Marc Árpád Boncz

Influence of Biogas Flow Rate on Biomass Composition During the Optimization of Biogas Upgrading in Microalgal-Bacterial Processes

The influence of biogas flow rate (0, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 m(3) m(-2) h(-1)) on the elemental and macromolecular composition of the algal-bacterial biomass produced from biogas upgrading in a 180 L photobioreactor interconnected to a 2.5 L external bubbled absorption column was investigated using diluted anaerobically digested vinasse as cultivation medium. The influence of the external liquid recirculation/biogas ratio (0.5 < L/G < 67) on the removal of CO2 and H2S, and on the concentrations of O2 and N2 in the upgraded biogas, was also evaluated. A L/G ratio of 10 was considered optimum to support CO2 and H2S removals of 80% and 100%, respectively, at all biogas flow rates tested. Biomass productivity increased at increasing biogas flow rate, with a maximum of 12 ± 1 g m(-2) d(-1) at 1.2 m(3) m(-2) h(-1), while the C, N, and P biomass content remained constant at 49 ± 2%, 9 ± 0%, and 1 ± 0%, respectively, over the 175 days of experimentation. The high carbohydrate contents (60-76%), inversely correlated to biogas flow rates, would allow the production of ≈100 L of ethanol per 1000 m(3) of biogas upgraded under a biorefinery process approach.

Design and configuration criteria for wetland systems treating greywater.

Design and configuration for wetlands treating greywater are usually based on literature data obtained from domestic wastewater operating wetlands. It is very important to determine proper criteria for design and configuration to provide efficiency and minimum maintenance, avoiding bad odour and clogging amongst others, ensuring the acceptance of householders. The aim of this work was to design a wetland system treating greywater for a household and determine whether the chosen criteria were appropriate. Some of the criteria taken into consideration for design and configuration were: quantitative and qualitative characteristics, desired removal of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (TSS), substrate and ornamental aspect of the system. The system was composed of a grease trap (kitchen), sedimentation tank, a horizontal flow constructed wetland (HF-CW), intermittent feeding system, and a vertical flow constructed wetland (VF-CW). The results showed that the suggested design and configuration were in accordance with the expected efficiency. Being a compact system, it was susceptible to peak flows, temporarily deteriorating the performance of the HF-CW. The hybrid system, however, showed to cope well with influent fluctuations. The overall performance of the system shows that the removal of turbidity, TSS, COD and BOD were over 88%, reaching 95% removal for both BOD and turbidity.

Application of urea dosing for alkalinity supply during anaerobic digestion of vinasse

Pushed by demand for renewable energy, the ethanol industry in Brazil is expanding. However, production of 1 m(3) of ethanol generates around 13 m(3) of liquid residues (vinasse), so this expansion results in an increasing need for a more adequate destination of these residues. Nowadays the vinasse is dispersed on the sugar cane fields in the practice of fertirrigation, but anaerobic digestion of this residue may be a better solution, additionally offering an alternative source of energy, able to complement hydroelectric power supply in the dry season. However, when trying to digest vinasse at reduced hydraulic retention times, complications arise from its strong tendency toward acidification, upsetting the fragile balance of transformations normally occurring under anaerobic conditions. For successful operation of an anaerobic treatment process with acceptable hydraulic residence times, increasing alkalinity levels inside the reactor is neces-sary. In the present work we show that pH regulation by means of urea dosing, in spite of the risk posed by ammonia toxicity towards methanogenic biomass, can be a viable alternative to avoid vinasse acidification. The ammonia formed in urea conversion remains in solution, rather than escaping to the biogas, and so its use as fertiliser can offset its cost of application in the process.

Análise preliminar de riscos sobre o gerenciamento dos resíduos de serviços de saúde de uma instituição de ensino em Mato Grosso do Sul: estudo de caso

In the present study health care waste (HCW) management of 25 teaching and research laboratories of the Centro de Ensino em Saude (CES) (Health Education Center) in a public university located in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil was qualitative and quantitatively assessed. They generate an average of 155.9 kilograms of HCW per week, with generation rates of 0.29 kg.research-1.day-1 and 0.11 kg.class-1.day-1; for research and teaching activities respectively. A preliminary risk analysis showed that the chemical and biological risks present in the institution expand beyond the limits of its premises, impacting, directly or indirectly, the surrounding community and environment. Many of the laboratories fit into the highest risk category, the most critical ones being those of Pathology, Histology, Human Anatomy, and Veterinary Anatomy.

