Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T14:38:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GUSTAVO GOMES PANIAGO.pdf: 356190 bytes, checksum: 11df860296821491a627171893021279 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The waste generated by the swine have high pollution potential, however, due to high organic 28 load, is presented as a good option in the fertilization of crops, nevertheless few is known about the 29 effects on soil fauna. The aim of this work was to study the environmental effects arising from the 30 use of swine wastewater using as bioindicators earthworms of the species Eisenia andrei through 31 the parameters of lethality, reproduction and escape. We studied the application of biodigester wastewater and manure storage tanks wastewater in four doses (0, 100, 200 and 300 m3 ha-132 ) in 33 three soils (Oxisol, Kandiudox and Artificial Tropical Soil). The experiments were conducted in the 34 period from 01/17/2014 to 06/07/2014. Data were analyzed using ANOVA one-way, Tukey test and 35 Pearson correlation matrices. No deaths occurred in the mortality test and there was no escape in 36 escape test. The reproduction test showed positive relationship between the amount of wastewater 37 applied and the number of hatched juveniles to most treatments. It is concluded that the application of biodigester wastewater and manure storage tanks wastewater to the dose of 300 m3 ha-1 38 does not 39 bring harm to earthworm populations in the three soils analyzed. / Os resíduos gerados pela suinocultura possuem alto potencial poluidor, porém, devido 7 à grande carga orgânica, apresenta-se como boa opção na fertilização de culturas, contudo 8 pouco se conhece a respeito dos efeitos sobre a fauna edáfica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi 9 estudar os efeitos ambientais decorrentes do uso de águas residuárias da suinocultura usando10 se como bioindicadores minhocas da espécie Eisenia andrei, por meio dos parâmetros de 11 letalidade, fuga e reprodução. Estudou-se a aplicação de água residuária de esterqueira e 12 biodigestor em quatro doses (0, 100, 200 e 300 m3 ha-1) em três solos (Latossolo Vermelho 13 Distroférrico típico, Nitossolo Vermelho Eutroférrico, Solo Artificial Tropical). Os 14 experimentos foram desenvolvidos no período de 17/01/2014 a 07/06/2014. Os dados foram 15 analisados utilizando-se Análise de Variância Unifatorial, Teste de Tukey e matrizes de 16 correlação de Pearson. Não ocorreram mortes no teste de letalidade e não ocorreu fuga no 17 teste de fuga. O teste de reprodução apresentou relação positiva entre a quantidade de água 18 residuária aplicada e a quantidade de juvenis eclodidos para a maioria dos experimentos. 19 Conclui-se que a aplicação de água residuária de esterqueira e biodigestor até a dose de 300 20 m3 ha-1 não traz malefícios para as populações de minhocas nos três solos analisados

A poluição relacionada a metais pesados tem recebido uma atenção especial devido a sua alta toxicidade, não biodegradabilidade e tendência de acumular-se na cadeia alimentar. Apesar disso, metais pesados também são considerados recursos valiosos, portanto a sua remoção em conjunto com a sua recuperação torna-se ainda mais importante. Este caso aplica-se aos rejeitos de mineração de cobre, os quais oferecem a possibilidade de recuperação do metal e de sua contenção de maneira segura do meio ambiente. Tais rejeitos se caracterizam por ocuparem enormes áreas inundadas e abrigarem soluções diluídas de cobre (II), porém, muitas vezes, acima dos limites seguros. Diversos processos tradicionais de tratamento mostram-se disponíveis para remover o cobre de tais soluções, no entanto, em certas aplicações eles podem ser ineficientes ou muito onerosos. Nesse contexto, a biossorção é uma alternativa interessante. Nesse processo, certos microrganismos, como fungos, bactérias e algas, ligam-se passivamente ao cobre na forma íons ou outras moléculas em