Design of experimental composting of animal carcasses in universitary unit of treatment aimed a correct final disposition and soil improve

For many years, composting has been used as a result of the recycling of organic matter. There is significative animal carcasses accumulation from teaching and researching activities of the university veterinary hospital. Every year, Unesp University needs to dispose correctly about 180 tones of this waste and the composting seemed to be the most sustainable alternative. Piles of animal carcasses were prepared using peanut hulls and tree pruning as bulking agent and water to the first phase of this process. The extracts pH values no impediments for offering germination and indicated a good addition to the soil management. The germination index showed no impediment to the seeds germination on any type of compost and the extracts concentrations not influenced this biological process. No parameters studied assigns risks of contamination of carcasses for the compost development in Unesp according to the proposed design. © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group.

Crescimento, produtividade, acúmulo e exportação de nutrientes em cultivares de batata (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Uso de composto de poda de árvore e lodo de esgoto como substratos na formação de mudas de sangra d'água (Croton urucurana Baill.) irrigadas com três lâminas de água

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Ciência do Solo) - FCAV

Bioremediation of PAHs - Limitations and soultions

Introduction 1.1 Occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the environment Worldwide industrial and agricultural developments have released a large number of natural and synthetic hazardous compounds into the environment due to careless waste disposal, illegal waste dumping and accidental spills. As a result, there are numerous sites in the world that require cleanup of soils and groundwater. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the major groups of these contaminants (Da Silva et al., 2003). PAHs constitute a diverse class of organic compounds consisting of two or more aromatic rings with various structural configurations (Prabhu and Phale, 2003). Being a derivative of benzene, PAHs are thermodynamically stable. In addition, these chemicals tend to adhere to particle surfaces, such as soils, because of their low water solubility and strong hydrophobicity, and this results in greater persistence under natural conditions. This persistence coupled with their potential carcinogenicity makes PAHs problematic environmental contaminants (Cerniglia, 1992; Sutherland, 1992). PAHs are widely found in high concentrations at many industrial sites, particularly those associated with petroleum, gas production and wood preserving industries (Wilson and Jones, 1993). 1.2 Remediation technologies Conventional techniques used for the remediation of soil polluted with organic contaminants include excavation of the contaminated soil and disposal to a landfill or capping - containment - of the contaminated areas of a site. These methods have some drawbacks. The first method simply moves the contamination elsewhere and may create significant risks in the excavation, handling and transport of hazardous material. Additionally, it is very difficult and increasingly expensive to find new landfill sites for the final disposal of the material. The cap and containment method is only an interim solution since the contamination remains on site, requiring monitoring and maintenance of the isolation barriers long into the future, with all the associated costs and potential liability. A better approach than these traditional methods is to completely destroy the pollutants, if possible, or transform them into harmless substances. Some technologies that have been used are high-temperature incineration and various types of chemical decomposition (for example, base-catalyzed dechlorination, UV oxidation). However, these methods have significant disadvantages, principally their technological complexity, high cost , and the lack of public acceptance. Bioremediation, on the contrast, is a promising option for the complete removal and destruction of contaminants. 1.3 Bioremediation of PAH contaminated soil & groundwater Bioremediation is the use of living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to degrade or detoxify hazardous wastes into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide, water and cell biomass Most PAHs are biodegradable unter natural conditions (Da Silva et al., 2003; Meysami and Baheri, 2003) and bioremediation for cleanup of PAH wastes has been extensively studied at both laboratory and commercial levels- It has been implemented at a number of contaminated sites, including the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1989, the Mega Borg spill off the Texas coast in 1990 and the Burgan Oil Field, Kuwait in 1994 (Purwaningsih, 2002). Different strategies for PAH bioremediation, such as in situ , ex situ or on site bioremediation were developed in recent years. In situ bioremediation is a technique that is applied to soil and groundwater at the site without removing the contaminated soil or groundwater, based on the provision of optimum conditions for microbiological contaminant breakdown.. Ex situ bioremediation of PAHs, on the other hand, is a technique applied to soil and groundwater which has been removed from the site via excavation (soil) or pumping (water). Hazardous contaminants are converted in controlled bioreactors into harmless compounds in an efficient manner. 1.4 Bioavailability of PAH in the subsurface Frequently, PAH contamination in the environment is occurs as contaminants that are sorbed onto soilparticles rather than in phase (NAPL, non aqueous phase liquids). It is known that the biodegradation rate of most PAHs sorbed onto soil is far lower than rates measured in solution cultures of microorganisms with pure solid pollutants (Alexander and Scow, 1989; Hamaker, 1972). It is generally believed that only that fraction of PAHs dissolved in the solution can be metabolized by microorganisms in soil. The amount of contaminant that can be readily taken up and degraded by microorganisms is defined as bioavailability (Bosma et al., 1997; Maier, 2000). Two phenomena have been suggested to cause the low bioavailability of PAHs in soil (Danielsson, 2000). The first one is strong adsorption of the contaminants to the soil constituents which then leads to very slow release rates of contaminants to the aqueous phase. Sorption is often well correlated with soil organic matter content (Means, 1980) and significantly reduces biodegradation (Manilal and Alexander, 1991). The second phenomenon is slow mass transfer of pollutants, such as pore diffusion in the soil aggregates or diffusion in the organic matter in the soil. The complex set of these physical, chemical and biological processes is schematically illustrated in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, biodegradation processes are taking place in the soil solution while diffusion processes occur in the narrow pores in and between soil aggregates (Danielsson, 2000). Seemingly contradictory studies can be found in the literature that indicate the rate and final extent of metabolism may be either lower or higher for sorbed PAHs by soil than those for pure PAHs (Van Loosdrecht et al., 1990). These contrasting results demonstrate that the bioavailability of organic contaminants sorbed onto soil is far from being well understood. Besides bioavailability, there are several other factors influencing the rate and extent of biodegradation of PAHs in soil including microbial population characteristics, physical and chemical properties of PAHs and environmental factors (temperature, moisture, pH, degree of contamination). Figure 1: Schematic diagram showing possible rate-limiting processes during bioremediation of hydrophobic organic contaminants in a contaminated soil-water system (not to scale) (Danielsson, 2000). 1.5 Increasing the bioavailability of PAH in soil Attempts to improve the biodegradation of PAHs in soil by increasing their bioavailability include the use of surfactants , solvents or solubility enhancers.. However, introduction of synthetic surfactant may result in the addition of one more pollutant. (Wang and Brusseau, 1993).A study conducted by Mulder et al. showed that the introduction of hydropropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPCD), a well-known PAH solubility enhancer, significantly increased the solubilization of PAHs although it did not improve the biodegradation rate of PAHs (Mulder et al., 1998), indicating that further research is required in order to develop a feasible and efficient remediation method. Enhancing the extent of PAHs mass transfer from the soil phase to the liquid might prove an efficient and environmentally low-risk alternative way of addressing the problem of slow PAH biodegradation in soil.

