Integration of microalgal cultivation system for wastewater remediation and sustainable biomass production

Untreated wastewaters have been a great concern and can cause major pollution problems for environment. Conventional approaches for treating wastewater involve tremendous capital cost, have major short comings and are not sustainable. Microalgae culture offers an interesting step for wastewater treatment. Microalgae serve the dual purpose of phycoremediation along with the production of potentially valuable biomass, which can be used for several purposes. The ability of microalgae to accumulate nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals and other toxic compounds can be integrated with wastewater treatment system to offer an elegant solution towards tertiary and quaternary treatment. The current review explores possible role of microalgal based wastewater treatment and explores the current progress, key challenges, limitations and future prospects with special emphasis on strategies involved in harvesting, boosting biomass and lipid yield.     

Metabonomics in pharmaceutical R&D

This minireview is based on a lecture given at the First Maga Circe Conference on metabolomics held at Sabaudia, Italy, in March 2006 in which the analytical and statistical techniques used in metabonomics, efforts at standardization and some of the major applications to pharmaceutical research and development are reviewed. Metabonomics involves the determination of multiple metabolites simultaneously in biofluids, tissues and tissue extracts. Applications to preclinical drug safety studies are illustrated by the Consortium for Metabonomic Toxicology, a collaboration involving several major pharmaceutical companies. This consortium was able, through the measurement of a dataset of NMR spectra of rodent urine and serum samples, to build a predictive expert system for liver and kidney toxicity. A secondary benefit was the elucidation of the endogenous biochemicals responsible for the classification. The use of metabonomics in disease diagnosis and therapy monitoring is discussed with an exemplification from coronary artery disease, and the concept of pharmaco-metabonomics as a way of predicting an individual's response to treatment is exemplified. Finally, some advantages and perceived difficulties of the metabonomics approach are summarized.     

Agricultural R&D, technology and productivity

The relationships between basic and applied agricultural R&D, developed and developing country R&D and between R&D, extension, technology and productivity growth are outlined. The declining growth rates of public R&D expenditures are related to output growth and crop yields, where growth rates have also fallen, especially in the developed countries. However, growth in output value per hectare has not declined in the developing countries and labour productivity growth has increased except in the EU. Total factor productivity has generally increased, however it is measured. The public sector share of R&D expenditures has fallen and there has been rapid concentration in the private sector, where six multinationals now dominate. These companies are accumulating intellectual property to an extent that the public and international institutions are disadvantaged. This represents a threat to the global commons in agricultural technology on which the green revolution has depended. Estimates of the increased R&D expenditures needed to feed 9 billion people by 2050 and how these should be targeted, especially by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), show that the amounts are feasible and that targeting sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia can best increase output growth and reduce poverty. Lack of income growth in SSA is seen as the most insoluble problem.     

Activity of the National Oncology R&D Consortium in 2004

We have prepared the map of regional distribution of cervical cancer in Hungary. Serial HPV genotyping of sexual partners provided evidence for the sexually transmitted infections. Molecular epidemiology studies revealed activating c-kit mutation in bilateral testicular cancers. A cost-effective molecular staging method was introduced to the management of breast cancer patients. Genomic profiling identified the gene signature of Herceptin and taxane sensitivity of breast cancer. In colon cancer patients we have determined the mutational spectrum of hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes in Hungary. The prognostic power of SHMT and MTHFR polymorphism was determined in colorectal cancer patients. In head and neck cancer the gene signature of cisplatin sensitivity and the EGFR polymorphism was determined. We have introduced a cost-effective in vitro assay to determine the drug resistance of pediatric leukemias. The prognostic power of N-myc genotyping was determined in neuroblastoma patients. A phase I trial for gene therapy of brain cancer was started by using a GM-CSF adenoviral vector system. Using global genomic approaches the gene signature of malignant melanoma and its metastatic disease was determined. We have found that Ca-channel blockers and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective in preclinical human melanoma models in breaking the apoptosis resistance of this tumor.     

Genomics,ICT and the formation of R&D networks

Research in genomics is an example of changes induced by information and communication technologies (ICT). The emergence of interconnected ICT support for scientific work and the handling of information have changed the challenges in genomics as well as other scientific fields. The promises are significant but a large degree of uncertainty remains. While the information space is opened up, R&D cooperation essential to reaping the benefits for companies is still difficult. Moreover, in order to benefit in full from the possibility to combine knowledge on a larger scale, knowledge repositories and places of knowledge creation need to be combined. This paper discusses the new strategies of information networking between companies that emerges in response to this challenge. It concludes with an outline of a research agenda for genomics and society.     

论城市污泥农用资源化与可持续发展

根据可持续发展观的基本思想，在对城市污泥的特征、处理现状及其对农业和城市发展的影响进行分析的基础上，认为城市污泥的农用资源化对于城市和农业的可持续发展具有重要意义和紧迫性，也是未来城市污泥处置的根本出路，关键在于控制污泥中毒性污染物的含量，科学合理地施用。     

Autotrophic denitrification and chemical phosphate removal of agro-industrial wastewater by filtration with granular medium

A novel granular medium consisting (1.5-5 mm in diameter) of inert perlite particles as nuclei and an effective surface layer containing sulfur, CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2 was developed for advanced treatment of agro-industrial wastewater. The performance of the medium was examined with a laboratory-scale down-flow fixed-bed column reactor using piggery wastewater, which had been treated by an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor and a trickling filter. The removal efficiency of NOx- -N was more than 70% with a NOx- -N loading rate of less than approximately 0.3 kg Nm(-3) d(-1); the removal efficiency dropped due to the accumulation of nitrite when the loading rate exceeded that value. A significant drop of phosphate and Mg2+ concentrations occurred when the effluent pH exceeded 7.9. Ammonium was removed with an average removal efficiency of 12.4%. These results indicated that the crystalline reaction of PO4(3-), Mg2+ and NH4+ (MAP reaction) under alkaline conditions contributed to the removal of phosphate. This medium could be useful for the simultaneous reduction of nitrogenous and phosphorus compounds in biologically treated agro-industrial wastewater.     