soluções. No presente trabalho foi avaliado o potencial de biossorção de íons cobre (II) pela biomassa do fungo Rhizopus microsporus, coletado e isolado da área de rejeitos da Mina do Sossego, na região norte do Brasil. Isotermas de biossorção foram determinadas experimentalmente em bateladas sob temperatura de 25°C, agitação de 150 rpm, concentração de biomassa de 2,0 a 2,5 g/L e tempo de contato mínimo de 4 horas. O pH mostrou ser um fator importante no equilíbrio da biossorção, sendo o valor máximo da capacidade de biossorção de 33,12 mg de cobre / g biomassa encontrado em pH 6. Valores sucessivamente menores são encontrados pela acidificação da solução, sendo o pH 1 considerado adequado para o processo de dessorção, correspondendo a uma capacidade de biossorção de 1,95 mg/g. Modelos de adsorção de Langmuir e de Freundlich ajustaram-se adequadamente às isotermas tanto com pH controlado quanto não controlado. Foi constatado que a troca iônica é um dos mecanismos envolvidos na biossorção do cobre com Rhizopus microsporus. Tanto o modelo de pseudo-primeira ordem quanto o de pseudo-segunda ordem ajustaram-se aos dados cinéticos da biossorção, sendo que o equilíbrio ocorre em aproximadamente 4 horas. A biomassa conservou a capacidade de biossorção ao operar repetidamente em três ciclos de sorção-dessorção. A biomassa viável e a morta não apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa na capacidade de biossorção. / Heavy metal pollution has been receiving a special attention because of the high toxicity of these metals, by their non-biodegradability and by their tendency to accumulate throughout the food chain. Nevertheless, heavy metals are also considered valuable resources, hence their recovery and recycle assumes even greater significance. This is the case of copper mining tailings, which offer the possibility of metal recovery while it must be safely contained from the environment. These wastes are characterized by occupying huge flooded areas with very dilute copper (II) solutions, however, in many cases above safe limits. Various traditional treatment methods are available to remove copper from such solutions; however, for certain applications they may be either ineffective or too costly. In this context, biosorption becomes an interesting alternative. In this process, certain microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria and algae, passively bind to the copper ion or other molecules in solution. In the present study the biosorption potential of copper (II) by the fungal biomass of Rhizopus microsporus, collected and isolated from the tailings area of Sossego mine, located in the northern region of Brazil, has been evaluated. Biosorption isotherms have been experimentally determined by batch experiments at a temperature of 25C, agitation speed of 150 rpm, biosorbent concentration in the range of 2.0 to 2.5 mg/L, and contact time of at least 4 hours. The pH has been found to be a determining factor for the sorption equilibrium, a maximum sorption capacity of 33.12 mg copper / g biomass being found at pH 6. Successively smaller values have been found by the acidification of the solution. A pH value of 1 has been considered adequate for the desorption process, which correspond to a biosorption capacity of 1,95 mg/g. Both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models fitted well to equilibrium data using both pH methodologies, however the determination coefficient is slightly higher for the former model. It has been found that ion exchange is one of the mechanisms involved in copper (II) biosorption by Rhizopus microsporus. Both pseudo-first and pseudo-second order models have fitted well to biosorption kinetic data. Equilibrium approaches within approximately 4 hours. The biosorbent has proved to maintain its sorption efficiency after three regeneration cycles. Viable and dead biomasses have not exhibited statistically significant difference in sorption behavior.

