle source. Multi-element and rare-earth element patterns corroborate their genesis from different crustal melts. It is difficult to explain variations observed in granitoid rocks by partial melting alone; definitely different other processes like migration of melts, magma mixing, assimilation and fractional crystallization also played important role in the genesis of these granitoids. These melts were likely generated at low temperature (730–760 °C) and low pressure (2–5 GPa). The chemical compositions suggest that most of these Paleoproterozoic granitoids are emplaced within the syn-collisional tectonic setting, while few granitoid samples also indicate their volcanic-arc nature. Probably, later group of granitoids are slightly younger to the syn-collisional type.     

Peninsular Indian rainfall and its association with meteorological and oceanic parameters over the Indian Ocean

The present study attempts to formulate a regression model to predict summer rainfall over Peninsular India (PIR) using some regional predictors. Parameters having significant correlation (99%) with PIR were identified for the period 1975–1997 (training), and a 15-year sliding correlation (90%) was found to check the consistency of the relationship between PIR and predictors. From a set of 14 candidate predictors, 4 were selected using a stepwise regression method and tested over a period from 1998 to 2006. The predictors selected are sea surface temperature during March over Indian Ocean, air temperature at 850?hPa during May over Peninsular India, zonal, and meridional wind at 700?hPa during February and January, respectively, over the Arabian Sea. The model captures a variance of 77.7% and has a multiple correlation of 0.88. The root mean square error, absolute mean error, and bias for the training (test) period were 7.6% (21.5%), 6.6% (17.9%), and 0% (11.4%) of mean rainfall, respectively. Results of the climatological predictions show that the model developed is useful.     

Radiative effects of black carbon aerosols on Indian monsoon: a study using WRF-Chem model

The Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) is utilized to examine the radiative effects of black carbon (BC) aerosols on the Indian monsoon, for the year 2010. Five ensemble simulations with different initial conditions (1st to 5th December, 2009) were performed and simulation results between 1st January, 2010 to 31st December, 2010 were used for analysis. Most of the BC which stays near the surface during the pre-monsoon season gets transported to higher altitudes with the northward migration of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) during the monsoon season. In both the seasons, strong negative SW anomalies are present at the surface along with positive anomalies in the atmosphere, which results in the surface cooling and lower tropospheric heating, respectively. During the pre-monsoon season, lower troposphere heating causes increased convection and enhanced meridional wind circulation, bringing moist air from Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal to the North-East India, leading to increased rainfall there. However, during the monsoon season, along with cooling over the land regions, a warming over the Bay of Bengal is simulated. This differential heating results in an increased westerly moisture flux anomaly over central India, leading to increased rainfall over northern parts of India but decreased rainfall over southern parts. Decreased rainfall over southern India is also substantiated by the presence of increased evaporation over Bay of Bengal and decrease over land regions.