Biodegradation of high strength phenolic wastewater using SBR

This investigation demonstrates the capability of a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to biodegrade an inhibitory substrate at a high loading rate. A SBR loading rate of 3.12 kg phenol.m(-3)d(-1) (2.1 g COD.g(-1) MLVSS d(-1)) with a COD removal efficiency of 97% at a SRT of 4 days and a HRT of 10 hours was achieved; this rate was not reached before. The SBR was operated at 4 hours cycle, including 3 hours react phase. The synthetic wastewater of 1300 mg/L phenol was the sole carbon source. Oxygen uptake rates (OUR) were monitored in-situ at various stages of the SBR. The oxygen mass transfer coefficient, K(L)a, of 12.6 h(-1) was derived from respirometry. Use of respirometry in SBR aided the tracking of the soluble substrate through OUR.

Mathematical methods for spatially cohesive reserve design

The problem of designing spatially cohesive nature reserve systems that meet biodiversity objectives is formulated as a nonlinear integer programming problem. The multiobjective function minimises a combination of boundary length, area and failed representation of the biological attributes we are trying to conserve. The task is to reserve a subset of sites that best meet this objective. We use data on the distribution of habitats in the Northern Territory, Australia, to show how simulated annealing and a greedy heuristic algorithm can be used to generate good solutions to such large reserve design problems, and to compare the effectiveness of these methods.

Patchy populations in stochastic environments: Critical number of patches for persistence

We introduce a model for the dynamics of a patchy population in a stochastic environment and derive a criterion for its persistence. This criterion is based on the geometric mean (GM) through time of the spatial-arithmetic mean of growth rates. For the population to persist, the GM has to be greater than or equal to1. The GM increases with the number of patches (because the sampling error is reduced) and decreases with both the variance and the spatial covariance of growth rates. We derive analytical expressions for the minimum number of patches (and the maximum harvesting rate) required for the persistence of the population. As the magnitude of environmental fluctuations increases, the number of patches required for persistence increases, and the fraction of individuals that can be harvested decreases. The novelty of our approach is that we focus on Malthusian local population dynamics with high dispersal and strong environmental variability from year to year. Unlike previous models of patchy populations that assume an infinite number of patches, we focus specifically on the effect that the number of patches has on population persistence. Our work is therefore directly relevant to patchily distributed organisms that are restricted to a small number of habitat patches.

Low-density koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in the mulgalands of south-west Queensland. I. Faecal pellet sampling protocol

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in eastern Australia are threatened by land clearing for agricultural and urban development. At the same time, conservation efforts are hindered by a dearth of information about inland populations. Faecal deposits offer a source of information that is readily available and easily collected non-invasively. We detail a faecal pellet sampling protocol that was developed for use in a large rangeland biogeographic region. The method samples trees in belt transects, uses a thorough search at the tree base to quickly identify trees with koala pellets under them, then estimates the abundance of faecal pellets under those trees using 1-m(2) quadrats. There was a strong linear relationship between these estimates and a complete enumeration of pellet abundance under the same trees. We evaluated the accuracy of our method in detecting trees where pellets were present by means of a misclassification index that was weighed more heavily for missed trees that had high numbers of pellets under them. This showed acceptable accuracy in all landforms except riverine, where some trees with large numbers of pellets were missed. Here, accuracy in detecting pellet presence was improved by sampling with quadrats, rather than basal searches. Finally, we developed a method to reliably age pellets and demonstrate how this protocol could be used with the faecal-standing-crop method to derive a regional estimate of absolute koala abundance.

Stream-bank shade and larval distribution of the Philippine malaria vector Anopheles flavirostris

The principal malaria vector in the Philippines, Anopheles flavirostris (Ludlow) (Diptera: Culicidae), is regarded as 'shade-loving' for its breeding sites, i.e. larval habitats. This long-standing belief, based on circumstantial observations rather than ecological analysis, has guided larval control methods such as 'stream-clearing' or the removal of riparian vegetation, to reduce the local abundance of An. flavirostris . We measured the distribution and abundance of An. flavirostris larvae in relation to canopy vegetation cover along a stream in Quezon Province, the Philippines. Estimates of canopy openness and light measurements were obtained by an approximation method that used simplified assumptions about the sun, and by hemispherical photographs analysed using the program hemiphot(C) . The location of larvae, shade and other landscape features was incorporated into a geographical information system (GIS) analysis. Early larval instars of An. flavirostris were found to be clustered and more often present in shadier sites, whereas abundance was higher in sunnier sites. For later instars, distribution was more evenly dispersed and only weakly related to shade. The best predictor of late-instar larvae was the density of early instars. Distribution and abundance of larvae were related over time (24 days). This pattern indicates favoured areas for oviposition and adult emergence, and may be predictable. Canopy measurements by the approximation method correlated better with larval abundance than hemispherical photography, being economical and practical for field use. Whereas shade or shade-related factors apparently have effects on larval distribution of An. flavirostris , they do not explain it completely. Until more is known about the bionomics of this vector and the efficacy and environmental effects of stream-clearing, we recommend caution in the use of this larval control method.

