Water Res, 2005 Jan-Feb, 39(2-3), 271 - 80 Epub 2004 Nov 30. Comparative treatment of dye-rich wastewater in engineered wetland systems (EWSs) vegetated with different plants; Mbuligwe SE; In Dar es Salaam City there are more than a thousand tie-and-dye (TAD) small-scale industries (SSIs) that discharge dye-rich wastewater indiscriminately with resultant water pollution . Due to the decentralised nature of the TAD SSIs, coupled with financial constraints facing their operators, control of their pollution needs a simple cost-effective waste treatment technology . Engineered wetland systems (EWSs) constitute such a technology . A pilot scale EWS was evaluated with respect to its effectiveness in treating dye-rich wastewater . The role of wetland plants was assessed through comparing treatment performance efficiencies between an unplanted and vegetated EWS beds . On the whole, it has been demonstrated that the EWS has the potential to effectively treat dye-rich wastewater . Colour, which is the most apparent problem issue with textile wastewater, was reduced by 72-77% . COD was reduced by 68-73%, while sulphate was reduced by 53-59% . The proportionately high COD removal suggests the reduction in colour was accompanied by almost complete degradation of dyes and daughter products . The overall treatment efficiency of the vegetated units was more than twice as high as that of the unplanted bed . On average, the bed vegetated with coco yam plants performed better (7.6%) than the one planted with cattail plants. Gesundheitswesen, 2004 Dec, 66(12), 827 - 32 {Garbage incineration plants - planning, organisation and operation from health point of view.}; Thriene B; The Waste Disposal Regulation which became effective March 1, 2001 stipulates that from June 1, 2005 biodegradable residential household and commercial waste may only be deposited on landfills after thermal or mechanical-biological pre-treatment . The Regulation aims at preventing generation of landfill gases that are detrimental to health and climate, and discharge of pollutants from landfills into the groundwater . Waste calculations for the year 2005 predict a volume of 28 million tons . Existing incineration and mechanical-biological treatment plants cover volumes of 14 and 2.5 million tons, respectively . Consequently, their capacity does not meet the demand in Germany . Waste disposal plans have been prepared in the German Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt since 1996 and potential sites for garbage incineration plants have been identified . Energy and waste management companies have initiated application procedures for thermal waste treatment plants and utilization of energy . Health Departments and the Hygiene Institute contributed to the approval procedure by providing the required Health Impact Assessment . We recommended selecting sites in the vicinity of large cities and conurbations and - taking into account the main wind direction - preferably in the northeast . Long-distance transport should be avoided . Based on immission forecasts for territorial background pollution, additional noise and air pollution were examined for reasonableness . In addition, providing structural safety of plants and guaranteeing continuous monitoring of emission limit values of air pollutants, was a prerequisite for strict observance of the 17 (th) BImSchV (Federal Decree on the Prevention of Immissions) . The paper informs about planning, construction and conditions for operating the combined garbage heating and power station in Magdeburg-Rothensee (600,000 t/a) . Saxony-Anhalt's waste legislation requires non-recyclable waste to be disposed of at the place of its generation, if possible, and utilized as a renewable energy source . This requirement is satisfied in this location . The potential health hazard for residents living in the impact radius is rated low. Waste Manag Res, 2004 Oct, 22(5), 403 - 7 Medical waste management in Trachea region of Turkey: suggested remedial action; Uysal F et al.; The main objective of this paper was to analyse the present status of medical waste management in the Trachea region of Turkey and subsequently to draw up a policy regarded with generation, collection, on-site handling, storage, processing, recycling, transportation and safe disposal of medical wastes . This paper also presents the results of study about awareness on how to handle expired drugs . Initially all health-care establishments in Tekirdag, Edirne and Kyrklareli provinces in Trachea region were identified and the amounts of hospital wastes generated by each of them were determined . Current medical waste-management practices, including storage, collection, transportation and disposal, in surveyed establishments were identified . Finally, according to results, remedial measurements for medical waste management in these establishments were suggested . Unfortunately, medical wastes are not given proper attention and these wastes are disposed of together with municipal and industrial solid wastes . The current disposal method is both a public health and environmental hazard . When landfill sites are visited, many scavengers can be seen sorting for recyclable materials, a practice which is dangerous for the scavengers . In addition, it was found that some staff in health-care establishments are unaware of the hazard of medical wastes . It is concluded that a new management system, which consists of segregation, material substitution, minimization, sanitary landfilling and alternative medical waste treatment methods should be carried out . For the best appropriate medical waste management system, health-care establishment employers, managers and especially the members of house- keeping divisions should be involved in medical waste management practice. Waste Manag Res, 2004 Oct, 22(5), 346 - 57 Exposure to bioaerosols and noise at a Finnish dry waste treatment plant; Tolvanen OK; Repeated measurements were carried out during two different campaigns between 1998 and 2001 to assess the occupational hygiene at a Finnish dry waste treatment plant . The analytical determinations were done in four different places within the processing hall of the plant: near a conveyor belt, near a jigger screen, near an after-crusher and near a bailer . Measurements were also carried out in a coffee room for employees . Concentrations of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were determined by two methods (six-stage impactor and Camnea method) and levels of endotoxins, dust and noise were also investigated . High concentrations of microbes and endotoxins and the noise level were found to be a real problem in the waste processing hall . Microbe concentrations were highest during management of the dry waste fraction . Endotoxin concentrations all exceeded the threshold value of 200 EU m(-3) irrespective of the measurement place, with the only exception near the after-crusher where the average concentration was always as low as 60 EU m(-3) . The noise level exceeded the Finnish threshold value of 85 dBA . Problems were not easily solved through technical modifications and more radical improvements are needed . Improvements in reliability are also required in the measuring methods before their application in waste treatment plants . In particular, a new method of dust collection is recommended. J Air Waste Manag Assoc, 2004 Oct, 54(10), 1242 - 53 Regulatory off-gas analysis from the evaporation of Hanford simulated waste spiked with organic compounds; Saito HH et al.; After strontium/transuranics removal by precipitation followed by cesium/technetium removal by ion exchange, the remaining low-activity waste in the Hanford River Protection Project Waste Treatment Plant is to be concentrated by evaporation before being mixed with glass formers and vitrified . To provide a technical basis to permit the waste treatment facility, a relatively organic-rich Hanford Tank 241-AN-107 waste simulant was spiked with 14 target volatile, semi-volatile, and pesticide compounds and evaporated under vacuum in a bench-scale natural circulation evaporator fitted with an industrial stack off-gas sampler at the Savannah River National Laboratory . An evaporator material balance for the target organics was calculated by combining liquid stream mass and analytical data with off-gas emissions estimates obtained using U.S . Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SW-846 Methods . Volatile and light semi-volatile organic compounds (<220 degrees C BP, >1 mm Hg vapor pressure) in the waste simulant were found to largely exit through the condenser vent, while heavier semi-volatiles and pesticides generally remain in the evaporator concentrate . An OLI Environmental Simulation Program (licensed by OLI Systems, Inc.) evaporator model successfully predicted operating conditions and the experimental distribution of the fed target organics exiting in the concentrate, condensate, and off-gas streams, with the exception of a few semi-volatile and pesticide compounds . Comparison with Henry's Law predictions suggests the OLI Environmental Simulation Program model is constrained by available literature data. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(6), 103 - 8 Two-stage anaerobic digestion process for complete inactivation of enteric bacterial pathogens in human night soil; Kunte DP et al.; Anaerobic digestion offers a good alternative for human waste treatment . However, the fate of enteric bacterial pathogens present in human night soil (HNS) remains a major concern for hygienic safety of the process . A two-stage anaerobic digestion process, consisting of separate acidogenic and methanogenic digesters, was designed and its efficacy in the inactivation of Salmonella typhi was compared to a single-stage digestion process . In a single-stage digestion, complete pathogen inactivation was achieved only in the digesters with high levels of volatile fatty acids (VFA approximately equal to 18,000 mg/l) and acidic pH (approximately equal to 6.0) . These digesters, however, showed drastic reduction in methane yield . In the two-stage digestion process, S . typhi was completely inactivated in the acidogenic digester and the methanogenic digester was free from the pathogen even after receiving a daily dose of the pathogen . The process also achieved complete inactivation of other enteric pathogens, viz., Shigella dysenteriae and Vibrio cholerae . The two-stage process was efficient in biogas generation from HNS . Thus, the two-stage process ensures complete hygienic safety in anaerobic digestion of human night soil. J AOAC Int, 2004 Sep-Oct, 87(5), 1252 - 9 A multicommutated flow system for determination of bismuth in milk shakes by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry incorporating on-line neutralization of waste effluent; Ventura-Gayete JF et al.; A highly sensitive method was developed for determination of bismuth in milk shakes by multicommutation hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) based on off-line sonication for 10 min with aqua regia 8% (v/v) and on-line waste treatment . The instrumentation and chemistry variables were studied in order to provide the best performance . The limit of detection in the original samples, established for a probability level of 99.6% (k = 3), was 1.67 ng/g Bi . The method provides a fast alternative in control analysis with a sampling throughput of 72 h as compared with 31 h obtained by the classical continuous measurement . Additionally, multicommutation reduces waste generation by a factor of 2.6 . The consumption of sample, reductant, and blank, as compared with continuous mode HG-AFS, was reduced 9.6, 4.5, and 13.3 times, respectively . To confirm the accuracy of the method, recovery studies were performed, and excellent agreement between multicommutation and continuous measurement-based values was obtained . Application of the developed methodology for bismuth determination in milk shake samples from the Spanish market provided concentrations ranging from 4.2 to 15.0 ng/mL, and good comparability with data obtained by continuous measurements after microwave-assisted total digestion of samples for a 95% probability level and 12 degrees of freedom was found. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(4), 57 - 64 Aerodynamic performance of a low-speed wind tunnel; Frechen FB et al.; The determination of the odour mass flow emitted from a source is a very important step and forms the basis for all subsequent considerations and calculations . Wastewater treatment plants, as well as waste treatment facilities, consist of different kinds of odour sources . Unfortunately, most of the sources are passive sources, where no outward air flow-rate can be measured, but where odorants are obviously emitted . Thus, a type of sampling is required that allows to measure the emitted odour flow-rate (OFR) . To achieve this, different methods are in use worldwide . Besides indirect methods, such as micrometeorological atmospheric dispersion models, which have not been used in Germany (in other countries due to different problems, direct methods are also used) . Direct measurements include hood methods, commonly divided into static flux chambers, dynamic flux chambers and wind tunnels . The wind tunnel that we have been operating in principle since 1983 is different from all subsequent presented wind tunnels, in that we operate it at a considerably lower wind speed than the others . To describe the behaviour of this wind tunnel, measurement of the flow pattern in this low-speed tunnel are under way, and some initial results are presented here. Bioresour Technol, 2005 Feb, 96(3), 323 - 9 Nitrogen availability of anaerobic swine lagoon sludge: sludge source effects; Moore AD et al.; Increased numbers of swine producers will be removing sludge from their anaerobic waste treatment lagoons in the next few years, due to sludge exceeding designed storage capacity . Information on availability of nitrogen (N) in the sludge is needed to improve application recommendations for crops . The objective of this study was to investigate possible effects of different companies and types of swine operations on the availability of N in sludge from their associated lagoons . A laboratory incubation study was conducted to quantify the availability of N (i.e . initial inorganic N plus the potentially mineralizable organic N) in the sludge . Nine sludge sources from lagoons of sow, nursery and finishing operations of three different swine companies were mixed with a loamy sand soil (200 mg total Kjeldahl N kg(-1) soil) and incubated at a water content of 0.19 g . water g(-1) dry soil and 25+/-2 degrees C for 12 weeks . Samples were taken at eight times over the 12-week period and analyzed for inorganic N (i.e . NH(4)-N and NO(3)-N) to determine mineralization of organic N in the sludge . Company and type of swine operation had no significant effects (P < 0.05) on the pattern of inorganic N accumulation over time . Thus, inorganic N accumulation from all sludge sources was fit to a first order equation {Nt = Ni + No (1-e(-kt)} . This relationship indicated that of the 200 mg of total sludge N added per kg soil, 23.5% was in the form of potentially mineralizable organic N (No) and 17.5% was in the form of inorganic N (Ni) . The sum of these two pools (41%) represents an estimate of the proportion of total N in the applied sludge in plant available form after the 12 week incubation . While plant N availability coefficients were not measured in this study, the lack of significant company or type of swine operation effects on sludge N mineralization suggests that use of the same plant N availability coefficient for sludge from different types of lagoons is justifiable . The validity of this interpretation depends on the assumption that variation in other components of different sludge sources such as Cu and Zn does not differentially alter N uptake by the receiver crops. Appl Radiat Isot, 2004 Dec, 61(6), 1189 - 93 Radioactive iodine waste treatment using electrodialysis with an anion exchange paper membrane; Inoue H et al.; In order to simply and safely treat radioactive iodine waste, a study of the removal of iodide ion from radioactive waste using electrodialysis with an anion exchange paper membrane, in which trimethylhydroxylpropylammonium groups were homogeneously dispersed with high density . In Na125I and Na36Cl concentration-cell system, electric ion and water conductances, phenomenological coefficients, have been experimentally determined on basis of nonequilibrium thermodynamics . Prepared paper membrane had higher permselectivity of 125I ion than 36Cl ions by approximately 21% . On the other hand, water flux that was accompanied by an ionic transference in prepared paper membrane was greatly larger than that in typical synthesized membrane . It is suggested that a depression of water mobility is important to practice an ideal radioactive iodide waste electrodialysis system with a novel anion exchange paper membrane. Waste Manag, 2004, 24(8), 785 - 94 Leachate recirculation: moisture content assessment by means of a geophysical technique; Guerin R et al.; Bioreactor technology is a waste treatment concept consisting in speeding up the biodegradation of landfilled waste by optimizing its moisture content through leachate recirculation . The measurement of variations in waste moisture content is critical in the design and control of bioreactors . Conventional methods such as direct physical sampling of waste reach their limits due to the interference with the waste matrix . This paper reviews geophysical measurements such as electrical direct current and electromagnetic slingram methods for measuring the electrical conductivity . Electrical conductivity is a property, which is linked to both moisture and temperature and can provide useful indications on the biodegradation environment in the waste mass . The study reviews three site experiments: a first experimentation shows the advantages (correlation between conductive anomaly and water seepage) but also the limits of geophysical interpretation; the two other sites allow the leachate recirculation to be tracked by studying the relative resistivity variation versus time from electrical 2D imaging . Even if some improvements are necessary to consider geophysical measurements as a real bioreactor monitoring tool, results are promising and could lead to the use of electrical 2D imaging in bioreactor designing. Am J Ind Med, 2004 Oct, 46(4), 419 - 22 Working Group report 4: exposure assessment for biological agents; Thorne PS et al.; This Working Group was assembled to review and evaluate methods currently used to estimate work site exposures to biological agents and to present recommendations on suitable measurement strategies . The current state of exposure assessment was evaluated for environments with organic dust including agriculture, composting, sewage and waste treatment processing, peat moss harvesting and handling, cotton and textile processing, greenhouse work, and grass seed processing . Methods for measurement of microbial contaminants in indoor environments were also considered . Important methods are emerging that use quantitative PCR for assessment of microbial agents . Difficulties exist with optimization of extraction to yield contaminant-free DNA without significant DNA loss . Advances in assays for microbial agents (e.g., endotoxin and glucans) as well as allergens have increased the utility of exposure assessment for these agents . A crucial area for further development is international harmonization of methodologies to reduce interlaboratory variability and to facilitate establishment of exposure guidelines . Endotoxin exposure assessment using the Limulus amebocyte lysate method is a high priority for harmonization because of its importance as a pulmonary inflammatory agent in many occupational settings. Int J Environ Health Res, 2004 Aug, 14(4), 295 - 305 Hospital waste management status in university hospitals of the Fars province, Iran; Askarian M et al.; Hospital waste contains large quantities of hazardous materials . In Iran, as in many developing countries, not much attention has been paid to this matter . Little information is available regarding the generation and disposal of medical waste in Iran, and this fact hinders planning for a better management of the aforementioned waste . This paper describes a survey performed on the collection and disposal of waste in the university hospitals of the Fars province, which are the medical referral centres in the southern half of the country, and the results obtained are fully discussed . The lack of separation between hazardous and non- hazardous waste, an absence of necessary rules and regulations applying to the collection of waste from the hospital wards and the on-site transport to a temporary storage location, a lack of proper waste treatment, disposal of hospital waste along with municipal garbage, insufficient training of personnel, insufficient personal protective equipment and lack of knowledge regarding the proper use of such equipment, were the main findings . For a rapid improvement of existing conditions, performing extensive research for the assessment of present situation in the hospitals of this country, compilation of rules and establishment of standards along with effective training for the personnel is recommended. Environ Pollut, 2004 Dec, 132(3), 413 - 26 Fifty-year sedimentary record of heavy metal pollution (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb) in the Lot River reservoirs (France); Audry S et al.; The Lot-Garonne fluvial system is known for its historic heavy metal pollution resulting from mining and smelting activities since the late 19th century . Here, we report 137Cs activities and heavy metal (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb and V) concentration-depth profiles from sediment cores retrieved in 2001 from three reservoirs in the Lot River . High mean sedimentation rates of 2.4-2.8 cm a(-1) are indicated by 137Cs dating . The reservoir sediments have recorded the heavy metal deposition and thus allow establishing a connection between the temporal evolution of the heavy metal pollution and historical changes in smelting and waste-treatment proceedings . Based on heavy metal concentrations in sediments upstream of the anthropogenic inputs and bottom-sediments of the furthest downstream core (interpreted as old soil or riverbed), concentrations of approximately 17, approximately 82, approximately 0.33 and approximately 28 mg kg(-1) for Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively, are proposed as natural background values for the Lot fluvial system . The geoaccumulation index (Igeo {Muller, G., 1979 . Schwermetalle in den Sedimenten des Rheins-Veranderungen seit . Umschav 79, 133-149.}) revealed that the Lot River sediments must be considered as "severely polluted" in Cd and Zn . Moreover, despite remediation efforts undertaken in the former smelting site, the Lot River is still "severely" (Igeo approximately 4) and "moderately to severely" (Igeo>2) impacted by Cd and Zn inputs, respectively. J Environ Radioact, 2004, 77(2), 159 - 73 Modelling 99Tc concentrations in Fucus vesiculosus from the north-east Irish Sea; Nawakowski C et al.; In 1994 there were substantial increases in the quantity of 99Tc discharged into the north-east Irish Sea from BNFL Sellafield (UK), concomitant with improvements in waste treatment procedures . As a consequence, the concentration of 99Tc observed in seawater and biota samples, taken from the Irish Sea coastline, increased significantly . Elevated concentrations were also reported in Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Arctic waters in subsequent years . In the present study a simple numerical model was developed and applied to time-series data of 99Tc concentrations in the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus, collected from three UK sites in the vicinity of Sellafield (St . Bees, Heysham, Port William) . The model considered site-specific scaling effects, lag times, previous discharge history and potential seasonal variation in uptake . In general, there was a good fit between predicted and observed concentrations, but the degree of uncertainty varied inversely with the frequency of sampling . We did not observe a significant seasonal variation . The modelled lag times to the three sites were consistent with transport times based on observations of the water column distribution of 99Tc . The model was applied to a variety of discharge scenarios, reflecting current discussion on the future management of 99Tc releases . Concentrations in Fucus reached asymptotic values in 3-10 years, depending on the scenario and sampling site under consideration. Environ Sci Technol, 2004 Jul 1, 38(13), 3567 - 73 Estrogen content of dairy and swine wastes; Raman DR et al.; Naturally occurring estrogens in animal wastes may cause negative environmental impacts, yet their abundance in animal waste treatment and storage structures is poorly documented . To better quantify estrogen concentrations in animal wastes, multiple waste samples were collected from treatment and storage structures at dairy and swine facilities and analyzed for concentrations of 17beta-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and 17alpha-estradiol by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (E2 only) . Mass ratios of each estrogen to the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were also determined . Because manure application rates are typically macronutrient-based, estrogen to macronutrient ratios are proportional to areal mass application rates of estrogen to fields . Swine farrowing waste (from farrowing sows and piglets) had the highest ratios of E2 to macronutrients . Mean ratios in swine farrowing waste were roughly twice those in swine finishing waste (from growing male and nonpregnant female animals) and more than four times higher than those in dairy waste (from lactating cows in various stages of their reproductive cycles); these differences were statistically significant (alpha = 0.05) . Estrone followed a similar trend . In contrast, ratios of 17alpha-estradiol to macronutrients were highest in dairy operations . These results can be used to better predict estrogen loading rates on fields receiving swine and dairy wastes. Waste Manag, 2004, 24(7), 655 - 62 Decentralised composting of urban waste--an overview of community and private initiatives in Indian cities; Zurbrugg C et al.; The national waste legislation, introduced in India in 2000, endorses the principle of "Recycle Before Disposal" and clearly stipulates composting as an option for organic waste treatment . It also recommends waste separation as prerequisite for treatment . Although various composting schemes of different scale, type and organisational structure currently exist in the country, a general overview is lacking and very little independent site-specific information is available . This paper presents the results of a study assessing 17 decentralised systems from the cities of Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, and Mumbai . The schemes were classified according to their organisational setup into: (1) citizens' and community initiatives; (2) business and institution initiatives operating on their premises; and (3) small and medium-size private sector initiatives . These categories also coincide with different operational scales . Community initiatives have developed from unreliable collection services, and composting emerged mainly as a spin-off activity from the collection system to reduce waste delivery to the communal containers emptied by the municipal services . The potential to launch and sustain decentralised composting schemes is dependent on the municipal provision of adequate space . This paper summarises further key issues pertaining to the assessed schemes and reveals overall deficiencies in the field of accounting and transparency, composting technique and marketing, as well as municipal authority involvement . Mar Pollut Bull, 2004 Jul, 49(1-2), 103 - 10 Waste loading in shrimp and fish processing effluents: potential source of hazards to the coastal and nearshore environments; Islam MS et al.; On average, only 30-40% of the global fishery production is consumed fresh and the rest 60-70% is processed for