Este trabalho apresenta a avaliação da estabilidade e da eficiência de dois reatores anaeróbios operados em batelada seqüencial no tratamento de água residuária que simula o efluente de indústria de produtos de higiene pessoal, sendo um com biomassa imobilizada em espuma de poliuretano (AnSBBR) e recirculação da fase líquida, e outro com biomassa granular autoimobilizada (AnSBR) e agitação mecânica. O AnSBBR foi operado em batelada e em batelada alimentada, seguida de batelada, com tempo de ciclo (tc) de 8 h e carga orgânica volumétrica aplicada (COVA) de 0,9 e 1,5 gDQO/L.d, tratando 2,5 L de meio líquido por ciclo. Os valores de eficiência de remoção de matéria orgânica de amostras filtradas do efluente ficaram abaixo de 71% nas condições operadas em batelada, e acima de 74% nas condições operadas em batelada alimentada, seguida de batelada. Por outro lado, o AnSBR foi operado em batelada, com tc de 8, 12 e 24 h e COVA de 0,75, 0,50 e 0,25 gDQO/L.d, tratando 2,0 L de meio líquido por ciclo. O aumento de tc resultou em ganho de eficiência nas condições de mesma COVA, chegando a 77% para tc de 24 h, contra 69% para tc de 8 h. Porém, houve queda de eficiência nas condições em que a COVA foi reduzida em função do aumento de tc. / This study presents the evaluation of stability and efficiency of two anaerobic sequencing batch reactors for wastewater treatment simulating the effluent from industry of personal care products, one containing immobilized biomass on polyurethane foam (AnSBBR) and external circulation of the liquid phase, and the other with self-immobilized granulated biomass (AnSBR) and mechanical agitation. The AnSBBR was operated in batch and fed batch/batch modes, with cycle time (tc) of 8 h and applied organic loading rates (COVA) of 0.9 and 1.5 gDQO/L.d, treating 2.5 L of liquid medium per cycle. The values of organic matter removal efficiency for filtered samples of effluent were below 71% in batch operations, and over 74% in fed-batch/batch operations. On the other hand, the AnSBR was operated in batch, with tc of 8, 12 and 24 h and COVA of 0.75, 0.50 and 0.25 gDQO/L.d, treating 2.0 L of liquid medium per cycle. The increase of tc resulted in higher values of efficiency for conditions with the same COVA, reaching 77% for a 24-h cycle against 69% for an 8-h cycle. However, there was an efficiency drop at the conditions in which COVA was reduced due to an increase of tc.

Uncertainty in the global energy market and negative environmental impacts associated with fossil fuels has led to renewed interest in alternative fuels. The scalability of new technologies and production pathways are critically being evaluated through economic feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments. This work investigated the conversion of agricultural wast, delactosed whey permeate (delac), with yeast fermentation for the generation of biofuel via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). The feasibility of the process was demonstrated at laboratory scale with data leveraged to validate systems models used to perform industrial-scale economic and environmental impact analyses. Results showed a minimum fuel selling point of $4.56 per gasoline gallon equivalent (CGE), a net energy ratio (NER), defined as energy required to process biofuel divided by energy in the biofuel produced, of 0.81 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 30.03 g CO2-eq MJ-1. High Production costs can be attributed to operational temperatures of HTL while the high lipid yields of the yeast counter these heating demands, resulting in a favorable NER. The operating conditions of both fermentation and HTL contributed to the majority of GHG emissions. Further discussion focuses on optimization of the process, on the metrics of TEA and LCA and the evaluation of the process, on the metrics of TEA and LCA, and the evaluation of the process through a sensitivity analysis that highlights areas for directed research to improve commercial feasibility.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of four Utah Great Basin soil types in removing particular chemical constituents and select enteric organisms from a sewage lagoon effluent. Sewage taken from the secondary oxidation pond in Logan, Utah was applied daily to lysimeters which allowed samples to be recovered at 7.6 and 38.1 centimeter soil depths. The texture of the soils was the most important physical property affecting their removal capacity. Drainage Farm soil (clay) provided the best bacteriological and overall chemical removal with Nibley (silty clay loam) second, then Draper (sandy loam) and Parleys (silty loam) last. The soils were analyzed before and after the test period to determine any major change which would ultimately affect their removal capacity. Noticeable changes occurred in phosphorus, percent organic matter and cation exchange capacity. The changes that did occur had no apparent effect on the removal capacity of any of the soil during the test period. The paper is dividen into three major parts: the bacteriological, the chemical, the initial and final soil comparison.

Detection of chemical plumes in hyperspectral data is a problem having solutions that focus on spectral information. These solutions neglect the presence of the spatial information in the scene. The spatial information is exploited in this work by assignment of prior probabilities to neighborhood configurations of signal presence or absence. These probabilities are leveraged in a total probability approach to testing for signal presence in a pixel of interest. The two new algorithms developed are named spatial information detection enhancement (SIDE) and bolt-on SIDE (B-SIDE). The results are explored in comparison to the clutter matched filter (CMF), a standard spectral technique, and to several supervised machine learning techniques. The results show a great improvement of SIDE over these other techniques, in some cases showing the poorest performance of the SIDE filter being much better than the CMF at its best.