Meganema perideroedes gen. nov., sp nov., a filamentous alphaproteobacterium from activated sludge

An industrial wastewater treatment plant at Grindsted, Denmark, has suffered from bulking problems for several years caused by filamentous bacteria. Five strains were isolated from the sludge by micromanipulation, Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strains formed a monophyletic cluster in the Alphaproteobacteria, and they were phenotypically different from their closest relatives and from all hitherto known filamentous bacteria described (closest relative Brevundimonas vesicularis ATCC 11426(T), 89(.)8% sequence similarity). In pure culture, the cells (1(.)5-2(.)0 mu m) in filaments are Gram-negative and contain polyphosphate and polyhydroxyalkanoates. The optimum temperature for growth is 30 degrees C and the strains grow in 2 % NaCl and are oxidase- and catalase-positive. Ubiquinone 10 is the major quinone. The major fatty acid (C-18: 1 omega 7c) and smaller amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, 3-hydroxy fatty acids with a chain length of 16 and 18 carbon atoms and small amounts of 10-methyl-branched fatty acids with 18 carbon atoms (C-19: 0 10-methyl) affiliated the strains with the Methylobacterium/Xanthobacter group in the Alphaproteobacteria. The G + C content of the DNA is 42(.)9 mol% (for strain Gr1(T)). The two most dissimilar isolates by 16S rRNA gene comparison (Gr1(T) and Gr10; 97(.)7 % identical) showed 71(.)5 % DNA-DNA relatedness. Oligonucleotide probes specific for the pure cultures were designed for fluorescence in situ hybridization and demonstrated that two filamentous morphotypes were present in the Grindsted wastewater treatment plant. It is proposed that the isolates represent a new genus and species, Meganema perideroedes gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Meganema perideroedes is strain Gr1(T) (=DSM 15528(T) =ATCC BAA-740(T)).

