A series of resonant column and torsional shear (RCTS) and large scale resonant column (LSRC) tests were performed to investigate the dynamic properties (shear modulus and material damping ratio) of municipal solid waste (MSW). the MSW materials were recovered from the Tri-Cities landfill adjacent to the San Francisco Bay in California. A total of 30 specimens 2.8-in. (71.1-mm) and 6.0-in. (152.4-mm) of old, fresh, and mixed MSW were reconstituted in accordance with established sample preparation procedures. Ten of specimens were small-diameter (2.8-in. (71.1-mm)) RCTS specimen and 20 specimens were larger (6.0-in. (152.4-mm)) LSRC specimens. Dynamic laboratory measurements were performed in the linear and nonlinear strain ranges. Test parameters affecting the dynamic properties in the linear range included: (1) duration of confinement, (2) isotropic total confining pressure, [sigma]o, (3) excitation frequency, f, and (4) specimen size. Other test parameters affecting dynamic properties in the nonlinear strain range were: (1) shearing strain amplitude, [gamma], (2) isotropic total confining pressure, (3) overconsolidation ratio, (4) number of loading cycles, and (5) excitation frequency. In addition, the effects on dynamic properties of MSW specimens of material parameters such as (1) waste composition, (2) water content, (3) unit weight of waste, and (4) particle size were evaluated. The total unit weights of old, fresh, and mixed MSW specimens were estimated during testing in the RCTS and LSRC devices. These estimated total unit weights in the laboratory were compared with those measured at other MSW landfills and were found to generally be less than the field measurements. At a given [sigma]o, Gmax decreases with decreasing weight percentage of soil-size (passing the 3/4-in. (19.1-mm) sieve) material. However, Dmin increases slightly with decreasing weight percentage of soil-size material. Another relationship was developed between estimated total unit weight, [gamma]t, and confining pressure, including weigh percentage of soil-size material. The Vs profiles of old, fresh, and mixed MSW specimens obtained in the laboratory tests were compared with those measured at other MSW landfills in situ. The 62 to 76% soil-size material groups are in good agreement with in-situ Vs profiles. The variation in normalized shear modulus and material damping ratio curves were patterned after the Darendeli model (2001) for different weight percentages of soilsize material. An empirical relationship between normalized shear modulus (G/Gmax) and modified material damping ratio (D-Dmin) was developed in the nonlinear strain range. As part of collaborative research project, nonlinear shear modulus reduction and material damping curves generated by The University of Texas at Austin (UT) and The University of California at Berkeley (UCB) were compared according to different weight percentages of soil-size material. Furthermore, nonlinear shear modulus reduction and material damping ratio curves generated by UT were also compared with ones previously proposed by other researchers.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

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No description available.

Most waste generated in South Africa is sent to landfills for disposal, and although it is confined in specific areas, it can potentially affect both above and below ground water resources, impacting environmental and public health. This is particularly relevant in a country where water supplies are limited and groundwater resources are prone to pollution. The primary objective of this study was to assess the performance of an upflow packed-bed bioreactor purposedesigned for the treatment of leachates produced by landfills in the Durban Metropolitan Area (DMA). The effect of parameters such as the nature of the biofilm support matrix, aeration rate and recycle rate on the efficacy of the system were investigated. Another major aim of the project was to develop a low maintenance technology that could, nonetheless, bioremediate leachate effectively at minimum cost. This aspect of process design is a crucial factor in areas where there is a shortage of both funds and skilled labour. The glass 132 l packed-bed upflow bioreactor was evaluated by measuring its efficiency in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) reduction and ammonia removal. The bioreactor could be configured as a batch-type system, which was useful for comparing operating conditions; or as a continuous cascade system, which was used to assess its overall performance. Different biofilm support matrices viz. various grades of pine bark, plastic bioballs and ceramic noodles were evaluated in 22 l batch-type reactors. Leachates from five landfill sites were remediated during the course of the study, and only the leachate from Shongweni landfill, which had a remarkably low BOD:COD ratio (0.05), was intractable and could not be successfully treated; even in flask trials designed to test strategies such as augmentation of microflora and biostimulation. The other leachates investigated were from the Umlazi, Marianhill, Bisarsar Road (all general sites) and Bul-Bul Drive (a semi-hazardous site) landfills, all of which were remediated to some degree. Originally, leachate from the Umlazi landfill site was used, but it became unavailable when the site closed enforcing the use of other leachates for the remainder of the investigation. Leachates from Marianhill, Bisarsar Road and Bul-Bul Drive were treated simultaneously in duplicate operating the six-chambered bioreactor in the batchtype configuration. The highest COD removal efficiency (49 %) was obtained in the chambers treating the Bul-Bul Drive leachate, which was therefore used for further investigations. This leachate had the highest