Previous research identified distinct genetic, life-history and reproductive differences between populations of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) upstream and downstream of a pulp and paper mill outfall on the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. This thesis sought to investigate the distribution of amphidromous and non-amphidromous common bully in the Tarawera River by examining fish collected from upstream (37 km inland) and downstream (20 km inland) locations and comparing them to fish from similar inland locations (40 km and 17 km inland, respectively) in the nearby Rangitaiki River. Otolith microchemistry revealed life-history differences between upstream and downstream populations and stable isotope analysis ensured long-term site residency. Amphidromy dominated in the downstream river populations, while the disappearance of diadromous fish generally occurred with inland distance. A mixture of diadromous and non-diadromous fish were found in the upstream Rangitaiki, while a complete absence of diadromous recruits was found in the upstream Tarawera River. A reduction in oculoscapular canal structures also coincided with loss of diadromy in fish from both rivers. Temporal reproductive divergence was investigated through track annual trends in gonadosomatic index. The Tarawera River receives significant inputs from numerous industrial, municipal and natural sources, most notably from two pulp and paper mills. In the absence physical barriers in the Tarawera, it has been hypothesised that the lack of diadromous recruits in the upstream Tarawera River may be related to aquatic discharges in the downstream river. A behavioural study was performed to examine the hypothesis that pulp and paper mill effluent may be acting as a chemical barrier to fish migration within the river. A dual-choice chamber was employed to examine the responses of common bully exposed to a range of effluent concentrations (100, 50, 25, 12.5, 0% v/v). Fish exhibited significant avoidance responses when exposed to 100 and 50% effluent concentration, while no avoidance was observed at effluent concentrations below 50% This study demonstrated that common bully show a strong preference for river water when simultaneously exposed to effluent, albeit at environmentally unrealistic concentrations (i.e. greater than 15%), implicating potential for this effluent to act as a chemical barrier in the Tarawera River. Following the establishment of reproductive timing of common bully in the Tarawera River, a wild fish health assessment was undertaken to investigate the effects of long-term effluent exposure in situ. Adult common bully were sampled downstream of the mill influence and compared to an appropriate reference population from the downstream Rangitaiki River. Male and female fish from the Tarawera River demonstrated 6- to 9-fold greater ethoxyresorufin-O¬-deethylase (EROD) activity compared to reference fish, indicating exposure to organic contaminants in this river. Tarawera females showed some minor variation in hematological variables including decreased mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and increased total white blood cell count (WBCC) suggestive of an immune response. Slightly greater ovarian follicular steroid production in Tarawera fish potentially indicates some form of endocrine alteration. However, this response may also be related to differences in reproductive synchrony and gonadal development between the two fish populations.

The Byron Bay Sewage Treatment work consists of a conventional treatment system discharging into an 8 ha wetland. The wetland was constructed around the dune and swale remnants of a coastal beach ridge formation. The wetland design incorporated stands of broad leaf paperback, Melaleuca quinquenervia , in two distinct Sections, separated by, and each preceded by, open water Sections fringed by predominantly emergent macrophytes. Spatial and temporal patterns in sediment phosphorus concentrations were examined using sediment cores. Core consisted of three main sediment types - surface organic accumulation, pre-existing organic layers and sand. Results suggest that the design and management of wetland systems should be aimed at maximising the deposition of sediment (and associated phosphorus) and minimising subsequent phosphorus release from the sediment. This might be achieved through the removal of accumulated organic sediments to retain the phosphorus adsorption capacity of the system, consideration of wind direction during periods of high (floating) plant growth (as detritus may accumulate along the up-wind edges of the wetland), incorporation of deep zones to minimise sediment phosphorus release and the inclusion of stands of M. quinquenervia. Results highlight pitfalls in the prevailing approach to wetland design, which ignore the complex functions which occur in natural wetland systems. A more holistic approach incorporating a high diversity of ecozones in wetland design is proposed, in effect mimicking natural systems. / Master of Science (Hons)

