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Treatment System (treatment + system)
Kinds of Treatment System Selected AbstractsChemical and Bacterial Quality of Aeration-Type Waste Water Treatment System DischargeGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 2 2007Samuel V Panno On-site waste water treatment systems are a potential source of chemical and bacterial contamination to ground water in areas with highly susceptible aquifers such as the sinkhole plain of southwestern Illinois. Ground water from wells, cave streams, and water that discharges from the numerous springs in this area is typically contaminated with nitrate and enteric bacteria and thus may pose a health hazard to those who come into contact with it. In order to determine if the most popular type of on-site waste water treatment systems in the study area was a potential source, samples of effluents discharged at the land surface from 23 domestic aeration-type on-site waste water treatment systems were collected to characterize their water quality and bacterial contents. Most of the effluents contained relatively large concentrations of sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl,), nutrients (nitrogen [N], phosphate [PO43,], and potassium [K+]), and enteric bacteria. Ion concentration ranges (in mg/L) were Na+ (46 to 416), Cl, (21 to 618), N (4.7 to 67), PO4 -P (1.4 to 48), and K+ (6.0 to 257). The sources of elevated Na+ and Cl, were human waste and NaCl used in the water softening systems of the houses. Ammonium was usually the dominant inorganic N species, indicating incomplete oxidation of the waste water. Discharge of Na+, Cl,, and nutrients could also have negative impacts on ground water and surface water quality, subsurface and surface aquatic ecosystems, and vegetation. Our characterization of effluent from these waste water treatment systems revealed their generally poor quality and the likelihood that they can contaminate ground water in areas with highly vulnerable aquifers. [source] The Global Diversion of Pharmaceutical DrugsADDICTION, Issue 9 2010Opiate treatment, the diversion of pharmaceutical opiates: a clinician's perspective ABSTRACT Aim To provide a clinician's perspective on the problem of diversion of prescribed pharmaceuticals. Methods The paper provides a personal account of working in a treatment context where diversion from opioid substitution treatment (OST) became a political issue potentially compromising the continued delivery of OST. It summarizes evidence on the impact of diversion, and measures to contain it, from the United Kingdom 1986,2006, Australia 1996,2008 and the United States and France from the mid-1990s. Results Opioid diversion to the black market occurs in proportion to the amount of opioids prescribed to be taken without supervision, and in inverse proportion to the availability of heroin. Diversion for OST programmes using supervision of dosing is less than diversion of opioids prescribed for pain, which is now a growing public health problem. Adverse consequences of diversion include opioid overdose fatalities, an increased incidence of addiction (particularly in jurisdictions where heroin is scarce) and compromising the public acceptance of long-term opioid prescribing. All long-term opioid prescribing requires monitoring of risk and appropriate dispensing arrangements,including dilution of methadone take-aways, supervision of administration for high-risk patients and random urine testing. Clinical guidelines influence practice, although prescribing often deviates from guidelines. Conclusion Clinical guidelines and clinical audit to enhance compliance with guidelines are helpful in maintaining the quality and integrity of the treatment system, and can contribute to keeping diversion within acceptable levels. [source] Adolescent inhalant use, abuse and dependenceADDICTION, Issue 7 2009Brian E. Perron ABSTRACT Aims To compare adolescent inhalant users without DSM-IV inhalant use disorders (IUDs) to youth with IUDs (i.e. abuse or dependence) across demographic, psychosocial and clinical measures. Design Cross-sectional survey with structured psychiatric interviews. Setting Facilities (n = 32) comprising the Missouri Division of Youth Services (MDYS) residential treatment system for juvenile offenders. Participants Current MDYS residents (n = 723); 97.7% of residents participated. Most youth were male (87%) and in mid-adolescence (mean = 15.5 years, standard deviation = 1.2, range = 11,20); more than one-third (38.6%, n = 279) reported life-time inhalant use. Measurements Antisocial behavior, temperament, trauma-exposure, suicidality, psychiatric symptoms and substance-related problems. Findings Among life-time inhalant users, 46.9% met criteria for a life-time DSM-IV IUD (inhalant abuse = 18.6%, inhalant dependence = 28.3%). Bivariate analyses showed that, in comparison to non-users, inhalant users with and without an IUD were more likely to be Caucasian, live in rural or small towns, have higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, evidence more impulsive and fearless temperaments and report more past-year antisocial behavior and life-time suicidality, traumatic experiences and global substance use problems. A monotonic relationship between inhalant use, abuse and dependence and adverse outcomes was observed, with comparatively high rates of dysfunction observed among inhalant-dependent youth. Multivariate regression analyses showed that inhalant users with and without an IUD had greater levels of suicidal ideation and substance use problems than non-users. Conclusions Youth with IUDs have personal histories characterized by high levels of trauma, suicidality, psychiatric distress, antisocial behavior and substance-related problems. A monotonic relationship between inhalant use, abuse and dependence and serious adverse outcomes was observed. [source] A survey of tobacco dependence treatment services in 36 countriesADDICTION, Issue 2 2009Martin Raw ABSTRACT Aims This paper reports the results of a survey of national tobacco dependence treatment services in 36 countries. The objective was to describe the services and discuss the results in the context of Article 14 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which asks countries to promote adequate treatment for tobacco dependence. Design, setting and participants A questionnaire on tobacco dependence treatment services was e-mailed to a convenience sample of contacts in 2007. Completed questionnaires were received from contacts in 36 countries. Measurements The survey instrument was a 10-item questionnaire asking about treatment policy and