human consumption and other purposes . Although the proportion of the total fishery production that are processed remained relatively stable over the last decade, the total bulk of processed fishery commodity increased due to the steady increase in the total fishery production . Processing of large bulk of fish, shrimp and other aquatic organisms produces a corresponding large bulk of by-products and wastes . Although recent trend shows that much of these wastes are made into various value added products, considerable quantities are discharged as the processing effluents with large volume of waters used in processing . Reports suggest that fish and shrimp processing effluents are very high in biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), fat-oil-grease (FOG), pathogenic and other microflora, organic matters and nutrients, etc . Fish and shrimp processing effluents are, therefore, highly likely to produce adverse effects on the receiving coastal and marine environments . Although substantial reduction of the waste loads is possible by applying available simple techniques, this is not in practice in most part of the world due to lack of proper managerial and regulatory approach . The present paper reviews the characteristics of fish and shrimp processing effluents as a potential source of coastal and marine pollution and, using the existing data, analyzes the global production and discharge of waste loads from the processing plants and discusses available options for waste treatment and management. J Investig Med, 2004 Apr, 52(3), 170 - 6 Autoantibodies and levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in persons living near a hazardous waste treatment facility; Schoenroth L et al.; BACKGROUND: Increased autoantibody prevalence has been described in instances of high-dose exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) . In 1996, an equipment malfunction at the Swan Hills Treatment Centre in Alberta, Canada, caused the release of gases containing PCBs into the ambient air . In view of the immune effects of PCBs and their potential as endocrine disruptors, we assessed autoantibody prevalence and looked for correlations with PCB levels . METHODS: Fifty-seven persons living within a 100 km radius of the waste treatment facility were assessed . Autoantibodies were measured by indirect immunofluorescence, double immunodiffusion, and immunoblotting . The levels of 26 congeners of PCBs were measured by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry . Provincial health records for physician visits and hospitalizations were reviewed for diagnoses of autoimmune disease . RESULTS: The prevalence of autoantibodies was 11% in the study participants and 0% in healthy controls . There was no correlation of PCB levels with autoantibody results . There was no associated increase in autoimmune disease noted on physician visits or hospitalizations . PCB levels were comparable to background levels reported for other populations . CONCLUSION: A correlation of titers of autoantibodies in the sera of individuals at risk and the blood levels of PCBs was not found, and the prevalence of autoantibodies in the at-risk group was not statistically different (p > .05) from that of an unexposed control group . The study group had higher titers of autoantibodies and some strong reactivity with intracellular antigens, but the significance of this observation may be understood only after long-term clinical assessments and follow-up. J Occup Environ Hyg, 2004 Mar, 1(3), D23 - 5 Hydrogen sulfide exposure at a waste treatment facility; Smith B et al.; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require employers to report workplace-related fatalities.((1)) OSHA inspection policy and procedures require that a workplace fatality or workplace hazards with potential imminent danger receive the highest priority for inspection.((2)) This inspection began on a Saturday when a local fire department advised the OSHA area office of a workplace fatality . The fire department also reported that the death was due to natural causes, based on a county coroner's report that stated the worker had died from a heart attack . Under normal circumstances OSHA begins a workplace fatality investigation within one day of notification . Workplace deaths due to natural causes, as was initially reported in this case, may not receive an OSHA inspection . However, subsequent to the incident, a family member contacted the OSHA area office and reported that the death may have been due to chemical vapor exposures, based on information from co-workers of the deceased . The family had already requested a toxicological screening of the victim and the coroner had agreed . Based on this new information, the local OSHA area office opened a facility inspection. Bioresour Technol, 2004 Sep, 94(3), 321 - 9 An economic analysis of leachate purification through willow-coppice vegetation filters; Rosenqvist H et al.; In this study an economic analysis of the purification of integrated solid waste treatment facility leachates through a willow-coppice (Salix) vegetation filter in southern Sweden was carried out . Calculations were based on the use of two computer models that were initially used in estimating a pump-and-pipe irrigation system for a 36-ha willow-coppice plantation to purify an average annual quantity of 195,000 m(3) of leachate with an average nitrogen content of 24 g/m(3) . Results showed that facility leachates could be purified at US dollars 0.34/m(3) compared with US dollars 0.62/m(3) for that of conventional leachate treatment at a wastewater treatment plant . Furthermore, results revealed that the increased income from willow growing and sale of the biomass chips represented only a small factor in the overall cost of the purification technique--decreasing purification costs to US dollars 0.326/m(3) . Sensitivity analyses also demonstrated that, because of the large leachate holding pond expense, only a fraction of facility leachate should be treated through a vegetation filter. Environ Manage, 2003 Dec, 32(6), 720 - 34 Optimizing liquid effluent monitoring at a large nuclear complex; Chou CJ et al.; Effluent monitoring typically requires a large number of analytes and samples during the initial or startup phase of a facility . Once a baseline is established, the analyte list and sampling frequency may be reduced . Although there is a large body of literature relevant to the initial design, few, if any, published papers exist on updating established effluent monitoring programs . This paper statistically evaluates four years of baseline data to optimize the liquid effluent monitoring efficiency of a centralized waste treatment and disposal facility at a large defense nuclear complex . Specific objectives were to: (1) assess temporal variability in analyte concentrations, (2) determine operational factors contributing to waste stream variability, (3) assess the probability of exceeding permit limits, and (4) streamline the sampling and analysis regime . Results indicated that the probability of exceeding permit limits was one in a million under normal facility operating conditions, sampling frequency could be reduced, and several analytes could be eliminated . Furthermore, indicators such as gross alpha and gross beta measurements could be used in lieu of more expensive specific isotopic analyses (radium, cesium-137, and strontium-90) for routine monitoring . Study results were used by the state regulatory agency to modify monitoring requirements for a new discharge permit, resulting in an annual cost savings of US dollars 223,000 . This case study demonstrates that statistical evaluation of effluent contaminant variability coupled with process knowledge can help plant managers and regulators streamline analyte lists and sampling frequencies based on detection history and environmental risk. Sci Total Environ, 2004 Jun 29, 326(1-3), 151 - 80 The effects of meteorological factors on atmospheric bioaerosol concentrations--a review; Jones AM et al.; Over land surfaces a quarter of the total airborne particulate may be made up of biological material in the form of pollen, fungal spores, bacteria, viruses, or fragments of plant and animal matter . Meteorological variables affect the initial release of this material and its dispersal once airborne . Temperature and water availability will affect the size of the source and will control the release of some actively released fungal spores . Inertly released material will become airborne when the drying of the surface reduces bonding forces, and when the material is disrupted by sufficiently strong air movement or by mechanical disturbance . The wind speed necessary to disrupt material is noted to be less on a plant surface than on the ground surface . Measurements of the concentrations of airborne material near dominant sources are reviewed for both area sources, and for point sources such as sewage and waste treatment works, agricultural practices, and diseased animals . The concentration of airborne material remote from sources is considered along with the effects of on and off shore winds and some examples of long distance transport of material . The vertical concentration of bacteria is noted to decline less rapidly than that of fungal spores . The short-term variation of pollen, fungal spore, and bacterial concentrations are also considered . Copryright 2003 Elsevier B.V. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2004 Apr, 39(4), 1083 - 93 Acceleration of the decomposition rate of anaerobic biological treatment; Olcay O et al.; Anaerobic biological waste treatment offers advantages over aerobic systems in terms of lower energy requirements, less biological sludge production, and the potential for energy recovery in the form of biogas . The biogas produced can be used in a multiplicity of ways . The major drawback of this process is the slow growth rate of anaerobic microorganisms . Experimental studies have been performed to investigate the effect of yeast population on the rate of anaerobic decomposition . The experiments were conducted in three laboratory scale anaerobic reactors . The result of this study showed that the yeast population enhanced the bacterial growth rate in the anaerobic batch reactors, consequently the COD removal efficiency and biogas generation inside the reactors were enhanced. Environ Pollut, 1991, 71(1), 31 - 42 Application of fluidized bed combustion to industrial waste treatment; Chang YM et al.; Landfill and sea-dumping appear to be on their way out as acceptable methods for the disposal of untreated industrial wastes in Taiwan . Recently, there has been interest in the application of fluidized bed technology to waste incineration for efficient energy utilization and environmental protection . A pilot fluidized bed combustion system was used to investigate the incineration performance and parametric test for the waste from an industrial park . According to the experimental results, the appropriate operating conditions, including temperatures of 800-840 degrees C, aeration rates of U(0)/Um(f)-2.0 or so, and on-bed feeding, were recommended to treat such waste . The emissions of SO(x), NO(x) and CO in flue gas meet the ROC-EPA regulation. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol, 2004 Feb, 31(2), 57 - 62 Epub 2004 Feb 06. Chromium recycling of tannery waste through microbial fermentation; Katsifas EA et al.; An Aspergillus carbonarius isolate, selected from an established microbial culture collection, was used to study the biodegradation of chromium shavings in solid-state fermentation experiments . Approximately 97% liquefaction of the tannery waste was achieved and the liquid obtained from long-term experiments was used to recover chromium . The resulting alkaline chromium sulfate solution was useful in tanning procedures . A proteinaceous liquid was also obtained which has potential applications as a fertilizer or animal feed additive and has several other industrial uses . The A . carbonarius strain proved to be a very useful tool in tannery waste-treatment processes and chromium recovery in the tanning industries. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol, 2004 Jan, 31(1), 29 - 34 Epub 2004 Jan 21. Microbial characterisation of activated sludge in jet-loop bioreactors treating winery wastewaters; Eusebio A et al.; Jet-loop reactors (JLR) used as biological waste treatment processes introduce an additional selective pressure on the natural microbial flora of the incoming effluent . Several high-performing microbial inocula were tested for winery wastewater treatment and the microbial composition was analysed . A microbial consortium was enriched and selected for use with a new type of aerobic JLR . The reactor was operated continuously for more than 1 year using winery wastewaters collected in different seasons . Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was on average greater than 80%, with retention times of 0.8-1 day . Microbial populations were sampled for characterisation after 6 months and at the end of the study . Isolates were identified at genus and/or species level . Almost all isolates belonged to the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus . Saccharomyces cerevisiae was also found but no filamentous fungi . These results show that a highly adapted population develops in JLRs treating winery effluents as compared to other bioreactors . Aerobic JLRs impose a stringent selective criterion on the composition of the microbial biomass. Avian Dis, 2003 Oct-Dec, 47(4), 1399 - 405 Bacteriophage treatment of a severe Escherichia coli respiratory infection in broiler chickens; Huff WE et al.; A bacteriophage to a serotype 02, nonmotile Escherichia coli was isolated from municipal waste treatment facilities and poultry processing plants . A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of multiple vs . single intramuscular (i.m.) injections of bacteriophage to treat a severe E . coli respiratory infection . The birds were challenged at 7 days of age by injection of 6 x 10(4) colony-forming units (cfu) of E . coli into the thoracic air sac followed by an i.m . injection into the thigh with either heat-killed or active bacteriophage . There were 16 treatments with three replicate pens of 10 birds . There were four control treatments, which included untreated birds, birds injected with either heat-killed or active bacteriophage, and birds challenged only with E . coli . In the remaining treatments, birds were injected with heat-killed or active bacteriophage either once immediately after E . coli challenge or immediately after challenge and at 8 and 9 days of age, once at 8 days of age or at 8, 9, and 10 days of age, and once at 9 days of age or at 9, 10, and 11 days of age . Mortality was significantly decreased from 57% to 13% in the birds given a single i.m . injection of bacteriophage immediately after E . coli challenge, and there was complete recovery in birds treated immediately after challenge and at 8 and 9 days of age, which was a significant improvement from the single injection treatment . There was a significant reduction in mortality from 57% to 10% in the birds treated with bacteriophage once at 8 days of age and those birds treated at 8, 9, and 10 days of age, with no difference between single or multiple treatments . The mortality in the single or multiple phage treated birds that started at 9 days of age was reduced from 57% to 28% and 27%, respectively, but was not statistically different from the control . These data suggest that bacteriophage can be an effective treatment when administered early in this experimental E . coli respiratory disease and that early multiple treatments are better than a single treatment . The efficacy of bacteriophage treatment diminishes as it is delayed, with no difference between single or multiple treatments . Bacteriophage may provide an effective alternative to antibiotics, but like and biotic therapy, the effectiveness of phage to rescue animals decreases the longer treatment is delayed in the disease process. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 48(8), 261 - 9 Substrata effects on bacterial biofilm development in a subsurface flow dairy waste treatment wetland; Silyn-Roberts G et al.; Biofilm development on two distinct rock substrata was investigated both in vitro and in a subsurface flow wastewater treatment wetland in order to determine the effect of hydrophobicity on initial bacterial adsorption, tertiary biofilm development and microbial population structure . Two commonly used wetland rock types, slag (a hydrophobic by-product of the steel smelter industry) and greywacke (a more hydrophilic sedimentary rock) were evaluated . In vitro investigations of initial microbial adsorption trends showed that the more hydrophobic slag displayed rapid bacterial adsorption rates compared to greywacke . Mean microbial adsorption rates of a mixed wetland bacterial population over 5 hours, described using a first order kinetics model, were 1.3 x 10(-12) m/sec for slag and consistently lower at 8.7 x 10(-13) m/sec for greywacke . Pristine rock studs of the two substrata were also exposed to wetland microbial communities during a six week field trial using confocal scanning laser microscopy to determine tertiary biofilm structure and fluorescent in situ hybridisation to investigate bacterial populations . During the first five weeks of growth CSLM analysis revealed that 75% of biofilms on slag were thicker and had greater coverage compared with those grown on greywacke . After six weeks of growth over 50% of the tertiary biofilms were structurally very similar on both rock types and only 25% of those grown on slag were larger than those on greywacke . In situ hybridisation analysis of bacterial populations revealed very little difference in population structure between biofilms grown on slag and those grown on greywacke . Eubacteria were present as a very high proportion of total bacteria throughout biofilm development (74.3%) . The beta subgroup was the most populous of the Proteobacteria (31.4%) followed by the gamma subgroup (13.4%) and the alpha subgroup (1.3%) . The results of this study suggest that slag, as a more hydrophobic substratum, promotes the initial adsorption of bacteria during early biofilm growth and better supports mature biofilm structures when used in wetlands . This study has implications for the design and construction of wastewater treatment wetlands. Waste Manag, 2004, 24(1), 3 - 7 Potential use of feebate systems to foster environmentally sound urban waste management; Puig-Ventosa I; Waste treatment facilities are often shared among different municipalities as a means of managing wastes more efficiently . Usually, management costs are assigned to each municipality depending on the size of the population or total amount of waste produced, regardless of important environmental aspects such as per capita waste generation or achievements in composting or recycling . This paper presents a feebate (fee+rebate) system aimed to foster urban waste reduction and recovery . The proposal suggests that municipalities achieving better results in their waste management performance (from an ecological viewpoint) be recompensated with a rebate obtained from a fee charged to those municipalities that are less environmentally sound . This is a dynamic and flexible instrument that would positively encourage municipalities to reduce waste whilst increasing the recycling. J Environ Sci Health B, 2003 Nov, 38(6), 855 - 63 Benefits of sustainable waste management in the vegetable greenhouse industry; Cheuk W et al.; This study investigated the benefits of an on-site sustainable solid waste treatment and utilization system for the greenhouse industry . The composts made from greenhouse wastes were tested and found to contain high nutrient values and good physical properties, and could be used as high quality growing media . The finished composts were tested in a greenhouse against the conventional growth media (sawdust) and resulted in a 10% yield increase by using the compost . An economic analysis was conducted to show the economic benefits of on-site composting for a greenhouse operation . Based on a four-hectare tomato or pepper greenhouse, and amortizing the capital equipment over five years, the net annual cost of composting represents a savings of dollars 8,000 annually. Environ Manage . 2003 Dec 4; {Epub ahead of print} Optimizing Liquid Effluent Monitoring at a Large Nuclear Complex; Chou CJ et al.; Effluent monitoring typically requires a large number of analytes and samples during the initial or startup phase of a facility . Once a baseline is established, the analyte list and sampling frequency may be reduced . Although there is a large body of literature relevant to the initial design, few, if any, published papers exist on updating established effluent monitoring programs . This paper statistically evaluates four years of baseline data to optimize the liquid effluent monitoring efficiency of a centralized waste treatment and disposal facility at a large defense nuclear complex . Specific objectives were to: (1) assess temporal variability in analyte concentrations, (2) determine operational factors contributing to waste stream variability, (3) assess the probability of exceeding permit limits, and (4) streamline the sampling and analysis regime . Results indicated that the probability of exceeding permit limits was one in a million under normal facility operating conditions, sampling frequency could be reduced, and several analytes could be eliminated . Furthermore, indicators such as gross alpha and gross beta measurements could be used in lieu of more expensive specific isotopic analyses (radium, cesium-137, and strontium-90) for routine monitoring . Study results were used by the state regulatory agency to modify monitoring requirements for a new discharge permit, resulting in an annual cost savings of US $223,000 . This case study demonstrates that statistical evaluation of effluent contaminant variability coupled with process knowledge can help plant managers and regulators streamline analyte lists and sampling frequencies based on detection history and environmental risk. Biotechnol Adv, 2003 Dec, 22(1-2), 161 - 87 White-rot fungi and their enzymes for the treatment of industrial dye effluents; Wesenberg D et al.; White-rot fungi produce various isoforms of extracellular oxidases including laccase, Mn peroxidase and lignin peroxidase (LiP), which are involved in the degradation of lignin in their natural lignocellulosic substrates . This ligninolytic system of white-rot fungi (WRF) is directly involved in the degradation of various xenobiotic compounds and dyes . This review summarizes the state of the art in the research and prospective use of WRF and their enzymes (lignin-modifying enzymes, LME) for the treatment of industrial effluents, particularly dye containing effluents . The textile industry, by far the most avid user of synthetic dyes, is in need of ecoefficient solutions for its colored effluents . The decolorization and detoxification potential of WRF can be harnessed thanks to emerging knowledge of the physiology of these organisms as well as of the biocatalysis and stability characteristics of their enzymes . This knowledge will need to be transformed into reliable and robust waste treatment processes. Biotechnol Adv, 2003 Dec, 22(1-2), 71 - 9 Solid waste treatment and disposal: effects on public health and environmental safety; Hamer G; The safety and acceptability of many widely used solid waste management practices are of serious concern from the public health point of view . Such concern stems from both distrust of policies and solutions proposed by all tiers of government for the management of solid waste and a perception that many solid waste management facilities use poor operating procedures . Waste management practice that currently encompasses disposal, treatment, reduction, recycling, segregation and modification has developed over the past 150 years . Before that and in numerous more recent situations, all wastes produced were handled by their producers using simple disposal methods, including terrestrial dumping, dumping into both fresh and marine waters and uncontrolled burning . In spite of ever-increasing industrialisation and urbanisation, the dumping of solid waste, particularly in landfills, remains a prominent means of disposal and implied treatment . Major developments have occurred with respect to landfill technology and in the legislative control of the categories of wastes that can be subject to disposal by landfilling . Even so, many landfills remain primitive in their operation . Alternative treatment technologies for solid waste management include incineration with heat recovery and waste gas cleaning and accelerated composting, but both of these technologies are subject to criticism either by environmentalists on the grounds of possible hazardous emissions, failure to eliminate pathogenic agents or failure to immobilise heavy metals, or by landfill operators and contractors on the basis of waste management economics, while key questions concerning the effects of the various practices on public health and environmental safety remain unanswered . The probable and relative effects on both public health and environmental safety of tradition and modern landfill technologies will be evaluated with respect to proposed alternative treatment technologies. Waste Manag, 2003, 23(10), 917 - 32 A method for livestock waste management planning in NE Spain; Teira-Esmatges MR et al.; A method of decision-making on livestock wastes management in areas with nutrient surplus due to high livestock density is applied in Catalonia (NE Spain) . Nutrient balance is made considering soil nitrogen application as the limiting factor . Special attention is paid to the centralized treatment option . The method presented consists of: 1 . minimizing livestock waste generation (at farm scale) as a step previous to any other, both in amount and limiting components, 2 . applying the nitrogen balance method at regional and municipal scale and providing enough storage capacity in order to apply wastes in an agronomically correct way, 3 . spatially refining the results of the nitrogen balance by a proposed method that allows precisely pinpointing the hotspots of livestock waste generation, where centralized treatment might be an interesting option, and 4 . deciding on the waste treatment objectives, provided that treatments be necessary . Knowledge about the wastes, meeting the interests and merging the efforts of the various actors, as well as an adequate budget are necessary ingredients for the success of any waste management plan. J Environ Manage, 2003 Nov, 69(3), 289 - 97 Biosorption of copper (II) from chemical mechanical planarization wastewaters; Stanley LC et al.; Copper Chemical Mechanical Planarization (Cu-CMP) is a critical step in integrated circuit (IC) device manufacturing . CMP and post-CMP cleaning processes are projected to account for 30-40% of the water consumed by IC manufacturers in 2003 . CMP wastewater is expected to contain increasing amounts of copper as the industry switches from Al-CMP to Cu-CMP causing some IC manufacturers to run the risk of violating discharge regulations . There are a variety of treatment schemes currently available for the removal of heavy metals from CMP wastewater, however, many introduce additional chemicals to the wastewater, have large space requirements, or are expensive . This work explores the use of microorganisms for waste treatment . A Staphylococcus sp . of bacteria was isolated and studied to determine the feasibility for use in removing copper from Cu-CMP wastewater . A model Cu-CMP wastewater was developed and tested, as well as actual Cu-CMP wastes . Continuous-flow packed column experiments were performed to obtain adsorption data and show copper recovery from the waste . A predictive, empirical model was used to accurately describe Cu removal . Additionally, the immobilized cells were regenerated, allowing for the concentration and potential recovery of copper from the wastewater. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2003 Nov, 56(3), 339 - 50 A study of the leachate toxicity of metal-containing solid wastes using Daphnia magna; Seco JI et al.; This paper examines the ecotoxicity of different actual inorganic wastes containing some potentially toxic metals commonly found in many industrial residues and the reduction in ecotoxicity obtained when the wastes are submitted to a solidification/stabilization process . The ecotoxicity was assessed as defined in the Spanish regulations on hazardous wastes, by means of the Daphnia magna Straus acute toxicity test applied to the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) waste leachate . On the basis of the EC50 values of the individual metals and the effect of the pH of the aqueous medium on D . magna, we have explored a method for estimating the toxicity of the TCLP waste leachate by calculating its EC50 value in the D . magna test . Although the method is only valid in cases in which a clear cause for the toxicity exists, the procedure described allows us to more completely explain the observed effects on the daphnids . The ecotoxicity of the residues after stabilization is less than that of the untreated waste, generally as a consequence of the reduction in metal leachability achieved by the immobilization treatment . The stabilization process was analyzed in terms of both the chemical and the ecotoxicological parameters, and the influence of leachate pH on the objectives of waste treatment is discussed. Biotechnol Adv, 1994, 12(4), 647 - 52 Microbial biosorption of metals: potential in the treatment of metal pollution; McHale AP et al.; The phenomenon of metal biosorption by microorganisms has been thoroughly documented . Although this phenomenon is exhibited by both living and non-living forms of biomass, the purpose of this chapter will be to review biosorption by the latter . In addition, the application of various technological processes required for exploitation of this phenomenon in waste treatment will be examined. Biotechnol Adv, 1986, 4(2), 261 - 77 Environmental implications of recombinant DNA technology; Glick BR et al.; Applications of recombinant DNA technology are discussed as a backdrop for evaluation of the environmental impacts of this technology . Some of applications include using traditional biological techniques for specific purposes, including nitrogen fixation, microbial pesticides, and waste treatment . In these instances the final product lies along a continuum, beginning with an organism marginally performing its function, and ending with one that is highly specialised and very efficient in what it does . One may move along this continuum toward the 'perfect' microorganism by using traditional methodologies of mutagenesis and selection, recombinant DNA technology, or a combination of the two. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 48(4), 239 - 43 Start-up of a multi-stage system for biogas production and solid waste treatment in low-tech countries; Biey EM et al.; Vegetable fruit garden wastes were treated anaerobically using a multistage Dranco system . The digesters were composed of three 50 L vessels kept in mesophilic conditions . They were operating at 14.5-17% TS . By controlling the pH in the system, the start-up for biogas production was shortened to 60 days . The pH correction was a buffering which enhanced methanogenic activity in the digesters . With a loading rate of 4.1 kg VS/m3 reactor/day, the production of biogas was 5 m3/m3 reactor/ day, and 60-70% methane content . This allowed making a multisystem by starting every 3 weeks with new vessels in order to maintain biogas production, to be used in industries or in local communities in low-tech countries . The designed model was started in Kinshasa (Congo) where a project is expected to treat one ton of solid waste on a daily basis, for a production of 100 m3 biogas . This cost effectiveness of the system is demonstrated and presents the opportunity for biowaste treatment coupled with environmental protection and substantial energy recovery. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 48(4), 199 - 203 Processing and fractional utilization of lignocellulosic substrates by "pure" and "natural and defined mixed" culture C.TM1, C.SA IV and rumen mixed culture consortia CD; Sankar M et al.; A detailed analysis was made of chemical fractions of common agro-residues before and after pretreatment (alkali and hydrogen peroxide), and the selective utilization of components such as WSS, EBS, TSS, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose by pure and mixed cultures of cellulolytic and xylanolytic Clostridia was monitored and correlated with the organisms' enzyme activity . For all cultures pretreatment gave higher utilization of hemicellulose and cellulose fractions; hydrogen peroxide pretreatment was more effective than NaOH treatment . Lignin utilization was not very significant even on pretreatment . C.TM1 and C.SA IV utilized hemicellulose and cellulose better than mixed cultures in selected substrates . These results help to determine the substrate composition, pretreatment conditions and enzyme system of the organism needed when designing an inoculum for agricultural waste treatment processes such as composting or biogas generation. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 48(2), 283 - 9 Optimization of the treatment of piggery wastes in water hyacinth ponds; Costa RH et al.; This work investigates the optimal management of water hyacinth ponds for the improvement of piggery waste treatment . The optimal harvesting strategy for the water hyacinth was studied using a single mathematical model . The water hyacinth optimal harvesting problem was formulated as an optimal control problem that was solved by application of Pontryagin's Maximum Principle . The optimization of the water hyacinth control in the pond indicates that the plant density should be reduced whenever it reaches half of the maximum capacity for growth . Two experimental systems were used to validate the mathematical model, one in real scale and the other in pilot scale . The results demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed harvesting strategy . For example, a comparison of the total nitrogen removal in the different pilot ponds confirmed the modeling results, in that the performance of the pond maintained with 50% water hyacinth cover was better than the others. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 48(1), 1 - 9 From waste treatment to integrated resource management; Wilsenach JA et al.; Wastewater treatment was primarily implemented to enhance urban hygiene . Treatment methods were improved to ensure environmental protection by nutrient removal processes . In this way, energy is consumed and resources like potentially useful minerals and drinking water are disposed of . An integrated management of assets, including drinking water, surface water, energy and nutrients would be required to make wastewater management more sustainable . Exergy analysis provides a good method to quantify different resources, e.g . utilisable energy and nutrients . Dilution is never a solution for pollution . Waste streams should best be managed to prevent dilution of resources . Wastewater and sanitation are not intrinsically linked . Source separation technology seems to be the most promising concept to realise a major breakthrough in wastewater treatment . Research on unit processes, such as struvite recovery and treatment of ammonium rich streams, also shows promising results . In many cases, nutrient removal and recovery can be combined, with possibilities for a gradual change from one system to another. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 Aug, 69(8), 4618 - 27 Evaluation of the use of PCR and reverse transcriptase PCR for detection of pathogenic bacteria in biosolids from anaerobic digestors and aerobic composters; Burtscher C et al.; A PCR-based method and a reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR)-based method were developed for the detection of pathogenic bacteria in organic waste, using Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Staphylococcus aureus as model organisms . In seeded organic waste samples, detection limits of less than 10 cells per g of organic waste were achieved after one-step enrichment of bacteria, isolation, and purification of DNA or RNA before PCR or RT-PCR amplification . To test the reproducibility and reliability of the newly developed methods, 46 unseeded samples were collected from diverse aerobic (composting) facilities and anaerobic digestors and analyzed by both culture-based classical and newly developed PCR-based procedures . No false-positive but some false-negative results were generated by the PCR- or RT-PCR-based methods after one-step enrichment when compared to the classical detection methods . The results indicated that the level of activity of the tested bacteria in unseeded samples was very low compared to that of freshly inoculated cells, preventing samples from reaching the cell density required for PCR-based detection after one-step enrichment . However, for Salmonella spp., a distinct PCR product could be obtained for all 22 nonamended samples that tested positive for Salmonella spp . by the classical detection procedure when a selective two-step enrichment (20 h in peptone water at 37 degrees C and 24 h in Rappaport Vassiliadis medium at 43 degrees C) was performed prior to nucleic acid extraction and PCR . Hence, the classical procedure was shortened, since cell plating and further differentiation of isolated colonies can be omitted, substituted for by highly sensitive and reliable detection based on nucleic acid extraction and PCR . Similarly, 2 of the 22 samples in which Salmonella spp . were detected also tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes according to a two-step enrichment procedure followed by PCR, compared to 3 samples that tested positive when classical isolation procedures were followed . The study shows that selective two-step enrichment is useful when very low numbers of bacterial pathogens must be detected in organic waste materials, such as biosolids . There were no false-positive results derived from DNA of dead cells in the waste sample, suggesting that it is not necessary to perform RT-PCR analyses when PCR is combined with selective enrichment . Large numbers of added nontarget bacteria did not affect detection of Salmonella spp., L . monocytogenes, and Y . enterocolitica but increased the detection limit of Staphylococcus aureus from <10 to 10(4) CFU/g of organic waste . Overall, the detection methods developed using seeded organic waste samples from one waste treatment facility (WTF) needed to be modified for satisfactory detection of pathogens in samples from other WTFs, emphasizing the need for extensive field testing of laboratory-derived PCR protocols . A survey of 13 WTFs in Germany revealed that all facilities complied with the German Biowaste Ordinance, which mandates that the end product after anaerobic digestion or aerobic composting be free of SALMONELLA: In addition, all biosolids were free of L . monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Y . enterocolitica, as evidenced by both classical and PCR-based detection methods. Waste Manag, 2003, 23(5), 397 - 402 Environmental management by the learning curve; Fehr M; This is a futuristic appreciation of waste management challenges and their solution by means of good management models . A literature review, administrative initiatives, research results, and experiences from practice are combined in this study to render an evolutionary picture of the change in paradigm relative to municipal solid waste possible to occur between 2000 and 2025 . The principal stages of progress in the 25 years studied were: the correct characterization of municipal solid waste as a function of geographical location and recycling potential, the divided collection model and its corresponding learning curve, correct opportunity cost accounting tools, and the generally admitted and accepted changeover of municipal solid waste treatment from a technical to a management problem . It is reported that as a result of this progress, the municipal landfill is a species in extinction . Regional landfills with long life spans are the rule in 2025. Waste Manag, 2003, 23(5), 385 - 96 Resolving public conflict in site selection process-a risk communication approach; Ishizaka K et al.; In Japan, conflicts regarding the siting of waste disposal facilities occur frequently . In particular, siting of incinerators and landfills has become increasingly difficult because the public is highly concerned about the dioxin issues . Inefficient siting of waste disposal facilities causes several social problems, such as the shortage of waste treatment and disposal facilities, the rising of waste management costs and an increase in the consumption of resources . While dealing with a similar situation, the Chemical Society of Japan adopted a risk communication technique successfully . Hence, the pragmatic use of a risk communication technique is proposed to avoid conflicts and for a smooth information exchange to seek cooperation in waste management . In order to achieve this, a study was conducted to resolve conflicts between residents and the municipality for the selection of site for a solid waste treatment and disposal facility . This study aims to discuss the subject of risk communication for the waste disposal system in Japan . This study is performed through personal interviews and a questionnaire covering opposing parties in the town . As a result of the survey, a risk communication approach for a waste treatment and disposal system is presented in the paper addressing issues such as building of social trust, pragmatic use of the communication process, installation of credible information sources, and environmental education and awareness. J Environ Health, 2003 Jul-Aug, 66(1), 17 - 22 Defining and managing biohazardous waste in U.S . research-oriented universities: a survey of environmental health and safety professionals; Mecklem RL et al.; A survey was conducted of environmental health and safety professionals responsible for biohazardous waste management at 122 institutions . The overall response rate was 82.6 percent (100 out of 