<p>A bioslurry reactor was built for the bioremediation of TNT contaminated waste from the demilitarization industry. The field test was conducted at Vingåkersverken in Vingåker, Sweden, to see if results from laboratory studies could be repeated in a full scale reactor. The goal of the project was to optimize the reactor to such a degree that it could be used to handle the waste produced at Vingåkersverken and also that this technique could be applied for remediation of contaminated soils. Unfortunately the samples taken during the full scale field test were destroyed by the shipping company and no analysis was possible. A later attempt by the Biorex research group has also been unsuccessful to reduce the amount of TNT using the bioreactor. How are we going to reach the results from the laboratory studies? The work continues.</p>

Sustainable alternatives to using mined nutrients in agriculture must be found in order to limit environmental impacts such as eutrophication, habitat destruction and greenhouse gas emis-sions. Biogas slurry and urine recycled to hydroponic food production (a type of soilless agri-culture) have the potential of providing inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, the main essential nutrients required for plant growth. A Life Cycle Inventory Assessment (LCI) methodology has been used to compare the systems of producing artificial fertilizer, biogas slurry and urine based nutrient solutions for the growth of Brassica rapa L. (Chinese cabbage) in the context of a large scale hydroponic vertical farm. Costs and energy requirements have been the basis of the comparison and results show that both biogas slurry and urine are considerably cheaper than the commercial alternative and based on the nutrient content they have the potential of being successful nutrient solutions after dilution and nutrient supplementation. Filtration might also be required in order to remove suspended particles and pathogens.

A bioslurry reactor was built for the bioremediation of TNT contaminated waste from the demilitarization industry. The field test was conducted at Vingåkersverken in Vingåker, Sweden, to see if results from laboratory studies could be repeated in a full scale reactor. The goal of the project was to optimize the reactor to such a degree that it could be used to handle the waste produced at Vingåkersverken and also that this technique could be applied for remediation of contaminated soils. Unfortunately the samples taken during the full scale field test were destroyed by the shipping company and no analysis was possible. A later attempt by the Biorex research group has also been unsuccessful to reduce the amount of TNT using the bioreactor. How are we going to reach the results from the laboratory studies? The work continues.

SIFCON was first reported in 1984 and showed excellent potential as a structural material. Applications, however, have been slow to emerge. The aim of this investigation was to simplify the production of SIFCON and to identify practical applications. A direct infiltration test was developedt o assessth e effect of materials and admixtures on the infiltration properties of cement based slurries. A slurry was designed which could infiltrate fibre beds containing up to 16 percent by volume of fibres without the aid of vibration. To achieve this, novel use was made of viscosity modifying admixtures in conjunction with superplasticisers. The mechanical properties of the SIFCON produced using the new slurry were investigated in terms of compression and flexure. It was found that, while the outstanding parameters, in terms of strength and ductility, associated with SIFCON were apparent, the resulting material was strongly anisotropic. The compressive modulus of elasticity was found to be significantly lower than would be expected for conventional concrete of similar strength. Pull-out tests showed that the bond performance was ductile for ribbed reinforcing bars embedded in SIFCON, however, the dependenceo n fibre orientation was highlighted. SIFCON sections were successfully incorporated into reinforced concrete beams and the production of these beams demonstrated the benefits of the self compacting technique. The results of third point loading tests highlighted problems relating to the modulus of rupture of SIFCON, and the difficulties faced when introducing it into reinforced concrete structures. It was also found that the use of SIFCON in horizontally cast beams was inefficient in the compression zone. It is expected that the advances made in the development of the production process will lead to increased acceptance of SIFCON and that new applications will emerge.

No description available.

This study involved the investigation of a contaminated soil problem in Gateshead, UK. The site was previously a dumping area from industrial activities for over a hundred years and generated problems of high sulphate concentration and heavy metals in both the soil and the leachate which discharges into the River Tyne. The combination of such contaminants has not been widely investigated in the area of contaminated soil. The study was therefore divided into 2 parts, namely bioremediation of the contaminated soil and leachate treatment by reverse osmosis. The bioremediation study involved treatability tests which included slurry, microbial growth and column tests. The reverse osmosis study involved membrane fouling and leachate pre-treatment experiments. The bioremediation study stimulated the indigenous microorganisms by the addition of nutrients and carbon sources. The soil slurry and microbial growth tests determined the combination of nitrogen and phosphorus required to produce higher C02 evolution as an assessment of microbial activity. It was found in the column tests that the addition of a carbon source and appiopriate nutrient combinations resulted in a significant reduction of sulphate in both the leachate and the soil matrix. Furthermore, this was also accompanied by an increase in the microbial population in the soil matrix. It was also considered that- assimilatory sulphate reduction by microorganisms had taken place since H2S production could not be detected in the open system of the column. However, the high pH of the soil that was higher than 8 possibly caused H2S production undetected in this study. Zinc, manganesea nd copper,i n contrastw ere not reducedi n the soil matrix. Only arsenic showed significant reduction in the soil columns. Heavy metals were precipitateda nd were still presenti n high concentrationsin the leachatea nd would require further treatmenti n the liquid phase.T his was demonstratedb y the study of the use of a LPROM (Low PressureR everseO smosisM embrane)t o treat leachate from the contaminated soil. The reverse osmosis study showed that zinc and arsenic could be reduced by up to 86% and 97% respectively. Sulphate was also satisfactorily reduced up to 99%. However, the study on membrane fouling confirmed that the sulphate concentration was the main effect of fouling. Ferric chloride, aluminium sulphate, barium chloride and polyelectrolyte Zetag 92 were used for coagulation-flocculation in the pretreatment of the leachate. The study revealed that the sulphate concentration could only be reduced at the most by 43% using a FeC13, BaC12 and Zetag 92 combination. FeC13 showed better floc characteristics than alum whereas BaC12 improved sulphate removal but increased the turbidity in the supernatants. However, the use of BaC12 would significantly increase the cost of pretreatment. The study recommended a further investigation into the use of a range of readily available carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous sources in the soil column or at pilot-scale for designing a full-scale bioremediation system. Meanwhile, an investigation into other leachate pretreatment methods such as continuous microfiltration or anti-scalant addition was also suggested.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Over the last decade, food processing has become one of the greatest energy converting stages of the food production supply chain. The interdependency of food, water, and energy leads to a need for more water efficient and energy effective ways to produce food. These studies focus on poultry chilling, primarily comparing the potential options of media that could be used during the poultry chilling sub-process. The conventional poultry chilling approach typically involves the immersion of chicken within chilled water in order to quickly decrease the chicken temperature, thus hindering the growth of bacteria. This research is an initial investigation of ice slurry as an energy and water efficient, pathogen reducing, and financially feasible chiller medium in poultry processing. The financial feasibility and electrical energy demand of using ice slurry were explored in a techno-economic model in HOMER Energy, which is a micro-grid design and optimization software. The thermal cooling capacity of ice slurry and fluidity of the solution allows for generation and storage to occur during low electricity cost hours and an application during high electricity cost hours, thus creating savings in electricity costs associated with poultry chilling. During the poultry chilling experimentation, chickens were spiked with Salmonella as temperature probes measured their core body temperature throughout their immersion within the different media. Greater pathogen reductions, faster cooling times, and less water consumption compared to chilled water promotes ice slurry as an alternate medium in the poultry processing industry.

No description available.

No description available.