practice, including medications. Findings According to our informants, fewer than half the countries in our survey had an official written policy on (44%), or a government official responsible for (49%), treatment. Only 19% had a specialized national treatment system and only 24% said help was easily available in general practice. Most countries (94%) allowed the sale of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion (75%) and varenicline (69%) but only 40% permitted NRT on ,general sale'. Very few countries responding to the question fully reimbursed any of the medications. Fewer than half (45%) fully reimbursed brief advice and only 29% fully reimbursed intensive specialist support. Only 31% of countries said that their official treatment policy included the mandatory recording of patients' smoking status in medical notes. Conclusion Taken together, our findings show that few countries have well-developed tobacco dependence treatment services and that, at a national level, treatment is not yet a priority in most countries. [source] Calibration and deployment of custom-designed bioreporters for protecting biological remediation consortia from toxic shockENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Siouxsie Wiles Summary We have previously described the development of a panel of site-specific lux -based bioreporters from an industrial wastewater treatment system remediating coking effluents. The Pseudomonad strains carry a stable chromosomal copy of the luxCDABE operon from Photorhabdus luminescens and display proportional responses in bioluminescence decay with increasing phenol concentration up to 800 mg l,1. In this work we describe their deployment to provide a strategic sensing network for protecting bacterial communities involved in the biological breakdown of coking effluents. This evaluation demonstrated the utility of strategic placement of reporters around heavy industry treatment systems and the reliability of the reporter strains under normal operational conditions. Mono-phenol or total phenolic variation within the treatment system accounted for >,65,80% of the luminescence response. The reporters exhibited stable luminescence output during normal operations with maximum standard deviations of luminescence over time of c. 5,15% depending on the treatment compartment. Furthermore, deployment of the bioreporters over a 5-month period allowed the determination of an operational range (OR) for each reporter for effluent samples from each compartment. The OR allowed a convenient measure of toxicity effects between treatment compartments and accurately reflected a specific pollution event occurring within compartments of the treatment system. This work demonstrates the utility of genetic modification to provide ecologically relevant bioreporters, extends the sensing capabilities currently obtained through marine derived biosensors and significantly enhances the potential for in situ deployment of reporting agents. [source] Investigation of an onsite wastewater treatment system in sandy soil: Site characterization and fate of anionic and nonionic surfactantsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2002Allen M. Nielsen Abstract This study reports on the fate of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), alcohol ethoxylate (AE), and alcohol ether sulfate (AES) surfactants in a home septic system near Jacksonville (FL, USA) that has been used since 1976. The drainfield at this site resides in fine sand (<6% silt and clay) with an unsaturated zone that ranges from 0 to 1.3 m. During the wettest times of the year, it is likely that effluent from the septic system passes directly into the groundwater without exposure to an unsaturated zone of soil. Groundwater was collected during two sampling events, representing seasonal high and low groundwater table levels, and analyzed for the surfactants LAS, AES, and AE. During the wet season, the unsaturated zone was approximately 0.01 m beneath the drainfield. During the dry season, the unsaturated zone was about 0.4 m below the drainfield. Alcohol ethoxylate was not detected in any groundwater samples during either sampling. Alcohol ether sulfate was not found in the dry season sampling, but traces of AES had migrated downgradient about 4.7 m horizontally and 1.8 m vertically in the wet season. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate was detected in some dry season samples and had moved downgradient some 11.7 m horizontally and 3.7 m vertically in the wet season. These observations demonstrate that these surfactants were removed to a great extent; otherwise, they would have traveled more than 260 m downgradient, which is the calculated distance that a conservative tracer like bromide would have moved downgradient over the life of the system. The most likely removal mechanisms for these surfactants were biodegradation and sorption. Therefore, this study indicates that LAS, AE, and AES are readily removed from groundwater in soils below septic system drainfields even in situations with minimal unsaturated soil zones. [source] Acute toxicity of heavy metals to acetate-utilizing mixed cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria: EC100 and EC50ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2001Vivek P. Utgikar Abstract Acid mine drainage from abandoned mines and acid mine pit lakes is an important environmental concern and usually contains appreciable concentrations of heavy metals. Because sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are involved in the treatment of acid mine drainage, knowledge of acute metal toxicity levels for SRB is essential for the proper functioning of the treatment system for acid mine drainage. Quantification of heavy metal toxicity to mixed cultures of SRB is complicated by the confounding effects of metal hydroxide and sulfide precipitation, biosorption, and complexation with the constituents of the reaction matrix. The objective of this paper was to demonstrate that measurements of dissolved metal concentrations could be used to determine the toxicity parameters for mixed cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria. The effective concentration, 100% (EC100), the lowest initial dissolved metal concentrations at which no sulfate reduction is observed, and the effective concentration, 50% (EC50), the initial dissolved metal concentrations resulting in a 50% decrease in sulfate reduction, for copper and zinc were determined in the present study by means of nondestructive, rapid physical and chemical analytical techniques. The reaction medium used in the experiments was designed specifically (in terms of pH and