Anaerobic treatment of the municipal wastewater under psychrophilic conditions

The article discusses possibilities of municipal wastewater treatment in various types of anaerobic reactors (UASB, UAF, AnSBR). The temperature during corresponding laboratory experiments varied between 9–23?°C. Real wastewater from WWTP Bratislava-Petr?alka and synthetic substrate were used in the experiments. The HRT values for reactors were found to be 10–46?h. Treatment of municipal wastewater with the AnSBR and UAF system has shown more positive results in laboratory scale studies then the UASB system. The mean removal efficiency of COD depended on the type of anaerobic reactor, temperature, used HRT and was found between 37–48% (UASB), 56–88% (AnSBR) and 46–90% (UAF).     

Emergy required for the complete treatment of municipal wastewater

The continuous increase of human pressure on the environment and the concomitant pollution threat call for more complete and efficient environmental protection systems. Wastewater treatment plants are a technological response to the accumulation of pollution that occurs during the human-dominated phases of water cycle. In recent years, thanks to significant improvements in sewage treatment methodology, a number of upgrades have been assessed to improve the efficiency and functionality of treatment systems. Nonetheless, this activity requires large material and energy consumptions that have to be carefully accounted for when evaluating the efficiency of the process. In this work we present an emergy approach to the evaluation of a wastewater treatment plant located along the Ligurian coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). Besides the evaluation of the water treatment plant system, a preliminary assessment of the environmental costs in terms of natural fluxes required for the treatment process was performed. In fact, at the end of the treatment discharged water is still loaded with substances that have to be adsorbed by the receiving natural system. The work done by nature assimilating this load is generally considered as free while it is counted as a further cost in the total emergy budget of the water purification process.     

复合固定化光合细菌及其处理养鱼水的效果

利用海藻酸钠和沸石,将含有球形红假单胞菌、荚膜红假单胞菌、沼泽红假单胞菌、万尼氏红微菌等菌体的复合光合细菌固定化,研究其对养鱼水的氮磷去除效果.比较了两种不同包埋材料固定化光合细菌处理养鱼废水的效果,对固定化光合细菌去除废水中氮磷的工艺条件进行了优化、并通过生物反应器连续处理养鱼水分析了处理后水质的效果.通过2 种固定化工艺的比较,确定了2 %沸石+2 %海藻酸钠(CA )的凝胶剂组合作为固定材料,其颗粒内生物活性最高.复合固定化光合细菌处理养鱼水的最佳条件为:厌氧光照条件下,颗粒粒径3 mm ,包埋比1 :5 ,颗粒投加量5 mg·L-1 ,4d 后养鱼水中NH4+-N 、PO43-和CODMn 的去除率分别为74.4%、84.26%、78.92%.此外,通过连续试验可以看出,固定化光合细菌具有明显的去除氨氮、磷酸盐的作用,其在净化养鱼水质方面具有非常明显的优越性.     

Benthic macrofauna of the mangrove swamp treated with municipal wastewater

Hydrobiologia - Benthic macrofauna and possible effects on community structureofdischarging municipal wastewater to Futian National MangroveReserve, the People‘s Republic of China, were...     

Environmental impact assessment of centralized municipal wastewater management in Thailand

Purpose

Urbanization and industrial development intensify water utilization and wastewater generation. The efficiency of wastewater treatment systems varies and depends on system design and wastewater condition. The research aims to examine seven existing centralized municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Bangkok to discover which system configuration yields the best environmental and economic performance. The degree of environmental impact and operational costs from different system designs were investigated to help select future wastewater treatment systems.

Methods

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been conducted to evaluate environmental impacts from centralized municipal wastewater treatment systems. Life cycle impact assessment method based on endpoint modeling (LIME) was applied, with three major potential environmental impact categories including eutrophication, global warming, and acidification. All seven centralized municipal WWTPs in Bangkok were investigated as case studies. The system configurations are classified into five types of activated sludge (AS) systems. The contribution of impacts from individual processes in each type of AS system was analyzed. The methodology covered major on-site and off-site operational processes excluding construction and maintenance phases. Average annual data were calculated to develop an inventory dataset. JEMAI-Pro software was utilized in this study to analyze the life cycle impact of the systems.

Results and discussion

The level of environmental impact from a WWTP depends on the configuration of the AS system. The highest potential environmental impact from a municipal WWTP is eutrophication, which is obviously affected by ammonium and phosphorous discharges into water bodies. The vertical loop reactor activated sludge (VLRAS) system yielded the best treatment performance among the five AS sub-systems. The consumption of electricity used to operate the system contributed significantly to global warming potential and correlated considerably with operating costs. Comparing among three system sizes, the large-scale WWTP revealed inefficient electricity consumption, whereas the medium plant provided better performance in chemical use and operating costs.

Conclusions

Centralized municipal WWTPs with capacities ranging from 10 to 350?×?10³ m³/day were evaluated with respect to environmental performance and costs during the operating phase. Among all case studies, a medium-scale WWTP with a VLRAS system offered the best operating performance in terms of low environmental impact, resource consumption, and cost. To enhance WWTP management, it is vital to improve the efficiency of electricity consumption in primary and secondary treatment processes and increase wastewater collection efficiency to maximize the plant operating capacity and minimize overall environmental impacts.