Modeling Adsorption Kinetics (Bio-remediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Water)

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Chris

My talk will focus on modeling the kinetics of the adsorption and filtering process using differential equations, stochastic methods, and recursive functions. The models have been developed in support of our interdisciplinary lab group which is conducting research into bio-remediation of heavy metal contaminated water via filtration through biomass such as spent tea leaves. The spent tea leaves are available in large quantities as a result of the industrial production of tea beverages. The heavy metals bond with the surfaces of the tea leaves (adsorption). Funding: CUNY Collaborative Incentive Research Grant.

Remediation of trichloroethylene by bio-precipitated and encapsulated palladium nanoparticles in a fixed bed reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennebel, Tom; Verhagen, Pieter; Simoen, Henri; De Gusseme, Bart; Vlaeminck, Siegfried E; Boon, Nico; Verstraete, Willy

2009-08-01

Trichloroethylene is a toxic and recalcitrant groundwater pollutant. Palladium nanoparticles bio-precipitated on Shewanella oneidensis were encapsulated in polyurethane, polyacrylamide, alginate, silica or coated on zeolites. The reactivity of these bio-Pd beads and zeolites was tested in batch experiments and trichloroethylene dechlorination followed first order reaction kinetics. The calculated k-values of the encapsulated catalysts were a factor of six lower compared to non-encapsulated bio-Pd. Bio-Pd, used as a catalyst, was able to dechlorinate 100 mgL(-1) trichloroethylene within a time period of 1h. The main reaction product was ethane; yet small levels of chlorinated intermediates were detected. Subsequently polyurethane cubes empowered with bio-Pd were implemented in a fixed bed reactor for the treatment of water containing trichloroethylene. The influent recycle configuration resulted in a cumulative removal of 98% after 22 h. The same reactor in a flow through configuration achieved removal rates up to 1059 mg trichloroethylene g Pd(-1)d(-1). This work showed that fixed bed reactors with bio-Pd polyurethane cubes can be instrumental for remediation of water contaminated with trichloroethylene.

New tailor-made bio-organoclays for the remediation of olive mill waste water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calabrese, Ilaria; Liveri, Maria Liria Turco; Gelardi, Giulia; Merli, Marcello; Sciascia, Luciana; Rytwo, Giora

2013-01-01

A systematic study aimed at obtaining new organoclays for the treatment of Olive Mill Waste water (OMW) has been performed. Several organoclays have been prepared by loading different amounts of the biocompatible surfactant Tween20 onto the K10 montmorillonite (MMT). Complementary kinetic and equilibrium studies on the adsorption of the Tween20 onto the MMT have been carried out and the characterization of the new tailor-made bio-materials has been performed by means of the XRD and FT-IR measurements. Finally the prepared bio-organoclays have been successfully applied for the OMW remediation and they proved to be highly effective in decreasing the organic content (OC) to an extent that depends on both the amount of loaded surfactant and the experimental protocols applied

New tailor-made bio-organoclays for the remediation of olive mill waste water

Science.gov (United States)

Calabrese, Ilaria; Gelardi, Giulia; Merli, Marcello; Rytwo, Giora; Sciascia, Luciana; Liria Turco Liveri, Maria

2013-12-01

A systematic study aimed at obtaining new organoclays for the treatment of Olive Mill Waste water (OMW) has been performed. Several organoclays have been prepared by loading different amounts of the biocompatible surfactant Tween20 onto the K10 montmorillonite (MMT). Complementary kinetic and equilibrium studies on the adsorption of the Tween20 onto the MMT have been carried out and the characterization of the new tailor-made bio-materials has been performed by means of the XRD and FT-IR measurements. Finally the prepared bio-organoclays have been successfully applied for the OMW remediation and they proved to be highly effective in decreasing the organic content (OC) to an extent that depends on both the amount of loaded surfactant and the experimental protocols applied.

Cultural and wild plant species as bio indicators and phyto-remedies of PHC contaminated soils in Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breus, I.; Larionova, N.; Semenova, E.; Breus, V.

2005-01-01

The biological indicators are widely used along with the chemical and physical soil characteristics for the ecological risk assessment for soils during and after anthropogenic impacts. In many cases it often happens that only biological indicators are capable of establishing the physiological activity of contaminant complex in soil and of revealing the critical levels of soil contamination. Bio-testing is often used to determine the toxicity of various environmental objects - soils, waters, sediments and wastes. Firstly bio-testing demands the selection of testable biological organisms adequate to studying objects. The test objects must be representative for a given contaminated ecosystem community which is influenced by toxicants. So one can obtain data adequate to the real situation and also minimise the mistakes during the extrapolation of data obtained in bio-testing. Among bio-testing methods the methods of soil toxicity determination using high plants gained wide distribution. And moreover, if such plants are relatively tolerant to soil contamination and can accumulate sufficient plant biomass, it is possible to expect their phyto-remediation effect, which can be realized by different mechanisms. But the experimental investigations of the plant use for soil remediation in Russia are now still under development. The aims of this work were: i) the determination and selection of informative bio-indicative parameters could be used for evaluation of PHC (petroleum hydrocarbons) - soil contamination levels; ii) the choose of test plants based on these values; and iii) the revelation of the possible phyto-remediation effects in soil contaminated with PHC.In laboratory experiments the phyto-toxicity of soil contaminated with PHC was evaluated in relation to 35 plant species and sorts traditional and non-traditional for Russia and cultivated for fodder green biomass purposes, and also for some wild plant species. The following parameters were determined in the

Cultural and wild plant species as bio indicators and phyto-remedies of PHC contaminated soils in Russia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breus, I.; Larionova, N.; Semenova, E.; Breus, V. [Kazan State Univ., Dept. of Geography and Geoecology (Russian Federation)

2005-07-01

The biological indicators are widely used along with the chemical and physical soil characteristics for the ecological risk assessment for soils during and after anthropogenic impacts. In many cases it often happens that only biological indicators are capable of establishing the physiological activity of contaminant complex in soil and of revealing the critical levels of soil contamination. Bio-testing is often used to determine the toxicity of various environmental objects - soils, waters, sediments and wastes. Firstly bio-testing demands the selection of testable biological organisms adequate to studying objects. The test objects must be representative for a given contaminated ecosystem community which is influenced by toxicants. So one can obtain data adequate to the real situation and also minimise the mistakes during the extrapolation of data obtained in bio-testing. Among bio-testing methods the methods of soil toxicity determination using high plants gained wide distribution. And moreover, if such plants are relatively tolerant to soil contamination and can accumulate sufficient plant biomass, it is possible to expect their phyto-remediation effect, which can be realized by different mechanisms. But the experimental investigations of the plant use for soil remediation in Russia are now still under development. The aims of this work were: i) the determination and selection of informative bio-indicative parameters could be used for evaluation of PHC (petroleum hydrocarbons) - soil contamination levels; ii) the choose of test plants based on these values; and iii) the revelation of the possible phyto-remediation effects in soil contaminated with PHC.In laboratory experiments the phyto-toxicity of soil contaminated with PHC was evaluated in relation to 35 plant species and sorts traditional and non-traditional for Russia and cultivated for fodder green biomass purposes, and also for some wild plant species. The following parameters were determined in the

Installation of a bio-venting remediation system using directionally drilled horizontal wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, L.; Stolz, A.P.

1997-01-01

The installation of a remediation system for off-site contamination was discussed. The site was contaminated with gasoline and diesel from an abandoned bulk fuel storage and distribution terminal located near a highway. The dissolved phase hydrocarbon plume extended beneath several houses down gradient of the site. Bioventing was considered to be the only remediation option to recover the liquid phase hydrocarbons beneath the highway in a way that would satisfy all the clean-up objectives and the design constraints. Bioventing is closely related to soil vapour extraction (SVE). The main difference is that in bioventing, the mechanism for removal of contaminants is bio-degradation by indigenous bacteria, whereas in SVE, contaminants are simply removed by volatilization. Bioventing systems enhance the activity of the indigenous bacteria by inducing air flow in the subsurface through the use of vapour injection or extraction wells. Two horizontal vapour extraction wells were installed with a directional drill. A soil pile was utilized as a bio-filter for the extracted hydrocarbon vapours and a backfilled trench was used to inject vapours recovered from the soil pile to the subsurface. The total mass of hydrocarbons degraded by this system in 230 days was estimated to be 1,000 kg. It was concluded that under appropriate conditions the in-situ treatment of contaminated soil using directionally drilled wells can be justified on both economic and technical grounds. 3 refs., 1 tab., 5 figs

Granulated Bog Iron Ores as Sorbents in Passive (BioRemediation Systems for Arsenic Removal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klaudia Debiec

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The main element of PbRS (passive (bioremediation systems are sorbents, which act as natural filters retaining heavy metals and carriers of microorganisms involved in water treatment. Thus, the effectiveness of PbRS is determined by the quality of the (adsorbents, which should be stable under various environmental conditions, have a wide range of applications and be non-toxic to (microorganisms used in these systems. Our previous studies showed that bog iron ores (BIOs meet these requirements. However, further investigation of the physical and chemical parameters of BIOs under environmental conditions is required before their large-scale application in PbRS. The aim of this study was (i to investigate the ability of granulated BIOs (gBIOs to remove arsenic from various types of contaminated waters, and (ii to estimate the application potential of gBIOs in technologies dedicated to water treatment. These studies were conducted on synthetic solutions of arsenic and environmental samples of arsenic contaminated water using a set of adsorption columns filled with gBIOs. The experiments performed in a static system revealed that gBIOs are appropriate arsenic and zinc adsorbent. Dynamic adsorption studies confirmed these results and showed, that the actual sorption efficiency of gBIOs depends on the adsorbate concentration and is directly proportional to them. Desorption analysis showed that As-loaded gBIOs are characterized by high chemical stability and they may be reused for the (adsorption of other elements, i.e., zinc. It was also shown that gBIOs may be used for remediation of both highly oxygenated waters and groundwater or settling ponds, where the oxygen level is low, as both forms of inorganic arsenic (arsenate and arsenite were effectively removed. Arsenic concentration after treatment was <100 μg/L, which is below the limit for industrial water.

(Bio-)remediation of VCHC contaminants in a Technosol under unsaturated conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgarten, W; Fleige, H; Peth, S; Horn, R

2013-07-01

The remediation of dense non-aqueous phase liquids has always been a concern of both public and scientific interest groups. In this research work a modified physical concept of (bio)remediation of a volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon (VCHC) contamination was elaborated under laboratory conditions and modeled with HYDRUS-2D. In field dechlorination is influenced by both physicochemical and hydraulic properties of the substrate, e.g. texture, pore size distribution, pore liquid characteristics, e.g. viscosity, pH, surface tension, and dependent on the degree of saturation of the vadose zone. Undisturbed soil cores (100 cm³) were sampled from a Spolic Technosol. Considering hydraulic properties and functions, unsaturated percolation was performed with vertically and horizontally structured samples. VCHC concentrations were calculated prior, during, and after each percolation cycle. According to laboratory findings, microemulsion showed the most efficient results with regard to flow behavior in the unsaturated porous media and its accessibility for bacteria as nutrient. The efficiency of VCHC remediation could be increased by the application of a modified pump-and-treat system: the injection of bacteria Dehalococcoides ethanogenes with microemulsion, and extraction at a constant matric potential level of -6 kPa. Achieved data was used for HYDRUS-2D simulations, modeling in situ conditions, demonstrating the practical relevance (field scale) of performed unsaturated percolation (core scale), and in order to exclude capillary barrier effects.

Culture scale-up and immobilisation of a mixed methanotrophic consortium for methane remediation in pilot-scale bio-filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Karthikeyan, Obulisamy Parthiba; Saravanan, Nadarajan; Cirés, Samuel; Alvarez-Roa, Carlos; Razaghi, Ali; Chidambarampadmavathy, Karthigeyan; Velu, Chinnathambi; Subashchandrabose, Gobalakrishnan; Heimann, Kirsten

2017-02-01

Robust methanotrophic consortia for methane (CH 4 ) remediation and by-product development are presently not readily available for industrial use. In this study, a mixed methanotrophic consortium (MMC), sequentially enriched from a marine sediment, was assessed for CH 4 removal efficiency and potential biomass-generated by-product development. Suitable packing material for bio-filters to support MMC biofilm establishment and growth was also evaluated. The enriched MMC removed ∼7-13% CH 4 under a very high gas flow rate (2.5 L min -1 ; 20-25% CH 4 ) in continuous-stirred tank reactors (∼10 L working volume) and the biomass contained long-chain fatty acids (i.e. C 16 and C 18 ). Cultivation of the MMC on plastic bio-balls abated ∼95-97% CH 4 in pilot-scale non-sterile outdoor-operated bio-filters (0.1 L min -1 ; 1% CH 4 ). Contamination by cyanobacteria had beneficial effects on treating low-level CH 4 , by providing additional oxygen for methane oxidation by MMC, suggesting that the co-cultivation of MMC with cyanobacterial mats does not interfere with and may actually be beneficial for remediation of CH 4 and CO 2 at industrial scale.

Biosol Project: development of a new technology for the treatment of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons. bio-remediation by means of the addition of a biomass material (part one)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The general mission of the project is to contribute to the development of new technologies based on the bio-remediation of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons. It is pretended to develop a bio-remediation technology based on the use 'on site' of a biomass material with absorbent properties that allows to reduce time and costs of treatment of contaminated soils by hydrocarbons in comparison with other current technologies. The biomass must be biodegradable and to act as a bio-stimulator of the endogenous microbial population, which is the responsible of the degradation of the pollutants contained in the soil. Another objective to achieve is that the new technology has to be able to decontaminate soils over the maximum thresholds of concentration reached by similar technologies of bio-remediation (50.000 ppm), in order to obtain that the technique could be competitive in comparison with other techniques more conventional based on chemical or physical treatments, and more aggressive from an ecological point of view (for example: chemical oxidation, thermal desorption). The amount and quality of published scientific works also demonstrate that still there are many points to investigate until understanding perfectly how the microorganisms interact with the different phases and compounds that conforms the porous matrix of the soil. In this sense IAP emphasizes the necessity to have a previous study of characterization for any contaminated soil that it wants to be treated by means of technologies based on the bio-remediation. In a similar line, it emphasizes the studies about bio-remediation presented in the 8. Consoil (May of 2003). The works presented in this forum put in evidence the necessity of arrange pilot experiences of application that allow to advance in the development of new technologies applicable to similar scales to the real ones. Also the bio-remediation based on the bio-stimulation of the endogenous microbial populations by means of the addition of

Bio-remediation of acephate-Pb(II) compound contaminants by Bacillus subtilis FZUL-33.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wenting; Huang, Zhen; Li, Xuezhen; Liu, Minghua; Cheng, Yangjian

2016-07-01

Removal of Pb(2+) and biodegradation of organophosphorus have been both widely investigated respectively. However, bio-remediation of both Pb(2+) and organophosphorus still remains largely unexplored. Bacillus subtilis FZUL-33, which was isolated from the sediment of a lake, possesses the capability for both biomineralization of Pb(2+) and biodegradation of acephate. In the present study, both Pb(2+) and acephate were simultaneously removed via biodegradation and biomineralization in aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were conducted to study the influence of pH, interaction time and Pb(2+) concentration on the process of removal of Pb(2+). At the temperature of 25°C, the maximum removal of Pb(2+) by B.subtilis FZUL-33 was 381.31±11.46mg/g under the conditions of pH5.5, initial Pb(2+) concentration of 1300mg/L, and contact time of 10min. Batch experiments were conducted to study the influence of acephate on removal of Pb(2+) and the influence of Pb(2+) on biodegradation of acephate by B.subtilis FZUL-33. In the mixed system of acephate-Pb(2+), the results show that biodegradation of acephate by B.subtilis FZUL-33 released PO4(3+), which promotes mineralization of Pb(2+). The process of biodegradation of acephate was affected slightly when the concentration of Pb(2+) was below 100mg/L. Based on the results, it can be inferred that the B.subtilis FZUL-33 plays a significant role in bio-remediation of organophosphorus-heavy metal compound contamination. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Bio-inspired Ni2+-polyphenol hydrophilic network to achieve unconventional high-flux nanofiltration membranes for environmental remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Fangjie; Xu, Yanchao; Yang, Xiaobin; Zhang, Yanqiu; Shao, Lu

2017-06-01

A novel Ni 2+ -polyphenol network was designed as an excellent bio-coating by a one-step strategy to obtain nanofiltration membranes, possessing unconventional high water flux up to 56.1 L m -2 h -1 bar -1 with rose bengal (RB) rejection above 95%. This study provides a facile approach to prepare highly-efficient nanofiltration membranes for wastewater remediation.

A Mathematical Model for Simulating Remediation of Groundwater Contaminated by Heavy Metals using Bio-Carriers with Dead Baccilus sp. B1 and Polysulfone

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, H.; Wang, S.; Lee, M.

2010-12-01

The remediation of groundwater contaminated by heavy metals, organic contaminants, etc. using various types of bio-carriers has been widely studied as a novel technology in the literature. In this study, a series of batch experiments were conducted to investigated the fundamental characteristics in the removal process using bio-carriers (beads) with dead Bacillus sp. B1 and polysulfone. Through equilibrium and kinetic sorption experiments, sorption efficiencies for lead and copper under various conditions such as pH, temperature, contaminant concentration, etc. were examined and sorption parameters including maximum sorption capacities were obtained for model applications. Experimental data showed that equilibrium sorption patterns for Pb2+and Cu2+on bio-carrier beads follows Langmuir sorption isotherm and that the sorption dynamics can be described with a pseudo-second-order kinetics. One dimensional advective-dispersive-reactive transport model was also developed for simulating and analyzing the remediation processes. The HSDM (homogeneous surface diffusion model) were incorporated in the model to take into account the mass transfer and sorption mechanisms around/inside the bio-carrier beads. Applying the proposed model, numerical column experiments were carried out and the simulation results reasonably described temporal and spatial distribution of Pb2+and Cu2+in a fixed-bed flow-through sorption column. Experimental and numerical results showed that the main mechanism of the bio-carrier to remove heavy metals is the sorption on/inside of the bio-carriers and the bio-carriers can function as excellent biosorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from groundwater.

Bio-effect monitoring using a [(15)N]methacetin test as diagnostic tool to monitor remediation effects in an industrially polluted region.

Science.gov (United States)

Rolle-Kampczyk, Ulrike Elisabeth; Rehwagen, Martina; Franck, Ulrich; Weiss, Holger; Krumbiegel, Peter; Herbarth, Olf

2006-04-10

The classical way to demonstrate the efficiency of remediation is measuring the reduction of toxic compounds in the environment. Nevertheless, more important is the risk reduction in human health. To determine changing health effects, exposure and bio-effects have to be monitored at time of and during remediation. Kindergarten children from a heavily polluted industrial (n=23) and a control area (n=12) were investigated. The region-specific outdoor and indoor exposure [27 volatile organic compounds (VOC), emphasis on tri- and tetrachloroethylene (TRI, TETRA)], the internal load [(trichloroacetic acid-TCA-as urine metabolites of TRI and TETRA and S-phenyl- and S-benzylmercapturic acid (SPMA and SBMA) as metabolites of benzene and toluene], and biological effect assessment ([(15)N]methacetin test-a non-invasive stable isotope test to determine the unspecific liver detoxification capacity of an individual) were measured twice a year during 2 years of remediation (1997/1998). It could be shown that in- and outdoor levels of TRI and TETRA decreased by 47% in the heavily polluted village, Greppin, while the levels remained much the same in the control village, Roitzsch. This trend was reflected in the decreasing elimination of TCA in the urine (41%) by the Greppin children, with no differences in the TCA elimination in Roitzsch probands. As the remediation efforts decreased the burden of exposure, the children's liver detoxification capacity improved as well. Combining different methods, such as exposure-effect (external and internal loads) and bio-effect monitoring, proved to be useful to assess remediation successes including the improvement in human health.

Engineered coryneform bacteria as a bio-tool for arsenic remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Villadangos, Almudena F; Ordóñez, Efrén; Pedre, Brandán; Messens, Joris; Gil, Jose A; Mateos, Luis M

2014-12-01

Despite current remediation efforts, arsenic contamination in water sources is still a major health problem, highlighting the need for new approaches. In this work, strains of the nonpathogenic and highly arsenic-resistant bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum were used as inexpensive tools to accumulate inorganic arsenic, either as arsenate (As(V)) or arsenite (As(III)) species. The assays made use of "resting cells" from these strains, which were assessed under well-established conditions and compared with C. glutamicum background controls. The two mutant As(V)-accumulating strains were those used in a previously published study: (i) ArsC1/C2, in which the gene/s encoding the mycothiol-dependent arsenate reductases is/are disrupted, and (ii) MshA/C mutants unable to produce mycothiol, the low molecular weight thiol essential for arsenate reduction. The As(III)-accumulating strains were either those lacking the arsenite permease activities (Acr3-1 and Acr3-2) needed in As(III) release or recombinant strains overexpressing the aquaglyceroporin genes (glpF) from Corynebacterium diphtheriae or Streptomyces coelicolor, to improve As(III) uptake. Both genetically modified strains accumulated 30-fold more As(V) and 15-fold more As(III) than the controls. The arsenic resistance of the modified strains was inversely proportional to their metal accumulation ability. Our results provide the basis for investigations into the use of these modified C. glutamicum strains as a new bio-tool in arsenic remediation efforts.

Modeling Adsorption Based Filters (Bio-remediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Water)

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Chris

I will discuss kinetic models of adsorption, as well as models of filters based on those mechanisms. These mathematical models have been developed in support of our interdisciplinary lab group, which is centered at BMCC/CUNY (City University of New York). Our group conducts research into bio-remediation of heavy metal contaminated water via filtration. The filters are constructed out of biomass, such as spent tea leaves. The spent tea leaves are available in large quantities as a result of the industrial production of tea beverages. The heavy metals bond with the surfaces of the tea leaves (adsorption). The models involve differential equations, stochastic methods, and recursive functions. I will compare the models' predictions to data obtained from computer simulations and experimentally by our lab group. Funding: CUNY Collaborative Incentive Research Grant (Round 12); CUNY Research Scholars Program.

BioKonversion technology recovers, remediates and reuses waste and hydrocarbons from oil drilling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Topf, A.

2008-01-15

Houston-based Nopal Group has developed a solution to dispose of oilfield waste in a safe and cost-effective manner. The company is actively engaged in a large-scale project to remediate a 400-hectare site on the Aspheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan. The site is currently regarded as the most polluted place in the world after a century of oil extraction with little regard for the surrounding environment. The Nopal Group will use its patented BioKonversion technology, which cleanses the soil of hydrocarbons in a two-part process using a large machine known as the Green Machine. Several pipelines will need to be relocated, and ancient drilling rigs that have been there as long as 100 years will have to be dealt with. The cleanup cost has been estimated at between $20 million to $40 million, and will take between 18 and 36 months, depending on how deep into the ground the machines have to dig for hydrocarbons. The 90-foot by 40-foot machine processes drill cuttings, contaminated soil and drill fluids by first separating the dirt from the liquid hydrocarbons, which can be recycled or refined for resale. The remaining dirt, which still contains 3 to 7 percent oil, is then placed into a centrifuge and mixed with a heating agent and other elements, including naturally oleophilic kenaf powder. The process micronizes and absorbs hydrocarbons. Once the process is finished, the hydrocarbons are immediately non-detectable and non-leachable. The leftover benign dirt can be used as landfill cover, or mixed with road aggregate. BioKonversion can also be adapted for use on oil rigs. This article demonstrated that the process has clear advantages over traditional oilfield remediation methods such as land farming. Opportunities exist to utilize the process in Venezuela and Kuwait. 1 fig.

Natural Remediation at Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, C. M.; Van Pelt, R.

2002-01-01

Natural remediation is a general term that includes any technology or strategy that takes advantage of natural processes to remediate a contaminated media to a condition that is protective of human health and the environment. Natural remediation techniques are often passive and minimally disruptive to the environment. They are generally implemented in conjunction with traditional remedial solutions for source control (i.e., capping, stabilization, removal, soil vapor extraction, etc.). Natural remediation techniques being employed at Savannah River Site (SRS) include enhanced bio-remediation, monitored natural attenuation, and phytoremediation. Enhanced bio-remediation involves making nutrients available and conditions favorable for microbial growth. With proper precautions and feeding, the naturally existing microbes flourish and consume the contaminants. Case studies of enhanced bio-remediation include surface soils contaminated with PCBs and pesticides, and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) contamination in both the vadose zone and groundwater. Monitored natural attenuation (MNA) has been selected as the preferred alternative for groundwater clean up at several SRS waste units. Successful implementation of MNA has been based on demonstration that sources have been controlled, groundwater modeling that indicates that plumes will not expand or reach surface water discharge points at levels that exceed regulatory limits, and continued monitoring. Phytoremediation is being successfully utilized at several SRS waste units. Phytoremediation involves using plants and vegetation to uptake, break down, or manage contaminants in groundwater or soils. Case studies at SRS include managing groundwater plumes of tritium and VOCs with pine trees that are native to the area. Significant decreases in tritium discharge to a site stream have been realized in one phytoremediation project. Studies of other vegetation types, methods of application, and other target contaminants are

Optimising the bio-piling of weathered hydrocarbons within a risk management framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hough, R.; Brassington, K.; Sinke, A.; Crossley, J.; Paton, G.; Semple, K.; Risdon, G.; Jacobson, Ch.; Daly, P.; Jackman, S.; Lethbridge, G.; Pollard, S.

2005-01-01

Thirty years of research into petroleum microbiology and bio-remediation have bypassed an important observation - that many hydrocarbon contaminated sites posing potential risks to human health harbour weathered, 'mid-distillate' or heavy oils rather than 'fresh product'. Ex-situ bio-piling is an important technology for treating soils contaminated with weathered hydrocarbons. However, its performance continues to be represented by reference to reductions in the hydrocarbon 'load' in the soils being treated, rather than reductions in the risks posed by the hydrocarbon contamination. The absence of 'risk' from the vocabulary of many operators and remediation projects reduces stakeholder (regulatory, investor, landowner, and public) confidence in remediation technologies, and subsequently limits the market potential of these technologies. Stakeholder confidence in the bio-piling of weathered hydrocarbons may be improved by demonstrating process optimisation within a validated risk management framework. To address these issues, a consortium led by Cranfield University's Integrated Waste Management Centre has secured funding from the UK Government's Bio-remediation LINK programme. Project PROMISE (involving BP, SecondSite Regeneration Ltd., Dew Remediation Ltd., TES Bretby (Mowlem Group), technology translators PERA, and academics from Aberdeen, Cranfield and Lancaster Universities) aims to improve market confidence in bio-piling by demonstrating how this treatment may be applied within a risk management context. For weathered hydrocarbons in particular, the underpinning scientific components of process control, waste diagnostics, environmental fate modelling, and risk assessment have yet to be fully integrated to allow bio-piling projects to be verified with improved confidence. The Joint Research Council Review of Bio-remediation recognised this in calling explicitly for the positioning of bio-remediation within a risk management framework. The PERF report (Thermo

An integrated (electro- and bio-oxidation) approach for remediation of industrial wastewater containing azo-dyes: Understanding the degradation mechanism and toxicity assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aravind, Priyadharshini; Selvaraj, Hosimin; Ferro, Sergio; Sundaram, Maruthamuthu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Firstly, the mediated electro-oxidation allows rapid discoloration of the effluent. • Cost effective sunlight-mediated removal of bio-toxic active chlorine species. • Electrochemical pretreatment enhances the biodegradability of textile wastewater. • About 90% COD removal was achieved by a subsequent biodegradation. • By-products from degradation of dyes have shown to be ecofriendly and non-toxic. - Abstract: A hybrid approach for the remediation of recalcitrant dye wastewater is proposed. The chlorine-mediated electrochemical oxidation of real textile effluents and synthetic samples (using Ti/IrO_2-RuO_2-TiO_2 anodes), lead to discoloration by 92% and 89%, respectively, in 100 min, without significant mineralization. The remediation was obtained through biodegradation, after removing the residual bio-toxic active chlorine species via sunlight exposition. Results show that the electrochemical discoloration enhances the effluent biodegradability with about 90% COD removal employing acclimatized naphthalene-degrading bacterial consortia, within 144 h. Based on results obtained through FT-IR and GC–MS, it is likely that azo group stripping and oxidative cleavage of dyes occur due to the nucleophilic attack of active chlorine species during electro-oxidation. This leads to generation of aromatic intermediates which are further desulfonated, deaminated or oxidized only at their functional groups. These aromatic intermediates were mineralized into simpler organic acids and aldehydes by bacterial consortia. Phyto-toxicity trials on Vigna radiata confirmed the toxic nature of the untreated dye solutions. An increase in root and shoot development was observed with the electrochemically treated solutions, the same was higher in case of bio-treated solutions. Overall, obtained results confirm the capability of the proposed hybrid oxidation scheme for the remediation of textile wastewater.

An integrated (electro- and bio-oxidation) approach for remediation of industrial wastewater containing azo-dyes: Understanding the degradation mechanism and toxicity assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Aravind, Priyadharshini; Selvaraj, Hosimin; Ferro, Sergio; Sundaram, Maruthamuthu

2016-11-15

A hybrid approach for the remediation of recalcitrant dye wastewater is proposed. The chlorine-mediated electrochemical oxidation of real textile effluents and synthetic samples (using Ti/IrO2-RuO2-TiO2 anodes), lead to discoloration by 92% and 89%, respectively, in 100min, without significant mineralization. The remediation was obtained through biodegradation, after removing the residual bio-toxic active chlorine species via sunlight exposition. Results show that the electrochemical discoloration enhances the effluent biodegradability with about 90% COD removal employing acclimatized naphthalene-degrading bacterial consortia, within 144h. Based on results obtained through FT-IR and GC-MS, it is likely that azo group stripping and oxidative cleavage of dyes occur due to the nucleophilic attack of active chlorine species during electro-oxidation. This leads to generation of aromatic intermediates which are further desulfonated, deaminated or oxidized only at their functional groups. These aromatic intermediates were mineralized into simpler organic acids and aldehydes by bacterial consortia. Phyto-toxicity trials on Vigna radiata confirmed the toxic nature of the untreated dye solutions. An increase in root and shoot development was observed with the electrochemically treated solutions, the same was higher in case of bio-treated solutions. Overall, obtained results confirm the capability of the proposed hybrid oxidation scheme for the remediation of textile wastewater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An integrated (electro- and bio-oxidation) approach for remediation of industrial wastewater containing azo-dyes: Understanding the degradation mechanism and toxicity assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aravind, Priyadharshini, E-mail: priya.bdu07@gmail.com [Corrosion and Materials Protection Division (CMPD), CSIR—Central electrochemical research institute (CECRI), Karaikudi 630 003 (India); Selvaraj, Hosimin [Corrosion and Materials Protection Division (CMPD), CSIR—Central electrochemical research institute (CECRI), Karaikudi 630 003 (India); Ferro, Sergio [Ecas4 Australia, Unit 8, 1 London Road, Mile End, South Australia 5031 (Australia); Sundaram, Maruthamuthu [Corrosion and Materials Protection Division (CMPD), CSIR—Central electrochemical research institute (CECRI), Karaikudi 630 003 (India)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Firstly, the mediated electro-oxidation allows rapid discoloration of the effluent. • Cost effective sunlight-mediated removal of bio-toxic active chlorine species. • Electrochemical pretreatment enhances the biodegradability of textile wastewater. • About 90% COD removal was achieved by a subsequent biodegradation. • By-products from degradation of dyes have shown to be ecofriendly and non-toxic. - Abstract: A hybrid approach for the remediation of recalcitrant dye wastewater is proposed. The chlorine-mediated electrochemical oxidation of real textile effluents and synthetic samples (using Ti/IrO{sub 2}-RuO{sub 2}-TiO{sub 2} anodes), lead to discoloration by 92% and 89%, respectively, in 100 min, without significant mineralization. The remediation was obtained through biodegradation, after removing the residual bio-toxic active chlorine species via sunlight exposition. Results show that the electrochemical discoloration enhances the effluent biodegradability with about 90% COD removal employing acclimatized naphthalene-degrading bacterial consortia, within 144 h. Based on results obtained through FT-IR and GC–MS, it is likely that azo group stripping and oxidative cleavage of dyes occur due to the nucleophilic attack of active chlorine species during electro-oxidation. This leads to generation of aromatic intermediates which are further desulfonated, deaminated or oxidized only at their functional groups. These aromatic intermediates were mineralized into simpler organic acids and aldehydes by bacterial consortia. Phyto-toxicity trials on Vigna radiata confirmed the toxic nature of the untreated dye solutions. An increase in root and shoot development was observed with the electrochemically treated solutions, the same was higher in case of bio-treated solutions. Overall, obtained results confirm the capability of the proposed hybrid oxidation scheme for the remediation of textile wastewater.

Assessment of the immune-modulatory and antimicrobial effects of dietary chitosan on Nile tilapia (Oreochrmis niloticus) with special emphasis to its bio-remediating impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu-Elala, Nermeen M; Mohamed, Samah H; Zaki, Manal M; Eissa, Alaa Eldin

2015-10-01

Fish, pathogen and environment are three counterparts who are sharing the same circle of life. To keep fish up to their optimal health, environment should be competently improved and pathogen count/virulence should be seized. Using of bioactive immunostimulants to achieve these objectives is the hypothesis under assessment. Thus, the present study was performed to evaluate the use of shrimp shells derived chitosan as an immunostimulant as well as preventive regime against Aeromonas hydrophila infection of Nile tilapia and to assess its antibacterial/aquatic bio-remediating effects. Results achieved by feeding 1% chitosan as preventive/therapeutic regimes have revealed a remarkably enhanced several innate immunological parameters (e.g., Phagocytic activity/index, NBT, Lysozyme activity and ACH50), increased resistance against A. hydrophila and strikingly improved water quality compared to the 0.5 and 2% chitosan containing diets. Conclusively, experimental results suggest the commercial usage of chitosan as an efficient immunostimulant and bio-remediating agent in aquaculture. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioavailability enhanced rhizosphere remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchenko, A.; Vorobyov, A.; Zharikov, G.; Ermolenko, Z.; Dyadishchev, N.; Borovick, R.; Sokolov, M.; Ortega-Calvo, J.J.

2005-01-01

Aliphatic, aromatic and polycyclic aromatic oil hydrocarbons are structurally complicated man-caused pollutants that are constantly brought into biosphere. Oil production in Russia, so as all over the world, is connected with pollution of biotopes, ecosystems and agro-landscapes. Presently large funds are allocated either for oil leak prevention or for discharged oil gathering. At the same time, in spite of large necessity in technologies for efficient reconstruction of soil bio-productivity, reliable regional systems of their remediation in situ have not been developed yet. One such method is rhizosphere remediation, a biotechnology, based on the functioning of plant-microbial complexes. Little is known about bioavailability in phyto-remediation systems. Specific bioavailability-promoting mechanisms, operating in soil with hydrocarbon-degrading populations, may be responsible for increased rates of pollutant transformation (increased bacterial adherence to the pollutants, production of bio-surfactants by bacteria or by plants, possible role of chemotaxis). In the course of work collection of 42 chemo-tactically active bio-surfactant producing strain-degraders of petroleum hydrocarbons including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was created. Two representative strains were selected for detailed chemotaxis studies with PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene), bacterial lipopolysaccharide and root exudates from seven different plants. These strains are produce the bio-surfactants (rhamno-lipid). The chemotactic response was quantified with a capillary and densitometric chemotaxis assay. Surface tension of cultural liquid was measured after cultivation of strains in the presence of hexadecane or phenanthrene with the use of a ring tensiometer. Before measuring of surface tension microbial cells were collected from liquid culture by centrifugation. Total petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in soil were analyzed by infra-red spectroscopy method. PAHs

Bioavailability enhanced rhizosphere remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchenko, A.; Vorobyov, A.; Zharikov, G.; Ermolenko, Z.; Dyadishchev, N.; Borovick, R.; Sokolov, M. [Research Centre for Toxicology and Hygienic Regulation of Biopreparations, Moscow region (Russian Federation); Ortega-Calvo, J.J. [Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, CSIC, Sevilla (Spain)

2005-07-01

Aliphatic, aromatic and polycyclic aromatic oil hydrocarbons are structurally complicated man-caused pollutants that are constantly brought into biosphere. Oil production in Russia, so as all over the world, is connected with pollution of biotopes, ecosystems and agro-landscapes. Presently large funds are allocated either for oil leak prevention or for discharged oil gathering. At the same time, in spite of large necessity in technologies for efficient reconstruction of soil bio-productivity, reliable regional systems of their remediation in situ have not been developed yet. One such method is rhizosphere remediation, a biotechnology, based on the functioning of plant-microbial complexes. Little is known about bioavailability in phyto-remediation systems. Specific bioavailability-promoting mechanisms, operating in soil with hydrocarbon-degrading populations, may be responsible for increased rates of pollutant transformation (increased bacterial adherence to the pollutants, production of bio-surfactants by bacteria or by plants, possible role of chemotaxis). In the course of work collection of 42 chemo-tactically active bio-surfactant producing strain-degraders of petroleum hydrocarbons including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was created. Two representative strains were selected for detailed chemotaxis studies with PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene), bacterial lipopolysaccharide and root exudates from seven different plants. These strains are produce the bio-surfactants (rhamno-lipid). The chemotactic response was quantified with a capillary and densitometric chemotaxis assay. Surface tension of cultural liquid was measured after cultivation of strains in the presence of hexadecane or phenanthrene with the use of a ring tensiometer. Before measuring of surface tension microbial cells were collected from liquid culture by centrifugation. Total petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in soil were analyzed by infra-red spectroscopy method. PAHs

Bio-electrochemical remediation of real field petroleum sludge as an electron donor with simultaneous power generation facilitates biotransformation of PAH: effect of substrate concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasekhar, K; Venkata Mohan, S

2012-04-01

Remediation of real-field petroleum sludge was studied under self-induced electrogenic microenvironment with the function of variable organic loads (OLs) in bio-electrochemical treatment (BET) systems. Operation under various OLs documented marked influence on both electrogenic activity and remediation efficiency. Both total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and its aromatic fraction documented higher removal with OL4 operation followed by OL3, OL2, OL1 and control. Self-induced biopotential and associated multiple bio-electrocatalytic reactions during BET operation facilitated biotransformation of higher ring aromatics (5-6) to lower ring aromatic (2-3) compounds. Asphaltenes and NSO fractions showed negligible removal during BET operation. Higher electrogenic activity was recorded at OL1 (343mV; 53.11mW/m(2), 100Ω) compared to other three OLs operation. Bioaugmentation to anodic microflora with anaerobic culture documented enhanced electrogenic activity at OL4 operation. Voltammetric profiles, Tafel analysis and VFA generation were in agreement with the observed power generation and degradation efficiency. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of remediation techniques for arsenic (As) contamination: a novel approach utilizing bio-organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Shahedur; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Saha, Subbroto Kumar; Swaraz, A M; Paul, Dipak Kumar

2014-02-15

Arsenic (As) contamination has recently become a worldwide problem, as it is found to be widespread not only in drinking water but also in various foodstuffs. Because of the high toxicity, As contamination poses a serious risk to human health and ecological system. To cope with this problem, a great deal of effort have been made to account for the mechanisms of As mineral formation and accumulation by some plants and aquatic organisms exposed to the high level of As. Hence, bio-remediation is now considered an effective and potent approach to breakdown As contamination. In this review, we provide up-to-date knowledge on how biological tools (such as plants for phytoremediation and to some extent microorganisms) can be used to help resolve the effects of As problems on the Earth's environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Permeable bio-reactive barriers for hydrocarbon remediation in Antarctica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mumford, K.A.; Stevens, G.W.; Gore, D.B. [Melbourne Univ., Victoria (Australia). Dept. of Chemical and Biomoleculuar Engineering, Particulate Fluids Processing Centre; Snape, I.; Rayner, J.L. [Australian Antarctic Div., Kingston, Tasmania (Australia); Gore, D.B. [Macquarie Univ., Sydney, NSW (Australia). Dept. of Environmental Science

2010-07-01

This study assessed the performance of a permeable bio-reactive barrier designed to treat contaminated water. The bio-reactive barrier was installed at a fuel spill site located in the Windmill Islands, Antarctica. A funnel and gate design was used to prevent contaminant migration beyond the barrier location as well as to ensure controlled nutrient delivery. The study also investigated the performance of the bio-reactive barrier in regions with freeze-thaw conditions. The 4-year project was also conducted to assess optimal conditions for enhancing the barrier's ability to degrade hydrocarbons.

Remediation of TCE-contaminated groundwater using nanocatalyst and bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Ser Ku; Seo, Hyunhee; Sun, Eunyoung; Kim, Inseon; Roh, Yul

2011-08-01

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the remediation of trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated groundwater using both a nanocatalyst (bio-Zn-magnetite) and bacterium (similar to Clostridium quinii) in anoxic environments. Of the 7 nanocatalysts tested, bio-Zn-magnetite showed the highest TCE dechlorination efficiency, with an average of ca. 90% within 8 days in a batch experiment. The column tests confirmed that the application of bio-Zn-magnetite in combination with the bacterium achieved high degradation efficiency (ca. 90%) of TCE within 5 days compared to the nanocatalyst only, which degraded only 30% of the TCE. These results suggest that the application of a nanocatalyst and the bacterium have potential for the remediation of TCE-contaminated groundwater in subsurface environments.

Remediation of Cu metal-induced accelerated Fenton reaction by potato peels bio-sorbent.

Science.gov (United States)

Azmat, Rafia; Moin, Sumeira; Saleem, Ailyan

2016-12-01

This article has allied exposure to Ecological Particulate Matter (EPM) and its remediation using potato peel surface (PPC) bio-sorbent on two important edible crops Spinacia oleracea and Luffa acutangula. Fenton reaction acceleration was one of the major stress oxidation reactions as a consequence of iron and copper toxicity, which involve in the formation of hydroxyl radical (OH) through EPM. Results showed that the oxidative stress encouraged by Cu in both species that recruits the degradation of photosynthetic pigments, initiating decline in growth, reduced leaf area and degrade proteins. The plants were cultivated in natural environmental condition in three pots with three replicates like (a) control, (b) Cu treated and (c) treated water. Oxidative stress initiated by metal activity in Cu accumulated plant (b) were controlled, through bio-sorption of metal from contaminated water using PPC; arranged at laboratory scale. The acceleration of Fenton reaction was verified in terms of OH radical generation. These radicals were tested in aqueous extract of leaves of three types of plants via benzoic acid. The benzoic acid acts as a scavenger of OH radical due to which the decarboxylation of benzoic acid cured. Observation on (b) showed more rapid decarboxylation as compared to other plants which showed that Cu activity was much higher in (b) as compared to (a) and (c). The rapid decarboxylation of benzoic acid and lower chlorophyll contents in (b) suggest that Fenton reaction system was much enhanced by Cu-O and Fe-O chemistry that was successfully controlled by PPC which results in restoring the metabolic pathway and nullifying oxidative stress in (c).

Development and validation of a model of bio-barriers for remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated aquifers using laboratory column experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Shashidhar, T; Bhallamudi, S Murty; Philip, Ligy

2007-07-16

Bench scale transport and biotransformation experiments and mathematical model simulations were carried out to study the effectiveness of bio-barriers for the containment of hexavalent chromium in contaminated confined aquifers. Experimental results showed that a 10cm thick bio-barrier with an initial biomass concentration of 0.205mg/g of soil was able to completely contain a Cr(VI) plume of 25mg/L concentration. It was also observed that pore water velocity and initial biomass concentration are the most significant parameters in the containment of Cr(VI). The mathematical model developed is based on one-dimensional advection-dispersion reaction equations for Cr(VI) and molasses in saturated, homogeneous porous medium. The transport of Cr(VI) and molasses is coupled with adsorption and Monod's inhibition kinetics for immobile bacteria. It was found that, in general, the model was able to simulate the experimental results satisfactorily. However, there was disparity between the numerically simulated and experimental breakthrough curves for Cr(VI) and molasses in cases where there was high clay content and high microbial activity. The mathematical model could contribute towards improved designs of future bio-barriers for the remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated aquifers.

Survival and growth of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa l.) inoculated with an am fungus (Glomus intraradices) in contaminated soils treated with two different remediation technologies (bio-pile and thermal desorption)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norini, M.P.; Beguiristain, Th.; Leyval, C.

2005-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a group of persistent and toxic soil pollutants that are of major public concern due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic property. Phyto-remediation is the use of plants and their associated microorganisms for remediation of polluted soils. Phyto-remediation could be used in conjunction with other remediation technologies to reduce the contamination to safe levels and maintain or restore soil physico-chemical and biological properties. Most plant species form mycorrhizas with symbiotic fungi. It was shown that AM fungi enhance survival and plant growth in PAH contaminated soils. Mycorrhizal fungi also enhance the biotransformation or biodegradation of PAH, although the effect differed between soils. A rhizosphere and myco-rhizosphere gradient of PAH concentrations was observed, with decreased PAH concentration with decreased distance to roots. Different microbial communities were found in the rhizosphere of AM and non-mycorrhizal plants in comparison to bulk soil, suggesting that AM could affect PAH degradation by changing microbial communities. We investigated the effect of mycorrhizal fungi and nutrients on the ability of alfalfa to grow on soil contaminated with PAHs before and after two remediation treatments. We used soil from an industrial site (Homecourt, North East part of France) highly contaminated with PAH (2000 mg kg -1 ), which has been partially treated by two different remediation technologies (bio-pile and thermal desorption). The bio-pile treatment consisted of piling the contaminated soil with stimulation of aerobic microbial activity by aeration and addition of nutrient solution, and reduced PAH concentration to around 300 mg kg-1. With the thermal desorption treatment the soil was heated to around 500 deg. C so that PAH vaporized and were separated from the soil. The residual PAH concentration in soil was 40 mg kg -1 . Treated and non-treated contaminated soil was planted with alfalfa (Medicago

FEASIBILITY OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING OF SOILS TO IMPROVE REMEDIAL ACTIONS

Science.gov (United States)

Hydraulic fracturing, a method of increasing fluid flow within the subsurface, should improve the effectiveness of several remedial techniques, including pump and treat, vapor extraction, bio-remediation, and soil-flushing. he technique is widely used to increase the yields of oi...

Comparative study of remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated soil using electrokinetics combined with bioremediation.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jiaying; He, Chiquan; Chen, Xueping; Liang, Xia; Huang, Tongli; Yang, Xuecheng; Shang, Hai

2018-06-01

The purpose of this research is to design a new bioremediation-electrokinetic (Bio-EK) remediation process to increase treatment efficiency of chromium contamination in soil. Upon residual chromium analysis, it is shown that traditional electrokinetic-PRB system (control) does not have high efficiency (80.26%) to remove Cr(VI). Bio-electrokinetics of exogenous add with reduction bacteria Microbacterium sp. Y2 and electrokinetics can enhance treatment efficiency Cr(VI) to 90.67% after 8 days' remediation. To optimize the overall performance, integrated bio-electrokinetics were designed by synergy with 200 g humic substances (HS) into the systems. According to our results, Cr(VI) (98.33%) was effectively removed via electrokinetics. Moreover, bacteria and humic substances are natural, sustainable, and economical enhancement agents. The research results indicated that the use of integrated bio-electrokinetics is an effective method to remediate chromium-contaminated soils.

Mixed Contaminants Removal Efficiency Using Bio-FeS Nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Hyunhee; Roh, Yul

2018-02-01

Advances in nanotechnology has provided diverse industrial applications including an environmental remediation field. In particular, bio-nanotechnology gives extended eco-friendly remediation practice. Among diverse bio-nanoparticles synthesized by microorganisms, the iron based nanoparticles (NPs) are of great interest because of their availability, low cost and toxicity to human health and the environment. In this study, iron based nanoparticles were biologically synthesized and mineralogically identified. Also, the removal efficiency of mixed contaminants, high As(III)-low Cr(VI) and high As(V)-low Cr(VI), using these bio-nanoparticles were conducted. As a result, biologically synthesized NPs were identified as FeS complex and their catalytic capacity showed highly effective to immobilize more than 97% of mixed contaminants by adsorption/mineralization.

Potential of biogenic hydrogen production for hydrogen driven remediation strategies in marine environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseinkhani, Baharak; Hennebel, Tom; Boon, Nico

2014-09-25

Fermentative production of bio-hydrogen (bio-H2) from organic residues has emerged as a promising alternative for providing the required electron source for hydrogen driven remediation strategies. Unlike the widely used production of H2 by bacteria in fresh water systems, few reports are available regarding the generation of biogenic H2 and optimisation processes in marine systems. The present research aims to optimise the capability of an indigenous marine bacterium for the production of bio-H2 in marine environments and subsequently develop this process for hydrogen driven remediation strategies. Fermentative conversion of organics in marine media to H2 using a marine isolate, Pseudoalteromonas sp. BH11, was determined. A Taguchi design of experimental methodology was employed to evaluate the optimal nutritional composition in batch tests to improve bio-H2 yields. Further optimisation experiments showed that alginate-immobilised bacterial cells were able to produce bio-H2 at the same rate as suspended cells over a period of several weeks. Finally, bio-H2 was used as electron donor to successfully dehalogenate trichloroethylene (TCE) using biogenic palladium nanoparticles as a catalyst. Fermentative production of bio-H2 can be a promising technique for concomitant generation of an electron source for hydrogen driven remediation strategies and treatment of organic residue in marine ecosystems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In-situ treatment of a mixed hydrocarbon plume through enhanced bio-remediation and a PRB system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aglietto, I.; Bargoni, G.; Bretti, L.L.

2005-01-01

(especially aerobic biodegradation), whereas fully-chlorinated compounds are only biodegradable via reductive pathways. Therefore, a mixed plume of both types of contaminants requires a combined approach with the application of different treatment technologies. The remediation strategy elaborated combines an enhanced bio-remediation of the hot spots with a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) in a funnel and gate configuration for the down-gradient plume containment. Pilot tests were carried out in order to assess the efficiency and feasibility of such technologies in the site of interest. The enhanced bio-remediation is going to be carried out by means of injections of hydrogen release compounds (HRC) and oxygen release compounds (ORC) for the biodegradation of chlorinated solvents and petroleum hydrocarbons respectively. A pilot test was conducted to determine the degradation rates of the different contaminants. The pilot test was monitored with a periodic sampling and analysis of the groundwater and with a continuous monitoring of the physical-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, redox potential and dissolved oxygen) in the monitoring wells placed immediately down-gradient of the injection points. The tests showed the possibility to use the enhanced bio-remediation with the double aim to reduce the hot spot concentrations, in order to lower the contaminant load on the PRB, and to control the lateral spreading of the plume in the side regions. Permeable reactive barriers are passive groundwater treatment systems that are able to decontaminate groundwater as it flows through a permeable treatment medium under natural gradients. The main advantage of this technology over ex-situ and other in-situ groundwater remediation approaches is the reduced operation- and maintenance costs. For the permeable reactive barrier, a funnel and gate configuration was selected. This system uses low permeability materials (funnel) to direct groundwater towards a permeable treatment

In-situ treatment of a mixed hydrocarbon plume through enhanced bio-remediation and a PRB system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aglietto, I.; Bargoni, G.; Bretti, L.L. [Studio aglietto s.r.l. (Italy)

2005-07-01

(especially aerobic biodegradation), whereas fully-chlorinated compounds are only biodegradable via reductive pathways. Therefore, a mixed plume of both types of contaminants requires a combined approach with the application of different treatment technologies. The remediation strategy elaborated combines an enhanced bio-remediation of the hot spots with a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) in a funnel and gate configuration for the down-gradient plume containment. Pilot tests were carried out in order to assess the efficiency and feasibility of such technologies in the site of interest. The enhanced bio-remediation is going to be carried out by means of injections of hydrogen release compounds (HRC) and oxygen release compounds (ORC) for the biodegradation of chlorinated solvents and petroleum hydrocarbons respectively. A pilot test was conducted to determine the degradation rates of the different contaminants. The pilot test was monitored with a periodic sampling and analysis of the groundwater and with a continuous monitoring of the physical-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, redox potential and dissolved oxygen) in the monitoring wells placed immediately down-gradient of the injection points. The tests showed the possibility to use the enhanced bio-remediation with the double aim to reduce the hot spot concentrations, in order to lower the contaminant load on the PRB, and to control the lateral spreading of the plume in the side regions. Permeable reactive barriers are passive groundwater treatment systems that are able to decontaminate groundwater as it flows through a permeable treatment medium under natural gradients. The main advantage of this technology over ex-situ and other in-situ groundwater remediation approaches is the reduced operation- and maintenance costs. For the permeable reactive barrier, a funnel and gate configuration was selected. This system uses low permeability materials (funnel) to direct groundwater towards a permeable treatment

In-situ treatment of a mixed hydrocarbon plume through a permeable reactive barrier and enhanced bio-remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aglietto, I.; Bretti, L.L.

2005-01-01

Groundwater is frequently polluted with mixtures of contaminants that are amenable to different types of remediation. One example is the combination of petroleum hydrocarbons (mostly BTEX) and chlorinated solvents (chlorinated ethenes and propanes), as it occurs in the groundwater beneath the industrial site that is the objective of the present case study. The site is located in Italy near a main river (Arno), which is supposed to be the final recipient of the contamination and where a possible exposure might take place. The aim of the treatment is the plume containment within the site boundaries in order to avoid further migration of the contaminants towards the river. The design of the remediation system was based on an extensive site characterization that included - but was not limited to - the following information: geological and geochemical, microbiological and hydrological data, together with analytical data (i.e. contaminant concentrations). Pilot tests were also implemented in order to collect the necessary parameters for the full-scale treatment design and calibration. The site was contaminated by a mixed plume of more than 30 different contaminants, ranging from BTEX, to MTBE, to PAH, to chlorinated solvents. The concentration peaks were in the order of 1-100 mg/l for each contaminant. Petroleum hydrocarbons are quickly degradable through oxidative mechanisms (especially aerobic biodegradation), whereas fully-chlorinated compounds are only degradable via reductive pathways. A mixed plume of both types of contaminants therefore requires a combined approach with the application of different treatment technologies. The remediation strategy elaborated combines a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) in a funnel and gate configuration for the down-gradient plume containment, with the enhanced bio-remediation of the contaminants for the control of the plume boundaries and for the abatement of the concentration peaks. Pilot tests were carried out in order to assess

IMPACTUL REMEDIULUI BioR ASUPRA UNOR PARAMETRI AI SISTEMULUI PROOXIDANT (OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT LA PREPELIŢELE ADULTE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana MACARI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Problema stimulării productivităţii în avicultură, pentru asigurarea consumatorilor cu alimente de înaltă calitate, devine din ce în ce mai stringentă la nivel mondial. Studiul a avut drept scop evaluarea efectelor remediului BioR asupra indicilor marker ai peroxidării lipidelor (PLO şi ai sistemului antioxidant (SAO la prepeliţele adulte crescute în condiţii fiziologice de producţie. Studiul a fost realizat pe 5 loturi de prepeliţe. Remediul BioR a fost administrat de două ori: la începutul studiului şi la 7-10 zile după prima administrare, în doze diferite. S-a constatat că administrarea remediului BioR determină îmbunătăţirea indicilor sistemului PLO - SAO şi activitatea majorităţii indicilor evaluaţi depinde direct sau indirect de doza utilizată, momente ce trebuie să fie luate în considerare atunci când se alege doza optimă a remediului.THE IMPACT OF THE BioR REMEDY ON THE PARAMETERS OF THE PRO-OXIDANT (OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT SYSTEM IN ADULT QUAILSThe problem of aviculture productivity stimulation in order to ensure consumers with high quality food is becoming increasingly stringent worldwide. The study aimed to assess the effects of the BioR remedy on the marker indices of lipid peroxidation (LPO and antioxidant system (AOS in adult quails bred under physiological production conditions. The research was conducted on 5 lots of quails. The BioR remedy was administered twice: at the beginning of the study, and at the 7-10th day after the first administration, in different doses. It was found that the BioR remedy administration leads to the improvement of POL-SAO system indices, and the level or activity of the most evaluated indices depended directly or indirectly on the used dose, which must be taken into account when selecting the optimal dose of the remedy.

