Potential application of high pressure carbon dioxide in treated wastewater and water disinfection: Recent overview and further trends

Recently emerging disadvantages in conventional disinfection have heightened the need for finding a new solution. Developments in the use of high pressure carbon dioxide for food preservation and sterilization have led to a renewed interest in its applicability in wastewater treatment and water disinfection. Pressurized CO₂ is one of the most investigated methods of antibacterial treatment and has been used extensively for decades to inhibit pathogens in dried food and liquid products. This study reviews the literature concerning the utility of CO₂ as a disinfecting agent, and the pathogen inactivation mechanism of CO₂ treatment is evaluated based on all available research. In this paper, it will be argued that the successful application and high effectiveness of CO₂ treatment in liquid foods open a potential opportunity for its use in wastewater treatment and water disinfection. The findings from models with different operating conditions (pressure, temperature, microorganism, water content, media …) suggest that most microorganisms are successfully inhibited under CO₂ treatment. It will also be shown that the bacterial deaths under CO₂ treatment can be explained by many different mechanisms. Moreover, the findings in this study can help to address the recently emerging problems in water disinfection, such as disinfection by-products (resulting from chlorination or ozone treatment).     

Rice straw-base power generation: a potential and economic cost–benefit analysis for a small power plant (10 MWe) in Vietnam

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The main objective of the study is to explore the economic feasibility of power generation from rice straw, a potential biomass energy resource, in...     

A dynamic simulation of methane fermentation process receiving heterogeneous food wastes and modelling acidic failure

Microbial response on volatile fatty acids (VFAs) is a key for methane fermentation processes since accumulation of VFAs often causes an acidic failure, especially treating such organics as food wastes composed of mostly readily biodegradable materials. To evaluate the impact of VFA accumulation, a lab-scale continuous experiment was performed for 110 days with sequential feeding of heterogeneous food wastes. When the volumetric loading rate was increased from 6 to 8 kg-COD/m³/day, a sudden decrease of methane production was observed with an accumulation of acetate and propionate in the fermenter. After discontinuation of feeding for 10 days, the digestate in the fermenter was centrifuged and washed with tap water to reduce the VFAs to be acceptable concentration below 1000 mg-COD/L. Nevertheless, no recovery of methane production was observed and VFA concentrations consistently increased. To model the event, a modification of ADM1 was made assuming the methanogens in the fermenter were irreversibly inactivated under very high VFA. Also considering the different nature of the fed food wastes over 11 samples, decomposition kinetics of individual food wastes were manipulated. The modified ADM1 with methanogenic activity decay reasonably reproduced the responses for soluble material concentrations and methane gas production rate over the experimental period.     

Current and future solid waste management system in Northern Viet Nam with focus on Ha Noi: climate change effects and landfill management

The contribution investigates the solid waste management system in Ha Noi under consideration of the interrelation between climate change effects and landfill management by means of a cause-and-effect-analysis as well as water balances using the HELP 3.95 model and gas emission data, followed by a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis. Even landfills are sources of methane (CH₄) emissions they are also impacted by climate change. The main effects on landfill sites are the change of climatic conditions, namely the regional water balance, extreme precipitation and storm events. The results of the water balance model results show that a geomembrane surface sealing can reduce the leachate formation significantly, a fact that is also valid for the climate change scenario with higher precipitation. The risk of flooding and erosion at the landfill sites increases, which will require a customized water management. In parallel landfill gas offers the opportunity for recovery of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and the generation of renewable energy. Some further management options are wind turbines, photovoltaic systems or biomass for biogas conversion, which was grown on closed landfill sites. The inclusion of climate friendly management options of closed landfills in a “Good Landfill Aftercare Practice” is recommended.     

Ignition and burning rates of segregated waste combustion in packed beds

Recent developments in national recycling and re-use programmes for municipal waste have led to segregation of an increasing proportion of waste to enhance material recovery. Several of the segregated streams contain materials that can not viably be re-used or recycled but can be used for energy recovery. In this study, the combustion of cardboard and waste wood was investigated in a small-scale packed bed reactor in order to provide fundamental data for the design/operation of moving bed furnaces. Key parameters of combustion including the ignition and burning rates were evaluated for various air flowrates and compared to the modelling results. Two successive stages of combustion were identified for both samples: the propagation of ignition front into the bed and combustion of the fuel above the ignition front. The burning rate of cardboard reached a peak of about 300 kg/m(2)h at the air flowrate of 936 kg/m(2)h and decreased at higher air flowrates. For waste wood, both the ignition and burning rates increased in the tested range of the air flowrate up to 702 kg/m(2)h, of which the values were very close to those for the cardboard. The model prediction was in good agreement with the test results for waste wood. However, the burning rate for cardboard was under-predicted due to strongly irregular shapes of the fuel.     

