Improving the Quality of Municipal Solid Waste Compost by Using Expanded Perlite and Natural Zeolite

The scope of this study was to investigate the effects of natural zeolite and expanded perlite on the quality of municipal solid waste compost. Various ratios of the materials were added as supplements to the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. These applications were periodically compared with an untreated control process. The results obtained from experimental studies clearly showed that municipal solid waste collected from the metropolitan city center of Samsun, Turkey could not be composted without any additions due to the very high moisture content, which reached up to 75–80%. In the untreated control process, thermophilic temperatures were not supported during the composting. In this system, ammonia and other odors became a problem because of the high pH levels, and the electrical conductivity was too high for aged compost. However, the addition of natural zeolite and expanded perlite had a positive affect on the quality of the final compost. Natural zeolite trapped ammonium and reduced nitrogen losses from the compost. Expanded perlite held excess moisture and supported improved aeration. The results also indicated that the use of natural zeolite together with expanded perlite in municipal solid waste composting processes produced mature and stable compost.     

Urban stream temperature patterns: Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the Philadelphia region,Pennsylvania, USA

Stream temperature is a critical water quality parameter that is not fully understood, particularly in urban areas. This study explores drivers contributing to stream temperature variability within an urban system, at 21 sites within the Philadelphia region, Pennsylvania, USA. A comprehensive set of temperature metrics were evaluated, including temperature sensitivity, daily maximum temperatures, time >20°C, and temperature surges during storms. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were the strongest driver of downstream temperature variability along 32 km in Wissahickon Creek. WWTP effluent temperature controlled local (1–3 km downstream) temperatures year-round, but the impacts varied seasonally: during winter, local warming of 2–7°C was consistently observed, while local cooling up to 1°C occurred during summer. Summer cooling and winter warming were detected up to 12 km downstream of a WWTP. Comparing effects from different WWTPs provided guidelines for mitigating their thermal impact; WWTPs that discharged into larger streams, had cooler effluent, or had lower discharge had less effect on stream temperatures. Comparing thermal regimes in four urban headwater streams, sites with more local riparian canopy had cooler maximum temperatures by up to 1.5°C, had lower temperature sensitivity, and spent less time at high temperatures, although mean temperatures were unaffected. Watershed-scale impervious area was associated with increased surge frequency and magnitude at headwater sites, but most storms did not result in a surge and most surges had a low magnitude. These results suggest that maintaining or restoring riparian canopy in urban settings will have a larger impact on stream temperatures than stormwater management that treats impervious area. Mitigation efforts may be most impactful at urban headwater sites, which are particularly vulnerable to stream temperature disruptions. It is vital that stream temperature impacts are considered when planning stormwater management or stream restoration projects, and the appropriate metrics need to be considered when assessing impacts.     

Intra-annual variability of urban effects on streamflow

While considerable research has established the impacts of urbanization on streamflow, there has been little emphasis on how intra-annual variations in streamflow can deepen the understanding of hydrological processes in urban watersheds. This study fills this critical research gap by examining, at the monthly scale, correlations between land-cover and streamflow, differences in streamflow metrics between urban and rural watersheds, and the potential for the inflow and infiltration (I&I) of extraneous water into sewers to reduce streamflow. We use data from 90 watersheds in the Atlanta, GA region over the 2013–2019 period to accomplish our objectives. Similar to other urban areas in temperate climates, Atlanta has a soil-water surplus in winter and a soil-water deficit in summer. Our results show urban watersheds have less streamflow seasonality than do rural watersheds. Compared to rural watersheds, urban watersheds have a much larger frequency of high-flow days during July–October. This is caused by increased impervious cover decreasing the importance of antecedent soil moisture in producing runoff. Urban watersheds have lower baseflows than rural watersheds during December–April but have baseflows equal to or larger than baseflows in rural watersheds during July–October. Intra-annual variations in effluent data from wastewater treatment plants provide evidence that I&I is a major cause of the relatively low baseflows during December–April. The relatively high baseflows in urban watersheds during July–October are likely caused by reduced evapotranspiration and the inflow of municipal water. The above seasonal aspects of urban effects on streamflow should be applicable to most urban watersheds with temperate climates.     

