High rate anaerobic treatment of Sago wastewater using HUASB with PUF as carrier

Sago industry is one of the major small-scale sectors in India and over 800 units are located in the southern State of Tamilnadu. Processing of sago generates enormous quantities of high strength wastewater requiring systematic treatment prior to disposal. The present study is an attempt to treat the sago wastewater using Hybrid Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (HUASB) reactor, which offers the advantages of both fixed film and up flow anaerobic sludge blanket treatment. HUASB reactor with a volume of 5.6 L was operated at Organic Loading Rates varying from 10.7 to 24.7 kg COD/m³.day. After 130 days of startup, the reactor produced appreciable decrease in COD of wastewater and removed solids efficiently. The COD removal varied from 91–87%. While the removal of Total Solids was in the range of 61–57%, that of volatile solids varied from 70–67%. The ideal OLR for the reactor was 23.5 kg COD/m³.day. The findings of the study open up newer possibilities of design low cost and compact onsite treatment systems with very short retention periods.     

Dating of granulites involved in the hercynian fold-belt of Europe: An example taken from the granulite-facies orthogneisses at La Picherais,Southern Armorican Massif,France

Situated within the crystalline metamorphic complex of Champtoceaux NE of Nantes, the orthogneiss of La Picherais (near St Mars-du-Désert, Loire Atlantique, France) show relicts of a granulite facies paragenesis. Comparison with other granulitic rocks in the Hercynian fold-belt suggest possible ages ranging from Lower Proterozoic to Phanerozoic. The Rb-Sr whole rock method yields an errorchron of 570±110 m.y. for the Picherais orthogneiss, whereas the U-Pb zircon method indicates an upper intersection on Concordia at 1,880±120 m.y. and a lower intersection at 423±10 m.y. Several interpretations are possible for these data: the granite emplacement age was (1) 1,900 m.y. ago. (2) more likely Upper Proterozoic — Lower Palaeozoic. The zircons concordant at 1,900 m.y. were either present in the granitic magma at its time of origin or were introduced into the magma during emplacement. These zircons could be derived from sedimentary horizons such as found in the Lower Ordovician sandstones of the Armorican massif whose zircon age data are presented here.     

New chelating resin for preconcentration and determination of molybdenum by inductive couple plasma atomic emission spectroscopy

A chelating resin is prepared by condensation polymerization of aniline with formaldehyde and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis and studied for the preconcentration and determination of trace Molybdate ion from environmental water sample using inductive couple plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The optimum pH value for sorption of the metal ion was 5. The sorption capacity of functionalized resin is 3.1 mg/g. The chelating sorbent can be reused for 20 cycles of sorption-desorption without any significant change in sorption capacity. The best desorption of the metal ions from resin was obtained by 0.5 mol/L nitric acid as eluting agent. The profile of molybdenum uptake on this sorbent reflects good accessibility of the chelating sites in the aniline-formaldehyde. Scatchard analysis revealed that the homogeneous binding sites were formed in the polymers. The equilibrium adsorption data of Molybdate ion modified resin were analyzed by five isotherm models such as Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin. Langmuir isotherm parameters obtained from the four Langmuir linear equations by using linear method. Based on the Langmuir isotherm analysis, the monolayer adsorption capacity was determined to be 4.03 mg/g at 20 °C. The method was applied for molybdenum ions determination from river water sample.     

Particle size distribution and dissolution properties of metals in cyclone fly ash

The particles in the examined cyclone fly ash were all smaller than 0.25 mm. in diameter, and particles smaller than 0.075 mm. in diameter accounted for 88.4 % of the ash weight. This result indicates that cyclone fly ash consists of particles with a small diameter. The metals in the cyclone fly ash were enriched in small particles. The highest concentrations for zinc, copper, lead, cadmium and molybdenum in the cyclone fly ash were found in the smallest particle size fraction (< 0.075 mm.) and for Barium, chromium, nickel, Vanadium and Cobalt in the second to smallest particle size fraction (0.075-0.125 mm.). From an environmental and toxicological standpoint, the smallest particles are of the greatest concern when ash is handed at landfill disposal sites (transport and disposal especially in stormy weather conditions), and some studies have reported risks to workers from prolonged exposure to ash. The results of the comparison of various dissolution methods for metals showed that the digestion procedures with nitric acid alone (USEPA 3051) or with a mixture of nitric acid + hydrogen peroxide (USEPA 3050B) slightly underestimated the metal concentrations in the cyclone fly ash. Although the use of hydrofluoric acid is often necessary for the determination of a number of elements associated with siliceous minerals, its use can result in loss of trace elements during dissolution.     

Carbon monoxide levels along roadway

This paper predicts and compares the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration levels along Sembulan Road for years 2004 and 2014 using CAL3QHC air dispersion model at two major locations, i.e., at Sembulan Roundabout and Sutera Harbour Intersection, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The CO concentration “hot-spots” were also identified at Sutera Harbour Intersection, and the highest maximum 1-hr average ground level concentrations of CO modeled for Kpg. Air Sembulan located in the northeast of idling road was 9.33 ppm for year 2004. This study showed that there would be no extreme changes in CO concentration trends for year 2014 although a substantial increase in the number of vehicles is assumed to affect the level of CO concentrations. It was also found that the CO levels would be well below the Malaysian Ambient Air Quality Guidelines of 30 ppm for 1-hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA). Comparisons between the modeled and observed outputs using quantitative data analysis technique and statistical methods indicated that the CAL3QHC predicted results correlated well with measured data. It was predicted that receptors located near to the major intersection, in the long-term would be potentially exposed to relatively higher CO levels.     