Nutrients, periphyton and macroinvertebrates were sampled every two months for one year to assess the effects of treated sewage effluent on the Thredbo River and to compare changes in chemical concentrations and the invertebrate community since the introduction of nutrient removal on the Thredbo sewage treatment plant. Chemically, the impact of the effluent was minor and was reduced from levels measured before the addition of nutrient removal to the Thredbo sewage treatment plant. However, the reduction may be the result of higher flows during the study period. Biologically there was no indication of nutrient enrichment during June, August and October, with differences occurring between physically dissimilar sites irrespective of position relative to the sewage effluent inflow. Large increases in periphyton and macroinvertebrates occurred in December, February and April at both open sites and those downstream of the sewage outflow. Previous studies found increases in invertebrate abundance and richness immediately downstream of the sewage inflow, but the impact was greater and extended further downstream than found in this study. Strong correlations between total phosphorus and periphyton biomass and chlorophyll-a indicate phosphorus was a limiting nutrient. Higher periphyton biomass and chlorophyll-a at all sites during the warmer months (especially at open sites with an even cobble substratum), throughout the year, indicates light, temperature and substratum type were as important as phosphorus in controlling algal growth. Low algal biomass during the high flow month of October also indicates the importance of water velocity in controlling periphyton biomass. The structure of the macroinvertebrate community was noticeably different at sites downstream of the effluent discharge, with the exception of the most downstream site, when compared to the upstream sites. The occurrence of high macroinvertebrate numbers and species richness at sites with high periphyton growth and the strong positive correlation between invertebrate grazers and periphyton measurements shows a dependent relationship between invertebrates and periphyton growth. Therefore, the physical factors of light, temperature and substratum characteristics of particular sites in the Thredbo River, may be as important in controlling the benthic community as the levels of nutrient inputs from sewage.

The project involved the study of 12 Victorian municipal wastewater treatment plant discharges. These included lagoon-based plants and those with activated sludge based processes. Permission was obtained from all the relevant water authorities to collect samples of final effluent at point of discharge to the environment, whether that was to a creek, a river, the ocean, or the land. Samples were collected in November 2003, and then again in April and June 2004, and subjected to a number of biological and chemical analyses, including toxicity tests, measurement of hormonal (estrogenic) activity using yeast-based bioassays, and the measurement of specific hormonal concentrations (17-estradiol) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Almost all of the effluents examined showed estrogenic activity, to a greater or lesser extent (no response to 55 ng/L 17β-estradiol equivalents). On the whole, the levels of estrogenic activity observed were to the lower end of the range observed overseas in the northern hemisphere, and comparable with that recently reported in Australia and New Zealand using similar, human-estrogen receptor based assays (no response to ~ 10 ng/L 17β-estradiol equivalents). The reassuring low/no assay response is bolstered by the chemical assessment of estradiol concentrations by ELISA, which returned concentrations of these compounds for the most part in the range 2-5 ng/L. From an aquatic environmental perspective, it is difficult to say with any certainty what the potential risk to aquatic organisms in waters receiving these effluents will be. Typically, in environmental risk assessment one first looks to agreed national or international guideline or trigger values for the type of waters being assessed. In this case, there are as yet no guideline values. Without guideline values to drive the assessment, then one compares a chemical’s concentration in a sample (in this case a WWTP effluent) with data obtained from toxicological experiments in which the concentration known to elicit a specific effect has been determined. In this case, levels of 17β-estradiol were typically between the lowest reported level to induce the production of Female-indicative proteins in male fish (plasma vitellogen; 1 ng/L), and the lowest concentration of known to induce intersex in fish (8 ng/L). Consequently, such levels in a WWTP discharge are likely to be an environmental risk if there is little or no dilution of the discharge by the receiving water, i.e. discharge represents major component of stream flow. In short, to truly assess the risk (hormonal impact) of these WWTP effluents, in vivo testing needs to be undertaken, ideally with a representative native species but failing that with a ‘standard’ species such as the fathead minnow. When this programme began, the ‘watching brief’, being held in Australia on the topic of endocrine disrupting chemicals and their potential effects on aquatic wildlife was considered too passive by many. It still is, by some. Despite the assurance the results may provide (of minimal impact in most cases if there is significant dilution), there is still a need for further extensive on-ground, reassurance research to provide data for higher-level risk assessment by industry and government agencies.