Utilization of brewery wastewater for culturing yeast cells for use in river water remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Su-Yun; Sun, Jing-Mei; Song, Shu-Qiang; Sun, Bao-Sheng

2012-01-01

Successful in situ bio-augmentation of contaminated river water involves reducing the cost of the bio-agent. In this study, brewery wastewater was used to culture yeast cells for degrading the COD(Cr) from a contaminated river. The results showed that 15 g/L of yeast cells could be achieved after being cultured in the autoclaved brewery wastewater with 5 mL/L of saccharified starch and 9 g/L of corn steep liquor. The COD(Cr) removal efficiency was increased from 22% to 33% when the cells were cultured using the mentioned method. Based on the market price of materials used in this method, the cost of the medium for remediating 1 m3 of river water was 0.0076 US dollars. If the additional cost of field implementation is included, the total cost is less than 0.016 US dollars for treating 1 m3 of river water. The final cost was dependent on the size of remediation: the larger the scale, the lower the cost. By this method, the nutrient in the brewery wastewater was reused, the cost of brewery wastewater treatment was saved and the cost of the remediation using bio-augmentation was reduced. Hence, it is suggested that using brewery wastewater to culture a bio-agent for bio-augmentation is a cost-effective method.

Solid phase bio-electrofermentation of food waste to harvest value-added products associated with waste remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasekhar, K; Amulya, K; Mohan, S Venkata

2015-11-01

A novel solid state bio-electrofermentation system (SBES), which can function on the self-driven bioelectrogenic activity was designed and fabricated in the laboratory. SBES was operated with food waste as substrate and evaluated for simultaneous production of electrofuels viz., bioelectricity, biohydrogen (H2) and bioethanol. The system illustrated maximum open circuit voltage and power density of 443 mV and 162.4 mW/m(2), respectively on 9 th day of operation while higher H2 production rate (21.9 ml/h) was observed on 19th day of operation. SBES system also documented 4.85% w/v bioethanol production on 20th day of operation. The analysis of end products confirmed that H2 production could be generally attributed to a mixed acetate/butyrate-type of fermentation. Nevertheless, the presence of additional metabolites in SBES, including formate, lactate, propionate and ethanol, also suggested that other metabolic pathways were active during the process, lowering the conversion of substrate into H2. SBES also documented 72% substrate (COD) removal efficiency along with value added product generation. Continuous evolution of volatile fatty acids as intermediary metabolites resulted in pH drop and depicted its negative influence on SBES performance. Bio-electrocatalytic analysis was carried out to evaluate the redox catalytic capabilities of the biocatalyst. Experimental data illustrated that solid-state fermentation can be effectively integrated in SBES for the production of value added products with the possibility of simultaneous solid waste remediation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison between different bio-treatments of a hydrocarbon ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ramya

2011-10-31

Oct 31, 2011 ... We investigated the bio-remediation of a hydrocarbon contaminated soil pile that was slated for landfill ... soils, plants and in the food chain (Kipopoulou et al., ...... Scientific and Social Research, Putra Palace, Perlis, Malaysia.

Effects of remediation on the bacterial community of an acid mine drainage impacted stream.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Suchismita; Moitra, Moumita; Woolverton, Christopher J; Leff, Laura G

2012-11-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) represents a global threat to water resources, and as such, remediation of AMD-impacted streams is a common practice. During this study, we examined bacterial community structure and environmental conditions in a low-order AMD-impacted stream before, during, and after remediation. Bacterial community structure was examined via polymerase chain reaction amplification of 16S rRNA genes followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Also, bacterial abundance and physicochemical data (including metal concentrations) were collected and relationships to bacterial community structure were determined using BIO-ENV analysis. Remediation of the study stream altered environmental conditions, including pH and concentrations of some metals, and consequently, the bacterial community changed. However, remediation did not necessarily restore the stream to conditions found in the unimpacted reference stream; for example, bacterial abundances and concentrations of some elements, such as sulfur, magnesium, and manganese, were different in the remediated stream than in the reference stream. BIO-ENV analysis revealed that changes in pH and iron concentration, associated with remediation, primarily explained temporal alterations in bacterial community structure. Although the sites sampled in the remediated stream were in relatively close proximity to each other, spatial variation in community composition suggests that differences in local environmental conditions may have large impacts on the microbial assemblage.

Comparison between different bio-treatments of a hydrocarbon ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We investigated the bio-remediation of a hydrocarbon contaminated soil pile that ... Nutrient and microbial amendments did not confer any long-term benefit on the ... Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses of 16S rDNA and ...

Bio-reduction of plutonyl and neptunyl by Shewanella alga

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, D.T.; Lucchini, J.F; Rittmann, B.E.; Songkasiri, W.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The results of a concurrent experimental and modeling study to investigate the bio-reduction of higher-valent plutonium and neptunium by Shewanella alga strain BrY are presented. S. Alga, as a facultative metal reducer, is representative of bacteria that will be important in defining the mobility of plutonium and neptunium species as they migrate from oxic to anoxic zones. This is also an important consideration in defining the long-term stability of bio-precipitated 'immobilized' plutonium phases under changing redox conditions in biologically active systems and subsequently the effectiveness of remediation/containment approaches used for bio-remediation. Neptunium (VI) is readily reduced in groundwaters by many organics. In biologically active systems, it is unlikely, for this reason, that this oxidation state of neptunium will be important. Under all conditions investigated, neptunium (V) was reduced to neptunium (IV) when anaerobic conditions were established for a wide variety of electron donors. This was evidences by 3-4 orders of magnitude reduction in solution concentration and confirmed by XANES analysis. This led to high bio-association and/or precipitation of the neptunium. Plutonium (VI), as was the case with neptunium (VI) was reduced by the organics typically present in biologically active systems. Analogous bio-reduction experiments with plutonium (V) and plutonium (VI) are in progress and are expected to show that bio-reduction will predominate under anaerobic conditions, as was the case with neptunium. These results for neptunium and plutonium show S. Alga to be an effective microbe for the bio-reduction, and consequently the immobilization, of these important actinide contaminants. (authors)

Development of an integrated economic decision-support tool for the remediation of contaminated sites. Overview note

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samson, R.; Bage, G.

2004-05-01

This report concludes the first design phase of an innovative software tool which, when completed, will allow managers of contaminated sites to make optimal decisions with respect to site remediation. The principal objective of the project was to develop the foundations for decision-support software (SITE VII) which will allow a comprehensive and rigorous approach to the comparison of remediation scenarios for sites contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. During this first phase of the project, the NSERC Industrial Chair in Site Remediation and Management of the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal has completed four stages in the design of a decision-support tool that could be applied by any site manager using a simple computer. These four stages are: refinement of a technico-economic evaluation model; development of databases for five soil remediation technologies; design of a structure for integration of the databases with the technico-economic model; and simulation of the remediation of a contaminated site using the technico-economic model and a subset of the databases. In the interim report, the emphasis was placed on the development of the technico-economic model, supported by a very simple, single-technology simulation of remediation. In the present report, the priority is placed on the integration of the different components required for the creation of decision-support software based on the technico-economic model. An entire chapter of this report is devoted to elaborating the decision structure of the software. The treatment of information within the software is shown schematically and explained step-by-step. Five remediation technologies are handled by the software: three in-situ technologies (bio-venting, bio-slurping, bio-sparging) and two ex-situ technologies (thermal desorption, Bio-pile treatment). A technology file has been created for each technology, containing a brief description of the technology, its performance, its criteria of applicability

CHROTRAN 1.0. A mathematical and computational model for in situ heavy metal remediation in heterogeneous aquifers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, Scott K.; Pandey, Sachin; Karra, Satish; Vesselinov, Velimir V. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States). Computational Earth Science Group (EES-16)

2017-07-01

Groundwater contamination by heavy metals is a critical environmental problem for which in situ remediation is frequently the only viable treatment option. For such interventions, a multi-dimensional reactive transport model of relevant biogeochemical processes is invaluable. To this end, we developed a model, chrotran, for in situ treatment, which includes full dynamics for five species: a heavy metal to be remediated, an electron donor, biomass, a nontoxic conservative bio-inhibitor, and a biocide. Direct abiotic reduction by donor-metal interaction as well as donor-driven biomass growth and bio-reduction are modeled, along with crucial processes such as donor sorption, bio-fouling, and biomass death. Our software implementation handles heterogeneous flow fields, as well as arbitrarily many chemical species and amendment injection points, and features full coupling between flow and reactive transport. We describe installation and usage and present two example simulations demonstrating its unique capabilities. One simulation suggests an unorthodox approach to remediation of Cr(VI) contamination.

CHROTRAN 1.0: A mathematical and computational model for in situ heavy metal remediation in heterogeneous aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Scott K.; Pandey, Sachin; Karra, Satish; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

2017-12-01

Groundwater contamination by heavy metals is a critical environmental problem for which in situ remediation is frequently the only viable treatment option. For such interventions, a multi-dimensional reactive transport model of relevant biogeochemical processes is invaluable. To this end, we developed a model, chrotran, for in situ treatment, which includes full dynamics for five species: a heavy metal to be remediated, an electron donor, biomass, a nontoxic conservative bio-inhibitor, and a biocide. Direct abiotic reduction by donor-metal interaction as well as donor-driven biomass growth and bio-reduction are modeled, along with crucial processes such as donor sorption, bio-fouling, and biomass death. Our software implementation handles heterogeneous flow fields, as well as arbitrarily many chemical species and amendment injection points, and features full coupling between flow and reactive transport. We describe installation and usage and present two example simulations demonstrating its unique capabilities. One simulation suggests an unorthodox approach to remediation of Cr(VI) contamination.

CHROTRAN 1.0. A mathematical and computational model for in situ heavy metal remediation in heterogeneous aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, Scott K.; Pandey, Sachin; Karra, Satish; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

2017-01-01

Groundwater contamination by heavy metals is a critical environmental problem for which in situ remediation is frequently the only viable treatment option. For such interventions, a multi-dimensional reactive transport model of relevant biogeochemical processes is invaluable. To this end, we developed a model, chrotran, for in situ treatment, which includes full dynamics for five species: a heavy metal to be remediated, an electron donor, biomass, a nontoxic conservative bio-inhibitor, and a biocide. Direct abiotic reduction by donor-metal interaction as well as donor-driven biomass growth and bio-reduction are modeled, along with crucial processes such as donor sorption, bio-fouling, and biomass death. Our software implementation handles heterogeneous flow fields, as well as arbitrarily many chemical species and amendment injection points, and features full coupling between flow and reactive transport. We describe installation and usage and present two example simulations demonstrating its unique capabilities. One simulation suggests an unorthodox approach to remediation of Cr(VI) contamination.

CHROTRAN 1.0: A mathematical and computational model for in situ heavy metal remediation in heterogeneous aquifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Hansen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Groundwater contamination by heavy metals is a critical environmental problem for which in situ remediation is frequently the only viable treatment option. For such interventions, a multi-dimensional reactive transport model of relevant biogeochemical processes is invaluable. To this end, we developed a model, chrotran, for in situ treatment, which includes full dynamics for five species: a heavy metal to be remediated, an electron donor, biomass, a nontoxic conservative bio-inhibitor, and a biocide. Direct abiotic reduction by donor–metal interaction as well as donor-driven biomass growth and bio-reduction are modeled, along with crucial processes such as donor sorption, bio-fouling, and biomass death. Our software implementation handles heterogeneous flow fields, as well as arbitrarily many chemical species and amendment injection points, and features full coupling between flow and reactive transport. We describe installation and usage and present two example simulations demonstrating its unique capabilities. One simulation suggests an unorthodox approach to remediation of Cr(VI contamination.

Integrated enhanced bioremediation and vacuum extraction for remediation of a hydrocarbon release in response to oscillating hydrologic conditions 'Traverse Co-Bio-Vac'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korreck, W.M.; Armstrong, J.M.; Douglass, R.H.

1992-01-01

The use of enhanced in-situ biological treatment and vacuum extraction has been demonstrated to be successful in the remediation of ground water and soil contaminated with hydrocarbons. Seasonal fluctuations in the ground water causes the zone of contamination to be in the either saturated or unsaturated zone of the aquifer. In order to address these conditions, an integrated engineering design approach is being taken for the full scale remediation of an aviation of an aviation gasoline spill at the US Coast Guard Air Station at Traverse City, Township, Michigan. Enhanced aerobic biodegradation will be utilized during the periods of high water table whereby most of the contaminated interval is saturated. Carbon treated water will be utilized from the existing ground water plume. Oxygen will be injected via an oxygen generator to saturate the process stream prior to discharge to the aquifer. During low water table conditions, the same infrastructure will be utilized as a modified vacuum extraction system. The same injection wells used during the high water table would then be used during the low table condition as vapor extraction wells. The vapors will be routed to an above-ground catalytic incinerator for compound destruction. This integrated approach, entitled 'Traverse Co-Bio-Vac,' should reduce the capital costs of installing a full scale remedial system as well allowing the system to operate efficiently depending on water table conditions. The system is expected to be constructed in 1992

Comparative Bioremediation of Crude Oil-Amended Tropical Soil Microcosms by Natural Attenuation, Bio augmentation, or Bio enrichment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, V.M; Marques, J.M; Korenblum, E; Seldin, L

2011-01-01

Bioremediation is an efficient strategy for cleaning up sites contaminated with organic pollutants. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of monitored natural attenuation, bio enrichment, and bio augmentation using a consortium of three actinomycetes strains in remediating two distinct typical Brazilian soils from the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes that were contaminated with crude oil, with or without the addition of NaCl. Microcosms were used to simulate bioremediation treatments over a 120-day period. During this period, we monitored total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and n-alkanes degradation and changes in bacterial communities. Over time, we found the degradation rate of n-alkanes was higher than TPH in both soils, independent of the treatment used. In fact, our data show that the total bacterial community in the soils was mainly affected by the experimental period of time, while the type of bioremediation treatment used was the main factor influencing the actinomycetes populations in both soils. Based on these data, we conclude that monitored natural attenuation is the best strategy for remediation of the two tropical soils studied, with or without salt addition.

Review of Removal, Containment and Treatment Technologies for Remediation of Contaminated Sediment in the Great Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

1990-12-01

selected as a remedy for the St. Paul Waterway Remedial Action and Habitat Restoration Project because it created few adverse impacts and provided great...J. K., Weitkamp, D. E., and Weiner, K. S. 1989. "St. Paul Waterway Remedial Action and Habitat Restoration Project," Contaminated Marine Sedi- ments...Electrocoagulation Anaerobic biodegradation Granular media filtration Flocculation/coagulation BioTrol aqueous treatment Membrane microfiLtration system Freeze

Modeling and evaluation of chromium remediation from water using low cost bio-char, a green adsorbent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, Dinesh; Rajput, Shalini; Singh, Vinod K.; Steele, Philip H.; Pittman, Charles U.

2011-01-01

Oak wood and oak bark chars were obtained from fast pyrolysis in an auger reactor at 400-450 deg. C. These chars were characterized and utilized for Cr(VI) remediation from water. Batch sorption studies were performed at different temperatures, pH values and solid to liquid ratios. Maximum chromium was removed at pH 2.0. A kinetic study yielded an optimum equilibrium time of 48 h with an adsorbent dose of 10 g/L. Sorption studies were conducted over a concentration range of 1-100 mg/L. Cr(VI) removal increased with an increase in temperature (Q Oakwood o : 25 deg. C = 3.03 mg/g; 35 deg. C = 4.08 mg/g; 45 deg. C = 4.93 mg/g and Q Oakbark o : 25 deg. C = 4.62 mg/g; 35 deg. C = 7.43 mg/g; 45 deg. C = 7.51 mg/g). More chromium was removed with oak bark than oak wood. The char performances were evaluated using the Freundlich, Langmuir, Redlich-Peterson, Toth, Radke and Sips adsorption isotherm models. The Sips adsorption isotherm model best fits the experimental data [high regression (R 2 ) coefficients]. The overall kinetic data was satisfactorily explained by a pseudo second order rate expression. Water penetrated into the char walls exposing Cr(VI) to additional adsorption sites that were not on the surfaces of dry char pores. It is remarkable that oak chars (S BET : 1-3 m 2 g -1 ) can remove similar amounts of Cr(VI) as activated carbon (S BET : ∼1000 m 2 g -1 ). Thus, byproduct chars from bio-oil production might be used as inexpensive adsorbents for water purification. Char samples were successfully used for chromium remediation from contaminated surface water with dissolved interfering ions.

Modeling and evaluation of chromium remediation from water using low cost bio-char, a green adsorbent.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, Dinesh; Rajput, Shalini; Singh, Vinod K; Steele, Philip H; Pittman, Charles U

2011-04-15

Oak wood and oak bark chars were obtained from fast pyrolysis in an auger reactor at 400-450 °C. These chars were characterized and utilized for Cr(VI) remediation from water. Batch sorption studies were performed at different temperatures, pH values and solid to liquid ratios. Maximum chromium was removed at pH 2.0. A kinetic study yielded an optimum equilibrium time of 48 h with an adsorbent dose of 10 g/L. Sorption studies were conducted over a concentration range of 1-100mg/L. Cr(VI) removal increased with an increase in temperature (Q(Oak wood)(°): 25 °C = 3.03 mg/g; 35 °C = 4.08 mg/g; 45 °C = 4.93 mg/g and Q(Oakbark)(°): 25 °C = 4.62 mg/g; 35 °C = 7.43 mg/g; 45 °C = 7.51 mg/g). More chromium was removed with oak bark than oak wood. The char performances were evaluated using the Freundlich, Langmuir, Redlich-Peterson, Toth, Radke and Sips adsorption isotherm models. The Sips adsorption isotherm model best fits the experimental data [high regression (R(2)) coefficients]. The overall kinetic data was satisfactorily explained by a pseudo second order rate expression. Water penetrated into the char walls exposing Cr(VI) to additional adsorption sites that were not on the surfaces of dry char pores. It is remarkable that oak chars (S(BET): 1-3m(2)g(-1)) can remove similar amounts of Cr(VI) as activated carbon (S(BET): ∼ 1000 m(2)g(-1)). Thus, byproduct chars from bio-oil production might be used as inexpensive adsorbents for water purification. Char samples were successfully used for chromium remediation from contaminated surface water with dissolved interfering ions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phyto remediation of PAH contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petruzzelli, G.; Pedron, F.; Barbafieri, M.; Cervelli, St.; Vigna Guidi, G.

2005-01-01

Phyto-remediation may enhance degradation of organic compounds promoting an adequate substrate for microbial growth. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of two plant species, Lupinus albus and Zea mais, in the bio-remediation of a PAH contaminated soil. This soil has been collected in a contaminated industrial area in Italy characterized by PAH concentrations up to 16000 mg/Kg. Microcosms experiments were carried out by planting Lupinus albus and Zea mais in the polluted soil; controls without plants were run separately. Growing period lasted by three months. Plants favoured PAH biodegradation by percentages of 32% with Lupinus albus and 22% with Zea mais, with respect to non vegetated microcosms. (authors)

Case studies illustrating in-situ remediation methods for soil and groundwater contaminated with petrochemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixon, Robert A; Lance, P E; Downs, A; Kier, Brian P [EMCON Northwest Inc., Portland, OR (United States)

1994-12-31

Four case studies of successful in-situ remediation are summarized illustrating cost-effective methods to remediate soil and groundwater contaminated with volatile and non-volatile petrochemicals. Each site is in a different geologic environment with varying soil types and with and without groundwater impact. The methods described include vadose zone vapor extraction, high-vacuum vapor extraction combined with groundwater tab.le depression, air sparging with groundwater recovery and vapor extraction, and bio remediation of saturated zone soils using inorganic nutrient and oxygen addition

Case studies illustrating in-situ remediation methods for soil and groundwater contaminated with petrochemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixon, Robert A.; Lance, P.E.; Downs, A.; Kier, Brian P. [EMCON Northwest Inc., Portland, OR (United States)

1993-12-31

Four case studies of successful in-situ remediation are summarized illustrating cost-effective methods to remediate soil and groundwater contaminated with volatile and non-volatile petrochemicals. Each site is in a different geologic environment with varying soil types and with and without groundwater impact. The methods described include vadose zone vapor extraction, high-vacuum vapor extraction combined with groundwater tab.le depression, air sparging with groundwater recovery and vapor extraction, and bio remediation of saturated zone soils using inorganic nutrient and oxygen addition

Electrokinetically Enhanced Delivery for ERD Remediation of Chlorinated Ethenes in a Fractured Limestone Aquifer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm, Mette Martina; Hyldegaard, Bente Højlund; With Nedergaard, Lærke

causing very long remediation timeframes. Electrokinetics (EK) offers some unique transport processes, which can potentially overcome the diffusion limitations in the matrix. A novel technology combines ERD and EK for enhanced delivery. The combined technology (EK-BIO) has shown promising results in clay....... Experimental work on EK-BIO in limestone was conducted in a laboratory setup with limestone cores. EK was demonstrated to be promising in establishing enhanced contact between the donor lactate, bacteria, and cis-DCE within the limestone matrix. Complete dechlorination is expected to take place in the matrix......, since back diffusion limitations in the limestone matrix are overcome. This is essential for the overall time perspective of a remediation in limestone aquifers....

Remediation of contaminated soils by biotechnology with nanomaterials: bio-behavior, applications, and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xiaomin; Huang, Danlian; Liu, Yunguo; Peng, Zhiwei; Zeng, Guangming; Xu, Piao; Cheng, Min; Wang, Rongzhong; Wan, Jia

2018-05-01

Soil contamination caused by heavy metals and organic pollutants has drawn world-wide concern. Biotechnology has been applied for many years to the decontamination of soils polluted with organic and inorganic contaminants, and novel nanomaterials (NMs) has attracted much concern due to their high capacity for the removal/stabilization/degradation of pollutants. Recently, developing advanced biotechnology with NMs for the remediation of contaminated soils has become a hot research topic. Some researchers found that bioremediation efficiency of contaminated soils was enhanced by the addition of NMs, while others demonstrated that the toxicity of NMs to the organism negatively influenced the repair capacity of polluted soils. This paper reviews the application of biotechnology and NMs in soil remediation, and further provides a critical view of the effects of NMs on the phytoremediation and micro-remediation of contaminated soils. This review also discusses the future research needs for the combined application of biotechnology and NMs in soil remediation.

GEOCHEMISTRY OF SUBSURFACE REACTIVE BARRIERS FOR REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED GROUND WATER

Science.gov (United States)

Reactive barriers that couple subsurface fluid flow with a passive chemical treatment zone are emerging, cost effective approaches for in-situ remediation of contaminated groundwater. Factors such as the build-up of surface precipitates, bio-fouling, and changes in subsurface tr...

The PM/S module and the BIO/TSR requirements comparison report summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PEERY, B.Q.

1999-01-01

This report summarizes the comparison between the Preventive Maintenance/Surveillance System (PM/S) database and the requirements identified in the Tank Waste Remediation Systems Basis for Interim Operation (BIO) (HNF-SD-WM-BIO-001); the Technical Safety Requirements (TSR's) (HNF-SD-WM-TSR-006); The Tank Farms Administrative Controls Manual, (HNF-IP-1266); and The TWRS Facility Safety Equipment List, (HNF-SD-WM-SEL-0404). Corrective actions identified are completed or in process

Bio stimulation for the Enhanced Degradation of Herbicides in Soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanissery, R.G; Sims, G.K

2011-01-01

Cleanup of herbicide-contaminated soils has been a dire environmental concern since the advent of industrial era. Although microorganisms are excellent degraders of herbicide compounds in the soil, some reparation may need to be brought about, in order to stimulate them to degrade the herbicide at a faster rate in a confined time frame. Bio stimulation through the appropriate utilization of organic amendments and nutrients can accelerate the degradation of herbicides in the soil. However, effective use of bio stimulants requires thorough comprehension of the global redox cycle during the microbial degradation of the herbicide molecules in the soil. In this paper, we present the prospects of using bio stimulation as a powerful remediation strategy for the rapid cleanup of herbicide-polluted soils.

evaluation of different remediation methods of polluted soils using nuclear technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moussa, I.E.A.

2012-01-01

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated has become a considerable task to introduce such marginal or waste lands into productive systems. Various techniques, i.e. chemical and organic agents, bio- and Phyto remediation including microorganisms and/or phyto plants are used to remediate such contaminated soils. The contamination of the soil with metals has become a widespread environmental problem in many industrialized countries. The fact that the Earth's surface is becoming increasingly polluted by human activities challenges society to develop strategies for sustainability that conserve nonrenewable natural resources such as soil. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effectiveness of (I) some chemical and organic amendments in remediation of heavy metals contaminated soil. At the same time, a follow up the effects of interaction between amendment concentration and incubation time intervals on bioavailability of tested heavy metals was taken into consideration. (II) Fungi inoculation in remediation of heavy metals contaminated soils. (III) Calcium carbonate on the potentiality of panikum and sudan grass (as hyper accumulators) in remediation of heavy metals contaminated soil. To fulfill this task, it was suggested to conduct three experiments, namely; (1) Chemical remediation of Contaminated Soils experiment (2) Bioremediation experiment (3) Phyto remediation Experiment

Screening the possibility for removing cadmium and other heavy metals from wastewater sludge and bio-ashes by an electrodialytic method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Pedersen, Anne Juul; Hansen, Henrik K.

2007-01-01

in wastewater sludge and bio-ashes (straw and wood) using an electrodialytic method. The waste products were treated as stirred suspensions. During the remediation the suspension was acidified from water splitting at the anion exchange membrane and the acidification mobilized Cd that was removed...... with Cd, and the wood ash had a high initial pH (13.3). The mass of wastewater sludge and bio-ashes decreased during treatment but the concentration of other heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cu and Zn) was not increased to exceed limiting values in remediated matrix.......Both wastewater sludge and fly ash from combustion of biomass (bio-ash) have traditionally been applied to agricultural land in Denmark. However, Cd concentrations often exceed limiting values. The present study is a preliminary investigation of the possibility for reducing the Cd concentration...

The bio testing of il-oxidizing bacteria and fungi associations for the certification of new bio absorbents and water remediation control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terekhova, V.; Botvinko, I.; Vinokurov, V.; Srebnyak, E.

2009-01-01

Application of various types of bio preparations possessing high adsorbing capacity in relation to oil-products is now widely used for handling of spilled oil. The control of non-toxicity of cultures and adsorbing materials is necessary for elaboration of bio augmentation methods which are perspective for effective oil utilization. There are several biotest-systems used in the Eco toxicological laboratory, which are officially recommended for natural ecosystems and waste biotic control in Rusia. (Author)

Subsurface Bio-Immobilization of Plutonium: Experiment and Model Validation Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, Donald; Rittmann, Bruce

2006-01-01

The goal of this project is to conduct a concurrent experimental and modeling study centered on the interactions of Shewanella algae BrY with plutonium and uranium species and phases. The most important objective of this research is to investigate the long-term stability of bioprecipitated immobilized actinide phases under changing redox conditions in biologically active systems. The long-term stability of bio-immobilized actinides (e.g. by bio-reduction) is a key criteria that defines the utility and effectiveness of a remediation/containment strategy for subsurface actinide contaminants. Plutonium, which is the focus of this project, is the key contaminant of concern at several DOE sites

Synergistic effects of bioremediation and electrokinetics in the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Shuhai; Fan, Ruijuan; Li, Tingting; Hartog, Niels; Li, Fengmei; Yang, Xuelian

2014-08-01

The present study evaluated the coupling interactions between bioremediation (BIO) and electrokinetics (EK) in the remediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) by using bio-electrokinetics (BIO-EK) with a rotatory 2-D electric field. The results demonstrated an obvious positive correlation between the degradation extents of TPH and electric intensity both in the EK and BIO-EK tests. The use of BIO-EK showed a significant improvement in degradation of TPH as compared to BIO or EK alone. The actual degradation curve in BIO-EK tests fitted well with the simulated curve obtained by combining the degradation curves in BIO- and EK-only tests during the first 60 d, indicating a superimposed effect of biological degradation and electrochemical stimulation. The synergistic effect was particularly expressed during the later phase of the experiment, concurrent with changes in the microbial community structure. The community composition changed mainly according to the duration of the electric field, leading to a reduction in diversity. No significant spatial shifts in microbial community composition and bacterial numbers were detected among different sampling positions. Soil pH was uniform during the experimental process, soil temperature showed no variations between the soil chambers with and without an electric field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screening the possibility for removing cadmium and other heavy metals from wastewater sludge and bio-ashes by an electrodialytic method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Pedersen, Anne J.; Hansen, Henrik K.; Ribeiro, Alexandra B.

2007-01-01

Both wastewater sludge and fly ash from combustion of biomass (bio-ash) have traditionally been applied to agricultural land in Denmark. However, Cd concentrations often exceed limiting values. The present study is a preliminary investigation of the possibility for reducing the Cd concentration in wastewater sludge and bio-ashes (straw and wood) using an electrodialytic method. The waste products were treated as stirred suspensions. During the remediation the suspension was acidified from water splitting at the anion exchange membrane and the acidification mobilized Cd that was removed to the electrode compartments. Even though the matrices were very different the remediation was successful in all cases. After treatment the Cd concentration in the ashes allowed for spreading at agricultural land and the limiting concentration of 0.8 mg Cd/kg for the wastewater sludge was almost reached (0.84 and 0.88 mg Cd/kg). The main differences of the waste products influencing the remediation process were: the sludges had a high content of organic particles that were mobilized by electrophoresis and fouled the anion exchange membrane; the straw-ash contained a lot of chloride, which formed anionic complexes with Cd, and the wood ash had a high initial pH (13.3). The mass of wastewater sludge and bio-ashes decreased during treatment but the concentration of other heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cu and Zn) was not increased to exceed limiting values in remediated matrix

New applications of meso-structured silicon oxides in bio-remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galarneau, A.

2006-01-01

In this work, has been developed a new enzymes encapsulation method by sol-gel synthesis, using natural phospho-lipids as surfactants and amines as co-surfactants to control both the polarity and porosity. The catalytic performances are superior to the classical and commercial sol-gel encapsulations because of the addition of the porosity control. This new synthesis method, easy to carry out, provides new very efficient bio-catalysts, for instance for the oxidation of polluting molecules contained in water or in organic media. (O.M.)

Bio-organic materials in the atmosphere and snow: measurement and characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Ariya, P A; Kos, G; Mortazavi, R; Hudson, E D; Kanthasamy, V; Eltouny, N; Sun, J; Wilde, C

2014-01-01

Bio-organic chemicals are ubiquitous in the Earth's atmosphere and at air-snow interfaces, as well as in aerosols and in clouds. It has been known for centuries that airborne biological matter plays various roles in the transmission of disease in humans and in ecosystems. The implication of chemical compounds of biological origins in cloud condensation and in ice nucleation processes has also been studied during the last few decades, and implications have been suggested in the reduction of visibility, in the influence on oxidative potential of the atmosphere and transformation of compounds in the atmosphere, in the formation of haze, change of snow-ice albedo, in agricultural processes, and bio-hazards and bio-terrorism. In this review we critically examine existing observation data on bio-organic compounds in the atmosphere and in snow. We also review both conventional and cutting-edge analytical techniques and methods for measurement and characterisation of bio-organic compounds and specifically for microbial communities, in the atmosphere and snow. We also explore the link between biological compounds and nucleation processes. Due to increased interest in decreasing emissions of carbon-containing compounds, we also briefly review (in an Appendix) methods and techniques that are currently deployed for bio-organic remediation.

A nutrient injection scheme for in situ bio-remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, C H; Kuo, M C Tom; Su, C Y; Liang, K F; Han, Y L

2012-01-01

Geological layers often have different hydraulic conductivities. This paper presents an innovative design for delivering aqueous substrates and nutrients to various stratified layers at desired rates during in-situ bio-stimulation. The new delivery system consists of intermittent porous tubes connected in series with impermeable polyethylene tubes that run horizontally in each stratified layer of a contaminated aquifer. Results of the tracer test indicated that the distribution of tritium through each porous tube was fairly uniform. A mathematical model was also developed to calculate the distribution of water flow through each porous tube. By controlling the permeability and the length of porous tubes placed in stratified layers, the new design provides a means to selectively deliver nutrients to various layers at desired rates according to aquifer heterogeneity.

Prediction of blood lead levels in children before and after remediation of soil samples in the upper Meza Valley, Slovenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jez, Erika; Lestan, Domen

2015-10-15

The Meza Valley, Slovenia, has been contaminated by Pb smelting, resulting in an epidemic of lead poisoning in childhood. The potential of remediation with EDTA soil washing to mitigate the risk from Pb poisoning was investigated by applying the Integrated Exposure Uptake Bio-kinetic (IEUBK) model. Soils from 79 locations were collected and the total and bio-accessible Pb concentrations were determined before and after extraction with 60 mmol kg(-1) EDTA. Extraction reduced the soil Pb concentration in towns of Mezica, Zerjav and Crna by 53, 67 and 62%, respectively, and the concentration of in vitro bio-accessible Pb in the simulated human gastric phase by 2.6-, 3.2- and 2.9-times, respectively. The predictions of the IEUBK model based on Pb contamination data were verified with data on blood Pb levels in children. The IEUBK model predicted that, after soil remediation, the number of locations at which the expected blood Pb level in children was higher than the stipulated 10 μg d L(-1) would decrease by 90, 38 and 91% in the towns of Mezica, Zerjav and Crna, respectively. The results confirmed the feasibility of soil washing with EDTA as an efficient remediation measure in Mezica and Crna and advice for soil capping/removal for the most polluted town of Zerjav. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concurrent uptake and metabolism of dyestuffs through bio-assisted phytoremediation: a symbiotic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, Uruj; Sohail, Sana; Khan, Umair Hassan

2017-10-01

Manipulation of bio-technological processes in treatment of dyestuffs has attracted considerable attention, because a large proportion of these synthetic dyes enter into natural environment during synthesis and dyeing operations that contaminates different ecosystems. Moreover, these dyestuffs are toxic and difficult to degrade because of their synthetic origin, durability, and complex aromatic molecular structures. Hence, bio-assisted phytoremediation has recently emerged as an innovative cleanup approach in which microorganisms and plants work together to transform xenobiotic dyestuffs into nontoxic or less harmful products. This manuscript will focus on competence and potential of plant-microbe synergistic systems for treatment of dyestuffs, their mixtures and real textile effluents, and effects of symbiotic relationship on plant performances during remediation process and will highlight their metabolic activities during bio-assisted phytodegradation and detoxification.

Remediation of lead and cadmium-contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Salama, Ahmed K; Osman, Khaled A; Gouda, Neama Abdel-Razeek

2016-01-01

The research was designated to study the ability of plants to bio-accumulate, translocate and remove the heavy metals, lead and cadmium from contaminated soil. The herbal plant ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum was investigated as a bio-accumulator plant for these metals. The translocation of these heavy metals in the herbal plant was compared considering root to shoot transport and redistribution of metals in the root and shoot system. The trace metal contents from root and shoot parts were determined using atomic absorption spectrometer. The results showed that the percent of lead and cadmium transferred to ryegrass plant were averaged as 51.39, and 74.57%, respectively, while those remained in the soil were averaged as 48.61 and 25.43% following 60 days of treatment. The soil-plant transfer index in root and shoot system of ryegrass was found to be 0.32 and 0.20 for lead, and 0.50 and 0.25 for cadmium. These findings indicated that the herbal plant ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum is a good accumulator for cadmium than lead. The soil-plant transfer factor (the conc. of heavy metal in plant to the conc. in soil) indicated that the mechanism of soil remedy using the investigated plant is phytoextraction where the amounts of heavy metals transferred by plant roots into the above ground portions were higher than that remained in the soil. The method offers green technology solution for the contamination problem since it is effective technology with minimal impact on the environment and can be easily used for soil remedy.

Soil contamination with cadmium, consequences and remediation using organic amendments.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad Amjad; Khan, Sardar; Khan, Anwarzeb; Alam, Mehboob

2017-12-01

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of soil and food crops is a ubiquitous environmental problem that has resulted from uncontrolled industrialization, unsustainable urbanization and intensive agricultural practices. Being a toxic element, Cd poses high threats to soil quality, food safety, and human health. Land is the ultimate source of waste disposal and utilization therefore, Cd released from different sources (natural and anthropogenic), eventually reaches soil, and then subsequently bio-accumulates in food crops. The stabilization of Cd in contaminated soil using organic amendments is an environmentally friendly and cost effective technique used for remediation of moderate to high contaminated soil. Globally, substantial amounts of organic waste are generated every day that can be used as a source of nutrients, and also as conditioners to improve soil quality. This review paper focuses on the sources, generation, and use of different organic amendments to remediate Cd contaminated soil, discusses their effects on soil physical and chemical properties, Cd bioavailability, plant uptake, and human health risk. Moreover, it also provides an update of the most relevant findings about the application of organic amendments to remediate Cd contaminated soil and associated mechanisms. Finally, future research needs and directions for the remediation of Cd contaminated soil using organic amendments are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Can algae-based technologies be an affordable green process for biofuel production and wastewater remediation?

Science.gov (United States)

Vo Hoang Nhat, P; Ngo, H H; Guo, W S; Chang, S W; Nguyen, D D; Nguyen, P D; Bui, X T; Zhang, X B; Guo, J B

2018-05-01

Algae is a well-known organism that its characteristic is prominent for biofuel production and wastewater remediation. This critical review aims to present the applicability of algae with in-depth discussion regarding three key aspects: (i) characterization of algae for its applications; (ii) the technical approaches and their strengths and drawbacks; and (iii) future perspectives of algae-based technologies. The process optimization and combinations with other chemical and biological processes have generated efficiency, in which bio-oil yield is up to 41.1%. Through life cycle assessment, algae bio-energy achieves high energy return than fossil fuel. Thus, the algae-based technologies can reasonably be considered as green approaches. Although selling price of algae bio-oil is still high (about $2 L -1 ) compared to fossil fuel's price of $1 L -1 , it is expected that the algae bio-oil's price will become acceptable in the next coming decades and potentially dominate 75% of the market. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phyto-remediation of contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chagvardieff, P.

2014-01-01

Some plants can be selected for their capacity to extract radionuclides from the soil, on the contrary other plants can be chosen for being able to produce food grade products in a contaminated environment. Modern genetic methods can be used to enhance these abilities and turn some plants into an efficient means in the managing of contaminated areas. The DEMETERRES project that gathers different research organisations like CEA, IRSN and INRA and industrial partners like AREVA and VEOLIA aims at developing innovative bio-technologies like phyto-extraction and environment friendly physico-chemical technologies for the remediation of contaminated soils. This project was launched in 2013 on a 5-year scheme and is expected to lead to industrial applications. (A.C.)

Coupling of bio-PRB and enclosed in-well aeration system for remediation of nitrobenzene and aniline in groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Na; Ding, Feng; Wang, Liu; Liu, Peng; Yu, Xiaolong; Ye, Kang

2016-05-01

A laboratory-scale bio-permeable reactive barrier (bio-PRB) was constructed and combined with enclosed in-well aeration system to treat nitrobenzene (NB) and aniline (AN) in groundwater. Batch-style experiments were first conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of NB and AN degradation, using suspension (free cells) of degrading consortium and immobilized consortium by a mixture of perlite and peat. The NB and AN were completely degraded in 4 mg L(-1) when the aeration system was applied into the bio-PRB system. The NB and AN were effectively removed when the aeration system was functional in the bio-PRB. The removal efficiency decreased when the aeration system malfunctioned for 20 days, thus indicating that DO was an important factor for the degradation of NB and AN. The regain of NB and AN removal after the malfunction indicates the robustness of degradation consortium. No original organics and new formed by-products were observed in the effluent. The results indicate that NB and AN in groundwater can be completely mineralized in a bio-PRB equipped with enclosed in-well aeration system and filled with perlite and peat attached with degrading consortium.

Effectiveness of remediation of metal-contaminated mangrove sediments (Sydney estuary, Australia).

Science.gov (United States)

Birch, Gavin; Nath, Bibhash; Chaudhuri, Punarbasu

2015-04-01

Industrial activities and urbanization have had a major consequence for estuarine ecosystem health and water quality globally. Likewise, Sydney estuary has been significantly impacted by widespread, poor industrial practices in the past, and remediation of legacy contaminants have been undertaken in limited parts of this waterway. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effectiveness of remediation of a former Pb-contaminated industrial site in Homebush Bay on Sydney estuary (Australia) through sampling of inter-tidal sediments and mangrove (Avicennia marina) tissue (fine nutritive roots, pneumatophores, and leaves). Results indicate that since remediation 6 years previously, Pb and other metals (Cu, Ni and Zn) in surficial sediment have increased to concentrations that approach pre-remediation levels and that they were considerably higher than pre-settlement levels (3-30 times), as well as at the reference site. Most metals were compartmentalized in fine nutritive roots with bio-concentration factors greater than unity, while tissues of pneumatophores and leaves contained low metal concentrations. Lead concentrations in fine nutritive root, pneumatophore, and leaf tissue of mangroves from the remediated site were similar to trees in un-remediated sites of the estuary and were substantially higher than plants at the reference site. The situation for Zn in fine nutritive root tissue was similar. The source of the metals was either surface/subsurface water from the catchment or more likely remobilized contaminated sediment from un-remediated parts of Homebush Bay. Results of this study demonstrate the problems facing management in attempting to reduce contamination in small parts of a large impacted area to concentrations below local base level.

Degradation of Nitrobenzene Using Bio-Reduced Fe-Clays: Progress Towards the Development of an in-situ Groundwater Remediation Technology

Science.gov (United States)

White, M. L.; Fialips, C. I.

2008-12-01

Clay minerals are widely used in agricultural, industrial and environmental engineering applications due to their specific physical and chemical properties and their high abundance in soils in sediments. Currently however, Fe-bearing clays are not widely exploited in these applied fields. Fe-rich smectites, such as nontronite, can contain up to 20wt% of Fe2O3 as structural Fe(III) and if a suitable electron donor is available, this Fe(III) can be utilized by Fe-reducing bacteria as a terminal electron acceptor. When reduced, the overall reactivity of Fe-smectites changes, particularly where interactions with water and various organic compounds are involved. For instance, the presence of reduced Fe-smectites has been found to induce the degradation of certain organic contaminants found in groundwaters and the subsurface, e.g. chlorinated aliphatics and nitroaromatic compounds. The goal of this study is to develop an in-situ groundwater remediation technology that targets redox- sensitive organics, in the form of a permeable Bio Fe-clay barrier. To achieve this, the iron-reducing bacterium Shewanella algae BrY was first used to reduce structural FeIII in <2micron fractions of the Fe- rich smectite nontronite (NAu-2, 41.74wt% Fe2O3) and a Fe-bearing montmorrillonite (Speeton Clay, Yorkshire, UK, ~8wt% Fe2O3). S. algae BrY was able to reduce structural FeIII within these clays to maximum Fe(II)/Fe(II)+Fe(III) ratios 0.34 and 0.19 for the nontronite and Speeton Clay, respectively, in the presence and absence of the electron shuttle, AQDS (9, 10-anthraquinone-2, 6-disulfonic acid). These results are novel because the capability of S. algae BrY to reduce structural Fe(III) in smectite clays has not previously been tested. Nitrobenzene was selected as the test redox-sensitive organic compound as it is a common subsurface contaminant and is of global ecotoxicological concern. To test the capability of bio- reduced Fe-clays to transform nitrobenzene to aniline (the less

Ecopiling: A combined Phytoremediation and Passive Biopiling System for Remediating Hydrocarbon Impacted Soils at Field Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kieran J Germaine

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Biopiling is an ex situ bioremediation technology that has been extensively used for remediating a wide range of petrochemical contaminants in soils. Biopiling involves the assembling of contaminated soils into piles and stimulating the biodegrading activity of microbial populations by creating near optimum growth conditions. Phytoremediation is another very successful bioremediation technique and involves the use of plants and their associated microbiomes to degrade, sequester or bio-accumulate pollutants from contaminated soil and water. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a combined phytoremediation/biopiling system, termed Ecopiling, to remediate hydrocarbon impacted industrial soil. The large scale project was carried out on a sandy loam, petroleum impacted soil (1613 mg Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH kg-1 soil. The contaminated soil was amended with chemical fertilisers, inoculated with TPH degrading bacterial consortia and then used to construct passive biopiles. Finally, a phyto-cap of perennial rye grass (Lolium multiflorum and white clover (Trifolium repens was sown on the soil surface to complete the Ecopile. Monitoring of important physico-chemical parameters was carried out at regular intervals throughout the trial. Two years after construction the TPH levels in the petroleum impacted Ecopiles were below detectable limits in all but 1 subsample (152mg TPH kg-1 soil. The Ecopile system is a multi-factorial bioremediation process involving bio-stimulation, bio-augmentation and phytoremediation. One of the key advantages to this system is the reduced costs of the remediation process, as once constructed, there is little additional cost in terms of labour and maintenance (although the longer process time may incur additional monitoring costs. The other major advantage is that many ecological functions are rapidly restored to the site and the process is aesthetically pleasing.

Ecopiling: a combined phytoremediation and passive biopiling system for remediating hydrocarbon impacted soils at field scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Germaine, Kieran J; Byrne, John; Liu, Xuemei; Keohane, Jer; Culhane, John; Lally, Richard D; Kiwanuka, Samuel; Ryan, David; Dowling, David N

2014-01-01

Biopiling is an ex situ bioremediation technology that has been extensively used for remediating a wide range of petrochemical contaminants in soils. Biopiling involves the assembling of contaminated soils into piles and stimulating the biodegrading activity of microbial populations by creating near optimum growth conditions. Phytoremediation is another very successful bioremediation technique and involves the use of plants and their associated microbiomes to degrade, sequester or bio-accumulate pollutants from contaminated soil and water. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a combined phytoremediation/biopiling system, termed Ecopiling, to remediate hydrocarbon impacted industrial soil. The large scale project was carried out on a sandy loam, petroleum impacted soil [1613 mg total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) kg(-1) soil]. The contaminated soil was amended with chemical fertilizers, inoculated with TPH degrading bacterial consortia and then used to construct passive biopiles. Finally, a phyto-cap of perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) was sown on the soil surface to complete the Ecopile. Monitoring of important physico-chemical parameters was carried out at regular intervals throughout the trial. Two years after construction the TPH levels in the petroleum impacted Ecopiles were below detectable limits in all but one subsample (152 mg TPH kg(-1) soil). The Ecopile system is a multi-factorial bioremediation process involving bio-stimulation, bio-augmentation and phytoremediation. One of the key advantages to this system is the reduced costs of the remediation process, as once constructed, there is little additional cost in terms of labor and maintenance (although the longer process time may incur additional monitoring costs). The other major advantage is that many ecological functions are rapidly restored to the site and the process is esthetically pleasing.

Optimization of remediation strategies using vadose zone monitoring systems

Science.gov (United States)

Dahan, Ofer

2016-04-01

In-situ bio-remediation of the vadose zone depends mainly on the ability to change the subsurface hydrological, physical and chemical conditions in order to enable development of specific, indigenous, pollutants degrading bacteria. As such the remediation efficiency is much dependent on the ability to implement optimal hydraulic and chemical conditions in deep sections of the vadose zone. These conditions are usually determined in laboratory experiments where parameters such as the chemical composition of the soil water solution, redox potential and water content of the sediment are fully controlled. Usually, implementation of desired optimal degradation conditions in deep vadose zone at full scale field setups is achieved through infiltration of water enriched with chemical additives on the land surface. It is assumed that deep percolation into the vadose zone would create chemical conditions that promote biodegradation of specific compounds. However, application of water with specific chemical conditions near land surface dose not necessarily results in promoting of desired chemical and hydraulic conditions in deep sections of the vadose zone. A vadose-zone monitoring system (VMS) that was recently developed allows continuous monitoring of the hydrological and chemical properties of deep sections of the unsaturated zone. The VMS includes flexible time-domain reflectometry (FTDR) probes which allow continuous monitoring of the temporal variation of the vadose zone water content, and vadose-zone sampling ports (VSPs) which are designed to allow frequent sampling of the sediment pore-water and gas at multiple depths. Implementation of the vadose zone monitoring system in sites that undergoes active remediation provides real time information on the actual chemical and hydrological conditions in the vadose zone as the remediation process progresses. Up-to-date the system has been successfully implemented in several studies on water flow and contaminant transport in

Bio energy: Bio fuel - Properties and Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilhelmsen, Gunnar; Martinsen, Arnold Kyrre; Sandberg, Eiliv; Fladset, Per Olav; Kjerschow, Einar; Teslo, Einar

2001-01-01

This is Chapter 3 of the book ''Bio energy - Environment, technique and market''. Its main sections are: (1) Definitions and properties, (2) Bio fuel from the forest, (3) Processed bio fuel - briquettes, pellets and powder, (4) Bio fuel from agriculture, (5) Bio fuel from agro industry, (6) Bio fuel from lakes and sea, (7) Bio fuel from aquaculture, (8) Bio fuel from wastes and (9) Hydrogen as a fuel. The exposition largely describes the conditions in Norway. The chapter on energy from the forest includes products from the timber and sawmill industry, the pulp and paper industry, furniture factories etc. Among agricultural sources are straw, energy forests, vegetable oil, bio ethanol, manure

The Interaction between Plants and Bacteria in the Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons: An Environmental Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panagiotis Gkorezis

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Widespread pollution of terrestrial ecosystems with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs has generated a need for remediation and, given that many PHCs are biodegradable, bio- and phyto-remediation are often viable approaches for active and passive remediation. This review focuses on phytoremediation with particular interest on the interactions between and use of plant – associated bacteria to restore PHC polluted sites. Plant-associated bacteria include endophytic, phyllospheric and rhizospheric bacteria, and cooperation between these bacteria and their host plants allows for greater plant survivability and treatment outcomes in contaminated sites. Bacterially-driven PHC bioremediation is attributed to the presence of diverse suites of metabolic genes for aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, along with a broader suite of physiological properties including biosurfactant production, biofilm formation, chemotaxis to hydrocarbons, and flexibility in cell-surface hydrophobicity. In soils impacted by PHC contamination, microbial bioremediation generally relies on the addition of high-energy electron acceptors (e.g. oxygen and fertilization to supply limiting nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium in the face of excess PHC carbon. As an alternative, the addition of plants can greatly improve bioremediation rates and outcomes as plants provide microbial habitats, improve soil porosity (thereby increasing mass transfer of substrates and electron acceptors, and exchange limiting nutrients with their microbial counterparts. In return, plant-associated microorganisms improve plant growth by reducing soil toxicity through contaminant removal, producing plant growth promoting metabolites, liberating sequestered plant nutrients from soil, fixing nitrogen, and more generally establishing the foundations of soil nutrient cycling. In a practical and applied sense, the collective action of plants and their associated microorganisms is advantageous for

The Interaction between Plants and Bacteria in the Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons: An Environmental Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Gkorezis, Panagiotis; Daghio, Matteo; Franzetti, Andrea; Van Hamme, Jonathan D; Sillen, Wouter; Vangronsveld, Jaco

2016-01-01

Widespread pollution of terrestrial ecosystems with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) has generated a need for remediation and, given that many PHCs are biodegradable, bio- and phyto-remediation are often viable approaches for active and passive remediation. This review focuses on phytoremediation with particular interest on the interactions between and use of plant-associated bacteria to restore PHC polluted sites. Plant-associated bacteria include endophytic, phyllospheric, and rhizospheric bacteria, and cooperation between these bacteria and their host plants allows for greater plant survivability and treatment outcomes in contaminated sites. Bacterially driven PHC bioremediation is attributed to the presence of diverse suites of metabolic genes for aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, along with a broader suite of physiological properties including biosurfactant production, biofilm formation, chemotaxis to hydrocarbons, and flexibility in cell-surface hydrophobicity. In soils impacted by PHC contamination, microbial bioremediation generally relies on the addition of high-energy electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen) and fertilization to supply limiting nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) in the face of excess PHC carbon. As an alternative, the addition of plants can greatly improve bioremediation rates and outcomes as plants provide microbial habitats, improve soil porosity (thereby increasing mass transfer of substrates and electron acceptors), and exchange limiting nutrients with their microbial counterparts. In return, plant-associated microorganisms improve plant growth by reducing soil toxicity through contaminant removal, producing plant growth promoting metabolites, liberating sequestered plant nutrients from soil, fixing nitrogen, and more generally establishing the foundations of soil nutrient cycling. In a practical and applied sense, the collective action of plants and their associated microorganisms is advantageous for remediation of PHC

The Interaction between Plants and Bacteria in the Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons: An Environmental Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Gkorezis, Panagiotis; Daghio, Matteo; Franzetti, Andrea; Van Hamme, Jonathan D.; Sillen, Wouter; Vangronsveld, Jaco

2016-01-01

Widespread pollution of terrestrial ecosystems with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) has generated a need for remediation and, given that many PHCs are biodegradable, bio- and phyto-remediation are often viable approaches for active and passive remediation. This review focuses on phytoremediation with particular interest on the interactions between and use of plant-associated bacteria to restore PHC polluted sites. Plant-associated bacteria include endophytic, phyllospheric, and rhizospheric bacteria, and cooperation between these bacteria and their host plants allows for greater plant survivability and treatment outcomes in contaminated sites. Bacterially driven PHC bioremediation is attributed to the presence of diverse suites of metabolic genes for aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, along with a broader suite of physiological properties including biosurfactant production, biofilm formation, chemotaxis to hydrocarbons, and flexibility in cell-surface hydrophobicity. In soils impacted by PHC contamination, microbial bioremediation generally relies on the addition of high-energy electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen) and fertilization to supply limiting nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) in the face of excess PHC carbon. As an alternative, the addition of plants can greatly improve bioremediation rates and outcomes as plants provide microbial habitats, improve soil porosity (thereby increasing mass transfer of substrates and electron acceptors), and exchange limiting nutrients with their microbial counterparts. In return, plant-associated microorganisms improve plant growth by reducing soil toxicity through contaminant removal, producing plant growth promoting metabolites, liberating sequestered plant nutrients from soil, fixing nitrogen, and more generally establishing the foundations of soil nutrient cycling. In a practical and applied sense, the collective action of plants and their associated microorganisms is advantageous for remediation of PHC

An ex situ evaluation of TBA- and MTBE-baited bio-traps.

Science.gov (United States)

North, Katharine P; Mackay, Douglas M; Annable, Michael D; Sublette, Kerry L; Davis, Greg; Holland, Reef B; Petersen, Daniel; Scow, Kate M

2012-08-01

-baited bio-traps could be baited at lower initial total mass loading with no detriment to trapping ability. The bio-traps were able to collect detectable amounts of microbial DNA and thus allow some insight into the sparse microbial community present in the aquifer during remediation of the low concentration plume. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An ex situ evaluation of TBA- and MTBE-baited bio-traps

Science.gov (United States)

North, Katharine P.; Mackay, Douglas M.; Annable, Michael D.; Sublette, Kerry L.; Davis, Greg; Holland, Reef B.; Petersen, Daniel; Scow, Kate M.

2013-01-01

TBA- or MTBE-baited bio-traps could be baited at lower initial total mass loading with no detriment to trapping ability. The bio-traps were able to collect detectable amounts of microbial DNA and thus allow some insight into the sparse microbial community present in the aquifer during remediation of the low concentration plume. PMID:22621895

Engineering BioBrick vectors from BioBrick parts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knight Thomas F

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The underlying goal of synthetic biology is to make the process of engineering biological systems easier. Recent work has focused on defining and developing standard biological parts. The technical standard that has gained the most traction in the synthetic biology community is the BioBrick standard for physical composition of genetic parts. Parts that conform to the BioBrick assembly standard are BioBrick standard biological parts. To date, over 2,000 BioBrick parts have been contributed to, and are available from, the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Results Here we extended the same advantages of BioBrick standard biological parts to the plasmid-based vectors that are used to provide and propagate BioBrick parts. We developed a process for engineering BioBrick vectors from BioBrick parts. We designed a new set of BioBrick parts that encode many useful vector functions. We combined the new parts to make a BioBrick base vector that facilitates BioBrick vector construction. We demonstrated the utility of the process by constructing seven new BioBrick vectors. We also successfully used the resulting vectors to assemble and propagate other BioBrick standard biological parts. Conclusion We extended the principles of part reuse and standardization to BioBrick vectors. As a result, myriad new BioBrick vectors can be readily produced from all existing and newly designed BioBrick parts. We invite the synthetic biology community to (1 use the process to make and share new BioBrick vectors; (2 expand the current collection of BioBrick vector parts; and (3 characterize and improve the available collection of BioBrick vector parts.