The correlation between geochemical data and SPOT satellite imagery of lateritic terrain in southern Mali

Detailed geochemical mapping of superficial lateritic formations is compared with recent high-resolution SPOT satellite images in the Dagadamou prospect in southern Mali.The two main landscape features standing out in SPOT images are expressed by thematic indices derived from multispectral data. They reflect the distribution of vegetation cover and the distinction between silty clay soils in the valleys and ferruginous duricrust exposed on the plateaus. Geochemical differentiation factors are closely related to the nature of sampled materials and reflect the relative amounts of major constituent minerals estimated by normative calculation.Duricrust samples with high Fe and Al content are also enriched in trace elements, P, V, Cr, As, Mo, Nb and Cu, immobilized in the weathering profile with secondary oxihydroxide minerals.Soils of flats are composed mainly of quartz and kaolinite; they also concentrate heavy minerals characterized by high contents of Zr, Ti, Ce and Y.Accumulation of detrital material at the periphery of duricrust plateaus is marked by a geochemical halo of higher contents in Zr and quartz at their periphery. This feature is clearly visible on SPOT imagery as a zone of high reflectance, devoid of vegetation.The density of vegetation on duricrust is related to its kaolinite content. Its distribution is characterized by a striped pattern, which is probably controlled by bedrock lithological structures preserved in the lateritic cover.This study shows the relationships, both direct and indirect, existing between spectral reflectance and geochemical composition of superficial lateritic formations. Many other landscape features identified with high resolution on SPOT images provide complementary information, which could be very helpful at various stages of geological and mineral exploration in lateritic terrain.     

TEM investigation of the crystal microstructures in a quartz-coesite assemblage of the western alps

Atransmission electron microscope (TEM) study of quartz-coesite inclusions in garnet in crustal rocks from the Western Alps is presented. Coesite shows a low dislocation density (<10⁷ cm^?2), and quartz a higher density of defects, Brasil twins (10⁴ cm^?1) and dislocations (10⁸ cm^?2). It is concluded that coesite has been not or only slightly plastically deformed and that the yield strength of coesite is higher than that of quartz. The large scale deformation implications are briefly discussed. TEM observations show no systematic topotactic relationship between the two polymorphs and their boundaries have a scalloped morphology which suggests that growth of quartz from coesite was controlled by a diffusion process.     

Effective environmental management through environmental knowledge management

Owing to the green revolution, environmental problems have now become some of the most important issues worldwide. Environmental knowledge management, which combines the strengths of environmental management and knowledge management, will become a popular tool for businesses in the near future. In this paper, through interviews of staff at different levels and in different departments of the business, i. e. managers and engineers and using the environmental knowledge circulation process, the authors evaluate the success of environmental knowledge management when applied to China Steel Corporation in Taiwan. From the case study, the authors found that China Steel Corporation has applied the environmental knowledge circulation process for over thirty years. The company continually improves its environmental and financial performance through environmental knowledge creation, environmental knowledge accumulation, environmental knowledge sharing, environmental knowledge utilization and environmental knowledge internalization. Water pollution and air emissions have reduced year on year and total energy consumption has reduced by 20 % from 1979 to 2006. On the other hand, China Steel Corporation also makes a profit and reduces cost through energy sold, by-products and recycling. Continuous improvement in environmental knowledge management has rendered China Steel Corporation in the most profitable steel company in Taiwan and the world’s twenty fifth largest steel producing company in 2006.     

Determination of adsorption efficiency based on cation exchange capacity related to red earth, bone meal and pulverised fly ash as ameliorants to lead contaminated soils

Efficient treatment strategies to reduce the toxicity of metal contaminated soil using cost effective techniques such as naturally available ameliorants and industrial waste have emerged. Three easily available amendments were determined: Bone meal, red earth/mud and pulverised fly ash (PFA). The application of ameliorants offered a possible alternative in situ remediation of contaminated sites without disruption to the ecosystem profile. In comparison to other ameliorants Red earth/mud was found to be efficient in intercepting lead leaching from soil amended with different lead compounds based on CEC (Cmol/g). This was associated with the heterogeneous adsorbency principle in red mud which is associated with its ability to bind metal ions (M²⁺) onto one or two types of surface sites at pH< 6.0. However areas that need to be studied and assessed (for public health concerns) critically for wide spread application of all the ameliorants include off-site effects of the ameliorants.     

Production of rhamnolipids by Pseudomonas aeruginosa growing on carbon sources

Arhamnolipid producing bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was previously isolated from Iranian oil over years. Isolated strain was identified by morphological, biochemical, physiological and 16 sr RNA (1). Glycolipid production by isolated bacterium using sugar beet molasses as a carbon and energy source was investigated. Biosurfactant production was quantified by surface tension reduction, Critical Micelle Dilution (CMD), Emulsification Capacity (EC), and Thin Layer Chromatogeraphy. biosurfactants during growth on waste Dates as the primary carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. After 48 h of growth the culture supernatant fluid had a rhamnose concentration of 0.18 g/L and surface tension was reduced to 20 mN/m ( %).( reduced the interfacial tension against crude oil from 21 mN/m to 0,47 mN/m) Result from the study showed that the growth of the bacteria using molasses as carbon sources is growth-associated. The specific production rate of rhamnolipid with 2 %, 4 %, 6 %, 8 % and 10 % of molasses are 0.00065; 4.556; 8.94; 8.85; and 9.09. respectively The yield of rhamnolipid per biomass with 2%,4%,6%,8% and 10% molasses are 0.003;0.009;0.053;0.041 and 0.213 respectively. The production of rhamnolipid (0.0531 g rhamnolipid/g biomass) is higher compare to the culture grown in aerobic condition (0.04 g rhamnolipid/g biomass).The rhamnolipids were able to form stable emulsions with n-alkanes, aromatics, crude oil and olive oil. These studies indicate that renewable, relatively inexpensive and easily available resources can be used for important biotechnological processes.