Improved nitrogen removal by application of new nitrogen-cycle bacteria

In order to meet increasingly stringent European discharge standards, new applications and control strategies for the sustainable removal of ammonia from wastewater have to beimplemented. In this paper we discuss anitrogen removal system based on the processesof partial nitrification and anoxic ammoniaoxidation (anammox). The anammox process offers great opportunities to remove ammonia in fully autotrophic systems with biomass retention. No organic carbon is needed in such nitrogenremoval system, since ammonia is used a selectron donor for nitrite reduction. The nitrite can be produced from ammonia in oxygen-limited biofilm systems or in continuous processes without biomass retention. For successful implementation of the combined processes, accurate biosensors for measuring ammonia and nitrite concentrations, insight inthe complex microbial communities involved, and new control strategies have to be developed and evaluated.

A technique to assess small-scale heterogeneity of chemical properties in soil aggregates

A new method is presented which allows the separation of the soil aggregate exterior from the aggregate core. The method employs a combination of aggregate freezing with rapid separation of aggregate exteriors using ultrasonic energy. The factors influencing the thickness of the removed aggregate surface layer include water content of the aggregate prior to freezing, temperature difference between that of the frozen aggregate and that of the liquid it is submerged in during sonification, sonification time and energy, and the type of the immersion liquid. The success of the method and the thickness of the removed aggregate surface were examined using barium ( Ba2+) as a tracer. Barium ( as BaCl2) is rapidly absorbed by soil and is present at only very low levels in natural soils. Surface layers of 0.2 - 0.4 cm thickness were successfully removed from aggregates of 1 - 4 cm diameter. Two examples are given from soils in northern NSW to demonstrate the occurrence of small- scale heterogeneity in soil chemical properties. Compared with the surface fraction, a 4 - 7% higher calcium concentration was found in the core fraction of a clay loam soil ( Dermosol). Conversely, on a cracking clay soil ( Vertosol), atrazine concentration was around 15 times greater in the aggregate surface fractions compared with core fractions. Compared with the traditional estimation of soil chemical properties on homogenised bulk soil samples, it is suggested that separate analysis of aggregate surface and core fractions could provide useful additional information on the relationships between soil properties and environmental responses.

Descentraliza????o da gest??o ambiental: an??lise do processo de cria????o de organiza????es municipais de meio ambiente no sul catarinense

Esta pesquisa est?? inserida na tem??tica da descentraliza????o da gest??o ambiental no Brasil e trata de analisar os principais motivos que t??m levado os munic??pios a institucionalizarem a ??rea ambiental no ??mbito local. Para tanto, foram selecionados munic??pios da regi??o sul catarinense, tendo em vista o processo recente de cria????o de ??rg??os locais de gest??o ambiental e tamb??m a peculiaridade de a grande maioria desses munic??pios estarem optando pelo estabelecimento de funda????es p??blicas municipais de meio ambiente. Como resultado da investiga????o, se percebeu que um dos fatores principais para a cria????o de organiza????es municipais de gest??o ambiental tem sido a necessidade de maior agilidade nos processos de licenciamento ambiental. Em rela????o ?? op????o pela figura jur??dica das funda????es, o principal argumento dos munic??pios tem sido a maior autonomia e independ??ncia em rela????o ao Executivo municipal para a execu????o de suas a????es.

Subsídio ao aprimoramento do manejo da irrigação de consórcios agroflorestais em situação de escassez hídrica

A demanda por água do setor agrícola vem crescendo a cada ano, bem como o aperfeiçoamento do manejo da irrigação. Ainda assim, em locais onde a água encontra-se escassa, os conflitos entre usos e usuários devido a disputas para acesso à água tendem a se intensificar. Na maioria das vezes esse problema está relacionado à ausência de cobertura florestal, levando, por vezes, a problemas socioambientais. Nesse contexto, a pesquisa buscou avaliar o impacto da implantação de sistemas agroflorestais (SAF’s) irrigados na condição hídrica local (de escassez), estabelecendo-se estratégias que os torne atrativos ambientalsocial- e economicamente. Assim, por meio de simulação computacional, alternativas de consórcios agroflorestais foram avaliadas, tomando-se como referência uma região piloto, típica da agricultura espírito-santense, constituída por pequenas propriedades agrícolas de base familiar, inseridas parcialmente em APPs. As espécies banana, pupunha e goiaba foram selecionadas para compor os cenários agroflorestais. Os resultados da pesquisa mostram que os SAF’s irrigados são uma alternativa no sentido de minimizar os conflitos por demandas de água em regiões de escassez hídrica, com a redução de tais demandas o comprometimento de rendimentos financeiros. Além disso, os SAF’s são alternativas para diversificação da renda e para tentar controlar a sazonalidade dos preços de mercado.