Remedial action technology - arid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakonson, T.E.; DePoorter, G.L.; Nyhan, J.W.; Perkins, B.A.; Lane, L.J.

1982-01-01

A summary is presented of the low-level waste remedial action program at Los Alamos. The experimental design and progress is described for the experiments on second generation intrusion barriers, subsidence effects on SLB components, moisture cycling effects on chemical transport, and erosion control methodologies. The soil moisture data from the bio-intrusion and moisture cycling experiments both demonstrate the overwhelming importance of vegetation in minimizing infiltration of water through trench covers and backfill. Evaporation, as a water loss component in trench covers, is only effective in reducing soil moisture within 40 cm of the trench cover surface. Moisture infiltrating past the zone of evaporation in unvegetated or poorly vegetated trench covers is in storage and accumulates until drainage out of the soil profile occurs. Judicious selection of vegetation species for revegetating a low-level waste site may prevent infiltration of moisture into the trench and, when coupled with other design features (i.e. trench cover slope, tilling and seeding practice), may greatly reduce problems with erosion. Standard US Department of Agriculture erosion plots, when coupled with a state-of-the-art water balance and erosion model (CREAMS) promises to be highly useful in screening proposed remedial action cover designs for low-level waste sites. The erosion plot configuration allows for complete accounting of the water balance in a soil profile. This feature enables the user to optimize cover designs to minimize erosion and infiltration of water into the trench

To fail is human: remediating remediation in medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalet, Adina; Chou, Calvin L; Ellaway, Rachel H

2017-12-01

Remediating failing medical learners has traditionally been a craft activity responding to individual learner and remediator circumstances. Although there have been moves towards more systematic approaches to remediation (at least at the institutional level), these changes have tended to focus on due process and defensibility rather than on educational principles. As remediation practice evolves, there is a growing need for common theoretical and systems-based perspectives to guide this work. This paper steps back from the practicalities of remediation practice to take a critical systems perspective on remediation in contemporary medical education. In doing so, the authors acknowledge the complex interactions between institutional, professional, and societal forces that are both facilitators of and barriers to effective remediation practices. The authors propose a model that situates remediation within the contexts of society as a whole, the medical profession, and medical education institutions. They also outline a number of recommendations to constructively align remediation principles and practices, support a continuum of remediation practices, destigmatize remediation, and develop institutional communities of practice in remediation. Medical educators must embrace a responsible and accountable systems-level approach to remediation if they are to meet their obligations to provide a safe and effective physician workforce.

Effect of Co-Contaminants Uranium and Nitrate on Iodine Remediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szecsody, James E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lee, Brady D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lawter, Amanda R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Qafoku, Nikolla [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Resch, Charles T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Baum, Steven R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Leavy, Ian I. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Freedman, Vicky L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-09-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the significance of co-contaminants on the migration and transformation of iodine species in the Hanford subsurface environment. These impacts are relevant because remedies that target individual contaminants like iodine, may not only impact the fate and transport of other contaminants in the subsurface, but also inhibit the effectiveness of a targeted remedy. For example, iodine (as iodate) co-precipitates with calcite, and has been identified as a potential remedy because it immobilizes iodine. Since uranium also co-precipitates with calcite in field sediments, the presence of uranium may also inhibit iodine co-precipitation. Another potentially significant impact from co-existing contaminants is iodine and nitrate. The presence of nitrate has been shown to promote biogeochemical reduction of iodate to iodide, thereby increasing iodine species subsurface mobility (as iodide exhibits less sorption). Hence, this study reports on both laboratory batch and column experiments that investigated a) the change in iodate uptake mass and rate of uptake into precipitating calcite due to the presence of differing amounts of uranium, b) the amount of change of the iodate bio-reduction rate due to the presence of differing nitrate concentrations, and c) whether nitrite can reduce iodate in the presence of microbes and/or minerals acting as catalysts.

Optimization of Remediation Conditions using Vadose Zone Monitoring Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Dahan, O.; Mandelbaum, R.; Ronen, Z.

2010-12-01

Success of in-situ bio-remediation of the vadose zone depends mainly on the ability to change and control hydrological, physical and chemical conditions of subsurface. These manipulations enables the development of specific, indigenous, pollutants degrading bacteria or set the environmental conditions for seeded bacteria. As such, the remediation efficiency is dependent on the ability to implement optimal hydraulic and chemical conditions in deep sections of the vadose zone. Enhanced bioremediation of the vadose zone is achieved under field conditions through infiltration of water enriched with chemical additives. Yet, water percolation and solute transport in unsaturated conditions is a complex process and application of water with specific chemical conditions near land surface dose not necessarily result in promoting of desired chemical and hydraulic conditions in deeper sections of the vadose zone. A newly developed vadose-zone monitoring system (VMS) allows continuous monitoring of the hydrological and chemical properties of the percolating water along deep sections of the vadose zone. Implementation of the VMS at sites that undergoes active remediation provides real time information on the chemical and hydrological conditions in the vadose zone as the remediation process progresses. Manipulating subsurface conditions for optimal biodegradation of hydrocarbons is demonstrated through enhanced bio-remediation of the vadose zone at a site that has been contaminated with gasoline products in Tel Aviv. The vadose zone at the site is composed of 6 m clay layer overlying a sandy formation extending to the water table at depth of 20 m bls. The upper 5 m of contaminated soil were removed for ex-situ treatment, and the remaining 15 m vadose zone is treated in-situ through enhanced bioremedaition. Underground drip irrigation system was installed below the surface on the bottom of the excavation. Oxygen and nutrients releasing powder (EHCO, Adventus) was spread below the

Bio-Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage in the Sarcheshmeh Porphyry Copper Mine by Fungi: Batch and Fixed Bed Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanieh Soleimanifar

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD containing high concentrations of iron and sulphate, low pH and variableconcentrations of heavy metals leads to many environmental problems. The concentrations of Cu and Mnare high in the AMD of the Sarcheshmeh porphyry copper mine, Kerman province, south of Iran. In thisstudy, the bio-remediation of Cu and Mn ions from acid mine drainage was investigated using two nativefungi called Aspergillus niger and Phanerochaete chrysosporium which were extracted from the soil andsediment samples of the Shour River at the Sarcheshmeh mine. The live fungi was first harvested andthen killed by boiling in 0.5 N NaOH solution. The biomass was finally dried at 60 C for 24 h andpowdered. The optimum biosorption parameters including pH, temperature, the amount of biosorbent andcontact time were determined in a batch system. The optimum pH varied between 5 and 6. It was foundthat the biosorption process increased with an increase in temperature and the amount of biosorbent.Biosorption data were attempted by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models and showed a good match.Kinetic studies were also carried out in the present study. The results show that the second-order kineticsmodel fits well the experimental data. The biosorption experiments were further investigated with acontinuous system to compare the biosorption capacities of two systems. The results show thatbiosorption process using a continuous system increases efficiency up to 99%. A desorption process waseventually performed in order to recover Copper and Manganese ions. This process was successful andfungi could be used again.

Rhizobia and their bio-partners as novel drivers for functional remediation in contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Ying; Wang, Xiaomi; Li, Lina; Li, Zhengao; Luo, Yongming

2015-01-01

Environmental pollutants have received considerable attention due to their serious effects on human health. There are physical, chemical, and biological means to remediate pollution; among them, bioremediation has become increasingly popular. The nitrogen-fixing rhizobia are widely distributed in the soil and root ecosystems and can increase legume growth and production by supplying nitrogen, resulting in the reduced need for fertilizer applications. Rhizobia also possess the biochemical and ecological capacity to degrade organic pollutants and are resistant to heavy metals, making them useful for rehabilitating contaminated soils. Moreover, rhizobia stimulate the survival and action of other biodegrading bacteria, thereby lowering the concentration of pollutants. The synergistic action of multiple rhizobial strains enhances both plant growth and the availability of pollutants ranging from heavy metals to persistent organic pollutants. Because phytoremediation has some restrictions, the beneficial interaction between plants and rhizobia provides a promising option for remediation. This review describes recent advances in the exploitation of rhizobia for the rehabilitation of contaminated soil and the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved, thereby promoting further development of this novel bioremediation strategy into a widely accepted technique.

Bio-electrochemical synthesis of commodity chemicals by autotrophic acetogens utilizing CO2 for environmental remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jabeen, Gugan; Farooq, Robina

2016-09-01

Bio-electrochemical synthesis (BES) is a technique in which electro-autotrophic bacteria such as Clostridium ljungdahlii utilize electric currents as an electron source from the cathode to reduce CO2 to extracellular, multicarbon, exquisite products through autotrophic conversion. The BES of volatile fatty acids and alcohols directly from CO2 is a sustainable alternative for non-renewable, petroleum-based polymer production. This conversion of CO2 implies reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The synthesis of heptanoic acid, heptanol, hexanoic acid and hexanol, for the first time, by Clostridium ljungdahlii was a remarkable achievement of BES. In our study, these microorganisms were cultivated on the cathode of a bio-electrochemical cell at -400 mV by a DC power supply at 37 degree Centrigrade, pH 6.8, and was studied for both batch and continuous systems. Pre-enrichment of bio-cathode enhanced the electroactivity of cells and resulted in maximizing extracellular products in less time. The main aim of the research was to investigate the impact of low-cost substrate CO2, and the longer cathode recovery range was due to bacterial reduction of CO2 to multicarbon chemical commodities with electrons driven from the cathode. Reactor design was simplified for cost-effectiveness and to enhance energy efficiencies. The Columbic recovery of ethanoic acid, ethanol, ethyl butyrate, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid and hexanol being in excess of 80 percent proved that BES was a remarkable technology.

The impact of abandoned coal gasification plants on groundwater and remediation strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werner, P.; Stieber, M.

1997-01-01

Areas of abandoned coal gasification-, cokeovenplants and town gasworks normally contain hazardous contaminants as there are among others PAHs, cyanides, mono aromatic compounds and phenols. Therefore a strong impact on the groundwater can be expected. In the thousands of sites existing in Germany a complete remediation is almost impossible. Combustion is the only safe way to eliminate the contaminants by mineralization; but is to expensive and not applicable for the large amount of soil to be treated. Soil washing and bio-remediation is limited by the composition of the contaminants on the one side and by the soil structure on the other. Therefore the success of the mentioned remediation techniques is normally weak and only in some selected cases efficient enough. A combination of different methods according the site characteristics might help to increase the efficiency. On the other hand it it obvious, that there are natural barriers integrated between the contaminants and the groundwater as there are e.g solubility adsorbability and biodegradability of the hazardous compounds and the distance to the groundwater. Recently developed methods for downstream groundwater remediation are presented and discussed for the application in gas work contaminations. Those so called 'passive systems' are said to be very economic and might help to prevent further distribution of the contaminants into the environment. (au)

The use of instrumental neutron activation analysis method in bio-sorption determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khamidova, Kh.M.; Mutavalieva, Z.S.; Muchamedshina, N.M.; Mirzagatova, A.A.

2005-01-01

Full text: Recently, much attention is paid to the research and development of effective metal remediation methods. In industry, for the removal of metals from the industrial solutions and wastes, the expensive ion-exchange resin method of metal sorption is used today. The microbiological methods are much less expensive, are available and provide its application in natural conditions. The search for molybdenum bio sorbent was performed amongst Actinomyces strains. The 18 of Streptomyces strains were used. The data showed that all investigated strains uptake the molybdenum from the solution in various degrees. The molybdenum determination was performed using neutron activation analysis technique. In a nuclear reactor, the samples were treated with a steady flow of neutrons (5.1·10 13 ) n·cm -2 sec -1 in 20 hours. The samples were stored for 6-7 days before analysis. The Actinomyces biomass uptake capacity was up to 94.5 %. The 8 cultures have the most high uptake capacity that varied from 87.4 to 94.5 %. Streptomyces sp. 39 and Streptomyces sp.32 have the lowest bio-sorption capacity amongst studied strains, which was 46.6% and 40 % respectively, whereas the bio sorption capacity of other cultures varied from 55.8 to 64.1%. The influence of some physical and chemical parameters (culture age, pH, temperature) on molybdenum bio-sorption was studied. Data showed that the change in pH, temperature and cultivation period lead to the increase of bio-sorption capacity

Simultaneous immobilization of cadmium and lead in contaminated soils by hybrid bio-nanocomposites of fungal hyphae and nano-hydroxyapatites.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhihui; Liang, Lifen; Yang, Weichun; Shi, Wei; Tong, Yunping; Chai, Liyuan; Gao, Shikang; Liao, Qi

2018-04-01

Self-aggregation of bulk nano-hydroxyapatites (n-HAPs) undermines their immobilization efficiencies of heavy metals in the contaminated soils. Here, the low-cost, easily obtained, and environment-friendly filamentous fungi have been introduced for the bio-matrices of the hybrid bio-nanocomposites to potentially solve such problem of n-HAPs. According to SEM, TEM, XRD, and FT-IR analyses, n-HAPs were successfully coated onto the fungal hyphae and their self-aggregation was improved. The immobilization efficiencies of diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable Cd and Pb in the contaminated soils by the bio-nanocomposites were individually one to four times of that by n-HAPs or the fungal hyphae. Moreover, the Aspergillus niger-based bio-nanocomposite (ANHP) was superior to the Penicillium Chrysogenum F1-based bio-nanocomposite (PCHP) in immobilization of Cd and Pb in the contaminated soils. In addition, the results of XRD showed that one of the potential mechanisms of metal immobilization by the hybrid bio-nanocomposites was dissolution of n-HAPs followed by precipitation of new metal phosphate minerals. Our results suggest that the hybrid bio-nanocomposite (ANHP) can be recognized as a promising soil amendment candidate for effective remediation on the soils simultaneously contaminated by Cd and Pb.

Rhizobia and their bio-partners as novel drivers for functional remediation in contaminated soils

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Ying; Wang, Xiaomi; Li, Lina; Li, Zhengao; Luo, Yongming

2015-01-01

Environmental pollutants have received considerable attention due to their serious effects on human health. There are physical, chemical, and biological means to remediate pollution; among them, bioremediation has become increasingly popular. The nitrogen-fixing rhizobia are widely distributed in the soil and root ecosystems and can increase legume growth and production by supplying nitrogen, resulting in the reduced need for fertilizer applications. Rhizobia also possess the biochemical and ecological capacity to degrade organic pollutants and are resistant to heavy metals, making them useful for rehabilitating contaminated soils. Moreover, rhizobia stimulate the survival and action of other biodegrading bacteria, thereby lowering the concentration of pollutants. The synergistic action of multiple rhizobial strains enhances both plant growth and the availability of pollutants ranging from heavy metals to persistent organic pollutants. Because phytoremediation has some restrictions, the beneficial interaction between plants and rhizobia provides a promising option for remediation. This review describes recent advances in the exploitation of rhizobia for the rehabilitation of contaminated soil and the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved, thereby promoting further development of this novel bioremediation strategy into a widely accepted technique. PMID:25699064

Rhizobia and their bio-partners as novel drivers for functional remediation in contaminated soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying eTeng

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Environmental pollutants have received considerable attention due to their serious effects on human health. There are physical, chemical, and biological means to remediate pollution; among them, bioremediation has become increasingly popular. The nitrogen-fixing rhizobia are widely distributed in the soil and root ecosystems and can increase legume growth and production by supplying nitrogen, resulting in the reduced need for fertilizer applications. Rhizobia also possess the biochemical and ecological capacity to degrade organic pollutants and are resistant to heavy metals, making them useful for rehabilitating contaminated soils. Moreover, rhizobia stimulate the survival and action of other biodegrading bacteria, thereby lowering the concentration of pollutants. The synergistic action of multiple rhizobial strains enhances both plant growth and the availability of pollutants ranging from heavy metals to persistent organic pollutants. Because phytoremediation has some restrictions, the beneficial interaction between plants and rhizobia provides a promising option for remediation. This review describes recent advances in the exploitation of rhizobia for the rehabilitation of contaminated soil and the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved, thereby promoting further development of this novel bioremediation strategy into a widely accepted technique.

Fungal and enzymatic remediation of a wine lees and five wine-related distillery wastewaters

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Strong, PJ

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The alcohol fermentation industry is divided into three main categories: brewing, distilling and wine manufacture. Each of these categories produces wastewaters with com- mon characteristics, such as acidic pH values and high bio- chemical oxygen demand....O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa , Pretoria 0001, South Africa 6 December 2007; accepted 12 December 2007 (2008) xxx–xxx and enzymatic remediation of a wine lees and five ..., Bioresour. e ARTICLE IN PRESS Distillery and wine...

BioCreative V BioC track overview: collaborative biocurator assistant task for BioGRID.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sun; Islamaj Doğan, Rezarta; Chatr-Aryamontri, Andrew; Chang, Christie S; Oughtred, Rose; Rust, Jennifer; Batista-Navarro, Riza; Carter, Jacob; Ananiadou, Sophia; Matos, Sérgio; Santos, André; Campos, David; Oliveira, José Luís; Singh, Onkar; Jonnagaddala, Jitendra; Dai, Hong-Jie; Su, Emily Chia-Yu; Chang, Yung-Chun; Su, Yu-Chen; Chu, Chun-Han; Chen, Chien Chin; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Peng, Yifan; Arighi, Cecilia; Wu, Cathy H; Vijay-Shanker, K; Aydın, Ferhat; Hüsünbeyi, Zehra Melce; Özgür, Arzucan; Shin, Soo-Yong; Kwon, Dongseop; Dolinski, Kara; Tyers, Mike; Wilbur, W John; Comeau, Donald C

2016-01-01

BioC is a simple XML format for text, annotations and relations, and was developed to achieve interoperability for biomedical text processing. Following the success of BioC in BioCreative IV, the BioCreative V BioC track addressed a collaborative task to build an assistant system for BioGRID curation. In this paper, we describe the framework of the collaborative BioC task and discuss our findings based on the user survey. This track consisted of eight subtasks including gene/protein/organism named entity recognition, protein-protein/genetic interaction passage identification and annotation visualization. Using BioC as their data-sharing and communication medium, nine teams, world-wide, participated and contributed either new methods or improvements of existing tools to address different subtasks of the BioC track. Results from different teams were shared in BioC and made available to other teams as they addressed different subtasks of the track. In the end, all submitted runs were merged using a machine learning classifier to produce an optimized output. The biocurator assistant system was evaluated by four BioGRID curators in terms of practical usability. The curators' feedback was overall positive and highlighted the user-friendly design and the convenient gene/protein curation tool based on text mining.Database URL: http://www.biocreative.org/tasks/biocreative-v/track-1-bioc/. Published by Oxford University Press 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

A context based approach using Green Chemistry/Bio-remediation principles to enhance interest and learning of organic chemistry in a high school AP chemistry classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Tricia

The ability of our planet to sustain life and heal itself is not as predictable as it used to be. Our need for educated future scientists who know what our planet needs, and can passionately apply that knowledge to find solutions should be at the heart of science education today. This study of learning organic chemistry through the lens of the environmental problem "What should be done with our food scraps?" explores student interest, and mastery of certain concepts in organic chemistry. This Green Chemistry/ Bio-remediation context-based teaching approach utilizes the Nature MillRTM, which is an indoor food waste composting machine, to learn about organic chemistry, and how this relates to landfill reduction possibilities, and resource production. During this unit students collected food waste from their cafeteria, and used the Nature MillRTM to convert food waste into compost. The use of these hands on activities, and group discussions in a context-based environment enhanced their interest in organic chemistry, and paper chromatography. According to a one-tailed paired T-test, the result show that this context-based approach is a significant way to increase both student interest and mastery of the content.

300-FF-1 remedial design report/remedial action work plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustafson, F.W.

1997-02-01

The 300 Area has been divided into three operable units 300-FF-1, 300-FF-2, and 300-FF-5 all of which are in various stages of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) process. The 300-FF-1 Operable Unit, the subject of this report, includes liquid waste disposal sites, landfills, and a burial ground. This Remedial Design Report/Remedial Action Work Plan (RDR/RAWP) provides a summary description of each waste site included in the 300-FF-1 Operable Unit, the basis for remedial actions to be taken, and the remedial action approach and management process for implementing these actions. The remedial action approach and management sections provide a description of the remedial action process description, the project schedule, the project team, required planning documentation, the remedial action change process, the process for verifying attainment of the remedial action goals, and the required CERCLA and RCRA closeout documentation. Appendix A provides additional details on each waste site. In addition to remediation of the waste sites, waste generated during the remedial investigation/feasibility study portions of the project will also be disposed at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF). Appendix B provides a summary of the modeling performed in the 300-FF-1 Phase 3 FS and a description of the modeling effort to be used to show attainment of the remedial action goals. Appendix C provides the sampling and analysis plan (SAP) for all sampling and field-screening activities performed during remediation and for verification of attainment with the remedial action goals. Appendix D provides the public involvement plan, prepared to ensure information is provided to the public during remedial design and remedial action processes.

300-FF-1 remedial design report/remedial action work plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafson, F.W.

1997-02-01

The 300 Area has been divided into three operable units 300-FF-1, 300-FF-2, and 300-FF-5 all of which are in various stages of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) process. The 300-FF-1 Operable Unit, the subject of this report, includes liquid waste disposal sites, landfills, and a burial ground. This Remedial Design Report/Remedial Action Work Plan (RDR/RAWP) provides a summary description of each waste site included in the 300-FF-1 Operable Unit, the basis for remedial actions to be taken, and the remedial action approach and management process for implementing these actions. The remedial action approach and management sections provide a description of the remedial action process description, the project schedule, the project team, required planning documentation, the remedial action change process, the process for verifying attainment of the remedial action goals, and the required CERCLA and RCRA closeout documentation. Appendix A provides additional details on each waste site. In addition to remediation of the waste sites, waste generated during the remedial investigation/feasibility study portions of the project will also be disposed at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF). Appendix B provides a summary of the modeling performed in the 300-FF-1 Phase 3 FS and a description of the modeling effort to be used to show attainment of the remedial action goals. Appendix C provides the sampling and analysis plan (SAP) for all sampling and field-screening activities performed during remediation and for verification of attainment with the remedial action goals. Appendix D provides the public involvement plan, prepared to ensure information is provided to the public during remedial design and remedial action processes

Bio politics - The bio-environment - bio-culture of the Danube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlavianos-Arvanitis, A.

1997-01-01

The bio-environment has been the single most important correlation in human history and can successfully promote international co-operational co-operation and understanding. With the construction of a network for collaboration, the 'Danube Countries' can come together in celebration of their culture and heritage. As the Danube flows from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, it carries messages of peace, hope and co-operation. Applying these messages to every endeavour can improve our quality of life and lead to a brighter future. Since its inception in 1985, the Bio politics International Organization (B.I.O.) has been labouring to raise awareness of the urgent need to instate a new system of norms and principles, compatible with sound environmental management and with the most important task of ensuring global literacy on environmental issues. Along with critically re-assessing the concept of profit, the goal is to adopt a system of bio centric values, where respect for the bio-environment will govern our every action and thought

Ecopiling: a combined phytoremediation and passive biopiling system for remediating hydrocarbon impacted soils at field scale

OpenAIRE

Germaine, Kieran J.; Byrne, John; Liu, Xuemei; Keohane, Jer; Culhane, John; Lally, Richard D.; Kiwanuka, Samuel; Ryan, David; Dowling, David N.

2015-01-01

Biopiling is an ex situ bioremediation technology that has been extensively used for remediating a wide range of petrochemical contaminants in soils. Biopiling involves the assembling of contaminated soils into piles and stimulating the biodegrading activity of microbial populations by creating near optimum growth conditions. Phytoremediation is another very successful bioremediation technique and involves the use of plants and their associated microbiomes to degrade, sequester or bio-accumu...

Foam - novel delivery technology for remediation of vadose zone environments - 59019

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansik, Danielle; Wellman, Dawn M.; Mattigod, Shas V.; Zhong, Lirong; Zhang, Fred; Foote, Martin; Wu, Yuxin; Hubbard, Susan

2012-01-01

readily penetrate low permeability zones. Although surfactant foams have been used for subsurface mobilization efforts in the oil and gas industry, thus far the concept of using foams as a delivery mechanism for transporting remedial amendments into deep vadose zone environments to stabilize metal and long-lived radionuclide contaminants has not been explored. Foam flow can be directed by pressure gradients, rather than being dominated by gravity; and foam delivery mechanisms limit the volume of water (< 5% vol.) required for remedy delivery and emplacement, thus mitigating contaminant mobilization. We will present the results of a numerical modeling and integrated laboratory-/ intermediate-scale investigation to simulate, develop, demonstrate, and monitor (i.e., advanced geophysical techniques and advanced predictive bio-markers) foam-based delivery of remedial amendments to remediate metals and radionuclides in vadose zone environments. (authors)

Differences in the mobility of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn during composting of two types of household bio-waste collected in four seasons.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanc, Ales; Szakova, Jirina; Ochecova, Pavla

2014-09-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the mobility of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn during 3 different compost aeration rates of household bio-waste, originating in urban settlement (U-bio-waste) and family house buildings (F-bio-waste). The first two weeks, when the thermophilic composting phase became, the highest decline of exchangeable content was recorded. After 12 weeks of composting, lower exchangeable content was found in the case of U-bio-waste composts than F-bio-waste composts, despite higher loss of fresh mass. The order of fractions in both final composts was as follows: residual>oxidizable>reducible>exchangeable. The exchangeable portion of total content in final composts decreased in this order: Zn (17%), Cd (11%), Pb (4%) and Cu (3%). Regarding the low exchangeable content of heavy metals and high-quality organic matter, these types of composts could be used not only as fertilizer, but for remediation of metals contaminated land. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of the remedy with diesel oil in impacted environment; A influencia da remediacao em ambiente impactado com oleo diesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bento, Douglas M.; Baisch, Paulo; Machado, Maria I.; Costa, Jorge A.V.; Martins, Vilasia [Fundacao Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), RS (Brazil)

2004-07-01

The conventional techniques of cleaning can be complemented with the remediation, for the use of chemical surfactant or of bio surfactant. The bioremediation minimizes the impact of recalcitrant substances in the atmosphere. The chemical surfactant can promote the fastest biodegradation of the oil, but its application should always be evaluated by professionals specialized in environment, since she can be seen as a deliberated introduction of a pollutant. The present work evaluated the influence of the use of a chemical surfactant and of a of bio surfactant (produced by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus), in controlled spill of oil diesel, happened in at spring/2003 in the Island of the Horses located in the estuary of the Patos Lagoon. The atmosphere was monitored for 6 months, being selected a place with oil diesel, another with oil diesel and chemical surfactant and another with oil diesel and of bio surfactant. The following chemical parameters were analyzed: organic carbon, nitrogen and total match of the sediment. The statistical treatment consisted of the variance analysis (ANOVA) and in the test of Tukey (p <0,01), for the analyzed nutrients. The coming hydrocarbons of the degradation of the oil diesel will be later on certain for GC-MS. The results showed that the best environmental conditions were verified where the remediation was used. (author)

Synthesis and characterization of carboxylic cation exchange bio-resin for heavy metal remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Vihangraj V; Golder, Animes Kumar; Ghosh, Pranab Kumar

2018-01-05

A new carboxylic bio-resin was synthesized from raw arecanut husk through mercerization and ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride (EDTAD) carboxylation. The synthesized bio-resin was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, proximate & ultimate analyses, mass percent gain/loss, potentiometric titrations, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mercerization extracted lignin from the vesicles on the husk and EDTAD was ridged in to, through an acylation reaction in dimethylformamide media. The reaction induced carboxylic groups as high as 0.735mM/g and a cation exchange capacity of 2.01meq/g functionalized mercerized husk (FMH). Potentiometric titration data were fitted to a newly developed single-site proton adsorption model (PAM) that gave pKa of 3.29 and carboxylic groups concentration of 0.741mM/g. FMH showed 99% efficiency in Pb(II) removal from synthetic wastewater (initial concentration 0.157mM), for which the Pb(II) binding constant was 1.73×10 3 L/mol as estimated from modified PAM. The exhaustion capacity was estimated to be 18.7mg/g of FMH. Desorption efficiency of Pb(II) from exhausted FMH was found to be about 97% with 0.1N HCl. The FMH simultaneously removed lead and cadmium below detection limit from a real lead acid battery wastewater along with the removal of Fe, Mg, Ni, and Co. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synchrotron X-ray characterization of mackinawite and uraninite relevant to bio-remediation of groundwater contaminated with uranium

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, J.; Hyun, S.; Hayes, K. F.

2010-12-01

Uranium (U) originating from mining operations for weapon manufacturing and nuclear energy production is a significant radionuclide contaminant in groundwater local to uranium mining, uranium milling, and uranium mill tailing (UMT) storage sites. In the USA, the Department of Energy (DOE) is currently overseeing approximately 24 Uranium Mill Tailing Remediation Action (UMTRA) sites which have collectively processed over 27 million tons of uranium ore1,2. In-Situ microbial bio-reduction of the highly mobile U6+ ion into the dramatically less mobile U4+ ion has been demonstrated as an effective remedial process to inhibit uranium migration in the aqueous phase3. The resistance of this process to oxidization and possible remobilization of U when bioremediation stops (and oxidants such as oxygen from the air or nitrate in water diffuse into the formation) in the long term is not known. UMTRA site studies3 have shown that iron sulfide solids are produced by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) during U bioremediation, and some forms of these iron sulfide solids are known to be effective oxidant scavengers, potentially protecting against re-oxidation and thus remobilization of U. This work is investigating the role of iron sulfide solids in the long-term immobilization of reduced U compounds after bioremediation is completed in groundwater local to UMTRA sites. Re-oxidation tests are being performed in packed media columns loaded with both FeS and U solids. High quality mackinawite (FeS), and uraninite (UO2) have been synthesized in our laboratory via a wet chemistry approach. These synthetic materials are expected to mimic the naturally occurring and biogenic materials present in biologically stimulated UMTRA sites. In order to establish the initial conditions of the prepared experimental columns and to compare synthetic and biogenic FeS and UO2, these synthesized materials have been characterized with synchrotron radiation at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource

Bio-films and processes of bio-corrosion and bio-deterioration in oil-and gas-processing industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kholodenko, V.P.; Irkhina, I.A.; Chugunov, V.A.; Rodin, V.B.; Zhigletsova, S.K.; Yermolenko, Z.M.; Rudavin, V.V. [State Research Center for Applied Microbiology, Obolensk, Moscow region (Russian Federation)

2004-07-01

As a rule, oil- and gas-processing equipment and pipelines are attacked by different microorganisms. Their vital ability determines processes of bio-deterioration and bio-corrosion that lead often to technological accidents and severe environmental contamination. Bio-films presenting a complex association of different microorganisms and their metabolites are responsible for most of damages. In this context, to study the role bio-films may play in processes of bio-damages and in efficacy of protective measures is important. We have developed method of culturing bio-films on the surface of metal coupons by using a natural microbial association isolated from oil-processing sites. Simple and informative methods of determining microbiological parameters of bio-films required to study bio-corrosion processes are also developed. In addition, a method of electron microscopic analysis of bio-films and pitting corrosion is offered. Using these methods, we conducted model experiments to determine the dynamics of corrosion processes depending on qualitative and quantitative composition of bio-films, aeration conditions and duration of the experiment. A harmful effect of soil bacteria and micro-mycetes on different pipeline coatings was also investigated. Experiments were conducted within 3-6 months and revealed degrading action of microorganisms. This was confirmed by axial tension testing of coatings. All these approaches will be used for further development of measures to protect gas- and oil-processing equipment and pipelines against bio-corrosion and bio-damages (first of all biocides). (authors)

Combination of microbial oxidation and biogenic schwertmannite immobilization: A potential remediation for highly arsenic-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhihui; Wu, Zijian; Liao, Yingping; Liao, Qi; Yang, Weichun; Chai, Liyuan

2017-08-01

Here, a novel strategy that combines microbial oxidation by As(III)-oxidizing bacterium and biogenic schwertmannite (Bio-SCH) immobilization was first proposed and applied for treating the highly arsenic-contaminated soil. Brevibacterium sp. YZ-1 isolated from a highly As-contaminated soil was used to oxidize As(III) in contaminated soils. Under optimum culture condition for microbial oxidation, 92.3% of water-soluble As(III) and 84.4% of NaHCO 3 -extractable As(III) in soils were removed. Bio-SCH synthesized through the oxidation of ferrous sulfate by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans immobilize As(V) in the contaminated soil effectively. Consequently, the combination of microbial oxidation and Bio-SCH immobilization performed better in treating the highly As-contaminated soil with immobilization efficiencies of 99.3% and 82.6% for water-soluble and NaHCO 3 -extractable total As, respectively. Thus, the combination can be considered as a green remediation strategy for developing a novel and valuable solution for As-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cryogel-supported titanate nanotubes for waste treatment: Impact on methane production and bio-fertilizer quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Önnby, Linda; Harald, Kirsebom; Nges, Ivo Achu

2015-08-10

By reducing the cadmium (Cd(2+)) content in biomass used for bio-based products such as biogas, a less toxic bio-based fertilizer can be obtained. In this work, we demonstrate how a macroporous polymer can support titanate nanotubes, and we take advantage of its known selective adsorption behavior towards Cd(2+) in an adsorption process from real nutrient-rich process water from hydrolysis of seaweed, a pollutant-rich biomass. We show that pretreatment steps involving alteration in area-to-volume ratio performed in aerated and acidic conditions release the most Cd(2+) from the solid material. By integrating an adsorption step between hydrolysis and the biomethane, we show that it was possible to obtain high Cd(2+) removal (ca. 94%) despite molar excess (between 100 and 500) of co-present ions (e.g., Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Na(+), K(+)) and with maintained total phosphorous content. The bio-methane potential did not significantly decrease as compared to a process without cadmium removal and the yielded bio-fertilizer followed Swedish guideline values. This study provides a sound and promising alternative for a novel remediation step, enabling higher use of otherwise tricky and to some extent overlooked biomass sources. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals with an emphasis on immobilization technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Derakhshan Nejad, Zahra; Jung, Myung Chae; Kim, Ki-Hyun

2018-06-01

The major frequent contaminants in soil are heavy metals which may be responsible for detrimental health effects. The remediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils is considered as one of the most complicated tasks. Among different technologies, in situ immobilization of metals has received a great deal of attention and turned out to be a promising solution for soil remediation. In this review, remediation methods for removal of heavy metals in soil are explored with an emphasis on the in situ immobilization technique of metal(loid)s. Besides, the immobilization technique in contaminated soils is evaluated through the manipulation of the bioavailability of heavy metals using a range of soil amendment conditions. This technique is expected to efficiently alleviate the risk of groundwater contamination, plant uptake, and exposure to other living organisms. The efficacy of several amendments (e.g., red mud, biochar, phosphate rock) has been examined to emphasize the need for the simultaneous measurement of leaching and the phytoavailability of heavy metals. In addition, some amendments that are used in this technique are inexpensive and readily available in large quantities because they have been derived from bio-products or industrial by-products (e.g., biochar, red mud, and steel slag). Among different amendments, iron-rich compounds and biochars show high efficiency to remediate multi-metal contaminated soils. Thereupon, immobilization technique can be considered a preferable option as it is inexpensive and easily applicable to large quantities of contaminants derived from various sources.

Bio-fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

This report presents an overview of the technologies which are currently used or presently developed for the production of bio-fuels in Europe and more particularly in France. After a brief history of this production since the beginning of the 20. century, the authors describe the support to agriculture and the influence of the Common Agricultural Policy, outline the influence of the present context of struggle against the greenhouse effect, and present the European legislative context. Data on the bio-fuels consumption in the European Union in 2006 are discussed. An overview of the evolution of the activity related to bio-fuels in France, indicating the locations of ethanol and bio-diesel production facilities, and the evolution of bio-fuel consumption, is given. The German situation is briefly presented. Production of ethanol by fermentation, the manufacturing of ETBE, the bio-diesel production from vegetable oils are discussed. Second generation bio-fuels are then presented (cellulose enzymatic processing), together with studies on thermochemical processes and available biomass resources

Sustainable remediation: electrochemically assisted microbial dechlorination of tetrachloroethene-contaminated groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Sayali S; Adetutu, Eric M; Rochow, Jacqueline; Mitchell, James G; Ball, Andrew S

2014-01-01

Microbial electric systems (MESs) hold significant promise for the sustainable remediation of chlorinated solvents such as tetrachlorethene (perchloroethylene, PCE). Although the bio-electrochemical potential of some specific bacterial species such as Dehalcoccoides and Geobacteraceae have been exploited, this ability in other undefined microorganisms has not been extensively assessed. Hence, the focus of this study was to investigate indigenous and potentially bio-electrochemically active microorganisms in PCE-contaminated groundwater. Lab-scale MESs were fed with acetate and carbon electrode/PCE as electron donors and acceptors, respectively, under biostimulation (BS) and BS-bioaugmentation (BS-BA) regimes. Molecular analysis of the indigenous groundwater community identified mainly Spirochaetes, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and γ and δ-Proteobacteria. Environmental scanning electron photomicrographs of the anode surfaces showed extensive indigenous microbial colonization under both regimes. This colonization and BS resulted in 100% dechlorination in both treatments with complete dechlorination occurring 4 weeks earlier in BS-BA samples and up to 11.5 μA of current being generated. The indigenous non-Dehalococcoides community was found to contribute significantly to electron transfer with ∼61% of the current generated due to their activities. This study therefore shows the potential of the indigenous non-Dehalococcoides bacterial community in bio-electrochemically reducing PCE that could prove to be a cost-effective and sustainable bioremediation practice. © 2013 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

In-situ remediation of TCE by ERD in clay tills. Feasibility and performance of full-scale application insights gained through an integrated investigative approach for 2 sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm, Mette Martina; Damgaard, Ida; Chambon, Julie Claire Claudia

-scale applications of ERD in clay tills were investigated in a research project in-cluding 2 sites in Denmark undergoing remediation since 2006. Site remediation approach. At the Sortebrovej site an emulsified oil donor (EOS) and a bio-augmentation culture (KB1®) with specific degraders Dehalococcoides were injected......Background/Objectives. Remediation of trichloroethene (TCE) in clay and other low permeabil-ity geologic media, where groundwater flow occurs preferentially in higher permeability sand lenses or fractures, is a significant challenge. At older sites, much of the contaminant mass is pre......-sent as a sorbed phase in the matrix due to matrix diffusion. The principal challenge for in situ remediation in clay is to achieve effective contact between contaminant and bioremediation addi-tives (e.g., organic electron donors and bioaugmentation cultures). The feasibility and perfor-mance of full...

An integrated (nano-bio) technique for degradation of γ-HCH contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Ritu [Ecotoxicology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226 001, UP (India); Analytical Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226 001, UP (India); Manickam, Natesan [Environmental Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226 001, UP (India); Mudiam, Mohana Krishna Reddy [Analytical Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226 001, UP (India); Murthy, Ramesh Chandra, E-mail: murthyrc729@gmail.com [Analytical Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226 001, UP (India); Misra, Virendra, E-mail: virendra_misra2001@yahoo.co.in [Ecotoxicology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226 001, UP (India)

2013-08-15

Highlights: • An integrated (nano-bio) technique is employed to degrade γ-HCH in soil. • Degradation efficiency of γ-HCH in integrated and individual systems is compared. • Synergistic effect was noticed on γ-HCH degradation in integrated system. • Integrated system was found 1.7–2.1 times more efficient than individual methods. • This technique could be exploited for other chlorinated pesticides as well. -- Abstract: We have evaluated the effect of an integrated (nano-bio) technique involving the use of stabilized Pd/Fe{sup 0} bimetallic nanoparticles (CMC-Pd/nFe{sup 0}) and a Sphingomonas sp. strain NM05, on the degradation of γ-HCH in soil. Factors affecting degradation such as pH, incubation temperature and γ-HCH initial concentration were also studied. The results revealed that γ-HCH degradation efficiency is ∼ 1.7–2.1 times greater in integrated system as compared to system containing either NM05 or CMC-Pd/nFe{sup 0} alone. The integration showed synergistic effect on γ-HCH degradation. Further, cell growth studies indicated that NM05 gets well acclimatized to nanoparticles, showing potential growth in the presence of CMC-Pd/nFe{sup 0} with respect to control system. This study signifies the potential efficacy of integrated technique to become an effective alternative remedial tool for γ-HCH contaminated soil. Further research in this direction could lead to the development of effective remediation strategies for other isomers of HCH and other chlorinated pesticides as well.

Combining Bio-inspired Sensing with Bio-inspired Locomotion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaikh, Danish; Hallam, John; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob

In this paper we present a preliminary Braitenberg vehicle–like approach to combine bio-inspired audition with bio-inspired quadruped locomotion in simulation. Locomotion gaits of the salamander–like robot Salamandra robotica are modified by a lizard’s peripheral auditory system model that modula......In this paper we present a preliminary Braitenberg vehicle–like approach to combine bio-inspired audition with bio-inspired quadruped locomotion in simulation. Locomotion gaits of the salamander–like robot Salamandra robotica are modified by a lizard’s peripheral auditory system model...

Bio-fuel barometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

After a year of doubt and decline the consumption of bio-fuel resumed a growth in 2014 in Europe: +6.1% compared to 2013, to reach 14 millions tep (Mtep) that is just below the 2012 peak. This increase was mainly due to bio-diesel. By taking into account the energy content and not the volume, the consumption of bio-diesel represented 79.7% of bio-fuel consumption in 2014, that of bio-ethanol only 19.1% and that of biogas 1%. The incorporating rate of bio-fuels in fuels used for transport were 4.6% in 2013 and 4.9% in 2014. The trend is good and the future of bio-fuel seems clearer as the European Union has set a not-so-bad limit of 7% for first generation bio-fuels in order to take into account the CASI effect. The CASI effect shows that an increase of the consumption of first generation bio-fuels (it means bio-fuels produced from food crops like rape, soy, cereals, sugar beet,...) implies in fact a global increase in greenhouse gas release that is due to a compensation phenomenon. More uncultivated lands (like forests, grasslands, bogs are turned into cultivated lands in order to compensate lands used for bio-fuel production. In most European countries the consumption of bio-diesel increased in 2014 while it was a bad year for the European industry of ethanol because ethanol prices dropped by 16 %. Oil companies are now among the most important producers of bio-diesel in Europe.

Final Report: Conceptual Design of an Electron Accelerator for Bio-Solid Waste Treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, Charles [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)

2017-09-20

Several studies have identified electron beam (EB) irradiation of municipal wastewater and bio-solids as an effective and promising approach to the environmental remediation of the enormous quantities of human waste created by a growing world-wide population and increased urbanization. However, despite the technical success of experimental and pilot programs over the last several decades, the technique is still not in commercial use anywhere in the world. In addition, the report also identifies the need for “Financial and infrastructure participation from a utility for demonstration project” and “Education and awareness of safety of utilizing electron beam technology” as two additional roadblocks preventing technology adoption of EB treatment for bio-solids. In this concept design, we begin to address these barriers by working with Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and by the applying the latest accelerator technologies developed at Fermilab and within the DOE Office of Science laboratory complex.

Selecting enhancing solutions for electrokinetic remediation of dredged sediments polluted with fuel.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozas, F; Castellote, M

2015-03-15

In this paper a procedure for selecting the enhancing solutions in electrokinetic remediation experiments is proposed. For this purpose, dredged marine sediment was contaminated with fuel, and a total of 22 different experimental conditions were tested, analysing the influence of different enhancing solutions by using three commercial non-ionic surfactants, one bio-surfactant, one chelating agent, and one weak acid. Characterisation, microelectrophoretic and electrokinetic remediation trials were carried out. The results are explained on the basis of the interactions between the fuel, the enhancing electrolytes and the matrix. For one specific system, the electrophoretic zeta potential, (ζ), of the contaminated matrix in the solution was found to be related to the electroosmotic averaged ζ in the experiment and not to the efficiency in the extraction. This later was correlated to a parameter accounting for both contributions, the contaminant and the enhancing solution, calculated on the basis of differences in the electrophoretic ζ in different conditions which has allowed to propose a methodology for selection of enhancing solutions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a novel multi-functional active membrane capping barrier for the remediation of nitrobenzene-contaminated sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qing; Li, Yi; Wang, Chao; Wu, Yue; Wang, Peifang

2014-07-15

A novel bio-reactive capping barrier composed of polysulfone/granular activated carbon (PS/GAC) hybrid membranes immobilized with microorganism was developed for the remediation of nitrobenzene in sediments. The SEM observation demonstrated that all the membranes had a dense top layer and a porous sublayer, this structure can block the transfer of nitrobenzene from sediment to the water and enhance nitrobenzene degradation. Adsorption behaviors of nitrobenzene on membranes showed that the membrane impregnated with GAC had better performance than the pure PS membrane. The values of Kads increased from 4.64 (without GAC) to 6.19 (1:2 GAC). 20mg/L nitrobenzene can be completely degraded by Pseudomonas putida immobilized on membranes. The biodegradation rate of activated carbon-filled membrane system was little higher than that of pure PS membrane system. For remediation experiments, only about 21.7, 28.3 and 43.9% of nitrobenzene in the sediment was removed by the end of the experiments for PS/GAC membrane, sand-alone and sand amended with activated carbon capping systems, respectively. While for PS/GAC+microorganisms capping system, more than 70% of nitrobenzene loss was observed. This demonstrated that nitrobenzene can be effectively removed from contaminated sediments by microbial degradation in the bio-reactive capping system. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isolation, Characterization, and Environmental Application of Bio-Based Materials as Auxiliaries in Photocatalytic Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davide Palma

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Sustainable alternative substrates for advanced applications represent an increasing field of research that attracts the attention of worldwide experts (in accordance with green chemistry principles. In this context, bio-based substances (BBS isolated from urban composted biowaste were purified and characterized. Additionally, these materials were tested as auxiliaries in advanced oxidizing photocatalytic processes for the abatement of organic contaminants in aqueous medium. Results highlighted the capability of these substances to enhance efficiency in water remediation treatments under mild conditions, favoring the entire light-driven photocatalytic process.

RECARE - Preventing and Remediating Degradation of Soils in Europe through Landcare.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Elsen, Erik; Hessel, Rudi; Verzandvoort, Simone; Ritsema, Coen; Geissen, Violette

2015-04-01

Although there is a large body of knowledge available on soil threats in Europe, this knowledge is fragmented and incomplete, in particular regarding the complexity and functioning of soil systems and their interaction with human activities. The main aim of the RECARE project is to develop effective prevention, remediation and restoration measures using an innovative trans-disciplinary approach, actively integrating and advancing knowledge of stakeholders and scientists in 17 Case Studies, covering a range of soil threats in different bio-physical and socio-economic environments across Europe. Within these Case Study sites, i) the current state of degradation and conservation will be assessed using a new methodology, based on the WOCAT mapping procedure, ii) impacts of degradation and conservation on soil functions and ecosystem services will be quantified in a harmonized, spatially explicit way, accounting for costs and benefits, and possible trade-offs, iii) prevention, remediation and restoration measures selected and implemented by stakeholders in a participatory process will be evaluated regarding efficacy, and iv) the applicability and impact of these measures at the European level will be assessed using a new integrated bio-physical and socio-economic model, accounting for land use dynamics as a result of for instance economic development and policies. Existing national and EU policies will be reviewed and compared to identify potential incoherence, contradictions and synergies. Policy messages will be formulated based on the Case Study results and their integration at European level. A comprehensive dissemination and communication strategy, including the development of a web-based Dissemination and Communication Hub, will accompany the other activities to ensure that project results are disseminated to a variety of stakeholders at the right time and in the appropriate formats to stimulate renewed care for European soils.

Degradation of lindane by a novel embedded bio-nano hybrid system in aqueous environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Salam, Jaseetha Abdul; Das, Nilanjana

2015-03-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an embedded bio-nano hybrid system using nanoscale zinc oxide (n-ZnO) and lindane-degrading yeast Candida VITJzN04 for lindane degradation. Nano-embedding of the yeast was done with chemically synthesized n-ZnO particles (50 mg/mL) and was visualized by atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Nanoparticles were embedded substantially on the surfaces of the yeast cells and translocated into the cell cytoplasm without causing any lethal effect to the cell until 50 mg/mL. Lindane (600 mg/L) degradation was studied both in the individual and hybrid system. Rapid reductive-dechlorination of lindane was attained with n-ZnO under illuminated conditions, with the generation of chlorobenzene and benzene as dechlorination products. The bio-nano hybrid was found to be more effective compared to the native yeasts for lindane degradation and resulted in complete removal within 3 days. The kinetic data analysis implied that the half-life of lindane was 9 h for bio-nano hybrid and 28 h for Candida VITJzN04. The enhanced lindane degradation by bio-nano hybrid might be due to increased porosity and permeability of the yeast cell membrane, facilitating the easy entry of lindane into cell cytoplasm and n-ZnO-mediated dechlorination. To the best of our knowledge, this report, for the first time, suggests the use of n-ZnO-mediated dechlorination of lindane and the novel bio-nano hybrid system that reduces the half-life to one third of the time taken by the yeast alone. The embedded bio-nano hybrid system may be exploited as an effective remediation tool for the treatment of lindane-contaminated wastewaters.

Case study on bio-remediation. Bio remediation no case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cioffi, J; Lehmicke, L

1993-08-01

This paper introduces two cases of contamination removal using microorganisms in areas contaminated by harmful substances, carried out by ECOVA Inc. in the U.S.A. One case is a removal of soils over an area of 230,000 m[sup 3] contaminated with petroleum-based substances. The removal was intended to reduce contamination at higher than 15,000 ppm down to 1,000 ppm. Discussions on pilot soils and monitoring of activities of living organisms were carried out to determine an optimal condition. It was found that microorganisms having orange color matters have decomposing capability, produce mucopolysaccharides in long-chained hydrocarbon, and make hydrocarbon soluble. The contaminant removal in this area took 19 months. The decomposition work required consideration on temperatures, moistures, aeration frequencies, and nutrient amounts as the affecting factors. The other case is an experiment on removing perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) from water in the Savanna River. Microorganisms that decompose only TCE were used, with existing methane as a carbon source. An interim result has been obtained that TCE:PCE changed from 0.65:1 to 0.35:1 in twelve months. There has been neither increase nor decrease in the amount of microorganisms.

Contaminated land and wetland remediation in Nigeria: Opportunities for sustainable livelihood creation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sam, K; Zabbey, N

2018-10-15

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is one of the most crude oil impacted deltas globally. The region has experienced over five decades of oil related contamination of the total environment (air, soil, water and biota). In 2011, UNEP released a seminal report on oil impact on Ogoniland environments, which up scaled demands for urgent clean up and restoration of degraded bio-resource rich environments of the Niger Delta, starting from Ogoniland. The Nigerian Government demonstrated renewed political will to remediate contaminated sites in Ogoniland with a launch of the clean-up exercise in June 2016. Stakeholders' expectations from the clean-up include not only environmental remediation but also restoration and creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities to reduce poverty in the region. Most studies have focused on the environmental restoration aspect and identified bioremediation as the likely appropriate remediation approach for Ogoniland, given its low environmental footprints, and low-cost burden on the weak and overstretched economy of Nigeria. This study mapped opportunities for sustainable livelihood creation during the Ogoniland remediation and restoration exercise. Given the value chain of bioremediation and its ancillary activities, the study analysed opportunities and mechanisms for skilled and unskilled job creation and prospects for sustainable livelihoods and knock-on effects. It is anticipated that the clean-up process would lead to economic prosperity and mitigate resource-driven conflicts in the Niger Delta. The study provides an exemplar for waste-to-wealth transformation in regions where natural resource mining has impacted communities, and has dislocated local economies and age-old livelihood structures. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

BIOS Security Analysis and a Kind of Trusted BIOS

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhenliu; Xu, Rongsheng

The BIOS's security threats to computer system are analyzed and security requirements for firmware BIOS are summarized in this paper. Through discussion about TCG's trust transitivity, a new approach about CRTM implementation based on BIOS is developed. In this paper, we also put forward a new trusted BIOS architecture-UTBIOS which is built on Intel Framework for EFI/UEFI. The trustworthiness of UTBIOS is based on trusted hardware TPM. In UTBIOS, trust encapsulation and trust measurement are used to construct pre-OS trust chain. Performance of trust measurement is also analyzed in the end.

Cr (VI) remediation by indigenous bacteria in soils contaminated by chromium-containing slag

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai Liyuan; Huang Shunhong; Yang Zhihui; Peng Bing; Huang Yan; Chen Yuehui

2009-01-01

Hexavalent chromium (Cr) is a toxic element causing serious environmental threat. Recently, more and more attention is paid to the bio-remediation of Cr (VI) in the contaminated soils. Cr (VI) remediation by indigenous bacteria in soils contaminated by chromium-containing slag at a steel-alloy factory in Hunan Province, China, was investigated in the present study. The results showed that when sufficient nutrients were amended into the contaminated soils, total Cr (VI) concentration declined from the initial value of 462.8 to 10 mg kg -1 at 10 days and the removal rate was 97.8%. Water soluble Cr (VI) decreased from the initial concentration of 383.8 to 1.7 mg kg -1 . Exchangeable Cr (VI) and carbonates-bound Cr (VI) were removed by 92.6% and 82.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, four Cr (VI) resistant bacterial strains were isolated from the soil under the chromium-containing slag. Only one strain showed a high ability for Cr (VI) reduction in liquid culture. This strain was identified as Pannonibacter phragmitetus sp. by gene sequencing of 16S rRNA. X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analysis indicated that Cr (VI) was reduced into trivalent chromium. The results suggest that indigenous bacterial strains have potential application for Cr (VI) remediation in the soils contaminated by chromium-containing slag.

Nano-bio-sensing

CERN Document Server

Carrara, Sandro

2011-01-01

This book examines state-of-the-art applications of nano-bio-sensing. It brings together researchers from nano-electronics and bio-technology, providing multidisciplinary content from nano-structures fabrication to bio-sensing applications.

Study of bio-oil and bio-char production from algae by slow pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaiwong, K.; Kiatsiriroat, T.; Vorayos, N.; Thararax, C.

2013-01-01

This study examined bio-oil and bio-char fuel produced from Spirulina Sp. by slow pyrolysis. A thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) was used to investigate the pyrolytic characteristics and essential components of algae. It was found that the temperature for the maximum degradation, 322 °C, is lower than that of other biomass. With our fixed-bed reactor, 125 g of dried Spirulina Sp. algae was fed under a nitrogen atmosphere until the temperature reached a set temperature between 450 and 600 °C. It was found that the suitable temperature to obtain bio-char and bio-oil were at approximately 500 and 550 °C respectively. The bio-oil components were identified by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The saturated functional carbon of the bio-oil was in a range of heavy naphtha, kerosene and diesel oil. The energy consumption ratio (ECR) of bio-oil and bio-char was calculated, and the net energy output was positive. The ECR had an average value of 0.49. -- Highlights: •Bio-oil and bio-char fuel produced from Spirulina Sp. by slow pyrolysis. •Suitable temperature to obtained bio-oil and bio-char were at about 550 and 500 °C. •Saturated functional carbon of bio-oil was heavy naphtha, kerosene, diesel oil. •ECR had an average value of 0.49

From marine bio-corrosion to new bio-processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergel, A.; Dasilva, S.; Basseguy, R.; Feron, D.; Mollica, A.