The influence of formulation components on the aerosolisation properties of spray-dried powders

Dry powders suitable for inhalation containing β-estradiol, leucine as a dispersibility enhancer and lactose as a bulking agent were prepared by spray-drying from aqueous ethanol formulations. The influence of formulation components on the characteristics of the resultant spray-dried powders was examined through the use of a range of ethanol concentrations (10-50% v/v) in the solvent used to prepare the initial formulations. Additionally, the amount of leucine required to act as a dispersibility enhancer was investigated by varying the amount of leucine added to the formulation prior to spray-drying. Following spray-drying, resultant powders were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, laser diffraction and tapped density measurements, and the aerosolisation performance determined using Twin Stage Impinger and Andersen Cascade Impactor analysis. We demonstrate that selection of appropriate solvent systems and leucine concentration allows the preparation of spray-dried powders that display enhanced aerosolisation properties, and would be predicted to exhibit high deposition in the lower regions of the respiratory tract. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The microbiological destruction of thiocyanate in activated sludge plants treating coke oven effluent

The treatment of effluents produced during the manufacture of metallurgical coke is normally carried out using the activated sludge process. The efficiency of activated sludges in purifying coke oven effluent depends largely on the maintenance of species of micro-organisms which destroy thiocyanate. The composition, production, toxicity and treatment of coke oven effluent at Corby steelworks are described. A review is presented which follows the progress made towards identifying and monitoring the species of bacteria which destroy thiocyanate in biological treatment plants purifying coke oven effluents. In the present study a search for bacteria capable of destroying thiocyanate led to the isolation of a species of bacteria, identified as Pseudomonas putida, which destroyed thiocyanate in the presence of succinate; this species had not previously been reported to use thiocyanate. Washed cell suspensions of P. putida destroyed phenol and thiocyanate simultaneously and thiocyanate destruction was not suppressed by pyridine, aniline or catechol at the highest concentrations normally encountered in coke oven effluent. The isolate has been included, as N.C.I.B. 11198, in the National Collection of Industrial Bacteria, Torrey Research Station, Aberdeen. Three other isolates, identified as Achromobacter sp., Thiobacillus thioparus and T. denitrificans, were also confirmed to destroy thi.ocyanate. A technique has been developed for monitoring populations of different species of bacteria in activated sludges. Application of this technique to laboratory scale and full scale treatment plants at Corby showed that thiobacilli were usually not detected; thiobacilli were el~inated during the commissioning period of the full scale plant. However experiments using a laboratory scale plant indicated that during a period of three weeks an increase in the numbers of thiobacilli might have contributed to an improvement in plant performance. Factors which might have facilitated the development of thiobacilli are discussed. Large numbers of fluorescent pseudomonads capable of using thiocyanate were sometimes detected in the laboratory scale plant. The possibility is considered that catechol or other organic compounds in the feed-liquor might have stimulated fluorescent pseudmonads. Experiments using the laboratory scale plant confirmed that deteriorations in the efficiency of thiocyanate destruction were sometimes caused by bulking sludges, due to the excessive growth of fungal floes. Increased dilution of the coke oven effluent was a successful remedy to this difficulty. The optimum operating conditions recommended by the manufacturer of the full scale activated sludge plant at Corby are assessed and the role of bacterial monitoring in a programme of regular monitoring tests is discussed in relation to the operation of activated sludge plants treating coke oven effluents.

Pharmaceutical process optimisation of bulk lyophilisates:implications of powder handling