Degradation of Textile Dyeing Wastewater by a Modified Solar Photo‐Fenton Process Using Steel Scrap/H2O2

This experimental research deals with using steel scrap as a heterogeneous catalyst. This catalyzes the oxidation reaction of real textile dye wastewater based on a modified solar photo‐Fenton oxidation process. Morphologic analysis and mapping of the elementary composition of the steel scrap have been carried out by scanning electron microscopy. The effects of concentration of H₂O₂, the pH of the solution and the catalyst loading on the degradation of textile dye wastewater are elucidated. Kinetic studies have been performed for the decolorization of wastewater under optimum conditions. It could be concluded that the steel scrap is a potential substitute for ferrous salts as a catalyst for the solar photo‐Fenton reaction.     

Relative role and extent of marine and groundwater inundation on a dune‐dominated barrier island under sea‐level rise scenarios

Climate change and sea‐level rise will have severe impacts on coastal water resources around the world. However, whereas the influence of marine inundation is well documented in the literature, the impact of groundwater inundation on coastal communities is not well known. Here, core analysis, groundwater monitoring, and ground penetrating radar are utilized to assess the groundwater regime of the surficial aquifer on Bogue Banks Barrier Island (USA). Then, geospatial techniques are used to assess the relative roles and extents of groundwater and marine inundation on the dune‐dominated barrier island under sea‐level rise scenarios of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 m above current conditions by 2100. Additionally, the effects of rising water tables on onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are modelled using the projected sea‐level rise scenarios. The results indicate that the surficial aquifer comprising fine to medium sands responds quickly to precipitation. Water‐level measurements reveal varying thicknesses of the vadose zone (>3 to 0 m) and several groundwater mounds with radial flow patterns. Results from projected sea‐level rise scenarios suggest that owing to aquifer properties and morphology of the island, groundwater inundation may occur at the same rate as marine inundation. Furthermore, the area inundated by groundwater may be as significant as that affected by marine inundation. The results also show that the proportion of land in the study area where OWTS may be perpetually compromised by rising water tables under worst case scenarios may range from ~43 to ~54% over an 86‐year‐period. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Plant growth and the performance of mangrove wetland microcosms for mariculture effluent depuration

This study established wetland microcosms that were either unplanted or planted in monoculture with native mangrove species in Taiwan (Avicennia marina, Rhizophora stylosa, and Lumnitzera racemosa) for the purpose of receiving high-salinity mariculture effluents; additionally, the microcosms operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Plant growth and the performance of the microcosms with respect to pollutant removal were investigated. The results showed that seedlings of all three mangrove species survived and grew sufficiently well under continuous flooding. The presence of mangroves consistently improved SS, BOD₅, and TP removal, particularly under short HRT conditions. The mangrove microcosms removed pollutants from the mariculture effluents with efficiencies of 5.7-27.1% (SS), 4.9-36.3% (BOD₅), 18.7-29.9% (TP), 21.2-49.8% (NH₄-N), and 5.4-37.7% (NO_x-N). A. marina and L. racemosa were more tolerant of continuous flooding than R. stylosa. However, no species displayed consistently superior performance in decreasing all pollutant-related parameters investigated. For all pollutants, microcosms operating at a 2-d HRT exhibited a higher removal efficiency than those operating at a 0.5-d HRT.     

Sonochemical Degradation of Pharmaceutical Wastewater

This study presents the influence of the addition of additives such as activated carbon, carbon tetra chloride, hydrogen peroxide, and potassium dichromate on ultrasonic reduction of pharmaceutical wastewater chemical oxygen demand (COD) under laboratory conditions. The addition of activated carbon increased the % COD reduction whereas the combined addition of activated carbon and H₂O₂/CCl₄/K₂Cr₂O₇ was found to show higher reduction. Among the various combinations investigated, the combined addition of activated carbon and CCl₄ was found to be the best combination. However, the environmental and health problems associated with these chemicals limit the applicability of the process in an industrial level. Further investigation with this system showed that the initial pH and initial COD have significant influence on the removal rate. The data obtained were fitted with first order and Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic models. The values of the rate constants obtained indicated that the pharmaceutical wastewater can be treated efficiently by the proposed methods.     

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.