Alisson Carraro Borges

Characterization of pectin lyase produced by an endophytic strain isolated from coffee cherries

Aims: The effect of endophytic bacterial activity on the quality of coffee beverage was studied.

Comparação entre equações empíricas para estimativa da evapotranspiração de referência na Bacia do Rio Jacupiranga

The reference evapotranspiration represents water loss of vegetated soil to the atmosphere due to evaporation and transpiration. The Penman-Monteith model requires several meteorological elements in its solution, which complicates its application in agricultural, meteorological and hydrological studies in areas with few meteorological stations, such as the Jacupiranga River Basin, in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The study was carried out with the objective of verifying the precision of ETo estimate methods proposed by Camargo, Blaney-Criddle, Hamon, Hargreaves, Thornthwaite and Kharrufa, by defining coefficients of regional adjustment. Meteorological data from two local climatological stations were used in the estimates. The method of FAO Penman-Monteith was used for comparing the empirical equations. Coefficients of determination, correlation, reliability and experimental errors were used. The results indicate that the Hargreaves and Camargo methods can be applied not only in their original form but also in their modified formulation. The Hargreaves equation with regional coefficients showed reliability indexes greater than 0.995 for the Jacupiranga River Basin and it is recommended due to its applicability and simplicity.

Treatment of wastewater from coffee bean processing in anaerobic fixed bed reactors with different support materials: performance and kinetic modeling

An evaluation was performed of three upflow anaerobic fixed bed reactors for the treatment of wastewater from coffee bean processing (WCP). The supports used were: blast furnace cinders, polyurethane foam and crushed stone with porosities of 53, 95 and 48%, respectively. The testing of these 139.5 L reactors consisted of increasing the COD of the influent (978; 2401 and 4545 mg L(-1)), while maintaining the retention time of 1.3 days. For the maximum COD applied, the reactor filled with foam presented removals of 80% (non-filtered samples) and 83% (filtered samples). The greater performance of the reactor filled with foam is attributed to its porosity, which promoted greater collection of biomass. From the results, it could be concluded that the reactors presented satisfactory performance, especially when using the foam as a support. Furthermore, the modified Stover-Kincannon and second order for multicomponent substrate degradation models were successfully used to develop a model of the experimental data.

Effect of influent aeration on removal of organic matter from coffee processing wastewater in constructed wetlands

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of aeration and vegetation on the removal of organic matter in coffee processing wastewater (CPW) treated in 4 constructed wetlands (CWs), characterized as follows: (i) ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) cultivated system operating with an aerated influent; (ii) non-cultivated system operating with an aerated influent, (iii) ryegrass cultivated system operating with a non-aerated influent; and (iv) non-cultivated system operating with a non-aerated influent. The lowest average chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal efficiencies of 87, 84 and 73%, respectively, were obtained in the ryegrass cultivated system operating with a non-aerated influent. However, ryegrass cultivation did not influence the removal efficiency of organic matter. Artificial aeration of the CPW, prior to its injection in the CW, did not improve the removal efficiencies of organic matter. On other hand it did contribute to increase the instantaneous rate at which the maximum COD removal efficiency was reached. Although aeration did not result in greater organic matter removal efficiencies, it is important to consider the benefits of aeration on the removal of the other compounds.

Coliform bacteria removal from sewage in constructed wetlands planted with Mentha aquatica

The present study evaluated the performance of the species Mentha aquatica in constructed wetlands of horizontal subsurface flow (CW-HSSF) with regard to the removal of coliforms bacteria in an effluent from the primary treatment of sewage as well as to obtain adjustment parameters of the bacterial decay kinetic model along the length of the CW-HSSF. Therefore, four CW-HSSFs measuring 24.0 m×1.0 m×0.35 m were built and filled with # 0 gravel as the support medium to a height of 0.20 m. Two of the CW-HSSFs were planted with the species M. aquatica, while the other two remained uncultivated. Cultivation of M. aquatica in CW-HSSF resulted in total coliforms (TC) and Escherichia coli (EC) removals from 0.9 to 1.3 log units greater than those obtained in the uncultivated experimental plots, for the hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 4.5 and 6.0 days. For HRT ranged from 1.5 to 6.0 days, the highest removal efficiencies in counts of TC and EC were obtained when using longer HRT. The mathematical models evaluated showed good fit to average counts of TC and EC highlighting the modified first-order kinetic model with the inclusion of the power parameter in the HRT variable.