2004-01-01

Full text of publication follows: From the middle of the last century it has been observed that the development of marine bio-films on the surface of stainless steels and different metallic materials induces the ennoblement of their free corrosion potential. A main step in deciphering the mechanisms of aerobic marine bio-corrosion has been achieved around 1976 with the demonstration that the potential ennoblement was due to the modification of the cathodic process. Since this date, the catalysis of oxygen reduction by marine bio-films has been the topic of numerous controversies, but it is now commonly agreed as a basic phenomena in aerobic corrosion. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the fine mechanisms of the bio-film-catalysed reduction of oxygen: intermediate formation of hydrogen peroxide, modification of the oxide layer on the stainless steel surface, involvement of manganese species and manganese oxidising bacteria, catalysis by proteins produced by the micro-organisms... Recent results may confirm the possible involvement of hemic enzymes or proteins. Whatever the mechanisms, very promising results have been obtained with the possible application of bio-film-catalysed oxygen reduction to conceive innovative biofuel cells with stainless steel electrodes. Actually, the catalysis of oxygen reduction is a key step that still drastically hinders the development of economically efficient hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells. The current technology requires high amounts of platinum or platinum-based materials to catalyze oxygen reduction on the cathode of these cells. The prohibitive cost of platinum is a main obstacle to the commercialization of low-cost fuel cells. Unpublished results recently showed that adapting the enzyme-catalysed reaction that was assumed for bio-corrosion on the cathode of hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells may lead to a significant decrease in the charge of platinum. Moreover, it was demonstrated on a laboratory-scale fuel cell pilot that

Novel sorbents for environmental remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Manariotis, Ioannis D.; Karapanagioti, Hrissi K.; Werner, David

2014-05-01

Nowadays, one of the major environmental problems is the pollution of aquatic systems and soil by persistent pollutants. Persistent pollutants have been found widespread in sediments, surface waters, and drinking water supplies. The removal of pollutants can be accomplished prior to their discharge to receiving bodies or by immobilizing them onto soil. Sorption is the most commonly applied process, and activated carbons have been widely used. Rapid progress in nanotechnology and a new focus on biomass-based instead of non-renewable starting materials have produced a wide range of novel engineered sorbents including biosorbents, biochars, carbon-based nanoparticles, bio-nano hybrid materials, and iron-impregnated activated carbons. Sorbent materials have been used in environmental remediation processes and especially in agricultural soil, sediments and contaminated soil, water treatment, and industrial wastewater treatment. Furthermore, sorbents may enhance the synergistic action of other processes, such as volatilization and biodegradation. Novel sorbents have been employed for the removal or immobilization of persistent pollutants such as and include heavy metals (As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, and Hg), halogenated organic compounds, endocrine disrupting chemicals, metalloids and non-metallic elements, and other organic pollutants. The development and evaluation of novel sorbents requires a multidisciplinary approach encompassing environmental, nanotechnology, physical, analytical, and surface chemistry. The necessary evaluations encompass not only the efficiency of these materials to remove pollutants from surface waters and groundwater, industrial wastewater, polluted soils and sediments, etc., but also the potential side-effects of their environmental applications. The aim of this work is to present the results of the use of biochar and impregnated carbon sorbents for the removal of organic pollutants and metals. Furthermore, the new findings from the forthcoming session

Electrodialytic soil remediation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsmose, Bodil; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Hansen, Lene

1999-01-01

The paper gives an overview of how heavy metals can be found in the soil and the theory of electrodialytic remediation. Basically electrodialytic remediation works by passing electric current through the soil, and the heavy metals in ionic form will carry some of the current. Ion-exchange membranes...... prevents the protons and the hydroxides ions from the electrode processes to enter the soil. The heavy metals are collected in a concentration compartment, which is separated from the soil by ion-exchange membranes. Examples from remediation experiments are shown, and it is demonstrated that it is possible...... to remediate soil polluted with heavy metals be this method. When adding desorbing agents or complexing agents, chosing the right current density, electrolyte and membranes, the proces can be optimised for a given remediation situation. Also electroosmosis is influencing the system, and if extra water...

Remediation of BTEX contaminated groundwater: best technology assessment between pump&treat and bioremediation by oxygen injection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele Baldi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The presence of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX dissolved in the groundwater and migrated from a light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL source in an alluvial aquifer required a remedial action to be taken by the responsible party as established by the Italian regulation (Legislative Decree 152/06 and subsequent amendments. For such purpose, field investigations were conducted on site in order to define the site conceptual model and to identify the appropriate remediation technology to be applied. The remediation design was developed by means of a flow and reactive transport mathematical model, applied to saturated media, using the numerical codes MODFLOW and RT3D. Groundwater field observations showed evidence of occurring BTEX biodegradation processes by bacteria naturally present in the aquifer. Since such specific bacterial activity would be significantly enhanced by the injection of free oxygen in the aquifer, the performance of traditional pump and treat systems (P&T was assessed and compared with cost/efficiency of reactive oxygen bio-barrier technology (OD. The results showed a clear advantage in terms of cost/efficiency with the application of the OD. This presents an overall cost of about 30% of the P&T installation and maintenance, and it reaches remedial target in a shorter timeframe. Moreover, the system is also applicable as a bioremediation technology in case of Environmental Emergency Measures (MISE. The site examined is part of an industrial plant located in Central Italy.

Application of biosurfactants in environmental biotechnology; remediation of oil and heavy metal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Fahim Mahmud

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Many toxic substances have been introduced into environment through human activities. These compounds are danger to human health when they are ultimately or immediately in contact with soil particles. A conventional method to reduce, degrade and remove these substances is associated with some risk. In recent years, microorganisms have proved a unique role in the degradation and detoxification of polluted soil and water environments and, this process has been termed bio reclamation. The diversity of bioemulsifiers/biosurfactants makes them an attractive group and important key roles in various fields of industrial as well as biotechnological applications such as enhanced oil recovery, biodegradation of pollutants, and pharmaceutics. Environmental application of microbial surfactant has been shown as a promising due to solubilization of low solubility compounds, low toxicity observed and efficacy in improving biodegradation. However, it is important to note that full scale tests and more information is require to predict the behavior and model of surfactant function on the remediation process with biosurfactants. The purpose of this review is to describe the state of art in the potential applications of biosurfactants in remediation of environmental pollution caused by oil and heavy metal.

Monitoring water quality in Sydney Harbour using blue mussels during remediation of the Sydney Tar Ponds, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Tony R; MacAskill, Devin

2014-03-01

Using mussels as monitoring tools we measured water quality in Sydney Harbour during a large scale, multi-year remediation project of the Sydney Tar Ponds (STPs); one of Canada's most contaminated sites. Chemical contaminants were measured in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in Sydney Harbour, which were used as monitoring tools to assess the spatio-temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); metals (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) and lipid content during baseline and 3 years of remediation. The overall spatio-temporal distribution of chemicals in mussels was also compared to contaminants in other marine indicators (e.g., sediment, water and crab tissue). Measured metal concentrations in mussels showed some minor temporal variability (4 years), but these did not appear to be directly related to remediation activities, with the highest concentrations of As, Hg and Zn measured at reference stations. Most measured contaminants showed stable or potentially decreasing concentrations during the study, except Pb and Zn. Individual PAH compounds were mostly undetected during baseline and remediation, except for fluoranthene and pyrene. Concentrations of fluoranthene in mussels and deep water samples were moderately related. Generally, PCBs were undetected (remediation at some near-field stations. Contaminants measured during this study were at much lower concentrations than previously reported in other studies of mussels in Sydney Harbour and eastern Canada. This is likely due to the ongoing natural recovery of Sydney Harbour and to a lesser extent because of the environmental mitigation protection measures implemented during remediation activities at the STPs. The lack of detection of most individual PAHs and PCBs, plus relatively low bio-accumulation of metals observed during baseline and remediation attest to the effectiveness of using mussels as monitoring tools for environmental quality.

Groundwater remediation of hexavalent chromium along the Columbia River at the Hanford site in Washington state, USA - 59030

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foss, Dyan L.; Charboneau, Briant L.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site, formerly used for nuclear weapons production, encompasses 1500 square kilometers in southeast Washington State along the Columbia River. A principle threat to the river are the groundwater plumes of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), which affect approximately 9.8 square kilometers, and 4.1 kilometers of shoreline. Cleanup goals are to stop Cr(VI) from entering the river by the end of 2012 and remediate the groundwater plumes to the drinking water standards by the end of 2020. Five groundwater pump-and-treat systems are currently in operation for the remediation of Cr(VI). Since the 1990's, over 13.6 billion L of groundwater have been treated; over 1, 435 kg of Cr(VI) have been removed. This paper describes the unique aspects of the site, its environmental setting, hydrogeology, groundwater-river interface, riverine hydraulic effects, remediation activities completed to date, a summary of the current and proposed pump-and-treat operations, the in situ redox manipulation barrier, and the effectiveness of passive barriers, resins, and treatability testing results of calcium polysulfide, bio-stimulation, and electrocoagulation, currently under evaluation. (authors)

Topical Day on Site Remediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vandenhove, H [ed.

1996-09-18

Ongoing activities at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre relating to site remediation and restoration are summarized. Special attention has been paid to the different phases of remediation including characterization, impact assessment, evaluation of remediation actions, and execution of remediation actions.

Comparative techno-economic analysis of biohydrogen production via bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yanan; Brown, Tristan R.; Hu, Guiping; Brown, Robert C.

2013-01-01

This paper evaluates the economic feasibility of biohydrogen production via two bio-oil processing pathways: bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming. Both pathways employ fast pyrolysis to produce bio-oil from biomass stock. The two pathways are modeled using Aspen Plus ® for a 2000 t d −1 facility. Equipment sizing and cost calculations are based on Aspen Economic Evaluation® software. Biohydrogen production capacity at the facility is 147 t d −1 for the bio-oil gasification pathway and 160 t d −1 for the bio-oil reforming pathway. The biomass-to-fuel energy efficiencies are 47% and 84% for the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Total capital investment (TCI) is 435 million dollars for the bio-oil gasification pathway and is 333 million dollars for the bio-oil reforming pathway. Internal rates of return (IRR) are 8.4% and 18.6% for facilities employing the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that biohydrogen price, biohydrogen yield, fixed capital investment (FCI), bio-oil yield, and biomass cost have the greatest impacts on facility IRR. Monte-Carlo analysis shows that bio-oil reforming is more economically attractive than bio-oil gasification for biohydrogen production. -- Highlights: ► Biohydrogen production via bio-oil reforming has higher energy efficiency compared to gasification. ► Hydrogen price, fixed capital cost, and feedstock cost most strongly affect IRR. ► Lower risk investment is biohydrogen production via bio-oil reforming

Biofilm formation and microbial community analysis of the simulated river bioreactor for contaminated source water remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiang-Yang; Feng, Li-Juan; Zhu, Liang; Xu, Jing; Ding, Wei; Qi, Han-Ying

2012-06-01

The start-up pattern of biofilm remediation system affects the biofilm characteristics and operating performances. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performances of the contaminated source water remediation systems with different start-up patterns in view of the pollutants removal performances and microbial community succession. The operating performances of four lab-scale simulated river biofilm reactors were examined which employed different start-up methods (natural enrichment and artificial enhancement via discharging sediment with influent velocity gradient increase) and different bio-fillers (Elastic filler and AquaMats® ecobase). At the same time, the microbial communities of the bioreactors in different phases were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and sequencing. The pollutants removal performances became stable in the four reactors after 2 months' operation, with ammonia nitrogen and permanganate index (COD(Mn)) removal efficiencies of 84.41-94.21% and 69.66-76.60%, respectively. The biomass of mature biofilm was higher in the bioreactors by artificial enhancement than that by natural enrichment. Microbial community analysis indicated that elastic filler could enrich mature biofilm faster than AquaMats®. The heterotrophic bacteria diversity of biofilm decreased by artificial enhancement, which favored the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) developing on the bio-fillers. Furthermore, Nitrosomonas- and Nitrosospira-like AOB coexisted in the biofilm, and Pseudomonas sp., Sphaerotilus sp., Janthinobacterium sp., Corynebacterium aurimucosum were dominant in the oligotrophic niche. Artificial enhancement via the combination of sediment discharging and influent velocity gradient increasing could enhance the biofilm formation and autotrophic AOB enrichment in oligotrophic niche.

D-Amino acid oxidase bio-functionalized platforms: Toward an enhanced enzymatic bio-activity

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Elisa; Valdez Taubas, Javier; Giacomelli, Carla E.

2015-11-01

The purpose of this work is to study the adsorption process and surface bio-activity of His-tagged D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) from Rhodotorula gracilis (His6-RgDAAO) as the first step for the development of an electrochemical bio-functionalized platform. With such a purpose this work comprises: (a) the His6-RgDAAO bio-activity in solution determined by amperometry, (b) the adsorption mechanism of His6-RgDAAO on bare gold and carboxylated modified substrates in the absence (substrate/COO-) and presence of Ni(II) (substrate/COO- + Ni(II)) determined by reflectometry, and (c) the bio-activity of the His6-RgDAAO bio-functionalized platforms determined by amperometry. Comparing the adsorption behavior and bio-activity of His6-RgDAAO on these different solid substrates allows understanding the contribution of the diverse interactions responsible for the platform performance. His6-RgDAAO enzymatic performance in solution is highly improved when compared to the previously used pig kidney (pk) DAAO. His6-RgDAAO exhibits an amperometrically detectable bio-activity at concentrations as low as those expected on a bio-functional platform; hence, it is a viable bio-recognition element of D-amino acids to be coupled to electrochemical platforms. Moreover, His6-RgDAAO bio-functionalized platforms exhibit a higher surface activity than pkDAAO physically adsorbed on gold. The platform built on Ni(II) modified substrates present enhanced bio-activity because the surface complexes histidine-Ni(II) provide with site-oriented, native-like enzymes. The adsorption mechanism responsible of the excellent performance of the bio-functionalized platform takes place in two steps involving electrostatic and bio-affinity interactions whose prevalence depends on the degree of surface coverage.

Does bioleaching represent a biotechnological strategy for remediation of contaminated sediments?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fonti, Viviana, E-mail: v.fonti@univpm.it; Dell' Anno, Antonio; Beolchini, Francesca

2016-09-01

Bioleaching is a consolidated biotechnology in the mining industry and in bio-hydrometallurgy, where microorganisms mediate the solubilisation of metals and semi-metals from mineral ores and concentrates. Bioleaching also has the potential for ex-situ/on-site remediation of aquatic sediments that are contaminated with metals, which represent a key environmental issue of global concern. By eliminating or reducing (semi-)metal contamination of aquatic sediments, bioleaching may represent an environmentally friendly and low-cost strategy for management of contaminated dredged sediments. Nevertheless, the efficiency of bioleaching in this context is greatly influenced by several abiotic and biotic factors. These factors need to be carefully taken into account before selecting bioleaching as a suitable remediation strategy. Here we review the application of bioleaching for sediment bioremediation, and provide a critical view of the main factors that affect its performance. We also discuss future research needs to improve bioleaching strategies for contaminated aquatic sediments, in view of large-scale applications. - Highlights: • Bioleaching may represent a sustainable strategy for contaminated dredged sediments • The performance is greatly influenced by several abiotic and biotic factors • Geochemical characteristics and metal partitioning have a key role • Sulphide minerals in the sediment are a favorable element • Microorganisms other than Fe/S oxidisers may open new perspectives.

Does bioleaching represent a biotechnological strategy for remediation of contaminated sediments?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonti, Viviana; Dell'Anno, Antonio; Beolchini, Francesca

2016-01-01

Bioleaching is a consolidated biotechnology in the mining industry and in bio-hydrometallurgy, where microorganisms mediate the solubilisation of metals and semi-metals from mineral ores and concentrates. Bioleaching also has the potential for ex-situ/on-site remediation of aquatic sediments that are contaminated with metals, which represent a key environmental issue of global concern. By eliminating or reducing (semi-)metal contamination of aquatic sediments, bioleaching may represent an environmentally friendly and low-cost strategy for management of contaminated dredged sediments. Nevertheless, the efficiency of bioleaching in this context is greatly influenced by several abiotic and biotic factors. These factors need to be carefully taken into account before selecting bioleaching as a suitable remediation strategy. Here we review the application of bioleaching for sediment bioremediation, and provide a critical view of the main factors that affect its performance. We also discuss future research needs to improve bioleaching strategies for contaminated aquatic sediments, in view of large-scale applications. - Highlights: • Bioleaching may represent a sustainable strategy for contaminated dredged sediments • The performance is greatly influenced by several abiotic and biotic factors • Geochemical characteristics and metal partitioning have a key role • Sulphide minerals in the sediment are a favorable element • Microorganisms other than Fe/S oxidisers may open new perspectives

tmBioC: improving interoperability of text-mining tools with BioC.

Science.gov (United States)

Khare, Ritu; Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Mao, Yuqing; Leaman, Robert; Lu, Zhiyong

2014-01-01

The lack of interoperability among biomedical text-mining tools is a major bottleneck in creating more complex applications. Despite the availability of numerous methods and techniques for various text-mining tasks, combining different tools requires substantial efforts and time owing to heterogeneity and variety in data formats. In response, BioC is a recent proposal that offers a minimalistic approach to tool interoperability by stipulating minimal changes to existing tools and applications. BioC is a family of XML formats that define how to present text documents and annotations, and also provides easy-to-use functions to read/write documents in the BioC format. In this study, we introduce our text-mining toolkit, which is designed to perform several challenging and significant tasks in the biomedical domain, and repackage the toolkit into BioC to enhance its interoperability. Our toolkit consists of six state-of-the-art tools for named-entity recognition, normalization and annotation (PubTator) of genes (GenNorm), diseases (DNorm), mutations (tmVar), species (SR4GN) and chemicals (tmChem). Although developed within the same group, each tool is designed to process input articles and output annotations in a different format. We modify these tools and enable them to read/write data in the proposed BioC format. We find that, using the BioC family of formats and functions, only minimal changes were required to build the newer versions of the tools. The resulting BioC wrapped toolkit, which we have named tmBioC, consists of our tools in BioC, an annotated full-text corpus in BioC, and a format detection and conversion tool. Furthermore, through participation in the 2013 BioCreative IV Interoperability Track, we empirically demonstrate that the tools in tmBioC can be more efficiently integrated with each other as well as with external tools: Our experimental results show that using BioC reduces >60% in lines of code for text-mining tool integration. The tmBioC toolkit

Sustainable multistage process for enhanced productivity of bioplastics from waste remediation through aerobic dynamic feeding strategy: Process integration for up-scaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Amulya, K; Jukuri, Srinivas; Venkata Mohan, S

2015-01-01

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production was evaluated in a multistage operation using food waste as a renewable feedstock. The first step involved the production of bio-hydrogen (bio-H2) via acidogenic fermentation. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) rich effluent from bio-H2 reactor was subsequently used for PHA production, which was carried out in two stages, Stage II (culture enrichment) and Stage III (PHA production). PHA-storing microorganisms were enriched in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), operated at two different cycle lengths (CL-24; CL-12). Higher polymer recovery as well as VFA removal was achieved in CL-12 operation both in Stage II (16.3% dry cell weight (DCW); VFA removal, 84%) and Stage III (23.7% DCW; VFA removal, 88%). The PHA obtained was a co-polymer [P(3HB-co-3HV)] of PHB and PHV. The results obtained indicate that this integrated multistage process offers new opportunities to further leverage large scale PHA production with simultaneous waste remediation in the framework of biorefinery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategy paper. Remedial design/remedial action 100 Area. Revision 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donahoe, R.L.

1995-10-01

This strategy paper identifies and defines the approach for remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) for source waste sites in the 100 Area of the Hanford Site, located in southeastern Washington State. This paper provides the basis for the US Department of Energy (DOE) to assess and approve the Environmental Restoration Contractor's (ERC) approach to RD/RA. Additionally, DOE is requesting review/agreement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) on the strategy presented in this document in order to expedite remedial activities

Elemental sulfur amendment decreases bio-available Cr-VI in soils impacted by leather tanneries.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jingjing; Chen, Hualin; Arocena, Joselito M; Whitcombe, Todd; Thring, Ronald W; Memiaghe, Jeff Nze

2016-05-01

This study investigated the potential use of elemental S (S(0)) to convert Cr-VI to Cr-III which should decrease the bio-availability hence, toxicity of Cr-VI in soils. The bio-available fraction of Cr in soil was measured by phosphate buffer extraction (PBE) and the results showed that the fraction is about 10% of the total Cr-VI and varied from 12.8 to 42.5 mg kg(-1). The addition of 4.0 mg g(-1) S(0) decreased PBE Cr-VI to soils. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and micro-XRD revealed that Cr-III was the dominant species (99% of total Cr) and Cr was retained by hematite and goethite in soil. Fe-containing minerals may have provided sufficient protection to render the dominant Cr-III species biochemically inert to redox processes in soils. It is concluded that S(0)amendment is a promising approach to remediate Cr-VI contaminated soils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Potential Bio-Sorbent for Heavy Metals in the Remediation of Waste Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Laskar

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Bay leaves are used for flavoring in cold drinks production, in bakery goods, sauces, confectionary products and liquors. The waste generated from these sources has been valorized by attempting the remediation of waste water. Hence, adsorption of toxic metals onto Bay leaves has been investigated after optimizing the experimental parameters, namely the pH, contact time, adsorbent and Zn (II concentrations as well as the temperature of the equilibrium mixture (consisting of the metal solution in contact with the adsorbent. The participation of the constituent functional groups, of the adsorbent, was ascertained with Fourier Transform spectroscopic studies. The mode of adsorption was examined by employing important isotherm models, namely Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich models. The adsorption process was found to follow pseudo-first order kinetic model and also followed the intraparticle diffusion up to 60 minutes of contact time. The thermodynamic parameters suggest the spontaneous nature of adsorption

Remedial Design/Remedial Action Work Plan for Operable Units 6-05 and 10-04, Phase III

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. P. Wells

2006-09-19

The remedial design/remedial action for Operable Unit 6-05 (Waste Area Group 6) and Operable Unit 10-04 (Waste Area Group 10) - collectively called Operable Unit 10-04 has been divided into four phases. Phase I consists of developing and implementing institutional controls at Operable Unit 10-04 sites and developing and implementing Idaho National Laboratory-wide plans for both institutional controls and ecological monitoring. Phase II will remediate sites contaminated with trinitrotoluene and Royal Demolition Explosive. Phase III will remediate lead contamination at a gun range, and Phase IV will remediate hazards from unexploded ordnance. This Phase III remedial Design/Remedial Action Work Plan addresses the remediation of lead-contaminated soils found at the Security Training Facility (STF)-02 Gun Range located at the Idaho National Laboratory. Remediation of the STF-02 Gun Range will include excavating contaminated soils; physically separating copper and lead for recycling; returning separated soils below the remediation goal to the site; stabilizing contaminated soils, as required, and disposing of the separated soils that exceed the remediation goal; encapsulating and disposing of creosote-contaminated railroad ties and power poles; removing and disposing of the wooden building and asphalt pads found at the STF-02 Gun Range; sampling and analyzing soil to determine the excavation requirements; and when the remediation goals have been met, backfilling and contouring excavated areas and revegetating the affected area.

Bio-oil fractionation and condensation

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Robert C; Jones, Samuel T; Pollard, Anthony

2013-07-02

A method of fractionating bio-oil vapors which involves providing bio-oil vapors comprising bio-oil constituents is described. The bio-oil vapors are cooled in a first stage which comprises a condenser having passages for the bio-oil separated by a heat conducting wall from passages for a coolant. The coolant in the condenser of the first stage is maintained at a substantially constant temperature, set at a temperature in the range of 75 to 100.degree. C., to condense a first liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents in the condenser of the first stage. The first liquid fraction of liquified bio-oil constituents from the condenser in the first stage is collected. Also described are steps for subsequently recovering further liquid fractions of liquefied bio-oil constituents. Particular compositions of bio-oil condensation products are also described.

Combinatorial Nano-Bio Interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Pingqiang; Zhang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Ming; Wu, Yun-Long; Chen, Xiaodong

2018-06-08

Nano-bio interfaces are emerging from the convergence of engineered nanomaterials and biological entities. Despite rapid growth, clinical translation of biomedical nanomaterials is heavily compromised by the lack of comprehensive understanding of biophysicochemical interactions at nano-bio interfaces. In the past decade, a few investigations have adopted a combinatorial approach toward decoding nano-bio interfaces. Combinatorial nano-bio interfaces comprise the design of nanocombinatorial libraries and high-throughput bioevaluation. In this Perspective, we address challenges in combinatorial nano-bio interfaces and call for multiparametric nanocombinatorics (composition, morphology, mechanics, surface chemistry), multiscale bioevaluation (biomolecules, organelles, cells, tissues/organs), and the recruitment of computational modeling and artificial intelligence. Leveraging combinatorial nano-bio interfaces will shed light on precision nanomedicine and its potential applications.

2010 World bio-energy conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

After having evoked the bio-energy price awarded to a Brazilian for his works on the use of eucalyptus as energy source, this report proposes a synthesis of the highlights of the conference: discussions about sustainability, bio-energies as an opportunity for developing countries, the success of bio-energies in Sweden, and more particularly some technological advances in the field of biofuels: a bio-LPG by Biofuel-solution AB, catalysis, bio-diesel from different products in a Swedish farm, a second generation ethanol by the Danish company Inbicon, a large scale methanization in Goteborg, a bio-refinery concept in Sweden, bio-gases

Bio-oil and bio-char production from biomass and their structural analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, Murat; Özsin, Gamzenur; Pütün, Ayşe E.; Pütün, Ersan

2015-01-01

Energy demand is increasing day by day because of the rapid developments in the population, industrialization and urbanisation. Since, fossil fuels will be at the verge of getting extinct, researches are mostly focused on the renewable sources, such as biomass, in recent years. This paper provides an environmentally friendly process to convert waste biomass samples to bio-oil and bio-char by pyrolysis. For this purpose, pyrolysis characteristics of pomegranate peels under inert atmosphere were studied by using both TGA to analysis decomposition behaviour and a batch reactor to investigate product yields and properties. The properties of bio-oil and bio-char were investigated by different analytical techniques such as GC-MS, FT-IR, SEM, He pycnometry and elemental analysis. As a consequence, it is possible to obtain bio-oil, which has similar properties like petroleum hydrocarbons, and to obtain bio-char, which can be further used as a solid fuel or a carbonaceous adsorbent material via pyrolysis process. (full text)

Functional remediation components: A conceptual method of evaluating the effects of remediation on risks to ecological receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Bunn, Amoret; Downs, Janelle; Jeitner, Christian; Pittfield, Taryn; Salisbury, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Governmental agencies, regulators, health professionals, tribal leaders, and the public are faced with understanding and evaluating the effects of cleanup activities on species, populations, and ecosystems. While engineers and managers understand the processes involved in different remediation types such as capping, pump and treat, and natural attenuation, there is often a disconnect between (1) how ecologists view the influence of different types of remediation, (2) how the public perceives them, and (3) how engineers understand them. The overall goal of the present investigation was to define the components of remediation types (= functional remediation). Objectives were to (1) define and describe functional components of remediation, regardless of the remediation type, (2) provide examples of each functional remediation component, and (3) explore potential effects of functional remediation components in the post-cleanup phase that may involve continued monitoring and assessment. Functional remediation components include types, numbers, and intensity of people, trucks, heavy equipment, pipes, and drill holes, among others. Several components may be involved in each remediation type, and each results in ecological effects, ranging from trampling of plants, to spreading invasive species, to disturbing rare species, and to creating fragmented habitats. In some cases remediation may exert a greater effect on ecological receptors than leaving the limited contamination in place. A goal of this conceptualization is to break down functional components of remediation such that managers, regulators, and the public might assess the effects of timing, extent, and duration of different remediation options on ecological systems.

Overview of Chromium Remediation Technology Evaluations At The Hanford Site, Richland Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, J. G.; Hanson, J. P.

2009-12-01

This paper will present an overview of the different technologies and the results to date for optimizing and improving the remediation of Cr+6 in the soil and groundwater at the Hanford Site. The Hanford Site, par of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)nuclear weapons complex, encompasses approximately 586 square miles in southeast Washington State. The Columbia River flows through the site (Hanford Reach.) Reactors were located along the Hanford Reach as part of the production process. Sodium dichromate was used as a corrosion inhibitor in the cooling water for the reactors. As a result chromium (Cr+6) is present in the soil and groundwater. Since the mid 90's interim groundwater pump and treat systems have been in place to try and contain or mitigate the migration of contaminated groundwater into the Columbia River. The primary concern being the protection of aquatic spawning habitat for salmon and other species. In order to improve the effectiveness of the remedial actions a number of different technologies have been evaluated and/or deployed. These include, permeable reactive barriers, in-situ bio-stimulation, in-situ chemical reduction, zero-valent iron injection and evaluation of improved above ground treatment technologies. An overview of the technologies and results to date are presented.

Electrokinetic remediation of copper mine tailings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henrik K.; Rojo, Adrián; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

2007-01-01

Important process parameters to optimize in electrokinetic soil remediation are those influencing remediation time and power consumption since these directly affect the cost of a remediation action. This work shows how the electrokinetic remediation (EKR) process could be improved by implementing...... bipolar electrodes in the porous material. The bipolar electrodes in EKR meant two improvements: (1) a shorter migration pathway for the contaminant, and (2) an increased electrical conductivity in the remediation system. All together the remediation proceeded faster with lower electrical resistance than...... in similar experiments but without the bipolar electrodes. The new electrokinetic remediation design was tested on copper mine tailings with different applied electric fields, remediation times and pre-treatment. The results showed that the copper removal was increased from 8% (applying 20V for 8 days...

Photobiology of Symbiodinium revisited: bio-physical and bio-optical signatures

Science.gov (United States)

Hennige, S. J.; Suggett, D. J.; Warner, M. E.; McDougall, K. E.; Smith, D. J.

2009-03-01

Light is often the most abundant resource within the nutrient-poor waters surrounding coral reefs. Consequently, zooxanthellae ( Symbiodinium spp.) must continually photoacclimate to optimise productivity and ensure coral success. In situ coral photobiology is becoming dominated by routine assessments using state-of-the-art non-invasive bio-optical or chlorophyll a fluorescence (bio-physical) techniques. Multiple genetic types of Symbiodinium are now known to exist; however, little focus has been given as to how these types differ in terms of characteristics that are observable using these techniques. Therefore, this investigation aimed to revisit and expand upon a pivotal study by Iglesias-Prieto and Trench (1994) by comparing the photoacclimation characteristics of different Symbiodinium types based on their bio-physical (chlorophyll a fluorescence, reaction centre counts) and bio-optical (optical absorption, pigment concentrations) ‘signatures’. Signatures described here are unique to Symbiodinium type and describe phenotypic responses to set conditions, and hence are not suitable to describe taxonomic structure of in hospite Symbiodinium communities. In this study, eight Symbiodinium types from clades and sub-clades (A-B, F) were grown under two PFDs (Photon Flux Density) and examined. The photoacclimation response by Symbiodinium was highly variable between algal types for all bio-physical and for many bio-optical measurements; however, a general preference to modifying reaction centre content over effective antennae-absorption was observed. Certain bio-optically derived patterns, such as light absorption, were independent of algal type and, when considered per photosystem, were matched by reaction centre stoichiometry. Only by better understanding genotypic and phenotypic variability between Symbiodinium types can future studies account for the relative taxonomic and physiological contribution by Symbiodinium to coral acclimation.

Remediating Remediation: From Basic Writing to Writing across the Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Faulkner, Melissa

2013-01-01

This article challenges faculty members and administrators to rethink current definitions of remediation. First year college students are increasingly placed into basic writing courses due to a perceived inability to use English grammar correctly, but it must be acknowledged that all students will encounter the need for remediation as they attempt…

Bio-Refineries Bioprocess Technologies for Waste-Water Treatment, Energy and Product Valorization

Science.gov (United States)

Keith Cowan, A.

2010-04-01

Increasing pressure is being exerted on communities and nations to source energy from forms other than fossil fuels. Also, potable water is becoming a scarce resource in many parts of the world, and there remains a large divide in the demand and utilization of plant products derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and non-GMOs. The most extensive user and manager of terrestrial ecosystems is agriculture which is also the de facto steward of natural resources. As stated by Miller (2008) no other industry or institution comes close to the comparative advantage held for this vital responsibility while simultaneously providing food, fiber, and other biology-based products, including energy. Since modern commercial agriculture is transitioning from the production of bulk commodities to the provision of standardized products and specific-attribute raw materials for differentiated markets, we can argue that processes such as mass cultivation of microalgae and the concept of bio-refineries be seen as part of a `new' agronomy. EBRU is currently exploring the integration of bioprocess technologies using microalgae as biocatalysts to achieve waste-water treatment, water polishing and endocrine disruptor (EDC) removal, sustainable energy production, and exploitation of the resultant biomass in agriculture as foliar fertilizer and seed coatings, and for commercial extraction of bulk commodities such as bio-oils and lecithin. This presentation will address efforts to establish a fully operational solar-driven microalgae bio-refinery for use not only in waste remediation but to transform waste and biomass to energy, fuels, and other useful materials (valorisation), with particular focus on environmental quality and sustainability goals.

"Green technology": Bio-stimulation by an electric field for textile reactive dye contaminated agricultural soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Annamalai, Sivasankar; Santhanam, Manikandan; Selvaraj, Subbulakshmi; Sundaram, Maruthamuthu; Pandian, Kannan; Pazos, Marta

2018-05-15

The aim of the study is to degrade pollutants as well as to increase the fertility of agricultural soil by starch enhancing electrokinetic (EKA) and electro-bio-stimulation (EBS) processes. Starch solution was used as an anolyte and voltage gradient was about 0.5V/cm. The influence of bacterial mediated process was evaluated in real contaminated farming soil followed by pilot scale experiment. The in-situ formation of β-cyclodextrin from starch in the treatments had also influence on the significant removal of the pollutants from the farming soil. The conductivity of the soil was effectively reduced from 15.5dS/m to 1.5dS/m which corroborates well with the agricultural norms. The bio-stimulation was confirmed by the increase of the phosphorus content in the treated soil. Finally, phytotoxicity assays demonstrated the viability of the developed technique for soil remediation because plant germination percentage was higher in the treated soil in comparison to untreated soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PLA/Bio-PE blends: effect of the Bio-PE content on the crystallinity rheological properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, Aylanna P.M. de; Agrawal, Pankaj; Cavalcanti, Shirley N.; Alves, Amanda M.; Melo, Tomas J.A. de; Brito, Gustavo F.

2014-01-01

The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of the Bio-PE content on the crystallinity and rheological properties of PLA/Bio-PE blend. The blends containing 05 and 15% of Bio-PE were prepared by extrusion followed by injection molding and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and rheological properties at low and high shear rates. XRD results indicated that the PLA present low crystallinity and this behavior was not changed with the addition of Bio-PE, regardless of Bio-PE content. Rheological properties results indicated that at low shear rates the viscosity of the PLA/Bio-PE increased with the increase in the Bio-PE content while at high shear rates the viscosities where almost similar, which may be ascribed to the orientation of Bio-PE particles in the flow direction or by the viscous dissipation. (author)

Bio-fuels barometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2010-01-01

European Union bio-fuel use for transport reached 12 million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe) threshold during 2009. The slowdown in the growth of European consumption deepened again. Bio-fuel used in transport only grew by 18.7% between 2008 and 2009, as against 30.3% between 2007 and 2008 and 41.8% between 2006 and 2007. The bio-fuel incorporation rate in all fuels used by transport in the E.U. is unlikely to pass 4% in 2009. We can note that: -) the proportion of bio-fuel in the German fuels market has plummeted since 2007: from 7.3% in 2007 to 5.5% in 2009; -) France stays on course with an incorporation rate of 6.25% in 2009; -) In Spain the incorporation rate reached 3.4% in 2009 while it was 1.9% in 2008. The European bio-diesel industry has had another tough year. European production only rose by 16.6% in 2009 or by about 9 million tonnes which is well below the previous year-on-year growth rate recorded (35.7%). France is leading the production of bio-ethanol fuels in Europe with an output of 1250 million liters in 2009 while the total European production reached 3700 million litters and the world production 74000 million liters. (A.C.)

Potential role of biotechnology in the remediation of environmental pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrabarty, A.M.

1991-01-01

The application of biotechnology to remediation of environmental pollution is discussed, with emphasis on microbial degradation of chlorinated compounds, microbial surfactants for clean-up of oil-related pollution, and biodegradation of the chemical warfare agents mustard gas or the defoliant Agent Orange. Strong genetic selection has led to the isolation of single microbial cultures or products that can allow enhanced degradation or removal of such hazardous compounds. The similarities in gene organization and homology seen between evolved chlorocatechol genes and parent catechol genes suggest that natural microorganisms evolve new degradative functions by recruiting genes that encode analogous functions for structurally similar compounds and introduce mutational or recombinational alterations to allow broadening or changes in the specificity of gene products to use chlorinated compounds as substrates. The use of the microbial surfactant BIO-EM in cleaning up oil spills is discussed. 37 refs., 5 figs

Bio-oil and bio-char production from corn cobs and stover by fast pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullen, Charles A.; Boateng, Akwasi A.; Goldberg, Neil M.; Lima, Isabel M.; Laird, David A.; Hicks, Kevin B.

2010-01-01

Bio-oil and bio-char were produced from corn cobs and corn stover (stalks, leaves and husks) by fast pyrolysis using a pilot scale fluidized bed reactor. Yields of 60% (mass/mass) bio-oil (high heating values are ∼20 MJ kg -1 , and densities >1.0 Mg m -3 ) were realized from both corn cobs and from corn stover. The high energy density of bio-oil, ∼20-32 times on a per unit volume basis over the raw corn residues, offers potentially significant savings in transportation costs particularly for a distributed 'farm scale' bio-refinery system. Bio-char yield was 18.9% and 17.0% (mass/mass) from corn cobs and corn stover, respectively. Deploying the bio-char co-product, which contains most of the nutrient minerals from the corn residues, as well as a significant amount of carbon, to the land can enhance soil quality, sequester carbon, and alleviate environmental problems associated with removal of crop residues from fields.

Bio-methane & Bio-hydrogen. Status and perspectives of biological methane and hydrogen production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijffels, R.H.; Janssen, M.G.J.

2003-01-01

Eerst wordt het kader geschetst voor de potentiële rol van bio-methaan en bio-waterstof in de energiehuishouding en de invloeden daarop van de ontwikkeling van eindgebruikstechnologie en infrastructuur, en het energiebeleid. Daarna wordt uitvoerig ingegaan op de technieken voor bio-methaan en

Remediation plans in family medicine residency

Science.gov (United States)

Audétat, Marie-Claude; Voirol, Christian; Béland, Normand; Fernandez, Nicolas; Sanche, Gilbert

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective To assess use of the remediation instrument that has been implemented in training sites at the University of Montreal in Quebec to support faculty in diagnosing and remediating resident academic difficulties, to examine whether and how this particular remediation instrument improves the remediation process, and to determine its effects on the residents’ subsequent rotation assessments. Design A multimethods approach in which data were collected from different sources: remediation plans developed by faculty, program statistics for the corresponding academic years, and students’ academic records and rotation assessment results. Setting Family medicine residency program at the University of Montreal. Participants Family medicine residents in academic difficulty. Main outcome measures Assessment of the content, process, and quality of remediation plans, and students’ academic and rotation assessment results (successful, below expectations, or failure) both before and after the remediation period. Results The framework that was developed for assessing remediation plans was used to analyze 23 plans produced by 10 teaching sites for 21 residents. All plans documented cognitive problems and implemented numerous remediation measures. Although only 48% of the plans were of good quality, implementation of a remediation plan was positively associated with the resident’s success in rotations following the remediation period. Conclusion The use of remediation plans is well embedded in training sites at the University of Montreal. The residents’ difficulties were mainly cognitive in nature, but this generally related to deficits in clinical reasoning rather than knowledge gaps. The reflection and analysis required to produce a remediation plan helps to correct many academic difficulties and normalize the academic career of most residents in difficulty. Further effort is still needed to improve the quality of plans and to support teachers.

New IAEA guidelines on environmental remediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fesenko, Sergey [International Atomic Energy Agency, A2444, Seibersdorf (Austria); Howard, Brenda [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, LA1 4AP, Lancaster (United Kingdom); Kashparov, Valery [Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, 08162, 7, Mashinobudivnykiv str., Chabany, Kyivo-Svyatoshin region, Kyiv (Ukraine); Sanzharova, Natalie [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Russian Federation, 249032, Obninsk (Russian Federation); Vidal, Miquel [Analytical Chemistry Department-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2014-07-01

In response to the needs of its Member States, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published many documents covering different aspects of remediation of contaminated environments. These documents range from safety fundamentals and safety requirements to technical documents describing remedial technologies. Almost all the documents on environmental remediation are related to uranium mining areas and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. IAEA radiation safety standards on remediation of contaminated environments are largely based on these two types of remediation. The exception is a document related to accidents, namely the IAEA TRS No. 363 'Guidelines for Agricultural Countermeasures Following an Accidental Release of Radionuclides'. Since the publication of TRS 363, there has been a considerable increase in relevant information. In response, the IAEA initiated the development of a new document, which incorporated new knowledge obtained during last 20 years, lessons learned and subsequent changes in the regulatory framework. The new document covers all aspects related to the environmental remediation from site characterisation to a description of individual remedial actions and decision making frameworks, covering urban, agricultural, forest and freshwater environments. Decisions taken to commence remediation need to be based on an accurate assessment of the amount and extent of contamination in relevant environmental compartments and how they vary with time. Major aspects of site characterisation intended for remediation are described together with recommendations on effective sampling programmes and data compilation for decision making. Approaches for evaluation of remedial actions are given in the document alongside the factors and processes which affect their implementation for different environments. Lessons learned following severe radiation accidents indicate that remediation should be considered with respect to many different

BioAir: Bio-Inspired Airborne Infrastructure Reconfiguration

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

must also minimize resource usage due to limitations on the amount of processing , memory and power onboard a node. BioAIR assumes the availability of...subsequent maintenance of tentacles, each node will take one of the following roles: “ orphan ”, “free”, “tip”, “backbone” or “extra”. The BioAIR...algorithm dictates that when a node is disconnected from the tentacle or origin it is an orphan , and as such it will change its target to the nearest

Some Similarities and Differences Between Compositions Written by Remedial and Non-Remedial College Freshmen.

Science.gov (United States)

House, Elizabeth B.; House, William J.

The essays composed by 84 remedial and 77 nonremedial college freshmen were analyzed for some features proposed by Mina Shaughnessy as being characteristic of basic writers. The students were enrolled in either a beginning remedial class (098), a class at the next level of remediation (099), or a regular English class (101). The essays were…

Object reasoning for waste remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pennock, K.A.; Bohn, S.J.; Franklin, A.L.

1991-08-01

A large number of contaminated waste sites across the United States await size remediation efforts. These sites can be physically complex, composed of multiple, possibly interacting, contaminants distributed throughout one or more media. The Remedial Action Assessment System (RAAS) is being designed and developed to support decisions concerning the selection of remediation alternatives. The goal of this system is to broaden the consideration of remediation alternatives, while reducing the time and cost of making these considerations. The Remedial Action Assessment System is a hybrid system, designed and constructed using object-oriented, knowledge- based systems, and structured programming techniques. RAAS uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative reasoning to consider and suggest remediation alternatives. The reasoning process that drives this application is centered around an object-oriented organization of remediation technology information. This paper describes the information structure and organization used to support this reasoning process. In addition, the paper describes the level of detail of the technology related information used in RAAS, discusses required assumptions and procedural implications of these assumptions, and provides rationale for structuring RAAS in this manner. 3 refs., 3 figs

Enhanced biodegradation of lindane using oil-in-water bio-microemulsion stabilized by biosurfactant produced by a new yeast strain, Pseudozyma VITJzN01.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdul Salam, Jaseetha; Das, Nilanjana

2013-11-28

Organochlorine pesticide residues continue to remain as a major environmental threat worldwide. Lindane is an organochlorine pesticide widely used as an acaricide in medicine and agriculture. In the present study, a new lindane-degrading yeast strain, Pseudozyma VITJzN01, was identified as a copious producer of glycolipid biosurfactant. The glycolipid structure and type were elucidated by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, and GC-MS analysis. The surface activity and stability of the glycolipid was analyzed. The glycolipids, characterized as mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), exhibited excellent surface active properties and the surface tension of water was reduced to 29 mN/m. The glycolipid was stable over a wide range of pH, temperature, and salinity, showing a very low CMC of 25 mg/l. Bio-microemulsion of olive oil-in-water (O/W) was prepared using the purified biosurfactant without addition of any synthetic cosurfactants, for lindane solubilization and enhanced degradation assay in liquid and soil slurry. The O/W bio-microemulsions enhanced the solubility of lindane up to 40-folds. Degradation of lindane (700 mg/l) by VITJzN01 in liquid medium amended with bio-microemulsions was found to be enhanced by 36% in 2 days, compared with degradation in 12 days in the absence of bio-microemulsions. Lindane-spiked soil slurry incubated with bio-microemulsions also showed 20-40% enhanced degradation compared with the treatment with glycolipids or yeast alone. This is the first report on lindane degradation by Pseudozyma sp., and application of bio-microemulsions for enhanced lindane degradation. MEL-stabilized bio-microemulsions can serve as a potential tool for enhanced remediation of diverse lindanecontaminated environments.

Production of bio-energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurtler, J.L.; Femenias, A.; Blondy, J.

2009-01-01

After having indicated the various possible origins of biomass, this paper considers the issue of bio-energies, i.e., energies produced with biomass related to forest or agriculture production. Some indicators are defined (share of renewable energies, share of biomass in the energy production and consumption, number of production units). Stake holders are identified. Then, major and emerging trends are identified and discussed. The major trends are: development and diversification of renewable energies, development of bio-fuels with the support of incentive policies, prevalence of the wood-energy sector on the whole renewable energies, increase of surfaces dedicated to bio-fuels since the end of the 1990's, a French biogas sector which is late with respect to other countries. The emerging trends are: the important role of oil price in the development of bio-fuels, a necessary public support for the development of biogas, mobilization of research and development of competitiveness poles for bio-industries. Some prospective issues are also discussed in terms of uncertainties (soil availabilities, environmental performance of bio-fuels, available biomass resource, need of a technological advance, and evolution of energy needs on a medium term, tax and public policy). Three hypotheses of bio-energy evolutions are discussed

Determining the bio-based content of bio-plastics used in Thailand by radiocarbon analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ploykrathok, T.; Chanyotha, S.

2017-06-01

Presently, there is an increased interest in the development of bio-plastic products from agricultural materials which are biodegradable in order to reduce the problem of waste disposal. Since the amount of modern carbon in bio-plastics can indicate how much the amount of agricultural materials are contained in the bio-plastic products, this research aims to determine the modern carbon in bio-plastic using the carbon dioxide absorption method. The radioactivity of carbon-14 contained in the sample is measured by liquid scintillation counter (Tri-carb 3110 TR, PerkinElmer). The percentages of bio-based content in the samples were determined by comparing the observed modern carbon content with the values contained in agricultural raw materials. The experimental results show that only poly(lactic acid) samples have the modern carbon content of 97.4%, which is close to the agricultural materials while other bio-plastics types are found to have less than 50% of the modern carbon content. In other words, most of these bio-plastic samples were mixed with other materials which are not agriculturally originated.

Determining the bio-based content of bio-plastics used in Thailand by radiocarbon analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ploykrathok, T; Chanyotha, S

2017-01-01

Presently, there is an increased interest in the development of bio-plastic products from agricultural materials which are biodegradable in order to reduce the problem of waste disposal. Since the amount of modern carbon in bio-plastics can indicate how much the amount of agricultural materials are contained in the bio-plastic products, this research aims to determine the modern carbon in bio-plastic using the carbon dioxide absorption method. The radioactivity of carbon-14 contained in the sample is measured by liquid scintillation counter (Tri-carb 3110 TR, PerkinElmer). The percentages of bio-based content in the samples were determined by comparing the observed modern carbon content with the values contained in agricultural raw materials. The experimental results show that only poly(lactic acid) samples have the modern carbon content of 97.4%, which is close to the agricultural materials while other bio-plastics types are found to have less than 50% of the modern carbon content. In other words, most of these bio-plastic samples were mixed with other materials which are not agriculturally originated. (paper)

Bio-oil and bio-char production from corn cobs and stover by fast pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mullen, Charles A.; Boateng, Akwasi A.; Goldberg, Neil M.; Hicks, Kevin B. [Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038 (United States); Lima, Isabel M. [Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1100 Robert E. Lee Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124 (United States); Laird, David A. [National Soil Tilth Laboratory, U.S. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2110 University Blvd., Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

2010-01-15

Bio-oil and bio-char were produced from corn cobs and corn stover (stalks, leaves and husks) by fast pyrolysis using a pilot scale fluidized bed reactor. Yields of 60% (mass/mass) bio-oil (high heating values are {proportional_to}20 MJ kg{sup -1}, and densities >1.0 Mg m{sup -3}) were realized from both corn cobs and from corn stover. The high energy density of bio-oil, {proportional_to}20-32 times on a per unit volume basis over the raw corn residues, offers potentially significant savings in transportation costs particularly for a distributed ''farm scale'' bio-refinery system. Bio-char yield was 18.9% and 17.0% (mass/mass) from corn cobs and corn stover, respectively. Deploying the bio-char co-product, which contains most of the nutrient minerals from the corn residues, as well as a significant amount of carbon, to the land can enhance soil quality, sequester carbon, and alleviate environmental problems associated with removal of crop residues from fields. (author)

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 8 Air-Based Remediation Technology Selection Logic

Science.gov (United States)

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

200-UP-1 groundwater remedial design/remedial action work plan. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-07-01

This 200-UP-1 remedial design report presents the objective and rationale developed for the design and implementation of the selected interim remedial measure for the 200-UP-1 Operable Unit, located in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site

Genealogy Remediated

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marselis, Randi

2007-01-01

Genealogical websites are becoming an increasingly popular genre on the Web. This chapter will examine how remediation is used creatively in the construction of family history. While remediation of different kinds of old memory materials is essential in genealogy, digital technology opens new...... possibilities. Genealogists use their private websites to negotiate family identity and hereby create a sense of belonging in an increasingly complex society. Digital technologies enhance the possibilities of coorporation between genealogists. Therefore, the websites are also used to present archival...

Spatial variation of electrode position in bioelectrochemical treatment system: Design consideration for azo dye remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeruva, Dileep Kumar; Shanthi Sravan, J; Butti, Sai Kishore; Annie Modestra, J; Venkata Mohan, S

2018-05-01

In the present study, three bio-electrochemical treatment systems (BET) were designed with variations in cathode electrode placement [air exposed (BET1), partially submerged (BET2) and fully submerged (BET3)] to evaluate azo-dye based wastewater treatment at three dye loading concentrations (50, 250 and 500 mg L -1 ). Highest dye decolorization (94.5 ± 0.4%) and COD removal (62.2 ± 0.8%) efficiencies were observed in BET3 (fully submerged electrodes) followed by BET1 and BET2, while bioelectrogenic activity was highest in BET1 followed by BET2 and BET3. It was observed that competition among electron acceptors (electrode, dye molecules and intermediates) critically regulated the fate of bio-electrogenesis to be higher in BET1 and dye removal higher in BET3. Maximum half-cell potentials in BET3 depict higher electron acceptance by electrodes utilized for dye degradation. Study infers that spatial positioning of electrodes in BET3 is more suitable towards dye remediation, which can be considered for scaling-up/designing a treatment plant for large-scale industrial applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BioHack*Kolding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilde, Danielle

Short Abstract BioHack*Kolding explores the potential of do-it-together biology to support community building in a town that lacks strong science representation, assisting participants to reflect on the bio-potential of their personal, social and political ecologies and to translate their ideas...... into action. Long Abstract Organisations that support lay people to practice bioscience alongside experts are proliferating. They enable interested people to join the global discussion on Bio Engineering by supporting them to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to do it themselves. Such organisations play...... an important role in facilitating informed debate around the biological sciences. Yet they cannot reach everyone. BioHack*Kolding asks how community-focused biology initiatives can reach people in smaller towns that lack science representation, so that they too can join the debate and ensure that its...

Eggshell membrane as a novel bio sorbent for remediation of boron from desalinated water.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ghouti, Mohammad A; Khan, Mariam

2018-02-01

This study investigated the use of eggshell membrane (ESM) as a bio-sorbent and the effect of temperature, pH, and initial concentration on its efficiency. Furthermore, by altering the chemical composition, modified eggshell membrane (MESM) was prepared, and its efficiency was compared with the ESM. Results showed that the adsorption of boron preferred an acidic condition; pH 6 at 35 °C. In addition, the positive value of ΔH° suggested that the reaction favored endothermic pathway, while the negative value for ΔG° further suggested that the adsorption process was spontaneous. Furthermore, the ESM could adsorb 97% of boron, while MESM was able to adsorb 95%. From the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), different functional groups were recorded on the surface of the ESM and MESM, and they played key role in the boron adsorption mechanisms. Linear Freundlich model was suggested to best describe the experimental data with 99.4% correlation coefficient. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endocrine disruptive estrogens role in electron transfer: bio-electrochemical remediation with microbial mediated electrogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, A Kiran; Reddy, M Venkateswar; Chandrasekhar, K; Srikanth, S; Mohan, S Venkata

2012-01-01

Bioremediation of selected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs)/estrogens viz. estriol (E3) and ethynylestradiol (EE2) was evaluated in bio-electrochemical treatment (BET) system with simultaneous power generation. Estrogens supplementation along with wastewater documented enhanced electrogenic activity indicating their function in electron transfer between biocatalyst and anode as electron shuttler. EE2 addition showed more positive impact on the electrogenic activity compared to E3 supplementation. Higher estrogen concentration showed inhibitory effect on the BET performance. Poising potential during start up phase showed a marginal influence on the power output. The electrons generated during substrate degradation might have been utilized for the EDCs break down. Fuel cell behavior and anodic oxidation potential supported the observed electrogenic activity with the function of estrogens removal. Voltammetric profiles, dehydrogenase and phosphatase enzyme activities were also found to be in agreement with the power generation, electron discharge and estrogens removal. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mold: Cleanup and Remediation

Science.gov (United States)

... National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) Cleanup and Remediation Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir On This ... CDC and EPA on mold cleanup, removal and remediation. Cleanup information for you and your family Homeowner’s ...

The problem of bio-concepts: biopolitics, bio-economy and the political economy of nothing

Science.gov (United States)

Birch, Kean

2017-12-01

Scholars in science and technology studies—and no doubt other fields—have increasingly drawn on Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics to theorize a variety of new `bio-concepts'. While there might be some theoretical value in such exercises, many of these bio-concepts have simply replaced more rigorous—and therefore time-consuming—analytical work. This article provides a (sympathetic) critique of these various bio-concepts, especially as they are applied to the emerging `bio-economy'. In so doing, the article seeks to show that the analysis of the bio-economy could be better framed as a political economy of nothing. This has several implications for science education, which are raised in the article.

Method to upgrade bio-oils to fuel and bio-crude

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Philip H; Pittman, Jr., Charles U; Ingram, Jr., Leonard L; Gajjela, Sanjeev; Zhang, Zhijun; Bhattacharya, Priyanka

2013-12-10

This invention relates to a method and device to produce esterified, olefinated/esterified, or thermochemolytic reacted bio-oils as fuels. The olefinated/esterified product may be utilized as a biocrude for input to a refinery, either alone or in combination with petroleum crude oils. The bio-oil esterification reaction is catalyzed by addition of alcohol and acid catalyst. The olefination/esterification reaction is catalyzed by addition of resin acid or other heterogeneous catalyst to catalyze olefins added to previously etherified bio-oil; the olefins and alcohol may also be simultaneously combined and catalyzed by addition of resin acid or other heterogeneous catalyst to produce the olefinated/esterified product.