含多种分布式电源的微电网分层控制策略

随着分布式电源接入微电网数量的增加,微电网系统的稳定性受到了很大的影响;微电源的运行特性及控制方法、微电源的接人点和容量、微电网运行方式和控制方法、电力电子装置、储能设备和负荷特性等都会影响到电能质量。为了改善微电网的电能质量,提出了包括上层中心控制器及下层分布式电源信息交互的微电网分层控制策略。微电网中的分布式电源控制由下垂控制、功率控制、电压和电流控制组成。通过Matlab/simulink仿真,对微电网运行中各分布式电源的功率、电压和频率的变化规律进行了分析。仿真结果表明:分层控制策略能使各分布式电源之间较好地协调,满足了改善电能质量的要求。     

微电网中典型分布式电源建模及控制策略研究

为了实现对微电网的电压与功率的控制,针对微电源类型的差异性,通过对光伏及燃料电池等分布式电源建立数学模型并进行仿真分析,研究其对微电网的影响。提出了基于电压外环、电流内环和功率环等反馈控制器和改进的下垂控制方法的微电网分布式电源分层控制策略。利用 Matlab/simulink 仿真系统,通过在并网和孤岛两种模式中微电网的运行特性及各分布式电源在不同工作环境下微电网的功率、频率和电压曲线的变化规律的分析,验证了分层控制策略的有效性。结果表明:分层控制策略能够使各分布式电源之间较好地协调,满足微电网对其运行稳定性和电能质量的要求。     

Measuring water resource use efficiency of the Dong Nai River Basin (Vietnam): an application of the two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA)

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The recent growth of agriculture, industry and urban areas in Vietnam requires a large amount of water consumption as a production factor. This paper...     

滴水湖水系沉积物中多环芳烃的分布及风险评价

2012年,每两个月采集一次上海人工滩涂湖泊——滴水湖水系表层沉积物,检测16种多环芳烃(PAHs)含量.结果表明,滴水湖水系∑PAHs变化范围为74.03~579.20ng/g,平均值为272.55ng/g.其中,闸外引水河[(407.64±6.90)ng/g]≈闸内引水河[(427.99±213.84)ng/g]>滴水湖[(156.33±62.00)ng/g].研究区各点蒽/(蒽+菲)比值均大于0.1,说明PAHs主要来自于石油燃烧源.生态风险评价表明,滴水湖水系沉积物PAHs不存在严重的生态风险,但闸外和闸内引水河沉积物PAHs存在较低几率的潜在风险,湖区沉积物PAHs则无潜在风险.     

Changes in motorcycle-related injuries and deaths after mandatory motorcycle helmet law in a district of Vietnam

Objective: Our study measured the change in head injuries and deaths among motorcycle users in Cu Chi district, a suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City.

Methods: Hospital records for road traffic injuries (RTIs) were collected from the Cu Chi Trauma Centre and motorcycle-related death records were obtained from mortality registries in commune health offices. Head injury severity was categorized using the Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS). Rate ratios (RRs) were used to compare rates pre- and post-law (2005/2006–2009/2010). Cu Chi's population, stratified by year, age, and sex, was used as the denominator.

Results: Of records identifying the transportation mode at the time of injury, motorcyclists accounted for most injuries (3,035, 87%) and deaths (238, 90%). Head injuries accounted for 70% of motorcycle-related hospitalizations. Helmet use was not recorded in any death records and not in 97% of medical records. Males accounted for most injuries (73%) and deaths (88%). The median age was 28 years and 32 years for injuries and deaths, respectively. Compared to the pre-law period, rates of motorcycle injuries (RR = 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49–0.58), head injuries (RR = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.31–0.39), severe head injuries (RR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.34–0.63), and deaths (RR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53–0.89) significantly decreased in the post-law period.

Conclusions: Rates of head injuries and deaths among motorcycle riders decreased significantly after implementation of the mandatory helmet law in Vietnam. To further examine the impact of the motorcycle helmet law, including compliance and helmet quality, further emphasis should be placed on gathering helmet use data from injured motorcyclists.