Influência da espécie vegetal cultivada nas condições redox de sistemas alagados construídos

Taking account to the scarcity of information about the influence of different macrophytes in environmental conditions of constructed wetlands (CWs), the redox potential (Eh) of swine wastewater (SW) was monitored under treatment in 5 CWs beds (24.0 x 1.0 x 0.7 m). After previous treatment in filters, SW was treated in CWs under a flow rate of 0.8 m3 d-1 with residence time of approximately 4.8 d. In CW#1, CW#2 and CW#3, were planted, respectively, cattail (Typha latifolia L.), alternanthera (Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb) and Tifton-85 bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Pers.). In CW#4 (multivegetated) was planted althernanthera (1st third of CW), cattail (2nd third of CW) and Tifton-85 (last third of CW). The CW#5 was monitored as the control bed (unvegetated). Samples were collected in the following points: influent and effluent of the filters and at 4; 8; 12; 16; 20 and 24 m (exit) of each CW. The values of Eh in the influents of the CWs ranged between -18 and -152 mV, however, there was a predominance of anoxic/aerobic conditions, usually from 4 m of the disposal of SW in CWs. The CWs effluents showed Eh that ranged from 53 to 226 mV. There was a tendency for more rapid oxygenation of the wastewater in CW#1, cultivated with cattail and, from 12 m-length in beds, the Eh of the environment was similar in all CWs.

Removal of the phenolic compounds in fixed bed anaerobic reactors with different support material

The operation of three fixed-bed anaerobic reactors with upflow and containing immobilized biomass were evaluated as regards to the removal of phenolic compounds found in the wastewater from coffee bean processing (RWC). The supports used in immobilization of the biomass were blast-furnace cinders, polyurethane foam and crushed stone. The PVC-made reactors with 139.5 L total volume were fed with increasing concentrations (13, 19.7 and 42.7 mg L-1) of phenolic compounds, and the hydraulic residence time (HRT) was maintained constant (around 1.3 days). At the end of each evaluated condition, samples were collected from the RWC along the height of the reactor for kinetic studies. Rapid acclimation of biomass attached to the blast-furnace cinders resulted in increased efficiency of removal of phenolic compounds in start-up, and the best performance of this reactor regarding the removal of these compounds over the period of the experiment. According to the results, the blast furnace cinders showed higher potential for use as supporting material of anaerobic reactors, when the objective is the removal of the phenolic compounds from RWC.

Start-up of an anaerobic horizontal-flow reactor for treating wastewater from a coffee fruits processing

This study aimed to evaluate the start-up and the adaptation of an anaerobic horizontal-flow immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor in order to treat wastewater from a primary processing of coffee fruits. The reactor was built with PVC tubes of 0.2 m in diameter and 3.2 m in length. The system was filled with cubes of polyurethane foam for immobilization of active biomass. The reactor presented a total capacity of 0.1 m3 and reaction volume equal to 0.04 m3. 49% of organic matter. Removal efficiency was observed, with medium organic volumetric loads equal to 2.66 kg m-3 d-1 (as chemical oxygen demand). The supplementary addition of alkalinity and the previous biomass inoculation provided a stable start-up of the reactor, as confirmed by the reduction of volatile acids and an adaptation of the present microbiology community. The systems showed resistance to changes in flow and in the organic load observed; the levels of phenol and potassium monitored did not cause inhibition of the biological activity. A better control on the changes in load rates is an important topic for the next studies.

Uso de traçadores para avaliação da hidrodinâmica de sistemas alagados construídos operando sob condições climáticas tropicais

Nowadays, constructed wetlands (CW) systems are an important wastewater treatment option. Subsurface flow (SSF) constructed wetlands are one of the main types which are being used, and in researches, these systems dyes tracer experiments are an appropriate tool to determine residence time distribution (RDT) curves and parameters of hydrodynamic models, as a wetland dispersion numbers and hydraulic efficiency. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate and compare the performance of two fluorescent tracers (rhodamine WT and sodium fluorescein) on subsurface-flow CWs hydrodynamic characteristics determination. The cells were operated at actual hydraulic residence time (τR) of a 4.5 d ~ 5.0 d range and the parameters of theoretical models were obtained for each system, indicating very low dispersion. The CWs with length/widths ratio equals to 24 presented as plug flow near systems. Although the recovery of total amount was small (high absorption is one of the loss mechanisms during these types of studies), rhodamine WT is a suitable tracer in mesocosms SSF constructed wetland systems of study.

Effect of time-temperature binomial in obtaining biochemical oxygen demand of different wastewaters

Studies on the effects of temperature and time of incubation of wastewater samples for the estimation of biodegradable organic matter through the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), that nowadays are rare, considering that the results of the classic study of STREETER & PHELPS(1925) have been accepted as standard. However, there are still questions how could be possible to reduce the incubation time; whether the coefficient of temperature (θ) varies with the temperature and with the type of wastewater and if it approaches 1.047. Aiming the elucidation of these questions, wastewater samples of dairy, swine and sewage treated in septic tanks were incubated at temperatures of 20, 30 and 35 °C, respectively for 5, 3.16 and 2.5 days. From the parameter of deoxygenation coefficient at 20 °C (k20), θ30 and θ35 were calculated. The results indicated that θ values changes with the type of wastewater, however does not vary in the temperature range between 30 and 35 °C, and that the use of 1.047 value did not implied significant differences in obtaining k in a determined T temperature. Thus, it is observed that the value of θ can be used to estimate the required incubation time of the samples at different temperatures.