BOD:COD ratio and was therefore expected to be the most suited to biological remediation. The bioreactor performed best when plastic bioballs were used as biofilm support matrix with a relatively low level of aeration, although the uncomposted form of pine bark was used initially as the support matrix because it is inexpensive and readily available in South Africa. However, although satisfactory COD reduction (30 – 61 %) and ammonia removal (87 – 98 %) was achieved when the Umlazi leachate was treated, the possibility of compounds leaching out of the bark and affecting the quality of the treated leachate was a concern. Also, pine bark would be prone to mechanical degradation in a full scale operation. Of the other solid support matrices tested using the Bul-Bul leachate, COD removal efficiencies were superior with plastic bioballs (60 %) than with pine bark chips (29 %). The former therefore became the preferred biofilm support matrix. Aeration level did influence bioremediation of the Umlazi landfill leachate since those chambers aerated with an aquarium pump (0.05 – 0.1 litres air/litre leachate/min; 60 % COD removal) performed better than those aerated with a blower (0.6 -0.7 litres air/litre leachate/min; 42 % COD removal) and those that remained unaerated (44 % COD removal). Recycle rate did not significantly affect bioremediation, but the performance of the system was higher when operated in batch mode (up to 60 % influent COD removal), rather than in continuous flow-through (cascade) mode when only 37 % of the influent COD in the Bul-Bul leachate was removed. Under the latter conditions, most of the reduction occurred in the first four chambers and very little biodegradation occurred in the final two chambers. The cascade-mode will require some refinement to enhance the COD removal efficiencies achieved. However, it did eliminate 89 % of the BOD present in the raw leachate, producing a treated effluent with a consistent BOD:COD ratio of 0.05. The COD removal efficiencies achieved covered a wide range from a minimum of 23 % with Marianhill leachate to a maximum of 63 % with leachate from Bul-Bul Drive. These results are comparable with many of those reported by other authors treating landfill leachate. Up to 98 % of the ammonia was removed when the Umlazi leachate was treated. However, ammonia removal from the other leachates tested was erratic. Although the treated leachate from this system could not be released into the environment without further remediation, the reduction in concentration of pollutants would allow its return to the local water supply via a wastewater treatment plant. This was achieved without temperature and pH regulation or addition of extraneous nutrient sources. A cost-effective, low maintenance technology such as this one would be a useful tool for the treatment of effluents such as landfill leachate in countries like South Africa where although water conservation is urgently required, resources for highly sophisticated effluent remediation are often not readily available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

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The temporal fate of selected parameters, including redox potential; pH; phenol; nitrates; sulphates; copper and zinc, of a young synthetic acetogenic phase landfill leachate was assessed by perfusing a series of sequential soil (Hutton) microcosms (arrays) at two hydraulic loading rates (HLR). We chose HLRs that were representative of areas in South Africa with typically elevated rainfall (Pietermaritzburg – HLRh) and one with relatively low rainfall (Kimberley – HLRl). Preliminary phenol, copper, and zinc adsorption investigations on gamma radiation sterilized soil and unsterilized soil revealed superior adsorption rates for each compound in the unsterilized soil. This revealed the importance of the biological component of soil in phenol, copper, and zinc attenuation in soil. The results presented in this thesis suggest that the HLR of leachate into soil arrays contributes to significant differences in the fate of the landfill leachate parameters mentioned earlier. In addition, we assessed the temporal and spatial succession of bacterial community diversity in each of the soil arrays by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Prior to this, we compared two soil DNA isolation techniques, the modified method of Duarte et al. (1998) (Bead Beat) and the commercial Mo-Bio UltraClean™ Soil DNA isolation kit (Kit). The DNA isolated by the Kit method was significantly superior regarding purity and absence of DNA fragmentation. However, the Bead Beat method produced a significantly higher yield per reaction before further purification with Wizard™ Clean-Up columns produced DNA extracts of similar purity at the cost of a significant reduction in DNA yield. The Kit method was chosen for future DNA isolation and PCR-DGGE based on the quality of the PCR amplicons generated from the Kit isolated DNA. PCR-DGGE was further optimized by comparing the efficiency and sensitivity of a silver stain against ethidium bromide. Silver stain generated DGGE gels with greater number of bands (species richness – S) and stronger band signal intensities. Captured DGGE fingerprints generated data that were subjected to the Shannon-Weaver Index (H’) and the associated Shannon-Weaver Evenness Index (EH) to measure the change in spatial and temporal bacterial diversity. There was a significant shift in S and H’ for both HLRs but a significant change in EH was only observed for HLRh. Furthermore, a temporal comparison of S and H’ between both HLRs revealed significant differences throughout the investigation. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed spatial distribution of bacterial community diversity with depth. Effects of phenol concentration, redox potential, and pH of the effluent leachate on bacterial community diversity was tentatively assessed by three-dimensional graphical representation on PlotIT 3.2 software. Bacterial community diversity showed a decrease with elevated pH and phenol concentration along with decreasing redox potentials for both HLRs. While this study reveals the spatial and temporal dynamics of bacterial community diversity in situ, it provides important evidence with respect to: (i) the effects of rainfall / leaching rates (HLR) on spatial and temporal bacterial community succession; (ii) the importance of the biological component in natural attenuation; (iii) the ability of soil, previously unexposed to landfill leachate, to initiate natural attenuation of phenol and other leachate constituents; (iv) the capacity of PCRDGGE to fingerprint successional changes in bacterial community diversity, (v) and the potential to clone and sequence selected members of bacterial associations for future reference in environmental remediation strategies. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

To foster the practical development of constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatment in Turkey, a pilot-scale subsurface constructed wetland system (90 m2) was designed to treat the domestic wastewater produced by 60 PE living in the residential area of METU. In summer 2001, two parallel sets of hybrid wetland systems (vertical flow connected with horizontal flow) with identical design configuration, but with different fill media (blast furnace granulated iron slag and gravel) were built on the old sludge-drying bed of the abandoned wastewater treatment plant of METU, which has not been operating since the 1990s. Wetland cells were planted with common reed (Phragmites australis). The main objective of this research was to quantify the effect of different filter media on the removal performance of subsurface flow constructed wetlands in the prevailing climate of Ankara. Thus, slag-filled and gravel-filled vertical flow wetlands were operated identically with pre-settled domestic wastewater (3 m3.d-1) at a hydraulic loading rate of 110 mm.d-1 for 12 months, intermittently. According to the first year results, annual average removal efficiencies for the slag and gravel wetland cells were as follows: TSS (63% &amp / 59%), COD (47% &amp / 44%), NH4+-N (88% &amp / 53%), TN (44% &amp / 39%), PO43--P (44% &amp / 1%) and TP (45% &amp / 4%). The slag-filled vertical flow system removed phosphorus and ammonium efficiently than the gravel-filled system due to the differences in physical structures and chemical compositions of the fill media, and the different aerobic and anaerobic environments within the wetland cells. These results indicated that the well-designed constructed wetlands could also be used for secondary and tertiary treatment in Turkey, successfully.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-08-05Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:09:13Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 werle_ch_me_sjrp.pdf: 450035 bytes, checksum: 099e05dc79950fa3c945b0a7abcf9810 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Os alimentos são passiveis de contaminação por diferentes agentes etiológicos que podem levar ao desenvolvimento de doenças afetando a saúde humana desencadeada por microrganismos patogênicos ou suas toxinas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a merenda servida ás crianças, e as condições de preparo desta, através da análise microbiológica dos principais micro-organismos envolvidos em doenças transmitidas por alimentos.Este trabalho analisou 78 amostras de diferentes tipos de alimento servido para as crianças em 3 escolas do ensino infantil da cidade de São José do Rio Preto, 21 amostras de água utilizada no preparo da merenda e 29 amostras de Swab das mãos dos manipuladores. Avaliou-se a merenda foram quanto a presença de Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, determinação do número mais provável de coliformes totais e termotolerantes, contagem de Bacillus cereus, Clostridios sulfito redutores, Staphylococcus coagulase positiva e bolores e leveduras. As amostras de água foram avaliadas quanto a contagem total de bactérias heterotróficas, coliformes totais, termotolerantes e pesquisa de E.coli. Investigou-se coliformes totais, termotolerantes, pesquisa de E.coli, contagem de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva e bolores e leveduras nas amostras de swab. Quando presentes cepas de E. coli e S. aureus foi realizado teste de sensibilidade a antimicrobianos. Para avaliação das condições de preparo da merenda realizou-se um check list nas cozinhas das escolas. 100% das amostras estavam de acordo com a legislação na contagem de Bacillus cereus, Clostridios sulfito redutores e pesquisa de Salmonella spp. 7,7% das amostras apresentaram contagens iguais ou superiores a 1100 NMP para coliformes totais, 1,3% não atendiam aos padrões estabelecidos para coliformes termotolerantes, em 6,4% das amostras foi detectado a presença de E.coli 1.3% apresentou... / Foods are susceptible to contamination from different etiologic agents which can lead to the development of illnesses affecting human health triggered by pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins. The objective of the study is to evaluate the conditions in which the school meals are served to the children through a microbiological analysis of the principal food-related pathogens. This work analyzed 78 samples of different types of food served to children from 3 infant schools in the city of São José do Rio Preto, 21 water samples used in the preparation of school meals and 29 swab samples from the hands of the food handlers. The food samples were analyzed for the presence of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, the most probable number (MPN) of total and thermotolerant coliforms, the amount of Bacillus cereus, sulphite-reducing Clostridium, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, mould and yeast. The water samples were tested for the total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, thermotolerants, and traces of E. coli. The swab samples were analysed for total coliforms, thermotolerants, traces of E. coli, the amount of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, mould and yeast. The strains of E. coli and S. aureus found were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. To evaluation of conditions of preparation of the meal took place a check list in school kitchens. 