chemical composition) to provide the nutrients necessary for the sulfidogenic activity of the SRB and to preclude chemical precipitation of the metals under investigation. The toxicity-mitigating effects of biosorption of dissolved metals were also quantified. Anaerobic Hungate tubes were set up (at least in triplicate) and monitored for sulfate-reduction activity. The onset of SRB activity was detected by the blackening of the reaction mixture because of formation of insoluble ferrous sulfide. The EC100 values were found to be 12 mg/L for copper and 20 mg/L for zinc. The dissolved metal concentration measurements were effective as the indicators of the effect of the heavy metals at concentrations below EC100. The 7-d EC50 values obtained from the difference between the dissolved metal concentrations for the control tubes (tubes not containing copper or zinc) and tubes containing metals were found to be 10.5 mg/L for copper and 16.5 mg/L for zinc. Measurements of the turbidity and pH, bacterial population estimations by means of a most-probable number technique, and metal recovery in the sulfide precipitate were found to have only a limited applicability in these determinations. [source] Estimating diesel degradation rates from N2, O2 and CO2 concentration versus depth data in a loamy sandEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2007J. Van De Steene Summary The degradation rate of the pollutant is often an important parameter for designing and maintaining an active treatment system or for determining the rate of natural attenuation. A quasi-steady-state gas transport model based on Fick's law with a correction term for advective flux, for estimating diesel degradation rates from N2, O2 and CO2 concentration versus depth data, was evaluated in a laboratory column study. A loamy sand was spiked with diesel fuel at 0, 1000, 5000 and 10 000 mg kg,1 soil (dry weight basis) and incubated for 15 weeks. Soil gas was sampled weekly at 6 selected depths in the columns and analysed for O2, CO2 and N2 concentrations. The agreement between the measured and the modelled concentrations was good for the untreated soil (R2= 0.60) and very good for the soil spiked with 1000 mg kg,1 (R2= 0.96) and 5000 mg kg,1 (R2= 0.97). Oxygen consumption ranged from ,0.15 to ,2.25 mol O2 m,3 soil day,1 and CO2 production ranged from 0.20 to 2.07 mol CO2 m,3 soil day,1. A significantly greater mean O2 consumption (P < 0.001) and CO2 production (P < 0.005) over time was observed for the soils spiked with diesel compared with the untreated soil, which suggests biodegradation of the diesel substrate. Diesel degradation rates calculated from respiration data were 1.5,2.1 times less than the change in total petroleum hydrocarbon content. The inability of this study to correlate respiration data to actual changes in diesel concentration could be explained by volatilization, long-term sorption of diesel hydrocarbons to organic matter and incorporation of diesel hydrocarbons into microbial biomass, aspects of which require further investigation. [source] A reliability-based data treatment system for actual load historyFATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 10 2005J. J. XIONG ABSTRACT This paper seeks to establish an integrated and practical data treatment system for actual load history reliability analysis. A convergence,divergence counting procedure is presented to extract all load cycles from a load history of divergence,convergence waves. The lowest number of load history sampling is established on the basis of the damage-based prediction criterion. A parameter estimation formula is proposed for hypothesis testing of the load distribution. The examples of its application for the data treatment of actual load history are given. The proposed data treatment system has been shown to have valid and practical characteristics in analysing reliability results. [source] Permanganate Treatment of an Emplaced DNAPL SourceGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 4 2007Neil R. Thomson In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) using permanganate is one of the few promising technologies that have recently appeared with the capability of aggressively removing mass from nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source zones. While NAPL mass in regions of the treatment zone where delivery is dominated by advection can be removed rather quickly, the rate of mass removal from stagnant zones is diffusion controlled. This gives rise to partial mass removal and a concomitant reduction in the NAPL mass, downgradient ground water concentrations, and the dissolution rate associated with the source zone. Therefore, monitoring the performance of a permanganate ISCO treatment system is important to maintain the desired efficiency and to establish a treatment end point. In this paper, we illustrate the use of various monitoring approaches to assess the performance of a pilot-scale investigation that involved treatment of a multicomponent NAPL residual source zone with permanganate using a ground water recirculation system for 485 d. Ongoing treatment performance was assessed using permanganate and chloride concentration data obtained from extraction wells, 98 piezometers located approximately 1 m downgradient from the source, and ground water profiling. At the completion of treatment, 23 intact soil cores were extracted from the source zone and used to determine the remaining NAPL mass and manganese deposition. Based on the data collected, more than 99% of the initial NAPL mass was removed during treatment; however, remnant NAPL was sufficient to generate a small but measurable dissolved phase trichloroethene (TCE) and perchloroethene (PCE) plume. As a result of treatment, the ambient-gradient discharge rates were reduced by 99% for TCE and 89% for PCE relative to baseline conditions. The lack of complete source zone oxidation was presumed to be the result of dissolution fingers, which channeled the permanganate solution through the source zone preventing direct contact with the NAPL and giving rise to diffusion-limited mass removal. [source] Pearls From an Inpatient Headache UnitHEADACHE, Issue 6 2008Joel R. Saper MD Much can be learned from treating over 15,000 headache hospitalized patients over the course of 30 years. By the very need to be admitted, these individuals are complicated, both physiologically and often psychologically. Founded in 1978, the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute and its hospital unit developed a set of criteria for admission and a growing staff of professionals to serve this complex population of patients. Experience