From biowaste to magnet-responsive materials for water remediation from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Nisticò, Roberto; Cesano, Federico; Franzoso, Flavia; Magnacca, Giuliana; Scarano, Domenica; Funes, Israel G; Carlos, Luciano; Parolo, Maria E

2018-07-01

Composted urban biowaste-derived substances (BBS-GC) are used as carbon sources for the preparation of carbon-coated magnet-sensitive nanoparticles obtained via co-precipitation method and the subsequent thermal treatment at 550 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. A multitechnique approach has been applied to investigate the morphology, magnetic properties, phase composition, thermal stability of the obtained magnet-sensitive materials. In particular, pyrolysis-induced modifications affecting the BBS-GC/carbon shell were highlighted. The adsorption capacity of such bio-derivative magnetic materials for the removal of hydrophobic contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was evaluated in order to verify their potential application in wastewater remediation process. The promising results suggest their use as a new generation of magnet-responsive easily-recoverable adsorbents for water purification treatments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategy paper. Remedial design/remedial action 100 Area. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donahoe, R.L.

1995-07-01

The purpose of this planning document is to identify and define the approach for remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) in the 100 Area of the Hanford Site, located in southeastern Washington State. Additionally, this document will support the Hanford Site Environmental Restoration Contract (ERC) team, the US Department of Energy (DOE), and regulatory agencies in identifying and agreeing upon the complete process for expedited cleanup of the 100 Area

Electrodialytic Remediation of Copper Mine Tailings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, H.K.; Rojo, A.; Ottosen, L.M.

2012-01-01

This work compares and evaluates sixteen electrodialytic laboratory remediation experiments on copper mine tailings. Different parameters were analysed, such as remediation time, addition of desorbing agents, and the use of pulsed electrical fields.......This work compares and evaluates sixteen electrodialytic laboratory remediation experiments on copper mine tailings. Different parameters were analysed, such as remediation time, addition of desorbing agents, and the use of pulsed electrical fields....

MGP site remediation: Working toward presumptive remedies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, B.R.

1996-01-01

Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs) were prevalent in the United States during the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. MGPs produced large quantities of waste by-products, which varied depending on the process used to manufacture the gas, but most commonly were tars and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. There are an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 abandoned MGP sites across the United States. Because these sites are not concentrated in one geographic location and at least three different manufacturing processes were used, the waste characteristics are very heterogeneous. The question of site remediation becomes how to implement a cost-effective remediation with the variety of cleanup technologies available for these sites. Because of the significant expenditure required for characterization and cleanup of MGP sites, owners and regulatory agencies are beginning to look at standardizing cleanup technologies for these sites. This paper discusses applicable cleanup technologies and the attitude of state regulatory agencies towards the use of presumptive remedies, which can reduce the amount of characterization and detailed analysis necessary for any particular site. Additionally, this paper outlines the process of screening and evaluating candidate technologies, and the progress being made to match the technology to the site

Site remediation: The naked truth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calloway, J.M.

1991-01-01

The objective of any company faced with an environmental site remediation project is to perform the cleanup effectively at the lowest possible cost. Today, there are a variety of techniques being applied in the remediation of sites involving soils and sludges. The most popular include: stabilization, incineration, bioremediation and off-site treatment. Dewatering may also play an integral role in a number of these approaches. Selecting the most cost-effective technique for remediation of soils and sludges can be a formidable undertaking, namely because it is often difficult to quantify certain expenses in advance of the project. In addition to providing general cost guidelines for various aspects of soil and sludge remediation, this paper will show how some significant cost factors can be affected by conditions related to specific remediation projects and the cleanup technology being applied

Remediation using trace element humate surfactant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riddle, Catherine Lynn; Taylor, Steven Cheney; Bruhn, Debra Fox

2016-08-30

A method of remediation at a remediation site having one or more undesirable conditions in which one or more soil characteristics, preferably soil pH and/or elemental concentrations, are measured at a remediation site. A trace element humate surfactant composition is prepared comprising a humate solution, element solution and at least one surfactant. The prepared trace element humate surfactant composition is then dispensed onto the remediation site whereby the trace element humate surfactant composition will reduce the amount of undesirable compounds by promoting growth of native species activity. By promoting native species activity, remediation occurs quickly and environmental impact is minimal.

Remedial action and waste disposal project: 100-B/C remedial action readiness evaluation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

April, J.G.; Bryant, D.L.; Cislo, G.B.

1996-06-01

The Readiness Evaluation Plan presents the methodology used to assess the readiness of the 100-B/C Remedial Action Project. The 100 Areas Remedial Action Project will remediate the 100 Areas liquid waste site identified in the Interim Action Record of Decision for the 100- BC-1, 100-DR-1, and 100-HR-1 Operable Units. These sites are located in the 100 Area of the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington

Bio diesel production from algae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khola, G.; Ghazala, B.

2011-01-01

Algae appear to be an emerging source of biomass for bio diesel that has the potential to completely displace fossil fuel. Two thirds of earth's surface is covered with water, thus alga e would truly be renewable option of great potential for global energy needs. This study discusses specific and comparative bio diesel quantitative potential of Cladophora sp., also highlighting its biomass (after oil extraction), pH and sediments (glycerine, water and pigments) quantitative properties. Comparison of Cladophora sp., with Oedogonium sp., and Spirogyra sp., (Hossain et al., 2008) shows that Cladophora sp., produce higher quantity of bio diesel than Spirogyra sp., whereas biomass and sediments were higher than the both algal specimens in comparison to the results obtained by earlier workers. No prominent difference in pH of bio diesel was found. In Pakistan this is a first step towards bio diesel production from algae. Results indicate that Cladophora sp., provide a reasonable quantity of bio diesel, its greater biomass after oil extraction and sediments make it a better option for bio diesel production than the comparing species. (author)

Thermal soil remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, D.

1999-01-01

The environmental properties and business aspects of thermal soil remediation are described. Thermal soil remediation is considered as being the best option in cleaning contaminated soil for reuse. The thermal desorption process can remove hydrocarbons such as gasoline, kerosene and crude oil, from contaminated soil. Nelson Environmental Remediation (NER) Ltd. uses a mobile thermal desorption unit (TDU) with high temperature capabilities. NER has successfully applied the technology to target heavy end hydrocarbon removal from Alberta's gumbo clay in all seasons. The TDU consist of a feed system, a counter flow rotary drum kiln, a baghouse particulate removal system, and a secondary combustion chamber known as an afterburner. The technology has proven to be cost effective and more efficient than bioremediation and landfarming

Bio-optofluidics and Bio-photonics: Programmable Phase Optics activities at DTU Fotonik

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bañas, Andrew Rafael; Palima, Darwin; Pedersen, Finn

We present ongoing research and development activities for constructing a compact next generation BioPhotonics Workstation and a Bio-optofluidic Cell Sorter (cell-BOCS) for all-optical micromanipulation platforms utilizing low numerical aperture beam geometries. Unlike conventional high NA optical...... tweezers, the BioPhotonics workstation is e.g. capable of long range 3D manipulation. This enables a variety of biological studies such as manipulation of intricate microfabricated assemblies or for automated and parallel optofluidic cell sorting. To further reduce its overhead, we propose ways of making...... the BioPhotonics Workstation platform more photon efficient by studying the 3D distribution of the counter propagating beams and utilizing the Generalized Phase Contrast (GPC) method for illuminating the applied spatial light modulators....

Bio-energy status document 2012; Statusdocument bio-energie 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bles, M.; Schepers, B.L.; Van Grinsven, A.H.; Bergsma, G.C.; Croezen, H.C.

2013-05-15

In 2012 bio-energy contributed over 71 PJ to the Dutch energy supply, a rise of almost 2 PJ over 2011. This means that 75% of the renewable energy consumed in the Netherlands is now derived from biomass. The growth is due mainly to the increase in the mandatory biotransport fuel percentage from 4.25% to 4.5%. The use of energy from 'other biomass combustion' (incl. paper sludge, green waste and chicken excrement) recovered to the level of 2010, following a marked drop in 2011 due to plant maintenance, termination of the MEP ('Environmental Quality of Power Generation') subsidy scheme and high biomass prices. At large power stations there was a considerable decrease in co-incineration of biomass because of incidents (a fire at the Nijmegen coal-fired plant) and a maintenance backlog (at the Amer power station). These are some of the results reported in the 'Bio-energy status document 2012', prepared by CE Delft for NL Agency. In addition to a review and characterisation of the current situation, the report contains an update on government policies on bio-energy and a review of the sources and sustainability of the biomass used in the Netherlands [Dutch] De bijdrage van bio-energie aan de Nederlandse energievoorziening bedroeg in 2012 ruim 71 PJ, een stijging van bijna 2 PJ ten opzichte van 2011. Daarmee is 75% van het verbruik van hernieuwbare energie in Nederland afkomstig van bio-energie. De stijging wordt vooral veroorzaakt door de oplopende bijmengplicht van biotransportbrandstoffen van 4,25% naar 4,5%. Verbruik van energie uit 'overige biomassaverbranding' (o.a. papierslib, groenafval en kippenmest) herstelde zicht tot het niveau van 2010, na een forse daling in 2011 door onderhoud aan installaties, afloop van MEP-subsidies en hoge prijzen van biomassa. Het bij- en meestoken van biomassa in grote elektriciteitscentrales daalde juist aanzienlijk door calamiteiten en uitloop van onderhoud (brand kolencentrale bij Nijmegen

Development of methods for remediation of artificial polluted soils and improvement of soils for ecologically clean agricultural production systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogachev, V.; Adrianova, G.; Zaitzev, V.; Kalinin, V.; Kovalenko, E.; Makeev, A.; Malikova, L.; Popov, Yu.; Savenkov, A.; Shnyakina, V.

1996-01-01

The purpose of the research: Development of methods for the remediation of artificial polluted soils and the improvement of polluted lands to ecologically clean agricultural production.The following tasks will be implemented in this project to achieve viable practical solutions: - To determine the priority pollutants, their ecological pathways, and sources of origin. - To form a supervised environmental monitoring data bank throughout the various geo system conditions. - To evaluate the degree of the bio geo system pollution and the influence on the health of the local human populations. - To establish agricultural plant tolerance levels to the priority pollutants. - To calculate the standard concentrations of the priority pollutants for main agricultural plant groups. - To develop a soil remediation methodology incorporating the structural, functional geo system features. - To establish a territory zone division methodology in consideration of the degree of component pollution, plant tolerance to pollutants, plant production conditions, and human health. - Scientific grounding of the soil remediation proposals and agricultural plant material introductions with soil pollution levels and relative plant tolerances to pollutants. Technological Means, Methods, and Approaches Final proposed solutions will be based upon geo system and ecosystem approaches and methodologies. The complex ecological valuation methods of the polluted territories will be used in this investigation. Also, laboratory culture in vitro, application work, and multi-factor field experiments will be conducted. The results will be statistically analyzed using appropriate methods. Expected Results Complex biogeochemical artificial province assessment according to primary pollutant concentrations. Development of agricultural plant tolerance levels relative to the priority pollutants. Assessment of newly introduced plant materials that may possess variable levels of pollution tolerance. Remediation

Utilization of oil palm tree residues to produce bio-oil and bio-char via pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abnisa, Faisal; Arami-Niya, Arash; Wan Daud, W.M.A.; Sahu, J.N.; Noor, I.M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • About 14.72% of the total landmass in Malaysia was used for oil palm plantations. • Oil palm tree residues were pyrolyzed to produce bio-oil and bio-char. • The process was performed at a temperature of 500 °C and reaction time of 60 min. • Characterization of the products was performed. - Abstract: Oil palm tree residues are a rich biomass resource in Malaysia, and it is therefore very important that they be utilized for more beneficial purposes, particularly in the context of the development of biofuels. This paper described the possibility of utilizing oil palm tree residues as biofuels by producing bio-oil and bio-char via pyrolysis. The process was performed in a fixed-bed reactor at a temperature of 500 °C, a nitrogen flow rate of 2 L/min and a reaction time of 60 min. The physical and chemical properties of the products, which are important for biofuel testing, were then characterized. The results showed that the yields of the bio-oil and bio-char obtained from different residues varied within the ranges of 16.58–43.50 wt% and 28.63–36.75 wt%, respectively. The variations in the yields resulted from differences in the relative amounts of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, volatiles, fixed carbon, and ash in the samples. The energy density of the bio-char was found to be higher than that of the bio-oil. The highest energy density of the bio-char was obtained from a palm leaf sample (23.32 MJ/kg), while that of the bio-oil was obtained from a frond sample (15.41 MJ/kg)

Understanding bio-economics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patel, M.K.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/18988097X

2008-01-01

New plants for production of bio-based fuels, chemicals or plastics are being set up at an accelerating pace. However, this transition towards bio-based fuels, feedstocks and chemicals has not come without consequences. Increased demand has pushed up prices of key agricultural products such as maize

Remedial action and waste disposal project -- 300-FF-1 remedial action readiness assessment plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

April, J.G.; Carlson, R.A.; Greif, A.A.; Johnson, C.R.; Orewiler, R.I.; Perry, D.M.; Plastino, J.C.; Roeck, F.V.; Tuttle, B.G.

1997-04-01

This Readiness Assessment Plan presents the methodology used to assess the readiness of the 300-FF-1 Remedial Action Project. Remediation involves the excavation, treatment if applicable, and final disposal of contaminated soil and debris associated with the waste sites in the 300-FF-1 Operable Unit. The scope of the 300-FF-1 remediation is to excavate, transport, and dispose of contaminated solid from sites identified in the 300-FF-1 Operable Unit

Adsorption of iron by using hybrid Akar Putra and commercialized chicken eggshells as bio-sorbents from aqueous solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.M. Nasir

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Heavy metal contamination in the environment could cause harmful effects both to human health and aquatic life. Numerous remediation methods had been developed to encounter with the contamination problem prior to degrade, decrease and to purify the contaminated water at minimal concentration as low as possible. Therefore, in current study, commercialized chicken eggshells and hybrid Akar Putra chicken eggshells were conducted in batch experiment to testify the capabilities of bio-sorbent materials in iron (II ion removal from aqueous solution at optimized level of dosage and equilibrium contact time. The optimum condition for iron (II removal for commercialized chicken eggshells and hybrid Akar Putra chicken eggshells bio-sorbents reached at 0.30 g with optimum contact time of 50 minutes and 91.83% and 91.07% of removal percentage with 0.60 g at 40 minutes. The final concentration from both bio-sorbents is achieved below than drinking water guideline (0.30 mg/L, 0.1635 mg/L and 0.1785 mg/L, respectively. The isotherm adsorption results showed it fitted better in Langmuir Isotherm Model than in Freundlich Isotherm Model, however with weak bonding, which could not held onto the heavy metal ions in long time period. In brief, commercialized chicken eggshells and hybrid Akar Putra chicken eggshells have considerable potential in removing heavy metal in aqueous solution. The selection of the bio-sorbent materials is more favorable as it reduces dependency towards chemical usage in water treatment which could have complied with drinking water guideline that can be obtained easily, abundance in amount, cheap and biodegradable.

Assessing sustainable remediation frameworks using sustainability principles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridsdale, D Reanne; Noble, Bram F

2016-12-15

The remediation industry has grown exponentially in recent decades. International organizations of practitioners and remediation experts have developed several frameworks for integrating sustainability into remediation projects; however, there has been limited attention to how sustainability is approached and operationalized in sustainable remediation frameworks and practices - or whether sustainability plays any meaningful role at all in sustainable remediation. This paper examines how sustainability is represented in remediation frameworks and the guidance provided for practical application. Seven broad sustainability principles and review criteria are proposed and applied to a sample of six international remediation frameworks. Not all review criteria were equally satisfied and none of the frameworks fully met all criteria; however, the best performing frameworks were those identified as sustainability remediation frameworks. Intra-generational equity was addressed by all frameworks. Integrating social, economic and biophysical components beyond triple-bottom-line indicators was explicitly addressed only by the sustainable remediation frameworks. No frameworks provided principle- or rule-based guidance for dealing with trade-offs in sustainability decisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bio-inspired networking

CERN Document Server

Câmara, Daniel

2015-01-01

Bio-inspired techniques are based on principles, or models, of biological systems. In general, natural systems present remarkable capabilities of resilience and adaptability. In this book, we explore how bio-inspired methods can solve different problems linked to computer networks. Future networks are expected to be autonomous, scalable and adaptive. During millions of years of evolution, nature has developed a number of different systems that present these and other characteristics required for the next generation networks. Indeed, a series of bio-inspired methods have been successfully used to solve the most diverse problems linked to computer networks. This book presents some of these techniques from a theoretical and practical point of view. Discusses the key concepts of bio-inspired networking to aid you in finding efficient networking solutions Delivers examples of techniques both in theoretical concepts and practical applications Helps you apply nature's dynamic resource and task management to your co...

Risk-based remediation: Approach and application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frishmuth, R.A.; Benson, L.A.

1995-01-01

The principle objective of remedial actions is to protect human health and the environment. Risk assessments are the only defensible tools available to demonstrate to the regulatory community and public that this objective can be achieved. Understanding the actual risks posed by site-related contamination is crucial to designing cost-effective remedial strategies. All to often remedial actions are overdesigned, resulting in little to no increase in risk reduction while increasing project cost. Risk-based remedial actions have recently been embraced by federal and state regulators, industry, government, the scientific community, and the public as a mechanism to implement rapid and cost-effective remedial actions. Emphasizing risk reduction, rather than adherence to ambiguous and generic standards, ensures that only remedial actions required to protect human health and the environment at a particular site are implemented. Two sites are presented as case studies on how risk-based approaches are being used to remediate two petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites. The sites are located at two US Air Force Bases, Wurtsmith Air Force Base (AFB) in Oscoda, Michigan and Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana

Cost considerations in remediation and disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dance, J.T.; Huddleston, R.D.

1999-01-01

Opportunities for assessing the costs associated with the reclamation and remediation of sites contaminated by oilfield wastes are discussed. The savings can be maximized by paying close attention to five different aspects of the overall site remediation and disposal process. These are: (1) highly focused site assessment, (2) cost control of treatment and disposal options, (3) value added cost benefits, (4) opportunities to control outside influences during the remedial process, and (5) opportunities for managing long-term liabilities and residual risk remaining after the remedial program is completed. It is claimed that addressing these aspects of the process will ultimately lower the overall cost of site remediation and waste disposal

CENTRAL PLATEAU REMEDIATION OPTIMIZATION STUDY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

BERGMAN, T. B.; STEFANSKI, L. D.; SEELEY, P. N.; ZINSLI, L. C.; CUSACK, L. J.

2012-09-19

THE CENTRAL PLATEAU REMEDIATION OPTIMIZATION STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DEVELOP AN OPTIMAL SEQUENCE OF REMEDIATION ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTING THE CERCLA DECISION ON THE CENTRAL PLATEAU. THE STUDY DEFINES A SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES THAT RESULT IN AN EFFECTIVE USE OF RESOURCES FROM A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE WHEN CONSIDERING EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT AND STAGING, WORKFORCE MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION, WORKFORCE LEVELING, WORKFORCE SKILL-MIX, AND OTHER REMEDIATION/DISPOSITION PROJECT EXECUTION PARAMETERS.

[Cognitive remediation and nursing care].

Science.gov (United States)

Schenin-King, Palmyre; Thomas, Fanny; Braha-Zeitoun, Sonia; Bouaziz, Noomane; Januel, Dominique

2016-01-01

Therapies based on cognitive remediation integrate psychiatric care. Cognitive remediation helps to ease cognitive disorders and enable patients to improve their day-to-day lives. It is essential to complete nurses' training in this field. This article presents the example of a patient with schizophrenia who followed the Cognitive Remediation Therapy programme, enabling him to access mainstream employment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Plant-based remediation processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, Dharmendra Kumar (ed.) [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK.CEN), Mol (Belgium). Radiological Impact and Performance Assessment Division

2013-11-01

A valuable source of information for scientists in the field of environmental pollution and remediation. Describes the latest biotechnological methods for the treatment of contaminated soils. Includes case studies and protocols. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that employs higher plants for the clean-up of contaminated environments. Basic and applied research have unequivocally demonstrated that selected plant species possess the genetic potential to accumulate, degrade, metabolize and immobilize a wide range of contaminants. The main focus of this volume is on the recent advances of technologies using green plants for remediation of various metals and metalloids. Topics include biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution, amendments of higher uptake of toxic metals, transport of heavy metals in plants, and toxicity mechanisms. Further chapters discuss agro-technological methods for minimizing pollution while improving soil quality, transgenic approaches to heavy metal remediation and present protocols for metal remediation via in vitro root cultures.

Pyrolysis of waste animal fats in a fixed-bed reactor: Production and characterization of bio-oil and bio-char

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben Hassen-Trabelsi, A., E-mail: aidabenhassen@yahoo.fr [Centre de Recherche et de Technologies de l’Energie (CRTEn), Technopôle Borj-Cédria, B.P 95, 2050, Hammam Lif (Tunisia); Kraiem, T. [Centre de Recherche et de Technologies de l’Energie (CRTEn), Technopôle Borj-Cédria, B.P 95, 2050, Hammam Lif (Tunisia); Département de Géologie, Université de Tunis, 2092, Tunis (Tunisia); Naoui, S. [Centre de Recherche et de Technologies de l’Energie (CRTEn), Technopôle Borj-Cédria, B.P 95, 2050, Hammam Lif (Tunisia); Belayouni, H. [Département de Géologie, Université de Tunis, 2092, Tunis (Tunisia)

2014-01-15

Highlights: • Produced bio-fuels (bio-oil and bio-char) from some animal fatty wastes. • Investigated the effects of main parameters on pyrolysis products distribution. • Determined the suitable conditions for the production of the maximum of bio-oil. • Characterized bio-oils and bio-chars obtained from several animal fatty wastes. - Abstract: Several animal (lamb, poultry and swine) fatty wastes were pyrolyzed under nitrogen, in a laboratory scale fixed-bed reactor and the main products (liquid bio-oil, solid bio-char and syngas) were obtained. The purpose of this study is to produce and characterize bio-oil and bio-char obtained from pyrolysis of animal fatty wastes. The maximum production of bio-oil was achieved at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C and a heating rate of 5 °C/min. The chemical (GC–MS analyses) and spectroscopic analyses (FTIR analyses) of bio-oil showed that it is a complex mixture consisting of different classes of organic compounds, i.e., hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cyclic compounds…etc.), carboxylic acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters,…etc. According to fuel properties, produced bio-oils showed good properties, suitable for its use as an engine fuel or as a potential source for synthetic fuels and chemical feedstock. Obtained bio-chars had low carbon content and high ash content which make them unattractive for as renewable source energy.

Pyrolysis of waste animal fats in a fixed-bed reactor: Production and characterization of bio-oil and bio-char

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Hassen-Trabelsi, A.; Kraiem, T.; Naoui, S.; Belayouni, H.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Produced bio-fuels (bio-oil and bio-char) from some animal fatty wastes. • Investigated the effects of main parameters on pyrolysis products distribution. • Determined the suitable conditions for the production of the maximum of bio-oil. • Characterized bio-oils and bio-chars obtained from several animal fatty wastes. - Abstract: Several animal (lamb, poultry and swine) fatty wastes were pyrolyzed under nitrogen, in a laboratory scale fixed-bed reactor and the main products (liquid bio-oil, solid bio-char and syngas) were obtained. The purpose of this study is to produce and characterize bio-oil and bio-char obtained from pyrolysis of animal fatty wastes. The maximum production of bio-oil was achieved at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C and a heating rate of 5 °C/min. The chemical (GC–MS analyses) and spectroscopic analyses (FTIR analyses) of bio-oil showed that it is a complex mixture consisting of different classes of organic compounds, i.e., hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cyclic compounds…etc.), carboxylic acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters,…etc. According to fuel properties, produced bio-oils showed good properties, suitable for its use as an engine fuel or as a potential source for synthetic fuels and chemical feedstock. Obtained bio-chars had low carbon content and high ash content which make them unattractive for as renewable source energy

Maxillary sinus floor augmentation with Bio-Oss or Bio-Oss mixed with autogenous bone as graft in animals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, T; Schou, S; Stavropoulos, Andreas

2012-01-01

The objective of the present systematic review was to test the hypothesis of no differences between the use of Bio-Oss or Bio-Oss mixed with autogenous bone as graft for maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA) applying the lateral window technique, as evaluated in animals. A MEDLINE (Pub...... of the graft improved significantly with increased proportion of Bio-Oss. Bone regeneration, bone-to-implant contact (BIC), biomechanical implant test values, and biodegradation of Bio-Oss after MSFA with Bio-Oss or Bio-Oss mixed with autogenous bone have never been compared within the same study in animals....... Thus, the hypothesis of no differences between the use of Bio-Oss and Bio-Oss mixed with autogenous bone as graft for MSFA could neither be confirmed nor rejected based on existing animal studies....

DOE'S remedial action assurance program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welty, C.G. Jr.; Needels, T.S.; Denham, D.H.

1984-10-01

The formulation and initial implementation of DOE's Assurance Program for Remedial Action are described. It was initiated in FY 84 and is expected to be further implemented in FY 85 as the activities of DOE's Remedial Action programs continue to expand. Further APRA implementation will include additional document reviews, site inspections, and program office appraisals with emphasis on Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program and Surplus Facilities Management Program

Remediation of spatial processing disorder (SPD).

Science.gov (United States)

Graydon, Kelley; Van Dun, Bram; Tomlin, Dani; Dowell, Richard; Rance, Gary

2018-05-01

To determine the efficacy of deficit-specific remediation for spatial processing disorder, quantify effects of remediation on functional listening, and determine if remediation is maintained. Participants had SPD, diagnosed using the Listening in Spatialised Noise-Sentences test. The LiSN and Learn software was provided as auditory training. Post-training, repeat LiSN-S testing was conducted. Questionnaires pre- and post-training acted as subjective measures of remediation. A late-outcome assessment established long-term effects of remediation. Sixteen children aged between 6;3 [years; months] and 10;0 completed between 20 and 146 training games. Post-training LiSN-S improved in measures containing spatial cues (p ≤ 0.001) by 2.0 SDs (3.6 dB) for DV90, 1.8 SDs for SV90 (3.2 dB), 1.4 SDs for spatial advantage (2.9 dB) and 1.6 SDs for total advantage (3.3 dB). Improvement was also found in the DV0 condition (1.4 dB or 0.5 SDs). Post-training changes were not significant in the talker advantage measure (1.0 dB or 0.4 SDs) or the SV0 condition (0.3 dB or 0.1 SDs). The late-outcome assessment demonstrated improvement was maintained. Subjective improvement post-remediation was observed using the parent questionnaire. Children with SPD had improved ability to utilise spatial cues following deficit-specific remediation, with the parent questionnaire sensitive to remediation. Effects of the remediation also appear to be sustained.

Navigating the Bio-Politics of Childhood

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Nick; Motzkau, Johanna

2011-01-01

Childhood research has long shared a bio-political terrain with state agencies in which children figure primarily as "human futures". In the 20th century bio-social dualism helped to make that terrain navigable by researchers, but, as life processes increasingly become key sites of bio-political action, bio-social dualism is becoming…

Transport of poly(acrylic acid) coated 2-line ferrihydrite nanoparticles in saturated aquifer sediments for environmental remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Aishuang; Zhou, Sheng; Koel, Bruce E.; Jaffé, Peter R.

2014-04-01

Groundwater remediation using iron oxide and zero-valent iron nanoparticles (NPs) can be effective, but is limited in many applications due to the NP strong retention in groundwater-saturated porous media after injection, the passivation of the porous surface, and the high cost of nanomaterials versus macro scale iron. In this study, we investigated transport of bare and polymer-coated 2-line ferrihydrite NPs (30-300 nm) in saturated aquifer sediments. The influence of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polymer coatings was studied on the colloidal stability and transport in sediments packed column tests simulating groundwater flow in saturated sediments. In addition, the influence of calcium cations was investigated by transport measurements using sediments with calcium concentrations in the aqueous phase ranging from 0.5 (typical for most sediments) to 2 mM. Measurements were also made of zeta potential, hydrodynamic diameter, polymer adsorption and desorption properties, and bio-availability of PAA-coated NPs. We found that NP transport through the saturated aquifer sediments was improved by PAA coating and that the transport properties could be tuned by adjusting the polymer concentration. We further discovered that PAA coatings enhanced NP transport, compared to bare NPs, in all calcium-containing experiments tested, however, the presence of calcium always exhibited a negative effect on NP transport. In tests of bioavailability, the iron reduction rate of the coated and bare NPs by Geobacter sulfurreducens was the same, which shows that the PAA coating does not significantly reduce NP Fe(III) bioavailability. Our results demonstrate that much improved transport of iron oxide NP can be achieved in saturated aquifer sediments by introducing negatively charged polyelectrolytes and optimizing polymer concentrations, and furthermore, these coated NPs retain their bioavailability that is needed for applications in bio-environmental remediation.

46 CFR 298.41 - Remedies after default.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Remedies after default. 298.41 Section 298.41 Shipping... Defaults and Remedies, Reporting Requirements, Applicability of Regulations § 298.41 Remedies after default... governing remedies after a default, which relate to our rights and duties, the rights and duties of the...

Bio-energy. Innovators talking; Bio-energie. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on bio-energy [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar bio-energie.

Bio-energy. Innovators talking; Bio-energie. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on bio-energy [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar bio-energie.

Bio-politics and the promotion of traditional herbal medicine in Vietnam

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahlberg, Ayo

2006-01-01

traditional herbal medicine came to be recruited as an important component of national efforts to promote the public health of urban and rural populations in Vietnam. Importantly, this has entailed a rejection of a colonial biopolitics that sought to marginalize ‘quackery’ in favour of a postcolonial bio......-politics that aims to promote the ‘appropriate’ use of traditional herbal medicines. While the Vietnamese case bears many parallels to other countries in this respect, notably China, Vietnam's ancient history of medicine, postcolonial isolation and extensive health delivery network have resulted in a unique strategy......It is often suggested that, in the past 50 years, Vietnam has experienced a traditional medicine ‘revival’ that can be traced back to late President Ho Chi Minh's 1955 appeal ‘to study means of uniting the effects of oriental remedies with those of Europe’. In this article, I demonstrate how...

The BioC-BioGRID corpus: full text articles annotated for curation of protein–protein and genetic interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sun; Chatr-aryamontri, Andrew; Chang, Christie S.; Oughtred, Rose; Rust, Jennifer; Wilbur, W. John; Comeau, Donald C.; Dolinski, Kara; Tyers, Mike

2017-01-01

A great deal of information on the molecular genetics and biochemistry of model organisms has been reported in the scientific literature. However, this data is typically described in free text form and is not readily amenable to computational analyses. To this end, the BioGRID database systematically curates the biomedical literature for genetic and protein interaction data. This data is provided in a standardized computationally tractable format and includes structured annotation of experimental evidence. BioGRID curation necessarily involves substantial human effort by expert curators who must read each publication to extract the relevant information. Computational text-mining methods offer the potential to augment and accelerate manual curation. To facilitate the development of practical text-mining strategies, a new challenge was organized in BioCreative V for the BioC task, the collaborative Biocurator Assistant Task. This was a non-competitive, cooperative task in which the participants worked together to build BioC-compatible modules into an integrated pipeline to assist BioGRID curators. As an integral part of this task, a test collection of full text articles was developed that contained both biological entity annotations (gene/protein and organism/species) and molecular interaction annotations (protein–protein and genetic interactions (PPIs and GIs)). This collection, which we call the BioC-BioGRID corpus, was annotated by four BioGRID curators over three rounds of annotation and contains 120 full text articles curated in a dataset representing two major model organisms, namely budding yeast and human. The BioC-BioGRID corpus contains annotations for 6409 mentions of genes and their Entrez Gene IDs, 186 mentions of organism names and their NCBI Taxonomy IDs, 1867 mentions of PPIs and 701 annotations of PPI experimental evidence statements, 856 mentions of GIs and 399 annotations of GI evidence statements. The purpose, characteristics and possible future

Secondary environmental impacts of remedial alternatives for sediment contaminated with hydrophobic organic contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Yongju; Thompson, Jay M; Lin, Diana; Cho, Yeo-Myoung; Ismail, Niveen S; Hsieh, Ching-Hong; Luthy, Richard G

2016-03-05

This study evaluates secondary environmental impacts of various remedial alternatives for sediment contaminated with hydrophobic organic contaminants using life cycle assessment (LCA). Three alternatives including two conventional methods, dredge-and-fill and capping, and an innovative sediment treatment technique, in-situ activated carbon (AC) amendment, are compared for secondary environmental impacts by a case study for a site at Hunters Point Shipyard, San Francisco, CA. The LCA results show that capping generates substantially smaller impacts than dredge-and-fill and in-situ amendment using coal-based virgin AC. The secondary impacts from in-situ AC amendment can be reduced effectively by using recycled or wood-based virgin AC as production of these materials causes much smaller impacts than coal-based virgin AC. The secondary environmental impacts are highly sensitive to the dredged amount and the distance to a disposal site for dredging, the capping thickness and the distance to the cap materials for capping, and the AC dose for in-situ AC amendment. Based on the analysis, this study identifies strategies to minimize secondary impacts caused by different remediation activities: optimize the dredged amount, the capping thickness, or the AC dose by extensive site assessments, obtain source materials from local sites, and use recycled or bio-based AC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

32 CFR 310.47 - Civil remedies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Civil remedies. 310.47 Section 310.47 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) PRIVACY PROGRAM DOD PRIVACY PROGRAM Privacy Act Violations § 310.47 Civil remedies. In addition to specific remedial...

LCA of Soil and Groundwater Remediation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Gitte Lemming; Owsianiak, Mikolaj

2018-01-01

Today, there is increasing interest in applying LCA to support decision-makers in contaminated site management. In this chapter, we introduce remediation technologies and associated environmental impacts, present an overview of literature findings on LCA applied to remediation technologies...... and present methodological issues to consider when conducting LCAs within the area. Within the field of contaminated site remediation , a terminology distinguishing three types of environmental impacts: primary, secondary and tertiary, is often applied. Primary impacts are the site-related impacts due...... and efficiency of remediation, which are important for assessment or primary impacts; (ii) robust assessment of primary impacts using site-specific fate and exposure models; (iii) weighting of primary and secondary (or tertiary) impacts to evaluate trade-offs between life cycle impacts from remediation...

Policy and Strategies for Environmental Remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

In the environmental remediation of a given site, concerned and interested parties have diverse and often conflicting interests with regard to remediation goals, the time frames involved, reuse of the site, the efforts necessary and cost allocation. An environmental remediation policy is essential for establishing the core values on which remediation is to be based. It incorporates a set of principles to ensure the safe and efficient management of remediation situations. Policy is mainly established by the national government and may become codified in the national legislative system. An environmental remediation strategy sets out the means for satisfying the principles and requirements of the national policy. It is normally established by the relevant remediation implementer or by the government in the case of legacy sites. Thus, the national policy may be elaborated in several different strategies. To ensure the safe, technically optimal and cost effective management of remediation situations, countries are advised to formulate an appropriate policy and strategies. Situations involving remediation include remediation of legacy sites (sites where past activities were not stringently regulated or adequately supervised), remediation after emergencies (nuclear and radiological) and remediation after planned ongoing operation and decommissioning. The environmental policy involves the principles of justification, optimization of protection, protection of future generations and the environment, efficiency in the use of resources, and transparent interaction with stakeholders. A typical policy will also take into account the national legal framework and institutional structure and applicable international conventions while providing for the allocation of responsibilities and resources, in addition to safety and security objectives and public information and participation in the decision making process. The strategy reflects and elaborates the goals and requirements set

Nuclear facility decommissioning and site remedial actions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knox, N.P.; Webb, J.R.; Ferguson, S.D.; Goins, L.F.; Owen, P.T.

1990-09-01

The 394 abstracted references on environmental restoration, nuclear facility decommissioning, uranium mill tailings management, and site remedial actions constitute the eleventh in a series of reports prepared annually for the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Citations to foreign and domestic literature of all types -- technical reports, progress reports, journal articles, symposia proceedings, theses, books, patents, legislation, and research project descriptions -- have been included. The bibliography contains scientific, technical, economic, regulatory, and legal information pertinent to the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Major sections are (1) Surplus Facilities Management Program, (2) Nuclear Facilities Decommissioning, (3) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Programs, (4) Facilities Contaminated with Naturally Occurring Radionuclides, (5) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program, (6) Grand Junction Remedial Action Program, (7) Uranium Mill Tailings Management, (8) Technical Measurements Center, (9) Remedial Action Program, and (10) Environmental Restoration Program. Within these categories, references are arranged alphabetically by first author. Those references having no individual author are listed by corporate affiliation or by publication title. Indexes are provided for author, corporate affiliation, title word, publication description, geographic location, subject category, and keywords. This report is a product of the Remedial Action Program Information Center (RAPIC), which selects and analyzes information on remedial actions and relevant radioactive waste management technologies

Nuclear facility decommissioning and site remedial actions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knox, N.P.; Webb, J.R.; Ferguson, S.D.; Goins, L.F.; Owen, P.T.

1990-09-01

The 394 abstracted references on environmental restoration, nuclear facility decommissioning, uranium mill tailings management, and site remedial actions constitute the eleventh in a series of reports prepared annually for the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Citations to foreign and domestic literature of all types -- technical reports, progress reports, journal articles, symposia proceedings, theses, books, patents, legislation, and research project descriptions -- have been included. The bibliography contains scientific, technical, economic, regulatory, and legal information pertinent to the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Major sections are (1) Surplus Facilities Management Program, (2) Nuclear Facilities Decommissioning, (3) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Programs, (4) Facilities Contaminated with Naturally Occurring Radionuclides, (5) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program, (6) Grand Junction Remedial Action Program, (7) Uranium Mill Tailings Management, (8) Technical Measurements Center, (9) Remedial Action Program, and (10) Environmental Restoration Program. Within these categories, references are arranged alphabetically by first author. Those references having no individual author are listed by corporate affiliation or by publication title. Indexes are provided for author, corporate affiliation, title word, publication description, geographic location, subject category, and keywords. This report is a product of the Remedial Action Program Information Center (RAPIC), which selects and analyzes information on remedial actions and relevant radioactive waste management technologies.

Lessons Learned from Environmental Remediation Programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2014-03-15

Several remediation projects have been developed to date, and experience with these projects has been accumulated. Lessons learned span from non-technical to technical aspects, and need to be shared with those who are beginning or are facing the challenge to implement environmental remediation works. This publication reviews some of these lessons. The key role of policy and strategies at the national level in framing the conditions in which remediation projects are to be developed and decisions made is emphasized. Following policy matters, this publication pays attention to the importance of social aspects and the requirement for fairness in decisions to be made, something that can only be achieved with the involvement of a broad range of interested parties in the decision making process. The publication also reviews the funding of remediation projects, planning, contracting, cost estimates and procurement, and issues related to long term stewardship. Lessons learned regarding technical aspects of remediation projects are reviewed. Techniques such as the application of cover systems and soil remediation (electrokinetics, phytoremediation, soil flushing, and solidification and stabilization techniques) are analysed with respect to performance and cost. After discussing soil remediation, the publication covers issues associated with water treatment, where techniques such as ‘pump and treat’ and the application of permeable barriers are reviewed. Subsequently, there is a section dedicated to reviewing briefly the lessons learned in the remediation of uranium mining and processing sites. Many of these sites throughout the world have become orphaned, and are waiting for remediation. The publication notes that little progress has been made in the management of some of these sites, particularly in the understanding of associated environmental and health risks, and the ability to apply prediction to future environmental and health standards. The publication concludes

Lessons Learned from Environmental Remediation Programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

Several remediation projects have been developed to date, and experience with these projects has been accumulated. Lessons learned span from non-technical to technical aspects, and need to be shared with those who are beginning or are facing the challenge to implement environmental remediation works. This publication reviews some of these lessons. The key role of policy and strategies at the national level in framing the conditions in which remediation projects are to be developed and decisions made is emphasized. Following policy matters, this publication pays attention to the importance of social aspects and the requirement for fairness in decisions to be made, something that can only be achieved with the involvement of a broad range of interested parties in the decision making process. The publication also reviews the funding of remediation projects, planning, contracting, cost estimates and procurement, and issues related to long term stewardship. Lessons learned regarding technical aspects of remediation projects are reviewed. Techniques such as the application of cover systems and soil remediation (electrokinetics, phytoremediation, soil flushing, and solidification and stabilization techniques) are analysed with respect to performance and cost. After discussing soil remediation, the publication covers issues associated with water treatment, where techniques such as ‘pump and treat’ and the application of permeable barriers are reviewed. Subsequently, there is a section dedicated to reviewing briefly the lessons learned in the remediation of uranium mining and processing sites. Many of these sites throughout the world have become orphaned, and are waiting for remediation. The publication notes that little progress has been made in the management of some of these sites, particularly in the understanding of associated environmental and health risks, and the ability to apply prediction to future environmental and health standards. The publication concludes

Approaches for assessing sustainable remediation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Gitte Lemming; Binning, Philip John; Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup

Sustainable remediation seeks to reduce direct contaminant point source impacts on the environment, while minimizing the indirect cost of remediation to the environment, society and economy. This paper presents an overview of available approaches for assessing the sustainability of alternative...... remediation strategies for a contaminated site. Most approaches use multi-criteria assessment methods (MCA) to structure a decision support process. Different combinations of environmental, social and economic criteria are employed, and are assessed either in qualitative or quantitative forms with various...... tools such as life cycle assessment and cost benefit analysis. Stakeholder involvement, which is a key component of sustainable remediation, is conducted in various ways. Some approaches involve stakeholders directly in the evaluation or weighting of criteria, whereas other approaches only indirectly...

Bio-ethanol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wenzel, Henrik

2007-01-01

, there is not enough biomass for 'everyone', not physically and not in terms of money to promote its use. This leads to the conclusion that any use of biomass for energy purposes will have to compare to the lost opportunity of using it for something else. In this perspective, the choice to use biomass for bio......-ethanol production will not lead to reduction but to increase in CO2 emission and fossil fuel dependency. Both first and second generation bio-ethanol suffer from a biomass-to-ethanol energy conversion efficiency as low as 30-40 %, and moreover external fossil fuels are used to run the conversion. There is only......, but they do not improve the energy balance enough for bio-ethanol to compete with alternative uses of the biomass. When using biomass to substitute fossil fuels in heat & power production, a close to 100% substitution efficiency is achieved. The best alternative for CO2 reduction and oil saving is, therefore...

Bio diesel, v. 15(58)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gicheva, Ljubitsa

2007-01-01

The history of bio-fuels/bio-diesel is more political and economical than it is technological. The technology of the production is the same as it was 200 years ago. The economy closed the usage of bio-fuels in the middies of the 20 Th century and put it back on the agenda of the world economy at the beginning of the 21 st century. With price of more then 70 US$ per barrel of grudge oil, production and usage of bio-fuels becomes more economical category rather than political and ecological. If we, additionally, add secondary, yet nowadays very important factors, as ecological protection, recycling the emission of poisonous gasses, exploitation of agro sector, then the reincarnation of bio-fuels is very interesting, and for Macedonia a potentially strategic category. The basics of the biography is to follow in the article paying special attention on the characteristics, standards, production, processing and usage of the bio-diesel fuel as well as the blended B20 and B5. (Author)

Bio diesel, v. 15(59)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gicheva, Ljubitsa

2007-01-01

The history of bio-fuels/bio-diesel is more political and economical than it is technological. The technology of the production is the same as it was 200 years ago. The economy closed the usage of bio-fuels in the middies of the 20 Th century and put it back on the agenda of the world economy at the beginning of the 21 st century. With price of more then 70 US$ per barrel of grudge oil, production and usage of bio-fuels becomes more economical category rather than political and ecological. If we, additionally, add secondary, yet nowadays very important factors, as ecological protection, recycling the emission of poisonous gasses, exploitation of agro sector, then the reincarnation of bio-fuels is very interesting, and for Macedonia a potentially strategic category. The basics of the biography is to follow in the article paying special attention on the characteristics, standards, production, processing and usage of the bio-diesel fuel as well as the blended B20 and B5. (Author)

The basis for a Platform Bio-Energy. Combining forces for the Dutch bio-energy business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Halen, C.J.G.

1998-02-01

It appears that there is a need for a community of interests in the field of bio-energy to solve numerous problems and to answer many questions with respect to the development of businesses that are active in the field of bio-energy. The title study was carried out in the third and fourth quarter of 1997 by means of surveys and depth interviews among representatives of bio-energy businesses, interest groups and research institutes. The majority of the respondents supports the foundation of the Platform Bio-Energy and suggests many different activities

Effect of Remediation Parameters on in-Air Ambient Dose Equivalent Rates When Remediating Open Sites with Radiocesium-contaminated Soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Malins, Alex; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Kitamura, Akihiro; Machida, Masahiko

2016-10-01

Calculations are reported for ambient dose equivalent rates [H˙*(10)] at 1 m height above the ground surface before and after remediating radiocesium-contaminated soil at wide and open sites. The results establish how the change in H˙*(10) upon remediation depends on the initial depth distribution of radiocesium within the ground, on the size of the remediated area, and on the mass per unit area of remediated soil. The remediation strategies considered were topsoil removal (with and without recovering with a clean soil layer), interchanging a topsoil layer with a subsoil layer, and in situ mixing of the topsoil. The results show the ratio of the radiocesium components of H˙*(10) post-remediation relative to their initial values (residual dose factors). It is possible to use the residual dose factors to gauge absolute changes in H˙*(10) upon remediation. The dependency of the residual dose factors on the number of years elapsed after fallout deposition is analyzed when remediation parameters remain fixed and radiocesium undergoes typical downward migration within the soil column.

Herbal remedies and supplements for weight loss

Science.gov (United States)

Weight loss - herbal remedies and supplements; Obesity - herbal remedies; Overweight - herbal remedies ... health care provider. Nearly all over-the-counter supplements with claims of weight-loss properties contain some ...

New Mexico English Remediation Taskforce Report

Science.gov (United States)

New Mexico Higher Education Department, 2016

2016-01-01

In March, 2016, the state of New Mexico established a Remediation Task Force to examine remediation reform efforts across the state's higher education institutions. On March 11, the Task Force met for the "New Mexico Corequisite Remediation at Scale Policy Institute" in order to learn about the results of the latest national reform…

Remediation: Higher Education's Bridge to Nowhere

Science.gov (United States)

Complete College America, 2012

2012-01-01

The intentions were noble. It was hoped that remediation programs would be an academic bridge from poor high school preparation to college readiness. Sadly, remediation has become instead higher education's "Bridge to Nowhere." This broken remedial bridge is travelled by some 1.7 million beginning students each year, most of whom will…

Clinical application of bio ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anu, Sharma, E-mail: issaranu@gmail.com; Gayatri, Sharma, E-mail: sharmagayatri@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Govt. College of Engineering & Technology, Bikaner, Rajasthan (India)

2016-05-06

Ceramics are the inorganic crystalline material. These are used in various field such as biomedical, electrical, electronics, aerospace, automotive and optical etc. Bio ceramics are the one of the most active areas of research. Bio ceramics are the ceramics which are biocompatible. The unique properties of bio ceramics make them an attractive option for medical applications and offer some potential advantages over other materials. During the past three decades, a number of major advances have been made in the field of bio ceramics. This review focuses on the use of these materials in variety of clinical scenarios.

Clinical application of bio ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anu, Sharma; Gayatri, Sharma

2016-01-01

Ceramics are the inorganic crystalline material. These are used in various field such as biomedical, electrical, electronics, aerospace, automotive and optical etc. Bio ceramics are the one of the most active areas of research. Bio ceramics are the ceramics which are biocompatible. The unique properties of bio ceramics make them an attractive option for medical applications and offer some potential advantages over other materials. During the past three decades, a number of major advances have been made in the field of bio ceramics. This review focuses on the use of these materials in variety of clinical scenarios.

„Bio-politics Reflexes” or something about what happens with Bio-politics today

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viorella Manolache

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Under the pressure dictated by Western modernity movements, life finally enters within strategic (long term relationships circuit. The present study establishes that, bio-politics and bio-power denounces the paradigm of politicization of the biological life. Foucault’s late writings confirm the subordination of bio-politics to the technologies of power, which integrate / reduce life to biological continuity of the species, to the objectification of individual body or investigation of self-techniques, that would allow (beyond the corset of the institutional, the (re affirmation of subjectivity as a force or a form of resistance. The present reactivation of the bio model establishes that we cannot evade Foucault’s view, in which, the biology- meeting – politics confirms that, none of the terms no longer retains its original meaning.

Proceedings of the remediation technologies symposium 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

This conference provided a forum to discuss the remediation of contaminated sites. It was attended by all industry sectors that have an interest in learning about technical issues in environmental remediation research and the latest innovations in soil and groundwater remediation and industrial pollutant treatments. Cost effective in-situ and ex-situ soil reclamation strategies were presented along with groundwater and surface water remediation strategies. The diversified sessions at this conference were entitled: regulatory update; Montreal Centre of Excellence in Brownfields Rehabilitation; soil and groundwater remediation through the Program of Energy Research and Development at Environment Canada; technology from the Netherlands; bioremediation; hydrocarbons; in-situ remediation; phytoremediation; salt management; unique locations; and, miscellaneous issues. Some areas and case studies covered in the presentations included: biological and non-biological treatments; thermal desorption; encapsulation; natural attenuation; multi-phase extraction; electrochemical remediation; and membrane technology. The conference featured 63 presentations, of which 23 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. tabs., figs.

Proceedings of the remediation technologies symposium 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This conference provided a forum to discuss the remediation of contaminated sites. It was attended by all industry sectors that have an interest in learning about technical issues in environmental remediation research and the latest innovations in soil and groundwater remediation and industrial pollutant treatments. Cost effective in-situ and ex-situ soil reclamation strategies were presented along with groundwater and surface water remediation strategies. The diversified sessions at this conference were entitled: regulatory update; Montreal Centre of Excellence in Brownfields Rehabilitation; soil and groundwater remediation through the Program of Energy Research and Development at Environment Canada; technology from the Netherlands; bioremediation; hydrocarbons; in-situ remediation; phytoremediation; salt management; unique locations; and, miscellaneous issues. Some areas and case studies covered in the presentations included: biological and non-biological treatments; thermal desorption; encapsulation; natural attenuation; multi-phase extraction; electrochemical remediation; and membrane technology. The conference featured 63 presentations, of which 23 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. tabs., figs

Bio fertilizer Application in a Fertigation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad Nazrul Abd Wahid; Latiffah Noordin; Hoe, P.C.K.

2011-01-01

Bio fertilizers contain live beneficial microorganisms that provide nutrients and other benefits to crops. At present, bio fertilizers can be found in solid and liquid forms. Liquid bio fertilizer can be one of the alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Liquid bio fertilizer is produced through culturing of microorganisms that are known to have specific capabilities in helping plant growth. However, application of bio fertilizers in the form of solution is more tedious than that of solid bio fertilizers, which can be applied directly to plants, whereas the liquid form requires several stages of preparation before it can be applied to crops. In Malaysian Nuclear Agency, a study on the distribution of liquid bio fertilizers to crops through the fertigation system has been conducted. In Malaysia, this study has not been conducted in depth, since the present fertigation system is associated to delivery of solubilised mineral fertilizers. This paper discusses the application of liquid bio fertilizers through a fertigation system. Discussions cover technical aspects of bio fertilizer preparation and its application via the said system. Tomato plant was used as test crop to determine the capability and efficiency of bio fertilizer application through the fertigation system. (author)

Unraveling Dutch citizens' perceptions on the bio-based economy : The case of bioplastics, bio-jetfuels and small-scale bio-refineries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lynch, Durwin H J; Klaassen, Pim; Broerse, Jacqueline E W

2017-01-01

Little is known about how citizens perceive the transition towards a bio-based economy (BBE), despite the fact that they are one of the most important actors in this transition. Citizens' perceptions of bio-based innovations can support policy-makers to improve the quality of decision-making and the

The BioC-BioGRID corpus: full text articles annotated for curation of protein-protein and genetic interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Islamaj Dogan, Rezarta; Kim, Sun; Chatr-Aryamontri, Andrew; Chang, Christie S; Oughtred, Rose; Rust, Jennifer; Wilbur, W John; Comeau, Donald C; Dolinski, Kara; Tyers, Mike

2017-01-01

A great deal of information on the molecular genetics and biochemistry of model organisms has been reported in the scientific literature. However, this data is typically described in free text form and is not readily amenable to computational analyses. To this end, the BioGRID database systematically curates the biomedical literature for genetic and protein interaction data. This data is provided in a standardized computationally tractable format and includes structured annotation of experimental evidence. BioGRID curation necessarily involves substantial human effort by expert curators who must read each publication to extract the relevant information. Computational text-mining methods offer the potential to augment and accelerate manual curation. To facilitate the development of practical text-mining strategies, a new challenge was organized in BioCreative V for the BioC task, the collaborative Biocurator Assistant Task. This was a non-competitive, cooperative task in which the participants worked together to build BioC-compatible modules into an integrated pipeline to assist BioGRID curators. As an integral part of this task, a test collection of full text articles was developed that contained both biological entity annotations (gene/protein and organism/species) and molecular interaction annotations (protein-protein and genetic interactions (PPIs and GIs)). This collection, which we call the BioC-BioGRID corpus, was annotated by four BioGRID curators over three rounds of annotation and contains 120 full text articles curated in a dataset representing two major model organisms, namely budding yeast and human. The BioC-BioGRID corpus contains annotations for 6409 mentions of genes and their Entrez Gene IDs, 186 mentions of organism names and their NCBI Taxonomy IDs, 1867 mentions of PPIs and 701 annotations of PPI experimental evidence statements, 856 mentions of GIs and 399 annotations of GI evidence statements. The purpose, characteristics and possible future

Three-dimensional bio-printing.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Qi; Hao, Jie; Lu, YangJie; Wang, Liu; Wallace, Gordon G; Zhou, Qi

2015-05-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been widely used in various manufacturing operations including automotive, defence and space industries. 3D printing has the advantages of personalization, flexibility and high resolution, and is therefore becoming increasingly visible in the high-tech fields. Three-dimensional bio-printing technology also holds promise for future use in medical applications. At present 3D bio-printing is mainly used for simulating and reconstructing some hard tissues or for preparing drug-delivery systems in the medical area. The fabrication of 3D structures with living cells and bioactive moieties spatially distributed throughout will be realisable. Fabrication of complex tissues and organs is still at the exploratory stage. This review summarize the development of 3D bio-printing and its potential in medical applications, as well as discussing the current challenges faced by 3D bio-printing.

Evaluating expected outcomes of acid remediation in an intensively mined Appalachian watershed.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Andrew S; Merovich, George T; Petty, J Todd; Gutta, J Brady

2017-07-01

Assessments of watershed-based restoration efforts are rare but are essential for the science of stream restoration to advance. We conducted a watershed scale assessment of Abram Creek before and after implementation of a watershed-based plan designed to maximize ecological recovery from acid mine drainage (AMD) impairment. We surveyed water chemistry, physical habitat, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish community structure in three stream types: AMD-impacted (14 streams), AMD-treated (13 streams), and unimpaired reference (4 streams). We used in-stream measurements to quantify ecological loss from AMD, the amount of ecological recovery expected through remediation, and the observed degree of post-treatment recovery. Sites impaired by AMD improved in water quality with AMD treatment. Dissolved metals and acidity declined significantly in treated streams, but sulfate and specific conductance did not. Likewise, sites impaired by AMD improved in bio-condition scores with AMD treatment. EPT genera increased significantly but were lower compared to unimpaired streams. We found fish at nine treated sites that had none before treatment. Community-level analyses indicated improved but altered assemblages with AMD treatment. Analysis of pre-treatment conditions indicated that only 30% of the historic fishery remained. Remediation was expected to recover 66% of the historic fishery value, and assessment of post-treatment conditions indicates that 52% of the historic fishery has been recovered after 3 years. Developing expected endpoints for restoration outcomes provides a tool to objectively evaluate successes and can guide adaptive management strategies.

Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures NREL develops laboratory analytical procedures (LAPs) for the analysis of raw and upgraded pyrolysis bio-oils. These standard procedures have been validated and allow for reliable bio-oil analysis. Procedures Determination

Integrated remediation of soil and groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dykes, R.S.; Howles, A.C.