Optimisation of biogas production from anaerobic digestion of agro-industrial waste streams in Brazil

The important Brazilian agro-industry produces significant amounts of wastewater with high concentrations of biodegradable compounds. A lot can be gained if wastewater treatment would take place using anaerobic reactors instead of the anaerobic lagoons generally used now. Apart from preventing methane emissions to the atmosphere this would permit the use of the biogas as a source of energy. To facilitate implementation of this technology also in small and intermediate sized companies a system requiring only minimal maintenance is needed. The need for maintenance by skilled labour can be reduced using an automated process control system, which is being developed. Cassava (manioc, tapioca) processing wastewater has been treated in a lab scale UASB reactor equipped with an on-line monitoring system, to test a control strategy based mainly on pH control. Good results have been obtained treating not only pre-acidified but also treating raw (diluted) cassava processing wastewater.

The use of microalgae and their culture medium for biogas production in an integrated cycle.

Vinasse is a residue produced in large quantities as a sub-product of ethanol production. Anaerobic digestion of vinasse can yield large amounts of biogas, but often difficulties arise in maintaining stable operation, due to the acidity of the material (which has a pH between 3.5 and 5) and a strong tendency to further acidification. Anaerobically digested vinasse can be used as part of a culture medium for microalgae cultivation, for the production of biodiesel and other compounds, whilst the excess CO2 produced in the ethanol fermentation can be used to stimulate algal growth. During algae cultivation, the pH of the culture medium has a strong tendency to increase; therefore, recycling of the spent culture medium or the concentrated algae suspension to the anaerobic digester treating vinasse was considered an option for pH stabilization there. Batch tests, however, showed that alkalinity of the spent culture broth, in spite of its high pH, is too low (only 350 mgCaCO3L(-1)) to help stabilise the pH of vinasse digestion. Alkalinity of the algae suspension is higher and digestion of a mixture of vinasse and a suspension of algae results in efficient biogas production, but still the alkalinity is insufficient to stabilise the pH in a range suitable for methanogenic microorganisms; hence, the addition of additional alkalinity, for instance as sodium bicarbonate or urea, remains necessary.

Alternative use of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as indicator for greywater disinfection

Greywater presents great potential for reuse; if treated correctly and efficiently, it can be used for several residential uses. The objective of this work was to test advanced oxidation for greywater disinfection through UV/TiO2, UV/TiO2/H2O2, photo-Fenton, UV/H2O2 and photolysis (UV) processes, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an alternative indicator. In general, the processes with hydrogen peroxide (150 mg.L-1) mixed in the pretreated greywater and exposed to solar radiation or artificial radiation from UV lamps were the most efficient in the disinfection experiments, with total inactivation of P. aeruginosa. These processes (UV/H2O2 and photo-Fenton) were better fitted to the log-linear/caudal decay model with remaining microorganism for the hydrogen peroxide concentration of 25 mg.L-1. The use of P. aeruginosa as an alternative indicator for the greywater disinfection was very promising due to its high resistance and high natural concentration in the effluent used in the experiments. The treatment applied with the UV/H2O2 process with the hydrogen peroxide concentration at 150 mg.L-1 was the only one that showed acute toxicity, even though it removed a good part of the surfactant concentration from the pre-treated greywater.

Evaluation of domestic wastewater treatment using microalgal-bacterial processes: effect of CO 2 addition on pathogen removal

Microalgal-bacterial processes represent a sustainable and cost-effective biotechnology able to promote efficient wastewater treatment, including natural pathogen removal (disinfection), as well as being able to perform CO2 uptake and biogas upgrading. In this context, the influence of CO2 supply from a synthetic gas mixture (30% v/v CO2) on the removal of pathogens (Pseudomonas, enterococci, and Escherichia coli) and total coliforms during secondary domestic wastewater treatment by a microalgal-bacterial symbiosis in a 180-L high-rate algal pond (HRAP) was investigated. The supply of CO2 in the HRAP positively influenced the Pseudomonas aeruginosa removal, with the removal efficiency increasing from 97.4% (1.6 log) to 99.6% (2.5 log) without and with CO2 supply, respectively. Likewise, the total coliform removal efficiency rose from 88.7% (1.1 log) to 99.4% (2.8 log). On the other hand, the effect of CO2 supply on enterococci (99.7% and 2.6 log) and Escherichia coli (98.6% and 2.2 log) removal was negligible.