has taught us many lessons; several are considered in this review. Among the important topics discussed are: admission criteria to the hospital unit; treatment protocols and other hospital-based strategies; integration of behavioral therapy and therapists into the treatment system; diagnostic testing of patients with intractable headache; identifying the "problem patient" and "medication misuse" early in the course of therapy; approaching the headache patient with cluster B personality disorder; and the use of interventional and anesthesiological treatment for intractable headache. Outcome data and a review of recent publications are presented. [source] The fate of stormwater-associated bacteria in constructed wetland and water pollution control pond systemsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2000C.M. Davies The performances of a constructed wetland and a water pollution control pond were compared in terms of their abilities to reduce stormwater bacterial loads to recreational waters. Concentrations of thermotolerant coliforms, enterococci and heterotrophic bacteria were determined in inflow and outflow samples collected from each system over a 6-month period. Bacterial removal was significantly less effective in the water pollution control pond than in the constructed wetland. This was attributed to the inability of the pond system to retain the fine clay particles (< 2 µm) to which the bacteria were predominantly adsorbed. Sediment microcosm survival studies showed that the persistence of thermotolerant coliforms was greater in the pond sediments than in the wetland sediments, and that predation was a major factor influencing bacterial survival. The key to greater bacterial longevity in the pond sediments appeared to be the adsorption of bacteria to fine particles, which protected them from predators. These observations may significantly affect the choice of treatment system for effective stormwater management. [source] Removal of H2S and volatile organic sulfur compounds by silicone membrane extractionJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2009I. Manconi Abstract BACKGROUND: This study explores an alternative process for the abatement and/or desulfurization of H2S and volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSC) containing waste streams, which employs a silicone-based membrane to simultaneously remove H2S and VOSC. An extractive membrane reactor allows the selective withdrawal of VOSC and H2S simultaneously from the waste stream, while preventing direct contact between the waste stream and the absorbing solution and/or the biological treatment system. The influence of the sulfur compounds, membrane characteristics, extractant and pH was studied. RESULTS: Sulfide and the VOCS studied, i.e. methanethiol (MT), ethanethiol (ET) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) were removed from the synthetic wastewater using a silicone rubber membrane. Methanethiol showed the highest (8.72 × 10,6 m s,1) overall mass transfer coefficient (kov) and sulfide the lowest kov value (1.23 × 10,6 m s,1). Adsorption of the VOCS into the silicone membrane reduced the overall mass transfer coefficient. The kov when using Fe(III)EDTA, as extractant (5.81 × 10,7 m s,1) for sulfide extraction was one order of magnitude lower than with anaerobic water (2.54 × 10,6 m s,1). On the other hand, the sulfide removal efficiency with Fe(III)EDTA, was higher (84%) compared with anaerobic water (60%) as extractant. An additional mass transfer resistance was formed by elemental sulfur which remained attached to the membrane surface. CONCLUSIONS: Extraction of sulfide and VOCS from a synthetic wastewater solution through a silicone rubber membrane is a feasible process as alternative to the techniques developed to treat VOSC emissions. Optimizing the aqueous absorption liquid can increase the efficiency of extraction based processes. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Titration methodologies for monitoring of anaerobic digestion in developing countries,a reviewJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2004O Lahav Abstract An increase in volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration (or the proportional decrease in carbonate alkalinity concentration) is the first practical measurable indication that an anaerobic treatment system is in a state of stress. If the system is not rectified at this early stage, failure is likely. Current methods for VFA measurement include distillation, colorimetry, gas chromatography and various titration techniques. In terms of simplicity, speed and cost-effectiveness it is generally accepted that titration methods are superior for the purpose of on-site routine monitoring and control, particularly in developing countries. This paper reviews the methods published in the last four decades concerning on-site titration measurement of VFA and carbonate alkalinity concentrations. The review encompasses the following: aquatic chemistry related to the theory on which most of the methods are based, and a detailed description of each of the principal methods published followed by critical and comparative evaluation. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Development of a Steam Treatment to Eliminate Listeria monocytogenes From King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2002P.J. Bremer ABSTRACT: A pilot plant steam treatment system was developed to reduce L. monocytogenes contamination on exterior surfaces of King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha prior to processing. Numbers of surviving L. monocytogenes cells on the surface were determined using an enrichment-based Most Probable Number (MPN) technique. Inoculated L. monocytogenes cells were not recovered from the surface of salmon after exposure to the steam treatment for 8 sec. A 4-log reduction in L. monocytogenes numbers was obtained. Treated salmon could be processed into a high-yielding, high-quality cold smoked product. An in-plant system was subsequently shown to reduce "naturally" occurring L. monocytogenes numbers and produce a high quality final product. [source] Biological treatment of textile dye Acid violet-17 by bacterial consortium in an up-flow immobilized cell bioreactorLETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2004D.K. Sharma Abstract Aims:, To develop a cost effective and efficient biological treatment process for small scale textile processing industries (TPI) releasing untreated effluents containing intense coloured Acid violet-17 (AV-17), a triphenyl methane (TPM) group textile dye. Methods and Results:, The samples collected from effluent disposal