Lyophilisation or freeze drying is the preferred dehydrating method for pharmaceuticals liable to thermal degradation. Most biologics are unstable in aqueous solution and may use freeze drying to prolong their shelf life. Lyophilisation is however expensive and has seen lots of work aimed at reducing cost. This thesis is motivated by the potential cost savings foreseen with the adoption of a cost efficient bulk drying approach for large and small molecules. Initial studies identified ideal formulations that adapted well to bulk drying and further powder handling requirements downstream in production. Low cost techniques were used to disrupt large dried cakes into powder while the effects of carrier agent concentration were investigated for powder flowability using standard pharmacopoeia methods. This revealed superiority of crystalline mannitol over amorphous sucrose matrices and established that the cohesive and very poor flow nature of freeze dried powders were potential barriers to success. Studies from powder characterisation showed increased powder densification was mainly responsible for significant improvements in flow behaviour and an initial bulking agent concentration of 10-15 %w/v was recommended. Further optimisation studies evaluated the effects of freezing rates and thermal treatment on powder flow behaviour. Slow cooling (0.2 °C/min) with a -25°C annealing hold (2hrs) provided adequate mechanical strength and densification at 0.5-1 M mannitol concentrations. Stable bulk powders require powder transfer into either final vials or intermediate storage closures. The targeted dosing of powder formulations using volumetric and gravimetric powder dispensing systems where evaluated using Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and Beta Galactosidase models. Final protein content uniformity in dosed vials was assessed using activity and protein recovery assays to draw conclusions from deviations and pharmacopeia acceptance values. A correlation between very poor flowability (p<0.05), solute concentration, dosing time and accuracy was revealed. LDH and IgG lyophilised in 0.5 M and 1 M mannitol passed Pharmacopeia acceptance values criteria with 0.1-4 while formulations with micro collapse showed the best dose accuracy (0.32-0.4% deviation). Bulk mannitol content above 0.5 M provided no additional benefits to dosing accuracy or content uniformity of dosed units. This study identified considerations which included the type of protein, annealing, cake disruption process, physical form of the phases present, humidity control and recommended gravimetric transfer as optimal for dispensing powder. Dosing lyophilised powders from bulk was demonstrated as practical, time efficient, economical and met regulatory requirements in cases. Finally the use of a new non-destructive technique, X-ray microcomputer tomography (MCT), was explored for cake and particle characterisation. Studies demonstrated good correlation with traditional gas porosimetry (R2 = 0.93) and morphology studies using microscopy. Flow characterisation from sample sizes of less than 1 mL was demonstrated using three dimensional X-ray quantitative image analyses. A platinum-mannitol dispersion model used revealed a relationship between freezing rate, ice nucleation sites and variations in homogeneity within the top to bottom segments of a formulation.

Valorização de resíduos provenientes da atividade no setor avícola: aplicação do processo de compostagem

O setor avícola, como setor em constante crescimento está associado à produção de elevadas quantidades de resíduos sólidos orgânicos. A crescente taxa de produção de resíduos avícolas leva à necessidade de lhes dar um destino adequado podendo a valorização orgânica, nomeadamente a compostagem, ser uma opção. O presente estudo pretende dar um contributo para o projeto de uma unidade de compostagem numa empresa portuguesa do setor, com valorização dos resíduos produzidos pela mesma, avaliando o potencial de aplicação desta operação de tratamento de resíduos e a qualidade do produto final. Como primeiro passo foi realizada uma caracterização dos resíduos a utilizar de forma a perceber a sua possível influência no processo de degradação. Os ensaios de compostagem foram realizados à escala laboratorial, numa gama de temperatura de 50 a 55ᵒC, utilizando como substrato base uma mistura dos resíduos avícolas, de acordo com os seus quantitativos de produção. Vários potenciais agentes estruturantes foram também testados, como adição ao substrato. A monitorização do processo foi feita com base em análises das fases gasosa (gases de exaustão), sólida (substrato em decomposição) e líquida (lixiviado). A avaliação do processo foi ainda complementada com a caracterização dos produtos finais obtidos, os quais foram ainda sujeitos a testes de fitotoxicidade. Foram observados graus de conversão de matéria orgânica relativamente altos (40-50%), comprovando a aplicabilidade desta operação de tratamento de resíduos. Embora a diferença entre ensaios tenha sido pouco notória, a utilização de uma combinação de cama de aviário e mato destroçado e compostado aparenta ser ligeiramente mais eficiente, enquanto a utilização de casca de eucalipto produziu os piores resultados. Perdas de humidade e de azoto foram as duas situações mais críticas observadas para os vários ensaios, tendo influência tanto sobre o processo como sobre o produto final. Os compostos obtidos revelam baixa qualidade, exibindo valores elevados de pH e condutividade elétrica e elevadas concentrações de metais pesados, tais como cobre e zinco. Supõe-se que as características adversas verificadas estejam associadas à aplicação de quantidades demasiado elevadas de cinza nos substratos, levando à necessidade de redução deste material; estudos adicionais seriam necessários a fim de avaliar as possibilidades de ajuste das quantidades a utilizar, dos diferentes materiais, com o intuito de produzir um produto final com qualidade, respeitando os requisitos legais.