100% of the samples were in accordance with the legislation for the amount of Bacillus cereus, sulphite-reducing Clostridium and traces of Salmonella spp. 7.7% of the samples presented results equal to or above 1100 MPN for total coliforms while 1.3% did not comply with the standards established for thermotolerant coliforms. In 6.4% of the samples the presence of E. coli was detected; 1.3% presented results higher than 10 3 colony-forming units (CFU) for coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and 6.4% of the samples presented... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Nowadays, the risk situations to the health that can cause damage, or lesion, are countless, being constituted risk situations, so much the environmental conditions, the products of direct and indirect consumption, as for the human interrelations. The lenders services entities to health, looking for the efficiency and effectiveness of their methods and practices, the dinamization and optimization of their resources, they seek the excellence of their activities, in benefit of the promotion of health of the population. For so much, was formulated a concept of Accreditation - that means to grant, to an organization, an evaluation certificate that expresses the conformity with a group of patterns, previously established, developed in its national format by ONA - National Organization of Accreditation. The present study objected to evaluate an institution in health area, in this case, the Santa Maria's Military Brigade Hospital (HBMSM), with base in Hospital's Accreditation Program. This institution has a military character, auxiliary force of the State of Rio Grande do Sul Government. To acilitate the understanding of the objective of this research, it was made a theoretical referential focusing the Quality in Services, Quality in Services in Health Area, Sanitary Surveillance and Hospital s Accreditation. The study has an exploratory nature, and it also presents characteristics of qualitative research, and descriptive too, with characteristics of classic inductive method of the case study. It was used an instrument containing all the eight sections, and their respective subsections, of National Organization Hospital's Accreditation Manual that evaluated from the Leadership and Administration to the practice of Teaching and Research, inside of the institution. Then, all conform and no-conform points were analyzed, helping the institution to reach its final objective. The results showed that in spite of HBM/SM to work well, and possess no one type of serious mistakes, it is necessary, to get the Accreditation Certificate, larger cares in the physical structure, of the hospital, and the continuation of the demanded legislations, the institution will guarantee full safety to the internal and external customers. / Atualmente, as situações de risco à saúde, que possam causar dano, ou lesão, são inúmeras, constituindo-se situações de risco, tanto as condições ambientais, os produtos de consumo direto e indireto, quanto às inter-relações humanas. As entidades prestadoras de serviços à saúde, buscando a eficiência e eficácia de seus métodos e práticas, a dinamização e otimização de seus recursos, visam a excelência de suas atividades, em benefício da promoção da saúde da população. Para tanto, formulou-se o conceito de Acreditação que significa outorgar, a uma organização, um certificado de avaliação que expresse a conformidade com um conjunto de padrões, previamente estabelecidos, desenvolvido em seu formato nacional pela ONA Organização Nacional de Acreditação. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo objetivou avaliar uma instituição na área da saúde, no caso, o Hospital da Brigada Militar de Santa Maria (HBMSM), com base no Programa de Acreditação Hospitalar. Esta instituição é de caráter militar, forças auxiliares, do Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para facilitar o entendimento do objetivo da pesquisa, foi feito um referencial teórico focando a Qualidade em Serviços, Qualidade em Serviços na Área da Saúde, Vigilância Sanitária e, finalmente Acreditação Hospitalar. O estudo é de natureza exploratória, e também apresenta características de pesquisa de natureza qualitativa, e descritiva, com características de método indutivo clássico, do tipo estudo de caso. Utilizou-se um instrumento contendo todas as oito seções, e suas respectivas subseções, do Manual de Acreditação Hospitalar pela Organização Nacional de Acreditação ,que avaliou a Instituição desde a Liderança e Administração até a prática de Ensino e Pesquisa, dentro da Instituição. Depois, foram analisados todos os pontos conformes, e não conformes, para que a instituição alcance o seu objetivo final. Os resultados mostraram que apesar do HBMSM funcionar bem, e não possuir nenhum tipo de erros graves, é necessário, para alcançar a certificação da Acreditação, maiores cuidados na estrutura física, do hospital, e o seguimento das legislações exigidas, pois, com isso, a Instituição estará garantindo plena segurança aos clientes internos e externos.