sites of TPI were used for selective enrichment of microbial populations capable of degrading/decolourizing AV-17. A consortium of five bacterial isolates was used to develop an up-flow immobilized cell bioreactor for treatment of feed containing AV-17. The bioreactor, operating at a flow rate of 6 ml h,1, resulted in 91% decolourization of 30 mg AV-17/l with 94·3 and 95·7% removal of biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand of the feed. Comparison of the input and output of the bioreactor by UV-visible, thin layer chromatography and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicates conversion of the parent dye into unrelated metabolic intermediates. Significance:, These results will form a basis for developing ,on-site' treatment system for TPI effluents to achieve decolourization and degradation of residual dyes. [source] Effects of hydrostatic pressure, agitation and CO2 stress on Phytophthora nicotianae zoospore survivalPEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 7 2010Monday O Ahonsi Abstract BACKGROUND:Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan is a common pathogen of ornamental plants in recycled irrigation systems. In a previous study, annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus Don) inoculated with zoospore suspensions using a CO2 -pressurized sprayer had less foliage blight than plants inoculated using a hand sprayer. Here, the impact of hydrostatic pressure, agitation and aeration with CO2 on the survival of P. nicotianae zoospores was examined. RESULTS: Exposure of zoospores to 840 kPa hydrostatic pressure for 8 min or agitation at a mixing intensity (G) of 6483 s,1 for 4 min at 22,23 °C did not kill zoospores, but resulted in viable cysts. Motile and forcefully encysted zoospores of P. nicotianae were equally infectious on vinca or lupine (Lupinus polyphylus Lindl.). Bubbling CO2 into zoospore-infested water at 110.4 mL (0.2 g) min,1 for 5 min caused 81% reduction in the number of germinated zoospores. Pressure at 630 kPa (16.3 g CO2) or 70 kPa (3.85 g CO2) facilitated CO2 injection and shortened the zoospore inactivation time to 30 s. When air was bubbled through the suspension, germination was similar to the control. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to CO2 killed P. nicotianae zoospores in water. Neither pressure nor agitation had an effect on zoospore viability or infectivity. Based on results of this study, the authors designed a recycling CO2 water treatment system that is currently under evaluation. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Case study of ex situ remediation and conversion to a combined in situ/ex situ bioremediation approach at an oxygenated gasoline release siteREMEDIATION, Issue 2 2007Armand A. Juneau Jr. In response to an oxygenated gasoline release at a gas station site in New Hampshire, a temporary treatment system consisting of a single bedrock extraction well, a product recovery pump, an air stripper, and carbon polishing units was installed. However, this system was ineffective at removing tertiary butyl alcohol from groundwater. The subsequent remedial system design featured multiple bedrock extraction wells and an ex situ treatment system that included an air stripper, a fluidized bed bioreactor, and carbon polishing units. Treated effluent was initially discharged to surface water. Periodic evaluation of the remediation system performance led to system modifications, which included installing an additional extraction well to draw contaminated groundwater away from an on-site water supply well, adding an iron and manganese pretreatment system, and discharge of treated effluent to an on-site drywell. Later, the air stripper and carbon units were eliminated, and an infiltration gallery was installed to receive treated, oxygenated effluent in order to promote flushing of the smear zone and in situ bioremediation in the source area. This article discusses the design, operation, performance, and modifications to the remediation system over time, and provides recommendations for similar sites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] In-Situ and Ex-Situ Bioremediation Options for Treating Perchlorate in GroundwaterREMEDIATION, Issue 2 2002Paul B. Hatzinger Perchlorate has been identified as a water contaminant in 14 states, including California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Texas, and current estimates suggest that the compound may affect the drinking water of as many as 15 million people. Biological treatment represents the most-favorable technology for the effective and economical removal of perchlorate from water. Biological fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) have been tested successfully at the pilot scale for perchlorate treatment at several sites, and two full-scale FBR systems are currently treating perchlorate-contaminated groundwater in California and Texas. A third full-scale treatment system is scheduled for start-up in early 2002. The in-situ treatment of perchlorate through addition of specific electron donors to groundwater also appears to hold promise as a bioremediation technology. Recent studies suggest that perchlorate-reducing bacteria are widely occurring in nature, including in groundwater aquifers, and that these organisms can be stimulated to degrade perchlorate to below the current analytical reporting limit (< 4 ,g/l) in many instances. In this article, in-situ and ex-situ options for biological treatment of perchlorate-contaminated groundwater are discussed and results from laboratory and field experiments are presented. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] A Preliminary Report of Knowledge Translation: Lessons From Taking Screening and Brief Intervention Techniques From the Research Setting Into Regional Systems of CareACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2009Edward Bernstein MD Abstract This article describes a limited statewide dissemination of an evidence-based technology, screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), and evaluation of the effects on emergency department (ED) systems of care, utilizing the knowledge translation framework of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM), using both quantitative and qualitative data sources. Screening and brief intervention (SBI) can detect high-risk and dependent alcohol and drug use in the medical setting, provide early intervention, facilitate access to specialty treatment when appropriate, and improve quality of care. Several meta-analyses demonstrate its effectiveness in primary care, and the federal government has developed a well-funded