1992-01-01

Remediation of sites contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals frequently focuses on a single phase of the chemical in question. This paper describes an integrated approach to remediation involving selection of complimentary technologies designed to create a remedial system which achieves cleanup goals in affected media in the shortest possible time consistent with overall environmental protection

Bio-methane via fast pyrolysis of biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Görling, Martin; Larsson, Mårten; Alvfors, Per

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Pyrolysis gases can efficiently be upgraded to bio-methane. ► The integration can increase energy efficiency and provide a renewable vehicle fuel. ► The biomass to bio-methane conversion efficiency is 83% (HHV). ► The efficiency is higher compared to bio-methane produced via gasification. ► Competitive alternative to other alternatives of bio-oil upgrading. - Abstract: Bio-methane, a renewable vehicle fuel, is today produced by anaerobic digestion and a 2nd generation production route via gasification is under development. This paper proposes a poly-generation plant that produces bio-methane, bio-char and heat via fast pyrolysis of biomass. The energy and material flows for the fuel synthesis are calculated by process simulation in Aspen Plus®. The production of bio-methane and bio-char amounts to 15.5 MW and 3.7 MW, when the total inputs are 23 MW raw biomass and 1.39 MW electricity respectively (HHV basis). The results indicate an overall efficiency of 84% including high-temperature heat and the biomass to bio-methane yield amounts to 83% after allocation of the biomass input to the final products (HHV basis). The overall energy efficiency is higher for the suggested plant than for the gasification production route and is therefore a competitive route for bio-methane production

Bio-threat microparticle simulants

Science.gov (United States)

Farquar, George Roy; Leif, Roald N

2012-10-23

A bio-threat simulant that includes a carrier and DNA encapsulated in the carrier. Also a method of making a simulant including the steps of providing a carrier and encapsulating DNA in the carrier to produce the bio-threat simulant.

Bio-threat microparticle simulants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farquar, George Roy; Leif, Roald

2014-09-16

A bio-threat simulant that includes a carrier and DNA encapsulated in the carrier. Also a method of making a simulant including the steps of providing a carrier and encapsulating DNA in the carrier to produce the bio-threat simulant.

Bio-fuel production potential in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laurentiu, F.; Silvian, F.; Dumitru, F.

2006-01-01

The paper is based on the ESTO Study: Techno- Economic Feasibility of Large-Scale Production of Bio-Fuels in EU-Candidate Countries. Bio-fuel production has not been taken into account significantly until now in Romania, being limited to small- scale productions of ethanol, used mostly for various industrial purposes. However the climatic conditions and the quality of the soil are very suitable in the country for development of the main crops (wheat, sugar-beet, sunflower and rape-seed) used in bio-ethanol and bio-diesel production. The paper intended to consider a pertinent discussion of the present situation in Romania's agriculture stressing on the following essential items in the estimation of bio-fuels production potential: availability of feed-stock for bio-fuel production; actual productions of bio-fuels; fuel consumption; cost assessment; SWOT approach; expected trends. Our analysis was based on specific agricultural data for the period 1996-2000. An important ethanol potential (due to wheat, sugar-beet and maize cultures), as well as bio-diesel one (due to sun-flower and rape-seed) were predicted for the period 2005-2010 which could be exploited with the support of an important financial and technological effort, mainly from EU countries

French uranium mining sites remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, M.

2002-01-01

Following a presentation of the COGEMA's general policy for the remediation of uranium mining sites and the regulatory requirements, the current phases of site remediation operations are described. Specific operations for underground mines, open pits, milling facilities and confining the milled residues to meet long term public health concerns are detailed and discussed in relation to the communication strategies to show and explain the actions of COGEMA. A brief review of the current remediation situation at the various French facilities is finally presented. (author)

Round table on bio-fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

The French ministers of agriculture and of industry have organized a meeting with the main French actors of agriculture, petroleum industry, car making and accessories industry and with professionals of agriculture machines to encourage the development of bio-fuels in France. This meeting took place in Paris in November 21, 2005. Its aim was to favor the partnerships between the different actors and the public authorities in order to reach the ambitious goals of the government of 5.75% of bio-fuels in fossil fuels by 2008, 7% by 2010 and 10% by 2015. The main points discussed by the participants were: the compatibility of automotive fuel standards with the objectives of bio-fuel incorporation, the development of direct incorporation of methanol in gasoline, the ethanol-ETBE partnership, the question of the lower calorific value of ETBE (ethyl tertio butyl ether), the development of new bio-fuels, the development of bio-diesel and the specific case of pure vegetal oils, and the fiscal framework of bio-fuels. This meeting has permitted to reach important improvements with 15 concrete agreements undertaken by the participants. (J.S.)

Chitosan: An undisputed bio-fabrication material for tissue engineering and bio-sensing applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Baranwal, Anupriya; Kumar, Ashutosh; Priyadharshini, A; Oggu, Gopi Suresh; Bhatnagar, Ira; Srivastava, Ananya; Chandra, Pranjal

2018-04-15

Biopolymers have been serving the mankind in various ways since long. Over the last few years, these polymers have found great demand in various domains which includes bio medicine, tissue engineering, bio sensor fabrications etc. because of their excellent bio compatibility. In this context, chitosan has found global attention due to its environmentally benign nature, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ease of availability. In last one decade or so, extensive research in active biomaterials, like chitosan has led to the development of novel delivery systems for drugs, genes, and biomolecules; and regenerative medicine. Additionally, chitosan has also witnessed its usage in functionalization of biocompatible materials, nanoparticle (NP) synthesis, and immobilization of various bio-recognition elements (BREs) to form active bio-surfaces with great ease. Keeping these aspects in mind, we have written a comprehensive review which aims to acquaint its readers with the exceptional properties of chitosan and its usage in the domain of biomedicine, tissue engineering, and biosensor fabrication. Herein, we have briefly explained various aspects of direct utilization of chitosan and then presented vivid strategies towards formulation of chitosan based nanocomposites for biomedicine, tissue engineering, and biosensing applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alkaline phosphatase immobilization onto Bio-Gide(R) and Bio-Oss(R) for periodontal and bone regeneration.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oortgiesen, D.A.W.; Plachokova, A.S.; Geenen, C.; Meijer, G.J.; Walboomers, X.F.; Beucken, J.J.J.P van den; Jansen, J.B.M.J.

2012-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the effect of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) immobilization onto Bio-Gide((R)) in vitro, and to study the in vivo performance of ALP-enriched Bio-Gide((R)) and/or Bio-Oss((R)) with the purpose to enhance periodontal regeneration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Alkaline phosphatase ALP was

Chitosan–Zinc(II Complexes as a Bio-Sorbent for the Adsorptive Abatement of Phosphate: Mechanism of Complexation and Assessment of Adsorption Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Roza Yazdani

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study examines zinc(II–chitosan complexes as a bio-sorbent for phosphate removal from aqueous solutions. The bio-sorbent is prepared and is characterized via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM, and Point of Zero Charge (pHPZC–drift method. The adsorption capacity of zinc(II–chitosan bio-sorbent is compared with those of chitosan and ZnO–chitosan and nano-ZnO–chitosan composites. The effect of operational parameters including pH, temperature, and competing ions are explored via adsorption batch mode. A rapid phosphate uptake is observed within the first three hours of contact time. Phosphate removal by zinc(II–chitosan is favored when the surface charge of bio-sorbent is positive/or neutral e.g., within the pH range inferior or around its pHPZC, 7. Phosphate abatement is enhanced with decreasing temperature. The study of background ions indicates a minor effect of chloride, whereas nitrate and sulfate show competing effect with phosphate for the adsorptive sites. The adsorption kinetics is best described with the pseudo-second-order model. Sips (R2 > 0.96 and Freundlich (R2 ≥ 0.95 models suit the adsorption isotherm. The phosphate reaction with zinc(II–chitosan is exothermic, favorable and spontaneous. The complexation of zinc(II and chitosan along with the corresponding mechanisms of phosphate removal are presented. This study indicates the introduction of zinc(II ions into chitosan improves its performance towards phosphate uptake from 1.45 to 6.55 mg/g and provides fundamental information for developing bio-based materials for water remediation.

Radon remediation in irish schools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Synnott, H.

2006-01-01

Full text: Commencing in 1998, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland carried out radon measurements in 3826 schools in the Republic of I reland on behalf of the Irish Department of Education and Science (D.E.S.). This represents approximately 97% of all schools in the country. Approximately 25% (984) schools had radon concentrations above the Irish national schools Reference Level for radon of 200 Bq/m 3 and required remedial work. The number of individual rooms with radon concentrations above 200 Bq/m 3 was 3020. Remedial work in schools commenced in early 2000. In general schools with maximum radon concentrations in the range 200 -400 Bq/m 3 in one or more rooms were remediated through the installation of passive systems such as an increase in permanent background ventilation mainly wall vents and trickle vents in windows. Schools with maximum radon concentrations greater than 400 Bq/m 3 were usually remediated through the provision of active systems mainly fan assisted sub -slab de pressurization or where this was not possible fan assisted under floor ventilation. The cost of the remedial programme was funded by central Government. Active systems were installed by specialized remedial contractors working to the specifications of a radon remedial expert appointed by the D.E.S. to design remedial systems for affected schools. Schools requiring increased ventilation were granted aided 190 pounds per affected room and had to organize the work themselves. In most schools radon remediation was successful in reducing existing radon concentrations to below the Reference Level. Average radon concentration reduction factors for sub-slab de pressurization systems and fan assisted fan assisted under floor ventilation ranged from 5 to 40 with greater reduction rates found at higher original radon concentrations. Increasing ventilation in locations with moderately elevated radon concentrations (200 - 400 Bq/m 3 ) while not as effective as active systems produced on

The benefits from environmental remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falck, W.E.

2002-01-01

Environmental remediation projects inevitably take place against a backdrop of overall social goals and values. These goals can include, for example, full employment, preservation of the cultural, economic and archaeological resources, traditional patterns of land use, spiritual values, quality of life factors, biological diversity, environmental and socio-economic sustainability, protection of public health. Different countries will have different priorities, linked to the overall set of societal goals and the availability of resources, including funding, man-power and skills. These issues are embedded within both a national and local socio-cultural context, and will shape the way in which the remediation process is structured in any one country. The context will shape both the overall objectives of a remediation activity within the framework of competing societal goals, as well as generate constraints on the decision making process. Hence, the overall benefit of a remediation project is determined by its overall efficiency and effectiveness within the given legal, institutional, and governance framework, under the prevailing socio-economic boundary conditions, and balancing technology performance and risk reduction with fixed or limited budgetary resources, and is not simply the result of the technical remediation operation itself. (author)

International experience in tailings pond remediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacG. Robertson, A. [Robertson GeoConsultants Ltd., Vancouver (Canada)

2001-07-01

Tailings pond remediation is required primarily on mine closure. While mining is an ancient industry, requirement for mine facility remediation is a comparatively new development. Requirement for remediation has come about partly as a result of mans awareness of the environmental impacts of mining and his desire to minimize this, partly, as a result of the ever-increasing scale and production rates of tailings generation and the resulting increased environmental impacts and safety risks. The paper starts with a review of the evolution of mans intolerance of environmental impacts from tailings production and the assignment of liability to remediate such impacts. Many of the tailings ponds currently undergoing remediation were designed and constructed using methods and technology that would be considered inappropriate for new impoundments being designed and developed today. The paper reviews the history of tailings impoundment design and construction practice and the resulting inherent deficiencies that must be remediated. Current practices and future trends in tailings pond remediation are reviewed. The evolution of regulatory requirements is not only in terms of technical and safety criteria, but also in terms of financial and political risk. Perhaps the most substantive driver of risk management is today the requirement for corporate governance at mining company board level and oversight of new project development in the underdeveloped countries by the large financial institutions responsible for funding projects. Embarrassment in the public eye and punishment in the stock markets for poor environmental and safety performance is driving the need for efficient and effective risk management of potential impacts and the remediation to avoid these. A basis for practical risk management is described. (orig.)

International experience in tailings pond remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, A.MacG.

2001-01-01

Tailings pond remediation is required primarily on mine closure. While mining is an ancient industry, requirement for mine facility remediation is a comparatively new development. Requirement for remediation has come about partly as a result of mans awareness of the environmental impacts of mining and his desire to minimize this, partly, as a result of the ever-increasing scale and production rates of tailings generation and the resulting increased environmental impacts and safety risks. The paper starts with a review of the evolution of mans intolerance of environmental impacts from tailings production and the assignment of liability to remediate such impacts. Many of the tailings ponds currently undergoing remediation were designed and constructed using methods and technology that would be considered inappropriate for new impoundments being designed and developed today. The paper reviews the history of tailings impoundment design and construction practice and the resulting inherent deficiencies that must be remediated. Current practices and future trends in tailings pond remediation are reviewed. The evolution of regulatory requirements is not only in terms of technical and safety criteria, but also in terms of financial and political risk. Perhaps the most substantive driver of risk management is today the requirement for corporate governance at mining company board level and oversight of new project development in the underdeveloped countries by the large financial institutions responsible for funding projects. Embarrassment in the public eye and punishment in the stock markets for poor environmental and safety performance is driving the need for efficient and effective risk management of potential impacts and the remediation to avoid these. A basis for practical risk management is described. (orig.)

Negated bio-events: analysis and identification

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Negation occurs frequently in scientific literature, especially in biomedical literature. It has previously been reported that around 13% of sentences found in biomedical research articles contain negation. Historically, the main motivation for identifying negated events has been to ensure their exclusion from lists of extracted interactions. However, recently, there has been a growing interest in negative results, which has resulted in negation detection being identified as a key challenge in biomedical relation extraction. In this article, we focus on the problem of identifying negated bio-events, given gold standard event annotations. Results We have conducted a detailed analysis of three open access bio-event corpora containing negation information (i.e., GENIA Event, BioInfer and BioNLP’09 ST), and have identified the main types of negated bio-events. We have analysed the key aspects of a machine learning solution to the problem of detecting negated events, including selection of negation cues, feature engineering and the choice of learning algorithm. Combining the best solutions for each aspect of the problem, we propose a novel framework for the identification of negated bio-events. We have evaluated our system on each of the three open access corpora mentioned above. The performance of the system significantly surpasses the best results previously reported on the BioNLP’09 ST corpus, and achieves even better results on the GENIA Event and BioInfer corpora, both of which contain more varied and complex events. Conclusions Recently, in the field of biomedical text mining, the development and enhancement of event-based systems has received significant interest. The ability to identify negated events is a key performance element for these systems. We have conducted the first detailed study on the analysis and identification of negated bio-events. Our proposed framework can be integrated with state-of-the-art event extraction systems. The

Bio-oils and other bio fuels used in heat- and power generation; Flytande biobraenslen foer el- och vaermeproduktion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandgren, Annamaria; Ekdahl, Emma; Sernhed, Kerstin; Lindstroem, Erica

2010-05-15

The purpose of this study was to assemble and disseminate knowledge about bio-oils and other bio fuels which are used for heat- and power generation or liquid bio fuels/oils that may become interesting in the future. One aim of this study was to give an updated picture of the Swedish market for bio-oils and to provide an overview of practical experience on the usage of bio-oils in the Swedish heat and power industry. In order to show a green profile, bio-oils can be used in the heat and power generation. However, not all bio-oils can be viewed as climate friendly. Some production of bio-oils may actually - if a lifecycle perspective is considered - lead to increased emissions of greenhouse gases, and there are also ethical issues that need to be considered. The data collection was carried out in three different fields. The objective of the first part was to create an overview of the Swedish market for liquid bio fuels/oils for heat and power production. The second part of the study aimed to clarify the issues surrounding environmental and ethical issues associated with the use of different bio-oils. A selection of oil crops for a closer study was made based on production volume (soybean, palm oil and rapeseed) and expected future potential (jatropha). This part of the study was based on a literature review. In the third part of the study technical and practical experiences from using bio-oils in heat and power production were studied. The interviews made with purchasing managers in the second part gave valuable information on which utilities would be the most interesting to interview for the study of technical and practical experiences, where interviews were carried out with persons familiar with the daily operation of the plant. The use of liquid bio fuels was about 4.3 % of total fuel use in Swedish district heating production in 2007 (1.2 % pine oil and 3.0 % other bio-oil). In other words, it is mainly bio-oils that have been used and not other types of liquid

Bio-oils and other bio fuels used in heat- and power generation; Flytande biobraenslen foer el- och vaermeproduktion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandgren, Annamaria; Ekdahl, Emma; Sernhed, Kerstin; Lindstroem, Erica

2010-05-15

The purpose of this study was to assemble and disseminate knowledge about bio-oils and other bio fuels which are used for heat- and power generation or liquid bio fuels/oils that may become interesting in the future. One aim of this study was to give an updated picture of the Swedish market for bio-oils and to provide an overview of practical experience on the usage of bio-oils in the Swedish heat and power industry. In order to show a green profile, bio-oils can be used in the heat and power generation. However, not all bio-oils can be viewed as climate friendly. Some production of bio-oils may actually - if a lifecycle perspective is considered - lead to increased emissions of greenhouse gases, and there are also ethical issues that need to be considered. The data collection was carried out in three different fields. The objective of the first part was to create an overview of the Swedish market for liquid bio fuels/oils for heat and power production. The second part of the study aimed to clarify the issues surrounding environmental and ethical issues associated with the use of different bio-oils. A selection of oil crops for a closer study was made based on production volume (soybean, palm oil and rapeseed) and expected future potential (jatropha). This part of the study was based on a literature review. In the third part of the study technical and practical experiences from using bio-oils in heat and power production were studied. The interviews made with purchasing managers in the second part gave valuable information on which utilities would be the most interesting to interview for the study of technical and practical experiences, where interviews were carried out with persons familiar with the daily operation of the plant. The use of liquid bio fuels was about 4.3 % of total fuel use in Swedish district heating production in 2007 (1.2 % pine oil and 3.0 % other bio-oil). In other words, it is mainly bio-oils that have been used and not other types of liquid

Program management strategies for following EPA guidance for remedial design/remedial action at DOE sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopper, J.P.; Chew, J.R.; Kowalski, T.E.

1991-01-01

At the US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities, environmental restoration is being conducted in accordance with Federal Facilities Compliance Agreements (or Interagency Agreements). These agreements establish a cooperative working relationship and often define roles, responsibilities and authorities for conduct and oversight of the Remedial Action Programs. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has guidelines on how to initiate and perform remedial actions for sites they are remediating under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Re-Authorization Act (SARA). This paper addresses some of the difference and commonalities between the DOE project management procedures and EPA guidance documents. This report covers only the RD/RA phase of environmental restoration. On the surface, there are many apparent differences between the DOE and EPA project management processes. Upon closer review, however, many of the differences are the result of applying different terminology to the same phase of a project. By looking for the similarities in the two processes rather than hunting for differences, many communication problems are avoided. Understanding both processes also aids in figuring out when, how and to what extent EPA should participate in the RD/RA phase for DOE lead cleanup activities. The DOE Remedial Design and Remedial Action process is discussed in a stepwise manner and compared to the EPA process. Each element of the process is defined. Activities common to both the EPA and DOE are correlated. The annual DOE budget cycle for remediation projects and the four-year cycle for appropriation of remediation funds are discussed, and the constraints of this process examined. DOE orders as well as other requirements for RD/RA activities are summarized and correlated to EPA regulations where this is possible

Nanoscale wide-band semiconductors for photocatalytic remediation of aquatic pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Biplab; Daware, Akshay Vishnu; Gupta, Priya; Krishnani, Kishore Kumar; Baruah, Sunandan; Bhattacharjee, Surajit

2017-11-01

Water pollution is a serious challenge to the public health. Among different forms of aquatic pollutants, chemical and biological agents create paramount threat to water quality when the safety standards are surpassed. There are many conventional remediatory strategies that are practiced such as resin-based exchanger and activated charcoal/carbon andreverse osmosis. Newer technologies using plants, microorganisms, genetic engineering, and enzyme-based approaches are also proposed for aquatic pollution management. However, the conventional technologies have shown impending inadequacies. On the other hand, new bio-based techniques have failed to exhibit reproducibility, wide specificity, and fidelity in field conditions. Hence, to solve these shortcomings, nanotechnology ushered a ray of hope by applying nanoscale zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), and tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) particles for the remediation of water pollution. These nanophotocatalysts are active, cost-effective, quicker in action, and can be implemented at a larger scale. These nanoparticles are climate-independent, assist in complete mineralization of pollutants, and can act non-specifically against chemically and biologically based aquatic pollutants. Photocatalysis for environmental remediation depends on the availability of solar light. The mechanism of photocatalysis involves the formation of electron-hole pairs upon light irradiations at intensities higher than their band gap energies. In the present review, different methods of synthesis of nanoscale ZnO, TiO 2 , and WO 3 as well as their structural characterizations have been discussed. Photodegradation of organic pollutants through mentioned nanoparticles has been reviewed with recent advancements. Enhancing the efficacy of photocatalysis through doping of TiO 2 and ZnO nanoparticles with non-metals, metals, and metal ions has also been documented in this report.

Remediation of sites with dispersed radioactive contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

To respond to the needs of Member States, the IAEA launched an environmental remediation project to deal with the problems of radioactive contamination worldwide. The IAEA environmental remediation project includes an IAEA Coordinated Research Project, as well as the participation of IAEA experts in concrete remediation projects when requested by individual Member States. The IAEA has prepared several documents dedicated to particular technical or conceptual areas, including documents on the characterization of contaminated sites, technical and non-technical factors relevant to the selection of a preferred remediation strategy and technique, overview of applicable techniques for environmental remediation,, options for the cleanup of contaminated groundwater and planning and management issues. In addition, a number of other IAEA publications dealing with related aspects have been compiled under different IAEA projects; these include TECDOCs on the remediation of uranium mill tailings, the decontamination of buildings and roads and the characterization of decommissioned sites. Detailed procedures for the planning and implementation of remedial measures have been developed over the past decade or so. A critical element is the characterization of the contamination and of the various environmental compartments in which it is found, in order to be able to evaluate the applicability of remediation techniques. The chemical or mineralogical form of the contaminant will critically influence the efficiency of the remediation technique chosen. Careful delineation of the contamination will ensure that only those areas or volumes of material that are actually contaminated are treated. This, in turn, reduces the amount of any secondary waste generated. The application of a remediation technique requires holistic studies examining the technical feasibility of the proposed measures, including analyses of their impact. Consequently, input from various scientific and engineering

Bio-Chemicals Derived from Waste: Building on the Concept of a Bio-Refinery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habib, M.; Habib, U.; Khan, A.U.; Rehman, Z.U.; Zeb, A.; Moeed, A.; Pasha, M.K.; Memon, A.R.

2013-01-01

The work presented here has looked into the thermal-conversion of wheat and barley spent grains (SG). Wheat fermentation was carried in the laboratory to get a mashed product while barley grain residues were sourced from a local brewing company. Pyrolysis carried at 460, 520 and 540 Degree C at ambient conditions of pressure in a bench scale fluidized bed reactor resulted in producing bio-oil, charcoal and non-condensable gases. These products were characterized by using the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Differential Thermo-glavemetric Analysis (DTG), Elemental Analyzer (E.A) and a Bomb Calorimeter. The final pyrolysis product analysis revealed that the bio-oil production yields and Higher Heating Value (HHV) largely depended on the pyrolysis temperature and the sample type. In comparison with original raw grain samples, the analysis of thermally treated (pyrolysis) spent grains revealed the presence of high carbon and low oxygen contents. Results gathered in this work have shown that high bio-crude-oil production yields can be obtained at 520 Degree C (53 and 37wt percentage bio-oil from wheat and barley SG). Pyrolysis of wheat and barley SG resulted in giving a Higher Heating Value (HHV) of 21.80 and 21.86 MJ/kg at 540 and 460 Degree C, which is considerably more in comparison to their virgin counterparts. This suggested route thus has a potential for further up-gradation of waste bio-mass for use as an intermediate fuel or as a raw material source for producing other bio-chemicals. (author)

Site remediation techniques in India: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anomitra Banerjee; Miller Jothi

2013-01-01

India is one of the developing countries operating site remediation techniques for the entire nuclear fuel cycle waste for the last three decades. In this paper we intend to provide an overview of remediation methods currently utilized at various hazardous waste sites in India, their advantages and disadvantages. Over the years the site remediation techniques have been well characterized and different processes for treatment, conditioning and disposal are being practiced. Remediation Methods categorized as biological, chemical or physical are summarized for contaminated soils and environmental waters. This paper covers the site remediation techniques implemented for treatment and conditioning of wastelands arising from the operation of nuclear power plant, research reactors and fuel reprocessing units. (authors)

Proceedings of the remediation technologies symposium 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

This conference provided an opportunity for industry, practitioners, researchers and regulators to discuss technical issues in environmental remediation research and the latest innovations in soil and groundwater remediation. Cost effective in-situ and ex-situ soil reclamation strategies were presented along with groundwater and surface water remediation strategies in 13 sessions entitled: hydrocarbon contamination; salt management; liability management; chemical oxidation; light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL); Montreal Center of Excellence in Brownfields Rehabilitation; Alberta government updates; phytoremediation; natural attenuation; Lake Wabamun; ex-situ remediation; in-situ remediation; and, miscellaneous issues. Technological solutions for erosion control and water clarification were highlighted. The conference featured 52 presentations, of which 17 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. tabs., figs.

Groundwater remediation in the Straz leaching operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novak, J.

2001-01-01

The locality affected by consequences of the chemical mining of the uranium during underground leaching 'in situ' is found in the area of the Czech Republic in the northeastern part of the Ceska Lipa district. In the contribution the complex groundwater remediation project is discussed. First, the risks of the current state are expressed. Then the alternatives of remediation of the both Cenomanian and Turonian aquifers are presented. Evaluation of the remediation alternatives with the view to the time-consumption, economy, ecology and the elimination of unacceptable risks for the population and environment is done. Finally, the present progress of remediation and the conception of remediation of chemical mining on deposit of Straz pod Ralskem are presented. (orig.)

ICDF Complex Remedial Action Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

W. M. Heileson

2007-09-26

This Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility (ICDF) Remedial Action Report has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Section 6.2 of the INEEL CERCLA Disposal Facility Remedial Action Work Plan. The agency prefinal inspection of the ICDF Staging, Storage, Sizing, and Treatment Facility (SSSTF) was completed in June of 2005. Accordingly, this report has been developed to describe the construction activities completed at the ICDF along with a description of any modifications to the design originally approved for the facility. In addition, this report provides a summary of the major documents prepared for the design and construction of the ICDF, a discussion of relevant requirements and remedial action objectives, the total costs associated with the development and operation of the facility to date, and identification of necessary changes to the Agency-approved INEEL CERCLA Disposal Facility Remedial Action Work Plan and the ICDF Complex Operations and Maintenance Plan.

Safety Aspects of Bio-Based Nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Catalán, Julia; Norppa, Hannu

2017-12-01

Moving towards a bio-based and circular economy implies a major focus on the responsible and sustainable utilization of bio-resources. The emergence of nanotechnology has opened multiple possibilities, not only in the existing industrial sectors, but also for completely novel applications of nanoscale bio-materials, the commercial exploitation of which has only begun during the last few years. Bio-based materials are often assumed not to be toxic. However, this pre-assumption is not necessarily true. Here, we provide a short overview on health and environmental aspects associated with bio-based nanomaterials, and on the relevant regulatory requirements. We also discuss testing strategies that may be used for screening purposes at pre-commercial stages. Although the tests presently used to reveal hazards are still evolving, regarding modifi-cations required for nanomaterials, their application is needed before the upscaling or commercialization of bio-based nanomaterials, to ensure the market potential of the nanomaterials is not delayed by uncertainties about safety issues.

BioCMOS Interfaces and Co-Design

CERN Document Server

Carrara, Sandro

2013-01-01

The application of CMOS circuits and ASIC VLSI systems to problems in medicine and system biology has led to the emergence of Bio/CMOS Interfaces and Co-Design as an exciting and rapidly growing area of research. The mutual inter-relationships between VLSI-CMOS design and the biophysics of molecules interfacing with silicon and/or onto metals has led to the emergence of the interdisciplinary engineering approach to Bio/CMOS interfaces. This new approach, facilitated by 3D circuit design and nanotechnology, has resulted in new concepts and applications for VLSI systems in the bio-world. This book offers an invaluable reference to the state-of-the-art in Bio/CMOS interfaces. It describes leading-edge research in the field of CMOS design and VLSI development for applications requiring integration of biological molecules onto the chip. It provides multidisciplinary content ranging from biochemistry to CMOS design in order to address Bio/CMOS interface co-design in bio-sensing applications.

Which future for aviation bio-fuels?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botti, Jean; Combarnous, Michel; Jarry, Bruno; Monsan, Pierre; Burzynski, Jean-Pierre; Jeuland, Nicolas; Porot, Pierre; Demoment, Pascale; Gillmann, Marc; Marchand, Philippe; Kuentzmann, Paul; Kurtsoglou, Nicolas; Lombaert-Valot, Isabelle; Pelegrin, Marc; Renvier, Jacques; Rousseau, Julien; Stadler, Thierry; Tremeau, Benoit

2014-01-01

This collective report proposes a detailed overview of the evolution of aviation fuels and bio-fuels from technological, regulatory and economic points of view. It also proposes a road-map for possible future evolutions, and outlines the different assessments between American and European countries regarding the predictions for the beginning of industrial production and use of bio-jet-fuel. After having recalled international objectives, an overview of European and French commitments for technological and operational advances, and a discussion of the role of bio-fuels in the carbon cycle, the report presents various technical constraints met in aircraft industry and describes the role bio-fuels may have. The next part proposes an overview of bio-fuels which are industrially produced in the world in 2013. The authors then focus on aviation bio-fuels (main production processes, thermo-chemical processes), discuss the political context, and examine obstacles, partnerships and the role of public authorities

Safety Aspects of Bio-Based Nanomaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Catalán

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Moving towards a bio-based and circular economy implies a major focus on the responsible and sustainable utilization of bio-resources. The emergence of nanotechnology has opened multiple possibilities, not only in the existing industrial sectors, but also for completely novel applications of nanoscale bio-materials, the commercial exploitation of which has only begun during the last few years. Bio-based materials are often assumed not to be toxic. However, this pre-assumption is not necessarily true. Here, we provide a short overview on health and environmental aspects associated with bio-based nanomaterials, and on the relevant regulatory requirements. We also discuss testing strategies that may be used for screening purposes at pre-commercial stages. Although the tests presently used to reveal hazards are still evolving, regarding modifi­cations required for nanomaterials, their application is needed before the upscaling or commercialization of bio-based nanomaterials, to ensure the market potential of the nanomaterials is not delayed by uncertainties about safety issues.

[Current status of bio-based materials industry in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Diao, Xiaoqian; Weng, Yunxuan; Huang, Zhigang; Yang, Nan; Wang, Xiyuan; Zhang, Min; Jin, Yujuan

2016-06-25

In recent years, bio-based materials are becoming a new dominant industry leading the scientific and technological innovation, and economic development of the world. We reviewed the new development of bio-based materials industry in China, analyzed the entire market of bio-based materials products comprehensively, and also stated the industry status of bio-based chemicals, such as lactic acid, 1,3-propanediol, and succinic acid; biodegradable bio-based polymers, such as co-polyester of diacid and diol, polylactic acid, carbon dioxide based copolymer, polyhydroxyalknoates, polycaprolactone, and thermoplastic bio-based plastics; non-biodegradable bio-based polymers, such as bio-based polyamide, polytrimethylene terephthalate, bio-based polyurethane, and bio-based fibers.

Electrodialytic soil remediation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henrik K.; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Hansen, Lene

1997-01-01

It is not possible for all heavy metal polluted soils to remediate it by an applied electric field alone. A desorbing agent must in different cases be added to the soil in order to make the process possible or to make it cost effective......It is not possible for all heavy metal polluted soils to remediate it by an applied electric field alone. A desorbing agent must in different cases be added to the soil in order to make the process possible or to make it cost effective...

Diamond bio electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Linares, Robert; Doering, Patrick; Linares, Bryant

2009-01-01

The use of diamond for advanced applications has been the dream of mankind for centuries. Until recently this dream has been realized only in the use of diamond for gemstones and abrasive applications where tons of diamonds are used on an annual basis. Diamond is the material system of choice for many applications, but its use has historically been limited due to the small size, high cost, and inconsistent (and typically poor) quality of available diamond materials until recently. The recent development of high quality, single crystal diamond crystal growth via the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process has allowed physcists and increasingly scientists in the life science area to think beyond these limitations and envision how diamond may be used in advanced applications ranging from quantum computing, to power generation and molecular imaging, and eventually even diamond nano-bots. Because of diamond's unique properties as a bio-compatible material, better understanding of diamond's quantum effects and a convergence of mass production, semiconductor-like fabrication process, diamond now promises a unique and powerful key to the realization of the bio-electronic devices being envisioned for the new era of medical science. The combination of robust in-the-body diamond based sensors, coupled with smart bio-functionalized diamond devices may lead to diamond being the platform of choice for bio-electronics. This generation of diamond based bio-electronic devices would contribute substantially to ushering in a paradigm shift for medical science, leading to vastly improved patient diagnosis, decrease of drug development costs and risks, and improved effectiveness of drug delivery and gene therapy programs through better timed and more customized solutions.

DOE's Assurance Program for Remedial Action (APRA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denham, D.H.; Stenner, R.D.; Welty, C.G. Jr.; Needels, T.S.

1985-01-01

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Operational Safety (OOS) is presently developing and implementing the Assurance Program for Remedial Action (APRA) to overview DOE's Remedial Action programs. APRA's objective is to ensure the adequacy of environmental, safety and health (ES and H) protection practices within the four DOE Remedial Action programs: Grand Junction Remedial Action Program (GJRAP), Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program (UMTRAP), Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), and Surplus Facilities Management Program (SFMP). APRA encompasses all ES and H practices of DOE and its contractors/subcontractors within the four Remedial Action programs. Specific activities of APRA include document reviews, selected site visits, and program office appraisals. Technical support and assistance to OOS is being provided by APRA contractors in the evaluation of radiological standards and criteria, quality assurance measures, radiation measurements, and risk assessment practices. This paper provides an overview of these activities and discusses program to date, including the roles of OOS and the respective contractors. The contractors involved in providing technical support and assistance to OOS are Aerospace Corporation, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and Pacific Northwest Laboratory

Remedial action of radium contaminated residential properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, D.; Eng, J.

1986-01-01

Since November 1983, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have been in the process of identifying properties in Montclair, Glen Ridge and West Orange, New Jersey, which were built over radium contaminated soil landfilled areas. Elevated indoor radon concentrations prompted the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to issue a health advisory which included permanent remediation of radon progeny levels in excess of 0.02 Working Levels within two years of discovery. In order to expedite remedial action, NJDEP undertook a ten million dollar cleanup program. Remedial Action at the 12 residential properties encountered some unanticipated problems despite the efforts of numerous government agencies and their contractors to characterize the contamination as much as possible prior to remediation. Some of the unanticipated issues include contamination from other radionuclides, underestimation of removal volumes, and controversy over the transportation and disposal of the radium contaminated soil at a commercial facility in Nevada. This paper will review the approach taken by NJDEP to the remedial action for radium contaminated soil, discuss some of the issues encountered during the remedial action, and provide post remedial action data

DOE's Assurance Program for Remedial Action (APRA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denham, D.H.; Stenner, R.D.; Welty, C.G. Jr.; Needels, T.S.

1984-10-01

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Operational Safety (OOS) is presently developing and implementing the Assurance Program for Remedial Action (APRA) to overview DOE's Remedial Action programs. APRA's objective is to ensure the adequacy of environmental, safety and health (ES and H) protection practices within the four DOE Remedial Action programs: Grand Junction Remedial Action Program (GJRAP), Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program (UMTRAP), Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), and Surplus Facilities Management Program (SFMP). APRA encompasses all ES and H practices of DOE and its contractors/subcontractors within the four Remedial Action programs. Specific activities of APRA include document reviews, selected site visits, and program office appraisals. Technical support and assistance to OOS is being provided by APRA contractors in the evaluation of radiological standards and criteria, quality assurance measures, radiation measurements, and risk assessment practices. This paper provides an overview of these activities and discusses progress to date, including the roles of OOS and the respective contractors. The contractors involved in providing technical support and assistance to OOS are Aerospace Corporation, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and Pacific Northwest Laboratory

Electrodialytic Remediation of Different Cu-Polluted Soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Hansen, Henrik K.; Hansen, Lene

1999-01-01

Based on characterization of a polluted soil a proper desorbing agent to be added to the soil before the remediation can be found. The desorbing agent can improve the remediation according to both energy consumption and duration of the action......Based on characterization of a polluted soil a proper desorbing agent to be added to the soil before the remediation can be found. The desorbing agent can improve the remediation according to both energy consumption and duration of the action...

Electrodialytic remediation of solid waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henrik K.; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Karlsmose, Bodil

1996-01-01

Electrodialytic remediation of heavy metal polluted solid waste is a method that combines the technique of electrodialysis with the electromigration of ions in the solid waste. Results of laboratory scale remediation experiments of soil are presented and considerations are given on how to secure...

In situ Microbial Community Control of the Stability of Bio-Reduced Uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, Phillip E.; McKinley, James P.; White, David C.

2006-01-01

In aerobic aquifers typical of many Department of Energy (DOE) legacy waste sites, uranium is present in the oxidized U(VI) form which is soluble and thus mobile compared to U(IV). Previous work at the Old Rifle Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) site demonstrated that biostimulation by acetate injection promoted growth of Geobacteraceae and stimulated the microbial reduction of U(VI) to less soluble U(IV) (1, 4). Despite the potential for oxidative dissolution of bio-reduced U(IV), field experiments at the Old Rifle site show that although the rate of U(VI) reduction decreases following the on-set of sulfate reduction, U(VI) reduction continues even following the cessation of acetate injection (1, 4). However, U(VI) reduction is reversible and the basis for the observed maintenance of U(VI) reduction post-stimulation is a critical but as yet unresolved issue for the application of biostimulation as a treatment technology. The continued U(VI) reduction and the maintenance of reduced U(IV) may result from many factors including U(VI) reduction by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), generation of H2S or FeS0.9 which serves as an oxygen sink, or the preferential sorption of U(VI) by microbial cells or biopolymers. The overall goal of the project is to develop an understanding of the mechanisms for the maintenance of bio-reduced uranium in an aerobic aquifer under field conditions following the cessation of electron donor addition

Sustainability: A new imperative in contaminated land remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Deyi; Al-Tabbaa, Abir

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Reviewed the emerging green and sustainable remediation movement in the US and Europe. • Identified three sources of pressures for emphasizing sustainability in the remediation field. • Presented a holistic view of sustainability considerations in remediation. • Developed an integrated framework for sustainability assessment and decision making. - Abstract: Land is not only a critical component of the earth's life support system, but also a precious resource and an important factor of production in economic systems. However, historical industrial operations have resulted in large areas of contaminated land that are only slowly being remediated. In recent years, sustainability has drawn increasing attention in the environmental remediation field. In Europe, there has been a movement towards sustainable land management; and in the US, there is an urge for green remediation. Based on a questionnaire survey and a review of existing theories and empirical evidence, this paper suggests the expanding emphasis on sustainable remediation is driven by three general factors: (1) increased recognition of secondary environmental impacts (e.g., life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, energy consumption, and waste production) from remediation operations, (2) stakeholders’ demand for economically sustainable brownfield remediation and “green” practices, and (3) institutional pressures (e.g., social norm and public policy) that promote sustainable practices (e.g., renewable energy, green building, and waste recycling). This paper further argues that the rise of the “sustainable remediation” concept represents a critical intervention point from where the remediation field will be reshaped and new norms and standards will be established for practitioners to follow in future years. This paper presents a holistic view of sustainability considerations in remediation, and an integrated framework for sustainability assessment and decision making

Bio-objects and the media: the role of communication in bio-objectification processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maeseele, Pieter; Allgaier, Joachim; Martinelli, Lucia

2013-06-01

The representation of biological innovations in and through communication and media practices is vital for understanding the nature of "bio-objects" and the process we call "bio-objectification." This paper discusses two ideal-typical analytical approaches based on different underlying communication models, ie, the traditional (science- and media-centered) and media sociological (a multi-layered process involving various social actors in defining the meanings of scientific and technological developments) approach. In this analysis, the latter is not only found to be the most promising approach for understanding the circulation, (re)production, and (re)configuration of meanings of bio-objects, but also to interpret the relationship between media and science. On the basis of a few selected examples, this paper highlights how media function as a primary arena for the (re)production and (re)configuration of scientific and biomedical information with regards to bio-objects in the public sphere in general, and toward decision-makers, interest groups, and the public in specific.

Remediating a design tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mads Møller; Rädle, Roman; Klokmose, Clemens N.

2018-01-01

digital sticky notes setup. The paper contributes with a nuanced understanding of what happens when remediating a physical design tool into digital space, by emphasizing focus shifts and breakdowns caused by the technology, but also benefits and promises inherent in the digital media. Despite users......' preference for creating physical notes, handling digital notes on boards was easier and the potential of proper documentation make the digital setup a possible alternative. While the analogy in our remediation supported a transfer of learned handling, the users' experiences across technological setups impact......Sticky notes are ubiquitous in design processes because of their tangibility and ease of use. Yet, they have well-known limitations in professional design processes, as documentation and distribution are cumbersome at best. This paper compares the use of sticky notes in ideation with a remediated...

Valorization of algal waste via pyrolysis in a fixed-bed reactor: Production and characterization of bio-oil and bio-char.

Science.gov (United States)

Aboulkas, A; Hammani, H; El Achaby, M; Bilal, E; Barakat, A; El Harfi, K

2017-11-01

The aim of the present work is to develop processes for the production of bio-oil and bio-char from algae waste using the pyrolysis at controlled conditions. The pyrolysis was carried out at different temperatures 400-600°C and different heating rates 5-50°C/min. The algal waste, bio-oil and bio-char were successfully characterized using Elemental analysis, Chemical composition, TGA, FTIR, 1 H NMR, GC-MS and SEM. At a temperature of 500°C and a heating rate of 10°C/min, the maximum yield of bio-oil and bio-char was found to be 24.10 and 44.01wt%, respectively, which was found to be strongly influenced by the temperature variation, and weakly affected by the heating rate variation. Results show that the bio-oil cannot be used as bio-fuel, but can be used as a source of value-added chemicals. On the other hand, the bio-char is a promising candidate for solid fuel applications and for the production of carbon materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alternative Remedies

Science.gov (United States)

... Home › Aging & Health A to Z › Alternative Remedies Font ... medical treatment prescribed by their healthcare provider. Using this type of alternative therapy along with traditional treatments is ...

Case study of an approved corrective action integrating active remediation with intrinsic remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teets, D.B.; Guest, P.R.; Blicker, B.R.

1996-01-01

Parsons Engineering Science, Inc., performed UST removals and/or site assessments at UST system locations at a former US Air Force Base (AFB) in Denver, Colorado. Four UST systems, incorporating 17 USTs, were located within the petroleum, oils, and lubricants bulk storage yard (POL Yard) of the former AFB. During the tank removals and subsequent site investigations, petroleum hydrocarbon contamination was found in soils at each site. Significant releases from two of the UST systems resulted in a dissolved benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) plume in the groundwater, and smear-zone contamination of soils beneath the majority of the POL Yard. Because of the close proximity of the UST systems, and the presence of the groundwater plume beneath the POL Yard, a corrective action plan (CAP) was prepared that encompassed all four UST systems. An innovative, risk-based CAP integrated active remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils with intrinsic remediation of groundwater. A natural attenuation evaluation for the dissolved BTEX was performed to demonstrate that natural attenuation processes are providing adequate remediation of groundwater and to predict the fate of the groundwater plume. BTEX concentrations versus distance were regressed to obtain attenuation rates, which were then used to calculate BTEX degradation rates using a one-dimensional, steady-state analytical solution. Additionally, electron acceptor concentrations in groundwater were compared to BTEX concentrations to provide evidence that natural attenuation of BTEX compounds was occurring. The natural attenuation evaluation was used in the CAP to support the intrinsic remediation with long-term monitoring alternative for groundwater, thereby avoiding the installation of an expensive groundwater remediation system

Bio-inspired computation in telecommunications

CERN Document Server

Yang, Xin-She; Ting, TO

2015-01-01

Bio-inspired computation, especially those based on swarm intelligence, has become increasingly popular in the last decade. Bio-Inspired Computation in Telecommunications reviews the latest developments in bio-inspired computation from both theory and application as they relate to telecommunications and image processing, providing a complete resource that analyzes and discusses the latest and future trends in research directions. Written by recognized experts, this is a must-have guide for researchers, telecommunication engineers, computer scientists and PhD students.

Bio-Organic Reaction Animations (BioORA): Student Performance, Student Perceptions, and Instructor Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Gunersel, Adalet Baris; Fleming, Steven

2014-01-01

Research shows that computer animations are especially helpful in fields such as chemistry and in this mixed-methods study, we investigate the educational effectiveness of Bio-Organic Reaction Animations (BioORA), a 3-D software, in four undergraduate biochemistry classes at different universities. Statistically significant findings indicate that…

CENTRAL PLATEAU REMEDIATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ROMINE, L.D.

2006-01-01

A systematic approach to closure planning is being implemented at the Hanford Site's Central Plateau to help achieve the goal of closure by the year 2035. The overall objective of Central Plateau remediation is to protect human health and the environment from the significant quantity of contaminated material that resulted from decades of plutonium production in support of the nation's defense. This goal will be achieved either by removing contaminants or placing the residual contaminated materials in a secure configuration that minimizes further migration to the groundwater and reduces the potential for inadvertent intrusion into contaminated sites. The approach to Central Plateau cleanup used three key concepts--closure zones, closure elements, and closure process steps--to create an organized picture of actions required to complete remediation. These actions were merged with logic ties, constraints, and required resources to produce an integrated time-phased schedule and cost profile for Central Plateau closure. Programmatic risks associated with implementation of Central Plateau closure were identified and analyzed. Actions to mitigate the most significant risks are underway while high priority remediation projects continue to make progress

Remedial action and waste disposal project: 100-DR-1 remedial action readiness evaluation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

April, J.G.; Bryant, D.L.; Calverley, C.

1996-08-01

This plan presents the method used to assess the readiness of the 100- DR-1 Remedial Action Project. Remediation of the 100-D sites (located on the Hanford Site) involves the excavation (treatment if applicable) and final disposal of contaminated soil and debris associated with the high-priority waste sites in the 100 Areas

RCRA corrective action ampersand CERCLA remedial action reference guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-07-01

This reference guide provides a side-by-side comparison of RCRA corrective action and CERCLA Remedial Action, focusing on the statutory and regulatory requirements under each program, criterial and other factors that govern a site's progress, and the ways in which authorities or requirements under each program overlap and/or differ. Topics include the following: Intent of regulation; administration; types of sites and/or facilities; definition of site and/or facility; constituents of concern; exclusions; provisions for short-term remedies; triggers for initial site investigation; short term response actions; site investigations; remedial investigations; remedial alternatives; clean up criterial; final remedy; implementing remedy; on-site waste management; completion of remedial process

Study on demetalization of sewage sludge by sequential extraction before liquefaction for the production of cleaner bio-oil and bio-char.

Science.gov (United States)

Leng, Lijian; Yuan, Xingzhong; Shao, Jianguang; Huang, Huajun; Wang, Hou; Li, Hui; Chen, Xiaohong; Zeng, Guangming

2016-01-01

Demetalization of sewage sludge (SS) by sequential extraction before liquefaction was implemented to produce cleaner bio-char and bio-oil. Demetalization steps 1 and 2 did not cause much organic matter loss on SS, and thus the bio-oil and bio-char yields and the compositions of bio-oils were also not affected significantly. However, the demetalization procedures resulted in the production of cleaner bio-chars and bio-oils. The total concentrations and the acid soluble/exchangeable fraction (F1 fraction, the most toxic heavy metal fraction) of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn, and Cd) in these products were significantly reduced and the environmental risks of these products were also relived considerably compared with those produced from raw SS, respectively. Additionally, these bio-oils had less heavy fractions. Demetalization processes with removal of F1 and F2 fractions of heavy metals would benefit the production of cleaner bio-char and bio-oil by liquefaction of heavy metal abundant biomass like SS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Y-12 Plant remedial action Technology Logic Diagram: Volume 3, Technology evaluation data sheets: Part A, Remedial action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Y-12 Plant Remedial Action Technology Logic Diagram (TLD) was developed to provide a decision-support tool that relates environmental restoration (ER) problems at the Y-12 Plant to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed for sufficient development of these technologies to allow for technology transfer and application to remedial action (RA) activities. The TLD consists of three volumes. Volume 1 contains an overview of the TLD, an explanation of the program-specific responsibilities, a review of identified technologies, and the rankings of remedial technologies. Volume 2 contains the logic linkages among environmental management goals, environmental problems and the various technologies that have the potential to solve these problems. Volume 3 contains the TLD data sheets. This report is Part A of Volume 3 and contains the Remedial Action section

Y-12 Plant remedial action Technology Logic Diagram: Volume 3, Technology evaluation data sheets: Part A, Remedial action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-09-01

The Y-12 Plant Remedial Action Technology Logic Diagram (TLD) was developed to provide a decision-support tool that relates environmental restoration (ER) problems at the Y-12 Plant to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed for sufficient development of these technologies to allow for technology transfer and application to remedial action (RA) activities. The TLD consists of three volumes. Volume 1 contains an overview of the TLD, an explanation of the program-specific responsibilities, a review of identified technologies, and the rankings of remedial technologies. Volume 2 contains the logic linkages among environmental management goals, environmental problems and the various technologies that have the potential to solve these problems. Volume 3 contains the TLD data sheets. This report is Part A of Volume 3 and contains the Remedial Action section.

40 CFR 761.61 - PCB remediation waste.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false PCB remediation waste. 761.61 Section... PROHIBITIONS Storage and Disposal § 761.61 PCB remediation waste. This section provides cleanup and disposal options for PCB remediation waste. Any person cleaning up and disposing of PCBs managed under this section...

Bio gasification of industrial bio waste and sewage sludge-management of biogas quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kymalainen, M.; Lahde, K.; Kaarnakoski, M.; Pirttijarvi, T.; Arnold, M.; Kurola, J.; Kautola, H.

2009-07-01

Bio gasification, i. e. anaerobic digestion, is a well known sustainable option for the management of organic solid wastes and sludges. the produced biogas is a valuable bio fuel to replace fossil fuels in different technical applications (like heating, electricity, transport fuel generation) which in turn determine its quality requirements. (Author)

Understanding bio-economics

OpenAIRE

Patel, M.K.

2008-01-01

New plants for production of bio-based fuels, chemicals or plastics are being set up at an accelerating pace. However, this transition towards bio-based fuels, feedstocks and chemicals has not come without consequences. Increased demand has pushed up prices of key agricultural products such as maize and corn with the result that consumers - especially those in low income areas - have reacted with concern and protest. At the same time, environmental research institutes and lobby groups - and n...

BioFET-SIM

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hediger, M. R.; Martinez, K. L.; Nygård, J.

2013-01-01

Biosensors based on nanowire field effect transistor (FET) have received much attention in recent years as a way to achieve ultra-sensitive and label-free sensing of molecules of biological interest. The BioFET-SIM computer model permits the analysis and interpretation of experimental sensor...... signals through its web-based interface www.biofetsim.org. The model also allows for predictions of the effects of changes in the experimental setup on the sensor signal. After an introduction to nanowire-based FET biosensors, this chapter reviews the theoretical basis of BioFET-SIM models describing both...... single and multiple charges on the analyte. Afterwards the usage of the interface and its relative command line version is briefly shown. Finally, possible applications of the BioFET-SIM model are presented. Among the possible uses of the interface, the effects on the predicted signal of pH, buffer ionic...

Electrodialytic remediation of suspended mine tailings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henrik K.; Rojo, Adrian; Pino, Denisse

2008-01-01

This work shows the laboratory results of nine electrodialytic remediation experiments on copper mine tailings. A newly designed remediation cell, where the solids were kept in suspension by airflow, was tested. The results show that electric current could remove copper from suspended tailings...... efficiency from 1% to 80% compared to experiments with no stirring but with the same operational conditions. This showed the crucial importance of having the solids in suspension and not settled during the remediation....

Field-scale modeling of acidity production and remediation efficiency during in situ reductive dechlorination

Science.gov (United States)

Brovelli, A.; Robinson, C. E.; Barry, D. A.; Gerhard, J.

2009-12-01

calcite in soil, the availability of competing electron acceptors (in particular dissolved sulfates) and the efficiency with which microbes utilize electron donor. This work is part of SABRE (Source Area BioREmediation), a collaborative international research project that aimed to evaluate and improve enhanced bioremediation of chlorinated solvent source zones.

Bio digester : anaerobic methanogenesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bullema, Marten; Hulzen, Hans; Keizer, Melvin; Pruisscher, Gerlof; Smint, Martin; Vincent, Helene

2014-01-01

As part of the theme 13 and 14, our group have to realize a project in the field of the renewable energy. This project consist of the design of a bio-digester for the canteen of Zernikeplein. Gert Hofstede is our client. To produce energy, a bio-digester uses the anaerobic digestion, which is made

DEMONSTRATION OF ELECTROCHEMICAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES-INDUCED COMPLEXATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barry L. Burks

2002-12-01

The Project Team is submitting this Topical Report on the results of its bench-scale demonstration of ElectroChemical Remediation Technologies (ECRTs) and in particular the Induced Complexation (ECRTs-IC) process for remediation of mercury contaminated soils at DOE Complex sites. ECRTs is an innovative, in-situ, geophysically based soil remediation technology with over 50 successful commercial site applications involving remediation of over two million metric tons of contaminated soils. ECRTs-IC has been successfully used to remediate 220 cu m of mercury-contaminated sediments in the Union Canal, Scotland. In that operation, ECRTs-IC reduced sediment total mercury levels from an average of 243 mg/kg to 6 mg/kg in 26 days of operation. The clean up objective was to achieve an average total mercury level in the sediment of 20 mg/kg.

Remediation in Practicing Physicians: Current and Alternative Conceptualizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourgeois-Law, Gisèle; Teunissen, Pim W; Regehr, Glenn

2018-04-24

Suboptimal performance in practicing physicians is a decades-old problem. The lack of a universally accepted definition of remediation, the paucity of research on best remediation practices, and the ongoing controversy regarding the institutional responsibility for enacting and overseeing this activity suggests that the remediation of physicians is not merely a difficult problem to solve, but a problem that the community does not grapple with meaningfully. Undoubtedly, logistical and political considerations contribute to this state of affairs; however, other underlying conceptual issues may also play a role in the medical profession's difficulties in engaging with the challenges around remediation.Through a review of the medical education and other literatures, the authors examined current conceptualizations of both remediation itself and the individual being remediated, as well as how the culture of medicine influences these conceptions. The authors explored how conceptualizations of remediation and the surrounding culture might affect not only the medical community's ability to support, but also its willingness to engage with physicians in need of remediation.Viewing remediation as a means of supporting practice change-rather than as a means of redressing gaps in knowledge and skill-might be a useful alternative conceptualization, providing a good place to start exploring new avenues of research. However, moving forward will require more than simply a reconceptualizion of remediation; it will also necessitate a change in how the community views its struggling members and a change in the medical culture that currently positions professional autonomy as the foundational premise for individual practice improvement.