122) . Results indicate that university policies for biohazardous waste are heavily influenced by state environmental regulations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, and the biosafety guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health . With respect to definition of waste, 84 percent of the universities treat non-infectious human-cell-culture waste as biohazardous . Sharp items, including hypodermic needles, syringes with needles, and scalpel blades, are commonly treated (by 85 percent of universities) as biohazardous sharps regardless of contamination status . Importantly, while 90 percent of universities use autoclave sterilization for waste treatment, only 52 percent use a biological indicator to validate the process . On-site incineration is currently used by 42 percent of universities . Twenty-two of 42 incinerators are hospital/medical/infectious-waste incinerators, and 10 of these will continue to operate under the U.S . Environmental Protection Agency's revised incinerator regulations . Eighty-seven percent of the respondents indicated that some portion of their university's biohazardous waste is treated and disposed of through a licensed medical waste hauler (MWH) . To ensure compliance with institutional policy, most universities segregate and package waste, train waste generators, and conduct inspections. Environ Technol, 2003 Jun, 24(6), 727 - 33 Influence of operating parameters on lead removal from wastewater by phosphogypsum; Balkaya N et al.; The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of operating parameters on lead removal from wastewater by phosphogypsum . Batch adsorption studies were carried out to examine the effect of these parameters on lead removal from wastewater . The operating parameters investigated were adsorbent dosage, contact time, pH and initial lead concentration . Adsorption isotherms were modelled with the help of both Langmuir and Freundlich formulae . The kinetics of the adsorption process which is important in the design of waste treatment systems, was also studied. Chemosphere, 2003 Sep, 52(9), 1381 - 8 Estimation of methane and nitrous oxide emission from animal production sector in Taiwan during 1990-2000; Yang SS et al.; To investigate the greenhouse gases emissions from the feeding and waste management of livestock and poultry, methane and nitrous oxide emissions were estimated from the local measurement and IPCC guidelines during 1990-2000 in Taiwan . Hog is the major livestock and is followed by goat and cattle, while chicken is the major poultry and is followed by duck and geese . Methane emission from enteric fermentation of livestock was 30.9 Gg in 1990, increased to 39.3 Gg in 1996, and then decreased gradually to 34.9 Gg in 2000 . Methane emission from the waste management was 48.5 Gg in 1990, reached the peak value of 60.7 Gg in 1996, and then declined to 43.3 Gg in 2000 . In the case of poultry, annual methane emission from enteric fermentation and waste management was 30.6-44.1 ton, and 8.7-13.2 Gg, respectively . Nitrous oxide emission from waste management of livestock was 0.78 ton in 1990, increased to 0.86 ton in 1996, and then decreased to 0.65 ton in 2000 . Nitrous oxide emission from waste management of poultry was higher than that of livestock with 1.11 ton in 1990, 1.68 ton in 1999, and 1.65 ton in 2000 . There is an urgent need to reduce methane emission from enteric fermentation and recover methane from anaerobic waste treatment for energy in livestock and poultry feeding in Taiwan. J Chromatogr A, 2003 May 16, 997(1-2), 243 - 7 Trace perchlorates in a radiological liquid-waste treatment facility; Hodge EM; Waste management programs at the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are concerned with the levels of perchlorates due to the effects it can have on the environment and resultant regulations . The RLWTF treats industrial and radioactive wastes generated at multiple research and production facilities across the LANL . Perchloric acid is the major source of the perchlorate ion in the RLWTF used in the analytical chemistry laboratories and for metal dissolution . Perchlorate is present in the influent to the RLWTF at concentrations up to several thousands microg/l level . Ion chromatography is the method of choice to analyze the concentrations of perchlorate in the wastewater generated at the RLWTF . Perchlorate was separated by elution through a CS16/CG16 with an EG40 eluent generator . To minimize background conductivity and enhance analyte conductance, an anion self-regenerating suppressor was used . The method achieved a perchlorate method detection limit of 1 microg/l . The method is successfully being used to monitor the perchlorate levels at the RLWTF and provide data for the pilot tests to remove perchlorate from the RLWTF effluent. ScientificWorldJournal, 2002 Apr 09, 2, 972 - 7 Chromate reduction in Serratia marcescens isolated from tannery effluent and potential application for bioremediation of chromate pollution; Mondaca MA et al.; Pollution of aquatic systems by heavy metals has resulted in increasing environmental concern because they cannot be biodegraded . One metal that gives reason for concern due to its toxicity is chromium . Cr(VI) and Cr(III) are the principal forms of chromium found in natural waters . A chromate-resistant strain of the bacterium S . marcescens was isolated from tannery effluent . The strain was able to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III), and about 80% of chromate was removed from the medium . The reduction seems to occur on the cell surface . Transmission electron microscopic examination of cells revealed that particles were deposited on the outside of bacterial cells . A stable biofilm was formed in less than 10 h, reaching around 1010 cfu attached per milligram of activated carbon . These findings demonstrate that immobilized S . marcescens might be used in industrial waste treatment processes. J Hazard Mater, 2003 May 30, 99(3), 243 - 63 Mechanical recycling of waste electric and electronic equipment: a review; Cui J et al.; The production of electric and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest growing areas . This development has resulted in an increase of waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) . In view of the environmental problems involved in the management of WEEE, many counties and organizations have drafted national legislation to improve the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce disposal . Recycling of WEEE is an important subject not only from the point of waste treatment but also from the recovery of valuable materials.WEEE is diverse and complex, in terms of materials and components makeup as well as the original equipment's manufacturing processes . Characterization of this waste stream is of paramount importance for developing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly recycling system . In this paper, the physical and particle properties of WEEE are presented . Selective disassembly, targeting on singling out hazardous and/or valuable components, is an indispensable process in the practice of recycling of WEEE . Disassembly process planning and innovation of disassembly facilities are most active research areas . Mechanical/physical processing, based on the characterization of WEEE, provides an alternative means of recovering valuable materials . Mechanical processes, such as screening, shape separation, magnetic separation, Eddy current separation, electrostatic separation, and jigging have been widely utilized in recycling industry . However, recycling of WEEE is only beginning.For maximum separation of materials, WEEE should be shredded to small, even fine particles, generally below 5 or 10mm . Therefore, a discussion of mechanical separation processes for fine particles is highlighted in this paper.Consumer electronic equipment (brown goods), such as television sets, video recorders, are most common . It is very costly to perform manual dismantling of those products, due to the fact that brown goods contain very low-grade precious metals and copper . It is expected that a mechanical recycling process will be developed for the upgrading of low metal content scraps. Water Res, 2003 Jun, 37(11), 2547 - 54 Short-term harmful effects of unionised ammonia on natural populations of Moina micrura and Brachionus rubens in a deep waste treatment pond; Arauzo M et al.; Populations of Moina micrura and Brachionus rubens in a deep waste treatment pond were exposed to the natural short-term fluctuations of unionised ammonia (90-min intervals of monitoring) that occur in the course of a day during a summer algal bloom . Under natural conditions, three replicate experiments were conducted in which water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total ammonia, unionised ammonia, phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton (number of living and dead organisms, mortality rate and instant mortality) were studied . The time-course of unionised ammonia concentration was consistent with those shown by temperature, pH, phytoplankton biomass, dissolved oxygen, Moina micrura mortality and Brachionus rubens mortality . On the other hand, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen never exceeded the tolerance ranges described for Moina and Brachionus, which led us to attribute the cause of zooplankton mortality to unionised ammonia toxicity . Mortality rates of 63%, 27% and 34% were recorded for Moina in each replicate experiment . Brachionus was less affected, with mortalities of 7.3%, 6.2% and 6.0%.These results confirm previous field observations (Water Res . 34(14) (2000) 3666; Water Res . 37(5) (2003) 1048) that attributed a reduction in zooplankton biomass during certain periods of summer (algal blooms) to a harmful side-effect of an excessive increase in phytoplankton biomass: high photosynthetic activity during these periods of proliferation of algae gives rise to an increased pH (>/=8) and, subsequently, leads to production of unionised ammonia (toxic for aquatic organisms) from its ionised fraction. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol, 2003, 81, 151 - 203 Molecular ecology of anaerobic reactor systems; Hofman-Bang J et al.; Anaerobic reactor systems are essential for the treatment of solid and liquid wastes and constitute a core facility in many waste treatment plants . Although much is known about the basic metabolism in different types of anaerobic reactors, little is known about the microbes responsible for these processes . Only a few percent of Bacteria and Archaea have so far been isolated, and almost nothing is known about the dynamics and interactions between these and other microorganisms . This lack of knowledge is most clearly exemplified by the sometimes unpredictable and unexplainable failures and malfunctions of anaerobic digesters occasionally experienced, leading to sub-optimal methane production and wastewater treatment . Using a variety of molecular techniques, we are able to determine which microorganisms are active, where they are active, and when they are active, but we still need to determine why and what they are doing . As genetic manipulations of anaerobes have been shown in only a few species permitting in-situ gene expression studies, the only way to elucidate the function of different microbes is to correlate the metabolic capabilities of isolated microbes in pure culture to the abundance of each microbe in anaerobic reactor systems by rRNA probing . This chapter focuses on various molecular techniques employed and problems encountered when elucidating the microbial ecology of anaerobic reactor systems . Methods such as quantitative dot blot/fluorescence in-situ probing using various specific nucleic acid probes are discussed and exemplified by studies of anaerobic granular sludge, biofilm and digester systems. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol, 2003, 81, 1 - 30 Perspectives for anaerobic digestion; Ahring BK; The modern society generates large amounts of waste that represent a tremendous threat to the environment and human and animal health . To prevent and control this, a range of different waste treatment and disposal methods are used . The choice of method must always be based on maximum safety, minimum environmental impact and, as far as possible, on valorization of the waste and final recycling of the end products . One of the main trends of today's waste management policies is to reduce the stream of waste going to landfills and to recycle the organic material and the plant nutrients back to the soil . Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one way of achieving this goal and it will furthermore, reduce energy consumption or may even be net energy producing . This chapter aims at provide a basic understanding of the world in which anaerobic digestion is operating today . The newest process developments as well as future perspectives will be discussed. Waste Manag Res, 2003 Apr, 21(2), 110 - 8 Slag from hazardous waste incineration: reduction of heavy metal leaching; Reich J; Hazardous waste incineration (HWI) in rotary kilns and the disposal of the residues on landfills play an important role in German waste treatment . In order to reduce costs by disposal on cheaper landfill sites still applying to landfill regulations the leaching behaviour of HWI-slag should be improved further . In a new process-integrated approach hazardous waste is mixed with limestone, which initiates chemical reactions with heavy metals in the rotary kiln yielding new compounds of different solubility . These reactions were observed after treatment at 1200 degrees C combined with fusion processes, at 930 degrees C they also occurred without fusion to the major part . For that purpose HWI-slag/limestone mixtures are thermally treated and then examined by elution tests . A minimum of overall heavy metal leaching was determined at CaO-contents between 15 and 20% after sintering at the average temperature at HWI. J Biotechnol, 2003 Apr 24, 102(2), 165 - 75 Hybrid adaptive optimal control of anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor for the de-icing waste treatment; Seok J; Hybrid adaptive control strategy was developed and tested for the degradation of propylene glycol, a major component in de-icing waste, in an anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor (AFBR) . A linearized model with time-varying parameters was first employed to describe the dynamic behavior of the AFBR using a recursive off-line system identification method . A hybrid adaptive control strategy was then tested using a recursive off-line system identification routine followed by an on-line adaptive optimal control algorithm . The objective of the controller was to achieve the desired set point value of the propionate concentration (stand-alone control output variable) by manipulating the dilution rate (control input variable) . To do so, the optimal control law was developed by minimizing a cost function with constraint equations . This novel idea was successfully applied to the underlying system for 200 h . The set point (700 mg HPrl(-1)) was achieved even in the case where the feed concentration suddenly increased by 50% (9000 mg HPrl(-1) to 13500 mg HPrl(-1)). Ambio, 2003 Feb, 32(1), 13 - 8 Lake eutrophication at the urban fringe, Seattle region, USA; Moore JW et al.; Nutrient pollution and associated eutrophication of freshwaters threaten the ecological integrity and the services provided to humans by lakes . We examined how human residential development influenced the level of lake eutrophication in the Seattle, WA, USA, region . We surveyed 30 lakes and measured 3 indicators of eutrophication: concentrations of chlorophyll-a and phosphorus, and the proportion of algae that are inedible to zooplankton . We classified lakes based on the waste-treatment method for shoreline homes: septic, sewer, and undeveloped lakes . Septic lakes occurred along the urban-rural fringe while sewer lakes occurred near urban centers . Septic lakes were more eutrophic than sewer lakes and undeveloped lakes, as indicated by higher levels of phosphorus and chlorophyll-a . These results suggest that septic systems contribute to the high levels of eutrophication in lakes at the urban-rural fringe . Lakes at the urban-rural fringe represent an opportunity for proactive management of urban expansion to minimize lake eutrophication. Biotechnol Prog, 2003 Mar-Apr, 19(2), 325 - 31 Oxidative degradation of azo dyes by manganese peroxidase under optimized conditions; Mielgo I et al.; The application of enzyme-based systems in waste treatment is unusual, given that many drawbacks are derived from their use, including low efficiency, high costs and easy deactivation of the enzyme . The goal of this study is the development of a degradation system based on the use of the ligninolytic enzyme manganese peroxidase (MnP) for the degradation of azo dyes . The experimental work also includes the optimization of the process, with the objective of determining the influence of specific physicochemical factors, such as organic acids, H(2)O(2) addition, Mn(2+) concentration, pH, temperature, enzyme activity and dye concentration . A nearly total decolorization was possible at very low reaction times (10 min) and at high dye concentration (up to 1500 mg L(-)(1)) . A specific oxidation capacity as high as 10 mg dye degraded per unit of MnP consumed was attained for a decolorization higher than 90% . Among all, the main factor affecting process efficiency was the strategy of H(2)O(2) addition . The continuous addition at a controlled flow permitted the progressive participation of H(2)O(2) in the catalytic cycle through a suitable regeneration of the oxidized form of the enzyme, which enhanced both the extent and the rate of decolorization . It was also found that, in this particular case, the presence of a chelating organic acid (e.g., malonic) was not required for an effective operation . Probably, Mn(3+) was chelated by the dye itself . The simplicity and high efficiency of the process open an interesting possibility of using of MnP for solving other environmental problems. Waste Manag, 2003, 23(1), 61 - 88 Management of municipal solid waste incineration residues; Sabbas T et al.; The management of residues from thermal waste treatment is an integral part of waste management systems . The primary goal of managing incineration residues is to prevent any impact on our health or environment caused by unacceptable particulate, gaseous and/or solute emissions . This paper provides insight into the most important measures for putting this requirement into practice . It also offers an overview of the factors and processes affecting these mitigating measures as well as the short- and long-term behavior of residues from thermal waste treatment under different scenarios . General conditions affecting the emission rate of salts and metals are shown as well as factors relevant to mitigating measures or sources of gaseous emissions. J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94(3), 523 - 30 Partial characterization of bacteriocins produced by environmental strain Enterococcus faecium EK13; Marekova M et al.; AIMS: The partial characterization of bacteriocins produced by an environmental strain Enterococcus faecium EK13, isolated from cattle dung water . METHODS AND RESULTS: A bacteriocin was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, followed by a SP-Sepharose column, reverse-phase chromatography and N-terminal region sequenced . The anti-microbial substance produced was found to be a heat-stable polypeptide with molecular mass 4.83 kDa, which was determined by N-terminal amino acid sequencing to be enterocin A . A second substance was specified by PCR as enterocin P . Bacteriocins were stable at 4 and -20 degrees C for long storage periods . The optimum of bacteriocin production was observed in the range of pH 5.0-6.5 at 30 and 37 degrees C . The most active substances are produced by strain EK13 in logarithmic growth phase and bacteriocins are produced after 1 h of fermentation . The highest activity detected in fermentation experiments was 51 200 AU ml(-1) and the most sensitive indicator strain was found to be Listeria innocua LMG 13568 . Differences in bacteriocin activity against two indicators could be explained by more than one type of enterocin production by strain EK13, or with different mode of action or in different sensitivity of strains . CONCLUSION: Enterococcus faecium strain EK13 isolated from cattle dung water produces two bacteriocins, enterocin A and P, with an inhibitory effect against the strain of the genera Enterococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Listeria (in different origin) . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Enterococcus faecium EK13 environmental strain is a new producer of enterocin A and P . The E . faecium EK13, isolated from cattle dung water, is presented with the further aim to utilize it for waste treatment by biotechnological processes. Adv Space Res, 2003, 31(1), 169 - 75 Carbon balance in bioregenerative life support systems: some effects of system closure, waste management, and crop harvest index; Wheeler RM; In Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems with bioregenerative components, plant photosynthesis would be used to produce O2 and food, while removing CO2 . Much of the plant biomass would be inedible and hence must be considered in waste management . This waste could be oxidized (e.g., incinerated or aerobically digested) to resupply CO2 to the plants, but this would not be needed unless the system were highly closed with regard to food . For example, in a partially closed system where some of the food is grown and some is imported, CO2 from oxidized waste when combined with crew and microbial respiration could exceed the CO2 removal capability of the plants . Moreover, it would consume some O2 produced from photosynthesis that could have been used by the crew . For partially closed systems it would be more appropriate to store or find other uses for the inedible biomass and excess carbon, such as generating soils or growing woody plants (e.g., dwarf fruit trees) . Regardless of system closure, high harvest crops (i.e., crops with a high edible to total biomass ratio) would increase food production per unit area and O2 yields for systems where waste biomass is oxidized to recycle CO2 . Such interlinking effects between the plants and waste treatment strategies point out the importance of oxidizing only that amount of waste needed to optimize system performance . Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of COSPAR. Water Res, 2003 Mar, 37(5), 1048 - 54 Harmful effects of un-ionised ammonia on the zooplankton community in a deep waste treatment pond; Arauzo M; The harmful effects of NH(3) on the zooplankton community in a deep waste treatment pond were evaluated under natural conditions . The pond, supplied with secondary effluent from a conventional urban wastewater treatment plant, was designed to improve water quality for agricultural reuse.The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis suggested in Arauzo et al . (Water Environ . Res . 34(14), 3666) that during phytoplankton blooms in the stratification periods high un-ionised ammonia content values, due to an intense photosynthetic activity and high related pH, lead to a decrease in zooplankton biomass and, thus, to a collapse of the treatment process efficiency.Empirical models were developed to determine relationships between phytoplankton biomass, pH and NH(3) levels . They provided an easy and quick method of detecting when the system was liable to collapse due to the NH(3) effect on the zooplankton community and offered the possibility of adopting measures to guarantee water quality at the effluent . A significant decrease in zooplankton community biomass was observed at un-ionised ammonia levels over 2.5 mgL(-1). Waste Manag Res, 2002 Dec, 20(6), 536 - 40 Carbide sludge management in acetylene producing plants by using vacuum filtration; Ramasamy P et al.; Carbide sludge (10.4-11.5 tonnes day(-1)) is generated from the reaction of calcium carbide (900 kg) and water (6,000 L) in the production of acetylene (2,400 m3), in three selected acetylene manufacturing plants . The sludge (of pH 12.2 and containing Cu, Pb, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn ions whose concentrations exceed the Department of Environment limits for industrial wastewater) was treated by vacuum filtration as a substitute for the ponding system, which is environmentally less acceptable . A similar system by flocculation was also developed . The filtration system represents an improvement over the ponding method, as shown by a pH of 7 for the clear filtrate; the solid cake, which contains 98% of the metals, can be conveniently disposed at an integrated scheduled waste treatment centre. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 Jan, 69(1), 399 - 407 Production of optically pure D-lactic acid in mineral salts medium by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli W3110; Zhou S et al.; The resistance of polylactide to biodegradation and the physical properties of this polymer can be controlled by adjusting the ratio of L-lactic acid to D-lactic acid . Although the largest demand is for the L enantiomer, substantial amounts of both enantiomers are required for bioplastics . We constructed derivatives of Escherichia coli W3110 (prototrophic) as new biocatalysts for the production of D-lactic acid . These strains (SZ40, SZ58, and SZ63) require only mineral salts as nutrients and lack all plasmids and antibiotic resistance genes used during construction . D-Lactic acid production by these new strains approached the theoretical maximum yield of two molecules per glucose molecule . The chemical purity of this D-lactic acid was approximately 98% with respect to soluble organic compounds . The optical purity exceeded 99% . Competing pathways were eliminated by chromosomal inactivation of genes encoding fumarate reductase (frdABCD), alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase (adhE), and pyruvate formate lyase (pflB) . The cell yield and lactate productivity were increased by a further mutation in the acetate kinase gene (ackA) . Similar improvements could be achieved by addition of 10 mM acetate or by an initial period of aeration . All three approaches reduced the time required to complete the fermentation of 5% glucose . The use of mineral salts medium, the lack of antibiotic resistance genes or plasmids, the high yield of D-lactate, and the high product purity should reduce costs associated with nutrients, purification, containment, biological oxygen demand, and waste treatment. Environ Toxicol Chem, 2003 Jan, 22(1), 126 - 33 Assessment and characterization of polychlorinated biphenyls near a hazardous waste incinerator: analysis of vegetation, snow, and sediments; Blais JM et al.; Samples of spruce needles, snowpack, and sediment were analyzed in the area around the Alberta Special Waste Treatment Centre (ASWTC) near Swan Hills, Canada, in 1997 and 1998, following a major accidental release of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) in October 1996 . The PCB concentrations in spruce needles and snow were mostly elevated to the east of the plant and contained congeners that were not present at upwind or distant sites . Several years of annual vegetation monitoring data indicated that PCB emissions increased prior to the reported accident . Within 3 km of the plant, there was a predominance of higher chlorinated congeners penta-, hexa-, hepta-, and octachlorobiphenyls in white spruce (Picea glauca) needles and snow . Polychlorinated biphenyl congener patterns varied seasonally in spruce needles, likely influenced by temperature effects on the volatilization and of particle-bound and vapor phase PCBs in the forest canopy . The similarity of deposition patterns in snow and needles in 1997 and 1998 suggested the PCBs in the surrounding area were derived by long-term fugitive releases of PCBs rather than an accidental release . In addition, hexachlorobenzene, a combustion by-product of chlorinated organics in waste incinerators, was not measured at elevated concentrations in spruce needles or snow east of the facility and, when