campaign to promote physician training and adoption of SBI. In the busy environment of the ED, with its competing priorities, researchers have tested a collaborative approach that relies on peer educators, with substance abuse treatment experience and broad community contact, as physician extenders. The ED-SBIRT model of care reflects clinician staff time constraints and resource limitations and is designed for the high rates of prevalence and increased acuity typical of ED patients. This report tracks services provided during dissemination of the ED-SBIRT extender model to seven EDs across a northeastern state, in urban, suburban, and rural community settings. Twelve health promotion advocates (HPAs) were hired, trained, and integrated into seven ED teams. Over an 18-month start-up period, HPAs screened 15,383 patients; of those, 4,899 were positive for high risk or dependent drinking and/or drug use. Among the positive screens, 4,035 (82%) received a brief intervention, and 57% of all positives were referred to the substance abuse treatment system and other community resources. Standardized, confidential interviews were conducted by two interviewers external to the program with 24 informants, including HPAs and their supervisors, clinicians, nurse managers, and ED directors across five sites. A detailed semistructured format was followed, and results were coded for thematic material. Barriers, challenges, and successes are described in the respondents' own words to convey their experience of this demonstration of SBIRT knowledge translation. Five of seven sites were sustained through the second year of the program, despite cutbacks in state funding. The dissemination process provided a number of important lessons for a large rollout. Successful implementation of the ED-SBIRT HPA model depends on 1) external funding for start-up; 2) local ED staff acting as champions to support the HPA role, resolve territorial issues, and promote a cultural shift in the ED treatment of drug and alcohol misuse from "treat and street" to prevention, based on a knowledge of the science of addiction; 3) sustainability planning from the beginning involving administrators, the billing and information technology departments, medical records coders, community service providers, and government agencies; and 4) creation and maintenance of a robust referral network to facilitate patient acceptance and access to substance abuse services. [source] Carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus removal and biofilm growth characteristics in an integrated wastewater treatment system involving a rotating biological contactorASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2009Angelo H. Cabije Abstract A new rotating biological contactor-packed media technology (RBC-PMT) is locally innovated using light polyethylene Amazon screen material as disc media. A single-stage co-current fed of this type, which is connected with a series of equalization tanks as an integrated wastewater treatment system (IWWTS), showed good carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus (C-N-P) removal and unveiled biofilm growth characteristics noteworthy for treating pollutants in wastewater. The equalization tanks approached facultative anaerobic conditions while the RBC-PMT exhibited a completely aerated system, both with a slightly alkaline pH, whose temperatures are ranging from 21 to 24 °C, and both performed as biological nutrient removal systems. The combined nutrient removal efficiency at high organic loading rate (HOLR) and low organic loading rate (LOLR) showed fair chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal at 65.68 and 67.89%, respectively. Nitrate-nitrogen removal demonstrated good removal at 79.17% at HOLR and 83.43% at LOLR. There was excellent phosphate-phosphorus removal determined at 91.64 and 94.35% at high and low OLRs, respectively. This indicates that increasing the organic loading rate decreases the C-N-P removal in the IWWTS. Biofilm growth was characterized by the selection and survival of microorganisms present under aerobic environmental conditions in the RBC-PMT system and their respective metabolism in removing C-N-P substrates. Yeasts, coliform bacteria particularly E. coli, Cyanobacteria, and benthic diatoms were dominant microorganisms found upon oil-immersion microscopy. Protozoans and algae including Chlorococcum, Chlorella, Diatoma, Tribonema, Oscillatoria, Euglena, and other motile rotifiers were also dominantly found in the biofilm samples. Biofilm growth is observed and its average thickness was measured to be 7.71 µm at HOLR and 2.81 µm at LOLR. Thicker biofilm at HOLR has caused the reduced rate of diffusion of the microorganisms and their metabolic products as manifested by the low C-N-P removal during HOLR. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Fast-tracking implementation through trial design: the case of buprenorphine treatment in VictoriaAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Gabriele Bammer Abstract Objectives: We investigated how a randomised controlled trial (RCT) could be designed to incorporate features known or thought likely to enhance the uptake of the new treatment into clinical practice post-trial. Method and Results: Between 1999 and 2001, we trialled buprenorphine treatment for heroin dependence in community settings throughout Victoria, using 28 experienced methadone prescribers and 34 pharmacists across 19 sites. In this case study, we describe how we incorporated seven features considered important in treatment uptake: skilled and experienced practitioners, government and policy support, incentives to prescribe the new treatment, specialist support services, clinical guidelines, training programs and patient involvement and information. We also present information showing that uptake of buprenorphine treatment was substantially boosted in Victoria compared with other Australian jurisdictions immediately after the trial in 2001 and that this increase was sustained until at least 2006. Conclusion: While we cannot prove that our trial design was responsible for the increased uptake of buprenorphine treatment in Victoria, we do show that design has been a neglected aspect of clinical trials in terms of enhancing post-trial uptake of the treatment being tested. Implications: Those interested in closing the ,know-do' gap between research and practice may wish to further explore this very promising lead. Imaginative linking of features known to enhance treatment uptake to pressing research questions may lead to new information on efficacy, as well as getting valuable drugs into the treatment system