Bio energy - Environment, technique and market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohle, Erik Eid

2001-01-01

Leading abstract. In this book, a group of experts discusses everything about the use of bio fuels, from the briquettes of dry alder used in automobile gas generators during World War II to the most advanced present-day use. The chapters are: (1) Energy and society, (2) Production of biomass, (3) Bio fuel - properties and production, (4) Bio fuel - conversion and use, (5) Environment and environmental engineering, (6) Economy and planning and (7) Bio energy in the energy system of the future. There is a list of literature and a glossary at the end of the book

The remediation of heavy metals contaminated sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jian-Feng; Song, Yong-Hui; Yuan, Peng; Cui, Xiao-Yu; Qiu, Guang-Lei

2009-01-30

Heavy metal contamination has become a worldwide problem through disturbing the normal functions of rivers and lakes. Sediment, as the largest storage and resources of heavy metal, plays a rather important role in metal transformations. This paper provides a review on the geochemical forms, affecting factors and remediation technologies of heavy metal in sediment. The in situ remediation of sediment aims at increasing the stabilization of some metals such as the mobile and the exchangeable fractions; whereas, the ex situ remediation mainly aims at removing those potentially mobile metals, such as the Mn-oxides and the organic matter (OM) fraction. The pH and OM can directly change metals distribution in sediment; however oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), mainly through changing the pH values, indirectly alters metals distribution. Mainly ascribed to their simple operation mode, low costs and fast remediation effects, in situ remediation technologies, especially being fit for slight pollution sediment, are applied widely. However, for avoiding metal secondary pollution from sediment release, ex situ remediation should be the hot point in future research.

Nuclear facility decommissioning and site remedial actions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, P.T.; Knox, N.P.; Ferguson, S.D.; Fielden, J.M.; Schumann, P.L.

1989-09-01

The 576 abstracted references on nuclear facility decommissioning, uranium mill tailings management, and site remedial actions constitute the tenth in a series of reports prepared annually for the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Citations to foreign and domestic literature of all types--technical reports, progress reports, journal articles, symposia proceedings, theses, books, patents, legislation, and research project descriptions--have been included. The bibliography contains scientific, technical, economic, regulatory, and legal information pertinent to the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Major sections are (1) Surplus Facilities Management Program, (2) Nuclear Facilities Decommissioning, (3) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, (4) Facilities Contaminated with Naturally Occurring Radionuclides, (5) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program, (6) Uranium Mill Tailings Management, (7) Technical Measurements Center, and (8) General Remedial Action Program Studies. Within these categories, references are arranged alphabetically by first author. Those references having no individual author are listed by corporate affiliation or by publication description. Indexes are provided for author, corporate affiliation, title work, publication description, geographic location, subject category, and keywords

Nuclear facility decommissioning and site remedial actions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owen, P.T.; Knox, N.P.; Ferguson, S.D.; Fielden, J.M.; Schumann, P.L.

1989-09-01

The 576 abstracted references on nuclear facility decommissioning, uranium mill tailings management, and site remedial actions constitute the tenth in a series of reports prepared annually for the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Citations to foreign and domestic literature of all types--technical reports, progress reports, journal articles, symposia proceedings, theses, books, patents, legislation, and research project descriptions--have been included. The bibliography contains scientific, technical, economic, regulatory, and legal information pertinent to the US Department of Energy's Remedial Action Programs. Major sections are (1) Surplus Facilities Management Program, (2) Nuclear Facilities Decommissioning, (3) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, (4) Facilities Contaminated with Naturally Occurring Radionuclides, (5) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program, (6) Uranium Mill Tailings Management, (7) Technical Measurements Center, and (8) General Remedial Action Program Studies. Within these categories, references are arranged alphabetically by first author. Those references having no individual author are listed by corporate affiliation or by publication description. Indexes are provided for author, corporate affiliation, title work, publication description, geographic location, subject category, and keywords.

Remediation of PAH-contaminated soil using Achromobacter sp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutright, T.J.; Lee, S.

1994-01-01

Several technologies have the potential to effectively remediate soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): solvent extraction, coal-oil agloflotation, supercritical extraction, and bioremediation. Due to the cost effectiveness and in-situ treatment capabilities of bioremediation, studies were conducted to determine the efficiency of Achromobacter sp. to remediate an industrial contaminated soil sample. Specifically, the use of three different mineral salt solutions in conjunction with the Achromobacter sp. was investigated. The molecular identification of the contaminants and their respective levels after remediation were determined using a Hewlett-Packard 1050 HPLC. Preliminary results show a 92% remediation for the use of two of the mineral salt solutions after 20 days' treatment. After 8 weeks, the remediation efficiency reached 99%. Bioremediation was also critically compared to the other potential remediation technologies

Key Principles of Superfund Remedy Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Guidance on the primary considerations of remedy selection which are universally applicable at Superfund sites. Key guidance here include: Rules of Thumb for Superfund Remedy Selection and Role of the Baseline Risk Assessment.

Bio-slurry as fertilizer : is bio-slurry from household digesters a better fertilizer than manure? : a literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonten, L.T.C.; Zwart, K.B.; Rietra, R.P.J.J.; Postma, R.; Haas, de M.J.G.; Nysingh, S.L.

2014-01-01

In many developing countries manure is anaerobically digested to produce biogas. The residue of manure digestion, bio-slurry, can be used as fertilizer for crop production and aquaculture. This study compared bio-slurry and manure as fertilizers. Nutrients in bio-slurry, especially nitrogen, are

Limits to the potential of bio-fuels and bio-sequestration of carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pearman, Graeme I.

2013-01-01

This document examines bio-physical limits of bio-fuels and bio-sequestration of carbon by examining available solar radiation and observed efficiencies with which natural ecosystems and agricultural systems convert that energy to biomass. It compares these energy/carbon exchanges with national levels of energy use and carbon emissions for Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States. Globally primary energy consumption (related carbon emissions) is currently equivalent to ∼0.06% of the incident solar energy, and 43% of the energy (carbon) captured by photosynthesis. The nations fall into three categories. Those with primary energy consumption that is: 1–10% (Japan, Korea and Singapore); ∼0.1% (China, UK and the US) and; 0.1–0.01% (Australia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Sweden) of incident solar radiation. The percentage of energy captured in biomass follows this pattern, but generally lower by ∼3 orders of magnitude. The energy content of traded wheat, corn and rice represents conversion efficiencies of solar radiation of 0.08–0.17% and for sugar close to 1%, ignoring energy use in production and conversion of biomass to fuels. The study implies that bio-fuels or bio-sequestration can only be a small part of an inclusive portfolio of actions towards a low carbon future and minimised net emissions of carbon to the atmosphere. - Highlights: • Global energy consumption is ∼0.06% of solar; 43% of net primary production. • 11 nations studied fall into 3 groups: consumption/solar=1–10%; ∼0.1%; 0.1–0.01%. • % of energy captured in biomass is lower by ∼3 orders of magnitude. • Crops and natural ecosystems capture 0.1–0.3% and sugar 1% of solar energy. • Significant bio-energy/carbon sequestration via biomass is unrealistic

Linde FUSRAP Site Remediation: Engineering Challenges and Solutions of Remedial Activities on an Active Industrial Facility - 13506

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beres, Christopher M.; Fort, E. Joseph; Boyle, James D.

2013-01-01

The Linde FUSRAP Site (Linde) is located in Tonawanda, New York at a major research and development facility for Praxair, Inc. (Praxair). Successful remediation activities at Linde combines meeting cleanup objectives of radiological contamination while minimizing impacts to Praxair business operations. The unique use of Praxair's property coupled with an array of active and abandoned utilities poses many engineering and operational challenges; each of which has been overcome during the remedial action at Linde. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Buffalo District (USACE) and CABRERA SERVICES, INC. (CABRERA) have successfully faced engineering challenges such as relocation of an aboveground structure, structural protection of an active water line, and installation of active mechanical, electrical, and communication utilities to perform remediation. As remediation nears completion, continued success of engineering challenges is critical as remaining activities exist in the vicinity of infrastructure essential to business operations; an electrical substation and duct bank providing power throughout the Praxair facility. Emphasis on engineering and operations through final remediation and into site restoration will allow for the safe and successful completion of the project. (authors)

Linde FUSRAP Site Remediation: Engineering Challenges and Solutions of Remedial Activities on an Active Industrial Facility - 13506

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beres, Christopher M.; Fort, E. Joseph [Cabrera Services, Inc., 473 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT 06118 (United States); Boyle, James D. [United States Army Corps of Engineers - Buffalo, 1776 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14207 (United States)

2013-07-01

The Linde FUSRAP Site (Linde) is located in Tonawanda, New York at a major research and development facility for Praxair, Inc. (Praxair). Successful remediation activities at Linde combines meeting cleanup objectives of radiological contamination while minimizing impacts to Praxair business operations. The unique use of Praxair's property coupled with an array of active and abandoned utilities poses many engineering and operational challenges; each of which has been overcome during the remedial action at Linde. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Buffalo District (USACE) and CABRERA SERVICES, INC. (CABRERA) have successfully faced engineering challenges such as relocation of an aboveground structure, structural protection of an active water line, and installation of active mechanical, electrical, and communication utilities to perform remediation. As remediation nears completion, continued success of engineering challenges is critical as remaining activities exist in the vicinity of infrastructure essential to business operations; an electrical substation and duct bank providing power throughout the Praxair facility. Emphasis on engineering and operations through final remediation and into site restoration will allow for the safe and successful completion of the project. (authors)

Plant remediation of soil contaminated with 137Cs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Juncheng; Zhang Jianfeng; Zhu Yongyi; Chen Jingjie; Mei Yong; Jiang Huimin

2005-01-01

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the bio-remediation of soils contaminated with 137 Cs. The selected plants are Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Brassica chinensis L, Chloris virgata, Beta oulgaris L. Hongye, Beta oulgaris L. Dongshengye and Beta oulgaris L. The soils samples were taken from the paddy field, 2 km from the Dayawan nuclear power plant and Qinshan nuclear power plant, respectively, and cinnamon soil from the cultivated land in Beijing. The results show that all the employed species of plant have a higher accumulation to 137 Cs with the increased grade of the radioactivity of 137 Cs. A good correlation exist with the coefficient (r 2 ) of 0.9989. When the contaminated radioactivity of 137 Cs is in the same level the uptake of Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Brassica chinensis L. and Chloris virgata increased with the decrease of pH value ranged 5.22-7.69. The ability of bioremediation in the orders were Chloris virgata, Brassica chinensis L., Beta oulgaris L. Hongye, Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Beta oulgaris L. and Beta oulgaris L. Dongshengye, according to the comprehensive evaluation of transfer factor, specific activity of plant in dry weight of biomass and total absorption of 137 Cs by the individual plant in the same area. (authors)

[Preface for special issue on bio-based materials (2016)].

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Yunxuan

2016-06-25

Bio-based materials are new materials or chemicals with renewable biomass as raw materials such as grain, legume, straw, bamboo and wood powder. This class of materials includes bio-based polymer, biobased fiber, glycotechnology products, biobased rubber and plastics produced by biomass thermoplastic processing and basic biobased chemicals, for instance, bio-alcohols, organic acids, alkanes, and alkenes, obtained by bio-synthesis, bio-processing and bio-refinery. Owing to its environmental friendly and resource conservation, bio-based materials are becoming a new dominant industry taking the lead in the world scientific and technological innovation and economic development. An overview of bio-based materials development is reported in this special issue, and the industrial status and research progress of the following aspects, including biobased fiber, polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable mulching film, bio-based polyamide, protein based biomedical materials, bio-based polyurethane, and modification and processing of poly(lactic acid), are introduced.

Bio-fuels for the gas turbine: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, K.K.; Rehman, A.; Sarviya, R.M.

2010-01-01

Due to depletion of fossil fuel, bio-fuels have generated a significant interest as an alternative fuel for the future. The use of bio-fuels to fuel gas turbine seems a viable solution for the problems of decreasing fossil-fuel reserves and environmental concerns. Bio-fuels are alternative fuels, made from renewable sources and having environmental benefit. In recent years, the desire for energy independence, foreseen depletion of nonrenewable fuel resources, fluctuating petroleum fuel costs, the necessity of stimulating agriculture based economy, and the reality of climate change have created an interest in the development of bio-fuels. The application of bio-fuels in automobiles and heating applications is increasing day by day. Therefore the use of these fuels in gas turbines would extend this application to aviation field. The impact of costly petroleum-based aviation fuel on the environment is harmful. So the development of alternative fuels in aviation is important and useful. The use of liquid and gaseous fuels from biomass will help to fulfill the Kyoto targets concerning global warming emissions. In addition, to reduce exhaust emission waste gases and syngas, etc., could be used as a potential gas turbine fuel. The term bio-fuel is referred to alternative fuel which is produced from biomass. Such fuels include bio-diesel, bio-ethanol, bio-methanol, pyrolysis oil, biogas, synthetic gas (dimethyl ether), hydrogen, etc. The bio-ethanol and bio-methanol are petrol additive/substitute. Bio-diesel is an environment friendly alternative liquid fuel for the diesel/aviation fuel. The gas turbine develops steady flame during its combustion; this feature gives a flexibility to use alternative fuels. Therefore so the use of different bio-fuels in gas turbine has been investigated by a good number of researchers. The suitability and modifications in the existing systems are also recommended. (author)

Remediation of anionic dye from aqueous system using bio-adsorbent prepared by microwave activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Arush; Sharma, Gaurav; Naushad, Mu; Ghfar, Ayman A; Pathania, Deepak

2018-04-01

The present study was attempted to ascertain the possible application of activated carbon as a cost-effective and eco-friendly adsorbent prepared via microwave-assisted chemical activation. The activated carbon was characterized using different techniques. The various adsorption parameters have been optimized to examine the viability of activated carbon as a plausible sorbent for the remediation of Congo red (CR) dye from the aquatic system. The equilibrium data adequately fitted to the Langmuir isotherm with better R 2 (0.994). The maximum adsorption capacity (q m ) of activated carbon was recorded to be 68.96 mg/g. Additionally, sorptional kinetic data were examined by reaction-based and diffusion-based models such as pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order equations, and Elovich, intra-particle diffusion, and Dumwald-Wagner models, respectively. The computed values of thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change (ΔG 0 ), enthalpy change (ΔH 0 ) and entropy change (ΔS 0 ) were recorded as -3.63, 42.47 and 152.07 J/mol K, respectively, at 30°C, which accounted for a favorable, spontaneous and endothermic process. The regeneration study emphasized that the percentage uptake declined from 90.35% to 83.45% after six cycles of testing. So, our findings implied that activated carbon produced from biomass must be cost-effectively used as an adsorbent for detoxifying the CR dye from industrial effluents.

Tax exemption for bio fuels in Germany: is bio-ethanol really an option for climate policy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henke, J.M.; Klepper, G.; Schmitz, N.

2005-01-01

In 2002 the German Parliament decided to exempt biofuels from the gasoline tax to increase their competitiveness compared to conventional gasoline. The policy to promote biofuels is being justified by their allegedly positive effects on climate, energy, and agricultural policy goals. An increased use of biofuels would contribute to sustainable development by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and the use of non-renewable resources. The paper takes a closer look at bio-ethanol as a substitute for gasoline. It analyzes the underlying basic German, European, and worldwide conditions that provide the setting for the production and promotion of biofuels. It is shown that the production of bio-ethanol in Germany is not competitive and that imports are likely to increase. Using energy and greenhouse-gas balances we then demonstrate that the promotion and a possible increased use of bio-ethanol to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions are economically inefficient and that there are preferred alternative strategies. In addition, scenarios of the future development of the bio-ethanol market are derived from a model that allows for variations in all decisive variables and reflects the entire production and trade chain of bio-ethanol, from the agricultural production of wheat and sugar beet to the consumption of bio-ethanol in the fuel sector. (author)

Tax exemption for bio fuels in Germany: is bio-ethanol really an option for climate policy?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henke, J.M.; Klepper, G. [Kiel Institute for World Economics, Kiel (Germany); Schmitz, N. [Meo Consulting Team, Koeln (Germany)

2005-11-01

In 2002 the German Parliament decided to exempt biofuels from the gasoline tax to increase their competitiveness compared to conventional gasoline. The policy to promote biofuels is being justified by their allegedly positive effects on climate, energy, and agricultural policy goals. An increased use of biofuels would contribute to sustainable development by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and the use of non-renewable resources. The paper takes a closer look at bio-ethanol as a substitute for gasoline. It analyzes the underlying basic German, European, and worldwide conditions that provide the setting for the production and promotion of biofuels. It is shown that the production of bio-ethanol in Germany is not competitive and that imports are likely to increase. Using energy and greenhouse-gas balances we then demonstrate that the promotion and a possible increased use of bio-ethanol to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions are economically inefficient and that there are preferred alternative strategies. In addition, scenarios of the future development of the bio-ethanol market are derived from a model that allows for variations in all decisive variables and reflects the entire production and trade chain of bio-ethanol, from the agricultural production of wheat and sugar beet to the consumption of bio-ethanol in the fuel sector. (author)

Biological technologies for the remediation of co-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Shujing; Zeng, Guangming; Wu, Haipeng; Zhang, Chang; Dai, Juan; Liang, Jie; Yu, Jiangfang; Ren, Xiaoya; Yi, Huan; Cheng, Min; Zhang, Chen

2017-12-01

Compound contamination in soil, caused by unreasonable waste disposal, has attracted increasing attention on a global scale, particularly since multiple heavy metals and/or organic pollutants are entering natural ecosystem through human activities, causing an enormous threat. The remediation of co-contaminated soil is more complicated and difficult than that of single contamination, due to the disparate remediation pathways utilized for different types of pollutants. Several modern remediation technologies have been developed for the treatment of co-contaminated soil. Biological remediation technologies, as the eco-friendly methods, have received widespread concern due to soil improvement besides remediation. This review summarizes the application of biological technologies, which contains microbial technologies (function microbial remediation and composting or compost addition), biochar, phytoremediation technologies, genetic engineering technologies and biochemical technologies, for the remediation of co-contaminated soil with heavy metals and organic pollutants. Mechanisms of these technologies and their remediation efficiencies are also reviewed. Based on this study, this review also identifies the future research required in this field.

Evaluating a 5-year metal contamination remediation and the biomonitoring potential of a freshwater gastropod along the Xiangjiang River, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Deliang; Pi, Jie; Zhang, Ting; Tan, Xiang; Fraser, Dylan J

2018-05-16

Effective remediation of heavy metal pollution in aquatic systems is desired in many regions, but it requires integrative assessments of sediments, water, and biota that can serve as robust biomonitors. We assessed the effects of a 5-year metal contamination remediation along the Xiangjiang River, China, by comparing concentrations of trace metals in water and surface sediments between 2010-2011 and 2016. We also explored the trace metal biomonitoring potential of a freshwater gastropod (Bellamya aeruginosa). Metal concentrations in water (means and ranges) dropped over time to within permissible limits of drinking water guidelines set by China, USEPA, and WHO in 2016. Although sediment means and ranges of Cd, Pb, Zn, and Mn also diminished with remediation, those for Cr and Cu slightly increased, and all six metals retained concentrations higher than standards set by China. All metals in sediments could also be associated with anthropogenic inputs using a hierarchical clustering analysis, and they generate high potential ecological risks based on several indices, especially for Cd and As. The bio-sediment accumulation factors of all measured trace metals in gastropod soft tissues and shells were lower than 1.0, except for Ca. Trace metal contents in gastropods were positively correlated with those in water and surface sediments for As (soft tissues) and Cr (shells). Collectively, our results do not yet highlight strong beneficial effects of 5-year remediation and clearly illustrate the heavy metal pollution remaining in Xiangjiang River sediment. Additional physical, chemical, and biological measurements should be implemented to improve sediment quality. We further conclude that gastropod soft tissues and shells can be suitable biomonitors of spatial differences in some heavy metals found within river sediments (e.g., As, Cr).

Hair flow sensors: from bio-inspiration to bio-mimicking—a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Junliang; Yu, Xiong

2012-01-01

A great many living beings, such as aquatics and arthropods, are equipped with highly sensitive flow sensors to help them survive in challenging environments. These sensors are excellent sources of inspiration for developing application-driven artificial flow sensors with high sensitivity and performance. This paper reviews the bio-inspirations on flow sensing in nature and the bio-mimicking efforts to emulate such sensing mechanisms in recent years. The natural flow sensing systems in aquatics and arthropods are reviewed to highlight inspirations at multiple levels such as morphology, sensing mechanism and information processing. Biomimetic hair flow sensors based on different sensing mechanisms and fabrication technologies are also reviewed to capture the recent accomplishments and to point out areas where further progress is necessary. Biomimetic flow sensors are still in their early stages. Further efforts are required to unveil the sensing mechanisms in the natural biological systems and to achieve multi-level bio-mimicking of the natural system to develop their artificial counterparts. (topical review)

Technologies for remediating radioactively contaminated land

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pearl, M.

2000-01-01

This paper gives an overview of technologies that can be used for the remediation of radioactively contaminated ground. There are a wide variety of techniques available -most have established track records for contaminated ground, though in general many are only just being adapted to use for radioactively contaminated ground. 1) Remediation techniques for radioactively contaminated ground involve either removal of the contamination and transfer to a controlled/contained facility such as the national LLW repository at Drigg, or 2) immobilization, solidification and stabilization of the contamination where the physical nature of the soil is changed, or an 'agent' is added to the soil, to reduce the migration of the contaminants, or 3) isolation and containment of the contaminated ground to reduce contaminant migration and control potential detrimental effects to human health. Where contamination has to be removed, ex situ and in situ techniques are available which minimize the waste requiring disposal to an LLW repository. These techniques include: 1) detector-based segregation 2) soil washing by particle separations 3) oil washing with chemical leaching agents 4) electro remediation 5) phyto remediation. Although many technologies are potentially applicable, their application to the remediation of a specific contaminated site is dependent on a number of factors and related to detailed site characterization studies, results from development trials and BPEO (best practicable environmental option) studies. Those factors considered of particular importance are: 1) the clean-up target 2) technical feasibility relative to the particular site, soil and contaminant characteristics, and time frame 3) site infrastructure arrangements and needs, the working life of the site and the duration of institutional care 4) long-term monitoring arrangements for slow remedial techniques or for immobilization and containment techniques 5) validation of the remediation 6) health and

Green bio-oil extraction for oil crops

Science.gov (United States)

Zainab, H.; Nurfatirah, N.; Norfaezah, A.; Othman, H.

2016-06-01

The move towards a green bio-oil extraction technique is highlighted in this paper. The commonly practised organic solvent oil extraction technique could be replaced with a modified microwave extraction. Jatropha seeds (Jatropha curcas) were used to extract bio-oil. Clean samples were heated in an oven at 110 ° C for 24 hours to remove moisture content and ground to obtain particle size smaller than 500μm. Extraction was carried out at different extraction times 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min and 120 min to determine oil yield. The biooil yield obtained from microwave assisted extraction system at 90 minutes was 36% while that from soxhlet extraction for 6 hours was 42%. Bio-oil extracted using the microwave assisted extraction (MAE) system could enhance yield of bio-oil compared to soxhlet extraction. The MAE extraction system is rapid using only water as solvent which is a nonhazardous, environment-friendly technique compared to soxhlet extraction (SE) method using hexane as solvent. Thus, this is a green technique of bio-oil extraction using only water as extractant. Bio-oil extraction from the pyrolysis of empty fruit bunch (EFB), a biomass waste from oil palm crop, was enhanced using a biocatalyst derived from seashell waste. Oil yield for non-catalytic extraction was 43.8% while addition of seashell based biocatalyst was 44.6%. Oil yield for non-catalytic extraction was 43.8% while with addition of seashell-based biocatalyst was 44.6%. The pH of bio-oil increased from 3.5 to 4.3. The viscosity of bio-oil obtained by catalytic means increased from 20.5 to 37.8 cP. A rapid and environment friendly extraction technique is preferable to enhance bio-oil yield. The microwave assisted approach is a green, rapid and environmental friendly extraction technique for the production of bio-oil bearing crops.

Electrodialytic remediation of heavy metal polluted soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Jensen, Pernille Erland; Kirkelund, Gunvor Marie

2012-01-01

Electrodialytic soil remediation is a method for removal of heavy metals. Good results have previously been obtained with both treatment of a stationary, water saturated soil matrix and with remediation of a stirred suspension of soil in water. The two different setups have different uses....... The first as in-situ or on-site treatment when there is no requirement for fast remediation, as the removal rate of the heavy metals are dependent on the distance between the electrodes (everything else equal) and in such application the electrode spacing must have a certain distance (often meters......). In the stirred setup it is possible to shorten the transport route to few mm and to have a faster and continuous process. The present paper for the first time reports a direct comparison of the two options. The remediation of the stirred suspension showed faster than remediation of the water saturated soil even...

Remediation of spent block in Uvanas deposit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurgaziev, M.A.; Iskakov, M.M.

2012-01-01

In 2007 by 'Kazatomprom' and 'Mining company' board decision, the branch of 'Mining company', 'Steppe ore management body' is reorganized in structure subdivision, the basic activity of which is organization and carrying out remediation works on spent blocks of PSV uranium deposit. In 2002 works are completed on OVOS for operating deposits Uvanas, Kanjugan, Northern Karamurun and Eastern Minkuduk. The results of present work were reported in IAEA conference. The working project 'Remediation of spent blocks of PSV uranium deposit PV-17 polygon of Steppe ore management body' approved in 2005 was developed for carrying out the remediation works. Works funding were carried out from liquidation fund of the current deposit established in accordance with the Republic of Kazakhstan law 'About interior and interior use'. Deposits remediation is the part of deposit operation life cycle which obliges to operate deposits with minimum expenditures for remediation.

The use of sustainable 'biochar compost' for remediation of contaminated land

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Aoife; Street-Perrott, Alayne; Eastwood, Daniel; Brackenbury, Sion

2014-05-01

South Wales (UK) has a long industrial history which, since the collapse of the coal-mining industry, has left a large number of contaminated former colliery sites. Bio-remediation of these areas by re-vegetation with native grasses aims to prevent erosion and leaching of pollutants into drainage waters. However, acid pH, low organic-matter content and unsuitable soil structure have limited the success of re-vegetation and prompted research into the development of artificial soils. This study aims to assess the value of creating an artificial soil cover by adding "biochar compost" to the top 10cm of a large volume of contaminated colliery spoil (high in As and Cu) to be moved during construction of a flood-alleviation barrage in Cwm Dulais (Swansea). It is proposed to use biochar, manufactured from chipped biomass sourced from a local stand of invasive Rhododendron ponticum using a BiGchar 1000 fast pyrolysis-gasification unit, in combination with locally produced BSI PAS100-certified Pteridium aquilinum (bracken) compost, to remediate a large area (2.3ha) of landscaped colliery waste and re-establish a cover of native grasses suitable for sheep grazing. Pot and field trials are being used to determine the most appropriate biochar:compost mix. In a 90-day outdoor pot trial, a commercial acid-grassland seed mix was grown in screened (remediation trial at Ffos-y-Frân (Jarvis & Walton, WRAP Report, 2011). Varying application rates of biochar (0%, 2%, 5%, 10% or 20%v/v) were employed. Additional benefits of adding mycorrhizal inoculant or Trifolium repens (white clover) seed were also tested. Six-fold replication was used, with appropriate controls. The performance of each treatment was assessed from its maximum sward height and final above-ground dry phytomass. To evaluate the quality of the resulting grassland for sheep grazing, grass samples are being analysed for nutrients, heavy metals and metalloids by elemental analysis (EA) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Status and potential of bio-methane fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

This document first indicates and describes the various bio-methane production processes which can be implemented on a short term (use of organic wastes or effluents), on a medium term (from energetic crops) and on a longer term (gasification). It discusses and assesses the potential production of bio-methane fuel from different sources and processes. It describes the steps of the production of bio-methane fuel from biogas, with notably biogas refinement to produce bio-methane through three processes (de-carbonation, desulfurization, dehydration). Cost productions are assessed. Expected technology advances are evoked. Finally, the authors outline the contribution of bio-methane in the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector

Bio-Conjugates for Nanoscale Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villadsen, Klaus

Bio-conjugates for Nanoscale Applications is the title of this thesis, which covers three different projects in chemical bio-conjugation research, namely synthesis and applications of: Lipidated fluorescent peptides, carbohydrate oxime-azide linkers and N-aryl O-R2 oxyamine derivatives. Lipidated...

Herbal remedies: issues in licensing and economic evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashcroft, D M; Po, A L

1999-10-01

In recent years, the use of alternative therapies has become widespread. In particular, there has been a resurgence in the public's demand for herbal remedies, despite a lack of high-quality evidence to support the use of many of them. Given the increasing pressures to control healthcare spending in most countries, it is not surprising that attention is being focused on the cost effectiveness of herbal remedies. We address the question of whether there is sufficient information to enable the assessment of the cost effectiveness of herbal remedies. In so doing, we discuss the current state of play with several of the more high-profile alternative herbal remedies [Chinese medicinal herbs for atopic eczema, evening primrose oil, ginkgo biloba, hypericum (St John's wort)] and some which have made the transition from being alternative to being orthodox remedies. We use historical context to discuss, on the one hand, the increasing commodification of herbal remedies and on the other, the trend towards greater regulatory control and licensing of alternative herbal remedies. We argue that unless great care is exercised, these changes are not necessarily in the best interests of patients. In order to identify cost-effective care, we need reliable information about the costs as well as the efficacy and safety of the treatments being assessed. For most alternative therapies, such data are not available. We believe that studies to gather such data are long overdue. Whilst we argue strongly in favour of control of some herbal remedies, we urge caution with the trend towards licensing of all herbal remedies. We argue that the licensing of those herbal remedies with equivocal benefits and few risks, as evidenced by a long history of safe use, increases barriers to entry and increases societal healthcare costs.

A new bio-active glass ceramic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamim, A.; Arif, I.; Suleman, M.; Hussain, K.; Shah, W.A.

1995-01-01

Since 1960 fine ceramics such as alumina have been used side by side with metallic materials for bone and joint replacement. They have high mechanical strength and are free from corrosion problem faced by metals. However they don't bond to the natural living bone and hence are called bio-inactive. This was followed by the development of bio-active glasses and glass-ceramics which bond to the natural bone but have low mechanical strength. In the present work a new bio-active glass-ceramic, based on CaO-SiO/sub 2/-P/sub 2/O/sub 3/-MgO composition, has been developed which has mechanical strength compared to that of a bio-inactive glass ceramic and also bonds strongly to the natural bone. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals wollastanite and apatite phases in the glass ceramic. A new bio-active cement has also been developed which can be used to join broken pieces of bone or by itself at a filler. (author)

Bio-MTBE. A new option to fulfil biofuel quota for gasoline; Bio-MTBE. Eine neue Option zur Erfuellung der Biokraftstoffquote in Ottokraftstoffen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Busch, Oliver M.; Schade, Arnd; Locher, Annette [Evonik Industries AG, Essen (Germany)

2013-05-15

To meet the legally required bio-fuel quota in gasoline, an alternative to the ethanol blend E10 is nowavailable for nearly one year. Evonik Industries has introduced a bio-version of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), an anti-knock agent, on the market. Chemically, both products are identical, because in production methanol is exchanged for bio-methanol. Bio-methanol is produced from raw glycerine, which arises as a byproduct from biodiesel production. This makes bio-MTBE an ideal bio-fuel component as defined by the EU's Renewable Energy Directive: Fuel components made from waste and residues are ''double counted'' regarding their bio-energy content. The product is widely used in the German and Dutch markets. In both countries, bio- MTBE is legally recognized as a bio-fuel component fulfilling double counting requirements. In the meantime, also other European countries have been introducing double counting for second-generation biofuel components. The EU Commission proposed to allow components based on residual materials to be calculated fourfold in the future. Should this be the case, bio-MTBE would become significantly more valuable. (orig.)

Computing Pathways in Bio-Models Derived from Bio-Science Text Sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Troels; Bulskov, Henrik; Nilsson, Jørgen Fischer

2015-01-01

This paper outlines a system, OntoScape, serving to accomplish complex inference tasks on knowledge bases and bio-models derived from life-science text corpora. The system applies so-called natural logic, a form of logic which is readable for humans. This logic affords ontological representations...... of complex terms appearing in the text sources. Along with logical propositions, the system applies a semantic graph representation facilitating calculation of bio-pathways. More generally, the system aords means of query answering appealing to general and domain specic inference rules....

Remedial Design/Remedial Action Work Plan for Operable Units 6-05 and 10-04, Phase IV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. P. Wells

2006-11-14

This Phase IV Remedial Design/Remedial Action Work Plan addresses the remediation of areas with the potential for UXO at the Idaho National Laboratory. These areas include portions of the Naval Proving Ground, the Arco High-Altitude Bombing Range, and the Twin Buttes Bombing Range. Five areas within the Naval Proving Ground that are known to contain UXO include the Naval Ordnance Disposal Area, the Mass Detonation Area, the Experimental Field Station, The Rail Car Explosion Area, and the Land Mine Fuze Burn Area. The Phase IV remedial action will be concentrated in these five areas. For other areas, such as the Arco High-Altitude Bombing Range and the Twin Buttes Bombing Range, ordnance has largely consisted of sand-filled practice bombs that do not pose an explosion risk. Ordnance encountered in these areas will be addressed under the Phase I Operations and Maintenance Plan that allows for the recovery and disposal of ordnance that poses an imminent risk to human health or the environment.

The potential of activated carbon derived from bio-char waste of bio-oil pyrolysis as adsorbent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulkania Ariany

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Activated carbon from bio-char waste of bio oil pyrolysis of mixed sugarcane bagasse and Rambutan twigs was investigated. Bio-char as by-product of bio-oil pyrolysis has potential to be good adsorbed by activating process. Bio-chars waste was activated in fixed bed reactor inside furnace without presenting oxygen. Gas N2 and CO2 were employed to drive out oxygen from the reactor and as activator, respectively. One of the best activation treatments is achieved by performing activation in different temperature and time to produce standard activated carbon. The experiment was performed at different temperatures and activation time, i.e. 800, 850, and 900° C and 80 and 120 minutes, respectively, to determine the optimal operating condition. Activated carbon was characterized by analysis of moisture content, ash content pH, and methylene blue test. The results showed that optimum activation was at 850°C and 80 minute, where activated carbon produced indicated the best adsorption capacity. The ash content and pH had significant role in resulting good activated carbon.

BioSentinel

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Advanced Exploration Systems' (AES) BioSentinel project will develop, prototype, integrate, test, and prepare for the first spaceflight mission of a broadly...

Sustainable bio-based materials: opportunities and challenges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meer, Yvonne

2017-01-01

Research in the area of bio-based materials aims to achieve breakthroughs in bio-based materials development. A novel way is presented to organise bio-based materials research with a value chain approach in which sustainability research is integrated in the research program. This research approach

3D Bio-Printing Review

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Xianbin

2018-01-01

Ultimate goal of tissue engineering is to replace pathological or necrotic body tissue or organ by artificial tissue or organ and tissue engineering is a very promising research field. 3D bio-printing is a kind of emerging technologies and a branch of tissue engineering. It has made significant progress in the past decade. 3D bio-printing can realize tissue and organ construction in vitro and has wide application in basic research and pharmacy. This paper is to make an analysis and review on 3D bio-printing from the perspectives of bioink, printing technology and technology application.

The Aftermath of Remedial Math: Investigating the Low Rate of Certificate Completion among Remedial Math Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bahr, Peter Riley

2013-01-01

Nationally, a majority of community college students require remedial assistance with mathematics, but comparatively few students who begin the remedial math sequence ultimately complete it and achieve college-level math competency. The academic outcomes of students who begin the sequence but do not complete it are disproportionately unfavorable:…

Bio fuels. Environment and Energy Aspects and Future Prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiaramonti, D.; Grassi, G.; Tondi, G.; Martelli, F.

2000-01-01

The present work aims at describing some of the most important bio fuels (bio diesel, bio methanol, bi oethanol, bio-crude-oil). Environmental effects are also presented, as well as some cost data. Europe and USA are compared, when appropriate. The motivations for a justified and beneficial market penetration of bio fuels in urban areas are reported [it

Bio-SimVerb and Bio-SimLex: wide-coverage evaluation sets of word similarity in biomedicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Billy; Pyysalo, Sampo; Vulić, Ivan; Korhonen, Anna

2018-02-05

Word representations support a variety of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks. The quality of these representations is typically assessed by comparing the distances in the induced vector spaces against human similarity judgements. Whereas comprehensive evaluation resources have recently been developed for the general domain, similar resources for biomedicine currently suffer from the lack of coverage, both in terms of word types included and with respect to the semantic distinctions. Notably, verbs have been excluded, although they are essential for the interpretation of biomedical language. Further, current resources do not discern between semantic similarity and semantic relatedness, although this has been proven as an important predictor of the usefulness of word representations and their performance in downstream applications. We present two novel comprehensive resources targeting the evaluation of word representations in biomedicine. These resources, Bio-SimVerb and Bio-SimLex, address the previously mentioned problems, and can be used for evaluations of verb and noun representations respectively. In our experiments, we have computed the Pearson's correlation between performances on intrinsic and extrinsic tasks using twelve popular state-of-the-art representation models (e.g. word2vec models). The intrinsic-extrinsic correlations using our datasets are notably higher than with previous intrinsic evaluation benchmarks such as UMNSRS and MayoSRS. In addition, when evaluating representation models for their abilities to capture verb and noun semantics individually, we show a considerable variation between performances across all models. Bio-SimVerb and Bio-SimLex enable intrinsic evaluation of word representations. This evaluation can serve as a predictor of performance on various downstream tasks in the biomedical domain. The results on Bio-SimVerb and Bio-SimLex using standard word representation models highlight the importance of developing dedicated

Waste minimization applications at a remediation site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allmon, L.A.

1995-01-01

The Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) owned by the Department of Energy was used for the processing of uranium. In 1989 Fernald suspended production of uranium metals and was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The site's mission has changed from one of production to environmental restoration. Many groups necessary for producing a product were deemed irrelevant for remediation work, including Waste Minimization. Waste Minimization does not readily appear to be applicable to remediation work. Environmental remediation is designed to correct adverse impacts to the environment from past operations and generates significant amounts of waste requiring management. The premise of pollution prevention is to avoid waste generation, thus remediation is in direct conflict with this premise. Although greater amounts of waste will be generated during environmental remediation, treatment capacities are not always available and disposal is becoming more difficult and costly. This creates the need for pollution prevention and waste minimization. Applying waste minimization principles at a remediation site is an enormous challenge. If the remediation site is also radiologically contaminated it is even a bigger challenge. Innovative techniques and ideas must be utilized to achieve reductions in the amount of waste that must be managed or dispositioned. At Fernald the waste minimization paradigm was shifted from focusing efforts on source reduction to focusing efforts on recycle/reuse by inverting the EPA waste management hierarchy. A fundamental difference at remediation sites is that source reduction has limited applicability to legacy wastes but can be applied successfully on secondary waste generation. The bulk of measurable waste reduction will be achieved by the recycle/reuse of primary wastes and by segregation and decontamination of secondary wastestreams. Each effort must be measured in terms of being economically and ecologically beneficial

Passive remediation strategies for petroleum contaminated sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Everett, L.G.; Cullen, S.J.; Eccles, L.A.

1991-01-01

The US EPA is becoming increasingly aware of costs and the limited success of existing remediation strategies. Research teams within the US EPA believe that if passive remediation can be successfully demonstrated, it is a candidate for best available technology. Passive remediation, however, must be demonstrated through the use of monitoring techniques, which demonstrate: contaminants are not moving in the dissolved, adsorbed or free product phase; and contamination is biodegrading in-place. This paper presents a concise monitoring and analysis strategy for passive remediation. Specifically, the paper presents the accuracy, precision and operating range of neutron moderation techniques as a low cost, real-time screening tool to measure the migration of the dissolved phase in soil moisture, the stabilized adsorbed phase and free product movement. In addition, the paper identifies the capillary pressure range through which the dissolved phase will move and identifies techniques for satisfying the risk analysis that movement is not taking place. The rationale for passive remediation taking place is confirmed through a discussion of gas ratios associated with bacterial assimilation of hydrocarbons. Gas ratios which are relatively constant above ground are highly inverted in the subsurface at contamination sites. The use of frequent screening of a vertical geologic profile using least cost techniques and the infrequent analysis of soil gas ratios provides the required data upon which the public will accept passive remediation as best available technology at a particular site. The paper points out that neutron moderation is a high candidate vadose zone monitoring device and identifies alternative techniques using resistivity and dielectric constants, which are in the developmental stage. The economic implications for passive remediation are enormous relative to the excavation and remediation strategies which are currently in use

Development and characterization of a new bio-nanocomposite (bio-NCP) for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martins, Murillo L., E-mail: murillolongo@gmail.com [Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Instituto de Biociências – Universidade Estadual Paulista – CP 510, 18618-970 Botucatu, SP (Brazil); Saeki, Margarida Juri [Instituto de Biociências – Universidade Estadual Paulista – CP 510, 18618-970 Botucatu, SP (Brazil); Telling, Mark T.F. [ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX (United Kingdom); Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford (United Kingdom); Parra, Joao P.R.L.L. [Instituto de Biociências – Universidade Estadual Paulista – CP 510, 18618-970 Botucatu, SP (Brazil); Landsgesell, Sven [Helmholtz–Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, D-14109 Berlin (Germany); Smith, Ron I. [ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX (United Kingdom); Bordallo, Heloisa N. [Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)

2014-01-25

Highlights: • We synthesized a magnetic bio-NCP with potential to be used against breast cancer. • The magnetic nanoparticles have an inverted spinel structure. • The coating with chitosan does not cause changes to the particle microstructure. • The hydration level of bio-NCP is crucial to the surface modification with apatite. • Bio-NCP with narrow size distribution and high magnetic response was obtained. -- Abstract: Breast cancer is a public health problem throughout the world. Moreover, breast cancer cells have a great affinity for hydroxyapatite, leading to a high occurrence of bone metastasis. In this work we developed a bio-nanocomposite (bio-NCP) in order to use such affinity in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The bio-NCP consists of magnetic nanoparticles of Mn and Zn ferrite inside a polymeric coating (chitosan) modified with nanocrystals of apatite. The materials were characterized with synchrotron X-ray Powder Diffraction (XPD), Time-of-Flight Neutron Powder Diffraction (NPD), Fourier Transformed Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and magnetic measurement with a Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). We obtained ferrite nanoparticles with a high inversion degree of the spinel structure regarding the Fe and Mn, but with all the Zn in the A site. The coating of such nanoparticles with chitosan had no notable effects to the ferrite microstructure. In addition, the polymeric surface can be easily modified with apatite nanocrystals since the hydration of the bio-NCP during synthesis can be controlled. The resulting bio-NCP presents a spherical shape with a narrow size distribution and high magnetic response at room temperature and is a very promising material for early diagnosis of breast cancer and its treatment.

Developing a disposal and remediation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messier, T.S.

1999-01-01

The environmental release of wastes generated by the upstream oil and gas industry in Alberta can result in polluted soil and groundwater at several facilities across the province. Responsibility for decommissioning upstream oil and gas facilities falls under the jurisdiction of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) and Alberta Environmental Protection (AEP). This paper outlines a protocol that can serve as a framework for the development of a plan to dispose of oilfield waste and to remediate related contaminated soils. The components involved in developing a disposal and remediation plan for oilfield wastes are: (1) identifying the potential source of pollution and oilfield waste generation, (2) characterizing oilfield wastes, (3) determining the nature and extent of soil and groundwater pollution, (4) preparing a remedial action plan, (5) assessing the viability of various remediation options, and (6) preparing health and safety plan. 12 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

REAL TIME DATA FOR REMEDIATION ACTIVITIES (11505)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brock, C.T.

2011-01-01

Health physicists from the CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company collaborated with Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation to modify the SAM 940 isotope identifier instrument to be used for nuclear waste remediation. These modifications coupled with existing capabilities of the SAM 940 have proven to be invaluable during remediation activities, reducing disposal costs by allowing swift remediation of targeted areas that have been identified as having isotopes of concern (IOC), and eliminating multiple visits to sites by declaring an excavation site clear of IOCs before demobilizing from the site. These advantages are enabled by accumulating spectral data for specific isotopes that is nearly 100 percent free of false positives, which are filtered out in 'real time.'

BioSystems

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The NCBI BioSystems Database provides integrated access to biological systems and their component genes, proteins, and small molecules, as well as literature...

Hanford sitewide grounwater remediation - supporting technical information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiaramonte, G.R.

1996-05-01

The Hanford Sitewide Groundwater Remediation Strategy was issued in 1995 to establish overall goals for groundwater remediation on the Hanford Site. This strategy is being refined to provide more detailed justification for remediation of specific plumes and to provide a decision process for long-range planning of remediation activities. Supporting this work is a comprehensive modeling study to predict movement of the major site plumes over the next 200 years to help plan the remediation efforts. The information resulting from these studies will be documented in a revision to the Strategy and the Hanford Site Groundwater Protection Management Plan. To support the modeling work and other studies being performed to refine the strategy, this supporting technical information report has been produced to compile all of the relevant technical information collected to date on the Hanford Site groundwater contaminant plumes. The primary information in the report relates to conceptualization of the source terms and available history of groundwater transport, and description of the contaminant plumes. The primary information in the report relates to conceptualization of the source terms and available history of groundwater transport, description of the contaminant plumes, rate of movement based on the conceptual model and monitoring data, risk assessment, treatability study information, and current approach for plume remediation

A bio-energy plant in your neighborhood. Answers to your questions; Een bio-energiecentrale bij u in de buurt. Antwoorden op uw vragen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-06-15

This brochure is intended for municipalities and initiators and discusses the following subjects: What is a bio-energy plant?; How large is a bio-energy plant?; What do you see?; Renewable energy: clean and always available; Bio-energy: what is it? [mk]. [Dutch] De brochure is bedoeld voor gemeenten en initiatiefnemers en behandelt de volgende onderwerpen: Wat is een bio-energiecentrale?; Hoe groot is een bio-energiecentrale?; Wat neem je waar?; Duurzame energie: schoon en altijd aanwezig; Bio-energie: wat is dat?.

Foreword Special Issue on Electrokinetic remediation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loch, J.P.G.; Lima, A.T.

2012-01-01

Since the first symposium on Electro-remediation (EREM) in 1997 at the École des Mines d’Albi, in Albi, France, much international attention, interest and progress have been generated in the science and technology of electro-remediation of contaminated soils, sediments and construction

Remediation of the Maxey Flats Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This report describes issues associated with remedial action of Maxey Flats, a low-level radioactive waste disposal site from 1963-1977, located in Fleming County, Kentucky. Present remedial action alternatives being considered are discussed along with emergency plans, ground water monitoring plans, and budgets

Bio-remediation of mine water

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Greben, HA

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Greben Division of Natural Resources and the Environment CSIR South Africa © CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za Introduction Mining History in South Africa • Gold Mining started in the late 1880’s on the farm Langlaagte, west.... © CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za Coal fields in South Africa © CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za Wealth versus environment • SA is 5th largest coal producer in the world • SA is third largest coal exporter • South...

Remediating MGP brownfields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, B.R.

1997-01-01

Before natural gas pipelines became widespread in this country, gas fuel was produced locally in more than 5,000 manufactured gas plants (MGPs). The toxic wastes from these processes often were disposed onsite and have since seeped into the surrounding soil and groundwater. Although the MGPs--commonly called gas plants, gas-works or town gas plants--have closed and most have been demolished, they have left a legacy of environmental contamination. At many MGP sites, underground storage tanks were constructed of wood or brick, with process piping and equipment which frequently leaked. Waste materials often were disposed onsite. Releases of coal tars, oils and condensates produced within the plants contributed to a wide range of contamination from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, benzene and cyanide. Remediation of selected MGP sites has been sporadic. Unless the site has been identified as a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) Superfund site, the regulatory initiative to remediate often remains with the state in which the MGP is located. A number of factors are working to change that picture and to create a renewed interest in MGP site remediation. The recent Brownfield Initiative by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is such an example

Bio-fuels of the first generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-04-01

After having briefly recalled the objective of use of renewable energies and the role bio-fuels may play, this publication briefly presents various bio-fuels: bio-diesel (from colza, soybean or sunflower oil), and ethanol (from beet, sugar cane, wheat or corn). Some key data regarding bio-fuel production and use in France are briefly commented. The publication outlines strengths (a positive energy assessment, a decreased dependency on imported fossil fuels and a higher supply safety, a diversification of agriculture revenues and prospects, a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and weaknesses (uncertainty regarding the evolution of soil use, an environmental impact related to farming methods) of this sector. Actions undertaken by the ADEME in collaboration with other agencies and institutions are briefly overviewed

Bio-methane. Challenges and technical solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaisonneau, Laurent; Carlu, Elieta; Feuillette, Vincent

2012-06-01

Among the new energy sectors in development, biogas has many benefits: several valorization possibilities (bio-methane, electricity and heat), continuous production, easy storage. In Europe, and particularly in France, the bio-methane market will be in the next years a driver for the improvement of the economic, environmental and social performance of the actors of the value chain of biogas. ENEA releases a report on the current state of the bio-methane market in Europe. This publication mainly describes: An outlook of the market evolution and the corresponding stakes for the actors of this sector, the technical and economic characteristics, maturity level and specificities of each biogas upgrading process, An analysis of the French regulatory framework for bio-methane injection into the grid

The proceduralisation of data protection remedies under EU data protection law : Towards a more effective and data subject-oriented remedial system?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galetta, Antonella; de Hert, Paul

2015-01-01

The proceduralisation of data protection remedies under EU data protection law: towards a more effective and data subject-oriented remedial system?
The right to remedy breaches of data protection is laid down in both Directive 95/46/EC (Art. 22) and the Council of Europe Data Protection Convention

In Situ Remediation Integrated Program: Technology summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-02-01

The In Situ Remediation Integrated Program (ISR IP) was instituted out of recognition that in situ remediation could fulfill three important criteria: significant cost reduction of cleanup by eliminating or minimizing excavation, transportation, and disposal of wastes; reduced health impacts on workers and the public by minimizing exposure to wastes during excavation and processing; and remediation of inaccessible sites, including: deep subsurfaces, in, under, and around buildings. Buried waste, contaminated soils and groundwater, and containerized wastes are all candidates for in situ remediation. Contaminants include radioactive wastes, volatile and non-volatile organics, heavy metals, nitrates, and explosive materials. The ISR IP intends to facilitate development of in situ remediation technologies for hazardous, radioactive, and mixed wastes in soils, groundwater, and storage tanks. Near-term focus is on containment of the wastes, with treatment receiving greater effort in future years. ISR IP is an applied research and development program broadly addressing known DOE environmental restoration needs. Analysis of a sample of 334 representative sites by the Office of Environmental Restoration has shown how many sites are amenable to in situ remediation: containment--243 sites; manipulation--244 sites; bioremediation--154 sites; and physical/chemical methods--236 sites. This needs assessment is focused on near-term restoration problems (FY93--FY99). Many other remediations will be required in the next century. The major focus of the ISR EP is on the long term development of permanent solutions to these problems. Current needs for interim actions to protect human health and the environment are also being addressed

In Situ Remediation Integrated Program: Technology summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-02-01

The In Situ Remediation Integrated Program (ISR IP) was instituted out of recognition that in situ remediation could fulfill three important criteria: significant cost reduction of cleanup by eliminating or minimizing excavation, transportation, and disposal of wastes; reduced health impacts on workers and the public by minimizing exposure to wastes during excavation and processing; and remediation of inaccessible sites, including: deep subsurfaces, in, under, and around buildings. Buried waste, contaminated soils and groundwater, and containerized wastes are all candidates for in situ remediation. Contaminants include radioactive wastes, volatile and non-volatile organics, heavy metals, nitrates, and explosive materials. The ISR IP intends to facilitate development of in situ remediation technologies for hazardous, radioactive, and mixed wastes in soils, groundwater, and storage tanks. Near-term focus is on containment of the wastes, with treatment receiving greater effort in future years. ISR IP is an applied research and development program broadly addressing known DOE environmental restoration needs. Analysis of a sample of 334 representative sites by the Office of Environmental Restoration has shown how many sites are amenable to in situ remediation: containment--243 sites; manipulation--244 sites; bioremediation--154 sites; and physical/chemical methods--236 sites. This needs assessment is focused on near-term restoration problems (FY93--FY99). Many other remediations will be required in the next century. The major focus of the ISR EP is on the long term development of permanent solutions to these problems. Current needs for interim actions to protect human health and the environment are also being addressed.

Remediation of problematic residents--A national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatti, Nasir I; Ahmed, Aadil; Stewart, Michael G; Miller, Robert H; Choi, Sukgi S

2016-04-01

Despite careful selection processes, residency programs face the challenge of training residents who fall below minimal performance standards. Poor performance of a resident can endanger both patient safety and the reputation of the residency program. It is important, therefore, for a program to identify such residents and implement strategies for their successful remediation. The purpose of our study was to gather information on evaluation and remediation strategies employed by different otolaryngology programs. Cross-sectional survey. We conducted a national survey, sending a questionnaire to the program directors of 106 otolaryngology residency programs. We collected information on demographics of the program, identification of problematic residents, and remediation strategies. The response rate was 74.5%, with a 2% cumulative incidence of problematic residents in otolaryngology programs during the past 10 years. The most frequently reported deficiencies of problematic residents were unprofessional behavior with colleagues/staff (38%), insufficient medical knowledge (37%), and poor clinical judgment (34%). Personal or professional stress was the most frequently identified underlying problem (70.5%). Remediation efforts included general counseling (78%), frequent feedback sessions (73%), assignment of a mentor (58%), and extra didactics (47%). These remediation efforts failed to produce improvement in 23% of the identified residents, ultimately leading to their dismissal. The apparent deficiencies, underlying causes, and remediation strategies vary among otolaryngology residency programs. Based on the results of this survey, we offer recommendations for the early identification of problematic residents and a standardized remediation plan. NA. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Bio-sorption of uranium and plutonium with Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pulhani, Vandana; Dafauti, Sunita; Hegde, A.G.

2010-01-01

The continuous expansion in nuclear energy program and an aim of zero discharge makes waste management a challenging task. Waste effluents containing long-lived radionuclides such as 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 238+239+240 Pu and uranium along with other toxic elements have to he suitably treated to bring down the radioactivity levels before it is discharged in to the environment. Biological materials have emerged as an economic and eco-friendly option for removal of toxic heavy metals to an environmentally safe level. Bio-sorption is a phenomenon of rapid passive metal uptake, an ideal alternative for decontamination of metal containing effluents. Bio-sorption of uranium and plutonium from aqueous solutions by dried biomass of Eichhornia crassipes or water hyacinth, a hyper-accumulator, which can tolerate highly toxic condition, was studied. The adsorption of Pu by roots biomass was seen to be more in the pH range from 3-8 and a similar trend was shown by leaves. The adsorption of U by both roots and leaves was more in the pH range of 4-8. Distribution coefficient for Pu in roots and leaf was an average of 1349 ml/g and 3152 ml/g for uranium studied using a wide activity range from 10 Bq to 200 Bq. The presence of anions inhibited the uptake and showed the trend sulphate> nitrate> chloride>> carbonates. The effect of other cations on the absorption capacity was also checked. Effluent solutions from an effluent treatment plant were also subjected to remediation with this biomass. Biomass related metal removal processes may not necessarily replace existing treatment processes but may complement them. (author)

Development of a waste minimization plan for a Department of Energy remedial action program: Ideas for minimizing waste in remediation scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubbard, Linda M.; Galen, Glen R.

1992-01-01

Waste minimization has become an important consideration in the management of hazardous waste because of regulatory as well as cost considerations. Waste minimization techniques are often process specific or industry specific and generally are not applicable to site remediation activities. This paper will examine ways in which waste can be minimized in a remediation setting such as the U.S. Department of Energy's Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, where the bulk of the waste produced results from remediating existing contamination, not from generating new waste. (author)

Bio-fuels - biohazard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slovak, K.