Ocupação urbana em áreas de preservação permanente : o caso do manguezal da área continental de Vitória/ES

This research aims to diagnose the environmental impacts caused by the growth of urban occupations over the mangrove in the continental area of Vitória. It is justified by the gradual degradation of mangroves in Vitória that has inestimable importance to the landscape, to the environment and to the economy. With the growth of urban population in Brazil and around the world, researches like this, about environmental management, are essential to allow cities to grow more sustainably and well planned. The thesis was initially based on the study of occupations of Permanent Preservation Areas in general, with the presentation of the basic concepts and reflections, and later on territorial analysis of some protected areas and their surroundings, and the study of the empirical object, a polygon that covers urban areas and mangroves on the continental part of Vitória. The study hopes to promote a reflection and a discussion about the importance of maintenance of protected natural areas inside the cities, generating knowledge about the importance of mangrove and diagnose how it has been urbanized, protected or degraded over the years

Certification and integration of environment with quality and safety – a path to sustained success

According to Wright [1] certification of products and processes began during the 1960’s in the manufacturing industry, as a tool to control and assure the quality/conformity of products and services provided by suppliers to customers/consumers. Thus, the series of ISO 9000 was published first time, in 1987 and it was been created with a flexible character, to be reviewed periodically. Later, were published others normative references, which highlight the ISO 14001 in 1996 and OHSAS 18001 in 1999. This was also, the natural sequence of the certification processes in the organizations, i.e., began with the certification of quality management systems (QMS) followed by the environmental management systems (EMS) and after for the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS). Hence, a high percentage of organizations with an EMS, in accordance with the ISO 14001, had also implemented, a certified QMS, in accordance with ISO 9001. At first the implementation of a QMS was particularly relevant in high demanding activity sectors, like the automotive and aeronautical industries, but it has rapidly extended to every activity sector, becoming a common requisite of any company worldwide and a factor of competitiveness and survival. Due to the increasingly demanding environmental legislation in developed countries, companies nowadays are required to seriously take into consideration not only environmental aspects associated to the production chain itself, but also to the life cycle of their products.

Implementing and certifying ISO 14001 in Portugal: motives, difficulties and benefits after ISO 9001 certification

The purpose of this study is to characterise the environmental management systems (EMS) certification process (International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001) in Portuguese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) following quality management system (QMS) certification (ISO 9001). The study is based on a sample from Portuguese SMEs which characterise the local reality in terms of companies certified in accordance with ISO 14001 after ISO 9001 certification. Some Portuguese SMEs have the EMS implemented but not certified, mainly given the lack of investment support and because it is considered merely a form of marketing. As such, they do not feel motivated to certificate an EMS in the company since they consider that it is a form of advertising and not a way to protect the environment. Nonetheless, it is already evident form other Portuguese SMEs that gained EMS certification that gains supersede marketing benefits and allow for evermore enduring benefits such as prevention of environmental risks, environment protection, improved company image, compliance with legislation and efficient use of natural resources. This paper also presented the main difficulties in achieving an EMS certification, including high certification costs, human resources, motivation issues and difficulties in changing the company’s culture.

Responsabilidade ambiental: análise das divulgações ambientais das empresas do PSI-20 comparativamente com empresas não cotadas

Orientador: Mestre, António Pinto Marques

Diagnóstico ambiental dos estabelecimentos de ensino orientado para a implementação de um sistema de gestão ambiental

As instituições de ensino procuram ser impulsionadoras de boas práticas ambientais demonstrando com isso o seu compromisso com o meio ambiente e com as gerações futuras. Os Sistemas de Gestão Ambiental (SGA), nomeadamente as exigências da ISO 14001:2004 podem ser uma oportunidade para as instituições gerirem correctamente todos os seus recursos, assim como eliminarem os riscos e custos desnecessários, ao mesmo tempo que reforçam os seus valores quanto à protecção do meio ambiente, prevenção da poluição, cumprimento legal e as necessidades socioeconómicas. Pretendeu-se com este estudo determinar quais os factores que condicionam a abordagem de uma política ambiental nos estabelecimentos de ensino, relacionando-as com as diferentes características das escolas com as suas abordagens ambientais, assim como determinar quais os factores que influenciam a postura ambiental das escolas. Os resultados foram recolhidos através de um inquérito por questionário, direccionado para os estabelecimentos de ensino pré-escolar, 1º, 2º, 3º ciclos e secundário da Área Metropolitana do Porto. Através da análise das respostas de 405 escolas, conclui-se que aqueles com melhores desempenhos ambientais e melhores condições para implementar um SGA são os estabelecimentos de ensino com a tipologia EB2,3/ES, públicos, pertencentes aos concelhos de Gondomar, Mais e Sto Tirso, localizados nas zonas urbanas e com edifícios escolares recentes em excelentes ou bons estados de conservação. De um modo geral todos os estabelecimentos de ensino demonstram um desempenho ambiental considerado bom e acima do considerado satisfatório para a implementação de um SGA.