more rapidly. [source] Analysis of a Microbial Community Oxidizing Inorganic Sulfide and MercaptansBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 4 2001Kathleen E. Duncan Successful treatment of refinery spent-sulfidic caustic (which results from the addition of sodium hydroxide solutions to petroleum refinery waste streams) was achieved in a bioreactor containing an enrichment culture immobilized in organic polymer beads with embedded powdered activated carbon (Bio-Sep). The aerobic enrichment culture had previously been selected using a gas mixture of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan (MeSH) as the sole carbon and energy sources. The starting cultures for the enrichment consisted of several different Thiobacillispp. (T. thioparus, T. denitrificans, T. thiooxidans, and T.neopolitanus), as well as activated sludge from a refinery aerobic wastewater treatment system and sludge from an industrial anaerobic digester. Microscopic examination (light and SEM) of the beads and of microbial growth on the walls of the bioreactor revealed a great diversity of microorganisms. Further characterization was undertaken starting with culturable aerobic heterotrophic microorganisms (sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA coding for 16S rRNA, Gram staining) and by PCR amplification of DNA coding for 16S rRNA extracted directly from the cell mass, followed by the separation of the PCR products by DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis). Eight prominent bands from the DGGE gel were sequenced and found to be closest to sequences of uncultured Cytophagales (3 bands),Gram-positive cocci (Micrococcineae), , proteobacteria (3 bands), and an unidentified , proteobacterium. Culturable microbes included several genera of fungi as well as various Gram-positive and Gram-negative heterotrophic bacteria not seen in techniques using direct DNA extraction. [source] A MATLAB toolbox for solving acid-base chemistry problems in environmental engineering applicationsCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 4 2005Chetan T. Goudar Abstract A MATLAB toolbox incorporating several computer programs has been developed in an attempt to automate laborious calculations in acid-base chemistry. Such calculations are routinely used in several environmental engineering applications including the design of wastewater treatment systems and for predicting contaminant fate and transport in the subsurface. The computer programs presented in this study do not replace student thinking involved in formulating the problem solving strategy but are merely tools that simplify the actual problem solving process. They encompass a wide variety of acid-base chemistry topics including equilibrium constant calculations, construction of distribution diagrams for mono and multiprotic systems, ionic strength and activity coefficient calculations, and buffer index calculations. All programs are characterized by an intuitive graphical user interface where the user supplies input information. Program outputs are either numerical or graphical depending upon the nature of the problem. The application of this approach to solving actual acid-base chemistry problems is illustrated by computing the pH and equilibrium composition of a 0.1 M Na2CO3 system at 30°C using several programs in the toolbox. As these programs simplify lengthy computations such as ionization fraction and activity coefficient calculations, it is hoped they will help bring more complicated problems to the environmental engineering classroom and enhance student understanding of important concepts that are applicable to real-world systems. The programs are available free of charge for academic use from the authors. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 13: 257,265, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20051 [source] Case studies of tobacco dependence treatment in Brazil, England, India, South Africa and UruguayADDICTION, Issue 10 2010Martin Raw ABSTRACT Aims The aims of this study are to describe the tobacco dependence treatment systems in five countries at different stages of development of their systems, and from different income levels and regions of the world, and to draw some lessons from their experiences that might be useful to other countries. Methods and data sourses Data were drawn from an earlier survey of treatment services led by M.R. and A.M., from Party reports to the Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and from correspondents in the five countries. These data were entered onto a standard template by the authors, discussed with the correspondents to ensure they were accurate and to help us interpret them, and then the templates were used as a basis to write prose descriptions of the countries' treatment systems, with additional summary data presented in tables. Results Two of the middle-income countries have based their treatment on specialist support and both consequently have very low population coverage for treatment. Two countries have integrated broad-reach approaches, such as brief advice with intensive specialist support; these countries are focusing currently upon monitoring performance and guaranteeing quality. Cost is a significant barrier to improving treatment coverage and highlights the importance of using existing infrastucture as much as possible. Conclusions Perhaps not surprisingly the greatest challenges appear to be faced by large, lower-income countries that have prioritized more intensive but low-reach approaches to treatment, rather than developing basic infrastructure, including brief advice in primary care and quitlines. [source] Calibration and deployment of custom-designed bioreporters for protecting biological remediation consortia from toxic shockENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Siouxsie Wiles Summary We have previously described the development of a panel of site-specific lux -based bioreporters from an industrial wastewater treatment system remediating coking effluents. The Pseudomonad strains carry a stable chromosomal copy of the luxCDABE operon from Photorhabdus luminescens and display proportional responses in bioluminescence decay with increasing phenol concentration up to 800 mg l,1. In this work we describe their deployment to provide a strategic sensing network for protecting bacterial communities involved in the biological breakdown of coking effluents. This evaluation demonstrated the utility of strategic placement of reporters around heavy industry treatment systems and the reliability of the reporter strains under normal operational conditions. Mono-phenol or total phenolic