2008-01-01

Politicians have a clear explanation for growing commodity prices. It is all the fault of speculators. It is easy to point the finger at an imaginary enemy. It is more difficult and from the point of view of a political career suicidal to admit one's mistakes. And there are reasons for remorse. According to studies prepared by the OECD and the World Bank bio-fuels are to be blame for high food prices. The bio-fuel boom that increases the demand for agro-commodities has been created by politicians offering generous subsidies. And so farming products do not end up on the table, but in the fuel tanks of cars in the form of additives. And their only efficiency is that they make food more expensive. The first relevant indication that environmentalist tendencies in global politics have resulted in shortages and food price increases can be found in a confidential report prepared by the World Bank. Parts of the report were leaked to the media last month. According to this information growing bio-fuel production has resulted in a food price increase by 75%. The theory that this development was caused by speculators and Chinese and Indian demand received a serious blow. And the OECD report definitely contradicted the excuse used by the politicians. According to the report one of the main reasons for growing food prices are generously subsidized bio-fuels. Their share of the increase of demand for agro-commodities in 2005 -2007 was 60% according to the study. (author)

Bio-mimetic Flow Control

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Haecheon

2009-11-01

Bio-mimetic engineering or bio-mimetics is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology (from Wikipedia). The concept itself is old, but successful developments have been made recently, especially in the research field of flow control. The objective of flow control based on the bio-mimetic approach is to develop novel concepts for reducing drag, increasing lift and enhancing aerodynamic performance. For skin friction reduction, a few ideas have been suggested such as the riblet from shark, compliant surface from dolphin, microbubble injection and multiple front-body curvature from penguin, and V-shaped protrusion from sailfish. For form drag reduction, several new attempts have been also made recently. Examples include the V-shaped spanwise grooves from saguaro cactus, overall shape of box fish, longitudinal grooves on scallop shell, bill of swordfish, hooked comb on owl wing, trailing-edge protrusion on dragonfly wing, and fillet. For the enhancement of aerodynamic performance, focuses have been made on the birds, fish and insects: e.g., double layered feather of landing bird, leading-edge serration of humpback-whale flipper, pectoral fin of flying fish, long tail on swallowtail-butterfly wing, wing flapping motion of dragonfly, and alula in birds. Living animals adapt their bodies to better performance in multi purposes, but engineering requires single purpose in most cases. Therefore, bio-mimetic approaches often produce excellent results more than expected. However, they are sometimes based on people's wrong understanding of nature and produce unwanted results. Successes and failures from bio-mimetic approaches in flow control will be discussed in the presentation.

Development of production technology for bio diesel fuel and feasibility test of bio diesel engine (II)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Na, Y J; Ju, U S; Park, Y C [National Kyung Sang University (Korea, Republic of)

1996-02-01

At the beginning of the 21 st century two urgent tasks which our global countries would face with could be the security of the alternative energy source as a preparation against the fossil energy exhaustion and the development of the clean energy source to protect the environment from pollution. The above two problems should be solved together. The bio diesel oil which is made by methylesterfication of bio oil has very low sulfur content than does the diesel oil. Therefore, there is a great possibility to solve the pollution problem caused by the exhaust gas from diesel engine vehicles. So, bio oil has been attracted with attentions as an alternative and clean energy source. Advanced countries began early to develop the bio diesel oil suitable to their respective conditions. Recently their production stage have reached to the commercial level partially. The sudden increase of energy demand followed by a rapid growth of industry and the serious situation about the environmental pollution caused by the exhaust has from diesel engine vehicles occupying 42% of distribution among all vehicles have called attention of our government to consider the importance of alternative and clean energy sources for the future on the national scale. This study is consisted of three main parts; - The development of production technology for bio diesel oil. - The development of the atomization improvement method and nozzle for high viscous vegetable oils. - Feasibility test of bio diesel engine. (author) 119 refs., 52 tabs., 88 figs.

Comparison of doses, before and after remedial action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallo, A. III

1988-01-01

The Division of Facility and Site Decommissioning Projects at DOE-Headquarters is evaluating potential doses from vicinity properties before and after remedial action at several sites using the RESRAD computer code. A preliminary review was completed for nineteen Colonie vicinity properties. This review indicated potential doses before remedial action at these sites ranged from about 43 to 2 mrem/year and after remediation between 5 and 0 mrem/year. These estimates indicate the conservatism in the DOE-derived soil decontamination remedial action. Following remedial action, the potential doses are on the order of those being considered to be below regulatory concern by EPA and NRC. The estimates made for these sites are still conservative due to the method used to determine the source term. More realistic assessments of source terms are anticipate dot significantly affect the after-remedial-action doses, possibly lowering them all to below 1 mrem/year. This evaluation is being refined with more realistic estimates of the source term, for all of the Colonie vicinity properties. Once the Colonie vicinity properties are completed, at least three other sites will be evaluated. It is hoped that this information will provide added confidence in the remedial action guidelines and more general acceptance of the guidelines by the EPA and others

Bio-oil production from cotton stalk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Jilu; Yi Weiming; Wang Nana

2008-01-01

Cotton stalk was fast pyrolyzed at temperatures between 480 deg. C and 530 deg. C in a fluidized bed, and the main product of bio-oil is obtained. The experimental result shows that the highest bio-oil yield of 55 wt% was obtained at 510 deg. C for cotton stalk. The chemical composition of the bio-oil acquired was analyzed by GC-MS, and its heat value, stability, miscibility and corrosion characteristics were determined. These results showed that the bio-oil obtained can be directly used as a fuel oil for combustion in a boiler or a furnace without any upgrading. Alternatively, the fuel can be refined to be used by vehicles. Furthermore, the energy performance of the pyrolysis process was analyzed. In the pyrolysis system used in our experiment, some improvements to former pyrolysis systems are done. Two screw feeders were used to prevent jamming the feeding system, and the condenser is equipped with some nozzles and a heat exchanger to cool quickly the cleaned hot gas into bio-oil

BioProject

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The BioProject database provides an organizational framework to access information about research projects with links to data that have been or will be deposited...

Risk evaluation of remedial alternatives for the Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, S.W.; Lane, N.K.; Swenson, L.

1994-01-01

Risk assessment is one of the many tools used to evaluate and select remedial alternatives and evaluate the risk associated with selected remedial alternatives during and after implementation. The risk evaluation of remedial alternatives (RERA) is performed to ensure selected alternatives are protective of human health and the environment. Final remedy selection is promulgated in a record of decision (ROD) and risks of the selected alternatives are documented. Included in the ROD documentation are the risk-related analyses for long-term effectiveness, short-term effectiveness, and overall protection of human health and the environment including how a remedy will eliminate, reduce or control risks and whether exposure will be reduced to acceptable levels. A major goal of RERA in the process leading to a ROD is to provide decision-makers with specific risk information that may be needed to choose among alternatives. For the Hanford Site, there are many considerations that must be addressed from a risk perspective. These include the large size of the Hanford Site, the presence of both chemical and radionuclide contamination, one likelihood of many analogues sites, public and worker health and safety, and stakeholder concern with ecological impacts from site contamination and remedial actions. A RERA methodology has been promulgated to (1) identify the points in the process leading to a ROD where risk assessment input is either required or desirable and (2) provide guidance on how to evaluate risks associated with remedial alternatives under consideration. The methodology and evaluations parallel EPA guidance requiring consideration of short-term impacts and the overall protectiveness of remedial actions for evaluating potential human health and ecological risks during selection of remedial alternatives, implementation of remedial measures, and following completion of remedial action

Bio-Based Polymers with Potential for Biodegradability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas F. Garrison

2016-07-01

Full Text Available A variety of renewable starting materials, such as sugars and polysaccharides, vegetable oils, lignin, pine resin derivatives, and proteins, have so far been investigated for the preparation of bio-based polymers. Among the various sources of bio-based feedstock, vegetable oils are one of the most widely used starting materials in the polymer industry due to their easy availability, low toxicity, and relative low cost. Another bio-based plastic of great interest is poly(lactic acid (PLA, widely used in multiple commercial applications nowadays. There is an intrinsic expectation that bio-based polymers are also biodegradable, but in reality there is no guarantee that polymers prepared from biorenewable feedstock exhibit significant or relevant biodegradability. Biodegradability studies are therefore crucial in order to assess the long-term environmental impact of such materials. This review presents a brief overview of the different classes of bio-based polymers, with a strong focus on vegetable oil-derived resins and PLA. An entire section is dedicated to a discussion of the literature addressing the biodegradability of bio-based polymers.

The environmentally friendly technology for bio fuel production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekers, M.; Danilevics, A.; Guriniece, E.; Gulbis, V.

2003-01-01

Full text: Bio fuel production and use have been discussed this time in EC and in Latvia as alternative energy sources. The national resources allow producing liquid fuels - bio diesel and bi oethanol from rape seeds and grain correspondingly. Liquid bio fuels can be recommended especially for auto transport in big towns to reduce the pollution of air. A system for environmentally friendly production of bio fuel from agricultural raw materials has been developed, which permit a complex utilization of byproducts an wastes for obtaining of valuable food-stuffs and industrial products, providing the agricultural production requirements and supporting with local mineral fertilizers. Such a bio fuel production includes the agricultural and industrial productions in a united biotechnological system. Production objects of system interact: the products, by-products and wastes from one object are used as raw materials, auxiliary materials or heat carriers in other system's objects. This integrated agro-industrial production system would allow the production of feeds and chemical products, along with bio fuels. In this work, a model of a system for a conventional administrative rural region is presented, exemplified with the case of Latvia. The model is developed for three forms of bio fuel production, i.e. ethanol, bio diesel and biogas as local energy source. Bio diesel is produced using ethanol as transesterifying agent of rape-seed oil fatty acids. This bio diesel is a blend of rape-seed oil fatty acid ethyl esters (REE) and consists solely from renewable raw materials. The capacity of distillery of system is 40 million litters per year and bio diesel 35000 ton. Important for agriculture is protein reach press cakes the byproduct from bio diesel production (66000 t/y). This byproduct can be exported as well. Biogas reactors of system can be used for utilization of wastes from town if necessary. Recommended bio system occupates up to 150.000 ha of agriculture lands

Papers of the remediation technologies symposium 2005. CD-ROM ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This conference was attended by over 500 delegates and provided an opportunity for industry, practitioners, researchers and regulators to discuss technical issues in environmental remediation research and recent innovations in soil and groundwater remediation. Sessions included presentations on in-situ, groundwater and surface water remediation. Issues concerning phytoremediation, natural attenuation, extraction and commercial redevelopment were examined. The aim of the conference was also to provide a forum for innovators in remediation to present new work. Topics included hydrocarbon and salt contamination; engineered soil cover for management of salt impacted sites; remediation and revegetation of tar sands composite tailings containing naphthenic acids; sorption of oil sands naphthenic acid mixtures; denitrification as a natural attenuation mechanism; sampling methodologies; variability assessments; stabilization treatment technologies; remediation of coal wastes; bioreactor landfills; well blowouts in Alberta; soil remediation in coarse gravelly soils; diesel-contaminated aquifers; gasoline spill remediation; soil vapour extraction systems; technological solutions for erosion control and water clarification; and cost-effective in-situ remediation strategies. Fifty-two technical presentations were given, of which 27 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database

Papers of the remediation technologies symposium 2005. CD-ROM ed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

This conference was attended by over 500 delegates and provided an opportunity for industry, practitioners, researchers and regulators to discuss technical issues in environmental remediation research and recent innovations in soil and groundwater remediation. Sessions included presentations on in-situ, groundwater and surface water remediation. Issues concerning phytoremediation, natural attenuation, extraction and commercial redevelopment were examined. The aim of the conference was also to provide a forum for innovators in remediation to present new work. Topics included hydrocarbon and salt contamination; engineered soil cover for management of salt impacted sites; remediation and revegetation of tar sands composite tailings containing naphthenic acids; sorption of oil sands naphthenic acid mixtures; denitrification as a natural attenuation mechanism; sampling methodologies; variability assessments; stabilization treatment technologies; remediation of coal wastes; bioreactor landfills; well blowouts in Alberta; soil remediation in coarse gravelly soils; diesel-contaminated aquifers; gasoline spill remediation; soil vapour extraction systems; technological solutions for erosion control and water clarification; and cost-effective in-situ remediation strategies. Fifty-two technical presentations were given, of which 27 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. tabs., figs.

Past, Present, and Future Production of Bio-oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steele, Philip; Yu, Fei; Gajjela, Sanjeev

2009-04-01

Bio-oil is a liquid product produced by fast pyrol-ysis of biomass. The fast pyrolysis is performed by heating the biomass rapidly (2 sec) at temperatures ranging from 350 to 650 oC. The vapors produced by this rapid heating are then condensed to produce a dark brown water-based emulsion composed of frag-ments of the original hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin molecules contained in the biomass. Yields range from 60 to 75% based on the feedstock type and the pyrolysis reactor employed. The bio-oil pro-duced by this process has a number of negative prop-erties that are produced mainly by the high oxygen content (40 to 50%) contributed by that contained in water (25 to 30% of total mass) and oxygenated compounds. Each bio-oil contains hundreds of chemi-cal compounds. The chemical composition of bio-oil renders it a very recalcitrant chemical compound. To date, the difficulties in utilizing bio-oil have limited its commercial development to the production of liq-uid smoke as food flavoring. Practitioners have at-tempted to utilize raw bio-oil as a fuel; they have also applied many techniques to upgrade bio-oil to a fuel. Attempts to utilize raw bio-oil as a combustion engine fuel have resulted in engine or turbine dam-age; however, Stirling engines have been shown to successfully combust raw bio-oil without damage. Utilization of raw bio-oil as a boiler fuel has met with more success and an ASTM standard has recently been released describing bio-oil characteristics in relation to assigned fuel grades. However, commercialization has been slow to follow and no reports of distribution of these bio-oil boiler fuels have been reported. Co-feeding raw bio-oil with coal has been successfully performed but no current power generation facilities are following this practice. Upgrading of bio-oils to hydrocarbons via hydroprocessing is being performed by several organizations. Currently, limited catalyst life is the obstacle to commercialization of this tech-nology. Researchers

Source zone remediation by zero valent iron technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fjordbøge, Annika Sidelmann

at a fifth of these contaminated sites. These source zones pose a serious threat to soil and groundwater quality. Remediation of the heterogeneous source zones is challenging due to irregular downwards migration patterns in the subsurface, low aqueous solubility and matrix diffusion. To protect the soil...... and groundwater resources from long-term deterioration, the development of in situ technologies suitable for remediation of DNAPL is warranted. Currently, an array of aggressive in situ remediation technologies remediation exists. These technologies may be suitable under various site specific conditions; however......, most of them are limited by subsurface heterogeneities and/or the risk of inadvertent DNAPL displacement during field application. This thesis presents the results of an investigation of the potential for remediation of chlorinated solvent source zones by emerging zero valent iron (ZVI) based...

Bio-flex obtained from pyrolysis of biomass as fuel; Bio-flex obtido da pirolise de biomassa como combustivel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mesa Perez, Juan Miguel; Viltre Rodriguez, Roberto Alfonso; Marin Mesa, Henry Ramon [Bioware Tecnologia, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Rocha, Jose Dilcio [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (NIPE/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Nucleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energetico; Samaniego, Manuel Raul Pelaez [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Planejamento de Sistemas Energeticos; Cortez, Luis Augusto Barbosa [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (FEAGRI/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Fac. de Engenharia Agricola

2006-07-01

This paper describes the BIOWARE experience in the bio fuel production from biomass residues. Fast pyrolysis of a mixture of sugar cane trash and elephant grass carried out in a fluidized bed reactor with capacity of 200 kg/h dry feed (12% w/w). The co-products particulate charcoal, acid extract, and bio-oil were obtained. The fast pyrolysis pilot plant PPR-200 belonged to UNICAMP and is operated by BIOWARE personnel. This paper presents the chemical rote to bio-flex production (a kind of bio diesel from acid esterification) from pyrolytic carboxylic acids. Both ethanol and methanol were used as reactant but higher yields were found with methanol. (author)

Experimental Monitoring of Cr(VI) Bio-reduction Using Electrochemical Geophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birsen Canan; Gary R. Olhoeft; William A. Smith

2007-01-01

Many Department of Energy (DOE) sites are contaminated with highly carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). In this research, we explore the feasibility of applying complex resistivity to the detection and monitoring of microbially-induced reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) to a less toxic form (Cr(III)). We hope to measure the change in ionic concentration that occurs during this reduction reaction. This form of reduction promises to be an attractive alternative to more expensive remedial treatment methods. The specific goal of this research is to define the minimum and maximum concentration of the chemical and biological compounds in contaminated samples for which the Cr(VI) - Cr(III) reduction processes could be detected via complex resistivity. There are three sets of experiments, each comprised of three sample columns. The first experiment compares three concentrations of Cr(VI) at the same bacterial cell concentration. The second experiment establishes background samples with, and without, Cr(VI) and bacterial cells. The third experiment examines the influence of three different bacterial cell counts on the same concentration of Cr(VI). A polarization relaxation mechanism was observed between 10 and 50 Hz. The polarization mechanism, unfortunately, was not unique to bio-chemically active samples. Spectral analysis of complex resistivity data, however, showed that the frequency where the phase minimum occurred was not constant for bio-chemically active samples throughout the experiment. A significant shifts in phase minima occurred between 10 to 20 Hz from the initiation to completion of Cr(VI) reduction. This phenomena was quantified using the Cole-Cole model and the Marquardt-Levenberg nonlinear least square minimization method. The data suggests that the relaxation time and the time constant of this relaxation are the Cole-Cole parameters most sensitive to changes in biologically-induced reduction of Cr(VI)

Cost-effectiveness analysis of radon remediation in schools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, C.A.; Gray, A.M.

2000-01-01

Indoor radon is an important source of radiation dosage in the general population and has been recognised as a world-wide environmental and public health challenge. Governments in many Western and Eastern European and North American countries are undertaking active radon-risk reduction policies, including the remediation of existing residential and work place building stocks (1). These endeavours include a priority of remediating school buildings. Epidemiological and technical radon research has produced information which has enabled attention to be turned to specific effectiveness and optimisation questions regarding radon identification and remediation programmes in buildings, including schools. Decision making about policy implementation has been an integral part of these programmes and questions have been raised about the economic implications of the regulations and optimisation strategies for workplace action level policy (2,3). (the action level applied to schools is 400 Bq m -3 ). No previous study has estimated the cost-effectiveness of a radon remediation programme for schools using the methodological framework now considered appropriate in the economic evaluation of health interventions. It is imperative that this should be done, in order that the resources required to obtain health gain from radon remediation in schools can be systematically compared with equivalent data for other health interventions and radon remediation programmes. In this study a cost-effectiveness analysis of radon remediation in schools was undertaken, using the best available national data and information from Northamptonshire on the costs and effectiveness of radon identification and remediation in schools, and the costs and health impact of lung cancer cases. A model based on data from Northamptonshire is presented (where 6.3% of residential stock is over 200 Bq m -3 ). The resultant cost-effectiveness ratio was pound 7,550 per life year gained in pound 1997. Results from the

BioSig - An application of Octave

OpenAIRE

Schlögl, Alois

2006-01-01

BioSig is an open source software library for biomedical signal processing. Most users in the field are using Matlab; however, significant effort was undertaken to provide compatibility to Octave, too. This effort has been widely successful, only some non-critical components relying on a graphical user interface are missing. Now, installing BioSig on Octave is as easy as on Matlab. Moreover, a benchmark test based on BioSig has been developed and the benchmark results of several platforms are...

Recycling used palm oil and used engine oil to produce white bio oil, bio petroleum diesel and heavy fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Al-abbas, Mustafa Hamid; Ibrahim, Wan Aini Wan; Sanagi, Mohd. Marsin

2012-09-01

Recycling waste materials produced in our daily life is considered as an additional resource of a wide range of materials and it conserves the environment. Used engine oil and used cooking oil are two oils disposed off in large quantities as a by-product of our daily life. This study aims at providing white bio oil, bio petroleum diesel and heavy fuel from the disposed oils. Toxic organic materials suspected to be present in the used engine oil were separated using vacuum column chromatography to reduce the time needed for the separation process and to avoid solvent usage. The compounds separated were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and found to contain toxic aromatic carboxylic acids. Used cooking oils (thermally cracked from usage) were collected and separated by vacuum column chromatography. White bio oil produced was examined by GC-MS. The white bio oil consists of non-toxic hydrocarbons and is found to be a good alternative to white mineral oil which is significantly used in food industry, cosmetics and drugs with the risk of containing polycyclic aromatic compounds which are carcinogenic and toxic. Different portions of the used cooking oil and used engine were mixed to produce several blends for use as heavy oil fuels. White bio oil was used to produce bio petroleum diesel by blending it with petroleum diesel and kerosene. The bio petroleum diesel produced passed the PETRONAS flash point and viscosity specification test. The heat of combustion of the two blends of heavy fuel produced was measured and one of the blends was burned to demonstrate its burning ability. Higher heat of combustion was obtained from the blend containing greater proportion of used engine oil. This study has provided a successful recycled alternative for white bio oil, bio petroleum fuel and diesel which can be an energy source.

Lead contamination of paint remediation workers' vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Boraiko, Carol; Wright, Eva M; Ralston, Faye

2013-03-01

Exposure to lead has been shown to be harmful to adults; it is a teratogen, it can damage the peripheral nervous system, and it adversely affects the reproductive system. Professional lead-based paint remediation workers are at risk of exposure to lead dust. The authors' study was conducted to determine if these remediation workers transfer lead from their work site to their vehicles and then potentially expose their families. It was hypothesized that remediation workers transported the lead from the remediation work site to the floorboards of their vehicles due to not following required protective equipment use. The laboratory's level of quantitation for lead on the wipe samples, 10 microg/ft2, was used to indicate lead contamination. This level was exceeded in 50% of the floorboards sampled. These results confirm that many vehicle floorboards used by remediation workers are contaminated with lead dust, potentially resulting in transfer of lead dust. The ultimate detrimental outcome could be the transfer of lead particles to other family members, causing the poisoning of a child or other at-risk person.

Core ethical values: EuropaBio.

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

EuropaBio, the European Association for BioIndustries, represents 40 companies operating world wide and 14 national association (totaling around 600 small and medium-sized enterprises) involved in the research, development, testing, manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of biotechnology products and services in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, food and the environment.

Bio-Research: About this journal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bio-Research: About this journal. Journal Home > Bio-Research: About this journal. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register · Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives. People. » Contact. Policies. » Focus and ...

Iron supported on bioinspired green silica for water remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Alotaibi, Khalid M; Shiels, Lewis; Lacaze, Laure; Peshkur, Tanya A; Anderson, Peter; Machala, Libor; Critchley, Kevin; Patwardhan, Siddharth V; Gibson, Lorraine T

2017-01-01

Iron has been used previously in water decontamination, either unsupported or supported on clays, polymers, carbons or ceramics such as silica. However, the reported synthesis procedures are tedious, lengthy (involving various steps), and either utilise or produce toxic chemicals. Herein, the use of a simple, rapid, bio-inspired green synthesis method is reported to prepare, for the first time, a family of iron supported on green nanosilica materials (Fe@GN) to create new technological solutions for water remediation. In particular, Fe@GN were employed for the removal of arsenate ions as a model for potentially toxic elements in aqueous solution. Several characterization techniques were used to study the physical, structural and chemical properties of the new Fe@GN. When evaluated as an adsorption platform for the removal of arsenate ions, Fe@GN exhibited high adsorption capacity (69 mg of As per g of Fe@GN) with superior kinetics (reaching ∼35 mg As per g sorbent per hr) - threefold higher than the highest removal rates reported to date. Moreover, a method was developed to regenerate the Fe@GN allowing for a full recovery and reuse of the adsorbent in subsequent extractions; strongly highlighting the potential technological benefits of these new green materials.

Bio-based chemicals - green, but also sustainable?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ögmundarson, Ólafur; Herrgard, Markus; Förster, Jochen

For almost two decades, the chemical industry has put great effort into developing bio-chemicals,among others to fight global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, one of the biggest threats that are faced by our society today. To facilitate a growing and versatile bio-based chemical...... production, the US Department of Energy proposed in 2004 a list of 12 building block chemicals which can either be converged through biological or chemical conversions. Moving toward more bio-based chemicals, the chemical industry does not only claim to reduce climate change impacts, but also...... that they are increasing overall sustainability in chemical production. Whether such claims are justifiable is unclear. When sustainability of bio-based polymer production is assessed, various environmental trade-offs occur that need to be considered. It is not enough to claim that a bio-chemical is sustainable...

Technologies to remediate hazardous waste sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falco, J.W.

1990-03-01

Technologies to remediate hazardous wastes must be matched with the properties of the hazardous materials to be treated, the environment in which the wastes are imbedded, and the desired extent of remediation. Many promising technologies are being developed, including biological treatment, immobilization techniques, and in situ methods. Many of these new technologies are being applied to remediate sites. The management and disposal of hazardous wastes is changing because of federal and state legislation as well as public concern. Future waste management systems will emphasize the substitution of alternatives for the use of hazardous materials and process waste recycling. Onsite treatment will also become more frequently adopted. 5 refs., 7 figs

Economics of biofiltration for remediation projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yudelson, J.M.; Tinari, P.D.

1995-01-01

Biofilters with granular activated carbon (GAC) filter backup units offer substantial savings compared to conventional GAC filters and catalytic/thermal oxidation (Catox) units in controlling emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from petroleum remediation projects. Provided that the biofilter supplier is willing to satisfy the client's and consultant's risk-management concerns, biofilters offer anew method for reducing the cost of remediation projects, with savings of up to $10,000 (24%) per facility in 24-month projects and up to $16,000 (32%) per facility in 36-month projects for simple gas station remediation projects. Savings will be greater for longer projects and projects with higher average contaminant loadings

Promotion of hydrogen-rich gas and phenolic-rich bio-oil production from green macroalgae Cladophora glomerata via pyrolysis over its bio-char.

Science.gov (United States)

Norouzi, Omid; Jafarian, Sajedeh; Safari, Farid; Tavasoli, Ahmad; Nejati, Behnam

2016-11-01

Conversion of Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) as a Caspian Sea's green macroalgae into gaseous, liquid and solid products was carried out via pyrolysis at different temperatures to determine its potential for bio-oil and hydrogen-rich gas production for further industrial utilization. Non-catalytic tests were performed to determine the optimum condition for bio-oil production. The highest portion of bio-oil was retrieved at 500°C. The catalytic test was performed using the bio-char derived at 500°C as a catalyst. Effect of the addition of the algal bio-char on the composition of the bio-oil and also gaseous products was investigated. Pyrolysis derived bio-char was characterized by BET, FESEM and ICP method to show its surface area, porosity, and presence of inorganic metals on its surface, respectively. Phenols were increased from 8.5 to 20.76area% by the addition of bio-char. Moreover, the hydrogen concentration and hydrogen selectivity were also enhanced by the factors of 1.37, 1.59 respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electro-active bio-films: formation, characterization and mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parot, Sandrine

2007-01-01

Some bacteria, which are able to exchange electrons with a conductive material without mediator form on conductive surfaces electro-active bio-films. This bacterial property has been recently discovered (2001). Objectives of this work are to develop electro-active bio-films in various natural environments from indigenous flora, then through complementary electrochemical techniques (chrono-amperometry and cyclic voltammetry), to evaluate electro-activity of isolates coming from so-formed bio-films and to characterize mechanisms of electron transfer between bacteria and materials. First, electro-active bio-films have been developed under chrono-amperometry in garden compost and in water coming from Guyana mangrove. These bio-films were respectively able to use an electrode as electron acceptor (oxidation) or as electron donor (reduction). In compost, results obtained in chrono-amperometry and cyclic voltammetry suggest a two-step electron transfer: slow substrate consumption, then rapid electron transfer between bacteria and the electrode. Thereafter, the ability to reduce oxygen was demonstrated with cyclic voltammetry for facultative aerobic isolates from compost bio-films (Enterobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp.) and for aerobic isolates obtained from marine electro-active bio-films (Roseobacter spp. in majority). Finally, bio-films inducing current increase in chrono-amperometry were developed in bioreactor with synthetic medium from a pure culture of isolates. Hence, for the first time, electro-activity of several anaerobic strains of Geobacter bremensis isolated from compost bio-films was highlighted. (author) [fr

Abstracts of Remediation Case Studies, Volume 9

Science.gov (United States)

This report, published by the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR), is a collection of recently published abstracts summarizing 13 cost and performance case studies on the use of remediation technologies at contaminated sites.

10 CFR 1008.15 - Civil remedies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Civil remedies. 1008.15 Section 1008.15 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (GENERAL PROVISIONS) RECORDS MAINTAINED ON INDIVIDUALS (PRIVACY ACT) Requests for Access or Amendment § 1008.15 Civil remedies. Subsection (g) of the Act provides that an individual may bring suit...

200 Areas soil remediation strategy -- Environmental Restoration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-09-01

The remediation and waste management activities in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site (located in Richland, Washington) currently range from remediating groundwater, remediating source units (contaminated soils), decontaminating and decommissioning of buildings and structures, maintaining facilities, managing transuranic, low-level and mixed waste, and operating tank farms that store high-level waste. This strategy focuses on the assessment and remediation of soil that resulted from the discharge of liquids and solids from processing facilities to the ground (e.g., ponds, ditches, cribs, burial grounds) in the 200 Areas and addresses only those waste sites assigned to the Environmental Restoration Program

An Expert support model for ex situ soil remediation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Okx, J.P.; Frankhuizen, E.M.; Wit, de J.C.; Pijls, C.G.J.M.; Stein, A.

2000-01-01

This paper presents an expert support model recombining knowledge and experience obtained during ex situ soil remediation. To solve soil remediation problems, an inter-disciplinary approach is required. Responsibilities during the soil remediation process, however, are increasingly decentralised,

Integration of biotechnology in remediation and pollution prevention activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong-Gunderson, J.M.

1996-01-01

The North American Free Trade Agreement/North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation provides a mechanism for an international collaboration between the US, Canada, and Mexico to jointly develop, modify, or refine technologies that remediate or protect the environment. These countries have a vested interest in this type of collaboration because contaminants do not respect the boundaries of a manufacturing site, region, city, state, or country. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) consists of a diverse group of individuals who address a variety of environmental issues. ESD is involved in basic and applied research on the fate, transport, and remediation of contaminants; environmental assessment; environmental engineering; and demonstrations of advanced remediation technologies. The remediation and protection of the environment includes water, air, and soils for organic, inorganic, and radioactive contaminants. In addition to remediating contaminated sites, research also focuses on life-cycle analyses of industrial processes and the production of green technologies. The author focuses this discussion on subsurface remediation and pollution prevention; however, the research activities encompass water, soil and air and many of the technologies are applicable to all environments. The discussion focuses on the integration of biotechnology with remediation activities and subsequently linking these biological processes to other remediation technologies

BioNet Digital Communications Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Gifford, Kevin; Kuzminsky, Sebastian; Williams, Shea

2010-01-01

BioNet v2 is a peer-to-peer middleware that enables digital communication devices to talk to each other. It provides a software development framework, standardized application, network-transparent device integration services, a flexible messaging model, and network communications for distributed applications. BioNet is an implementation of the Constellation Program Command, Control, Communications and Information (C3I) Interoperability specification, given in CxP 70022-01. The system architecture provides the necessary infrastructure for the integration of heterogeneous wired and wireless sensing and control devices into a unified data system with a standardized application interface, providing plug-and-play operation for hardware and software systems. BioNet v2 features a naming schema for mobility and coarse-grained localization information, data normalization within a network-transparent device driver framework, enabling of network communications to non-IP devices, and fine-grained application control of data subscription band width usage. BioNet directly integrates Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) as a communications technology, enabling networked communications with assets that are only intermittently connected including orbiting relay satellites and planetary rover vehicles.

Bio energy: Environment and Environmental Engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soma, Morten; Noreng, Katrina; Soerensen, Heidi; Teslo, Einar; Daehlen, Knut; Liodden, Ole Joergen; Wilhelmsen, Gunnar; Hohle, Erik Eid

2001-01-01

This is Chapter 5 of the book ''Bio energy - Environment, technique and market''. Its main sections are: (1) Environmental issues in the use of energy, (2) Environmental issues in the production of biomass, (3) Forestry, (4) Agriculture, (5) Environmental issues in fuel production and storage, (6) Environmental issues in combustion, (7) Environmental issues in using bio fuel, (8) Life cycle analyses, (9) Laws, regulations and norms for the use of bio fuel. Unlike the other sections, the one on laws is mostly concerned with Norwegian conditions

Bio-nanopatterning of Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeung Chun

2007-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractBio-nanopatterning of surfaces is a very active interdisciplinary field of research at the interface between biotechnology and nanotechnology. Precise patterning of biomolecules on surfaces with nanometre resolution has great potential in many medical and biological applications ranging from molecular diagnostics to advanced platforms for fundamental studies of molecular and cell biology. Bio-nanopatterning technology has advanced at a rapid pace in the last few years with a variety of patterning methodologies being developed for immobilising biomolecules such as DNA, peptides, proteins and viruses at the nanoscale on a broad range of substrates. In this review, the status of research and development are described, with particular focus on the recent advances on the use of nanolithographic techniques as tools for biomolecule immobilisation at the nanoscale. Present strengths and weaknesses, as well future challenges on the different nanolithographic bio-nanopatterning approaches are discussed.

Upgrading biomass pyrolysis bio-oil to renewable fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Fast pyrolysis is a process that can convert woody biomass to a crude bio-oil (pyrolysis oil). However, some of these compounds : contribute to bio-oil shelf life instability and difficulty in refining. Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of the bio-o...

40 CFR 85.1803 - Remedial Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... POLLUTION FROM MOBILE SOURCES Recall Regulations § 85.1803 Remedial Plan. (a) When any manufacturer is... the total parts requirement of each person who is to perform the repair under the remedial plan to be...: (i) The recall campaign number; and (ii) A code designating the campaign facility at which the repair...

Superfund Green Remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Green remediation is the practice of considering all environmental effects of site cleanup and incorporating options – like the use of renewable energy resources – to maximize the environmental benefits of cleanups.

The evolution of formula-bio

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maas, A.; Steinbuch, M.

2013-01-01

Formula-Bio started out as a dream of building a race car with only three students and thereby showing the world that everything is possible if you put your passion into it. In this internship report the story of Formula-Bio and the reasoning behind the FB01 can be found. A large part of the report

Bio-technology drawing attention for solution of environmental problems. Kankyo mondai kaiketsu demo chumokusareru bio technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimazaki, A [Bank of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan)

1991-06-01

Explanations are given on the recent movements in the bio-technology applications. In the United States, gene therapy has been applied to patients having damaged immune system, while in Japan the first outdoor experiment is about to begin this year on gene recombined tomatoes. In the area of the marine bio-technology, researches carried out by the industrial, governmental, and academic sectors combined, led by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry have begun, which include such an attractive subject as finding out new kinds of algae living on carbon dioxide as their special favorite diet to use them to prevent the earth warming-up. On the other hand, the difficulty of bio-business is represented by the fact that venture business groups are absorbed into larger chemical companies. In Japan, the bio-business established in individual regions related to soy bean paste and Shoyu sauce industry is a distinct feature. Deregulations and review on the patent system are in progress in the United States and Germany aiming at strengthening the business competitiveness. Expectation is placed on the bio-technology that it will contribute largely in the future to solving such a critical environmental problem as experienced in the Persian Gulf war. 1 tab.

Bioenergy Status Document 2012; Statusdocument Bio-energie 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bles, M.; Schepers, B.; Van Grinsven, A.; Bergsma, G.; Croezen, H. [CE Delft, Delft (Netherlands)

2013-05-15

In addition to a review and characterisation of the current situation, the report contains an update on government policies on bio-energy and a review of the sources and sustainability of the biomass used in the Netherlands [Dutch] Het statusdocument bio-energie 2012 geeft de huidige status weer van bio-energie in Nederland, inclusief trends en verwachtingen voor de toekomst. Het doel van dit document is inzicht verstrekken in de ontwikkelingen van bio-energie, voor overheden en marktpartijen.

Bioremediasi Cd dan ketersediaan P batuan fosfat oleh cendawan Ektomikorhiza Pisolithus tinctorius dan Suillus granulatus dalam kultur murni

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tini Surtiningsih

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Some rock phosphates used as fertilizers or to produce fertilizers which containing very high cadmium and have been suspected to increase trace element content in soild. In order to know if the cadmium can be mobilized, we have studied the bio-remediation of Cd and bio-availibility of P from three rock phosphates (from North Caroline, Togo and Senegal by ectomycorrhyzal fungi (Pisolithus tinctorius and Suillus granulatus in pure culture. In pure culture the fungi accumulated 80-100% Cd soluble. In the experiments, the % bio-accumulation or bio-remediation of Cd was not always correlated with the Cd content of the phosphate nor their hardness.

2nd generation biogas. BioSNG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwart, R.W.R.

2008-11-01

The substitution of natural gas by a renewable equivalent is an interesting option to reduce the use of fossil fuels and the accompanying greenhouse gas emissions, as well as from the point of view of security of supply. The renewable alternative for natural gas is green natural gas, i.e. gaseous energy carriers produced from biomass comprising both biogas and Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG). Via this route can be benefited from all the advantages of natural gas, like the existing dense infrastructure, trade and supply network, and natural gas applications. In this presentation attention is paid to the differences between first generation biogas and second generation bioSNG; the market for bioSNG: grid injection vs. transportation fuel; latest update on the lab- and pilot-scale bioSNG development at ECN; and an overview is given of ongoing bioSNG activities worldwide

Cost estimating for CERCLA remedial alternatives a unit cost methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brettin, R.W.; Carr, D.J.; Janke, R.J.

1995-06-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance for Conducting Remedial Investigations and Feasibility Studies Under CERCLA, Interim Final, dated October 1988 (EPA 1988) requires a detailed analysis be conducted of the most promising remedial alternatives against several evaluation criteria, including cost. To complete the detailed analysis, order-of-magnitude cost estimates (having an accuracy of +50 percent to -30 percent) must be developed for each remedial alternative. This paper presents a methodology for developing cost estimates of remedial alternatives comprised of various technology and process options with a wide range of estimated contaminated media quantities. In addition, the cost estimating methodology provides flexibility for incorporating revisions to remedial alternatives and achieves the desired range of accuracy. It is important to note that the cost estimating methodology presented here was developed as a concurrent path to the development of contaminated media quantity estimates. This methodology can be initiated before contaminated media quantities are estimated. As a result, this methodology is useful in developing cost estimates for use in screening and evaluating remedial technologies and process options. However, remedial alternative cost estimates cannot be prepared without the contaminated media quantity estimates. In the conduct of the feasibility study for Operable Unit 5 at the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP), fourteen remedial alternatives were retained for detailed analysis. Each remedial alternative was composed of combinations of remedial technologies and processes which were earlier determined to be best suited for addressing the media-specific contaminants found at the FEMP site, and achieving desired remedial action objectives

Bio fuels. A comparative analysis; Biokraftstoffe. Eine vergleichende Analyse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmitz, Norbert; Henke, Jan; Klepper, Gernot

2009-07-01

The market for bio fuels is subject to very high dynamics worldwide. Due to the extreme rise of the prices of raw materials as well as due to the retrogressive tax reductions for bio fuels in Germany one hardly invests in bio fuels. Substantial changes are experienced in the markets for fossil raw materials. The prices for agrarian raw material used in this contribution originate from the years 2006 and 2007. The effects of clearly higher oil prices on the bio fuel market are described. The investigation under consideration also deals with criteria of sustainability. The contribution of the individual bio fuels to the reduction of greenhouse gases is analyzed. The costs resulting from this are numerated. This enables a well-established comparison in which less representative bio fuels such as bio methane, BtL fuels and cellulose ethanol also are included.

BioBlend.objects: metacomputing with Galaxy.

Science.gov (United States)

Leo, Simone; Pireddu, Luca; Cuccuru, Gianmauro; Lianas, Luca; Soranzo, Nicola; Afgan, Enis; Zanetti, Gianluigi

2014-10-01

BioBlend.objects is a new component of the BioBlend package, adding an object-oriented interface for the Galaxy REST-based application programming interface. It improves support for metacomputing on Galaxy entities by providing higher-level functionality and allowing users to more easily create programs to explore, query and create Galaxy datasets and workflows. BioBlend.objects is available online at https://github.com/afgane/bioblend. The new object-oriented API is implemented by the galaxy/objects subpackage. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Environmental Modelling of Remediation of Urban Contaminated Areas. Report of the Urban Remediation Working Group of EMRAS Theme 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

The Urban Remediation Working Group of the International Atomic Energy Agency's EMRAS (Environmental Modelling for RAdiation Safety) programme was concerned with remediation assessment for urban areas contaminated with dispersed radionuclides. Types of events that could result in dispersal or deposition of radionuclides in an urban situation include both intentional and unintentional events, and releases could range from major events involving a nuclear facility to small events such as a transportation accident. The primary objective of the Urban Remediation Working Group was (1) to test and improve the prediction of dose rates and cumulative doses to humans for urban areas contaminated with dispersed radionuclides, including prediction of changes in radionuclide concentrations or dose rates as a function of location and time; (2) to identify the most important pathways for human exposure; and (3) to predict the reduction in radionuclide concentrations, dose rates, or doses expected to result from various countermeasures or remediation efforts. Specific objectives of the Working Group have included (1) the identification of realistic scenarios for a wide variety of situations, (2) comparison and testing of approaches and models for assessing the significance of a given contamination event and for guiding decisions about countermeasures or remediation measures implemented to reduce doses to humans or to clean up the contaminated area, and (3) improving the understanding of processes and situations that affect the spread of contamination to aid in the development of appropriate models and parameter values for use in assessment of these situations. The major activities of the Working Group have included three areas. The first of these was a review of the available modelling approaches and computer models for use in assessing urban contamination and potential countermeasures or remediation activities. The second area of work was a modelling exercise based on data

Remedial Action Program annual conference: Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Within the DOE's Office of Environmental Restoration ampersand Waste Management, the Office of Environmental Restoration manages a number of programs whose purposes are to complete remedial actions at DOE facilities and sites located throughout the United States. The programs include the Surplus Facilities Management Program, the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program, and the West Valley Demonstration Project. These programs involve the decontamination and decommissioning of radioactively-contaminated structures and equipment, the disposal of uranium mill tailings, and the cleanup or restoration of soils and ground water that have been contaminated with radioactive or hazardous substances. Each year the DOE and DOE-contractor staff who conduct these programs meet to exchange information and experience in common technical areas. This year's meeting was hosted by the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project, DOE-AL, and was held in Albuquerque, NM. This volume of proceedings is the record of that conference. The proceedings consist of abstracts, summaries, or actual text for each presentation made and any visual aids used by the speakers

Hanford Site Tank Waste Remediation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-05-01

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State has the most diverse and largest amount of highly radioactive waste of any site in the US. High-level radioactive waste has been stored in large underground tanks since 1944. A Tank Waste Remediation System Program has been established within the DOE to safely manage and immobilize these wastes in anticipation of permanent disposal in a geologic repository. The Hanford Site Tank Waste Remediation System Waste Management 1993 Symposium Papers and Viewgraphs covered the following topics: Hanford Site Tank Waste Remediation System Overview; Tank Waste Retrieval Issues and Options for their Resolution; Tank Waste Pretreatment - Issues, Alternatives and Strategies for Resolution; Low-Level Waste Disposal - Grout Issue and Alternative Waste Form Technology; A Strategy for Resolving High-Priority Hanford Site Radioactive Waste Storage Tank Safety Issues; Tank Waste Chemistry - A New Understanding of Waste Aging; Recent Results from Characterization of Ferrocyanide Wastes at the Hanford Site; Resolving the Safety Issue for Radioactive Waste Tanks with High Organic Content; Technology to Support Hanford Site Tank Waste Remediation System Objectives

Bacterial Exopolysaccharide mediated heavy metal removal: A Review on biosynthesis, mechanism and remediation strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pratima Gupta

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Heavy metal contamination has been recognized as a major public health risk, particularly in developing countries and their toxicological manifestations are well known. Conventional remediation strategies are either expensive or they generate toxic by-products, which adversely affect the environment. Therefore, necessity for an environmentally safe strategy motivates interest towards biological techniques. One of such most profoundly driven approach in recent times is biosorption through microbial biomass and their products. Extracellular polymeric substances are such complex blend of high molecular weight microbial (prokaryotic and eukaryotic biopolymers. They are mainly composed of proteins, polysaccharides, uronic acids, humic substances, lipids etc. One of its essential constituent is the exopolysaccharide (EPS released out of self defense against harsh conditions of starvation, pH and temperature, hence it displays exemplary physiological, rheological and physio-chemical properties. Its net anionic makeup allows the biopolymer to effectively sequester positively charged heavy metal ions. The polysaccharide has been expounded deeply in this article with reference to its biosynthesis and emphasizes heavy metal sorption abilities of polymer in terms of mechanism of action and remediation. It reports current investigation and strategic advancements in dealing bacterial cells and their EPS in diverse forms – mixed culture EPS, single cell EPS, live, dead or immobilized EPS. A significant scrutiny is also involved highlighting the existing challenges that still lie in the path of commercialization. The article enlightens the potential of EPS to bring about bio-detoxification of heavy metal contaminated terrestrial and aquatic systems in highly sustainable, economic and eco-friendly manner.

Bacterial Exopolysaccharide mediated heavy metal removal: A Review on biosynthesis, mechanism and remediation strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Pratima; Diwan, Batul

2017-03-01

Heavy metal contamination has been recognized as a major public health risk, particularly in developing countries and their toxicological manifestations are well known. Conventional remediation strategies are either expensive or they generate toxic by-products, which adversely affect the environment. Therefore, necessity for an environmentally safe strategy motivates interest towards biological techniques. One of such most profoundly driven approach in recent times is biosorption through microbial biomass and their products. Extracellular polymeric substances are such complex blend of high molecular weight microbial (prokaryotic and eukaryotic) biopolymers. They are mainly composed of proteins, polysaccharides, uronic acids, humic substances, lipids etc. One of its essential constituent is the exopolysaccharide (EPS) released out of self defense against harsh conditions of starvation, pH and temperature, hence it displays exemplary physiological, rheological and physio-chemical properties. Its net anionic makeup allows the biopolymer to effectively sequester positively charged heavy metal ions. The polysaccharide has been expounded deeply in this article with reference to its biosynthesis and emphasizes heavy metal sorption abilities of polymer in terms of mechanism of action and remediation. It reports current investigation and strategic advancements in dealing bacterial cells and their EPS in diverse forms - mixed culture EPS, single cell EPS, live, dead or immobilized EPS. A significant scrutiny is also involved highlighting the existing challenges that still lie in the path of commercialization. The article enlightens the potential of EPS to bring about bio-detoxification of heavy metal contaminated terrestrial and aquatic systems in highly sustainable, economic and eco-friendly manner.

Overview: Microbial amendment of remediated soils for effective recycling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Soo-Bin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, various methods are being considered with appropriate amendments, not with conventional reclamation to recycle deteriorated soils after remediation as agricultural addition, backfilling and construction materials etc. Among these amendments, microbial amendments with effective microorganism(EMs are known to improve soil qualities such as fertility, strength and toxicity to be recycled into possible utilizations. This study indicates the possibility of recycling the remediated soils by using these EMs most efficiently. Soil samples will be collected from contaminated sites with either heavy metals or petroleum and will be remediated by bench-scale soil washing and thermal desorption. And then the remediated soils will be treated with easily obtainable inocula, substrates (culture media near our life and they are compared with commercial EM products in terms of the cost and efficiency. Also, after treating with a number of mixing ratios, soil properties of (1 fresh, (2 contaminated, (3 remediated (4 amended soils will be evaluated based on soil quality indicators depending on demands and the optimal mixing ratios which are effective than commercial EM products will be determined. The ratio derived from pre-tests could be applied on the remediated soils with pilot-scale in order to assess suitability for recycling and characterize correlation between soil properties and microbial amendments regarding contaminants and remediation, and furthermore for modelling. In conclusion, application of the established models on recycling remediated soils may help to dispose the remediated soils in future, including environmental and ecological values as well as economical values.

Life-Cycle Assessment of Pyrolysis Bio-Oil Production*

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steele, Philip; Puettmann, Maureen E.; Penmetsa, Venkata Kanthi; Cooper, Jerome E.

2012-07-01

As part ofthe Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials' Phase I life-cycle assessments ofbiofuels, lifecycle inventory burdens from the production of bio-oil were developed and compared with measures for residual fuel oil. Bio-oil feedstock was produced using whole southern pine (Pinus taeda) trees, chipped, and converted into bio-oil by fast pyrolysis. Input parameters and mass and energy balances were derived with Aspen. Mass and energy balances were input to SimaPro to determine the environmental performance of bio-oil compared with residual fuel oil as a heating fuel. Equivalent functional units of 1 MJ were used for demonstrating environmental preference in impact categories, such as fossil fuel use and global warming potential. Results showed near carbon neutrality of the bio-oil. Substituting bio-oil for residual fuel oil, based on the relative carbon emissions of the two fuels, estimated a reduction in CO2 emissions by 0.075 kg CO2 per MJ of fuel combustion or a 70 percent reduction in emission over residual fuel oil. The bio-oil production life-cycle stage consumed 92 percent of the total cradle-to-grave energy requirements, while feedstock collection, preparation, and transportation consumed 4 percent each. This model provides a framework to better understand the major factors affecting greenhouse gas emissions related to bio-oil production and conversion to boiler fuel during fast pyrolysis.

Process for determining the remediation category of hazardous substance sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sieben, A.K.

1994-01-01

An evaluation process has been developed that aids in selecting the appropriate remediation category of hazardous substance sites. Three general remediation categories have been established: No further Action: Potential Early Action: and Defer for RI/FS or Transition/Decontamination and Decommissioning. This evaluation method is a preliminary screening process only and will not identify the most appropriate remediation alternative for each site. The remedy selection process can proceed only after a remediation category is determined for each site. All sites are evaluated at a preliminary screening level to determine the general remediation category. After the first screen, a secondary evaluation is performed on both the PEA sites and the DEFER sites. For PEAs, this secondary evaluation will incorporate additional specific factors, such as a screening level risk assessment. For the DEFER sites feasibility factors will be used to distinguish between the sites which should undergo a normal RI/FS and the sites which will be recommended to be remediated in association with D ampersand D of buildings. Ultimately, all of the sites will be placed into one of four remediation categories

Remediation of Soil at Nuclear Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmes, R.; Boardman, C.; Robbins, R; Fox, Robert Vincent; Mincher, Bruce Jay

2000-01-01

As the major nuclear waste and decontamination and decommissioning projects progress, one of the remaining problems that faces the nuclear industry is that of site remediation. The range of contamination levels and contaminants is wide and varied and there is likely to be a significant volume of soil contaminated with transuranics and hazardous organic materials that could qualify as mixed TRU waste. There are many technologies that offer the potential for remediating this waste but few that tackle all or most of the contaminants and even fewer that have been deployed with confidence. This paper outlines the progress made in proving the ability of Supercritical Fluid Extraction as a method of remediating soil, classified as mixed (TRU) transuranic waste

Provincial labour market study : mould remediation industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-06-01

Indoor exposure to mold can be problematic to human health, and some molds are considered to be toxigenic. The emergent mold remediation industry in Ontario is fragmented, with various different standards, training and certification processes. This report investigated the labour market for mold remediation workers, with particular reference to training needs and priorities. Research was derived from a literature review in order to analyze the economic, legal, technical and social context of the mold remediation industry. Data on the organized work force were obtained from records of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the Labour Force Historical Review 2002, and various publications. Population data from the Ontario government and Statistics Canada were also used. Surveys of workers and employers were conducted with questionnaires. Results of the surveys indicated that mold remediation projects currently constitute a minority share of most companies' business. However, the importance of mold remediation projects is expected to increase, and industry self-regulation is the most likely scenario for the development of standards and related training programs. It was suggested that the creation of an industry body representing key stakeholder constituencies or the legitimization of an existing industry organization will reduce fragmentation and facilitate research, standard setting and certification, as well as improve marketing and education. If the demand for mold remediation services increases as anticipated, the industry will face the challenge of remaining competitive in the province's projected labour market due to shortages in personnel. There was a strong consensus between employers and workers in the mold remediation industry regarding the need for skills upgrading and compulsory certification. It was concluded that leadership is needed in the development and delivery of training programs, standard setting, recruitment and retention and

French bio-diesel demand and promoting measures analysis by 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, F.

2008-02-01

The researches presented aim at assessing bio-diesel promoting measures under consideration in France by 2010. This assessment is based on a deep study of French bio-diesel demand. The use of a linear model for optimizing the whole French refining industry costs allow us to take into account the physicochemical characteristics of bio-diesel useful for gas oil blending operation. This researches show that bio-diesel can be incorporated up to 27% blend in volume to diesel fuel without major technical problem. A decomposition of the value allotted to the bio-diesel by French refiners according to its physicochemical characteristics shows that energy content is the most disadvantageous characteristics for bio-diesel incorporation and, up to 17%, density become also constraining. However, the low bio-diesel sulphur content could become interesting from now to 2010. On the basis of this bio-diesel demand analysis, we proceed to an external coupling of an agro-industrial model of bio-diesel supply with the French refining model. Thus, we study the impact of the 2010 French bio-diesel consumption objective on agricultural surface need, the competitiveness of the bio-diesel, the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and the trade balance of the petroleum products. On this basis, we propose a critical analysis of French bio-diesel promoting measures under consideration by 2010. (author)

Bio-oil production through pyrolysis of blue-green algae blooms (BGAB): Product distribution and bio-oil characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Zhiquan; Zheng, Yang; Yan, Feng; Xiao, Bo; Liu, Shiming

2013-01-01

Pyrolysis experiments of blue-green algae blooms (BGAB) were carried out in a fixed-bed reactor to determine the effects of pyrolysis temperature, particle size and sweep gas flow rate on pyrolysis product yields and bio-oil properties. The pyrolysis temperature, particle size and sweep gas flow rate were varied in the ranges of 300–700 °C, below 0.25–2.5 mm and 50–400 mL min −1 , respectively. The maximum oil yield of 54.97% was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C, particle size below 0.25 mm and sweep gas flow rate of 100 mL min −1 . The elemental analysis and calorific value of the oil were determined, and the chemical composition of the oil was investigated using gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) technique. The analysis of bio-oil composition showed that bio-oil from BGAB could be a potential source of renewable fuel with a heating value of 31.9 MJ kg −1 . - Highlights: ► Bio-oil production from pyrolysis of blue-green algae blooms in fixed bed reactor. ► Effects of pyrolysis conditions on product distribution were investigated. ► The maximum bio-oil yield reached 54.97 wt %. ► The bio-oil has high heating value and may be suitable as renewable fuel. ► Pyrolysis of algal biomass beneficial for energy recovery, eutrophication control

Hazardous waste treatment and environmental remediation research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is currently evaluating hazardous waste treatment and environmental remediation technologies in existence and under development to determine applicability to remediation needs of the DOE facilities under the Albuquerque Operations Office and to determine areas of research need. To assist LANL is this effort, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) conducted an assessment of technologies and monitoring methods that have been demonstrated or are under development. The focus of this assessment is to: (1) identify existing technologies for hazardous waste treatment and environmental remediation of old waste sites; (2) identify technologies under development and the status of the technology; (3) assess new technologies that need development to provide adequate hazardous waste treatment and remedial action technologies for DOD and DOE sites; and (4) identify hazardous waste and remediation problems for environmental research and development. There are currently numerous research and development activities underway nationwide relating to environmental contaminants and the remediation of waste sites. To perform this effort, SAIC evaluated current technologies and monitoring methods development programs in EPA, DOD, and DOE, as these are the primary agencies through which developmental methods are being demonstrated. This report presents this evaluation and provides recommendations as to pertinent research needs or activities to address waste site contamination problems. The review and assessment have been conducted at a programmatic level; site-specific and contaminant-specific evaluations are being performed by LANL staff as a separate, related activity

77 FR 12293 - PCBs Bulk Product v. Remediation Waste

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-29

.... Remediation Waste AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Request for Public Comment. SUMMARY... biphenyl (PCB) disposal regulations regarding PCB bulk product and PCB remediation waste. The proposed... regarding PCB bulk product and PCB remediation waste under regulations promulgated at 40 CFR part 761. The...

14 CFR 1212.800 - Civil remedies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Civil remedies. 1212.800 Section 1212.800... Comply With Requirements of This Part § 1212.800 Civil remedies. Failure to comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act and this part could subject NASA to civil suit under the provisions of 5 U.S.C...

Steam Injection For Soil And Aquifer Remediation

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of this Issue Paper is to provide to those involved in assessing remediation technologies for specific sites basic technical information on the use of steam injection for the remediation of soils and aquifers that are contaminated by...