detected, was not correlated with PCB concentrations . A radiometrically dated sediment core from nearby Chrystina Lake (AB, Canada) showed a gradual increase in annual PCB flux during the early years of operation of the ASWTC, followed by a higher PCB flux in 1997, indicating that the lake may have been directly contaminated by the accidental release. J Environ Manage, 2002 Dec, 66(4), 345 - 59 Refuse treatment options: a case study; Kwawe DB; Records in public archives were evaluated for the period 1981-1991 . Simple surveys of peoples and of technology and physical premises provided insight to gauge the attitudes of a local community in the Melbourne municipality and the Melbourne City Council towards composting of organic waste materials . There is a lag in perception and attitudes between the local community and the local government towards composting of organic refuse as a solid waste treatment option . The simple methodology of the study still made it possible to verify past and present perceptions and attitudes. Waste Manag Res, 2002 Oct, 20(5), 414 - 23 Minimisation and utilisation of waste mineral sludge from sodium perborate production; Grilc V et al.; Various approaches to waste minimisation, waste treatment and recycling or safe disposal of the waste mineral sludge from sodium perborate production are presented and critically discussed . Some most promising actions for waste (or its harmful potential) reduction on the production level are identified . These include: a) use of better raw materials (richer boron ore), b) improvement of the ore leaching process, and c) intensification of sludge washing and dewatering . These source reduction measures have already resulted in 50% reduction of boron content in the sludge . Utilisation of the raw or treated (e.g . dried, compacted) waste sludge could be found in agriculture, civil engineering and construction material production . Agricultural use (as a lime substitute) is based on favourable content of calcium-magnesium minerals and alkali pH value of the sludge, and simultaneous absence of heavy metals . Application in civil engineering (as an aggregate) is possible after calcination, which is costly, or as a cement kiln additive . Stabilisation of sludge before disposal, when no utilisation is available, is possible by small addition of commercial binders (e.g . Portland cement) or larger amounts of pozzolanic wastes (e.g . coal fly ash). Water Environ Res, 2002 Sep-Oct, 74(5), 480 - 7 The activated sludge biomolecular database; Lajoie CA et al.; Tremendous advances have recently been made in the development of molecular tools for analysis of microbial populations in the environment . However, an appropriate scientific basis for quantification of new molecular data must exist to effectively use these tools toward increased understanding of complex waste treatment environments and implementation of corrective actions to maintain or improve system performance . In particular, molecular tools are gaining widespread use in the study of activated-sludge microbial communities and have the potential to improve monitoring and control of wastewater treatment processes . The authors have created a Web-accessible database, the Activated Sludge Biomolecular Database, which provides a scientific basis for interpreting activated-sludge biomolecular information . The database achieves its goal by accumulating and disseminating a large body of knowledge relating the presence and quantity of specific biomolecules to process design, operating conditions, and wastewater characteristics. Water Res, 2003 Jan, 37(1), 95 - 107 Rough set-based hybrid fuzzy-neural controller design for industrial wastewater treatment; Chen WC et al.; Recent advances in control engineering suggest that hybrid control strategies, integrating some ideas and paradigms existing in different soft computing techniques, such as fuzzy logic, genetic algorithms, rough set theory, and neural networks, may provide improved control performance in wastewater treatment processes . This paper presents an innovative hybrid control algorithm leading to integrate the distinct aspects of indiscernibility capability of rough set theory and search capability of genetic algorithms with conventional neural-fuzzy controller design . The methodology proposed in this study employs a three-stage analysis that is designed in series for generating a representative state function, searching for a set of multi-objective control strategies, and performing a rough set-based autotuning for the neural-fuzzy logic controller to make it applicable for controlling an industrial wastewater treatment process . Research findings in the case study clearly indicate that the use of rough set theory to aid in the neural-fuzzy logic controller design can produce relatively better plant performance in terms of operating cost, control stability, and response time simultaneously, which is effective at least in the selected industrial wastewater treatment plant . Such a methodology is anticipated to be capable of dealing with many other types of process control problems in waste treatment processes by making only minor modifications. Health Phys, 2002 Nov, 83(11 Suppl), S85 - 95 Reduction in radioactive material use and waste generation at the National Institutes of Health; Austin SM et al.; The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has implemented an enhanced and comprehensive program to reduce the use of radioactive materials and to minimize the generation of radioactive and mixed wastes . The primary drivers for this program were increasing waste management costs, difficulties in disposing of certain types of radioactive wastes, particularly mixed wastes, and the increasing burden of managing radioactive materials in accordance with new regulatory requirements . These minimization efforts, coupled with the development of new on-site waste treatment options and the use of commercially available waste processing facilities, have resulted in significant reductions in the use of radioactive materials in bench research and the resultant amounts of radioactive and mixed waste generated and disposed off-site . A survey of users of radioactive materials was conducted to examine the reasons for this reduction and to predict future ordering trends . The primary factors contributing to reductions in ordering appear to be rapidly increasing use of non-radioactive research techniques, and increasingly burdensome safety and security regulations governing the use of radioactive material, which tend to discourage their use . The downward trends in use and disposal of radioactive materials at the NIH appear to be continuing. Indian J Environ Health, 2001 Apr, 43(2), 1 - 82 Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor--a review; Bal AS et al.; Biological treatment of wastewater basically reduces the pollutant concentration through microbial coagulation and removal of non-settleable organic colloidal solids . Organic matter is biologically stabilized so that no further oxygen demand is exerted by it . The biological treatment requires contact of the biomass with the substrate . Various advances and improvements in anaerobic reactors to achieve variations in contact time and method of contact have resulted in development of in suspended growth systems, attached growth or fixed film systems or combinations thereof . Although anaerobic systems for waste treatment have been used since late 19th century, they were considered to have limited treatment efficiencies and were too slow to serve the needs of a quickly expanding wastewater volume, especially in industrialized and densely populated areas . At present aerobic treatment is the most commonly used process to reduce the organic pollution level of both domestic and industrial wastewaters . Aerobic techniques, such as activated sludge process, trickling filters, oxidation ponds and aerated lagoons, with more or less intense mixing devices, have been successfully installed for domestic wastewater as well as industrial wastewater treatment . Anaerobic digestion systems have undergone modifications in the last two decades, mainly as a result of the energy crisis . Major developments have been made with regard to anaerobic metabolism, physiological interactions among different microbial species, effects of toxic compounds and biomass accumulation . Recent developments however, have demonstrated that anaerobic processes might be an economically attractive alternative for the treatment of different types of industrial wastewaters and in (semi-) tropical areas also for domestic wastewaters . The anaerobic degradation of complex, particulate organic matter has been described as a multistep process of series and parallel reactions . It involves the decomposition of organic and inorganic matter in the absence of molecular oxygen . Complex polymeric materials such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids (fat and grease) are first hydrolyzed to soluble products by extracellular enzymes, secreted by microorganisms, so as to facilitate their transport or diffusion across the cell membrane . These relatively simple, soluble compounds are fermented or anaerobically oxidized, further to short-chain fatty acids, alcohols, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and ammonia . The short-chain fatty acids (other than acetate) are converted to acetate, hydrogen gas, and carbon dioxide . Methanogenesis finally occurs from the reduction of carbon dioxide and acetate by hydrogen . The initial stage of anaerobic degradation, i.e . acid fermentation is essentially a constant BOD stage because the organic molecules are only rearranged . The first stage does not stabilize the organics in the waste . However this step is essential for the initiation of second stage methane fermentation as it converts the organic material to a form, usable by the methane producing bacteria . The second reaction is initiated when anaerobic methane forming bacteria act upon the short chain organic acids produced in the 1st stage . Here these acids undergo methane fermentation with carbon dioxide acting as hydrogen acceptor and getting reduced to methane . The methane formed, being insoluble in water, escapes from the system and can be tapped and used as an energy source . The production and subsequent escape of methane causes the stabilization of the organic material . The methane-producing bacteria consist of several different groups . Each group has the ability to ferment only specific compounds . Therefore, the bacterial consortia in a methane producing system should include a number of different groups . When the rate of bacterial growth is considered, then the retention time of the solids becomes important parameter . The acid fermentation stage is faster as compared to the methane fermentation stage . This means that a sudden increase in the easily degradable organics will result in increased acid production with subsequent accumulation of acids . This inhibits the methanogenesis step . Acclimatization of the microorganisms to a substrate has been reported to take more than five weeks . Sufficiently acclimated bacteria have shown greater stability towards stress-inducing events such as hydraulic overloads, fluctuations in temperature, fluctuations in volatile acid and ammonia concentrations etc . Several environmental factors can affect anaerobic digestion, by altering the parameters such as specific growth rate, decay rate, gas production, substrate utilization, start-up and response to changes in input . It has long been recognized that an anaerobic process is in many ways ideal for wastewater treatment and has following merits: A high degree of waste stabilization A low production of excess A low nutrient requirements No oxygen requirement Production of methane gas Anaerobic microorganisms, especially methanogens have a slow growth rate . At lower HRTs, the possibility of washout of biomass is more prominent . This makes it difficult to maintain the effective number of useful microorganisms in the system . To maintain the population of anaerobes, large reactor volumes or higher HRTs are required . This may ultimately provide longer SRTs upto 20 days for high rate systems . Thus, provision of larger reactor volumes or higher HRTs ultimately lead to higher capital cost . Among notable disadvantages, it has low synthesis/reaction rate hence long start up periods and difficulty in recovery from upset conditions . Special attention is, therefore, warranted towards, controlling the factors that affect process adversely; important among them being environmental factors such as temperature, pH and concentration of toxic substances . The conventional anaerobic treatment process consists of a reactor containing waste and biological solids (bacteria) responsible for the digestion process . Concentrated waste (usually sewage sludge) can be added continuously or periodically (semi-batch operation), where it is mixed with the contents of the reactor . Theoretically, the conventional digester is operated as a once-through, completely mixed, reactor . In this particular mode of operation the hydraulic retention time (HRT) is equal to the solids retention time (SRT) . Basically, the required process efficiency is related to the sludge retention time (SRT), and hence longer SRT provided, results in satisfactory population (by reproduction) for further waste stabilization . By reducing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the conventional mode reactor, the quantity of biological solids within the reactor is also decreased as the solids escape with the effluent . The limiting HRT is reached when the bacteria are removed from the reactor faster than they can grow . Methanogenic bacteria are slow growers and are considered the rate-limiting component in the anaerobic digestion process . The first anaerobic process developed, which separated the SRT from the HRT was the anaerobic contact process . In 1963, Young and McCarty (1968) began work, which eventually led to the development of the anaerobic upflow filter (AF) process . The anaerobic filter represented a significant advance in anaerobic waste treatment, since the