variation within the treatment system accounted for >,65,80% of the luminescence response. The reporters exhibited stable luminescence output during normal operations with maximum standard deviations of luminescence over time of c. 5,15% depending on the treatment compartment. Furthermore, deployment of the bioreporters over a 5-month period allowed the determination of an operational range (OR) for each reporter for effluent samples from each compartment. The OR allowed a convenient measure of toxicity effects between treatment compartments and accurately reflected a specific pollution event occurring within compartments of the treatment system. This work demonstrates the utility of genetic modification to provide ecologically relevant bioreporters, extends the sensing capabilities currently obtained through marine derived biosensors and significantly enhances the potential for in situ deployment of reporting agents. [source] Industrial wastewater treatment in a membrane bioreactor: A reviewENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 1 2004B. Marrot Abstract This paper provides a detailed literature review of wastewater treatment in a membrane bioreactor process (MBR) with special focus on industrial wastewater treatment. MBR systems are compared with conventional wastewater treatment systems. The characteristics of the bioreactor treatment process (biomass concentration and floc size, organic and mass loading rates, etc.) are examined. The membrane separation of microorganisms from the treated wastewater is discussed in detail. Problems of membrane fouling and membrane washing and regeneration, linked to activated sludge characteristics, are examined. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 23: 59,68, 2004 [source] Effects of the herbicide hexazinone on nutrient cycling in a low-pH blueberry soilENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2004D. M. Vienneau Abstract The herbicide hexazinone was applied as the commercial formulation Velpar® L at field-rate (FR) concentrations of FR (14.77 ,g ai g,1), FR×5 (73.85 ,g ai g,1), FR×10 (147.70 ,g ai g,1), FR×50 (738.50 ,g ai g,1), and FR×100 (1477.00 ,g ai g,1) to acidic soil, pH 4.12, taken from a lowbush blueberry field. Hexazinone was tested for inhibitory effects on various transformations of the nitrogen cycle and soil respiration. Nitrogen fixation was unaffected by hexazinone levels up to FR×100 following a 4-week incubation period. Ammonification was initially inhibited by all levels of hexazinone, but after 4 weeks, ammonification in all treatment systems was equal to or greater than the control. Nitrification was more sensitive to hexazinone; however, application at a field-rate level caused no inhibition. Inhibitory effects were noted above FR after a 2-month endpoint analysis and above FR×5 after a 6-month endpoint analysis. Hexazinone concentrations up to and including FR×100 stimulated denitrification. Soil respiration was also stimulated over a 3-week period when applied at a level up to 100 times the recommended field rate. In general, it was found that when applied at the recommended field application rate, hexazinone does not adversely affect the nitrogen cycle or soil respiration in acidic lowbush blueberry soils. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 115,122, 2004 [source] Pulp and paper mill effluents induce distinct gene expression changes linked to androgenic and estrogenic responses in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2010Julieta Werner Abstract Although effluent treatment systems within pulp and paper mills remove many toxicants and improve wastewater quality, there is a need to understand and quantify the effectiveness of the treatment process. At a combined news and kraft pulp and paper mill in northwestern Ontario, Canada, fathead minnow (FHM) reproduction and physiology were examined before, during, and after a short-term (6-d) exposure to 10% (v/v) untreated kraft mill effluent (UTK), 25% (v/v) secondary treated kraft mill effluent (TK), and 100% (v/v) combined mill outfall (CMO). Although UTK exposure significantly decreased egg production, neither TK nor CMO caused any reproductive changes. The expression of six genes responsive to endocrine-disrupting compounds, stress, or metals was then examined in livers of these fish using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In female FHMs, none of the three effluents induced significant expression changes in any genes investigated. By contrast, in males there were significant increases in the mRNA levels of androgen receptor, estrogen receptor (ER) ,, and cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) upon UTK and TK exposure but no changes in ER, or vitellogenin (VTG) gene expression, whereas CMO exposure significantly increased the mRNA levels of ER,, VTG, and CYP1A. Together, these results suggest that kraft effluent before and after biological treatment contained compounds able to induce androgenic effects in FHMs, and that combination of kraft and newsmill effluents eliminated the androgenic compounds while inducing distinct and significant patterns of gene expression changes that were likely due to estrogenic compounds produced by the newsmill. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:430,439. © 2009 SETAC [source] Measurement of Henry's law constant for methyl tert -butyl ether using solid-phase microextractionENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2001Britta G. Bierwagen Abstract Increasing groundwater contamination with methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) requires more efficient remediation technologies. Accurate measurement of MTBE's air,water partitioning coefficient (Henry's law constant, H) is important for the design and optimization of removal efficiency for many treatment systems as well as for predicting its fate and transport. Previously published data for MTBE appear to have some unusual nonlinearity at lower temperatures (15,30°C), and a wide range of values exists for dimensionless H at 25°C, from 0.0216 to 0.1226 in the published literature. We measured H for MTBE using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and a static method that considers equilibrium partitioning in a closed system, for temperatures between 15 and 40°C. To validate our methods, we measured H for benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene and compared our results to previously published values, with excellent agreement. The Arrhenius plot for MTBE indicates that ln(HMBTE) = 6.85,2,900 T,1, with T in K. At 25°C, HMBTE = 0.0555 ± 0.0122. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||