Co-Composting of Poultry Manure with Different Organic Amendments

To study the influence of different organic amendments on the quality of poultry manure compost, three pilot composting trials were carried out with different mixes: poultrymanure/carcasse meal/ashes/grape pomace (Pile 1), poultry manure/cellulosic sludge (Pile 2) and poultry manure (Pile 3). For all piles, wood chips were applied as bulking agent. The process was monitored, over time, by evaluating standard physical and chemical parameters, such as, pH, electric conductivity, moisture, organic matter and ash content, total carbon and total nitrogen content, carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) and content in mineral elements. Piles 1 and 2 reached a thermophilic phase, however having different trends. Pile 1 reached this phase earlier than Pile 2. For both, the pH showed a slight alkaline character and the electric conductivity was lower than 2 mS/cm. Also, the initial C/N value was 22 and reached values lower than 15 at the end of composting process. The total N content of the Pile 1 increased slightly during composting, in contrast with the others piles. At the end of composting process, the phosphorus content ranged between 54 and 236 mg/kg dry matter, for Pile 2 and 3, respectively. Generally, the Piles 1 and 3 exhibited similar heavy metals content. This study showed that organic amendments can be used as carbon source, given that the final composts presented parameters within the range of those recommended in the 2nd Draft of EU regulation proposal (DG Env.A.2 2001) for compost quality.

Sensor psychrometric approaches to mitigating aflatoxins in maize dried on farms in Kenya

Kenia liegt in den Äquatorialtropen von Ostafrika und ist als ein weltweiter Hot-Spot für Aflatoxinbelastung insbesondere bei Mais bekannt. Diese toxischen und karzinogenen Verbindungen sind Stoffwechselprodukte von Pilzen und so insbesondere von der Wasseraktivität abhängig. Diese beeinflusst sowohl die Trocknung als auch die Lagerfähigkeit von Nahrungsmitteln und ist somit ein wichtiger Faktor bei der Entwicklung von energieeffizienten und qualitätsorientierten Verarbeitungsprozessen. Die vorliegende Arbeit hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die Veränderung der Wasseraktivität während der konvektiven Trocknung von Mais zu untersuchen. Mittels einer Optimierungssoftware (MS Excel Solver) wurde basierend auf sensorerfassten thermo-hygrometrischen Daten der gravimetrische Feuchteverlust von Maiskolben bei 37°C, 43°C und 53°C vorausberechnet. Dieser Bereich stellt den Übergang zwischen Niedrig- und Hochtemperaturtrocknung dar. Die Ergebnisse zeigen deutliche Unterschiede im Verhalten der Körner und der Spindel. Die Trocknung im Bereich von 35°C bis 45°C kombiniert mit hohen Strömungsgeschwindigkeiten (> 1,5 m / s) begünstigte die Trocknung der Körner gegenüber der Spindel und kann daher für eine energieeffiziente Trocknung von Kolben mit hohem Anfangsfeuchtegehalt empfohlen werden. Weitere Untersuchungen wurden zum Verhalten unterschiedlicher Schüttungen bei der bei Mais üblichen Satztrocknung durchgeführt. Entlieschter und gedroschener Mais führte zu einem vergrößerten Luftwiderstand in der Schüttung und sowohl zu einem höheren Energiebedarf als auch zu ungleichmäßigerer Trocknung, was nur durch einen erhöhten technischen Aufwand etwa durch Mischeinrichtungen oder Luftumkehr behoben werden könnte. Aufgrund des geringeren Aufwandes für die Belüftung und die Kontrolle kann für kleine landwirtschaftliche Praxisbetriebe in Kenia daher insbesondere die Trocknung ganzer Kolben in ungestörten Schüttungen empfohlen werden. Weiterhin wurde in der Arbeit die Entfeuchtung mittels eines Trockenmittels (Silikagel) kombiniert mit einer Heizquelle und abgegrenztem Luftvolumen untersucht und der konventionellen Trocknung gegenüber gestellt. Die Ergebnisse zeigten vergleichbare Entfeuchtungsraten während der ersten 5 Stunden der Trocknung. Der jeweilige Luftzustand bei Verwendung von Silikagel wurde insbesondere durch das eingeschlossene Luftvolumen und die Temperatur beeinflusst. Granulierte Trockenmittel sind bei der Maistrocknung unter hygienischen Gesichtspunkten vorteilhaft und können beispielsweise mit einfachen Öfen regeneriert werden, so dass Qualitätsbeeinträchtigungen wie bei Hochtemperatur- oder auch Freilufttrocknung vermieden werden können. Eine hochwertige Maistrocknungstechnik ist sehr kapitalintensiv. Aus der vorliegenden Arbeit kann aber abgeleitet werden, dass einfache Verbesserungen wie eine sensorgestützte Belüftung von Satztrocknern, der Einsatz von Trockenmitteln und eine angepasste Schüttungshöhe praktikable Lösungen für Kleinbauern in Kenia sein können. Hierzu besteht, ggf. auch zum Aspekt der Verwendung regenerativer Energien, weiterer Forschungsbedarf.